Conference News & Views

Hermitage, TN -- McKendree Village will host a Support Group meeting for people who are caregivers to family and friends with Alzheimer’s disease on December 19th , from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the W. C. Link Building Conference Room at McKendree Village, 4343 Lebanon Road. Parking is free.

The meeting will be facilitated by a trained volunteer from the Alzheimer’s Association as part of the association’s ongoing Family Care Network of programs offered to caregivers at locations throughout the community. The meetings are intended to provide caregivers with emotional support and education and to offer an opportunity for caregivers to share information, exchange coping skills and form support systems for themselves and their family. During the Support Group meetings, family members are educated about self-care and community resources as well as how to care for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease.

“McKendree Village is very pleased to host this Support Group on the third Tuesday of each month,” said Rachel Eakin, facilitator of the Support Group and social worker for the Health Center Alzheimer’s Units at McKendree Village. “One of our many services is providing care to Alzheimer’s patients, but McKendree Village also strives to be a community resource on a range of health care, aging, and retirement topics and to collaborate with other organizations focused on similar issues.”

Seven out of 10 people with Alzheimer’s disease live at home. Family and friends provide approximately 75 percent of the home care for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Caregivers spend an average of 69-100 hours each week caring for their family members. This daunting task means that caregivers often feel cut off from the world. There are currently approximately 75,000 people in Middle Tennessee affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

McKendree Village, Inc. is located at 4343 Lebanon Road in Hermitage, Tennessee. Established in 1963, McKendree Village provides a continuum of retirement living options and health care services to senior adults in a secure, Christian environment. Its services include independent living, assisted living, nursing home care and Alzheimer’s care.

For additional information about the Alzheimer’s Support Group meeting on December 19th at McKendree Village, please contact Alisa Oglesby at 871-8234 or e-mail alisa.oglesby@mckendree.com.

You are invited to attend a one-day workshop, where you learn to administer and interpret the PREPARE/ENRICH Inventories to couples you are counseling. The program was developed by Dr. David H. Olsen, Professor Emeritus of Family Social Sciences at the University of Minnesota. The training will focus on administering and interpreting five couple inventories:

+PREPARE – for premarital couples
+PREPARE-MC – for premarital couples with children
+PREPARE-CC – for cohabiting couples with or without children
+ENRICH – for couples seeking marriage enrichment or counseling
+MATE – for couples over the age of 50 making life transitions

Date: January 23, 2007
Time: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Location:
Blakemore United Methodist Church
Nashville, TN 37205
3601 West End Avenue

Cost: $140. Includes training manual

Trainer: The Reverend Tom Carter
Please call or email for registration form and additional information. Email: tomcarter@juno.com Phone: 615.665.3117

For additional information go to web site: www.prepare-enrich.com

Quotes from two recent attendees:
“As a pastor, I have found the Prepare/Enrich program to be a wonderful tool that helps me enable couples to walk through a positive process of pre-marital counseling. Through the Prepare/Enrich program, couples are able to discover their strengths as well as possible growth areas before the wedding day. Moreover, the program allows flexibility so that the pastor or counselor can tailor the counseling session specifically for the couple. For me, it is one of the tools I rely on as part of my ministry.”
Reverend Scott Aleridge

“Several couples I counsel are away at school or live in other places. Since our face to face time is so limited, the online evaluation tool can help me focus the time on the specific areas that couples need to explore. The tools will help me know what questions to ask to maximize our time together. It offers a complete counseling package that will make a difference in the couple’s lives as they grow in love with each other.”
Paul E. Gardner, Blakemore United Methodist Church

PREPARE Program Proven Highly Successful

National Study of PREPARE Program with Premarital Couples in Church/Community Settings
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the PREPARE Program (Version 2000) with 153 premarital couples in three groups: the PREPARE Program Group, the PREPARE No Feedback Group (only took PREPARE Inventory and received no feedback) and the Control Group.

Both of the PREPARE Groups significantly increased their couple satisfaction, while there was no change in the Control Group. Both PREPARE Groups made improvements in several important relationship skills (communication & conflict resolution) and relationship areas (roles, couple closeness & flexibility).

Significant changes were made in the couple types only in the PREPARE Program Group and not the PREPARE No Feedback Group, which demonstrates the value of the six couple exercises and feedback sessions. In the PREPARE Program Group, the number of Vitalized couples (the most satisfied type) increased by 52% from pre to post-test. Over half (55%) of the three other couple types (Harmonious, Traditional, and Conflicted) increased one or more levels. For the highest risk couples, the Conflicted types, 83% moved to a more positive couple type.

