Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for October 5:
exclusive – "Why don't more churches do this?" @ holston.org- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TOP STORY: Hurricane workers urge careful planning
While expressing appreciation to churches and individuals offering to help, hurricane-relief workers are urging would-be volunteers to follow procedures and provide help where it is most needed.
"The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is asking concerned individuals who want to help with hurricane-relief efforts not to travel to hurricane-affected regions without first making arrangements with an organization such as UM Volunteers in Mission or UMCOR," Newscope reported in its Oct. 7 edition. UMCOR also urged members to give financially to relief efforts.
Anne Travis, Holston director of connectional ministries, also responded to churches and individuals offering to form partnerships with hurricane-affected churches. Travis pointed out that the hurricane-affected conferences are not set up to form partnerships, even though churches in many conferences have made the same offers. "The numbers of churches suggesting partnerships far exceed the numbers of impacted churches." Travis thanked churches for their servanthood and promised to contact them if partnerships become needed.
Visit Holston's hurricane page for more details
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Youth council pleads for help to reach goal
The Conference Council on Youth Ministry (CCYM) has a Youth Service Fund Ministry Team. The group recently wrote the following paragraph for Holston members:
"What is YSF? The Youth Service Fund is money raised by youth, spent by youth, to benefit youth. Your Holston Conference Council on Youth Ministries has set a goal of raising $30,000 for the year 2005. We have already raised over $27,300, but we are still in need of donations to help us reach our goal. Therefore, we extend a challenge to you and your church to participate in the final push to surpass our YSF goal. Thank you for supporting the youth of our conference and the ministries supported by YSF!"
For more information, contact Dan Gray, coordinator of youth ministries, by e-mail dangray@holston.org or call (423) 928-2156.
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Having said all that ... YSF grants available
Holston groups that assist in meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of youth are encouraged to apply for 2006 Youth Service Fund grants. Applications are due by Nov. 2.
Download an application from the YSF page
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Historical society meets in Bristol on Oct. 15
The Holston Conference Historical Society meets Saturday, Oct. 15, 10:30 a.m., at Reynolds Memorial UMC in Bristol, Va. The program includes a history of Reynolds Memorial and Major A.D. Reynolds and a history of Hunt Memorial UMC and Miss Kate Hunt. For more information, call Reynolds Memorial at (276) 669-4286.