Volume 4Number 2February 2004

INDEX

UMCOR rushesUMCOR rushesUMCOR rushesUMCOR rushesUMCOR rushesto tsunama aidto tsunama aidto tsunama aidto tsunama aidto tsunama aidTakes supplies,

medicine to victimsPPPPPage 10age 10age 10age 10age 10

See SCHUYKILL HAVEN P6

by Suzy Keenan

First United Methodist Churchof Schuylkill Haven, PA, may nothave known it, but they werepoised to do something new, andnew is what they got: an inter-generational and inter-racialoutreach program.

Pastor Albert Mosley has beenat First UMC since July of 2003.He saw immediately that thechurch had a lot of energy andenthusiasm, but needed direction.The church had just completed astrategic plan, and expresseddesire to get involved with thePenn State/Schuylkill Campus.

First UMC is a predominantlywhite congregation in a commu-nity in Schuylkill Haven that is99% white. For Pastor Mosley, 32years old and African-American,this is a cross-racial appointment.

Their outreach to the campusstarted in an informal way byinviting Voices of Schuylkill, acampus gospel group, and Praise inMotion, a liturgical dance ministryto participate in worship. Amember of the church, Dr. DeEdreLewis-Johnson, is director of

College students flock to church in Schuylkill Haven

minority student affairs at thecampus, and she initiated thisinteraction. It developed intoan adopt-a-family program,where students can choose tointeract with a family from thechurch.

Mosley’s experience included

having been in campusministry. At Albright Collegehe was chaplain and directorof multi-faith center for oneyear and at Duke Universityhe was assistant dean anddirector of religious life fortwo and a half years. Before

that, he taught at MilsapsCollege, a United Methodistcollege in Jackson, MS asadjunct professor of religiousstudies. “I sort of always hadone foot on campus and onefoot in the church,” Mosleysaid of his experience.

“This was a new anddifferent thing for the church -gospel music and African-American students,” Mosleyexplained.

Mosley’s first assignmentas pastor was in westernNorth Carolina in theAppalacian Mountains. “Thekids in church wanted totouch my skin to see whatwould happen - they had neverseen a black person before. Inthat area the inhabitantsgenerally do not encounterpeople of color at all. Myeducational background madethem more comfortable withme and with who I was as aperson of color.” Mosley is agraduate of Milsaps, Dukeand Yale. “I believe my calling

By Suzy Keenan

A Philadelphia Area pastoris turning her passion forpostcards into a way to helpthe survivors of the tsunamidisaster in South Asia.

The Rev. Charlene Gaspar,pastor of Gladwyne UnitedMethodist Church in a suburbof Philadelphia, has beencollecting postcards since shewas 11 years old. For the pastthree years, she has beenauctioning postcards from herextensive collection, number-ing in the tens of thousands,with the proceeds goingtoward the ministry of herchurch.

Often she has raised $250per month through eBay

auctions, with recent sales ashigh as $700 in one month.

Gaspar saw the tsunamidisaster as a “horrific situa-tion, producing a desperateneed,” and has been moved todirect the proceeds from herauctions to the United Meth-odist Committee on Relief.

“UMCOR has beenworking hard for disasterrelief. My congregation hasalways been a congregationthat has wholeheartedly givenits 100 percent share ofconnectional giving and hasgone the extra mile for specialofferings,” she said. “Mycongregation gives from theheart, and they will celebrate

Pastor’s postcard hobby becomes ministry for disaster relief

By Suzy Keenan

The Reverend Ralph E. Blankshas been appointed by BishopMarcus Matthews to the superin-tendency of the Central District.He will began his new appointmenton July 1.

Blanks’ motto is to bloomwhere he is planted - wherever hemay be appointed to serve God’speople. Born to a deeply religious

family in Little Rock, Arkansas,Blanks said that his familyprayed like the family ofSamuel for a child who would bededicated to the Lord.

At age twelve, Blanks firstacknowledged his call toministry. He was ordained adeacon at fourteen and an elderat seventeen in the AfricanMethodist Episcopal Church.He served as youth pastor in hishome church, Bethel A.M.E.

With the encouragement ofhis home pastor, family, andgodparents, he enrolled inHendrix College to pursue aB.A. in Religion and Philoso-phy. The Academic Dean ofHendrix College suggestedthat he attend Drew Univer-sity School of Theology topursue a Masters of DivinityDegree. Following graduationfrom Drew, one of his class-mates shared his name with a

United Methodist districtsuperintendent. Blanks wasappointed to serve a two-pointCharge in Burlington, NewJersey: Saint Mary’s Street, anAfrican-American congrega-tion and Union, a whitecongregation.

