TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW February 22, 2008

Articles in this special Miriam’s Promise edition of THE REVIEW

1 .Meet Miriam’s Promise.
2. Pregnancy Counseling Program.
3. Pregnancy Counseling Profile.
4. Expecting the Best-Prison Ministry Program.
5. From Scarlett-- My Story.6. Eliza Mae-An Adoptive Parents’ Story.
7. Older Child Adoptions.
8. International Adoptions.
9. Kevin, Laura and Anastasia-An International Love Story
10.Pasta & Promises 2008 to Benefit Miriam’s Promise.
11. Adoptive Parents Story.
12. Transracial Adoptions.
13. Sponsor a Therapy Session.
14. Therapeutic Supplies Needed, call for voluntary giving.
15. Training and Education are Keys to Successful.
16. Birth Mother’s Day Celebration.
17.Golf and Walk Challenge for Miriam’s Promise.
18.How You Can Help Miriam’s Promise , call for volunteers and volunteer giving.

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Meet Miriam’s Promise
By Debbie Sims

Photo #1, caption: Bishop Wills relates to adopted children who were part of the Miriam’s Promise report to the 2007 Tennessee Annual Conference

Located in Nashville’s historic Tulip Street United Methodist Church on Russell Street, Miriam’s Promise was established in 1985 by the Tennessee Annual Conference to provide pregnancy, parenting and adoptions services. Originally intended to be a small satellite office of Holston United Methodist Home for Children of Greeneville, Tennessee, Miriam’s Promise quickly grew in response to the need for services. In 2003, Holston scaled back its operations to concentrate in east Tennessee and Miriam’s Promise became an independent not-for-profit agency.

Inspired by the biblical story of Moses’ sister Miriam, Miriam’s Promise provides a safe place for women who must make difficult decisions about the future of their children. The story from Exodus 2:1-10 is one of hope and inspiration. The new pharaoh of Egypt became alarmed at the growing number of Israelites in his country and was worried that they might side with Egypt’s enemies. He ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all the baby boys they delivered. The midwives, however, feared God and did not follow the pharaoh’s orders. The pharaoh then commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile.”

Facing the infanticide of all male children of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, Moses’ mother, an Israelite woman, made a plan to save the life of her son. Placing him in a basket, she hid him in the Nile and sent his sister Miriam to watch and see what happened. The pharaoh’s daughter discovered him along the river and decided to adopt him as her own son. Miriam stepped forward and offered their mother’s services as a wet nurse for the baby. And so, through a birthmother’s loving choice, a sister’s brave advocacy, and an adoptive mother’s acceptance, this tiny baby, a child of God, grew to become the leader of his people. Like Miriam, the agency provides a safe place for women who must make difficult decisions about the future of their children.

Adoptive mom Claudia feeds Tank, her son. Miriam’s Promise was involved in this transracial adoption.

For women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, Miriam’s Promise provides counseling. As a safe, non-threatening, friendly place to go, Miriam’s Promise is a haven for women suffering the emotional, health and long-term issues that accompany many unplanned pregnancies. Staff members are trained to help with all major decisions, provide referrals and assistance for basic healthcare and nutrition, and create safe living environments­‑always with the well-being of the unborn child and mother as the foremost goal.

Many hours are spent in consultation with each mother-to-be about their futures and their wants and desires for their children. For those who choose to parent, the agency sets practical goals for housing and other necessities, working with the client throughout the pregnancy and maintains a relationship after the birth. For those who choose adoption for their child, Miriam’s Promise provides counseling services, open adoptions where the birth mother chooses and is involved with the adoptive parents, or a closed adoption plan.

Families and children enjoy the annual Miriam’s Promise Picnic


Adoption services at Miriam’s Promise center on the creation of families. The agency provides screening and counseling for prospective parents, known as “waiting families.” In domestic infant adoptions, expectant mothers are able to learn about the different waiting families and make specific choices for the placement of their child. Many lasting, loving relationships are formed as mothers and adoptive parents bond over the shared love of a child. Miriam’s Promise also provides international adoption services for waiting families, and has placed children of all ages from several countries. All adoptive parents receive counseling, home study education and training on adoption issues, and on-going support after the placement is made. Post-adoption services for families include on-going counseling, attachment therapy, and family support groups.

A very happy dad with his adopted daughter.

Miriam’s Promise extends the promise of hope and healing to birth parents, pregnancy clients, adoptive families, and children, fulfilling our belief as United Methodists that the family is a crucial element in the nurturing of children, and that children are a gift from God, to be welcomed and received.

Pregnancy Counseling Program
Tina was 24 with two young children and pregnant when she was evicted from her apartment. She learned that money she was giving her soon-to-be-ex husband was being used for drugs rather than paying rent. When she called Miriam’s Promise, her counselor went into action. Staff and volunteers rounded up household items and furniture from surrounding congregations and made sure Tina and her children had a safe place to live. She found a supportive environment at Miriam’s Promise that allowed her to explore decisions for her future, her unborn child and ways to care for her family. Tina eventually chose adoption for her newborn son, selected the adoptive family and stays in touch with them and her counselor at Miriam’s Promise.

Mary was referred to Miriam’s Promise after living in the state foster care system for years. The facility in which she was housed was closing, she was almost 18 and pregnant. Through the Elizabeth Project, a mentoring program at Miriam’s Promise, she found a church family. This young Mary was surrounded by loving and caring friends who welcomed her and her new child. Her mentors helped Mary find an apartment and to furnish it. They hosted a “Christmas in July” shower for her that provided for her apartment needs and for her baby. Miriam’s Promise mentors were there at the pre-natal visits and her baby’s birth. They celebrated together when Mary and her child were baptized.

Tina and Mary are just two of the many expectant mothers who contact Miriam’s Promise each year. Pregnancy clients come from all walks of life. Some are mature adults with careers, and others are pre-teens. Every client has a different set of circumstances, but all share the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy and uncertain future for themselves and their child. The pregnancy counseling program addresses emotional, health, financial and lifestyle issues. Counselors and clients tackle the everyday issues of pregnancy and parenting, including pre-natal care, living conditions, employment, family support and goals. Through careful examination and reflection, and with the help of Miriam’s Promise, crisis pregnancy clients can make mature life decisions for themselves and their child.

Pregnancy Counseling Profile

Marcy’s son Davy celebrates an important first birthday with his adoptive family.

Marcy was without even the basic resources a single woman needs to feel cared for and self-sufficient. She was living in a half-way house in a very unsafe neighborhood because it was the first place with an opening and she’d just been released from prison. She called Miriam’s Promise looking for support and guidance, Marcy was six months pregnant. She was fairly sure adoption would be the best way to ensure her child a bright and secure future, but there were more pressing concerns to address before she could emotionally commit to an adoption plan. Over the course of a month, Miriam’s Promise helped her find safe housing, provided her transportation to her pre-natal appointments, gave her assistance with groceries, maternity clothes and peace of mind. Peace of mind that no matter what her decision, adoption or parenting, there was a caring, compassionate and non-judgmental place she could turn to for even the most basic of human needs could be met.


Expecting the Best-Prison Ministry Program
By Lee Ann Higgins, MSSW

On any given day, up to 600 women are housed in the Davidson County Correctional Facility. On average, 15-20 of them are expectant mothers. While medical care is available, the county does not provide any pregnancy counseling or mentoring services.

In late 2005, Miriam's Promise received a request for help from an incarcerated woman. Staff member Lee Ann Higgins responded and provided counseling. Through that relationship, it became apparent that the women's jail had an ongoing need for pregnancy counseling. Lee Ann designed an eight-week curriculum that targeted the unique needs of these women and in January of 2007 she began Expecting the Best, a pilot counseling program for pregnant women in the Davidson County jail. Today, the weekly group meetings regularly draw a group of 7 or 8 women.

"Miriam's Promise is the only entity that currently offers this type of program to women in jail," says Lee Ann. "These expectant mothers have commonly experienced domestic violence, alcohol or drug abuse and dependency, have been arrested and jailed before and have other children. They are not only facing the consequences of the judicial system, but are also ill-prepared to manage the stress of incarceration, pregnancy and re-entry all at the same time." Accordingly, the classes cover topics such as responsible decision making, family planning and life skills.

When clients are released from jail, Miriam's Promise continues to offer parenting or post-adoption support services. "It is vital," says Lee Ann, "that these women establish a support system in their community. We hope that ongoing support and follow-up by Miriam's Promise can assure a safe and healthy lifestyle for both Mom and baby."

In the future, Lee Ann would like to see Expecting the Best expanded to include incarcerated women in other counties. She also has a vision for establishing a volunteer mentoring program. "By establishing a presence in the prison system, Miriam's Promise can offer its services to an often neglected group of women and hopefully equip them for a fresh start. I also believe that establishing a one-on-one volunteer mentoring program could make all the difference as these women leave the prison system and re-enter society."

From Scarlett-- My Story
I was arrested on New Year’s Eve 2005. During the processing medical exam, it was discovered that I was pregnant – about 3 months. I was in total shock. I’d been a regular user of crack, not taking very good care of my health, smoking, etc. After a couple of months of pretending it wasn’t true, I realized I needed to look for a stable and sensible solution. The baby’s biological father was out of my life. My ex-husband was supportive of me but would never raise this baby for me or with me. My plans were very incomplete for raising my child.

I wrote five letters but didn’t have stamps so my weekend-time roommate mailed my letters to agencies in which I outlined my situation, what I needed and how to contact me. Miriam’s Promise was the first and only one to visit me in person and that made an immediate impression. It told me I would be treated with respect and without prejudice due to my incarceration. I wanted someone who would treat me like a person.

My counselor, Lee-Ann walked with me through the decision-making process, and never once denied me the option of parenting and helped me look at all the ways that could happen. She did all she could to deliver the same type of services to me she would to any other client. She made sure I finally got the medical care I needed, was with me in the hospital and helped to make sure I could deliver like anyone else, without being chained or shackled.

I now get pictures and letters from Ike and Vicki, the adoptive family. I also have the peace of mind that my decision was and always will be honored and that I am not alone.

Jail is a lonely place, hopeless and anonymous. This type of service replaces those feelings with someone to care about you and your situation, replaces it with hope and being seen for who you are, not for the crime you committed or are accused of.

