Former hostage visits Upper Room
By Jeanette Pinkston*
"While I was kidnapped, you were in captivity here praying for me until my release. Because of your tears and prayers, the Lord has brought me back," the Rev. Tongkhojang Lunkim told worshipers in the Upper Room Chapel Dec. 13.
Lunkim, publications coordinator for four editions of the Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide in northeast India, was captured Jan. 16 by a group of rebels called the Kuki Liberation Army. Held in solitary confinement for 61 days, he was released in mid-March.
"I am alive. It is me," Lunkim, 87, told the staff of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship during the weekly chapel service. Gesturing toward the carved picture of The Last Supper in the front of the Upper Room chapel, Lunkim recalled first seeing it when he spoke there in 1980. As a captive, "I prayed to God to let me see it one more time, and here I am, standing before you today."
The Upper Room is a ministry of the Board of Discipleship. Lunkim came to Nashville to visit the Upper Room staff and to thank personally those who prayed for him while he was a hostage.
While in captivity, Lunkim said there was nothing to do but read the Bible and meditate. When he became downhearted, he read Psalm 27. "I was reading the letters, but I heard a sound in my ear. The Lord spoke to me," he said. "Those verses kept coming to me."
Lunkim compared his capture to that of the apostle Paul. He said the boy who arrested him was one of his own people. "They sent him to kill me, but he could not pull the trigger," he said.
Lunkim was kept in a tiny cabin about the size of his small-frame body. The building was covered with tarp he had donated when his village was burned. He thought his captivity was the end of his ministry. "Mentally I was preparing to be with the Lord," he said.
Lunkim suspects he was kidnapped because of his work either as a human rights activist or as a Christian. He has led a ministry in northeast India, where Christians are a small minority among a predominantly Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim population. He is a leader in the Kuki Christian Church, which publishes the Upper Room in four indigenous languages. The Kuki Church is a collective of hundreds of Christian churches in northeast India, Myanmar (Burma) and Bhutan.
Lunkim is convinced that for two months he was kept silent so God could do what he could not do. Many people spoke on his behalf. Christians and non-Christians prayed for him.
"I cannot deny that I [was] afraid," he says. "They [had] guns. I prayed to God, 'I am ready. My life is in your hands.'''
*Pinkston is media relations coordinator for the General Board of Discipleship, Nashville, Tenn..
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
Music directors seek gifted United Methodists for '08 assembly
MADISON, N.J. (UMNS) - Local church choirs, ensembles and bands, instrumentalists, singers, dancers and dance groups, as well as visual, video, textile and performing artists from around the world, are invited to send audition tapes for a chance to perform at worship services at the 2008 General Conference.
Mark Miller, a co-music director for the 2008 conference, is seeking United Methodists interested in sharing their gifts in worship to submit a recording (DVD, CD, VHS, cassette, mpeg, mp3) plus a brief bio and other supporting materials by postal mail by March 30, 2007. Address them to Mark A. Miller, director of music, Drew Theological School, 36 Madison Ave., Madison, N.J., 07940, or send them by e-mail to mamiller@drew.edu.
The United Methodist Church's top legislative assembly will meet April 23-May 2, 2008, in Fort Worth, Texas. The 1,000-member international body meets every four years to decide issues of church law and polity.
Miller, of Plainfield, N.J., and Marcia McFee of Truckee, Calif., were selected by the Commission on the General Conference as co-music directors.
Miller is well known throughout the United Methodist connection as a worship leader, teacher and performer of sacred music. He is director of music and instructor of church music at the Drew Theological School, Madison, N.J. He also serves as the director of contemporary worship at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City and is a lecturer at the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University, New Haven, Conn. He has directed music for numerous United Methodist annual conferences and youth events. He has composed a number of hymns, including a collection, Amazing Abundance, Hymns for a Growing Church, published by Abingdon Press.
He received a master's of music degree in organ performance from the Juilliard School in New York and a bachelor's degree in music from Yale University.
McFee is the principal of Peace by Peace Productions, where she serves as a consultant on worship, arts and preaching. She has preached, taught and led worship at numerous United Methodist gatherings in the United States, Europe and Asia.
In addition to consulting on worship, music and dance, McFee has been a guest lecturer on worship at six United Methodist seminaries and is the author of The Worship Workshop: Creative Ways to Design Worship Together, a book for worship teams and published by Abingdon Press. She earned a doctorate degree in liturgical studies from the Graduate Theological Union at the University of California, Berkley; a master's degree in theological studies from Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Mo.; and a bachelor's degree in dance education from New York University. She is a recipient of the Hoyt Hickman Award for scholarship in the study of liturgy and effective worship leadership.
The music directors will work with the Council of Bishops and staff from the United Methodist Board of Discipleship to plan worship services for the General Conference. They also will lead hymn singing, coordinate additional music performances and venues, and audition and select vocal and instrumental musicians for the conference.
MADISON, N.J. (UMNS) - Local church choirs, ensembles and bands, instrumentalists, singers, dancers and dance groups, as well as visual, video, textile and performing artists from around the world, are invited to send audition tapes for a chance to perform at worship services at the 2008 General Conference.
Mark Miller, a co-music director for the 2008 conference, is seeking United Methodists interested in sharing their gifts in worship to submit a recording (DVD, CD, VHS, cassette, mpeg, mp3) plus a brief bio and other supporting materials by postal mail by March 30, 2007. Address them to Mark A. Miller, director of music, Drew Theological School, 36 Madison Ave., Madison, N.J., 07940, or send them by e-mail to mamiller@drew.edu.
The United Methodist Church's top legislative assembly will meet April 23-May 2, 2008, in Fort Worth, Texas. The 1,000-member international body meets every four years to decide issues of church law and polity.
Miller, of Plainfield, N.J., and Marcia McFee of Truckee, Calif., were selected by the Commission on the General Conference as co-music directors.
Miller is well known throughout the United Methodist connection as a worship leader, teacher and performer of sacred music. He is director of music and instructor of church music at the Drew Theological School, Madison, N.J. He also serves as the director of contemporary worship at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City and is a lecturer at the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University, New Haven, Conn. He has directed music for numerous United Methodist annual conferences and youth events. He has composed a number of hymns, including a collection, Amazing Abundance, Hymns for a Growing Church, published by Abingdon Press.
He received a master's of music degree in organ performance from the Juilliard School in New York and a bachelor's degree in music from Yale University.
McFee is the principal of Peace by Peace Productions, where she serves as a consultant on worship, arts and preaching. She has preached, taught and led worship at numerous United Methodist gatherings in the United States, Europe and Asia.
In addition to consulting on worship, music and dance, McFee has been a guest lecturer on worship at six United Methodist seminaries and is the author of The Worship Workshop: Creative Ways to Design Worship Together, a book for worship teams and published by Abingdon Press. She earned a doctorate degree in liturgical studies from the Graduate Theological Union at the University of California, Berkley; a master's degree in theological studies from Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Mo.; and a bachelor's degree in dance education from New York University. She is a recipient of the Hoyt Hickman Award for scholarship in the study of liturgy and effective worship leadership.
The music directors will work with the Council of Bishops and staff from the United Methodist Board of Discipleship to plan worship services for the General Conference. They also will lead hymn singing, coordinate additional music performances and venues, and audition and select vocal and instrumental musicians for the conference.
Churches offer ways to keep 'holy' in holidays
An Interpreter/UMNS Feature By Ray Waddle*
Here they come again, the traditions of the late-year holidays - sumptuous party food, families reuniting, brightly wrapped gifts, soaring carols - and head-pounding stress, frayed nerves and overheated spending.
This year, take a breath, and take heart. Within reach is a world of alternative ways to buy gifts and to focus on the multilayered spirituality of Advent, leading to a meaningful Christmas.
At First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, Calif., members are setting up a marketplace of charity - and taking a stand against thoughtless holiday materialism.
The Alternative Christmas Market at First Church is open each weekend during Advent, allowing members to write a check to support a mission project in the name of a friend or loved one, who then receives notification of the donation.
"It's a breath of fresh air," says Nikki Edwards, a member of the church. "People want to do more than spend money on items that aren't necessary."
The Santa Monica church has been doing this for nearly two decades. In 2005, it raised $20,000 for a dozen charities, local and international.
Edwards uses the Alternative Market in shopping for her three boys, ages 10, 14 and 17.
Besides conventional Christmas gifts, each boy receives a card saying his parents have given money to a charity in his name. The practice usually stirs the youngsters' interest in the project, she says.
"It's a way to balance gift-giving," she says. "People in the stores talk about Christmas earlier and earlier. A lot of kids miss the whole point of the holiday: they think it's about gifts, especially receiving gifts."
Other tips for alternatives
In recent years, many churches have made alternative markets an Advent tradition.
They're doing other things, too, as a counterweight to frenzied commercialism:
Sponsoring workshops to help families construct Advent wreaths for home use, and distributing booklets with devotions and prayers for weekly candle-lighting times.