Overall, the PREPARE Program had a significant impact on 90% of the couples and only 10% moved to a lower couple type. Therefore, this study demonstrates that the PREPARE Program is a very useful prevention program for increasing marital satisfaction and reducing divorce.

If you would like to examine the Research Report click on the address below:
http://www.prepare-enrich.com/files/Research/aacc_study_2003.pdf

Rev. Ray Newell portraying biblical shepherd


City Road Chapel in Madison will host the "Personalities of Christmas" during the Sundays of December. On December 3, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, will visit the church to tell of his experience of angelic revelation. On December 10, Joseph will struggle with the news that he is not the father of Mary's unborn child. Melchior, one of the Wise Men, will visit City Road Chapel on December 17, to tell about the star he has seen and what it means. On Christmas Eve, David, a shepherd out in the fields around Bethlehem, will share his story of the baby he found in a manger. Finally, on December 31, the Sunday after Christmas, Herod the Great, King of the Jews when Jesus was born, will have his say about his plans for this newborn king.

Each of these characters in the Biblical story will be portrayed by Pastor Ray Newell in first-person dramatic presentations. Everyone is invited to attend these special presentations during City Road Chapel's worship services at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. each Sunday morning. The 8:30 worship is a more relaxed, "family oriented" service which includes a children's message and children's church for ages 3 through kindergarten. The 11:00 a.m. service follows a more traditional United Methodist style of worship. Nursery is provided during both services.

December will also be homecoming month at City Road Chapel as all past members are invited to "Come Home for Christmas."

City Road Chapel is located in Madison at 701 S. Gallatin Road, on the corner of Neely's Bend Road. For further information, call 615-868-1673.

By John Gordon*

Editor’s Note: This article describes the Strength for the Journey program carried out by the Holston Conference. Strength for the Journey for Women and Men Living with HIV-AIDS is also held each year within the Tennessee Annual Conference. The next Strength for the Journey will be held May 21-26, 2007, at Beersheba Springs Assembly and is sponsored by the Committee on Health and Welfare of the Tennessee Annual Conference. For further information contact the Rev. Jason Brock, Office of Connectional Ministries, 304 S. Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 1, Nashville, TN 37211. 615-329-1177 or 800-403-5795. Email jbrock@tnumc.org

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (UMNS) - When those infected with HIV/AIDS first started coming to this camp in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, they were preparing to die.

But as medical advances have extended their lives, the focus of the United Methodist retreat has changed to helping them learn to live.

Since 1997, United Methodists in the Holston Annual (regional) Conference have sponsored two week-long "Strength for the Journey" retreats each year for adults living with HIV/AIDS.

Buffalo Mountain Retreat Center near Johnson City hosts the camps in the spring and the fall.

"The main thing, as we say in our motto, is 'It's all about love,'" said Ginny West Case, retreat director. Case also is director of adult ministries at First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tenn.

"We want them to feel like this is a place where they can come. It's safe. They can experience God's unconditional love," she explained.

Darrell Fleeman, 44, was diagnosed in 1988 and has "been through a long road. It was two years before I even told anybody."

At the mountain retreat, campers find acceptance - something often lacking in the neighborhoods where they live. Some have been shunned by their families, friends and churches.

"It is difficult. But, as you go on, things get easier," said Thomas McLaughlin, who was diagnosed with AIDS four years ago. "I know there is no cure for AIDS, but I'm just learning to live with it."

Thanks to combinations of drugs and other medical treatments, some of the campers have survived more than 20 years since they were diagnosed. But the stigma of the disease remains.

"I missed out on seeing my nieces and nephews grow up, because they were not allowed to be near me because of the ignorance of their parents," said Buddy Loveridge, who has been coming to the retreats for eight years. "And that happens a lot, still."

Attitudes are much different on Buffalo Mountain. "We had one man (whose) family made him eat on only disposable paperware and use plastic forks. And he died two weeks after the retreat," said Case. "His sister called and said, 'Thank you for giving my brother one week where he knew he was loved and accepted, with no holds barred.'"

During the retreats, campers can paddle canoes, hike up a mountain to a waterfall and enjoy arts and crafts. They meet in small groups each day to discuss their challenges.