I want to say how much I appreciate the respect and dignity I have been shown from Miriam’s Promise and Lee-Ann. I haven’t got that from many people since being here in jail; not to say I expected different treatment because of the baby. I am in jail for a reason.

I want to share that I am proud of myself for not taking the easiest path in spite of my need not to hurt. My baby needed more than a temporary foster home and time spent waiting for me. Miriam’s Promise was there for me when no one else was. Lee-Ann responded to my letter. She visited me and really listened to me. Miriam’s Promise met many of my material needs. Lee-Ann was able to be right there with me in the hospital and has continued to stay in touch and to visit. She’s held on to my personal belongings for me, especially the keepsakes from the hospital and the gifts from Ike and Vicki, my son’s mom and dad.

In the future, I want to become involved with Miriam’s Promise as a mentor for other pregnant inmates. I know it made a real difference for me and in how I handled my decision to place my son. Lee-Ann continues to make a difference since then and to be a link to the world but especially to my son.

I have every confidence that Miriam’s Promise and the adoptive family will keep their promises to me; promises for openness and for honesty in the exchange of information and for ongoing services I may need.

Eliza Mae--An Adoptive Parents’ Story
As I sit down to try and put into words how the miracle of adoption has touched our family, I wonder where to begin. My seven month old daughter, Eliza Mae, is rolling around on the floor at this moment, babbling incessantly and pulling at her little toes. She has a head full of dark hair, and her giggles are contagious. Though she has been in our arms just over three months now, she was in our hearts before she was even conceived in her birth mother’s womb in Vietnam.

My husband and I were married in May of 2002, and we had our first child in December of 2004. When he was around seven months old, we decided to try and become pregnant again. However, it wasn’t long until thoughts of adoption began rattling around in our minds.

Each family comes to its decision to adopt in a different way. For some, it follows on the painful heels of infertility. Others make the choice to fulfill a lifelong dream. And, for other families, including ours, it is an act of faith and a willingness to watch God unfold a beautiful plan. So it was that a few months into our efforts to become pregnant, we decided to put things on hold, and see what God might have in store.

At this time we began researching adoption. We also began praying about this decision, and on Valentine’s Day of 2006, we officially began our adoption “journey.” We chose an agency that is out of state, so we contacted Miriam’s Promise in Nashville to conduct our home study. After it was completed, along with the mounds of other forms required for an international adoption, our paperwork was submitted to Vietnam and the long wait began.

There were days, weeks, and months when it felt like the phone call would never arrive. I have thought many times about this wait. I so wanted to get to the end of it and not look back with regret. I wanted God to find me faithful in the waiting, and not constantly impatient. There were times of failure in this area, for sure, but I never lost faith in the belief that He was in control. For every tear that I cried waiting and praying for Eliza to get here, I was never able to escape a deep-down knowing that He had already foreseen every detail of the “timeline” of her life (*Psalm 139).

Finally, on September 27th, 2007, our agency called to tell us that our daughter was waiting for us in the Nam Dinh Province of northern Vietnam. One month later we boarded a plane. We sometimes call Eliza our holiday baby, because she was placed in our arms for the very first time on Halloween, and we arrived back home in Nashville early on Thanksgiving morning.

Adoption has added new dimensions to our family’s life, love, and faith. It is clear to us now that there was always a space meant just for Eliza. Watching her eyes dance as she plays, we know she is truly home.

*If you would like to read more about our travels to bring Eliza home, please visit our blog at http://www.lovetoelly.blogspot.com/


Older Child Adoptions
By Allison Balthrop, MSSW
In the last 5 years Miriam’s Promise has placed 18 “older children” in adoptive homes. These children’s ages range from 2 to 13 years of age. (Older child adoption is defined as the placement for adoption of a child over the age of 12 months.) Additionally Miriam’s Promise assisted in the independent adoption of 14 older children whose ages ranged from 14 months to 14 years.

Recognizing the importance of preparing our families for the unique challenges of raising older adopted children, in 2006 Miriam’s Promise expanded the education curriculum offered to our clients. However, before new curriculums could be designed it was necessary for staff to receive intensive training in such areas as attachment and child development. (Staff training opportunities were made possible in large part because of the generous donations made by members of our board.)

Miriam’s Promise offers extensive educational opportunities to adoptive and prospective adoptive families each year. Our attachment training program begins with a 4 week seminar on “Rebuilding Attachment in Traumatized Children” followed by bi-monthly support group meetings. Topics covered in these groups include: helping children cope with separation and loss, positive discipline, anger management, and specific interventions to promote attachment. Furthermore, the groups provide parents an opportunity not only to gain insight and support from trained staff but also to learn from the experiences of their peers. Simply being part of a group of parents who truly understand the challenges they face is therapeutic for the participants.

Counseling services are another important part of our Older Child Adoption Program. Individual and family counseling is offered to children and their families who need intensive therapy to build attachment. Fees for this service are based on a sliding scale in an effort to make the services available to all who are in need. Typically the adults are seen for an intake/assessment interview. During that interview it will be determined whether the child will be seen individually or with the parents. Play therapy is the primary intervention used with young children.

The staff at Miriam’s Promise is always committed to providing the best services to all clients, but especially to the most vulnerable of our clients, the older adopted child. Although we are a non-profit agency and resources are limited, no effort is spared to ensure that staff is well trained and capable of delivering the highest quality services possible.


International Adoptions
By Kim Warner Hudy, MSSW

Today, more and more families who come to adoption feel that their child is waiting for them overseas or may already have a special connection to a specific foreign country. Miriam’s Promise has been pleased to assist these families who choose to adopt internationally.

Caseworkers meet with prospective adoptive families to discuss the adoption and home study process. While there are many countries to choose from when adopting internationally, we also assist families in exploring their options for the best fit. Miriam’s Promise provides home study and post placement services to families in middle Tennessee. While we are pleased to have partner agencies that we work with for the actual referral and placement of a child, a family is not limited to only these agencies and has the option to work with any placing agency. We are also proud to be a member of the Joint Council on International Children’s Services aka JCICS which holds its members to higher ethical and educational standards than other adoption agencies.

Ayana, one of a growing number of children adopted internationally

Miriam’s Promise was proud to be the first adoption agency in our service area that implemented home study education and training for prospective adoptive parents. This training component occurs in a group setting and is a critical part of understanding the adoption process in order to fully prepare to welcome a child into their hearts and homes. The twelve hour course is offered over the course of a few weeks and covers such topics as the history of adoption, the adoption triad, potential attachment issues, transracial, and transcultural issues, adjustment, diversity, grief and loss and developmental issues to meet a child’s needs. Families also have the opportunity to meet with a family who has recently adopted as well as an international adult adoptee. It is a wonderful way for our clients to meet other families who are also adopting and form support systems from the very beginning of the adoption process.

Over the years we have placed children of all ages and races that include children with both medical needs and children who are considered to be healthy infants in their respective countries. Our caseworkers continue to support our clients throughout their adoption process and beyond the required supervisory reports after placement occurs. We are happy to assist when questions or concerns arise and enjoy hearing from our families year after year as adoption is not just a one-time event but a lifelong process. Many of our adoptive families come back to us for assistance in completing a second adoption. Some of our highest compliments come from clients who tell us their friends worked with us when they were adopting. What a wonderful gift to be a small part of building families for life.


Kevin, Laura and Anastasia-An International Love Story
Once upon a time there was a baby girl born in a Russian prison. Her name was Anastasia. With her birth mother, Anastasia spent the first three years of her life virtually in solitary confinement. Upon her mother’s release, she was abandoned at a Russian orphanage. At age 6, Ana came to the United States through adoption by a New Jersey family who were unprepared for the challenges of raising a child dealing with attachment issues and cultural changes. After 3 months, the New Jersey family told Ana she was going to a temporary “camp” when in reality she was sent to a permanent residential facility. Anastasia was abandoned for a second time.

Meanwhile, Kevin and Laura, a Tennessee couple who wanted to adopt, met Ana at the residential facility. Immediately captivated by the child, Kevin and Laura opened their hearts and began the process of bringing Anastasia to Tennessee and adopting her. Anastasia is now eight years old and continues to adjust to her new family. Through Miriam’s Promise, Kevin and Laura received adoption assistance funding and now participate in ongoing therapy to aid in attachment and adjustment for the entire family.

Pasta & Promises 2008 to Benefit Miriam’s Promise

Art pieces by well-known regional artists are available for sale at Pasta & Promises

You are invited to Pasta & Promises, the annual fundraising dinner and art show benefiting Miriam’s Promise on Friday night, March 28, 2008 at 6:00 pm at the Factory in Franklin. This annual event supports the pregnancy, parenting and adoption services provided by Miriam’s Promise, a not-for-profit agency affiliated with the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church. Pasta & Promises 2008 will again feature the very popular live and silent auction of original pieces by regional artists along with a delicious pasta dinner. Individual tickets are $100, or gather several friends together and reserve a table for eight for just $600. If your company would like to support the event as a sponsor, contact Miriam’s Promise for details on corporate sponsorship opportunities. Last year’s event drew over 400 people, so make your reservation now and don’t miss Pasta & Promises. Contact Miriam’s Promise at (615) 292-3500.

Adoptive Parents Story

They were only given 48 hours to prepare for their son’s homecoming. A birthmother had chosen them as adoptive parents for her two day old son and wanted to meet them as soon as possible. They met her for the first time at her apartment and were introduced to their son that was cradled in her arms. She did not hesitate as she talked over how she’d been so uncomfortable with her decision to place in an independent/private adoption that she’d called her counselor and asked to see families waiting to adopt through Miriam’s Promise. She met them on Sunday and Monday afternoon, they brought their son home. The trust and respect they had for her helped bridge the fear and sadness she felt as she looked for a family to love her child as she did. This is how they describe their experience today:

I don’t just think of our son’s birthmother as just a “birthmother”. She is so much more than that. She is a very brave woman who made the ultimate sacrifice for her son. Her family turned against her during the time she needed them the most. She stood firm and went through probably one of the toughest times in her life by herself. They did not support her in the decision she made and still do not have anything to do with her 5 years later. She was dealt a “bad hand” in life, but tries to make the best out of life that she knows how.

