Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for July 5:
exclusive – Newsweek: United Methodists Give Back @ holston.org~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for July 5:
exclusive – Newsweek: United Methodists Give Back @ holston.org
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TOP STORY: New video features Tazewell District church
The Rev. Alan Ashworth and his church, New Hope Union United Methodist Church, is featured in a new UMTV video as well as a United Methodist News Service story.
A "Haven for Hikers" shows the ministry of the Tazewell District congregation as they serve hikers along the Appalachian Trail. Church members set an ice chest full of cold drinks on the trail and place signs up offering a hot, home-cooked breakfast. Said one hiker, "To wake up in the morning, hike for an hour, and find out there's a free, all you can eat breakfast – it's mind blowing."
* Read the United Methodist News Service story
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The 8 quality characteristics of a healthy church
Pastors and laity in local church leadership are invited to an introduction to Natural Church Development, held Sunday, Oct. 8, 3:30-6:30 p.m., at Cokesbury Center in Knoxville, Tenn.
Principles will include "the eight quality characteristics of healthy churches" and "the rule for which there is no exception." The training is provided by the Holston Conference Office of Congregational Development. Cost is $50 for materials.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Annual Conference offerings: How high will they go?
The Treasurer's Office announces the following updates on offerings collected at Annual Conference:
$99,040 – Mission in Alaska
$46,067 – Change for Children
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Holston's pension: How it compares to others
The United Methodist Church’s 2000 legislative assembly directed its Board of Pension and Health Benefits to gather information from the 63 annual conferences about retiree health care issues and their pension plans.
During the agency’s examination, it found that plans vary widely from conference to conference, but that all conferences have access to health care benefits for retirees. Some conferences fund plans for staff and local church employees as well as clergy. Most have some level of cost sharing by participants in the plan, and some conferences offer a prescription drug program, or vision or dental benefits. Some conferences have been forced to stop paying into retiree benefits plans entirely.
Read the complete analysis (a UMNS report)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Order, please? Conference calendar and handbook
The conference office is taking orders for the “2006 Handbook and Directory” (which contains contact info for all clergy, staff members, and committee members) and for the “2007 Holston Conference Program Calendar.”
The handbook costs $6 and must be ordered by July 19. Visit www.holston.org/handbook or call Sheila Knowles toll-free at (866) 690-4080.
The calendar costs $7.50 if ordered before Sept. 22. Visit www.holston.org/calendar or call Lori Sluder toll-free at (866) 690-4080.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
British Methodists and the same-sex debate: Who said that?
"We don't bless gay partnerships – we pray with everyone."
—The Rev. Paul Smith, after the British Methodist Church voted not to bless same-sex relationships. The decision followed a lengthy and passionate debate on the floor of the denomination's annual conference which met June 23-29 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Read the United Methodist News Service story
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOW AVAILABLE
RSS Feed
______________________________________________
Subscribe, change an email address or join another list, here.
Send your conference-wide news/events here.
This message is from the Holston Conference Communications Office.