Erecting Angel Trees to provide toys for neighborhood children in need.
Sharing Web sites, such as www.simpleliving.org (Alternatives for Simple Living), that give tips and ideas.
Teaching Advent's countercultural themes of hope and justice.
More churches realize that believers are dissatisfied with aggressive commercialism and holiday stress. They want guidance to reorient their holiday rhythms around the biblical story.
At Resurrection United Methodist Church in Durham, N.C., worship leaders use royal blue as an Advent liturgical color to drive home a biblical idea of the sunrise hope of the coming King.
"If you step outside in December before sunrise, that's the color blue you'll see," says the Rev. Larry Bowden.
Beyond Dec. 25
The word "Advent" itself looms larger as a solution to the stress. Pastors and other church leaders plead with people to enrich their notion of Christmas - and take pressure off the one big day of Dec. 25 - by embracing the December-long Advent season, and the 12 days of Christmas, which end with Epiphany Jan. 6.
"One thing we can learn is to quit thinking it's all over Dec. 26," says writer/educator Blair Meeks, author of Expecting the Unexpected: An Advent Devotional Guide (Upper Room Books, 800-972-0433).
In previous centuries, she notes, the season didn't really end until Feb. 2, called Candlemas, which honors the presentation of Jesus in the temple 40 days after his birth.
"Get lay people involved. Encourage home devotions," she urges. "Have celebrations that aren't simply cocktail parties."
One suggestion: Do home prayers around the seven stanzas of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 211), using each verse to ponder the nature of Jesus.
Important themes
Another layer of Advent deserves attention, say Meeks and others: the themes of justice and mercy. The coming of Christ means the coming Kingdom of God, as Jesus proclaimed when he read from Isaiah.
"Advent is not just about us and our devotions but releasing the captive, feeding the hungry and all those things we should take seriously, and not just the warm and fuzzy side of the holiday," Meeks says.
The simple gospel eloquence of the incarnation story - the news that God took on human form, in a specific small-town Judean scenario - is the great antidote to the overbearing complications of the season, says the Rev. Leicester Longden, who teaches at University of Dubuque Seminary in Iowa. He urges churchgoers to focus on the holiday's themes of simplicity rather than anti-capitalist agendas behind some alternative Christmas campaigns.
"The culture wants us to believe we can have it all," he says. "But the biblical story has associations with suffering, Jesus as a refugee. God doesn't really go out of his way to advertise the Nativity.
"It's off to the side, rather hidden. God presented the good news in the small, the simple."
*Waddle is a religion writer and columnist in Nashville, Tenn. This feature originally appeared in Interpreter magazine, published by United Methodist Communications. Downloadable PDF versions of this and several other articles from the November-December 2006 issue of Interpreter are available at www.interpretermagazine.org. Churches can use them in the bulletins or newsletters or to link to them from their Web sites.
An Interpreter/UMNS Feature By Ray Waddle*
Here they come again, the traditions of the late-year holidays - sumptuous party food, families reuniting, brightly wrapped gifts, soaring carols - and head-pounding stress, frayed nerves and overheated spending.
This year, take a breath, and take heart. Within reach is a world of alternative ways to buy gifts and to focus on the multilayered spirituality of Advent, leading to a meaningful Christmas.
At First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, Calif., members are setting up a marketplace of charity - and taking a stand against thoughtless holiday materialism.
The Alternative Christmas Market at First Church is open each weekend during Advent, allowing members to write a check to support a mission project in the name of a friend or loved one, who then receives notification of the donation.
"It's a breath of fresh air," says Nikki Edwards, a member of the church. "People want to do more than spend money on items that aren't necessary."
The Santa Monica church has been doing this for nearly two decades. In 2005, it raised $20,000 for a dozen charities, local and international.
Edwards uses the Alternative Market in shopping for her three boys, ages 10, 14 and 17.
Besides conventional Christmas gifts, each boy receives a card saying his parents have given money to a charity in his name. The practice usually stirs the youngsters' interest in the project, she says.
"It's a way to balance gift-giving," she says. "People in the stores talk about Christmas earlier and earlier. A lot of kids miss the whole point of the holiday: they think it's about gifts, especially receiving gifts."
Other tips for alternatives
In recent years, many churches have made alternative markets an Advent tradition.
They're doing other things, too, as a counterweight to frenzied commercialism:
Sponsoring workshops to help families construct Advent wreaths for home use, and distributing booklets with devotions and prayers for weekly candle-lighting times.
Erecting Angel Trees to provide toys for neighborhood children in need.
Sharing Web sites, such as www.simpleliving.org (Alternatives for Simple Living), that give tips and ideas.
Teaching Advent's countercultural themes of hope and justice.
More churches realize that believers are dissatisfied with aggressive commercialism and holiday stress. They want guidance to reorient their holiday rhythms around the biblical story.
At Resurrection United Methodist Church in Durham, N.C., worship leaders use royal blue as an Advent liturgical color to drive home a biblical idea of the sunrise hope of the coming King.
"If you step outside in December before sunrise, that's the color blue you'll see," says the Rev. Larry Bowden.
Beyond Dec. 25
The word "Advent" itself looms larger as a solution to the stress. Pastors and other church leaders plead with people to enrich their notion of Christmas - and take pressure off the one big day of Dec. 25 - by embracing the December-long Advent season, and the 12 days of Christmas, which end with Epiphany Jan. 6.
"One thing we can learn is to quit thinking it's all over Dec. 26," says writer/educator Blair Meeks, author of Expecting the Unexpected: An Advent Devotional Guide (Upper Room Books, 800-972-0433).
In previous centuries, she notes, the season didn't really end until Feb. 2, called Candlemas, which honors the presentation of Jesus in the temple 40 days after his birth.
"Get lay people involved. Encourage home devotions," she urges. "Have celebrations that aren't simply cocktail parties."
One suggestion: Do home prayers around the seven stanzas of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 211), using each verse to ponder the nature of Jesus.
Important themes
Another layer of Advent deserves attention, say Meeks and others: the themes of justice and mercy. The coming of Christ means the coming Kingdom of God, as Jesus proclaimed when he read from Isaiah.
"Advent is not just about us and our devotions but releasing the captive, feeding the hungry and all those things we should take seriously, and not just the warm and fuzzy side of the holiday," Meeks says.
The simple gospel eloquence of the incarnation story - the news that God took on human form, in a specific small-town Judean scenario - is the great antidote to the overbearing complications of the season, says the Rev. Leicester Longden, who teaches at University of Dubuque Seminary in Iowa. He urges churchgoers to focus on the holiday's themes of simplicity rather than anti-capitalist agendas behind some alternative Christmas campaigns.
"The culture wants us to believe we can have it all," he says. "But the biblical story has associations with suffering, Jesus as a refugee. God doesn't really go out of his way to advertise the Nativity.
"It's off to the side, rather hidden. God presented the good news in the small, the simple."
*Waddle is a religion writer and columnist in Nashville, Tenn. This feature originally appeared in Interpreter magazine, published by United Methodist Communications. Downloadable PDF versions of this and several other articles from the November-December 2006 issue of Interpreter are available at www.interpretermagazine.org. Churches can use them in the bulletins or newsletters or to link to them from their Web sites.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Prayer guide focuses on people with serious illnesses
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - "The cry of my heart is a cure for HIV and AIDS worldwide."
Those are the words of Mathabo L. of South Africa, one of the writers living with HIV/AIDS who has contributed to a special prayer book for people suffering with serious diseases.
Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and Other Serious Diseases is being printed by Upper Room Ministries in partnership with the Africa Upper Room Office.
The English edition will be available for World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. Editions in French, Portuguese, Kiswahili, IsiZulu and other languages will be available in early 2007.
The idea for the prayer book was born when the Rev. Don Messer, executive director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS, discovered copies of the Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide in the waiting room of Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya.
There is a large population of Methodists and a "raging epidemic of HIV/AIDS" in the Meru area of Kenya, according to Messer. Many people come to the hospital to be tested, get counseling and be treated with anti-retroviral drugs. "It's a pretty stressful time when people come to be tested and face these issues," he said.
Seeing the battered, 10-year-old copies of the devotional guide in the waiting room prompted Messer to contact Upper Room Ministries about publishing a special collection of prayers for people suffering with HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
He realized that people sitting in the waiting room "must have been worrying and thinking and praying, and they'd turned to these Upper Room magazines for guidance and support," he said.
"Where there is human suffering and crisis, Upper Room Ministries wants to provide openings to God's healing and reconciling grace," said the Rev. Stephen D. Bryant, editor and publisher of The Upper Room Devotional Guide. "When Dr. Don Messer contacted us, we knew this was consistent with who God has called us to be."