I do know that she still hurts and I wish I could do something to make the pain go away, but all I can do is pray and ask God to bless her life in a special way since she blessed our family with our precious son. She gave me hope in life when I thought there was no hope and the joy that comes from hearing the words “momma” and the sounds of “pitter patter” feet dancing around the house. She allowed me to experience an unconditional love that you can only experience with a child. I am so thankful that God put her in our lives. She doesn’t call much or come by to visit, but Sam knows who she is because he prays for her every night.

I want to close with a blessing: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26


Transracial Adoptions

Gracie, a transracial adoption, enjoys the annual Miriam’s Promise Fall Picnic

Many of the adoptive placements made by Miriam’s Promise are transracial in nature. This means the adoptive parents are adopting a child of a race different from their own. These placements offer unique challenges to the families involved. It is essential that families acknowledge that they will be a minority family after placement. Miriam’s Promise is committed to providing the education and preparation needed to make these adoptions successful. We recognize that it is critical that families begin to make the necessary lifestyle changes before the child is placed rather than waiting until a crisis occurs after placement. A primary goal of transracial groups at Miriam’s Promise is for individuals to evaluate their strengths and limitations as transracially-adopting parents. Some of the issues that are addressed include: demographics of the neighborhood, racial makeup of the schools, church, and social groups the child will be immersed in, extended family acceptance, opportunities for same-race mentors, and for opportunities for interacting with other multi-racial families. Additionally, transracial training groups are designed to provide ongoing support and education for the families involved. There is no participation fee for this service.


Sponsor a Therapy Session
Justin is an eleven -year -old who is being raised by his grandmother who is struggling financially and her health is declining. Last year, Justin’s twin siblings were placed for adoption by their birth mother through Miriam’s Promise. Justin has suffered many losses. Due to his grandmother’s poor health, an adoption plan will also need to be made for Justin. Justin is in need of intensive therapy which his grandmother cannot afford. Please consider giving a therapy session for a child like Justin by donating to Miriam’s Promise. One half-hour session is $25, and a one-hour session is $50.

Therapeutic Supplies Needed
Anastasia was adopted from Russia after spending the first three years of her life with her birth mother in virtual isolation in prison. She was abandoned upon her mother’s release, adopted, and then placed in a residential facility by an adoptive family that could not handle her special needs. Many older children like Anastasia have experienced tremendous grief and loss, abuse and neglect. Miriam’s Promise has set up a room specifically for therapy with these children. This room provides a safe place for children to work on grief, anger, sadness, loss, attachment and preparation for adoption. Many therapeutic supplies such as books, art supplies, puppets, and therapeutic games are needed to effectively work with these children. Please consider making a donation for therapeutic supplies to help children like Anastasia get the most out of their therapy. For more information, contact Miriam’s Promise at 615 -292-3500.


Training and Education are Keys to Successful Adoption

As the world of adoption continues to evolve and change, Miriam’s Promise strives to fully prepare families for the challenges of adoptive parenting. Preparation and education have long been a component in the programs offered by this agency. The domestic infant adoption program requires that prospective parents participate in six weeks of classes that explore issues such as infertility, needs of adopted children and open relationships with birth parents. Ongoing bi-monthly support groups are offered to those in this program as they wait for the placement of a child. In addition, a seminar is conducted annually for extended family members of parents waiting for a child.

Similar training and education is required in the agency’s international program. Couples and individuals who are adopting children from other countries participate in a twelve-hour course designed to prepare them for the needs of a child whose world will change when they join their family and become a United States citizen.

Recently, as the needs of Miriam’s Promise families have become evident, specialized seminars have been developed and support groups facilitated for families of children with attachment issues. Attachment issues are common in children who have been traumatized and neglected. The parents of the se children are taught tools to help the children learn to trust adult figures and depend on them for their needs.

Eric and Lisa are adoptive parents who have participated in the special ministry of Miriam’s Promise.

The agency helps to facilitate other support groups that serve its clients as well as others in the community. These support groups include one for birth parents, one for families who adopt transracially and one for single international adoptive parents. In response to the numerous events, seminars, support groups and trainings, Miriam’s Promise has designated a new staff position to coordinate these efforts.

The pregnancy counseling program of Miriam’s Promise has also evolved in its approach to education and training. The Elizabeth Project, a mentoring program for pregnant young women, strives to encourage a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. From that base, a new program, Expecting the Best, has been developed. This program serves women in the Davidson County Jail who are pregnant and greatly in need of education, preparation and support regarding their pregnancy and their role as a new mother.

The staff of Miriam’s Promise recognizes that all parents can benefit from the training and educational services the agency provides no matter the circumstances of their home and the level of their income. The goal is to see children thriving and happy in their “forever” families.


Birth Mother’s Day Celebration
Birth Mother’s Day is a day to honor and remember the motherhood experience of birth mothers, the women who placed their children for adoption. It is held on the second Saturday in May and observed with a public ceremony.

Birth Mother’s Day was created in 1990 by a group of Seattle, Washington, birth mothers who met each other at a birth parent support group. It grew out of the shared recognition that Mother’s Day is one of the most painful days of the year – second only to the birthday of their absent children. Yet birth mothers have been shut out of the traditional celebration and remembrances of the holiday. For most birth mothers there are no cards or flowers. Society treats the motherhood of the birth mother as a momentary event that fades quickly from the collective memory.

Miriam’s Promise started the Birth Mother’s Celebration several years ago, sharing it with the community. This will be the 10th annual birth mother’s day celebration that IAC, the Inter-Agency Adoption Coalition, will be sponsoring. We are currently in the planning process and will have more details available soon. For more information please contact Anne Byrn Floyd at 615-292-3500.


Golf and Walk Challenge for Miriam’s Promise
Thanks to the generosity and dedication of all the friends and supporters of Miriam's Promise, the 8th annual Golf and Walk Challenge held September 24, 2007, raised $121,587 in pledges to benefit the programs and services of the agency!

L to R—Mary Cooper, Michael Williams, and Betty Alexander volunteer at the 2007 Golf and Walk Challenge

Fun and friendly competition was on the agenda as 119 golfers and 42 walkers converged on Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin, Tennessee, to support the work of Miriam's Promise. The 4.2 mile walk challenge was a new feature for the event and the dedicated walkers raised over $19,700 in pledges! Walk event chair Nikki Hightower is already planning to make the walk challenge an even bigger part of this annual event.

The golf scramble event attracted over 30 teams, each pledging an average of $4,000 in sponsor donations for Miriam's Promise. Golfers enjoyed free clinics, lunch from the grill and plenty of fellowship and friendly competition. Prizes were awarded for the longest drive, closest to the pin, and best team score. Many thanks to our tireless volunteer event co-chairs Mary Cooper and B.J. Brack, Jr. for all their hard work.

The 2008 Golf and Walk Challenge for Miriam’s Promise will be held September 29 at Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin, Tennessee. For information on participating as a walker, golfer, or sponsor, please contact Miriam’s Promise at 615-292-3500.


How You Can Help Miriam’s Promise

Children’s games at the annual Miriam’s Promise Fall Picnic. Special thanks to Girl Scout Troop #417 for providing games and activities at the picnic.

Miriam’s Promise continues to be blessed with many wonderful volunteers who give their time, talents, and gifts to the agency. Many United Methodist congregations designate Communion offerings and special collections for the work of Miriam’s Promise in Middle Tennessee. A monetary donation of any amount would assist in purchasing necessary tools for our work with children.

Many United Methodists offer the gift of their service to Miriam’s Promise. Recently, a group of Girl Scouts from a Franklin church refurbished the children’s area in our office with a new television and toys and provided games and activities at our annual picnic. Many churches make winter hats and scarves for our clients, and several United Methodists volunteer in our offices regularly.

Miriam’s Promise is always in need of the following items. Please call 615-292-3500 with questions.

Biggest Needs:
.Kroger and Wal-Mart gift cards, Gas cards, ($5, $10, $25) for our birthmothers
.Diapers and wipes - Newborn to size 4
.Certificates to Book stores (i.e., Barnes & Noble) to order educational material
.Disposable cameras

Infant Needs:
.Crib Sheets / Blankets
.Baby formula/bottles or gift cards to purchase as needed
.Baby toiletries
.Baby clothing – size Premie to 24 months

TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW February 8, 2008

Articles in this edition of THE REVIEW

1 . ESL and Indoor Soccer: Tools of Radical Hospitality, Evangelism and Outreach
2. The Rev. Jay Archer announced as new Cookeville District Superintendent starting in June.
3. The Rev. Jim Beaty Receives Conference-time appointment as District Superintendent of the Pulaski District.
4. Salvus Center aids working uninsured, article reprinted from the TENNESSEAN, copyrighted by THE TENNESSEAN and used with permission.
5. Friendships--Some more special than others--.
6. Convicted Enthusiasm: a 30-something’s personal response to Restoring Methodism.
7. Hispanic/Latino Incubator Covenant Group sets evangelism goals.
8. Two Tennessee Conference youth receive national awards.
9. Heads of Delegations and Conference Communicators Receive Briefing on Issues Relating to the 2008 General Conference.
10. St. Andrew Award offers a way to honor those who have been important in our faith journeys

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ESL and Indoor Soccer: Tools of Radical Hospitality, Evangelism and Outreach
By Barbara Garcia

Rocio Corea leads an orientation session for a new Hillcrest English as a Second Language (ESL) class

Just off Nolensville Pike at Tusculum Road East you look up and see it: Hillcrest United Methodist, a beacon on the hill, both for the congregation and the community! In the midst of one of the most changing neighborhoods in Nashville, it is often described as a mature-in-the-faith congregation, but Hillcrest UMC is also called "My Family" by Norman and Rocio Corea, active members of Hillcrest for the last few years.

The Coreas joined Hillcrest after attending ESL classes there and because they wanted their baby to be baptized. That was the first bi-lingual service ever at Hillcrest, --a very meaningful experience for the congregation-- and it was also a very real opportunity for the congregation to live out the baptismal vows of being a nurturing, loving and supporting family of Christ for a young family starting out in a new culture and community.

The congregation has always been there for the Coreas, and even more so when their daughter began to experience serious health problems and surgeries. They asked how they could express gratitude to the congregation, and the reply from several persons was, "Teach us Spanish!"
So, Spanish classes were offered! But that was only the beginning of a new and exciting adventure! As the group met over the weeks, they became more and more aware of the community around them. Hispanic/Latino students make up 46-49% of the student body and up to 18 different languages are spoken!

