~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for May 17:

Wednesday on the Webexclusive – Bookmarks Ready? @ holston.org

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

TOP STORY: Hands-on deadlines are announced

Churches are gearing up for Annual Conference 2006 by collecting food, health, and school supplies for missions in Zimbabwe and Liberia. The annual "hands-on" mission project involves all 914 Holston congregations, which are collecting supplies assigned by district. Congregations should drop off kits to designated locations within their districts.

If your congregation hasn't yet taken its Annual Conference offering, you have four more Sundays until the annual meeting in Lake Junaluska, N.C. With a goal of $100,000, the offering will benefit the work of Church and Community Worker Fran Lynch in Alaska. Offerings should be submitted at Annual Conference, which begins June 11.

Learn more about Lynch's Alaskan mission

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Heritage Sunday or Aldersgate Sunday?

There is some confusion over these two dates on the United Methodist calendar, since the 2004 General Conference moved Heritage Sunday's observance to coincide with Aldersgate Day. The General Board of Discipleship offers explanations on how to observe Aldersgate or Heritage Day on May 21 or May 24.

Visit the GBOD site now

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How (and if) to worship on Memorial Day

Memorial Day often passes in churches with little or no mention. Historically and traditionally, the date has been viewed more as a civic than a liturgical observance. However, "pastoral and congregational attention can be an occasion of healing hurt and connecting with the rawness of loss," according to the General Board of Discipleship's "Worship" site.

Visit the GBOD's Memorial Day site

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Something special for your graduating seniors

"Orientation," the magazine for graduating high school seniors and first-year college students, is now a Web resource. Produced by the Office of Interpretation of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the e-zine features news articles as well as past favorites, prayers, and links to United Methodist loans and scholarships.

Visit the online "Orientation" now

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Be happy: It's another edition of "Be!"

The spring edition of Be!, the semiannual publication of the Connectional Ministries staff, is unveiled in this week's edition of The Call. Don't want to wait?

Download the new issue now

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Throwing out the organ: Who said that?

"Some churches are throwing out their organs and changing to contemporary music, using electric guitars, synthesizers, and praise bands. In a lot of clergy's eyes, the organ is an old instrument used for old music."

— Douglas Cleveland, University of Washington music faculty member, lamenting the number of organ students, which has fallen sharply since the 1950s. According to a USA Today article, some organ education programs have closed, while others have grown.

Read the USA Today article

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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

______________________________________________

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.