Growing crisis
Since 1981, the U.S. AIDS epidemic has been steadily growing, and by the beginning of 2005, more than 1 million people were estimated to be living with HIV and approximately 415,000 were living with AIDS. AIDS is believed to have killed more than half a million Americans, nearly 10 times the number killed in the Vietnam War.
On the African continent, 25 million adults and children - most of them in sub-Saharan countries - are living with HIV/AIDS. Every week, nearly 40,000 Africans die of the disease.
"Governments can bring and must bring needed medicines and programs and the church can participate in those, but the church has a special role in providing spiritual comfort and strength and prayers for encouragement to people in need, " Messer said.
The meditations in Prayers for Encouragement represent the faith journeys of people who live with HIV/AIDS and those involved in HIV/AIDS-related services. Two United Methodist bishops, along with well-known medical and church leaders, are among the writers.
Though this is the first time Upper Room Ministries has specifically published a resource for HIV/AIDS, it has provided booklets of meditations and prayer to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families, people in the path of the Asian tsunami, and churches affected by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
Upper Room Ministries, part of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, compiled the booklet in conjunction with the Center for the Church and Global AIDS. The project is being funded by friends and supporters of Upper Room Ministries and the center.
The booklet will be distributed through Upper Room Ministries' global editorial and distribution network; United Methodist leaders, clergy and lay people who are in ministry with those affected by HIV/AIDS; and community, national and international health and service organizations.
*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. Information for this story was provided by Jeanette Pinkston, director of media relations, United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - "The cry of my heart is a cure for HIV and AIDS worldwide."
Those are the words of Mathabo L. of South Africa, one of the writers living with HIV/AIDS who has contributed to a special prayer book for people suffering with serious diseases.
Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and Other Serious Diseases is being printed by Upper Room Ministries in partnership with the Africa Upper Room Office.
The English edition will be available for World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. Editions in French, Portuguese, Kiswahili, IsiZulu and other languages will be available in early 2007.
The idea for the prayer book was born when the Rev. Don Messer, executive director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS, discovered copies of the Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide in the waiting room of Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya.
There is a large population of Methodists and a "raging epidemic of HIV/AIDS" in the Meru area of Kenya, according to Messer. Many people come to the hospital to be tested, get counseling and be treated with anti-retroviral drugs. "It's a pretty stressful time when people come to be tested and face these issues," he said.
Seeing the battered, 10-year-old copies of the devotional guide in the waiting room prompted Messer to contact Upper Room Ministries about publishing a special collection of prayers for people suffering with HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
He realized that people sitting in the waiting room "must have been worrying and thinking and praying, and they'd turned to these Upper Room magazines for guidance and support," he said.
"Where there is human suffering and crisis, Upper Room Ministries wants to provide openings to God's healing and reconciling grace," said the Rev. Stephen D. Bryant, editor and publisher of The Upper Room Devotional Guide. "When Dr. Don Messer contacted us, we knew this was consistent with who God has called us to be."
Growing crisis
Since 1981, the U.S. AIDS epidemic has been steadily growing, and by the beginning of 2005, more than 1 million people were estimated to be living with HIV and approximately 415,000 were living with AIDS. AIDS is believed to have killed more than half a million Americans, nearly 10 times the number killed in the Vietnam War.
On the African continent, 25 million adults and children - most of them in sub-Saharan countries - are living with HIV/AIDS. Every week, nearly 40,000 Africans die of the disease.
"Governments can bring and must bring needed medicines and programs and the church can participate in those, but the church has a special role in providing spiritual comfort and strength and prayers for encouragement to people in need, " Messer said.
The meditations in Prayers for Encouragement represent the faith journeys of people who live with HIV/AIDS and those involved in HIV/AIDS-related services. Two United Methodist bishops, along with well-known medical and church leaders, are among the writers.
Though this is the first time Upper Room Ministries has specifically published a resource for HIV/AIDS, it has provided booklets of meditations and prayer to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families, people in the path of the Asian tsunami, and churches affected by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
Upper Room Ministries, part of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, compiled the booklet in conjunction with the Center for the Church and Global AIDS. The project is being funded by friends and supporters of Upper Room Ministries and the center.
The booklet will be distributed through Upper Room Ministries' global editorial and distribution network; United Methodist leaders, clergy and lay people who are in ministry with those affected by HIV/AIDS; and community, national and international health and service organizations.
*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. Information for this story was provided by Jeanette Pinkston, director of media relations, United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Lilly Endowment to continue popular National Clergy Renewal Program
With last month’s announcement of the recipients of grants in Lilly Endowment’s National Clergy Renewal Program, more than 700 congregations have had the opportunity to design and carry out periods of renewal for their pastors. The Endowment is pleased to announce that the popular program will continue for an eighth year, when up to 120 congregations will be selected to participate in 2007.
“Pastors and congregations both benefit form this period of renewal,” said Craig Dykstra, Endowment senior vice president for religion. “They are given a rare chance to get away from the demands of daily parish ministry and explore ‘what makes their hearts sing,’ The renewal of a pastor’s heart and spirituality is part of his or her ‘job description’ and is essential to the spiritual quality of a congregation’s life.
“That is why we suggest that, before they move too quickly to figure out the details of their renewal proposal, pastors reflect carefully about what kinds of experiences will touch them most deeply and connect them most closely with the enthusiasm that led them to the ministry in the first place,” he said.
Most pastors spend three to four months away from their churches, and their experiences both open their minds to new possibilities and connect them more deeply with what truly matters to them. They travel all over the world, study subjects they really care about, and reconnect with family and friends from years past.
“As they explore the roots of their religious traditions, write poetry, practice contemplative prayer, or spend weeks or months in significantly different cultural contexts,” Dykstra said, “they come to see their ministry with fresh eyes. At the same time, the congregations often come to see their pastor and themselves in new ways as well. The planning process itself gives them a better understanding of what their pastors do, and their appreciation for them grows.
“Sometimes congregations decide to undertake a spiritual journey of their own alongside the pastor; they may read some of the same books the pastor is reading or form discussion groups around the sabbatical theme. Comments from former recipients prove to us that both pastors and congregations find the whole experience empowering and exciting,” he said.
As many as 120 congregations will be chosen for the 2007 program. Each grant proposal may request up to $45,000; up to $15,000 of that may be used for congregational activities during the pastor’s absence.
The brochure/application is available on the Endowment’s Web site, www.lillyendowment.org. Interested persons may call 317-91 6-7350, e-mail, clergyrenewal@yahoo.com, or write Lilly Endowment, 2801 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
Completing the application requires a joint effort of the pastor and the congregation; applicants are encouraged not to put off applying until the last minute. “The process takes some time,” cautions Dykstra. “It involves intentional and purposeful discussion between the congregation and the pastor. It is not just a form that can be filled out overnight. We have found, however, that – even among congregations that did not receive grants – the application process itself helped them focus on issues such as effective leadership, the future directions of the congregation, and the like.”
Also on the Endowment’s Web site are two documents that applicants my find helpful: What Makes a High-Quality Proposal? and Grace Notes. Both the brochure and the Web site also suggest possible reading materials for interested persons.
To be eligible, ministers must be ordained and have earned a master of divinity degree from an accredited theological seminary or divinity school. The program is open to all Christian congregations in 49 states and the District of Columbia. (The Endowment administers a separate, similar program for Indiana congregations.)
The deadline for proposals is May 15, 2007.
With last month’s announcement of the recipients of grants in Lilly Endowment’s National Clergy Renewal Program, more than 700 congregations have had the opportunity to design and carry out periods of renewal for their pastors. The Endowment is pleased to announce that the popular program will continue for an eighth year, when up to 120 congregations will be selected to participate in 2007.
“Pastors and congregations both benefit form this period of renewal,” said Craig Dykstra, Endowment senior vice president for religion. “They are given a rare chance to get away from the demands of daily parish ministry and explore ‘what makes their hearts sing,’ The renewal of a pastor’s heart and spirituality is part of his or her ‘job description’ and is essential to the spiritual quality of a congregation’s life.
“That is why we suggest that, before they move too quickly to figure out the details of their renewal proposal, pastors reflect carefully about what kinds of experiences will touch them most deeply and connect them most closely with the enthusiasm that led them to the ministry in the first place,” he said.
Most pastors spend three to four months away from their churches, and their experiences both open their minds to new possibilities and connect them more deeply with what truly matters to them. They travel all over the world, study subjects they really care about, and reconnect with family and friends from years past.
“As they explore the roots of their religious traditions, write poetry, practice contemplative prayer, or spend weeks or months in significantly different cultural contexts,” Dykstra said, “they come to see their ministry with fresh eyes. At the same time, the congregations often come to see their pastor and themselves in new ways as well. The planning process itself gives them a better understanding of what their pastors do, and their appreciation for them grows.
“Sometimes congregations decide to undertake a spiritual journey of their own alongside the pastor; they may read some of the same books the pastor is reading or form discussion groups around the sabbatical theme. Comments from former recipients prove to us that both pastors and congregations find the whole experience empowering and exciting,” he said.