Then the Spanish class began to say, "We want to reach out to our neighbors! We want to really be the Church! We want to show Christian hospitality! We have been so blessed through this relationship, and we want to be a blessing to others!

Norman Corea (second from the right) volunteers for Saturday night’s indoor soccer

That's how "Our Neighbors" began in August, 2007, an ad hoc group under the umbrella of the Missions and Outreach Team at Hillcrest. Now, in January, new ESL classes began with 32 students the first night! Transportation is provided for refugees in English Classes conducted by Metro Schools at Hillcrest. Indoor Soccer is offered in the gym for 12-18 year olds on Saturday nights. A new Girl Scout troop has begun with African American, Euro American and Hispanic/Latino girls.

Is it just the Spanish Class of 16-18 persons excited about this? NO! Hillcrest had already been growing into an increasingly multi-cultural congregation. On World Communion Sunday, persons from 14 different countries as well as African American and Native American families provided the bread and served Communion! With the deep commitment of the pastors, staff, lots of very hard-working laity, and support from the Hispanic/Latino Academy and other community agencies, Hillcrest is becoming a more effective "beacon on the hill" for the community.

And it is not only the "Our Neighbors" group that is excited about reaching out to the community and sharing radical hospitality and radical generosity! Whenever the planners and organizers have asked the church trustees and leaders for space, support, and volunteers, they have been met with responses like: Of course! This congregation and this building is here to serve the community! To do less is not being who Jesus has called us to be!

So, YES! ESL and Indoor Soccer ARE tools for reaching out to God's people and building relationships that in turn lead persons to faith and service. It is a cycle of blessing and growth for everyone!


The Rev. Jay Archer announced as new Cookeville District Superintendent starting in June

The Rev. Jay E. Archer

Bishop Richard Wills has announced the appointment of the Rev. Jay Archer as District Superintendent of the Cookeville District.. Archer is currently senior pastor of Manchester First United Methodist Church, and has served a variety of churches within the Tennessee Conference including White House, Love’s Chapel, Westview, Cook’s, Antioch, Fayetteville First UMC.

Reverend Archer is married to Christine Archer. Both Jay and Christine hold Master of Divinity degrees from Yale University, where they met and married. Christine also holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Tennessee and has been employed as a counselor in the various communities in which the Archers have served. Jay and Christine have two children, Rosemary (born in 1982) and Luke (born in 1986). Rosemary will be married in March to David Rawsthorn and the couple will be moving to Great Britain. Luke will be graduating from Rhodes College in Memphis this coming May.

After the Archer’s first appointment, both Jay and Christine took a year’s leave of absence to be a part of a Christian community called Karatana. Karatana was a network of Christian families who, though often separated geographically by some distance, were bound together in the Christian life for mutual support and accountability for growth in discipleship. The learning, experience, and growth gained from this year in Christian community has continued to be a foundation for spiritual development and faithful living in the lives of the Archers.

Reverend Archer is convinced of the reality and power of a loving God who acts to redeem His creation, and Reverend Archer is grateful to this God who has invited him and all people to join God in this venture. Reverend Archer’s dream for the church is that the church would come to be more fully “the church”—a community of people living in the name of Christ Jesus who offer the grace of God to this world by word, by deed, and by life lived in the Spirit of God.

Archer has served the conference as Chair person of the Conference Board of Pensions, Chair of the Conference Health Insurance Committee, Chair of the Conference Stewardship Committee, and Chair of the Cumberland District Committee on Ordained Ministry. Through the years he has also been part of the Religion and Race Commission, the Evangelism Committee, and Board of Ordained Ministry. He feels strongly that a number of continuing education experiences have left a positive mark on his ministry: New Life Mission training, Church growth training, the Academy of Preaching, the Wesleyan Restoring Methodism Convocation, and several Congresses on Evangelism. His faith journey has also been enriched by participation in Laywitness Mission, Emmaus and Chrysalis. For a time he served as Spiritual Director of the Nashville Chrysalis Community.

Wife Christine is currently serving as the Family Resource Director of Manchester City Schools. She is very active in the community. She is a founding partner of the Coffee County Anti-drug Coalition, and through her Family Resource position, teaches Parenting Classes and organizes the annual We Care event (providing free shoes, backpacks, school supplies, personal items, health checks, etc, to underprivileged children in the Manchester School system).

As he prepares to become the new Cookeville District Superintendent, he is facing the future with anticipation. He recently noted, “Christine and I look forward to becoming partners in the Gospel with the pastors and churches of the Cookeville District as we all seek to grow in our love of God and neighbor, making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.


The Rev. Jim Beaty Receives Conference-time appointment as District Superintendent of the Pulaski District.
By Dawn Hankins

The Rev. James R. Beaty

When Rev. Jim Beaty of Tullahoma moves to the Pulaski District Office this year, it’s pretty certain he won’t need a road map to help him find his way around Giles County.

By recommendation of the Cabinet and Bishop Dick Wills, the reverend, affectionately known as “Big Jim,” will be leaving his pastoral duties at First United Methodist Church in June after Tennessee Annual Conference. The Rev. Beaty is quite familiar with the Pulaski area, having served as pastor of First United Methodist, Pulaski, from 1995 to 1999.

“I am very humbled, honored and pleased that the Bishop and his Cabinet have chosen me to serve in this new position,” said the Rev. Beaty. “I look forward to the challenges of these new responsibilities. I am God’s servant and I know God will lead me into this phase of my ministry.”
While whistling loudly an old Dr. Hook tune, Rev. Beaty said he’s prepared to Walk Right In to his new position. Though he will transition from years of pulpit ministry to a lot of administrative responsibility, Rev. Beaty said his call to serve Christ will forever remain the same.

“My first and foremost commitment will be to the ministers and churches of the Pulaski District,” said Rev. Beaty. “I look forward to forming relationships with the many congregations. I have many friends in the surrounding area, and look forward to meeting new ones.

Rev. Beaty has served over the last 41 years churches from Pulaski to Livingston to Waverly. He and his wife, Barbara, have enjoyed calling Tullahoma their home since 1999. The Beatys have two daughters, Margie Griffin, and Jennifer Rose (Charlie), both who live in the middle Tennessee area, and four beautiful grandchildren (all under the age of 5!) Abby, Emma, Mitch and Carolina.

“After years of serving as a full time elder in the United Methodist Church, I am ready to seize the opportunity to serve fellow churches and congregates in an administrative leadership capacity,” said Rev. Beaty, who turns 59 in March. “I am of course nervous, as any pastor would be, about leaving my current position, but I consider this to be a wonderful time in my personal life and for that of my family. After 8+ years of faithful ministry at FUMC Tullahoma, we are prayerfully ready to make this move.”

“I’ve been with the Tullahoma church for the last 8+ years,” said Rev. Beaty. “I love its people and the community. Working with the congregation and staff has been such a great joy in my life.”

“But now it is time to look forward to visiting many churches in the Pulaski District, and other areas,” Rev. Beaty added. “I will serve as Pulaski’s District superintendent faithfully and will fulfill the duties with my prayers, presence, gifts and service.”

Rev. Beaty was most excited to share this good news with his father, Rev. James L. Beaty, a former Cookeville and Murfreesboro District superintendent, and his mother, Sue, now retired and living in Savannah, TN.

The Rev. Beaty Sr., has been suffering from poor health over the last 3+ years.

“One of my greatest privileges was being able to tell my father, who served so faithfully, that I was going to follow in his footsteps,” said Rev. Beaty. “Though he is not well, it pleased him to be told the news. I will now also be closer each day to my father and will be serving his district.”

Rev. Beaty, who is an avid reader, said, “We are closing the chapter in one book and opening another. “I would ask everyone to please pray for the Pulaski District and for my family as make we make the move this year.”


Salvus Center aids working uninsured
By Jennifer Easton/Staff

This article on the Salvus Center appeared in the January 24, 2008 issue of THE TENNESSEAN, and is used here by permission. Copyright 2008 The Tennessean.

Fran Parker knew she was long overdue for a mammogram when she reluctantly walked through the doors of the Salvus Center in Gallatin in April 2006.

"It was probably 10 years since I�d had my last one. I knew I was at higher risk because my mom had died from breast cancer, and my sister had been diagnosed, too." Because she had pre-existing health conditions and her husband, Tim, is self-employed, health insurance premiums were either unaffordable or unattainable for the couple.

My husband worked, but I was non-insurable. So we lived years and years without insurance for ourselves.

"I wasn't afraid to go to the doctor because I was afraid they were going to find anything," she explained. "I didn't go to the doctor because of the financial burden it would put on my family."
When a friend told her about the Salvus Center, a faith-based, nonprofit organization that provides health care for the working uninsured in Sumner County, Parker decided it was time for a checkup.

"They didn't make me feel bad for not having insurance. They made me feel like part of a family."

It's fortunate Parker didn't put off her checkup any longer. Tests revealed she had cancer in both breasts.

"The hardest thing was telling my children and dealing with the guilt I felt from worrying about how are we going to pay for this. I had heard stories of people with medical problems being financially ruined."

Patients often put off seeking medical attention because they don't have insurance, says Dr. Ted Hill, the Salvus Center's Medical Director and staff physician.

Hill, who has practiced medicine in Gallatin for 28 years, is also a minister who says he feels called by God to serve Sumner County's growing population of people without insurance.

The number of people who do have access to ongoing health care is staggering and has created a health care crisis, he explained.

"There are about 47 million Americans without health insurance. We believe there are about 22,000 people in Sumner County who work but are uninsured."

"It's an underserved population that typically uses the emergency room as a primary care. The care there is putting a band-aid on the boo-boo. The emergency room is not for treating long-term problems like high blood pressure or a chronic illnesses."

Hill says Tennessee's uninsured can usually be divided by two different demographics.

"We have the 25-40-year-olds who work, but their jobs do not provide insurance. The other group is the disenrolled TennCare patients between 40-60 years old who don't qualify or can't afford insurance."

Fees are based on a sliding scale, depending on how much a person makes at work - usually between $5 and $35 a visit, Hill explained.

Since opening in March 2006, the clinic has logged more than 3,000 patient visits, according to Shelley Ames, executive director for the center.