Volunteer staffers and retreat participants exchange notes which are placed in affirmation folders to help keep the campers' spirits up after they come down from the mountain. "I have a drawer at home, and when bad things happen, I go to that drawer and pull them out and remember the good times," said Loveridge. "It gets me through."

Campers also receive stuffed animals with the telephone numbers of group leaders, who they are told to call if they feel depressed or suicidal.

From the moment they arrive, campers can expect to receive lots of hugs. "A lot of people don't get any hugs at home," said Case. "We feel like some of them are so hungry for touch and to feel that somebody's not afraid to touch them and not afraid to hug them."

Mandy Adkins, 25, a social worker and volunteer at the camp, said her grandfather struggled with AIDS for two decades until he died two years ago. She added that she was impressed by the "genuine loving attitude" at the retreat.

"It's like the pretenses fall away, and it's just safe to be who you are, and it's safe for the campers to be who they are," said Adkins. "And I think that comes out of the true love that happens here and happens for each other."

Ann Siemsen, a nurse and volunteer at the camp, called the retreat a "wonderful experience" for both campers and staffers. "You can't go away from this place untouched," she said.

*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas.

Sewanee, TN—The Doctor of Ministry Program of the University of the South begins its thirty-third year this summer.

The Doctor of Ministry program is one of the few in the U.S. which operates only during the summer months. This means that clergy can participate in the program without a major interruption in their parish responsibilities. It affords an opportunity for students to study in an Episcopal seminary in a university setting.

The program stresses the relationship between the practice of ministry, and biblical, historical, and theological knowledge. A Mast of Sacred Theology program focusing on research skills is also available. The program usually takes three or four summers to complete.

The D. Min. program consists of 30 semester hours. Students are required to complete a major project, which is a study of some dimension of one’s ministry or the ministry of the church. Financial aid is available.

Anglican Heritage Tour course will be offered May 31 – Jun 11, 2007. Instructor will be Dr. Susanna Metz. Inquiries about the Anglican Tour course should be addressed to Susanna E. Metz, School of Theology, 335 Tennessee Avenue, Sewanee, TN 37883-001.

The dates for the Advanced Degree summer courses of 2007 are June 20 – July 11. Financial aid is available for the June 20 – July 11 courses.

Courses offered this summer in the Advanced Degrees program will be “Ministry Seminar “ by Dr. Donald Armentrout; “The Rhetoric of Jesus and the Rhetoric of Preaching” by Dr. William Brosend; “The Use of the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL)” by Dr. Reginald Fuller; and “Hymnody of the Christian Church” by Dr. Marion Hatchett.

Inquiries about the Advanced Degrees summer courses should be addressed to Don S. Armentrout, Advanced Degrees Program, School of Theology, 335 Tennessee Avenue, Sewanee, TN 37383-0001. Telephone 800-722-1974 for all of the above courses. The email address is advdeg@sewanee.edu and the web site is http://theology.sewanee.edu

A WOMEN’S RETREAT with Joy Carol as retreat facilitator
co-sponsored by Belmont UMC, Calvary UMC and Glendale UMC

to be held at
Glendale United Methodist Church
900 Glendale Lane
Nashville, Tennessee

Friday, December 1
7:00–9:00 p.m.
and
Saturday, December 2
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Contact: Rev. Sandra Griggs
Phone: 615-297-6233
Email: sandragriggs@comcast.net
Suggested Donation: $25.00 (includes lunch on Saturday)
Child care is available with advance notice.

The Retreat
Advent is a special time to stop, to pause, and to contemplate our lives and what is meaningful to us—especially our relationships.
We know that when we have healthy friendships, we feel supported and have confidence that our friends will be there for us in joys and sorrows. Authentic friendships allow us to be ourselves, encourage us to grow, and to weather all kinds of problems.
However, “friendships” can be complicated, disappointing, even hurtful. To have meaningful relationships requires a lot of nurturing, effort, and time.
In the context of a prayerful Advent Season, this retreat provides us an opportunity to explore:
difficulties that occur in relationships brought on by extreme sensitivity, envy, competition, insecurity, inadequate boundaries, poor communication about feelings, unresolved anger and aggression
how to cultivate qualities and skills to help us have loving and lasting friendships
how to listen attentively, how to face issues openly and honestly
how to establish appropriate boundaries and end unhealthy people-pleasing
how to be truthful with kindness, how to forgive
how to be more flexible, have a sense of humor, and practice compassion