As many as 120 congregations will be chosen for the 2007 program. Each grant proposal may request up to $45,000; up to $15,000 of that may be used for congregational activities during the pastor’s absence.
The brochure/application is available on the Endowment’s Web site, www.lillyendowment.org. Interested persons may call 317-91 6-7350, e-mail, clergyrenewal@yahoo.com, or write Lilly Endowment, 2801 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
Completing the application requires a joint effort of the pastor and the congregation; applicants are encouraged not to put off applying until the last minute. “The process takes some time,” cautions Dykstra. “It involves intentional and purposeful discussion between the congregation and the pastor. It is not just a form that can be filled out overnight. We have found, however, that – even among congregations that did not receive grants – the application process itself helped them focus on issues such as effective leadership, the future directions of the congregation, and the like.”
Also on the Endowment’s Web site are two documents that applicants my find helpful: What Makes a High-Quality Proposal? and Grace Notes. Both the brochure and the Web site also suggest possible reading materials for interested persons.
To be eligible, ministers must be ordained and have earned a master of divinity degree from an accredited theological seminary or divinity school. The program is open to all Christian congregations in 49 states and the District of Columbia. (The Endowment administers a separate, similar program for Indiana congregations.)
The deadline for proposals is May 15, 2007.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Advent devotional guide shines a light on God’s signs and wonders
It also helps feed the hungry through the Society of St. Andrew’s Advance Special hunger relief ministry
This year’s Advent Devotional guide from the Society of St. Andrew is built around the theme of signs and wonders, which is also the title of the program. “Signs and Wonders” will lead the reader through Advent with daily scriptures, reflections, and prayers, while offering an opportunity to share in Jesus’ work of feeding the hungry. Besides the devotional benefits for the user, hundreds of thousands, even millions, of hungry Americans will benefit from the fresh, nutritious food the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) will be able to provide from financial donations received through this Advent program.
“This year, SoSA is honored to have the Mississippi United Methodist Conference’s Bishop Hope Morgan Ward contribute the devotional readings for each of the Sundays of Advent,” said Susan Allen, Church Development Director for the Society of St. Andrew. “Readers will be inspired and challenged by Bishop Ward’s insights. The week-day devotionals will reflect on selected scriptures and encourage us to share in the call of Jesus to care for the poor and hungry as we celebrate his birth.”
During Advent the Society of St. Andrew asks participants to prayerfully read and reflect on the scriptures and devotions in “Signs and Wonders” and then to share in their work of feeding America’s hungry by making a financial donation. Each year this devotional program has grown, providing more and more food. Last year donations made through the Advent devotional program provided more than 1.7 million servings of food to those who don’t get enough to eat.
The Society of St. Andrew is recognized as an Advance Special Project of the United Methodist Church, #801600. SoSA salvages good nutritious food to feed the hungry for less than two cents a serving. This is food that otherwise would be wasted: it’s crops left in fields and orchards after the harvest and fresh produce culled out or rejected because it’s not quite perfect enough for sale in stores. The Society of St. Andrew gleans and salvages this produce and gets it delivered to food banks, church pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other service agencies for donation to the hungry. SoSA’s administrative and fundraising expenses are only 6.8%, which means that 93.2 cents of every donated dollar goes directly to providing food for the hungry.
Use “Signs and Wonders” to feed your spirits during Advent as you feed your hungry neighbors in response to God’s command, “You give them something to eat.” All materials are free from the Society of St. Andrew. For a sample kit, order online at www.endhunger.org/advent.htm, by phone, 1-800-333-4597, or by email: church@endhunger.org.
More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs – the Gleaning Network, Potato Project, Harvest of Hope and Hunger Relief Advocate Initiative – is available online at www.endhunger.org or by email at sosausa@endhunger.org.
It also helps feed the hungry through the Society of St. Andrew’s Advance Special hunger relief ministry
This year’s Advent Devotional guide from the Society of St. Andrew is built around the theme of signs and wonders, which is also the title of the program. “Signs and Wonders” will lead the reader through Advent with daily scriptures, reflections, and prayers, while offering an opportunity to share in Jesus’ work of feeding the hungry. Besides the devotional benefits for the user, hundreds of thousands, even millions, of hungry Americans will benefit from the fresh, nutritious food the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) will be able to provide from financial donations received through this Advent program.
“This year, SoSA is honored to have the Mississippi United Methodist Conference’s Bishop Hope Morgan Ward contribute the devotional readings for each of the Sundays of Advent,” said Susan Allen, Church Development Director for the Society of St. Andrew. “Readers will be inspired and challenged by Bishop Ward’s insights. The week-day devotionals will reflect on selected scriptures and encourage us to share in the call of Jesus to care for the poor and hungry as we celebrate his birth.”
During Advent the Society of St. Andrew asks participants to prayerfully read and reflect on the scriptures and devotions in “Signs and Wonders” and then to share in their work of feeding America’s hungry by making a financial donation. Each year this devotional program has grown, providing more and more food. Last year donations made through the Advent devotional program provided more than 1.7 million servings of food to those who don’t get enough to eat.
The Society of St. Andrew is recognized as an Advance Special Project of the United Methodist Church, #801600. SoSA salvages good nutritious food to feed the hungry for less than two cents a serving. This is food that otherwise would be wasted: it’s crops left in fields and orchards after the harvest and fresh produce culled out or rejected because it’s not quite perfect enough for sale in stores. The Society of St. Andrew gleans and salvages this produce and gets it delivered to food banks, church pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other service agencies for donation to the hungry. SoSA’s administrative and fundraising expenses are only 6.8%, which means that 93.2 cents of every donated dollar goes directly to providing food for the hungry.
Use “Signs and Wonders” to feed your spirits during Advent as you feed your hungry neighbors in response to God’s command, “You give them something to eat.” All materials are free from the Society of St. Andrew. For a sample kit, order online at www.endhunger.org/advent.htm, by phone, 1-800-333-4597, or by email: church@endhunger.org.
More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs – the Gleaning Network, Potato Project, Harvest of Hope and Hunger Relief Advocate Initiative – is available online at www.endhunger.org or by email at sosausa@endhunger.org.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Expecting the Unexpted: An Advent Devotional Guide
by Blair Gilmer Meeks
Here is a wonderful new devotional guide for Advent from Upper Room Books. It includes images and reflections for each of the days in Advent as well as prayers and small-group discussion themes. It also includes a different Charles Wesley hymn each week for singing, meditation, and discussion. Use it as a guide for a church staff, a small group, a Sunday School class, a choir, your family, or for yourself. Leader’s guide is included.
For more information or to order, click on
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=318075 or call toll-free 800-972-0433
Paperback: $13.00Ten or More: $11.05 each128 PagesISBN# 0-83558-1004-6Order# 1004
Recommendation by Marjorie Suchocki, Professor Emerita, Claremont School of Theology: “Through the beauty of the written prayers, the clarity and simplicity of the study structure, and the astute reflections on the Advent texts, [Blair Meeks] provides substantive material for an individual or a group to experience Advent in new and unexpected ways…..What a gift this book is, for Advent, Christmas, or any season!”
Recommendation by Daniel Benedict, former Director of Worship Resources at The General Board of Discipleship: “If you feel trapped by a romanticized Christmas gospel, Blair Meeks’s invitation to expect the unexpected is your escape hatch. But beware! You will likely never observe Advent or celebrate Christmas ‘like the ones you used to know.’ She doesn’t do all of the work for you. She simply gives you markers and turns you over to the Holy Spirit and surprise!”
Recommended by:
Dean McIntyre, music@gbod.org
Director of Music Resources,
The General Board of Discipleship
PO Box 340003; Nashville TN 37203-0003
Telephone 877-899-2780, ext. 7073 (toll-free)
by Blair Gilmer Meeks
Here is a wonderful new devotional guide for Advent from Upper Room Books. It includes images and reflections for each of the days in Advent as well as prayers and small-group discussion themes. It also includes a different Charles Wesley hymn each week for singing, meditation, and discussion. Use it as a guide for a church staff, a small group, a Sunday School class, a choir, your family, or for yourself. Leader’s guide is included.
For more information or to order, click on
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=318075 or call toll-free 800-972-0433
Paperback: $13.00Ten or More: $11.05 each128 PagesISBN# 0-83558-1004-6Order# 1004
Recommendation by Marjorie Suchocki, Professor Emerita, Claremont School of Theology: “Through the beauty of the written prayers, the clarity and simplicity of the study structure, and the astute reflections on the Advent texts, [Blair Meeks] provides substantive material for an individual or a group to experience Advent in new and unexpected ways…..What a gift this book is, for Advent, Christmas, or any season!”