With an annual operating budget of $300,000, the center receives support through donations. In addition, health care professionals and businesses donate time, medical supplies or expertise.
Hill says the clinic works with a network of more than 100 area physicians who help patients needing specialty care.

"If someone needs gall bladder surgery, we have general surgeons in Gallatin and Hendersonville who will perform the surgery at about one-third of the costs."

Plans are in the works to add another practitioner, and a second Salvus Center is scheduled to open in Hendersonville later this year, Hill said.

The word "Salvus" is Greek, meaning "healing and salvation," and the clinic's mission is to take care of people's physical needs and also to minister to them spiritually, Hill said.

"I think the care you get really means more when (health care professionals) care about how you really feel emotionally."

As far Parker, she has been cancer-free for nearly one year and now enjoys spending time with her 10-month-old granddaughter, Jaedyn.

"Dr. Hill and the Salvus Center saved my life. How do you thank someone for that?"


Note from Jason Brock, Director of Tennessee Conference Love and Justice Ministries: Do you Wonder what Methodists are doing in response to our healthcare crisis? This article from The Tennessean talks about the work of the Salvus Center, led by our own Dr. Ted Hill in the Cumberland District. The Salvus Center is a TN Conference Advance Special. If you would like to contribute to this vital mission outreach, make checks out to the Tennessee Conference the United Methodist Church, marked Salvus Center, 304 S. Perimeter Park Dr., Suite 1, Nashville, TN 37211.

Visitor on Death Row
Friendships--Some more special than others--
By Jerry R., January 2008

After having positive experiences at several events (a Bible study and a Christmas dinner) at Riverbend Maximum Security Institute in Nashville, in early 2004, I volunteered to participate in a program known as Visitor on Death Row. The aim of this program is to ensure inmates in that part of the facility have someone to correspond with and perhaps visit with face-to-face. Interestingly enough, I thought I would be doing someone a favor with my action; more on that later!

I was “assigned” to a young man named Tyrone. For good reason, which won’t be elaborated on here, it was suggested there be several months of correspondence before seeking clearance for face-to-face meetings.

Our initial attempts at correspondence left us both a bit skeptical relative to the merit of either of us investing any further effort in correspondence because, at first glance, it seemed we had so little in common as a basis for a possible friendship. For example:

.Tyrone is a few months younger than my youngest child.
.We are of different faiths.
.We had quite different childhoods.
.We have had very different adult years
.Etc.

However, after a few more letters, it became clear we not only had good reason to continue the correspondence but also we had the basis for a very special friendship.

After about six months of correspondence, it was clear that a mutual level of respect and trust had developed and it was time to meet face-to-face. The necessary forms were processed and our first meeting took place in late 2004. I imagine both of us were a bit more stressed than we wanted to show at the first meeting. For me, it became a banner day, i.e., one of those days I’ll happily remember for as long as I have memory.

In the approximately 3 years since our first meeting, the visits have been about once a month with several pieces of correspondence between visits. Our friendship has developed well beyond what I ever imagined or could have hoped for. Without question, Tyrone has become my best friend.

Do you remember in the opening paragraph of this document when I said I thought I would be doing someone a favor by becoming a Visitor on Death Row; then I mentioned our differences? I sincerely doubt Tyrone has benefited as much from our friendship as I have. Also, while our friendship may be “seasoned” by our differences, it thrives on our similarities:

.We both “demand” honesty and loyalty in a relationship.
.We both “demand” trust; real trust where anything can be discussed in confidence.
.Although we practice different religious faiths, we worship and pray to the same, one and only Almighty God, the God who created us, loves us and watches over us regardless of our situation.
.We both understand that Almighty God never promised any of us smooth sailing. But He does assure those who believe, and try to live by His word, a “safe landing” in eternity.
.We both understand the importance of family -- to love and to be loved by. (Although our families haven’t met, we care deeply about, and pray for, each other.)
.We also understand the importance of laughter and not taking ourselves too seriously.

Often my acquaintances have asked, “What do you and Tyrone talk about or correspond about?” Given that we’re good friends, we talk about the same things you probably talk about with your true friends, i.e., family, personal issues, current events, sports, spiritual matters, books we’ve read, philosophy, childhood memories, etc. There is no planned agenda. We just talk, share, laugh and even argue a bit now and then.

As I write this, I’ve no idea who will ultimately read it but I do hope it might cause increased interest on the part of others, regardless of which side of the tall fence you are on, to give someone on the other side of the fence a chance to get to know you and for you to know them.

While I don’t expect any of you to be as fortunate as I have been with my friendship with Tyrone, even at only 50% it will still be a win:win!

Just remember that regardless of which side of the fence you are on, neither of you has led a perfect life nor made your last mistake. However, you are both loved by, cared for and offered peace, grace, salvation and eternal life by the One Almighty God.

We want to share "the wealth" with you. Please prayerfully consider being a mentor to an incarcerated person. The benefits for both are literally too great to measure. If your curiosity is aroused and want to know more before making a decision, contact Jerry Nail at Christ United Methodist Church, 615-790-2112. Modern Christians should remember the parable of Jesus in which he tells his followers that visiting prisoners is indicative of a right relationship with God. Think and pray about that, then call!

Convicted Enthusiasm: a 30-something’s personal response to Restoring Methodism
By Bart Stewart*

The church saved the life of Leslie, my wife and the mother of Jaden and Leah, not once, but twice during the last eight years.

What do I mean by this? Be assured I speak in the most literal sense. My wife suffers from bulimia which has three possible phases: active, remission and death.

Our family was steaming full speed ahead toward being without a matriarch when the Holy Spirit intervened through the actions of the body of Christ. This was the “hook” for me, but there is more.

The church, made up of “the people who call themselves Methodist,” is the best place I have seen to accomplish what we are all called to do–make disciples.

And I don’t mean merely adding numbers by a one-time acceptance of Christ, but by making real disciples–people who have gone on to be consumed by Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit.
You probably noticed I did not say the United Methodist Church (UMC) and that was intentional.

What happens in 10 years?
What will the United Methodist Church look like in ten years if we, the church, do nothing?
The buildings will still be here. We thirty-somethings will be driving Corvettes or motorcycles purchased at the onset of mid-life crises (I like red). And many members from the generation closest to the authentic church will have gone home.

If we do implement the changes outlined in Jim and Molly Davis Scott’s book Restoring Methodism, some of these things will still happen (except maybe not the Corvettes and motorcycles), but that is not all that will happen.

The United Methodist Church will start to look more like John Wesley’s methodist societies which were very close to the first century church.

Reading the Scotts’ book and attending the subsequent Bishop’s Convocation, was deeply convicting for me as a layperson who is a member of the United Methodist Church.

I had been sitting back coasting while piling the work of the church higher and deeper on our professional ministry team. But you and I are called to “be the church,” not subcontract the responsibility out to our clergy.

I have also learned that personal holiness is not only refraining from killing my neighbor or having sex with his wife, but it’s doing what Jesus told us–loving God and loving our neighbor.
We will bear fruit as a result of our love if it is genuine. Abstaining from buying that red Corvette for myself when I know my neighbor’s kid doesn’t have a coat or a house for that matter, is very sweet fruit indeed.

As I learned more about Wesley’s method and the Holy Spirit, enthusiasm overcame me.
It turns out the thing that made Methodism so successful as a movement was its structure. The system of classes, bands, societies, class leaders, local ministers, and traveling ministers served to teach the people who called themselves methodist how to be the Church. The structure facilitated interaction with and reliance on one another as the body of Christ.

This is exciting because we need to learn reliance on the body now more than they did 200 years ago.

I believe Wesley’s structure would be even more effective at retraining us today than it was in his time. It seems to me that we’re less dependent on God and each other than we have been at any time in history.

The church that saved Leslie’s life the first time was not a United Methodist church, but it had a structure that was almost identical to that of early methodism.

The second time the Holy Spirit intervened was through a small group meeting during a Lay Witness Mission event.

The significant thing in both instances is that the Spirit worked through the structure of a small group of believers watching over each other in love.

It seems to me that the Spirit prefers the small group over large corporate worship or solitary soul searching.

What can we do?
I have some specific recommendations that I believe will facilitate the successful implementation of Restoring Methodism.

The first thing I hope the church will engage in is a study of spiritual warfare.

Past experiences have taught me to be terrified to begin any activity opposing the Devil without first putting on armor and readying all weapons. Satan would be stupid not to do everything he can to oppose the restoration of Methodism, and one thing Satan is not is stupid.

The second thing would be to seek congregational unity on the three tables (to use the Scotts’ tmetaphor) of theology, structure and language.

The Scotts talk about the United Methodist Church setting a table that is wide, but a table that has definite edges. Congregations should agree on what is flexible–what’s on the table–and what we will not compromise on–what’s off the table–in the areas of theology, structure and language.
I’m grateful for the sacrifices and dedication of those who went before us–from the first century church to the early Methodists to the recent members of the United Methodist Church who have kept the church alive during hard times.

I’m also grateful to the Scotts for writing Restoring Methodism and having the love of the United Methodist Church that drives them to spread the word.

I’m most grateful to the Holy Trinity for life, rebirth and life anew walking with the Holy Ghost.
What is my response to all this? It is an overwhelming feeling of Convicted Enthusiasm.

Whatever I, we, do next is a decision, so let it be intentional.

Lord, thank you for your patience. Please open my heart to the whispers of Your spirit, and please drive my hands to right actions so Your kingdom may come and Your will be done. •

*Bart Stewart is a member, Manchester First UMC


Hispanic/Latino Incubator Covenant Group sets evangelism goals

The Covenant Group is seen here with Joaquin Garcia (back row on the right), director of the Tennessee Conference Hispanic/Latino academy

Twelve Hispanic/Latino pastors and lay missioners gathered for discussion at the regular monthly meeting of their Tennessee Hispanic Incubator Covenant Group. The agenda of the day was to work on their Ministry Action Plan (M.A.P.). During the discussion it was determined that the group needed to be more intentional and focused on their evangelistic thrust to reach the Hispanic/Latino communities. The group committed itself to the distribution of 200 Spanish-language Bibles and 2000 Spanish-language flyers.

If you want to support this evangelistic effort and make a contribution to obtain the Bibles and tracks in Spanish, you can send it to the Hispanic/Latino Academy, Tennessee Conference, 304 S. Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 1, Nashville, TN 37211. Mark checks “for Bibles and tracks in Spanish.”

