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Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for April 12:

Wednesday on the Webexclusive – Tennessee Tornado Response @ holston.org

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TOP STORY: Are you ready for Easter worship?

The General Board of Discipleship's "Worship" Web site offers 34 resources for planning Easter services as well as for the Sundays following Easter. Resources include lectionary hymns, preaching helps, and scripture notes.

Visit the GBOD site now

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How to get money for your church building project

The Renfro Trust Fund provides grants for building projects in rural churches of the Southeastern Jurisdiction. Last year, five Holston churches received a total $15,000 of the $25,000 available for building projects. A story on these churches will be provided in a future edition of The Call. (Grant money is not available for parsonages.)

Church leaders are invited to submit their 2006 applications in the registration office at Annual Conference in Lake Junaluska, N.C., by Tuesday, June 13. For more information, contact the Rev. Mat Merker , conference secretary for the General Board of Global Ministries.

Download guidelines

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Children's Day: A great way to kick off summer
Children's Day celebrations are scheduled at our conference and district camps from May to June:

Bring your elementary boys and girls for a day of free outdoor adventure filled with fun and friends. Activities include games, crafts, campfire songs, stories, and devotions. Check-in begins at 10 a.m. Activities conclude at 2 p.m.

Download registration materials now

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How to get money for your senior-adult ministry
The Holston Conference Foundation is now accepting applications for the Margaret Loving Grant for Older Adults. Grant requests are expected from Holston Conference-associated churches and agencies for providing educational, recreational, and spiritual programming for older adults. Applications should include a brief summary of the project, the budgeted need, and other funding services. Seed money for new projects is encouraged. Matching funds and challenge grants are also encouraged. For more information, contact Rita Broderick by e-mail or toll-free at (866) 690-4080. Application deadline is April 30.

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Evangelism award applications: Due April 15
Holston members are encouraged to nominate clergy, lay, and youth members for the Denman Evangelism Award, which is presented at Annual Conference in June. Due by April 15, applications should be submitted to Anne Travis, director of connectional ministries.

Download an application form now

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Suing for the right to be intolerant: Who said that?

"The message is, you're free to worship as you like, but don't you dare talk about it outside the four walls of your church."

— Stephen Crampton, chief counsel for the American Family Association Center for Law and Policy, commenting on a growing campaign to force public schools, state colleges, and private workplaces to eliminate policies protecting gays and lesbians from harassment. The legal argument is that these polices end up discriminating against conservative Christians.

Read the Los Angeles Times story

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Your online calendar: Remember these dates

Native American Ministries Sunday - April 30

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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NOW AVAILABLE

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This message is from the Holston Conference Communications Office.