Recommendation by Daniel Benedict, former Director of Worship Resources at The General Board of Discipleship: “If you feel trapped by a romanticized Christmas gospel, Blair Meeks’s invitation to expect the unexpected is your escape hatch. But beware! You will likely never observe Advent or celebrate Christmas ‘like the ones you used to know.’ She doesn’t do all of the work for you. She simply gives you markers and turns you over to the Holy Spirit and surprise!”
Recommended by:
Dean McIntyre, music@gbod.org
Director of Music Resources,
The General Board of Discipleship
PO Box 340003; Nashville TN 37203-0003
Telephone 877-899-2780, ext. 7073 (toll-free)
'Weavings' remembers terrorists attacks, celebrates 20 years
A UMNS Feature By Jeanette Pinkston*
Weavings magazine is marking its 20th anniversary this month as it explores issues related to another milestone: the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Published by the United Methodist Board of Discipleship's Upper Room Ministries division, the magazine's anniversary edition grapples with "Security." Weavings addresses the many security issues that people face today and, acknowledging life's ambiguities and tensions, points readers toward hope in God.
"This anniversary edition of Weavings calls into tension what it means to live in a post-9/11 reality, while trusting in the security of a God who is faithful and just," said the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for the Board of Discipleship.
The bimonthly journal began in September 1986 with a small number of charter subscribers.
Today, it is read by nearly 30,000 people from many denominations, with United Methodists representing a significant portion of the readership. Pastors, laity and small group leaders find value in using Weavings as part of local prayer groups and Bible study.
From the magazine's first issue, which explored "A Serious Call into a Devout and Holy Life," to the 20th anniversary edition remembering the terrorist attacks on the United States, "the journal has invited its readers to come apart from the urgent bustle of life and rest for a while in the playful occupation of spiritual reading," said John Mogabgab, the resource's only editor.
Tom Carpenter, layperson and former executive with the United Methodist Publishing House, leads an ecumenical prayer group in his home, where members study Weavings and Spiritual Classics by Richard J. Foster and Emilie Griffin in tandem.
"I started using Weavings about 12 years ago; it has made us grow," he said. "We're really devoted to Weavings. If it changes or is discontinued, I don't know what we would do."
The Rev. Mike Ripski, pastor of Belle Meade United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., notes the journal "has fed my soul as a person and a pastor. My congregation has benefited through me. They have heard sermons inspired by articles in Weavings," he said. "Weavings is substantive without being academic; the articles are thoughtful without being so didactic that they lack inspiration."
In shaping the magazine's original vision, Mogabgab said he worked with the image of creating a space in which people could listen to God by listening to one another. "That image shaped my approach to the kind of content we wanted to include and also influenced the approach to artwork and design," he said. The journal is hospitable and invites readers into a setting where ancient Christian wisdom could be brought to bear on contemporary questions, he said.
In addition, there was a "companion image of exploring how God's life and human lives are being woven together in love. And this weaving takes place precisely in the world.
"The way we were imaging the Christian spiritual life was and still is this weaving together of God and human beings here, now - not in some sphere of experience or spiritual domain separate from real life," he said.
Over the years, Weavings has included articles by Henri Nouwen, a Roman Catholic priest, spiritual writer, and speaker who was formerly on the faculties of Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard; Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an Anglican bishop, Nobel laureate, and peace activist in South Africa; and Hans J. Hillerbrand, a distinguished professor of history and religious studies and expert in the theology of Martin Luther.
Reflecting on the magazine's impact over the years, Mogabgab remembers attending a large clergy gathering, where a clergy couple told him how reading Weavings had given them a whole new vision of ministry and led them to change the direction of their ministry.
Then there was the letter from a prisoner in a state institution. In it, he related how reading Weavings had kept his friend from committing suicide. Readers have stated that the journal encourages, informs, challenges, affirms and accepts them. They added that it also reveals and illuminates aspects of their life with God that need further exploration.
What the future holds
Over the next 20 years, Weavings will continue living into its name by presenting an ever-richer tapestry of authors from a variety of Christian traditions and racial-ethnic backgrounds, Mogabgab said.
The magazine also plans to provide readers with more guidance in spiritual practices, which will support people in their desire to live more fully what they are reading about in the pages of the journal.
"We want to help readers weave together in their own lives the vision of the Christian life that Weavings presents and the actual daily struggles with which they live," said Mogabgab.
Reflecting on the last 20 years, Mogabgab concluded, "I want to express my profound gratitude to the Board of Discipleship and Upper Room Ministries for the generous, sustained support they have given this ministry. I would also like to thank all our readers; they're really the ones who draw forth the themes and shape the way we approach each issue."
More information about Weavings is available at http://www.weavings.org/ or by calling (800) 925-6847.
*Pinkston is director of media relations at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
A UMNS Feature By Jeanette Pinkston*
Weavings magazine is marking its 20th anniversary this month as it explores issues related to another milestone: the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Published by the United Methodist Board of Discipleship's Upper Room Ministries division, the magazine's anniversary edition grapples with "Security." Weavings addresses the many security issues that people face today and, acknowledging life's ambiguities and tensions, points readers toward hope in God.
"This anniversary edition of Weavings calls into tension what it means to live in a post-9/11 reality, while trusting in the security of a God who is faithful and just," said the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for the Board of Discipleship.
The bimonthly journal began in September 1986 with a small number of charter subscribers.
Today, it is read by nearly 30,000 people from many denominations, with United Methodists representing a significant portion of the readership. Pastors, laity and small group leaders find value in using Weavings as part of local prayer groups and Bible study.
From the magazine's first issue, which explored "A Serious Call into a Devout and Holy Life," to the 20th anniversary edition remembering the terrorist attacks on the United States, "the journal has invited its readers to come apart from the urgent bustle of life and rest for a while in the playful occupation of spiritual reading," said John Mogabgab, the resource's only editor.
Tom Carpenter, layperson and former executive with the United Methodist Publishing House, leads an ecumenical prayer group in his home, where members study Weavings and Spiritual Classics by Richard J. Foster and Emilie Griffin in tandem.
"I started using Weavings about 12 years ago; it has made us grow," he said. "We're really devoted to Weavings. If it changes or is discontinued, I don't know what we would do."
The Rev. Mike Ripski, pastor of Belle Meade United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., notes the journal "has fed my soul as a person and a pastor. My congregation has benefited through me. They have heard sermons inspired by articles in Weavings," he said. "Weavings is substantive without being academic; the articles are thoughtful without being so didactic that they lack inspiration."
In shaping the magazine's original vision, Mogabgab said he worked with the image of creating a space in which people could listen to God by listening to one another. "That image shaped my approach to the kind of content we wanted to include and also influenced the approach to artwork and design," he said. The journal is hospitable and invites readers into a setting where ancient Christian wisdom could be brought to bear on contemporary questions, he said.
In addition, there was a "companion image of exploring how God's life and human lives are being woven together in love. And this weaving takes place precisely in the world.
"The way we were imaging the Christian spiritual life was and still is this weaving together of God and human beings here, now - not in some sphere of experience or spiritual domain separate from real life," he said.
Over the years, Weavings has included articles by Henri Nouwen, a Roman Catholic priest, spiritual writer, and speaker who was formerly on the faculties of Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard; Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an Anglican bishop, Nobel laureate, and peace activist in South Africa; and Hans J. Hillerbrand, a distinguished professor of history and religious studies and expert in the theology of Martin Luther.
Reflecting on the magazine's impact over the years, Mogabgab remembers attending a large clergy gathering, where a clergy couple told him how reading Weavings had given them a whole new vision of ministry and led them to change the direction of their ministry.
Then there was the letter from a prisoner in a state institution. In it, he related how reading Weavings had kept his friend from committing suicide. Readers have stated that the journal encourages, informs, challenges, affirms and accepts them. They added that it also reveals and illuminates aspects of their life with God that need further exploration.
What the future holds
Over the next 20 years, Weavings will continue living into its name by presenting an ever-richer tapestry of authors from a variety of Christian traditions and racial-ethnic backgrounds, Mogabgab said.
The magazine also plans to provide readers with more guidance in spiritual practices, which will support people in their desire to live more fully what they are reading about in the pages of the journal.
"We want to help readers weave together in their own lives the vision of the Christian life that Weavings presents and the actual daily struggles with which they live," said Mogabgab.
Reflecting on the last 20 years, Mogabgab concluded, "I want to express my profound gratitude to the Board of Discipleship and Upper Room Ministries for the generous, sustained support they have given this ministry. I would also like to thank all our readers; they're really the ones who draw forth the themes and shape the way we approach each issue."
More information about Weavings is available at http://www.weavings.org/ or by calling (800) 925-6847.