Two Tennessee Conference youth receive national awards
By Rich Peck*

WESTMORELAND, Tenn.––Steven Frye and Daniel Schofield , members of Mt. Olive United Methodist Church, received the top youth awards from the Nashville-based General Commission on United Methodist Men.

The pair received Good Samaritan Awards for their work on a mission trip to La-Gloria, Mexico last summer.

The pair was part of a 15-member youth group that repaired the roof and improved the wiring of an orphanage and led activities for young people living in a camp near a dump. “The conditions were horrible by our standards,” said Daniel. “Trash was everywhere. If it rained, their water was collected off the roof into barrels, but during the dry season, they drank out of a canal full of raw sewage.”

The enterprising Scouts made a water purification system with a PCV pipe, sand, screens, duct tape and cheese cloth. After the water was been filtered, it was boiled for 20 minutes. “Our system will become part of the dump campsites drinking water supply, allowing the decontaminated and purified water to be used for drinking and cooking,” said Steven.

The Good Samaritan Award was created by the General Commission on United Methodist Men to honor young people from 12 to 21 who demonstrate the attributes of the Good Samaritan described in Luke 10:25-37. Recipients must be a United Methodist or registered with a youth-serving agency related to a United Methodist Church. Recipients must be nominated by adults familiar with the youth’s service.

For information, contact Office of Civic Youth-Serving Agencies/Scouting, General Commission on United Methodist Men, P.O. Box 340006, Nashville, TN 37203-0006

Heads of Delegations and Conference Communicators Receive Briefing on Issues Relating to the 2008 General Conference

Final two paragraphs excerpted from a longer article by UMCOM staff person Marta W. Aldrich.
(RtoL)Mr. C. Don Ladd, the Rev. Dr. A. Lynn Hill, and the Rev. David C. Adams frequently sat together to compare notes during presentations and discussions at the Pre-General Conference briefing in Fort Worth.

From January 24th through noon on January 26th the heads of delegations from nearly all United Methodist Annual Conferences came together with Conference communications persons, Conference Council Directors, general agency staff persons, and others, for an intensive preview of major issues and resolutions being brought before the 2008 General Conference. The Pre-General Conference briefing was held at the Hilton Fort Worth Hotel, directly across the street from the site of the 2008 General Conference, the Fort Worth Convention Center. United Methodist Communications, with input from the denomination’s other General Agency, designed the three day event. The Tennessee Annual Conference was represented by Ministerial and Lay delegation heads, Dr. Lynn Hill and Mr. Don Ladd as well as Conference Communication Coordinator Tom Nankervis. Others with a strong Tennessee Conference connection were also present including the Rev. David Adams, an Elder in the Tennessee Conference, and since 2006 the General Secretary of the National United Methodist Men’s organization.

Left to right: Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher, Illinois Area, will deliver the Bishop’s Address; Mary Brooke Casad, Executive Secretary, Connectional Table, served as panel moderator; Lyn Powell, North Georgia Conference Lay Leader will present the Laity Address: and Matt Lockett, young adult from the Northwest Conference, is one of six teens and young adults set to present the Young People’s Address.

The 2008 General Conference will meet for 10 days--two fewer than the 2004 gathering in Pittsburgh and with no break--but still must sort through more than 1,500 petitions, which is about the same amount of business conducted at the previous assembly. In addition to hearing opening addresses from a United Methodist bishop and lay person, delegates will hear the first-ever Young People's Address--delivered jointly by six teens and young adults who promise a presentation "different from anything that's ever been presented to General Conference before."
Weary of decades of the church's top legislative meeting being consumed by debate over homosexuality and other hot-button issues, the Council of Bishops and other denominational leaders have shaped a new churchwide agenda with the overarching purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The agenda includes four areas of focus: developing principled Christian leaders for the church and the world; creating "new places for new generations" by starting new churches and renewing existing ones; engaging in ministry with the poor; and fighting the killer diseases of poverty such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.


St. Andrew Award offers a way to honor those who have been important in our faith journeys
The Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation established in 2001 the Nashville Area Order of St. Andrew Endowment Fund to honor ministers and laity of the Memphis and Tennessee Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church. In honoring those who have served faithfully and blessed lives in our churches, The Fund will provide scholarships for individuals pursuing pastoral ministry and enrolled in a seminary.

The Fund is named for Andrew, “the bringer.” He brought his brother, Peter, the little boy with the loaves and fish, and the Greeks to Jesus. Jesus saw in this ordinary man something that others did not see. The Nashville Area Order of St. Andrew Fund was established to honor those who have been the “Andrew” for people across these two conferences. The honorees may be clergy or laity. You may wish to honor a Sunday School teacher, a pastor, a Lay Leader, an quiet encourager. Anyone who is a “bringer” of people into relationship with Christ may be honored as a recipient of a “St. Andrew Award.”

Those wishing to honor a minister or lay person may do so by making a contribution to The Fund through the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation. A brief biographical statement about the honoree, a minimum contribution of $1,250, and a picture of honoree can be sent to Dr. Vin Walkup at 304 S. perimeter Park Dr., Suite 3, Nashville, TN 37211. You may also contact him with questions or brochures to share with others at 615-259-2008 or vwalkup@nashaumf.org.

TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW January 25, 2008

Stories in this issue of THE REVIEW:

1. Important Changes scheduled for the 2008 Annual Conference.
2. Jim Allen named Conference Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services.
3. 2300 expected at 2008 Warmth in Winter Youth Event, February 8-10, Nashville Convention Center.
4. Leap of Faith for McMinnville First United Methodist Congregation.
5. Two congregations work cooperatively to bring Light in the Nations.
6. Why the changes? How did they come about?
7. More about Dr. A. Lynn Hill, endorsed by the Tennessee Conference for election to Bishop.
8. Just How Well DO I Know My Neighbor?
9. Last Minute Toys Store Serves 1,379 families, 3,902 children.
10. Training events for local church Martin Methodist College representatives.

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Important Changes scheduled for the 2008 Annual Conference
The 2008 Annual Conference will be held June 8-10 at Murfreesboro First United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro, TN

This year the pre-conference materials and reports will be placed on a DVD or CD to be sent to each delegate. Delegates may then print their own pre-conference booklet to bring to the conference. The pre-conference materials will also be available for downloading directly from the conference website http://www.tnumc.org/

If a board/agency/committee expects time on the Annual Conference Agenda, then contact must be made with Loyd Mabry by email at lmabry@tnumc.org or Vicki Sharber at the Conference Connectional Ministries Office at 615-329-1177 or 800-403-5795 or by email at vsharber@tnumc.org.

Reports: A DVD will be prepared for the majority of presentations previously made at Annual Conference. Visual presentations such as power point, video, graphs, photographs, etc can all be included in this format. Combining these features together makes for a power presentation that can inform, impact, challenge, and resource the local church. Instead of a one time presentation at Annual Conference this DVD will continue to be available for use in the local church. Instead of the printed Pre-Conference Journal a DVD, CD and some printed material will be used to provide information for use at Annual Conference and for continued use in the local church.

Presentation to be included in the DVD are ones such as but not limited to the following:
Conference Council on Ministries report
Youth Ministries
Young Adult Ministries
Camping
Miriam’s Promise
McKendree Village
United Methodist Women
United Methodist Men
Higher Education and Campus Ministry
Martin Methodist
Congregational Development
Cooperative Ministries

In addition, the Tennessee Conference website will have this information available as well.
Written reports must be submitted in Word or HTML format and emailed to 2008reports@tnumc.org. Spreadsheets must be in Excel format for 8.5” by 11”—landscape or portrait. This material must be received by March 14, 2008.

Video reports to be placed on the DVD can be submitted as pictures, power point, and/or video. These reports are subject to editing. If a video is submitted to be included on the DVD, it may not be longer than 10 minutes. If your organization desires to submit a completed DVD it can be distributed through our process. Production and preparation cost would be the expense of the organization. All video reports must be submitted to Bill Freeman by March 14, 2008

Additional Requirements:
+ Display Space – is available only to entities officially connected to the Tennessee Conference and space is limited. Contact Trish Myrick at the Conference Center to reserve your table, 615-329-1177 or 1-800-403-5795. Deadline: May 12, 2008
+Group Meals – Reservations are on a first come first served basis. Some meals will have to be at other sites. Contact Helen Noffsinger at 615-898-0301 Deadline: June 1, 2008
+Childcare will be available at Murfreesboro First for children up to six years old. Reservations must be made with the church by contacting Tammy Smith at 615-893-1322. The deadline is June 1, 2008.

See related article, Why the changes? How did they come about?


Jim Allen named Conference Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services

At a joint meeting of the Conference’s Council on Finance and Administration and Board of Pensions on January 8, 2008, James R. Allen was officially named Director of Administrative Services and Conference Treasurer for the Tennessee Conference. Allen had been serving as Interim Director of Administrative Services after the sudden death of the Rev. David Hawkins.

Allen, a United Methodist layperson, graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in Industrial Management (with Honors) and has a law degree from the University of South Carolina. He came to Nashville as part of the staff of the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church where he served as General Council for the agency. As head of GCFA’s Legal Services Department he was charged with protecting the legal interests of the denomination (40,000 clergy, 35,000 churches, and 63 regional offices in the U.S.); provided legal counsel on a wide variety of matters involving constitutional, corporate, real estate, tax, employment, and trademark law; and was a primary resource for bishops and others on issues related to ecclesiastical law.

Before his service to GCFA he was a partner in the law firm, Barnes, Alford, Stork and Johnson, LLP, Columbia, South Carolina. Previous to embarking on his law career Allen was a bank vice president in Greenville, South Carolina, and before that served a stint as a bank examiner for the United States Treasury Department.

Through the years he has been an active layperson in two Annual Conferences. He represented the South Carolina Conference at the 2000 General Conference, and the 2000 and 2004 Southeast Jurisdictional Conferences. Presently he is the chairperson of the Nashville District Committee on Superintendency.

Don’t be surprised to be with Jim and have him start humming classical music. This banker/lawyer was, for four years, a member of the Nashville Symphony Chorus and for eight years before that was part of Palmetto Mastersingers, Inc. in South Carolina. And, don’t be surprised if Jim pulls up to a meeting on a motorcycle, a motor cyle he fondly calls (remember his interest in classical music) “Brunhilda.”

