TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW MARCH 24, 2006
Tennessee Conference Review March 26, 2006
Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., Names Dr. Vincent Walkup to be Executive Director of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation
Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., has announced the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Vincent (Vin) Walkup as Executive Director of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation.
Rev. Dr. Vincent (Vin) Walkup to become Executive Director of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation
Walkup has served the church in a variety of ways from pastor to circuit churches within the Cumberland District, to campus minister, to pastor of some of the larger congregations in the Tennessee Annual Conference. Most recently he has been the senior minister at Hermitage United Methodist Church adjacent to McKendree Village in Hermitage, Tennessee.
In 1976 he was elected as ministerial delegate to Jurisdictional Conference and has been re-elected as delegate to each Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference through 2000. In 2004 he was elected as ministerial delegate to General Conference and served as clergy leader for the Tennessee Annual Conference delegation.
Within the Tennessee Conference he has served as a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry on three different occasions and was the Board’s chairperson from 1984-1988 and from 2000 to the present. He has also served as chair of the Conference Council on Ministries (1988-1992), the chair of Conference Vision and Planning (1992-1995), chair of the Conference Children’s Council (1976-1980), and at various times has been a member of the Conference Board of Pensions, the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and the Conference Council on Finance and Administration.
His skills were recognized by the Southeastern Jurisdiction in a number of ways. Currently he is a member of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Administrative Council, a member of the Commission on General Conference for the United Methodist Church, and chairperson of the SEJ Personnel Committee. He has also been chair of the SEJ Vision and Planning Committee, member and then chair of the SEJ Nominating Committee. Walkup was born in Jackson, Tennessee, the son of Rev. Elbert and Faye (Bridges) Walkup. He is married to Ann West Walkup, formerly of Clarksville, Tennessee, and has one son Kevin, who is married to Andrea. He and Ann are proud grandparents of Hannah and Austin.
He received a Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) from Emory and Henry College, and then earned both a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from the Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
In his new position Walkup will work with the Foundation to assist United Methodists in making significant gifts and bequests to United Methodist programs and institutions. The Foundation is of direct service to local churches in a number of ways from counseling with churches interested in establishing a wills and legacies task force to entering into management agreements with local churches to manage and invest gifts previously made. Part of the Foundation, the United Methodist Development Fund of Tennessee/Kentucky, Inc. accepts investments from individuals, churches and organizations from both annual conferences. The fund pays these investors a set rate of interest. Then the Fund makes loans to churches, agencies and missions within the Conferences. The interest paid to investors is usually as high or higher than they could get with a similar investment in a commercial bank or money market. The interest paid by churches that have borrowed money is usually as low or lower than they would be charged by commercial lenders. Since the Fund is a non-profit, service organization, the goal is not to make money from this transaction but rather to bring investors and borrowers together in the most efficient and effective way for the benefit of God's work through the Church.
When asked why he is excited about becoming executive director of the Foundation, Walkup does not hesitate:
“First I’ll be building on the solid Foundation Edd Templeton and the Board have laid and that will make my job easier.” He paused, and then added, “I can’t state my appreciation for Edd Templeton’s ministry often enough. Can you imagine how great it is building for the future on the great foundation he has laid?”
“Then there are two very personal reasons why I’m excited by this job: My father was licensed to preach in the year 1935 in the Memphis Conference. This is the 8th consecutive decade of our joint ministry. The work with the Foundation gives me an opportunity to repay the two conferences and the churches who have supported us in our ministry.”
He adds, “I spent eight years as a campus minister at Austin Peay State University. In my position with the Foundation I can help provide long term support for all the ministries of the Nashville Area by connecting people with a passion for particular ministries with ways they can support those ministries beyond their lifetimes.”
Walkup sees the move to the new Conference Center as a marvelous opportunity for the Foundation. “There will be people in and out of the Conference Center ALL the time for meetings. I like the idea of a lot of foot traffic, and the Foundation staff being with all the others. There will be a lot of opportunities for persons to stop by and pick up a brochure, to stop and ask a question, or just to drop in for a chat.”
Franklin First UMC to Honor Edd and Carol Templeton, Sunday, April 9th
The Rev. W. Edward (Edd) and Carol Templeton will be retiring at the 2006 session of the Tennessee Annual Conference after some 45 years of faithful ministry.
Rev. Edd Templeton
Since 1996 when Edd Templeton assumed the post as Executive Director of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation he has seen the Foundation grow from $3,000,000 in assets to its present $32,000,000. During the same time the number of accounts has grown from 40 to its present 464.
To recognize Edd and Carol for all they mean to us, a reception in their honor will be held at Franklin First United Methodist Church on Sunday, April 9th from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The reception will be held in the church’s Fellowship Hall.
Since Edd and Carol have been a vital part of the ministries of our conference, Franklin First UMC and pastor A. Lynn Hill want to give a special invitation to other conference churches to come and share in the celebration.
Edd and Carol have touched the lives of many in the Tennessee and Memphis Annual Conferences and reception planners want this to be a great day on which we can show our deep appreciation for all they have done.
Directions to Franklin First UMC: From Nashville take I-65 southward. Exit at exit 65 (96 West). Travel on Highway 96 (name changes to 3rd Avenue), past railroad tracks to second traffic light, and turn left onto Church Street. Main parking lot for Franklin First UMC is at the corner of 4th and Church Streets.
Warmth in Winter Celebrates 25th Birthday
by Beth Morris*
What a great 25th birthday! This year, Warmth in Winter, our largest conference youth event, celebrated its 25th anniversary with cake and candles. This was a small part of the happenings of the weekend.
Choates Creek UMC, Pulaski District, poses for a group shot. Groups at the 2006 event ranged in number from 5 to 77 persons
The last weekend in January was rainy outside, but we were warm inside while 2100 participants sang, danced, prayed and shared together in a great weekend. Our theme was "Get Real. Be Fearless". Using super heroes for backdrops and decorations, our speaker Rev. Clarence Brown from the Virginia Conference helped us to see where we are in our faith and challenged us to take the next step.
Workshops at Warmth and Winter were often crowded.
Friday night, at the end of the first session, we celebrated 25 years of Warmth by honoring past leaders, volunteer and paid, and showing pictures of the first Warmth in 1982 (with 62 people in attendance). Everyone had cake to celebrate.
Colorful “Super Heroes” were backdrops and decorations for the event.
Saturday afternoon was spent in workshops of various kinds, with times of worship on Saturday morning and evening. We raised over $10,000.00 for the Youth Service Fund during the weekend. Our weekend was capped off by dynamic worship at TPAC, Jackson Hall. The 100 member design team is to be praised for a job well done!
We hope you will plan to join us for next year Warmth in Winter, as we begin our next 25 years. The dates are January 26 - 28, 2007
Warmth and Winter participants assembled cuddly Teddy Bears to be distributed by emergency workers as a comfort to children caught in a crisis situation..
The Erin United Methodist Church group ready to celebrate the big 25th anniversary.