*Pinkston is director of media relations at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
WEB SITE RESOURCES FOR WORLD COMMUNION DAY (First Sunday in October)
Resources for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=18028
Worship Planning Helps
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=16901&loc_id=9,612,32,52
Preaching Planning Helps
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Africana Resources
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Lectionary Hymns for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Great Thanksgivings
http://www.gbod.org/worship/music/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=12253&loc_id=17,506,1039
Celebrating the Mystery: A Hymn Festival for Holy Communion http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=17011&loc_id=17,823
Global Greetings for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/globalgreetwcs.pdf
Offering Christ Today
http://www.gbod.org/TextOnly.asp?item_id=16646
Bilingual (Spanish/English) Great Thanksgiving
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=1780
Bilingual (Korean/English) Great Thanksgiving
http://www.gbod.org/worship/greatthanksgiving-tucker06.pdf
Offertory Prayer for World Communion
http://www.gbod.org/stewardship/article.asp?id=12731&source=church
Lift Up Your Hearts! Alternate Prefaces for Holy Communion
http://www.gbod.org/worship/articles/rejoice/lift-hearts.html
Dean McIntyre, music@gbod.org
Director of Music Resources,
The General Board of Discipleship
PO Box 340003; Nashville TN 37203-0003
Telephone 877-899-2780, ext. 7073 (toll-free)
Web site: www.umcworship.org
Resources for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=18028
Worship Planning Helps
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=16901&loc_id=9,612,32,52
Preaching Planning Helps
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Africana Resources
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Lectionary Hymns for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Great Thanksgivings
http://www.gbod.org/worship/music/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=12253&loc_id=17,506,1039
Celebrating the Mystery: A Hymn Festival for Holy Communion http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=17011&loc_id=17,823
Global Greetings for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/globalgreetwcs.pdf
Offering Christ Today
http://www.gbod.org/TextOnly.asp?item_id=16646
Bilingual (Spanish/English) Great Thanksgiving
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=1780
Bilingual (Korean/English) Great Thanksgiving
http://www.gbod.org/worship/greatthanksgiving-tucker06.pdf
Offertory Prayer for World Communion
http://www.gbod.org/stewardship/article.asp?id=12731&source=church
Lift Up Your Hearts! Alternate Prefaces for Holy Communion
http://www.gbod.org/worship/articles/rejoice/lift-hearts.html
Dean McIntyre, music@gbod.org
Director of Music Resources,
The General Board of Discipleship
PO Box 340003; Nashville TN 37203-0003
Telephone 877-899-2780, ext. 7073 (toll-free)
Web site: www.umcworship.org
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
WEB SITE RESOURCES FOR WORLD COMMUNION DAY (Oct. 1, 2006 )From The General Board of Discipleship
Worship Planning Helps
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=16901&loc_id=9,612,32,52
Preaching Planning Helps
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Africana Resources
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Lectionary Hymns for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Great Thanksgivings
http://www.gbod.org/worship/music/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=12253&loc_id=17,506,1039
Celebrating the Mystery: A Hymn Festival for Holy Communion
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=17011&loc_id=17,823
Global Greetings for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/globalgreetwcs.pdf
Offering Christ Today
http://www.gbod.org/TextOnly.asp?item_id=16646
Bilingual (Spanish/English) Great Thanksgiving
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=1780
Bilingual (Korean/English) Great Thanksgiving
http://www.gbod.org/worship/greatthanksgiving-tucker06.pdf
Offertory Prayer for World Communion
http://www.gbod.org/stewardship/article.asp?id=12731&source=church
Lift Up Your Hearts! Alternate Prefaces for Holy Communion
http://www.gbod.org/worship/articles/rejoice/lift-hearts.html
Dean McIntyre, Director of Music Resources
The General Board of Discipleship
Nashville TN
Email: music@gbod.org
Web site: www.umcworship.org
Telephone: 877-899-2780, ext. 7073
Worship Planning Helps
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=16901&loc_id=9,612,32,52
Preaching Planning Helps
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Africana Resources
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Lectionary Hymns for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionary/default.asp
Great Thanksgivings
http://www.gbod.org/worship/music/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=12253&loc_id=17,506,1039
Celebrating the Mystery: A Hymn Festival for Holy Communion
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=17011&loc_id=17,823
Global Greetings for World Communion Day
http://www.gbod.org/worship/globalgreetwcs.pdf
Offering Christ Today
http://www.gbod.org/TextOnly.asp?item_id=16646
Bilingual (Spanish/English) Great Thanksgiving
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=1780
Bilingual (Korean/English) Great Thanksgiving
http://www.gbod.org/worship/greatthanksgiving-tucker06.pdf
Offertory Prayer for World Communion
http://www.gbod.org/stewardship/article.asp?id=12731&source=church
Lift Up Your Hearts! Alternate Prefaces for Holy Communion
http://www.gbod.org/worship/articles/rejoice/lift-hearts.html
Dean McIntyre, Director of Music Resources
The General Board of Discipleship
Nashville TN
Email: music@gbod.org
Web site: www.umcworship.org
Telephone: 877-899-2780, ext. 7073
Thursday, May 11, 2006
HERITAGE SUNDAY or ALDERSGATE SUNDAY?
There is some confusion over these two days on the United Methodist calendar, especially since the 2004 General Conference moved Heritage Sunday's observance to coincide with Aldersgate Day (May 24) or the Sunday preceding, which may also be observed as Aldersgate Sunday. (See The Book of Discipline, para. 265.1)
"HERITAGE SUNDAY provides an opportunity for reflection on heritage, celebration of where the Church has been, how it understands itself as it shapes us today, and the meaning of Christian conferencing. Heritage Sunday calls the Church to remember the past by committing itself to the continuing call of God." Each year there is a theme provided by the General Commission on Archives and History. Resources available at:
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader_id=14004_id=9,32,53
ALDERSGATE DAY (May 24; may be observed the preceding Sunday) is the commemoration of the day John Wesley felt his "heart strangely warmed," and the day he experienced confirmation of his salvation by the grace of God. Resources are available in The United Methodist Book of Worship (439) and on The GBOD worship-preaching-music Web site:
http://www.gbod.org/worship/worship/articles.asp?act=reader_id=15727_id=9,32,50
Hymn: "Best of All Is God Is With Us"
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default_body.asp?act=reader_id=13863
Additional resources from the Methodist Church of Great Britain:
http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=pandw.content=784
Local churches are free to decide how to observe one or both of these dates.
Dean McIntyre
Director of Music Resources,
The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church
PO Box 340003;
Nashville TN 37203-0003
Toll free telephone: 877-899-2780, ext 7073
Fax: 615-340-7015
Website: http://www.umcworship.org
Email Address: music@gbod.org
There is some confusion over these two days on the United Methodist calendar, especially since the 2004 General Conference moved Heritage Sunday's observance to coincide with Aldersgate Day (May 24) or the Sunday preceding, which may also be observed as Aldersgate Sunday. (See The Book of Discipline, para. 265.1)
"HERITAGE SUNDAY provides an opportunity for reflection on heritage, celebration of where the Church has been, how it understands itself as it shapes us today, and the meaning of Christian conferencing. Heritage Sunday calls the Church to remember the past by committing itself to the continuing call of God." Each year there is a theme provided by the General Commission on Archives and History. Resources available at:
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader_id=14004_id=9,32,53
ALDERSGATE DAY (May 24; may be observed the preceding Sunday) is the commemoration of the day John Wesley felt his "heart strangely warmed," and the day he experienced confirmation of his salvation by the grace of God. Resources are available in The United Methodist Book of Worship (439) and on The GBOD worship-preaching-music Web site:
http://www.gbod.org/worship/worship/articles.asp?act=reader_id=15727_id=9,32,50
Hymn: "Best of All Is God Is With Us"
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default_body.asp?act=reader_id=13863
Additional resources from the Methodist Church of Great Britain:
http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=pandw.content=784
Local churches are free to decide how to observe one or both of these dates.
Dean McIntyre
Director of Music Resources,
The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church
PO Box 340003;
Nashville TN 37203-0003
Toll free telephone: 877-899-2780, ext 7073
Fax: 615-340-7015
Website: http://www.umcworship.org
Email Address: music@gbod.org
Friday, May 05, 2006
Worship and Music Resources for May Observances from The General Board of Discipleship
MOTHERS DAY (May 14)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=16253
ARMED FORCES DAY (May 20)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=7581&loc_id=739
HERITAGE SUNDAY/DAY (May 21/24)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=14004&loc_id=9,32,53
ALDERSGATE SUNDAY/DAY (May 21/24)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/worship/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=15727&loc_id=9,32,50
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default_body.asp?act=reader&item_id=13863
ASCENSION DAY/SUNDAY (May 25/28)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=16221&loc_id=1,612,32,50
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=15794&loc_id=9,32,50
http://www.gbod.org/worship/TextOnly.asp?item_id=13877
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionaryhymns/052806hymns.asp
MEMORIAL DAY (May 29)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=14159
MOTHERS DAY (May 14)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=16253
ARMED FORCES DAY (May 20)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=7581&loc_id=739
HERITAGE SUNDAY/DAY (May 21/24)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=14004&loc_id=9,32,53
ALDERSGATE SUNDAY/DAY (May 21/24)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/worship/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=15727&loc_id=9,32,50
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default_body.asp?act=reader&item_id=13863
ASCENSION DAY/SUNDAY (May 25/28)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=16221&loc_id=1,612,32,50
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=15794&loc_id=9,32,50
http://www.gbod.org/worship/TextOnly.asp?item_id=13877
http://www.gbod.org/worship/lectionaryhymns/052806hymns.asp
MEMORIAL DAY (May 29)
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=14159
Monday, March 27, 2006
United Methodists Pushing Power of Prayer in TV Commercial
New Ad Campaign Kicks Off March 29
NASHVILLE – A brand new television campaign by The United Methodist Church encourages people to “believe again” in the power of prayer. The denomination will launch a $1.7 million national advertising purchase on March 29 which continues through April 15. An additional $750,000 will be spent on local campaigns utilizing a variety of advertising mediums.