He and wife Deb are active members of Blakemore United Methodist Church in the Nashville District. He currently serves that congregation as chairperson of the Staff Parish Committee. Jim and Deb have been blessed with 5 daughters and 3 grandchildren.

“Choosing Jim,” notes Steve Angus, Chairperson of the Board of Pensions, “was a good decision. In his work as interim Director of Administrative Services he understood and embraced innovations made by his predecessor David Hawkins—including the possibility of electronic filing of local church reports--and carried them forward. We were indeed fortunate to have David Hawkins as Director of Administrative Services, and it is a blessing to have someone with Jim Allen’s abilities, interests, and skills to build on David’s legacy.” Ken Edwards, Chairperson of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, shares Steve Angus’ feelings. “Jim was chosen from a very gifted pool of applicants,” says Edwards, “and we are honored to have someone with his gifts and graces serving the Tennessee Conference. In this complex time it is good to have Allen’s background in law and banking.”

Bishop Dick Wills said, “I am delighted that our Board of Pensions and CF&A has selected Jim Allen as Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services. He is more than qualified to lead in this important area.”


2300 expected at 2008 Warmth in Winter Youth Event, February 8-10, Nashville Convention Center

Youth and youth workers from across the Tennessee Conference will be gathering for a weekend of exploration , fun and spiritual growth around the theme “Eye of the Storm” (a look at how God is the peace we need and can be the “eye” of the storm our lives sometimes tend to be.). Music leadership is by 3 Mile Road, and our speaker this year is well known in youth ministry circles. Bob Stromberg has a very unique way of sharing. His ministry is a perfect blend of standup comedy, story and schtick. He will truly bring our topic to life. Haven’t registered yet—it’s not too late. Rush to your phone and contact Debbie McHaffie, 615-329-1177 or email her at dmchaffie@tnumc.org

Hispanic Latino appointed as supply pastor
Leap of Faith for McMinnville First United Methodist Congregation
McMinnville and Warren County have a difficult year due to moving industry and inclement weather for farmers and the nursery industry. However even the blatantly unobservant couldn’t help but notice that substantial growth has attracted immigrants—mainly immigrants from south of the U.S. border. Many of the new residents came offering the community not only their Hispanic culture and language but a strong work ethic. The area is largely rural and far from Nashville and its suburbs.

Rev. Francisco “Frank” Dale and his wife Ivett are seen with Barbara Garcia.

Some persons at McMinnville First wondered how to minister to the new population and that concern was shared by Pastor Steve Angus and Cookeville District Superintendent Harold Martin . Start an English as a Second Language Class? Plan seasonal celebrations and invite the new neighbors? Work toward a genuinely multi-cultural congregation? There were numerous questions: What do we do? When do we do it? How can we do it most effectively?

Martin and Angus worked together with one of the Tennessee Conference’s newest ministries—The Hispanic Latino Academy, a unique collaborative effort between Martin Methodist College and the Tennessee Conference Council on Connectional Ministries. For several months the church, District Superintendent Martin and the Academy explored options, and finally made a giant leap of faith.

In the midst of this discussion an opening occurred on the staff of the church and the time seemed right. The congregation determined that it wanted to request the appointment of an associate pastor—one with an Hispanic background—but that pastor would serve the growing congregation as any other pastor would. He would participate in McMinnville First’s two services, teach, visit the hospitalized and the shut-ins – he definitely was NOT appointed to a designated racial or ethnic group. In like manner the anglo pastor would be involved in the lives of all persons within the church. The congregation was positioning itself for whatever the future would hold as it reached out to the McMinnville community.

Contact was made with Francisco Gale, an excellent choice for the new position given Francisco’s Hispanic background. abilities, and sense of commitment—but Francisco “Frank” Gale was also comfortable with English and serving an Anglo congregation. The long process of working with Francisco and the conference structure in order to have him appointed as supply pastor was begun—and on January 1, 2008—a new year with new dreams and hopes and challenges—Gale began his service as supply pastor at McMinnville First United Methodist Church. No one—not the membership of McMinnville First, not the DS, not Joaquin Garcia representing the Hispanic Latino Academy , not Steve Angus, nor even Francisco Gale knows the direction the new ministry will take.

According to Sr. Pastor Steve Angus, “God is already doing some wonderful things. A preliminary gathering at the church had forty Hispanics gather. The congregation has already set in motion a plan to begin a Spanish speaking Sunday School and Worship service on Sunday afternoon which will lead into the already existing Youth and Children programming at 5 pm. Most of the Hispanic youth and children are bilingual and this presents a wonderful opportunity to build bridges. Pastor Frank is already taking part in leading the existing Sunday morning services and I look forward to being involved in the Hispanic services. Our church mission statement is, “It’s all about relationship. It’s all about Jesus.” Those who have been involved in this process, including the church itself cannot help but say, “This is a God- thing.”

There are many possibilities—but the love of Christ, fulfilled in the United Methodist slogan “Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Doors,” was moving outward from McMinnville First UMC.


Helping Hands Seed Grants support cooperative ministries
Two congregations work cooperatively to bring Light in the Nations
By the Rev. Paul Slentz

Sixty-First Avenue and Franklin First UMC have been working as partners in ministry since 1995. That cooperative ministry has been lived out in many ways over the years. Most recently it has taken flesh in the form of a venture called "Light in The Nations" -- referring to the low-income West Nashville neighborhood called "The Nations" where Sixty-First Avenue UMC is located. Through "Light in the Nations" the two churches are working to encourage neighbors to work together for the welfare of the Nations community.

One concrete expression of this work has been a Senior Assistance Ministry that was started in the winter after Hurricane Katrina when natural gas prices rose dramatically. Through this ministry, members of Light in the Nations have formed relationships with seniors in the neighborhood and provided financial assistance for utility bills, medicine, and food.

Last year, with help from a "Helping Hands" grant from the Conference Cooperative Ministries Committee, Light in the Nations was able to help more senior households than ever. Brenda Hix, Lay Leader of Sixty-First, neighborhood resident, and president of Light in the Nations says, "We are grateful to the Cooperative Ministries Committee for the 'Helping Hands' grant. It means so much to us to be able to help our senior neighbors who struggle to make it month to month and who have a particularly difficult time in the winter months."

Churches can download a “Helping Hands Seed Grant” application form directly from the Tennessee Annual Conference website. The web-address for direct access to the form is http://www.tnumc.org/index.cfm?PAGE_ID=2395. If you would like a copy of the application form faxed to you then contact Debbie McHaffie at dmchaffie@tnumc.org or 615-329-1177.

Why the changes in Annual Conference 2008? How did they come about?
By the Rev. Loyd Mabry*

The Annual Conference Planning Committee met to begin planning the 2008 Session of Annual Conference on September 13, 2007. As the planning began several new options and possibilities for the way we conduct Annual Conference were brought to the table for discussion. A Task Force was selected to make proposed changes and present them to the next meeting on October 24, 2007.

The Task Force began by reviewing the purpose of Annual Conference. From those discussions several items surfaced as essential elements of Annual Conference that should be highlighted as preserved. The Book of Discipline outlines the essential items that must take place and require voting. As the Task Force worked through the process several priorities surfaced. Among those are as follows:

.Commitment to enhance the ministry of the local church
.Honor those who have served the Annual Conference—Memorial Service
.Credentialing and Ordination
.Honoring retirees for their service
.State of the church—Bishop and Laity messages
.Reclaim the teaching/visioning aspect of Annual Conference
.Holy Conferencing
.Consolidate time and resources to accomplish these purposes.

The Task Force brought forth several recommendations to the Annual Conference Planning meeting on October 24, 2007. These proposed changes were adopted for implementation at the 2008 Session of Annual Conference.

The Task Force focused on ways to communicate information for the local church and to be used in the local church. Presentations at Annual Conference will be minimal. A DVD will be prepared for the majority of presentations previously made at Annual Conference. Visual presentations such as power point, video, graphs, photographs, etc can all be included in this format.

Combining these features together makes for a power presentation that can inform, impact, challenge, and resource the local church. Instead of a one time presentation at Annual Conference this DVD will continue to be available for use in the local church. Instead of the printed Pre-Conference Journal a DVD, CD and some printed material will be used to provide information for use at Annual Conference and for continued use in the local church.


More about Dr. A. Lynn Hill, endorsed by the Tennessee Conference for election to Bishop
Lynn Hill has served the national church was delegate to the 2000 and 2004 General and Southeastern Jurisdiction Conferences of the United Methodist Church, and is head of the clergy delegation for the 2008 General and Jurisdicational Conferences. Hill’s understanding of the national church has been used by the denomination’s General Council on Finance and Administration as he has served on the Council from 2004 to the present. Over the same period he has also been a member of the GCFA’s Financial Services Committee

Dr. A. Lynn Hill

His wide-range of interests and skills have been used by the Tennessee Conference in a variety of ways. He has served on the Board of Ordained Ministry, the Board of Camping and Outdoor Ministry, the Council on Finance and Administration, the Ethnic Local Church Committee, the Standing Rules Committee, and the New Church Development Committee. He was on the Board of Directors for the Nashville Area Foundation, and was chairperson of the Vision Committee for that agency. He has also been active on committees in each district he has serviced, Nashville District Chairperson of the District Superintendency Committee, Nashville District Chairperson of the Committee on Evangelism, Columbia District Chairperson Church Location and Building Committee.

After a number of appointments within the conference—Associate pastor Meridian Street, Associate Pastor Donelson Heights, Chaplain McKendree Manor, Pastor of St. Paul’s UMC, and then Senior Pastor at Dalewoood UMC and City Road UMC, he was appointed as District Superintendent of the Cumberland District from 1997-2002 and served a time as Deal of the Cabinet. In 2002 he was appointed Senior Pastor at Franklin First United Methodist Church
He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and has been married for 28 years to Susan Troxler Hill. They have one daughter, Emily Lynn Hill, presently a student at Belmont University majoring in history.

Dr. Hill has an Associate in Science degree from Aquinas College, a Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Science from the University of Tennessee, and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Vanderbilt University.