Joy Carol, Retreat Facilitator
Joy Carol is an author, speaker, counselor, and spiritual director. She leads retreats and
workshops across the country on a variety of topics including women's issues. Founder of
the Union Center for Women and co-author of the official report on the United Nations' Decade for Women, Carol also was an international consultant on women and development for the Ford Foundation, Save the Children, the UN, and other international organizations. She is a member of the Women's International League for Peace & Freedom and an active volunteer for the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.
Carol holds an honorary doctorate from Nebraska Wesleyan University and master's
degrees from the General Theological Seminary and the University of Maryland.
Carol's books include The Fabric of Friendship, Towers of Hope, Journeys of Courage (Sorin Books), Finding Courage (Veritas Publications), and You Don't Have to Be Rich to Own a
Brownstone (Quadrangle Books). She also writes articles on women's issues. Carol lives
in New York City.

About Joy's newest book
The Fabric of Friendship: Celebrating the Joys, Mending the Tears In Women's Relationships
The Fabric of Friendship validates the concept that friendships between women can be powerful and beneficial. Such relationships can shape who we are and who we become. According to the Harvard Medical School, not having close friends is as detrimental to women's health as smoking or carrying extra weight.
The Fabric of Friendship focuses on both the benefits and difficulties that can emerge in women’s friendships. It identifies the darker sides of women’s relationships including envy, competition, aggression, boundary and control issues, problems working
together, issues related to men, unclear communications about needs, and more. It analyzes why these problems happen, includes real-life stories validating the positive and restorative aspects of women’s friendships, and offers realistic and transforming
solutions that women have undertaken effectively.
This inspirational, informative book is filled with practical ideas of what women can do to celebrate the joys and reclaim the power of strong friendships.

Deadline for reservations is Monday, November 27 (Scholarships are available)

Directions to Glendale UMC: I-65 South, Harding Place Exit West, right on Soper Avenue

The Milk ‘n Honey Cooking School will be held Tuesday, February 20, 2007 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Publishing House. The cost is $5.00 payable at the door.
RSVP by February 16th with Susan Groseclose or Gail White, 615-329-1177 or 1-800-403-5795 sgroseclose@tnumc.org

The Milk and Honey Cooking School does more than just entertain and teach a little biblical history. It provides a more in depth look at the culture of the Middle East. Most Westerners find the cooking and eating rituals of the Middle East a trifle odd (we who have mastered the TV trays in front of the television set). As we come to an understanding of the whats and the hows, we have a better feeling for the whys.

Because there were no knives, forks, or spoons used for eating, clean hands were a necessity. However, guests would never dip their hands in a basin of water. The guest would hold the hands over the basin while the servant or host poured clean water over them. The dirty water would collect in the basin, out of sight.

Tables could be as simple as the leather or cloth mat on the floor or the triclinium table used in New Testament times. The position for eating was usually sitting upright with legs folded under the body or reclining on mats or cushions. The only dishes used were those that contained the food.

Scripture mandated that grace be said at the beginning and the end of the meal. Frequently a guest was asked to give thanks and the rest of the diners would respond “Amen” at the end. After the meal washing the hands of course was essential and guests would dry their hands on a towel.

Think of the meals you have read about in the Bible, both Old and New Testament. Think about how each of the steps above was carried out in the text.

The developers of the Milk and Honey Cooking School have combined Scripture references, historical data, cultural tidbits, and a little that they know of the hospitality of the lands of the Middle East to take the participant on a cooking and eating adventure. The Cooking School begins with Adams’s first bite of the forbidden fruit and shows how foods, seasonings, and preparation methods changed as the Hebrew people came in contact with the outside world. There is a focus on the major historical periods—the Patriarchal Period (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph), the Egyptian Period (Joseph through Moses), the time of the Babylonian Exile, the Greek period, and the New Testament period into which Jesus was born.

MENU Milk and Honey Cooking School

Appetizer (Patriarchal Period)
Goat Cheese Dip
Unleavened Bread

Entrée (Patriarchal Period)
Esau’s Pottage

Bread (Egyptian Period)
Challah Braid

Fruit (Babylonian Period)
Date Nut Halvah Balls

Dessert (Greek/New Testament Period)
Honey Cheesecake
Roman Bread Pudding
Haroset (with matzo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn., November 9, 2006 /GBOD/ -- Upper Room Ministries, a ministry of GBOD, will observe World AIDS Day with a special worship service, Wednesday, November 29 at 8:30 a.m. in The Upper Room Chapel, 1908 Grand Ave. The Rev. Beth Richardson is the speaker.