A new television commercial entitled “Prayer” is the latest element of The United Methodist Church’s “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” media campaign.
In the television spot, a boy carefully writes a note on a piece of paper, then grabs a kite and heads outside. He attaches his handwritten note to the body of the kite and, with great expectation, sends it soaring into the sky. As he brings the kite back to earth, he excitedly gazes heavenward trusting that his hopes and aspirations have reached their intended audience.
“The commercial seeks to inspire us to claim the hope that prayer offers and to embrace prayer as a source of strength, guidance and comfort. Its message reminds us to ‘believe again,’ and to know that God cares about the desires of our hearts,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “Likewise, we want people to know that United Methodist churches are places where people deeply care about and support one another. We invite anyone who wants to regain a sense of hope to visit one of our churches.”
The commercial will air on 18 cable networks, including A & E, ABC Family, Animal Planet, BET, CNN, Discovery, Fox News, Hallmark, CNN Headline News, HGTV, the History Channel, Lifetime Movie, TBS, TNT, TV One, USA, WGN, and the Weather Channel. It is expected to reach more than 65 million viewers.
To increase the impact and reach of the campaign, United Methodist Communications awarded funding to 60 grant recipients across the nation for local media campaigns to supplement the national cable TV ads. Grant recipients matched the funding dollar-for-dollar. Resource materials were also developed for local congregations to explore the theme of prayer through worship, small groups and serving opportunities. The materials address prayer as a means to learn more about ourselves and develop relationships with God and each other.
The “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” campaign has been working to raise awareness of The United Methodist Church since 2001. Test market research in September 2005 showed that half of the people exposed to the church’s advertising were “very” or “somewhat” willing to visit a United Methodist Church. Research conducted after the August-September television advertising in test markets across the United States reported average first time attendance increases of 9 percent in September 2005 compared to September 2004. The research was conducted by the Barna Research Group.
NOTE: You can view the “Prayer” commercial at umcpresscenter.org.
New Ad Campaign Kicks Off March 29
NASHVILLE – A brand new television campaign by The United Methodist Church encourages people to “believe again” in the power of prayer. The denomination will launch a $1.7 million national advertising purchase on March 29 which continues through April 15. An additional $750,000 will be spent on local campaigns utilizing a variety of advertising mediums.
A new television commercial entitled “Prayer” is the latest element of The United Methodist Church’s “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” media campaign.
In the television spot, a boy carefully writes a note on a piece of paper, then grabs a kite and heads outside. He attaches his handwritten note to the body of the kite and, with great expectation, sends it soaring into the sky. As he brings the kite back to earth, he excitedly gazes heavenward trusting that his hopes and aspirations have reached their intended audience.
“The commercial seeks to inspire us to claim the hope that prayer offers and to embrace prayer as a source of strength, guidance and comfort. Its message reminds us to ‘believe again,’ and to know that God cares about the desires of our hearts,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “Likewise, we want people to know that United Methodist churches are places where people deeply care about and support one another. We invite anyone who wants to regain a sense of hope to visit one of our churches.”
The commercial will air on 18 cable networks, including A & E, ABC Family, Animal Planet, BET, CNN, Discovery, Fox News, Hallmark, CNN Headline News, HGTV, the History Channel, Lifetime Movie, TBS, TNT, TV One, USA, WGN, and the Weather Channel. It is expected to reach more than 65 million viewers.
To increase the impact and reach of the campaign, United Methodist Communications awarded funding to 60 grant recipients across the nation for local media campaigns to supplement the national cable TV ads. Grant recipients matched the funding dollar-for-dollar. Resource materials were also developed for local congregations to explore the theme of prayer through worship, small groups and serving opportunities. The materials address prayer as a means to learn more about ourselves and develop relationships with God and each other.
The “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” campaign has been working to raise awareness of The United Methodist Church since 2001. Test market research in September 2005 showed that half of the people exposed to the church’s advertising were “very” or “somewhat” willing to visit a United Methodist Church. Research conducted after the August-September television advertising in test markets across the United States reported average first time attendance increases of 9 percent in September 2005 compared to September 2004. The research was conducted by the Barna Research Group.
NOTE: You can view the “Prayer” commercial at umcpresscenter.org.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
"A SPIRITUAL SPA FOR PASTORS"
They will gather the Tuesday after Easter in Goodlettsville, TN, a suburb of Nashville. They will come from different states, and different church settings. Some will be tired from the rigorous, demanding Holy Week just past, but beyond that many will be just weary and worn out from years of ministry. Some have deep scars and wounds, for others the scars are less visible. Some will be contemplating leaving the ministry. Some will be looking for refreshing, a new focus, a new filling, a spiritual makeover, or just more of God. One couple who attended a previous retreat wrote: "We came here hoping to get refreshed and get our "spiritual batteries" recharged.”
They were looking for a spiritual spa.
This will be the 9th Minister and Spouse Retreat held at the Aldersgate Renewal Center, operated by Aldersgate Renewal Ministries [ARM], a program ministry that is an affiliate of the General Board of Discipleship. The Tuesday through Friday experience will be led by ARM staff and others with years of ministry experience who will share with, teach and challenge the group. They will love and pray for the participants. There will be times of teaching, dynamic worship, sharing, and prayer ministry. There is a date night where couples are sent out to restaurants alone with a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant provided by ARM. Even their stay at a hotel is paid for by ARM. In fact, for an $99 registration fee (per couple) and their travel expenses, couples get their housing, meals, the date night and 4 days at a "spiritual spa" where they were pampered and prayed for rather than "preyed on." One of the spouses wrote: "We have been in ministry for 25 years. The last year has been very tough. We came here very weary and pretty tired of being battered."
“The vision,” explains ARM Executive Director Gary Moore (a permanent deacon), “is to provide a safe place for clergy and their spouses to have a fresh experience with God that will result in their continued pursuit of effective pastoral ministry. Ministry can be grueling and often, the rigors and unhealed wounds of ministry result in robbing the minister of: a vital relationship with God through Christ Jesus; a healthy relationship with their spouse; and a fruitful relationship to the ‘sheep entrusted to their care.’ The four days and three nights of ministry is intentionally designed to provide renewal, healing and refreshing in each of those three areas.”
“And the cost to the participants is too good a deal to pass up!”, continues Moore. A pastor recently called the ARM office to be sure he was reading the brochure right—“Just a $99 registration fee, that’s it?” It seemed too good to be true, but it is.
What have been the results?
The evaluations speak for themselves. One pastor wrote: "Pastoral ministry has been equated with being nibbled to death by ducks and in our case the ducks were winning-big time. It was great-maybe even lifesaving-to get out of the barnyard for a few days." Another wrote: "through the pastor/spouse retreat I was given the opportunity to be loved and give forgiveness to all those persons who have hurt me though their actions and words. I have been set free to walk deeper in the Spirit's power and love." One of the spouses wrote: "God has healed my inmost being of some of the deepest hurts imaginable. I was sexually abused as a child, and my healing came this week at the Pastor/Spouse retreat. I feel clean and whole and new again." Commenting on their return to their parish one of the spouses wrote: “We will go back to our church renewed and refreshed, ready to serve again."
“Only pastors who are experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in their lives can be used as God’s agents for transformation in the lives of their congregations, “ exclaimed Moore. “ARM offers these retreats as a gift to the church because of their deep love and compassion for pastors.”
The dates for the next Minister & Spouse retreats are: April 18-21, 2006 and April 10-13, 2007. Space is limited to the first 30 couples who register. Elders, local pastors, deacons, ministers of music, youth pastors, any couples who are involved in some kind of pastoral ministry in the church, ordained or not, are welcome to register.
For more information, you can contact ARM at 121 East Avenue, Goodlettsville, TN 37072, call toll free 1-877-857-9372 or check out the website at www.AldersgateRenewal.org. A District Superintendent who attended and has since participated on the leadership team with his wife commented: " I will be telling pastors and spouses in my district about this joyful experience."
