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Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for March 23:

Wednesday on the Webexclusive – Hiwassee Supporters Pack Courtroom @ holston.org

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TOP STORY: Pray for peace on Good Friday

The Holston Conference Cabinet is asking church members to pray for peace on Good Friday.

"Jesus was the Prince of Peace, and so certainly, we should be offering prayers for peace in the Middle East as well as in the rest of the world," said the Rev. Mahan Archer, dean of the 2005-06 cabinet. Pastors and congregations are encouraged to participate, so that a strong current of prayer for peace exists in Holston on March 25.

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Change for Children applications: Due April 15

 Change for Children grants are available to support new and existing ministries with economically disadvantaged children from birth through age 12. Holston churches and related United Methodist agencies are elgible to apply for these funds. Applications are due April 15. Grants will be awarded at Annual Conference in June.

Find out more and download an application form

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Ten ways to tell if your church is 'on fire'

 What is the mark of a church "on fire"? A new General Board of Discipleship article provides a list of indicators showing a church "has a vision of the future that is big enough to match the dreams of God."

Read the article

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Clergy members tell special Easter story in The Call

 In November 2004, a nine-member Sudanese family arrived in Knoxville after a 30-hour trip from their homeland. In this week's (March 25) edition of The Call, the Rev. Lynn Hutton and the Rev. Sarah Martin (pictured) tell the special story of the Tel family in "Journey to Easter."

See the story and photos now

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Wesley Institute: 3 training opportunities in April

The Wesley Institute recently announced these new opportunities for continuing education:

Visit the Wesley Institute site for more info

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Numbers: Give that Wytheville church a hand

The 2004 membership numbers are in. What Holston congregation had the largest percentage net gain of new members?

Fairview United Methodist Church in Wytheville District, with 37.5 percent growth. Fairview added 21 new members to the roll, bringing the total membership to 56. For a complete report on 2004 membership gains and Five-Star Churches as provided by the treasurer's office, see the upcoming April 8 edition of The Call.

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Your online calendar: Remember these dates

Annual Conference missions offering for Latvia: May 1

New event announcements appear here. Visit our upcoming events page for other events. Be sure you have the newest Acrobat Reader or you may not be able to view PDFs.

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