*Beth Morris is Conference Director of Youth and Camping Ministries
Reservations Policies of the Committee on Camping and Outdoor Ministries
There is a new procedure in place for making reservations to book conference camp facilities.
+Reservations for both Conference Camps, Beersheba and Cedar Crest, are accepted at the Conference Camping Office in Nashville.
+ALL reservations will be made by phone. The phone number to be used is 615-327-1533 of 1-800-403-5795.
+Reservations will be taken one year in advance on the first day of the month to be booked.
+The reservations are to be booked by phone even if the first day of the month falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
+Reservations will be taken beginning at 6:00 a.m. CST on the first day of the month. Calls before 6:00 a.m. will not be accepted.
+Calls will be timed, according to the voice mail log-in system and will be responded to in order of receipt
+No reservations will be taken before that time.
+There are no standing reservations from year to year.
Report on 2005 Conference Hunger Offering
by Tom Henry, Chairperson
The 2005 Hunger Offering has been gathered and distributed back to the Districts in a timely fashion, and each District Coordinator is working upon disbursement of funds to the designated agencies in each District. The International portion has gone toward our Haitian Hot Lunch project (UMCOR Special Advance 418790), which we have supported for the last three years with 50% of the collection. The remaining 50% goes back to each district to support local hunger agencies.
Results for the 2005 Tennessee Conference Hunger Offering reflected a decrease of about 40.0% from our 2004 collections, to $28,207. This shortfall is compounded by lack of participation: only 90 churches made a Hunger Offering, compared to 137 in 2004. It has been suggested that Pastors have had to make more calls for special offerings to provide relief for natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes, and although nationally charitable giving has been extraordinary, our conference might have been visited by “compassion fatigue”. The consequence is that local food banks will receive 40% less in support from the Conference, and although the agencies are shorter of funds and food, the need for hunger relief is still growing.
The Tennessee Conference Hunger Committee has set $75,000 as our goal for Hunger Offerings in 2006. To support that goal, we have assembled two new programs to improve the Conference support for our local food banks, and to keep the burning issue of hunger in our communities and in our world in front of us.
National Hunger Awareness Day:
June 6th is National Hunger Awareness Day, (http://www.hungerday.org/) part of a grassroots movement to raise awareness about the solvable problem of hunger in America. The Tennessee Conference Hunger Committee believes that the congregations of United Methodist Churches have a vital role we can play in filling the shelves of food banks throughout each of our 7 Districts. The twofold benefits will be in providing precious food supplies to agencies working in our respective Districts, and in fulfilling our biblical role in feeding the hungry.
Our suggestion is that each church sponsor a nonperishable food drive throughout the month of May, and then deliver the groceries to their local food bank on June 6th. Please look for more on this program, including scriptural support, recommended foodstuffs, and Hunger in Tennessee statistics in subsequent issues of the Conference Review and coordinated mailings.
UMCOR Banks:
Because of the reduced offering for Hunger Relief in 2005, the Conference Hunger Committee has chosen to begin our campaign for the Annual Hunger Offering early. Hunger Sunday falls on November 26th, but Hunger is a year-round problem worldwide. The Hunger Committee proposes that churches act now to increase participation in the Hunger Offering. Small coin banks provided by UMCOR will be distributed to each church to supply families in their congregation, ideally to be prominently placed upon the dinner table so that world hunger can be addressed daily. We hope that the UMCOR coin bank will prompt parents to teach their children the lessons of compassion, stewardship, and generosity, and will increase our collective awareness of hunger in the world, and of our responsibility to our brothers and sisters.
Miguel and Paula Carpizo
Who are the aliens?
by Miguel Carpizo*
After reading a Christmas newsletter from a friend of ours, I decided to write him and make some comments about what I read. This is the letter to our friend.
Hi my friend:
I just have a question after reading your Christmas letter where you share about what your son is doing: "and he befriended these aliens as a model to us all.” Who are the aliens in this sentence? The ones who are here from other countries or the ones who haven't embrace God's diversity?
According to the Webster dictionary an alien is defined as:
--A resident born in or belonging to another country who has not acquired citizenship by naturalization (distinguished from citizen).
--A foreigner.
--A person who has been estranged or excluded.
--A creature from outer space; extraterrestrial.
So are we from outer space and nobody has noticed that? Or maybe we have been estranged or excluded. It is possible for everybody who has embraced Jesus to become an alien because this is not our home. We are living in a foreign country because our home is heaven where one day I will return. So, who is he helping? The people that came or the people that are here?
I was listening to a sermon by Rob Bell and he was asking "How many times do we sit at the table with people different than us? With people that speak another language? That have a different point of view from us? That have a different social class than us?"
When I go back to see the life of Jesus and I sit at the table with Him in the Last Supper, I am suddenly surprised to see so many different people sitting by him. Fishermen and tax collectors sitting at the same table... (That was totally unimaginable in those times) Such imperfect people! One betrayed him; another denied him, and everybody else, except John, left him. The excluded were suddenly included, the alien were suddenly part of a family.
We can become aliens very easily when we put our eyes on people and not on God. A great psychologist once said "we need to love our enemies, but what if our enemy is our own self?” (Carl Jung)
Who are the aliens we need to befriend?... Maybe they are in our midst. Maybe they are sitting very close to us and we haven't noticed them. Maybe they are living a "normal" life but deep inside are aliens living in their own world. Maybe they want to be your friends, maybe they want to learn from you, maybe they want to live like you, maybe they want freedom, maybe they need to embrace God.....aliens every where in every place we go, you and I, but thanks to God that in Christ we are one.
One of the wonderful things of serving the United Methodist Church is realizing that I serve a church that believes in Diversity, where open doors, open arms and open hearts exist. Where there is not such a thing as illegal human being but members of the same body: Christ.
Brennan Manning in his book the importance of being foolish says: “The church of Jesus Christ is a place of promise and possibility, of adventure and discovery, a community of love on the move, strangers and exiles in a foreign land en route to the heavenly Jerusalem”
This is just a thought....think about it!!
In His Grace
Miguel Carpizo
*Rev. Miguel Carpizo is the Director of Manos Hispanas Ministries . He is dedicated to giving help and information to the Hispanic-Latino community as well as to the American, to reduce the gap between the two cultures. He works in close partnership with private founders, churches and other Hispanic-serving organization to be a source of information, to encourage personal and spiritual growth and to advocate for the community. Miguel and his wife Paula developed a Hispanic program with the help of the Hispanic Ministry of the Kentucky Conference. They have helped start many Hispanic ministries in the Cookeville District and surrounding areas. Miguel also serves as the associate pastor for the bilingual contemporary congregation called The Connection. (www.manoshispanasministries.org)
Want to know more about the Hispanics? Go to:
www.pewhispanics.org
or read:
Ramos, Jorge, The Other face of America
Ramos, Jorge, Dying to Cross
Ramos, Jorge, The Latino Wave
Clark Memorial UMC Member offers Commentary: Life at Dillard University a daily struggle after Katrina A UMNS Commentary by Erin A. Grimes*
Erin A. Grimes is a member of Clark Memorial UMC in Nashville
Hurricanes were a familiar part of each fall semester at Dillard University, the historically black, United Methodist-related university I attend in New Orleans. When I learned we were evacuating to Houston last Aug. 27, I thought it would be for a short vacation. Instead, Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast Aug. 29 and its tragic aftermath, changed the course of my senior year forever.
