District Roundup
Abingdon: Project Crossroads recently received $815 from an offering taken at Jubilation, Holston’s annual retreat for older adults. Crossroads Director Harry Howe accepted the check from Bill Copeland, member of the Jubilation Design Team and First Hillsville UMC (Wytheville District). Located in Marion, Va., Project Crossroads will use the funds to build ramps, roofs and other rehabilita- tion projects for needy people.
Big Stone Gap: In April, The Call reported on the Seeds of Bounty project carried out by Big Stone Gap District Church & Community Renewal. To date, 550 pounds of vegetable seeds have been distributed to area food banks – and more is on the way. Seeds of Bounty enables hungry families to plant gardens despite the high cost of seeds. Chattanooga: Every six months, Brainerd UMC has "P.J. Sunday" for the children's Sunday school classes. The kids come to church in their pajamas and eat breakfast at church. According to a spokesperson, the idea was conceived one day when a parent brought her child to church, still wearing her sleepwear. At the last P.J. Sunday on April 27, attendance was high and included 10 guests. L
Cleveland: Trinity UMC in Athens recently rallied to help families victimized by fi res. Earlier this year, the church was called on to help a Tennessee Wesleyan College student and her family replace clothing and household items lost in a fi re. In April, Trinity joined with other area churches to help eight families whose apartment building burned down. M
Johnson City: As a "single person who's never been married," the Rev. Jeffrey Bryant sometimes feels left out on Father's Day – and imagines that women without children feel that way too on Mother's Day. So when the Ebenezer Circuit's Young Adult/Youth Fellowship started looking for a project, Bryant suggested special appreciation dinners for adults with or without children. The women's dinner was held on May 17; the men's dinner is set for June 14. Bryant says enthusiasm is running high for all participants. S
Kingsport: Cassidy UMC and Emory UMC have joined with four area churches and three civic organizations to create a community mission center. According to Cassidy pastor Larry DeVault, the groups in the Indian Springs community were doing their own mission work, "but felt like they could do a lot more as a team." The mission center is located at a church and will offer food, clothing, fi nancial assistance, spiritual counseling and classes to needy people. S, M
Knoxville: Cokesbury UMC recently completed a capital-funds campaign that brought in $2.8 million in three-year pledges. "This represents 411 pledge cards with an average gift of $6,800 per family," according to the newsletter. Cokesbury also set a new church record for attendance on Easter Sunday: 3,748 attending fi ve worship services. L Maryville: Middlesettlements UMC sponsored its second Community Fun Day on May 3. "We wanted to do something for our community just to show our love to them," says pastor Joe Black. So the congregation served barbecue, popcorn, and cotton candy free of charge at a fi eld near the church. They also had infl atable toys, horseshoe tournaments and other games as well as music and other attractions. About 600 attended. Cost to the church: $2,000. M
Morristown: Jones Chapel UMC held its annual egg hunt on the Saturday before Easter, with prize eggs for different age groups and a drawing for a bunny. Fifty-four children from the community attended. Jones Chapel has 54 in average worship attendance. S
Oak Ridge: Two years ago, Tazewell UMC had about three children in the congregation. Today, there are 38- 40 participating in Sunday school. "I don't know how to explain it," says the Rev. Scott Ketron – except that he thinks it's because the congregation started praying for leadership in children's ministry. Eventually, kids of inactive members started coming back to church, which attracted other children from a nearby apartment building. "We've got kids running out of our ears now," says Ketron. Tazewell is also celebrating 50 new members and 26 professions of faith in the last couple of years. S
Tazewell: East Tazewell Circuit sponsored its fi rst "Blessing of the Bikes" on May 4 at Burke's Garden. "Seventy- fi ve motorcyclists converged on this farming community as the Reverends Rodney Lawson, Larry Murphy and Doug Hyndrich conducted the service," District Superintendent Gene Lovell reports. Donations generated a $580 gift to the Tazewell Ministerial Association.
Wytheville: On Easter Sunday, Mt. Pleasant UMC recognized Francis Calfee for more than 50 years of commitment to ordering and distributing “The Upper Room” devotional books to every parishioner. “What made her commitment so special was that Francis took the time to write each person’s name on the book,” says the Rev. C.W. Huff. M
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