They will gather the Tuesday after Easter in Goodlettsville, TN, a suburb of Nashville. They will come from different states, and different church settings. Some will be tired from the rigorous, demanding Holy Week just past, but beyond that many will be just weary and worn out from years of ministry. Some have deep scars and wounds, for others the scars are less visible. Some will be contemplating leaving the ministry. Some will be looking for refreshing, a new focus, a new filling, a spiritual makeover, or just more of God. One couple who attended a previous retreat wrote: "We came here hoping to get refreshed and get our "spiritual batteries" recharged.”
They were looking for a spiritual spa.
This will be the 9th Minister and Spouse Retreat held at the Aldersgate Renewal Center, operated by Aldersgate Renewal Ministries [ARM], a program ministry that is an affiliate of the General Board of Discipleship. The Tuesday through Friday experience will be led by ARM staff and others with years of ministry experience who will share with, teach and challenge the group. They will love and pray for the participants. There will be times of teaching, dynamic worship, sharing, and prayer ministry. There is a date night where couples are sent out to restaurants alone with a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant provided by ARM. Even their stay at a hotel is paid for by ARM. In fact, for an $99 registration fee (per couple) and their travel expenses, couples get their housing, meals, the date night and 4 days at a "spiritual spa" where they were pampered and prayed for rather than "preyed on." One of the spouses wrote: "We have been in ministry for 25 years. The last year has been very tough. We came here very weary and pretty tired of being battered."
“The vision,” explains ARM Executive Director Gary Moore (a permanent deacon), “is to provide a safe place for clergy and their spouses to have a fresh experience with God that will result in their continued pursuit of effective pastoral ministry. Ministry can be grueling and often, the rigors and unhealed wounds of ministry result in robbing the minister of: a vital relationship with God through Christ Jesus; a healthy relationship with their spouse; and a fruitful relationship to the ‘sheep entrusted to their care.’ The four days and three nights of ministry is intentionally designed to provide renewal, healing and refreshing in each of those three areas.”
“And the cost to the participants is too good a deal to pass up!”, continues Moore. A pastor recently called the ARM office to be sure he was reading the brochure right—“Just a $99 registration fee, that’s it?” It seemed too good to be true, but it is.
What have been the results?
The evaluations speak for themselves. One pastor wrote: "Pastoral ministry has been equated with being nibbled to death by ducks and in our case the ducks were winning-big time. It was great-maybe even lifesaving-to get out of the barnyard for a few days." Another wrote: "through the pastor/spouse retreat I was given the opportunity to be loved and give forgiveness to all those persons who have hurt me though their actions and words. I have been set free to walk deeper in the Spirit's power and love." One of the spouses wrote: "God has healed my inmost being of some of the deepest hurts imaginable. I was sexually abused as a child, and my healing came this week at the Pastor/Spouse retreat. I feel clean and whole and new again." Commenting on their return to their parish one of the spouses wrote: “We will go back to our church renewed and refreshed, ready to serve again."
“Only pastors who are experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in their lives can be used as God’s agents for transformation in the lives of their congregations, “ exclaimed Moore. “ARM offers these retreats as a gift to the church because of their deep love and compassion for pastors.”
The dates for the next Minister & Spouse retreats are: April 18-21, 2006 and April 10-13, 2007. Space is limited to the first 30 couples who register. Elders, local pastors, deacons, ministers of music, youth pastors, any couples who are involved in some kind of pastoral ministry in the church, ordained or not, are welcome to register.
For more information, you can contact ARM at 121 East Avenue, Goodlettsville, TN 37072, call toll free 1-877-857-9372 or check out the website at www.AldersgateRenewal.org. A District Superintendent who attended and has since participated on the leadership team with his wife commented: " I will be telling pastors and spouses in my district about this joyful experience."
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Monthly Taize worship services to begin at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Murfreesboro District
St. Mark's United Methodist Church of Murfreesboro is pleased to offer a monthly Taize service for those throughout Middle Tennessee who search for a means of corporate prayer and meditation. The service, beginning on April 6, will take place in the narthex at St. Mark's on the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Groups are encouraged to attend! For more information, please contact Jackson W. Henry, Director of Music Ministries (and 2-time pilgrim to the Taize Community) at 615-893-3455, or visit the church website at www.stmarkstn.org.
St. Mark's United Methodist Church of Murfreesboro is pleased to offer a monthly Taize service for those throughout Middle Tennessee who search for a means of corporate prayer and meditation. The service, beginning on April 6, will take place in the narthex at St. Mark's on the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Groups are encouraged to attend! For more information, please contact Jackson W. Henry, Director of Music Ministries (and 2-time pilgrim to the Taize Community) at 615-893-3455, or visit the church website at www.stmarkstn.org.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
United Methodist Choirs Invited to Participate in New York City Choir Festival Celebration of the birth of Charles Wesley
In 2007, we celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of one of the most prolific hymn writers in history - Charles Wesley. To celebrate the life, mission, and music of this great individual, Music Celebrations International is organizing a Choir Festival in the Lincoln Center in New York City and we are inviting Methodist Choirs from across the country to come together in New York to fellowship through music and to share the Message through song.
http://www.musiccelebrations.com/wesley_choral_festival.html
A new commissioned piece entitled "Directions for Singing" will be premiered at this event with full orchestra. The goal is to have representation from each jurisdiction at this event.
Thank you for your help, and God bless!
Luke Wiscombe
Music Celebrations International
1440 S. Priest Dr., #102
Tempe, AZ 85281
800-395-2036, 480-894-5137 (Fax)
luke@musiccelebrations.comwww.musiccelebrations.com
In 2007, we celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of one of the most prolific hymn writers in history - Charles Wesley. To celebrate the life, mission, and music of this great individual, Music Celebrations International is organizing a Choir Festival in the Lincoln Center in New York City and we are inviting Methodist Choirs from across the country to come together in New York to fellowship through music and to share the Message through song.
http://www.musiccelebrations.com/wesley_choral_festival.html
A new commissioned piece entitled "Directions for Singing" will be premiered at this event with full orchestra. The goal is to have representation from each jurisdiction at this event.
Thank you for your help, and God bless!
Luke Wiscombe
Music Celebrations International
1440 S. Priest Dr., #102
Tempe, AZ 85281
800-395-2036, 480-894-5137 (Fax)
luke@musiccelebrations.comwww.musiccelebrations.com
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Invitation to Order of Saint Luke meeting, February 24, 2006
Clergy and laity are cordially invited to the next meeting of the Nashville-area group of the Order of Saint Luke, which will be held on Friday, February 24, at 11:30 AM at the General Board of Discipleship (in the Denman Building's Learning Center Boardroom). We will aim to be done by 1:30. Bring a brown bag lunch for yourself; we will eat lunch as we have conversation with one another, and will close with a service of Holy Communion.
Part of our conversation time will be spent getting to know Taylor Burton-Edwards, the new Director of Worship Resources at the General Board of Discipleship. Taylor is capably carrying forward the work previously overseen by OSL members Dan Benedict and Hoyt Hickman.
Please make plans to attend as we welcome him into our fellowship.
The GBOD Learning Center is located on Grand Avenue in the Denman Building (which also houses the Upper Room), about a block off of 21st Avenue South in the Vanderbilt area. Entrance to the Learning Center (as well as guest parking) is at the back of the building, away from Grand. Please contact me if you need more specific directions.
The Order of Saint Luke is affiliated with the General Board of Discipleship, and is dedicated to helping its members (both clergy and laity) affirm the apostolic hope, live the sacramental life, and promote the corporate worship of the Church. To learn more about the Order, please visit its web site at http://www.saint-luke.org/
Clergy and laity are cordially invited to the next meeting of the Nashville-area group of the Order of Saint Luke, which will be held on Friday, February 24, at 11:30 AM at the General Board of Discipleship (in the Denman Building's Learning Center Boardroom). We will aim to be done by 1:30. Bring a brown bag lunch for yourself; we will eat lunch as we have conversation with one another, and will close with a service of Holy Communion.
Part of our conversation time will be spent getting to know Taylor Burton-Edwards, the new Director of Worship Resources at the General Board of Discipleship. Taylor is capably carrying forward the work previously overseen by OSL members Dan Benedict and Hoyt Hickman.
Please make plans to attend as we welcome him into our fellowship.
The GBOD Learning Center is located on Grand Avenue in the Denman Building (which also houses the Upper Room), about a block off of 21st Avenue South in the Vanderbilt area. Entrance to the Learning Center (as well as guest parking) is at the back of the building, away from Grand. Please contact me if you need more specific directions.
The Order of Saint Luke is affiliated with the General Board of Discipleship, and is dedicated to helping its members (both clergy and laity) affirm the apostolic hope, live the sacramental life, and promote the corporate worship of the Church. To learn more about the Order, please visit its web site at http://www.saint-luke.org/
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