After the levees broke and we got official word that I would not be able to go back to Dillard for the fall semester, I enrolled at Spelman College in Atlanta. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I could not imagine going anywhere other than Dillard; but there I was, 500 miles from my beloved school and city.
My stomach was in knots as my mother and I drove to New Orleans last Nov. 11, my first visit since Katrina. I was so afraid my New Orleans would be so marred that I would not recognize it, but I needed to see the city before I decided if I wanted to return to Dillard in January.
The eastern part of the city was like a ghost town, or a war zone. Everything had been flooded, and there was debris everywhere. I could not imagine what the campus was going to look like.
But the university's administration had decided that even though the campus suffered a great deal of damage, it would reopen at a different site in New Orleans. That was one of the best decisions they made.
Many ask why I would return to a school holding classes in a hotel, in a city barely back on its feet. One of my good friends here said: "I owe it to God, I owe it to myself, and I owe it to Dillard to help rebuild the city." I agree that it is my duty as a student of Dillard and a member of the United Methodist Church to dedicate myself to the rebuilding of my campus and my adopted city.
There is still so much work to be done to rebuild New Orleans. Everyone's support is needed to sustain the rich history I love at Dillard University and in New Orleans.
When the spring semester began on Jan. 9, I was so glad to be back at school after almost five months away. I loved seeing people and professors I had missed so much. On the first day of registration, more students returned than expected - a sign that Dillard was on its way to being whole again.
The first day of classes in the New Orleans Hilton was interesting, but not the lap of luxury some might have expected. The rooms are not real classrooms. Oversized cubicles serve as our learning areas. At times it is hard for teachers and students because there are so many people in one area, instead of in separate rooms. It's loud, and at times, extremely challenging.
However, everyone is exercising extreme patience because we know that this will not last forever. Soon Dillard will be back on its campus, and things will really begin to get back to normal.
I have found that going from having my own apartment last semester to sharing a room with another girl has been a challenge. Nevertheless, it is worth the sacrifice to be back at Dillard and helping to rebuild the city.
My birthday was Feb. 9, and it was nothing like last year's celebration when I went with my friends to Kabby's on The River, which is the Hilton's top restaurant in the hotel. This year, the day I turned 22 was uneventful and seemed burdensome beside the struggles in New Orleans.
I am glad to be back at Dillard, but there are so many adjustments. Being with my friends and seeing familiar faces keeps me sane, as does having people around who have been through the same experience. Everyone is in the same boat of grief mixed with strength and the will to help New Orleans.
Students affected by Katrina, especially seniors, are indecisive about what to do after graduation, or do not know what they want to do with their lives. Before Katrina many of us were heading to graduate, medical, or law schools. Now, fewer than 30 have applied.
I am among those who have not applied for graduate school. At this point, I do not know where to go, or what I want to do. It is not that easy to pick up the pieces. Many of the students at Dillard have not dealt with what has happened to us. Yet, here we are, survivors of the storm.
It is such a difficult time for everyone: students, professors, and patrons of the city. I work in the mall next door to the hotel and have to ask customers for their zip code. Many ask sarcastically, "Which one? The one for my flooded house or where I live now?" They laugh, but I can see the hurt and trauma behind what they say.
Still, Mardi Gras season is bringing a little life to an otherwise deserted city. This carnival season is going to be one of revitalization and remembering of a once vital city. Dillard University and New Orleans will return bigger, better, and brighter than ever.
*Grimes, a senior at Dillard University and member of Clark Memorial United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., took time away from her classes and her job to describe the struggles she and other students face each day.
United Methodist minister Ryan Bennett notes the joy he feels sharing the Gospel message with groups representing various faith backgrounds during the Purity Faith Night Program at Greer Stadium
“Sermon on the Mound”—United Methodist Minister named to head up Purity Faith Night Program of the Nashville Sounds baseball team
Purity Faith Nights® -- which were introduced by the Sounds in 2002 and are entering their fifth season – have become a staple at Greer Stadium to the delight of families and church groups in Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, and Northern Alabama. Purity Faith Nights® feature Christian concerts, fireworks, and personal faith stories by Sounds players. United Methodist minister Ryan Bennett has joined the Sounds front office staff as Director of Faith Nights. Bennett is pastor of Pleasant View United Methodist Church in the Clarksville District and brings to the Sounds a great deal of experience in youth and pastoral ministry.
Ryan Bennett was born in Milton, Florida, where his father was serving in the Navy. When he was one year old the family moved back to Cookeville, Tennessee, the town where his father was born. He was raised in the same church that had raised his dad-- First UMC, Cookeville. Bennett graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and worked in the area of physical therapy, but it wasn’t long before he experienced a call to ministry. Given his heritage one might say the call was almost inevitable. Ryan Bennett’s ninth great grandfather was Robert Annesley, brother to Susannah Annesley Wesley.
Starting in 1998 he became youth director at First UMC in Crossville. From the very beginning he arranged to bring youth groups to Sounds games and that expanded through the years to bringing other members of the churches he was serving to ball games—something that comes easy to an individual who grew up on t-ball, Little League and High School baseball and shared the dream of becoming a major leaguer. While working with young people he attended seminary at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, where he earned his Master of Divinity degree.
“This work with the Sounds is my Harley Davidson”, Bennett says with a smile, acknowledging Bishop Dick Wills’ dedication to using his Harley and the setting of local coffee houses to initiate faith conversations with persons who are basically strangers. “Bishop Wills strongly believes clergy need to reach out to the community in different ways, and not always through the church. I’ve been praying for what to do beyond the church as my outreach to the community. The invitation to head up Faith Night for the Sounds was an answer to prayers.”
It was indeed an answer to prayer for a long-time baseball fan. Not only does he experience the joy of a game he loves, hear performances by persons who are the next chart-toppers in the religious music market, and listen to testimonies from Sounds’ players, but he gets to speak to the assembled Faith Night audience for 6-7 minutes during Faith Night activities, a total of nearly 20,000 persons during the summer. Bennett notes the joy he feels sharing the Gospel message with groups representing various faith backgrounds, “ministry should be fun.” If you look close at Bennett’s eyes you can see the child who started playing t-ball at 4 years of age, the Bennett who God called to serve—the Bennett who is having the unbelievable opportunity to combine two loves.