Of all his accomplishments, Hill is most noticeably happy about those things accomplished by local United Methodist churches during his pastorates—all positioning the local congregations for future growth and ministry:

· Lead the congregation of St. Paul’s UMC in a $200,000 campaign to build and pay for an education building with classrooms, kitchen, and fellowship hall.
· Lead the congregation of City Road Chapel in a $1.5 million campaign to build and pay for a “fellowship center” with a gym/fellowship hall, drama stage, elevated walking track, and commercial kitchen.
· Lead the congregation of Franklin First UMC in a $3.4 million campaign to purchase 107 acres on the gateway to Franklin, Tennessee, to relocate this 208-year-old congregation from a landlocked site to position it for the future.

On the possibility of election to Episcopal Leadership in the denomination, Lynn Hill is willing to leave everything in God’s hands: ”My prayer is that God will use me as God sees fit. The one thing I absolutely believe is that in the life and ministry of the United Methodist Church, the best is yet to be! Thanks be to God!“


Just How Well DO I Know My Neighbor?

By the Rev. Jodi McCullah*

Last month I resolved that, in this New Year, I would ask the Lord to help me be a better neighbor. I had done badly in this past year and I knew it. My neighbor’s husband had died and I had been too busy even to stop in. The longer I waited, the worse I felt and the more awkward it was going to be. When she moved out a few weeks later, I prayed for help to do better. God showed me right away that getting to know the folks who live on either side of me was just the beginning of being a neighbor.

Co-founder Susan Powers marks a cross on the hand of one of the diners at Sunday Supper

Most of my neighbors congregate, it turns out, like folks always have, around a meal. Most recently, many of my neighbors can be found at the Sunday Supper at Madison Street United Methodist Church in Clarksville, which was started several years ago by Susan and Bobby Powers, to feed the homeless and the working poor. The two Madison Street UMC members had helped serve at Loaves and Fishes and discovered that there was no meal on the seventh day of the week; folks who were homeless or whose paychecks could not stretch far enough were simply going hungry on the Sabbath.

“We started out with faith. We didn’t know how we would get all the food but so many folks came forward with food,” says Bobby. Local grocery stores, CC’s Pizza and Bojangles Chicken restaurants have provided enough food to cover even the heavier crowds (of more than 200 hungry folks) that show up in the last week of the month. From the beginning, bakeries brought bread and pastries and hunters brought venison. “So far, there has always been enough,” says Bobby.

While only about a tenth of those who attend the meals are truly homeless, the need is real for many families, according to Bobby. “When you work for eight or ten dollars a day and you have kids, there’s no earthly way you can ‘work harder.’ If someone doesn’t help you out once in a while, you’ll never get ahead.” “Working to help the working poor among these neighbors is as much a focus as feeding,” says Bobby, “in order to help those folks not move to the ranks of the truly homeless.”

Recently, at the meal, a church member looked out at the 200-plus neighbors lined up and wondered how Bobby’s wife, Susan, knew nearly every person who came through line. Watching her take each person’s hand and mark it with a cross as they came through the line, we learned that it’s really simple: you ask, and then you listen.

So, just in the past month, I have asked, listened and learned that among my neighbors is George, 67, who “ran away from home” up north several years ago. Getting to know him meant learning that he was doing fine until he got stuck in town with car troubles, then could not afford to get his car fixed and his tags renewed. He gets his “widower’s benefits,” monthly but those are not enough. When there is no “Room in the Inn” program set up on a given night, George at least can sleep in his car. George is one of the ten percent or so of the folks at the meal who have no home.

Getting to know these neighbors helped me not be inconsiderate like I was last month when I gave Benny a chocolate bar after I saw him sitting outside the grocery store. I knew he, like George, was one of the truly homeless, so I thought I’d give him something to carry in his pocket. Worried as I was about not being politically incorrect and not wanting to embarrass him, I kept the gift small. If I had tried to get to know Benny first, though, I would have discovered that he has diabetes and cannot eat the chocolate. I also have since learned that another neighbor cannot eat the apples I had given him because his teeth are bad. Ask. Listen.

In line this Sunday next to George is a pregnant mother with two small children in tow. It’s cold and rainy and they’ll walk home without an umbrella, but we are neighborly and one is provided. There’s also a young veteran of the war in Iraq who is nursing wounds from having been beaten up two days before. He shows me the stitches in his hand and we check together for any infections and offer some attention and sympathy. At the next table is Ken, a sculptor who lives on a houseboat; he introduces his mother. She is crocheting an afghan, one of several she will make and give away at the meals this winter.

11-year-old Kevin Ly les works tirelessly to help feed the homeless and working poor at Madison Street UMC’s Sunday Supper

One of my favorite new neighbors is Kevin Lyles, who wasn’t even alive when the phenomenon of homelessness became widespread in this country. That hasn’t stopped the eleven-year-old from arriving bright and early every Sunday morning for the past couple of years to help prepare the meal and clean up afterward. Watching Kevin would wear anyone out. From setting up the tables for as many as 250 guests, to washing and drying all those trays, Kevin usually only stops long enough to eat his own meal, and then he is off, hauling dirty trays to his dad to be washed. The worst part of the job is wrapping up the silverware, he says. The best part is going home with leftover food and new books to read, thanks to the lending library available to all the supper guests.

Kevin works every Sunday with his parents, David and Virginia, and the other regular neighbors who work at the meal, Junior Tidwell and Charles Clark. These folks know lots of their neighbors. Like Ray Lee Shephard, these regulars check on their neighbors and routinely offer suggestions for making life a little easier today, trying to make sure no one goes without the necessities. Shephard says he just tries to live up to his name, watching out for his flock of neighbors. While he waits to eat, he hugs the teenager next to him and moves on, checking in, encouraging, asking, and listening, being neighborly.

Last week, I was shown some neighborly love by two of my homeless friends. I was visiting the day shelter when Billy flagged me down and pointed out a tire that was going flat on my car. There was a nail protruding from it. In the past, I would have looked in the phone book, then nervously driven to the tire store or worse, been stuck in the nasty weather trying to change my tire myself. Both Billy and Benny offered to change the tire if I needed; that was not an insignificant offer considering they have to stand in line to wash their clothes at the day shelter. After some discussion, though, Billy began to offer directions to the nearest tire store. The directions were confusing to me, however, since I am new to the area. So Benny, formerly a taxi driver, offered to ride along and show me the fastest back way to the tire store. He did, we made it fine, and the tire store which came highly recommended by Billy as being fair and reasonable, fixed my tire for no charge. I felt so cared for by my neighbors that day.

Turns out that in asking and in listening, I find I learn as much about the needs and issues of homelessness and poverty in my neighborhood as I could from a book or a course. Now I wonder if homelessness and poverty aren’t directly related to the lack of interaction among neighbors, the way we move so much more often than we used to do or the way we can live next door to someone for ages and not know what they need or that they have died. Surely it’s not as simple as asking and listening.

Rev. Jodi McCullah is Director, Austin Peay State University Wesley Foundation

Last Minute Toys Store Serves 1,379 families, 3,902 children
The 61st Avenue United Methodist Church’s Last Minute Toy Store was able to make a merrier Christmas for 1,379 family units consisting of 3,902 children.

A number of toy animals with specially knitted scarves were blessed during an Advent Service at Blakemore UMC. At the conclusion of the service the toys were taken to the 61st Avenue UMC Toy Store.

On behalf of the congregation and the Toy Store planning committee, 61st Avenue pastor Paul Slentz issued public thanks to the dozens of United Methodist Churches and hundreds of individuals who helped make the toy store experience a concrete way to love our neighbors.
We have some needs we’ll have to address in the months before the 2008 Last Minute Toy Store open its doors,” noted Slentz. “In particular we will have to work on increasing the number of gift items for teen boys as well as boys and girls, ages 0-4.

Teen volunteers at the Last Minute Toy Store were able to give helpful guidance to parents shopping for teenagers.

Training events for local church Martin Methodist College representatives
A series of training events will be held throughout the Tennessee Conference in the next six weeks to educate United Methodist parishioners about becoming Martin Methodist College representatives in their respective churches.

Martin Methodist College seeks to have at least one person in each congregation from the churches in the Tennessee Conference who has been identified as a Martin Representative to serve as a liaison between the college and his or her church. Seven district training events have been scheduled to equip these representatives in this ministry. Staff personnel from Martin Methodist College's Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership will facilitate the workshops and share exciting details about MMC's growth.

Some of the Nashville District Martin College representatives with Martin College president Dr. Ted Brown (r) and Martin College staff persons Domenico Nigrelli (left), Cal Turner, Jr., Center for Church Leadership, and Mary Noble Parrish, (next to Nigrelli) Martin College Church-based recruiter. Both Nigrelli and Parrish are ministerial members of the Tennessee Conference.

The Martin Representatives were identified at charge conferences and the new year of service began in January 2008.

"As the college of the Tennessee Conference, Martin Methodist College desires to be in an active relationship with the congregations of our conference," said the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish, director of church relations for the college. "I am your liaison who serves as a link to further connect Martin Methodist College with your congregation. This is a wonderful opportunity to support this important institution of the United Methodist Church by uniting to serve our risen Lord as one body."

Pulaski District Martin College representatives at 2007 training session. Mary Noble Parrish is at the right.

"We invite all Martin Representatives as well as the clergy appointed to the local congregations of our conference to attend one training event," Parrish added. The remaining training dates and locations are as follows:

+Cookeville District - Saturday, January 26, 2008 at the district's training event, 8:30 a.m. at Sparta FUMC;
+Nashville District - Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008 at the district's training event, 6:30 p.m. at Brentwood UMC;
+Cumberland District - Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008 at the district's training event, 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Hendersonville FUMC;
+Murfreesboro District - Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008 at the district's "Shepherd School," 1:30-4:00 p.m. at Tullahoma UMC;
+Clarksville District - Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008 at the district's training event, 2:30-5:00 p.m. at Madison Street UMC.

To learn more about Martin College Representatives contact the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish at mparrish@martinmethodist.edu, through the Martin Representatives website at http://www.martinmethodist.edu/ccl/martinreps or by calling 931-363-9834 or 1-800-467-1273, ext. 3834.

The Martin Methodist Vision
Martin Methodist College is committed to being one of the leading small, nurturing, liberal arts colleges in the Southeast and a model of church-related higher education for the United Methodist Church. The Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership strives to enhance the relationship between Martin Methodist College and the local congregations of the United Methodist Church.