Richardson is an ordained deacon in the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. She currently serves as director of electronic publishing at Upper Room Ministries and as deacon at Edgehill United Methodist Church. Beth received her Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn. She has served on the staff of Strength for the Journey, a retreat for adults living with HIV and AIDS. The author of Child of the Light: Walking through Advent and Christmas (Upper Room Books, 2005), Beth has contributed her writing to Alive Now magazine, The Upper Room Disciplines, and two volumes of The Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible.

Three dedicated prayer times will also be held in the Upper Room Chapel on December 1 at 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.; 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.; and from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. All events are open to the public.

December 1 is the official day the United Methodist Church has set aside for the World AIDS Day observance.

The purpose of World AIDS Day is to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and the grim global statistics associated with the 46 million people infected worldwide.

The Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for the General Board of Discipleship said, “This observance is a world-wide focus and the Upper Room is a world ministry, so we believe it is our place to offer special service times and invite the Nashville community to gather for worship and a shared time of prayer and compassion. Our goal is to focus the prayers of millions on HIV/AIDS and its victims. ”

The annual observance includes special programs on HIV/AIDS education and religious worship services that focus on intercessory and healing prayer, hope in God and love, and compassion in the midst of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

In addition to the special worship service and dedicated prayer times, Upper Room Ministries-- in partnership with the Africa Upper Room Office-- is printing a special prayer book for those persons suffering with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Currently in production, Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Other Serious Diseases is the newest in the Pocket Prayer series.

“The HIV & AIDS pandemic is bigger than our human capacity. We must make the very best use of medical research, medicine, social work and education…they all play a part in solving the crisis. However the motivation, depth of compassion and perseverance to care for those infected and affected must come from prayer. Ultimately, we are depending on God for a solution,” said Stephen D. Bryant, editor and publisher of The Upper Room Devotional Guide.

Bryant says, “What is unique to this resource (Prayers for Encouragement) is that a number of meditations are written by persons who are HIV+ with full-blown AIDS…persons seeking God’s healing presence while living with stigma, discrimination, and rejection from family and friends.”

The 32-page book will mostly contain meditations, scriptures and prayers written by persons who have HIV and people who minister with people with HIV/AIDS from around the world.

This is the first Upper Room resource that specifically addresses spirituality and support of people living with HIV/AIDS.

The goal is to provide the booklet to one million persons around the world who are living with HIV/AIDS.

Since 1981, the US AIDS epidemic has been steadily growing and by the beginning of 2005 there were estimated to be just over 1 million persons living with HIV and approximately 415,000 people living with AIDS in the US. AIDS is thought to have killed over half a million Americans, nearly ten times the number killed in the Vietnam war…and more become infected every day.

In addition to this new resource, Upper Room Ministries has provided booklets of meditations and prayer to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families, persons in the path of the Asian tsunami, churches affected by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

Upper Room Ministries is an ecumenical organization that produces resources for encouraging deeper spiritual formation, including The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide, five other magazines, and a line of books and programs for youth and adults. More information about Upper Room resources can be found online at www.upperroom.org. For more information about Prayers for Encouragement contact, Dale Waymack at 877-899-2780, ext. 7236.

The General Board of Discipleship’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, The General Board of Discipleship is located at 1908 Grand Avenue in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, ext. 7017.

The Christian Communications Ministry Institute is beginning its 4th year on Martin Methodist College’s campus in Pulaski, TN. We are currently accepting applications for the 2007 session of CCMI.

What is CCMI?
The purpose is to enhance the skills of people who are serving in communications ministry with little or no professional training in communications and/or United Methodism. Secondly, by successfully completing two sessions of the Institute, people with an interest in earning certification in Christian communication can meet the academic requirements for this professional ministry credential. Remember, the Institute is one of several routes available for meeting the academic requirements for certification in Christian communications. Please note that enrollment is not limited to people who are pursuing certification, but it is open to anyone wishing to enhance their skills as a communicator in The United Methodist Church.