“Last year from my small church, we brought almost sixty persons from toddlers to seniors to a faith night. It was incredible the relationships that were formed and strengthened over the five hours we were at the ballpark beginning with the Christian Concerts, ball game, and fireworks after the game. Think about it, how much time each week do your church members get to know each other? Do they get to know each other during Sunday School? A little. During worship? Not much. Eating a hot dog and watching professional baseball, top quality Christian Musicians, and a first rate fireworks display? A lot! It is incredible what I have seen Faith Nights do to that tie that binds us together as one. As a result, worship is enhanced, and ministry is that much better. After all, a Church family that plays together stays together.”
When baseball season starts Ryan Bennett will have been at his job with the Sounds for several months, and has attended lunches throughout Middle Tennessee to build support for Faith Night and explain to church leaders how Faith Night can enrich their ministries.
“The two areas I’m focusing on this year are OUTREACH and MISSION at Faith Night. The outreach is really a low pressure, low confrontational way of reaching out to the un-churched and the marginally churched people. I’m encouraging churches, wanting to evangelize, to invite individuals to a Faith Night baseball game and while they are here quality bands and quality performers give a solid message and some of the performers share stories in the midst of their songs. Then I’ll be presenting a message encouraging the living a life of faith. The experience opens the way for persons to enter into dialogue and prompts faith questions. The evening will be planting a seed that we trust God will harvest. I bring to this job with the Sounds a heart for reaching un-churched people. In fact, I want to help you grow your church because that grows the Kingdom of God. If these un-churched and marginally churched people are invited by your church members and come to a Faith Night and hear a message of love and hope and then have questions about their faith, who are they going to ask? If they feel something stirring inside of them, what church will they be inclined to begin coming to? And all you and your parishioners have done is invite them to a baseball game with a concert before it.’
“I’ve mentioned focusing on mission. The Sounds have built a relationship with Jars of Clay and their clean blood/clean water mission in Africa. $1.00 can provide clean water for one person for a year, or provide clean blood for an individual undergoing surgery. In Africa the two ways that diseases are mainly transmitted is through unclean blood and unclean water. 65% of all disease is spread through those two media.”
“Faith Night will be helping Jars of Clay build a well in Africa. $15,000 is the goal on that night. It would provide clean water for a community of 15,000 people.”
“The Sounds are heavily involved with Habitat for Humanity,” Bennett adds. “In the past two years Faith Nights have enabled the building of two houses for Habitat. So, you can say that persons attending Faith Night are going to be seeing mission in new ways.”
Bennett is also working on Methodist Night at Greer Stadium, a tradition that goes back a number of years, but this year there will be a great deal more than just sitting in a reserved section of the ballpark. On Sunday evening June 4th there will be a special evening at the ballpark for United Methodist youth groups from throughout the conference—the evening, featuring a concert by “Cross Culture,” will mirror some of the elements to be found in the regular Friday evening Faith Nights—with leadership by a talented praise team, and performances by several contemporary groups. “We expect the pre-game program to run from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.,” notes Bennett.
Schedule of Purity Faith Nights 2006
Friday, May 19th Sounds vs. Tacoma Concert Performer: MainStay
Friday, June 2nd Sounds vs. Iowa Concert performer Aaron Shust
Sunday, June 4th Special Methodist Night Concert performers “Cross Culture”
and Mike Rayson
Friday, June 16th Sounds vs. Oklahoma Concert performer Peasall Sisters
Tuesday, June 27 Sounds vs. Memphis Concert performer Jars of Clay, Derek Webb
Blood:Water Mission Night
Friday, June 30 Sounds vs. Round Rock Concert: Denver & The Mile High Orchestra
Friday, July 14 Sounds vs. Memphis Concert: TBD
Friday, July 28 Sounds vs. Colorado Springs Concert: Warren Barfield
Church groups can purchase tickets for this special night at least 30 days in advance for only $10. The price of admission includes admission to the concert, reserved seat for the game, hot dog, 20 oz. soft drink, recognition of the group over the public address system and on the scoreboard, and a fireworks show. In 2005, Faith Nights® continued to be an incredible success for the Sounds. More than 650 church groups attended games last season, an increase of 220 groups from 2003. Of last season’s top 11 attended Sounds games, five were Faith Nights®. The Sounds expect between 800-900 church groups to attend Purity Faith Nights® this season.
Individual game tickets for Faith Nights® of any other game may be purchased by calling the Sounds at (615) 242-4371 ext. 2, ordering through the official team website at http://www.nashvillesounds.com/, or by visiting the Greer Stadium box office, located at 534 Chestnut Street.
Volunteers attending Mountain T.O.P. Friends Weekend in early March assisted in renovating the lodge at Camp Cumberland Pines for use as Mountain T.O.P.'s new offices. The ministry relocated to Camp Cumberland Pines from Nashville on Feb. 27.
Mountain T.O.P. Relocates to Grundy County
ALTAMONT, Tenn. -- Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project), an interdenominational missions group affiliated with the Tennessee Conference UMC, has relocated its offices from Nashville to Camp Cumberland Pines, its base camp near Altamont in Grundy County.
The move is expected to save the ministry $30,000 per year and to improve Mountain T.O.P.'s connection to the people it serves in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, according to executive director Rev. Ed Simmons.
"This makes sense for the ministry today," said Simmons.
The ministry had been based in Nashville since its formation in 1975 by George Bass and members of Blakemore UMC. The ministry had rented office space on 12th Avenue South for many years.
When Bass retired last year as executive director, the Mountain T.O.P. board began considering moving the ministry's headquarters to the mountains.
"The staff changes that were taking place, and the need to run the ministry as efficiently as possible, made this the right time to move things to the mountain," said Mountain T.O.P. Board Chair Rich Campbell. "And I think it helps keep us in closer contact with the people we serve, both campers and Cumberland Mountain families."
The move became official Feb. 27, and volunteers at the ministry's annual "Friends Weekend" March 2-5 helped to continue the process of renovating space at Camp Cumberland Pines for office use.
In addition to Simmons, the ministry's staff in Altamont includes newly-hired director of programming Betsy Ruhlig; newly-hired director of service area operations Jeff Grammer; and long-time food service and facility manager Ken Swift. They will be joined in May by new program director Pat McLaughlin.
Buddy Boyce, the ministry's development resources manager, will continue to be based in Nashville but will now work from his home.
The ministry's new mailing address is Mountain T.O.P., PO Box 128, Altamont, TN 37301. The telephone number is (931) 692-3999.
In addition to Camp Cumberland Pines, the ministry operates Camp Baker Mountain in Van Buren County. It also rents camp facilities for some events.
Mountain T.O.P. has program areas for youth, adult and college-age volunteers. Its Youth Summer Ministry program places volunteers from church youth groups into the Mountains for week-long camps at which the volunteers provide minor home repairs for Cumberland Mountain families.
In the “BreakOut” program, college groups work on churches or public facilities from the mountains and help prepare Mountain T.O.P. camps for the summer season.
Adults In Ministry uses adult volunteers to do major home repairs for mountain families or to provide programming for teenagers or special needs children from the mountains.
More information about Mountain T.O.P. is available from its web site, http://www.mountain-top.org/.
Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., Names Dr. Vincent Walkup to be Executive Director of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation
Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., has announced the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Vincent (Vin) Walkup as Executive Director of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation.
Rev. Dr. Vincent (Vin) Walkup to become Executive Director of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation
Walkup has served the church in a variety of ways from pastor to circuit churches within the Cumberland District, to campus minister, to pastor of some of the larger congregations in the Tennessee Annual Conference. Most recently he has been the senior minister at Hermitage United Methodist Church adjacent to McKendree Village in Hermitage, Tennessee.
In 1976 he was elected as ministerial delegate to Jurisdictional Conference and has been re-elected as delegate to each Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference through 2000. In 2004 he was elected as ministerial delegate to General Conference and served as clergy leader for the Tennessee Annual Conference delegation.
Within the Tennessee Conference he has served as a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry on three different occasions and was the Board’s chairperson from 1984-1988 and from 2000 to the present. He has also served as chair of the Conference Council on Ministries (1988-1992), the chair of Conference Vision and Planning (1992-1995), chair of the Conference Children’s Council (1976-1980), and at various times has been a member of the Conference Board of Pensions, the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and the Conference Council on Finance and Administration.
His skills were recognized by the Southeastern Jurisdiction in a number of ways. Currently he is a member of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Administrative Council, a member of the Commission on General Conference for the United Methodist Church, and chairperson of the SEJ Personnel Committee. He has also been chair of the SEJ Vision and Planning Committee, member and then chair of the SEJ Nominating Committee. Walkup was born in Jackson, Tennessee, the son of Rev. Elbert and Faye (Bridges) Walkup. He is married to Ann West Walkup, formerly of Clarksville, Tennessee, and has one son Kevin, who is married to Andrea. He and Ann are proud grandparents of Hannah and Austin.
He received a Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) from Emory and Henry College, and then earned both a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from the Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
In his new position Walkup will work with the Foundation to assist United Methodists in making significant gifts and bequests to United Methodist programs and institutions. The Foundation is of direct service to local churches in a number of ways from counseling with churches interested in establishing a wills and legacies task force to entering into management agreements with local churches to manage and invest gifts previously made. Part of the Foundation, the United Methodist Development Fund of Tennessee/Kentucky, Inc. accepts investments from individuals, churches and organizations from both annual conferences. The fund pays these investors a set rate of interest. Then the Fund makes loans to churches, agencies and missions within the Conferences. The interest paid to investors is usually as high or higher than they could get with a similar investment in a commercial bank or money market. The interest paid by churches that have borrowed money is usually as low or lower than they would be charged by commercial lenders. Since the Fund is a non-profit, service organization, the goal is not to make money from this transaction but rather to bring investors and borrowers together in the most efficient and effective way for the benefit of God's work through the Church.
When asked why he is excited about becoming executive director of the Foundation, Walkup does not hesitate:
“First I’ll be building on the solid Foundation Edd Templeton and the Board have laid and that will make my job easier.” He paused, and then added, “I can’t state my appreciation for Edd Templeton’s ministry often enough. Can you imagine how great it is building for the future on the great foundation he has laid?”
“Then there are two very personal reasons why I’m excited by this job: My father was licensed to preach in the year 1935 in the Memphis Conference. This is the 8th consecutive decade of our joint ministry. The work with the Foundation gives me an opportunity to repay the two conferences and the churches who have supported us in our ministry.”
He adds, “I spent eight years as a campus minister at Austin Peay State University. In my position with the Foundation I can help provide long term support for all the ministries of the Nashville Area by connecting people with a passion for particular ministries with ways they can support those ministries beyond their lifetimes.”
Walkup sees the move to the new Conference Center as a marvelous opportunity for the Foundation. “There will be people in and out of the Conference Center ALL the time for meetings. I like the idea of a lot of foot traffic, and the Foundation staff being with all the others. There will be a lot of opportunities for persons to stop by and pick up a brochure, to stop and ask a question, or just to drop in for a chat.”
Franklin First UMC to Honor Edd and Carol Templeton, Sunday, April 9th
The Rev. W. Edward (Edd) and Carol Templeton will be retiring at the 2006 session of the Tennessee Annual Conference after some 45 years of faithful ministry.
Rev. Edd Templeton
Since 1996 when Edd Templeton assumed the post as Executive Director of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation he has seen the Foundation grow from $3,000,000 in assets to its present $32,000,000. During the same time the number of accounts has grown from 40 to its present 464.
To recognize Edd and Carol for all they mean to us, a reception in their honor will be held at Franklin First United Methodist Church on Sunday, April 9th from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The reception will be held in the church’s Fellowship Hall.
Since Edd and Carol have been a vital part of the ministries of our conference, Franklin First UMC and pastor A. Lynn Hill want to give a special invitation to other conference churches to come and share in the celebration.
Edd and Carol have touched the lives of many in the Tennessee and Memphis Annual Conferences and reception planners want this to be a great day on which we can show our deep appreciation for all they have done.
Directions to Franklin First UMC: From Nashville take I-65 southward. Exit at exit 65 (96 West). Travel on Highway 96 (name changes to 3rd Avenue), past railroad tracks to second traffic light, and turn left onto Church Street. Main parking lot for Franklin First UMC is at the corner of 4th and Church Streets.
Warmth in Winter Celebrates 25th Birthday
by Beth Morris*
What a great 25th birthday! This year, Warmth in Winter, our largest conference youth event, celebrated its 25th anniversary with cake and candles. This was a small part of the happenings of the weekend.
Choates Creek UMC, Pulaski District, poses for a group shot. Groups at the 2006 event ranged in number from 5 to 77 persons
The last weekend in January was rainy outside, but we were warm inside while 2100 participants sang, danced, prayed and shared together in a great weekend. Our theme was "Get Real. Be Fearless". Using super heroes for backdrops and decorations, our speaker Rev. Clarence Brown from the Virginia Conference helped us to see where we are in our faith and challenged us to take the next step.
Workshops at Warmth and Winter were often crowded.
Friday night, at the end of the first session, we celebrated 25 years of Warmth by honoring past leaders, volunteer and paid, and showing pictures of the first Warmth in 1982 (with 62 people in attendance). Everyone had cake to celebrate.
Colorful “Super Heroes” were backdrops and decorations for the event.
Saturday afternoon was spent in workshops of various kinds, with times of worship on Saturday morning and evening. We raised over $10,000.00 for the Youth Service Fund during the weekend. Our weekend was capped off by dynamic worship at TPAC, Jackson Hall. The 100 member design team is to be praised for a job well done!
We hope you will plan to join us for next year Warmth in Winter, as we begin our next 25 years. The dates are January 26 - 28, 2007
Warmth and Winter participants assembled cuddly Teddy Bears to be distributed by emergency workers as a comfort to children caught in a crisis situation..
The Erin United Methodist Church group ready to celebrate the big 25th anniversary.