If you are interested Tina McGill will provide you with detailed information about this year’s session of the Christian Communications Ministry Institute. The classes will meet July 8th -13th on the campus of Martin Methodist. Class attendees will need to arrive in Pulaski, Tennessee (about 50 miles south of Nashville) on Sunday afternoon, July 8th, for orientation. Classes will end in the late afternoon on July 13.

We are excited that about the 2007 session of (CCMI) and we are very fortunate to have Dr. Douglas Cannon, Cecile Holmes, and Dr. Duane Ewers on our faculty. If you are interested in obtaining more information about the 2007 session of Christian Communications Ministry Institute please contact Tina McGill at tmcgill@martinmethodist.edu. You can also more information by visiting our website at http://www.martinmethodist.edu/ccl/education/ccmi.

PULASKI, Tenn. — Before this academic year is done, two high school seniors active in their United Methodist Church congregations will receive a full, four-year scholarship to Martin Methodist College that will forever change their lives.

It’s the seventh year of Martin Methodist College’s Church Leader Scholarships, awarded to students showing exceptional promise in the area of church leadership. Each spring, Martin Methodist awards a scholarship worth more than $82,500 to two high school seniors that covers four years of tuition, basic room and board.

And to call it life-changing is hardly an exaggeration.

“The Church Leader Scholarship was the deciding factor in my coming to Martin Methodist College. It has enabled me to use my gifts in various areas, and it has also provided an environment where those gifts can be nurtured and developed,” said Cole Wise, a 2003 recipient from Smyrna (Tenn.) First United Methodist Church, who is serving as student government president during his senior year. “I would encourage students to give Martin Methodist College prayerful consideration and talk to their ministers for guidance.”

To be considered for a Church Leader Scholarship, students must be a youth leader in his or her United Methodist church, possess a minimum 3.0 high school grade point average, and show evidence of a long-term commitment and leadership in their local churches. They do not, however, have to pursue a church vocation as a result of this scholarship; while some past recipients have majored in pre-seminary or church education, others have majored in biology or business administration with plans to serve the church in a laity role.

“Recipients of this scholarship will be given countless opportunities to grow in their faith and to continue to develop their leadership skills,” said the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish, director of church relations at Martin Methodist College. “Just one example of the leadership opportunities and to see the United Methodist Church from a broader perspective is that the CLS recipients will attend the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.”

It will be the second time Martin Methodist College has sent its scholarship recipients to the United Methodist Church’s General Conference; a contingent from the college attended the 2004 event in Pittsburgh.

“This scholarship has given me the opportunity to come to an environment that encourages me to be a woman of God and to accomplish all of my goals for life after college,” said Melissa Stewart, a 2004 recipient from Hendersonville (Tenn.) First United Methodist Church, “always keeping in mind that no matter what happens with this scholarship, the opportunities at Martin Methodist College will remain.”

The scholarship process begins each October with the deadline coming the following March 1 of each year. For 2007, applicants will be on campus for competition on two Saturdays, March 17 and March 31.

The scholarships will be awarded in the first week of April, but the two CLS recipients will not be the only applicants to benefit by this scholarship competition. Three-fourths of the students who applied last year wound up in the freshman class this fall, having received significant financial aid awards as well.

For more information or to recommend someone for the Martin Methodist College Church Leader Scholarship, contact the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish at 931-363-9834 or mparrish@martinmethodist.edu.

Interested persons can also get information and apply on-line at www.martinmethodist.edu/ccl/scholarships.

One-day training event preparing leaders to help children ages 6-11 explore their spirituality and deepen their awareness of God’s presence in their lives.

Saturday, February 24, 2007
Belle Meade United Methodist Church
121 Davidson Road
Nashville, TN 37205
The training cost has been reduced to $55.

The Way of the Child is designed for a 60 – 90 minute sessions and is grouped into 8 modules to facilitate flexibility. Sessions can be used sequentially September – May. Modules can be used for shorter periods (Advent, Lent, Day Camp, VBS). The Way of the Child is designed for use in Sunday school, weekday or weeknight settings. Children can be grouped together by age or mixed.

The Way of the Child is a part of the Companions in Christ® family of resources. These resources offer a small group experience in Deepening an experience of God, Exploring the fullness of life in Christ through spiritual practices, and Receiving the grace and guidance of the Spirit in community.

For registration form go to http://www.upperroom.org/companions/events.asp

or contact Janice Neely
The Upper Room, Nashville, TN
jneely@gbod.org
1-877-899-2780 ext. 1792