*Beth Morris is Conference Director of Youth and Camping Ministries
Reservations Policies of the Committee on Camping and Outdoor Ministries
There is a new procedure in place for making reservations to book conference camp facilities.
+Reservations for both Conference Camps, Beersheba and Cedar Crest, are accepted at the Conference Camping Office in Nashville.
+ALL reservations will be made by phone. The phone number to be used is 615-327-1533 of 1-800-403-5795.
+Reservations will be taken one year in advance on the first day of the month to be booked.
+The reservations are to be booked by phone even if the first day of the month falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
+Reservations will be taken beginning at 6:00 a.m. CST on the first day of the month. Calls before 6:00 a.m. will not be accepted.
+Calls will be timed, according to the voice mail log-in system and will be responded to in order of receipt
+No reservations will be taken before that time.
+There are no standing reservations from year to year.
Report on 2005 Conference Hunger Offering
by Tom Henry, Chairperson
The 2005 Hunger Offering has been gathered and distributed back to the Districts in a timely fashion, and each District Coordinator is working upon disbursement of funds to the designated agencies in each District. The International portion has gone toward our Haitian Hot Lunch project (UMCOR Special Advance 418790), which we have supported for the last three years with 50% of the collection. The remaining 50% goes back to each district to support local hunger agencies.
Results for the 2005 Tennessee Conference Hunger Offering reflected a decrease of about 40.0% from our 2004 collections, to $28,207. This shortfall is compounded by lack of participation: only 90 churches made a Hunger Offering, compared to 137 in 2004. It has been suggested that Pastors have had to make more calls for special offerings to provide relief for natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes, and although nationally charitable giving has been extraordinary, our conference might have been visited by “compassion fatigue”. The consequence is that local food banks will receive 40% less in support from the Conference, and although the agencies are shorter of funds and food, the need for hunger relief is still growing.
The Tennessee Conference Hunger Committee has set $75,000 as our goal for Hunger Offerings in 2006. To support that goal, we have assembled two new programs to improve the Conference support for our local food banks, and to keep the burning issue of hunger in our communities and in our world in front of us.
National Hunger Awareness Day:
June 6th is National Hunger Awareness Day, (http://www.hungerday.org/) part of a grassroots movement to raise awareness about the solvable problem of hunger in America. The Tennessee Conference Hunger Committee believes that the congregations of United Methodist Churches have a vital role we can play in filling the shelves of food banks throughout each of our 7 Districts. The twofold benefits will be in providing precious food supplies to agencies working in our respective Districts, and in fulfilling our biblical role in feeding the hungry.
Our suggestion is that each church sponsor a nonperishable food drive throughout the month of May, and then deliver the groceries to their local food bank on June 6th. Please look for more on this program, including scriptural support, recommended foodstuffs, and Hunger in Tennessee statistics in subsequent issues of the Conference Review and coordinated mailings.
UMCOR Banks:
Because of the reduced offering for Hunger Relief in 2005, the Conference Hunger Committee has chosen to begin our campaign for the Annual Hunger Offering early. Hunger Sunday falls on November 26th, but Hunger is a year-round problem worldwide. The Hunger Committee proposes that churches act now to increase participation in the Hunger Offering. Small coin banks provided by UMCOR will be distributed to each church to supply families in their congregation, ideally to be prominently placed upon the dinner table so that world hunger can be addressed daily. We hope that the UMCOR coin bank will prompt parents to teach their children the lessons of compassion, stewardship, and generosity, and will increase our collective awareness of hunger in the world, and of our responsibility to our brothers and sisters.
Miguel and Paula Carpizo
Who are the aliens?
by Miguel Carpizo*
After reading a Christmas newsletter from a friend of ours, I decided to write him and make some comments about what I read. This is the letter to our friend.
Hi my friend:
I just have a question after reading your Christmas letter where you share about what your son is doing: "and he befriended these aliens as a model to us all.” Who are the aliens in this sentence? The ones who are here from other countries or the ones who haven't embrace God's diversity?
According to the Webster dictionary an alien is defined as:
--A resident born in or belonging to another country who has not acquired citizenship by naturalization (distinguished from citizen).
--A foreigner.
--A person who has been estranged or excluded.
--A creature from outer space; extraterrestrial.
So are we from outer space and nobody has noticed that? Or maybe we have been estranged or excluded. It is possible for everybody who has embraced Jesus to become an alien because this is not our home. We are living in a foreign country because our home is heaven where one day I will return. So, who is he helping? The people that came or the people that are here?
I was listening to a sermon by Rob Bell and he was asking "How many times do we sit at the table with people different than us? With people that speak another language? That have a different point of view from us? That have a different social class than us?"
When I go back to see the life of Jesus and I sit at the table with Him in the Last Supper, I am suddenly surprised to see so many different people sitting by him. Fishermen and tax collectors sitting at the same table... (That was totally unimaginable in those times) Such imperfect people! One betrayed him; another denied him, and everybody else, except John, left him. The excluded were suddenly included, the alien were suddenly part of a family.
We can become aliens very easily when we put our eyes on people and not on God. A great psychologist once said "we need to love our enemies, but what if our enemy is our own self?” (Carl Jung)
Who are the aliens we need to befriend?... Maybe they are in our midst. Maybe they are sitting very close to us and we haven't noticed them. Maybe they are living a "normal" life but deep inside are aliens living in their own world. Maybe they want to be your friends, maybe they want to learn from you, maybe they want to live like you, maybe they want freedom, maybe they need to embrace God.....aliens every where in every place we go, you and I, but thanks to God that in Christ we are one.
One of the wonderful things of serving the United Methodist Church is realizing that I serve a church that believes in Diversity, where open doors, open arms and open hearts exist. Where there is not such a thing as illegal human being but members of the same body: Christ.
Brennan Manning in his book the importance of being foolish says: “The church of Jesus Christ is a place of promise and possibility, of adventure and discovery, a community of love on the move, strangers and exiles in a foreign land en route to the heavenly Jerusalem”
This is just a thought....think about it!!
In His Grace
Miguel Carpizo
*Rev. Miguel Carpizo is the Director of Manos Hispanas Ministries . He is dedicated to giving help and information to the Hispanic-Latino community as well as to the American, to reduce the gap between the two cultures. He works in close partnership with private founders, churches and other Hispanic-serving organization to be a source of information, to encourage personal and spiritual growth and to advocate for the community. Miguel and his wife Paula developed a Hispanic program with the help of the Hispanic Ministry of the Kentucky Conference. They have helped start many Hispanic ministries in the Cookeville District and surrounding areas. Miguel also serves as the associate pastor for the bilingual contemporary congregation called The Connection. (www.manoshispanasministries.org)
Want to know more about the Hispanics? Go to:
www.pewhispanics.org
or read:
Ramos, Jorge, The Other face of America
Ramos, Jorge, Dying to Cross
Ramos, Jorge, The Latino Wave
Clark Memorial UMC Member offers Commentary: Life at Dillard University a daily struggle after Katrina A UMNS Commentary by Erin A. Grimes*
Erin A. Grimes is a member of Clark Memorial UMC in Nashville
Hurricanes were a familiar part of each fall semester at Dillard University, the historically black, United Methodist-related university I attend in New Orleans. When I learned we were evacuating to Houston last Aug. 27, I thought it would be for a short vacation. Instead, Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast Aug. 29 and its tragic aftermath, changed the course of my senior year forever.
After the levees broke and we got official word that I would not be able to go back to Dillard for the fall semester, I enrolled at Spelman College in Atlanta. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I could not imagine going anywhere other than Dillard; but there I was, 500 miles from my beloved school and city.
My stomach was in knots as my mother and I drove to New Orleans last Nov. 11, my first visit since Katrina. I was so afraid my New Orleans would be so marred that I would not recognize it, but I needed to see the city before I decided if I wanted to return to Dillard in January.
The eastern part of the city was like a ghost town, or a war zone. Everything had been flooded, and there was debris everywhere. I could not imagine what the campus was going to look like.
But the university's administration had decided that even though the campus suffered a great deal of damage, it would reopen at a different site in New Orleans. That was one of the best decisions they made.
Many ask why I would return to a school holding classes in a hotel, in a city barely back on its feet. One of my good friends here said: "I owe it to God, I owe it to myself, and I owe it to Dillard to help rebuild the city." I agree that it is my duty as a student of Dillard and a member of the United Methodist Church to dedicate myself to the rebuilding of my campus and my adopted city.
There is still so much work to be done to rebuild New Orleans. Everyone's support is needed to sustain the rich history I love at Dillard University and in New Orleans.
When the spring semester began on Jan. 9, I was so glad to be back at school after almost five months away. I loved seeing people and professors I had missed so much. On the first day of registration, more students returned than expected - a sign that Dillard was on its way to being whole again.
The first day of classes in the New Orleans Hilton was interesting, but not the lap of luxury some might have expected. The rooms are not real classrooms. Oversized cubicles serve as our learning areas. At times it is hard for teachers and students because there are so many people in one area, instead of in separate rooms. It's loud, and at times, extremely challenging.
However, everyone is exercising extreme patience because we know that this will not last forever. Soon Dillard will be back on its campus, and things will really begin to get back to normal.
I have found that going from having my own apartment last semester to sharing a room with another girl has been a challenge. Nevertheless, it is worth the sacrifice to be back at Dillard and helping to rebuild the city.
My birthday was Feb. 9, and it was nothing like last year's celebration when I went with my friends to Kabby's on The River, which is the Hilton's top restaurant in the hotel. This year, the day I turned 22 was uneventful and seemed burdensome beside the struggles in New Orleans.
I am glad to be back at Dillard, but there are so many adjustments. Being with my friends and seeing familiar faces keeps me sane, as does having people around who have been through the same experience. Everyone is in the same boat of grief mixed with strength and the will to help New Orleans.
Students affected by Katrina, especially seniors, are indecisive about what to do after graduation, or do not know what they want to do with their lives. Before Katrina many of us were heading to graduate, medical, or law schools. Now, fewer than 30 have applied.
I am among those who have not applied for graduate school. At this point, I do not know where to go, or what I want to do. It is not that easy to pick up the pieces. Many of the students at Dillard have not dealt with what has happened to us. Yet, here we are, survivors of the storm.
It is such a difficult time for everyone: students, professors, and patrons of the city. I work in the mall next door to the hotel and have to ask customers for their zip code. Many ask sarcastically, "Which one? The one for my flooded house or where I live now?" They laugh, but I can see the hurt and trauma behind what they say.
Still, Mardi Gras season is bringing a little life to an otherwise deserted city. This carnival season is going to be one of revitalization and remembering of a once vital city. Dillard University and New Orleans will return bigger, better, and brighter than ever.
*Grimes, a senior at Dillard University and member of Clark Memorial United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., took time away from her classes and her job to describe the struggles she and other students face each day.
United Methodist minister Ryan Bennett notes the joy he feels sharing the Gospel message with groups representing various faith backgrounds during the Purity Faith Night Program at Greer Stadium
“Sermon on the Mound”—United Methodist Minister named to head up Purity Faith Night Program of the Nashville Sounds baseball team
Purity Faith Nights® -- which were introduced by the Sounds in 2002 and are entering their fifth season – have become a staple at Greer Stadium to the delight of families and church groups in Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, and Northern Alabama. Purity Faith Nights® feature Christian concerts, fireworks, and personal faith stories by Sounds players. United Methodist minister Ryan Bennett has joined the Sounds front office staff as Director of Faith Nights. Bennett is pastor of Pleasant View United Methodist Church in the Clarksville District and brings to the Sounds a great deal of experience in youth and pastoral ministry.
Ryan Bennett was born in Milton, Florida, where his father was serving in the Navy. When he was one year old the family moved back to Cookeville, Tennessee, the town where his father was born. He was raised in the same church that had raised his dad-- First UMC, Cookeville. Bennett graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and worked in the area of physical therapy, but it wasn’t long before he experienced a call to ministry. Given his heritage one might say the call was almost inevitable. Ryan Bennett’s ninth great grandfather was Robert Annesley, brother to Susannah Annesley Wesley.
Starting in 1998 he became youth director at First UMC in Crossville. From the very beginning he arranged to bring youth groups to Sounds games and that expanded through the years to bringing other members of the churches he was serving to ball games—something that comes easy to an individual who grew up on t-ball, Little League and High School baseball and shared the dream of becoming a major leaguer. While working with young people he attended seminary at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, where he earned his Master of Divinity degree.
“This work with the Sounds is my Harley Davidson”, Bennett says with a smile, acknowledging Bishop Dick Wills’ dedication to using his Harley and the setting of local coffee houses to initiate faith conversations with persons who are basically strangers. “Bishop Wills strongly believes clergy need to reach out to the community in different ways, and not always through the church. I’ve been praying for what to do beyond the church as my outreach to the community. The invitation to head up Faith Night for the Sounds was an answer to prayers.”
It was indeed an answer to prayer for a long-time baseball fan. Not only does he experience the joy of a game he loves, hear performances by persons who are the next chart-toppers in the religious music market, and listen to testimonies from Sounds’ players, but he gets to speak to the assembled Faith Night audience for 6-7 minutes during Faith Night activities, a total of nearly 20,000 persons during the summer. Bennett notes the joy he feels sharing the Gospel message with groups representing various faith backgrounds, “ministry should be fun.” If you look close at Bennett’s eyes you can see the child who started playing t-ball at 4 years of age, the Bennett who God called to serve—the Bennett who is having the unbelievable opportunity to combine two loves.
“Last year from my small church, we brought almost sixty persons from toddlers to seniors to a faith night. It was incredible the relationships that were formed and strengthened over the five hours we were at the ballpark beginning with the Christian Concerts, ball game, and fireworks after the game. Think about it, how much time each week do your church members get to know each other? Do they get to know each other during Sunday School? A little. During worship? Not much. Eating a hot dog and watching professional baseball, top quality Christian Musicians, and a first rate fireworks display? A lot! It is incredible what I have seen Faith Nights do to that tie that binds us together as one. As a result, worship is enhanced, and ministry is that much better. After all, a Church family that plays together stays together.”
When baseball season starts Ryan Bennett will have been at his job with the Sounds for several months, and has attended lunches throughout Middle Tennessee to build support for Faith Night and explain to church leaders how Faith Night can enrich their ministries.
“The two areas I’m focusing on this year are OUTREACH and MISSION at Faith Night. The outreach is really a low pressure, low confrontational way of reaching out to the un-churched and the marginally churched people. I’m encouraging churches, wanting to evangelize, to invite individuals to a Faith Night baseball game and while they are here quality bands and quality performers give a solid message and some of the performers share stories in the midst of their songs. Then I’ll be presenting a message encouraging the living a life of faith. The experience opens the way for persons to enter into dialogue and prompts faith questions. The evening will be planting a seed that we trust God will harvest. I bring to this job with the Sounds a heart for reaching un-churched people. In fact, I want to help you grow your church because that grows the Kingdom of God. If these un-churched and marginally churched people are invited by your church members and come to a Faith Night and hear a message of love and hope and then have questions about their faith, who are they going to ask? If they feel something stirring inside of them, what church will they be inclined to begin coming to? And all you and your parishioners have done is invite them to a baseball game with a concert before it.’
“I’ve mentioned focusing on mission. The Sounds have built a relationship with Jars of Clay and their clean blood/clean water mission in Africa. $1.00 can provide clean water for one person for a year, or provide clean blood for an individual undergoing surgery. In Africa the two ways that diseases are mainly transmitted is through unclean blood and unclean water. 65% of all disease is spread through those two media.”
“Faith Night will be helping Jars of Clay build a well in Africa. $15,000 is the goal on that night. It would provide clean water for a community of 15,000 people.”
“The Sounds are heavily involved with Habitat for Humanity,” Bennett adds. “In the past two years Faith Nights have enabled the building of two houses for Habitat. So, you can say that persons attending Faith Night are going to be seeing mission in new ways.”
Bennett is also working on Methodist Night at Greer Stadium, a tradition that goes back a number of years, but this year there will be a great deal more than just sitting in a reserved section of the ballpark. On Sunday evening June 4th there will be a special evening at the ballpark for United Methodist youth groups from throughout the conference—the evening, featuring a concert by “Cross Culture,” will mirror some of the elements to be found in the regular Friday evening Faith Nights—with leadership by a talented praise team, and performances by several contemporary groups. “We expect the pre-game program to run from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.,” notes Bennett.
Schedule of Purity Faith Nights 2006
Friday, May 19th Sounds vs. Tacoma Concert Performer: MainStay
Friday, June 2nd Sounds vs. Iowa Concert performer Aaron Shust
Sunday, June 4th Special Methodist Night Concert performers “Cross Culture”
and Mike Rayson
Friday, June 16th Sounds vs. Oklahoma Concert performer Peasall Sisters
Tuesday, June 27 Sounds vs. Memphis Concert performer Jars of Clay, Derek Webb
Blood:Water Mission Night
Friday, June 30 Sounds vs. Round Rock Concert: Denver & The Mile High Orchestra
Friday, July 14 Sounds vs. Memphis Concert: TBD
Friday, July 28 Sounds vs. Colorado Springs Concert: Warren Barfield
Church groups can purchase tickets for this special night at least 30 days in advance for only $10. The price of admission includes admission to the concert, reserved seat for the game, hot dog, 20 oz. soft drink, recognition of the group over the public address system and on the scoreboard, and a fireworks show. In 2005, Faith Nights® continued to be an incredible success for the Sounds. More than 650 church groups attended games last season, an increase of 220 groups from 2003. Of last season’s top 11 attended Sounds games, five were Faith Nights®. The Sounds expect between 800-900 church groups to attend Purity Faith Nights® this season.
Individual game tickets for Faith Nights® of any other game may be purchased by calling the Sounds at (615) 242-4371 ext. 2, ordering through the official team website at http://www.nashvillesounds.com/, or by visiting the Greer Stadium box office, located at 534 Chestnut Street.
Volunteers attending Mountain T.O.P. Friends Weekend in early March assisted in renovating the lodge at Camp Cumberland Pines for use as Mountain T.O.P.'s new offices. The ministry relocated to Camp Cumberland Pines from Nashville on Feb. 27.
Mountain T.O.P. Relocates to Grundy County
ALTAMONT, Tenn. -- Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project), an interdenominational missions group affiliated with the Tennessee Conference UMC, has relocated its offices from Nashville to Camp Cumberland Pines, its base camp near Altamont in Grundy County.
The move is expected to save the ministry $30,000 per year and to improve Mountain T.O.P.'s connection to the people it serves in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, according to executive director Rev. Ed Simmons.
"This makes sense for the ministry today," said Simmons.
The ministry had been based in Nashville since its formation in 1975 by George Bass and members of Blakemore UMC. The ministry had rented office space on 12th Avenue South for many years.
When Bass retired last year as executive director, the Mountain T.O.P. board began considering moving the ministry's headquarters to the mountains.
"The staff changes that were taking place, and the need to run the ministry as efficiently as possible, made this the right time to move things to the mountain," said Mountain T.O.P. Board Chair Rich Campbell. "And I think it helps keep us in closer contact with the people we serve, both campers and Cumberland Mountain families."
The move became official Feb. 27, and volunteers at the ministry's annual "Friends Weekend" March 2-5 helped to continue the process of renovating space at Camp Cumberland Pines for office use.
In addition to Simmons, the ministry's staff in Altamont includes newly-hired director of programming Betsy Ruhlig; newly-hired director of service area operations Jeff Grammer; and long-time food service and facility manager Ken Swift. They will be joined in May by new program director Pat McLaughlin.
Buddy Boyce, the ministry's development resources manager, will continue to be based in Nashville but will now work from his home.
The ministry's new mailing address is Mountain T.O.P., PO Box 128, Altamont, TN 37301. The telephone number is (931) 692-3999.
In addition to Camp Cumberland Pines, the ministry operates Camp Baker Mountain in Van Buren County. It also rents camp facilities for some events.
Mountain T.O.P. has program areas for youth, adult and college-age volunteers. Its Youth Summer Ministry program places volunteers from church youth groups into the Mountains for week-long camps at which the volunteers provide minor home repairs for Cumberland Mountain families.
In the “BreakOut” program, college groups work on churches or public facilities from the mountains and help prepare Mountain T.O.P. camps for the summer season.
Adults In Ministry uses adult volunteers to do major home repairs for mountain families or to provide programming for teenagers or special needs children from the mountains.
More information about Mountain T.O.P. is available from its web site, http://www.mountain-top.org/.
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 2:44 PM
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