In 1980, Pastor Blankstransferred to the EasternPennsylvania Conference to

Ralph E. Blanks appointed to Bishop’s Cabinet

Volume 5Number 2February 2005

CALENDAR ........ 2BISHOP .............. 2THE NATION ...... 4THE WORLD ....... 5IN MEMORIAM . 9APPOINTMENTS 9CLASSIFIEDS .... 12

Annual ConferenceAnnual ConferenceAnnual ConferenceAnnual ConferenceAnnual ConferenceWorkshops,

schedule announcedPPPPPage 6age 6age 6age 6age 6

See BLANKS P7

See POSTCARDS P7

Adopt-A-Family students from the Penn State-Schuylkill campusenjoy a great meal and fellowship at First UMC in Schuylkill Haven

www.epaumc.org

22222 FEBRUARY 2005

Conference Calendar The Wilderness SpiritBISHOP’S LENTEN DAY APARTFebruary 8, 2005, 8:30 - 12:30.

Aldersgate UMC, Concord Pike,Wilmington, DE. Guest speaker CharlesYrigoyen, Jr., General Secretary of the GeneralCommission on Archives and History. Theme:“Wholeness and the New Birth: And Can It BeThat I Should Gain.” All clergy should registerby contacting Marilyn Cleeton:ddsuper@aol.com or 302-734-3082.MARRIAGE ENRICHMENTFebruary 11-13, 2005

Rehoboth Beach, DE - If squeezing thetoothpaste from the middle has doused theromance in your marriage, a UM WorldwideMarriage Encounter weekend may just be thespark needed to rekindle the fire of yourwedding day. Here’s a 44-hour maritalmakeover away from job, kids, chores andphones. You will focus only on each other. Ifyou’re hankering for greater depth, growth,and enrichment in your relationship, contactRudy and Jean Iannacone at (609) 259-2527 for details. Or visit the website at:www.encounter.orgGIRLS ON THE GOFebruary 12-13

“From caterpillar to butterfly” - For teensunited for mission in the 21st Century,sponsored by EPA UM Women at CampInnabah Retreat Center, Spring City, PA.Overnight retreat with Bible study, prayerwalk, hands-on mission, crafts, games, etc.Registration fee of $40. due by deadline ofJan. 22. For more information, contact LucilleSchaeffer at 610-287-7000 or Ethel Maloneat 215-247-0572FESTIVAL OF CHOIRSFebruary 26, 2005

The First Annual Festive of Choirssponsored by First UMC Schuylkill Haven willbe held at 420 Saylor St., Schuylkill Haven,PA. Rehearsal will be from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00p.m. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., withlunch provided by the church. Concertperformances will begin at 7:00 p.m., and willbe conducted by Mrs. Jennifer Morris.Registration fee is $40. Registration deadlineis January 28, 2005. For more detailedinformation, please contact Lynne O’Connell at570-385-3941.SOCIAL PRINCIPLES FORUMSMarch 19, 2005.

The Church and Society Work Team will besponsoring the second in a series of six forumssurrounding The Social Principles. This secondforum will address The Economic Communityand our role as Christians in fosteringeconomic justice for all of God’s creatures.Bela Vora of Ten Thousand Villages willpresent an interactive educational pieceregarding the work of Ten Thousand Villages infostering self-sufficiency to indigenous peoplesaround the world. Ten Thousand Villages is anonprofit program of Mennonite CentralCommittee (MCC), the relief and developmentagency of Mennonite and Brethren in Christchurches in North America. Ten ThousandVillages has been working around the worldsince 1946.

The forum will be held at Union UMC,200 Brookline Blvd., Havertown, PA 19083 -9:00 a.m. for registration and a continentalbreakfast, 9:30 forum begins and will endaround 10:45 a.m. You may call Peggy Woodat (610) 524-5935 for more info. ordirections. Union UMC Church office phone is610-789-1700(unionhavertown@verizon.net) or you canreach Pastor Bob Coombe at the Parsonage610-789-2328.CONNECTION 2005March 30-April 3, 2005.

Youth workers in your church who coulduse training, renewal and growth might wantto consider coming to Connection 2005 inNashville, TN. The leadership lineup looks

great! For more information and registration,go to www.umyconnection.com or call toll free877-899-2780 ext. 7074.SPRING CONFIRMATION CAMPApril 1-3, 8-10, or 15-17

At Gretna Glen Camp & Retreat Center.For UM Confirmation Classes. Pastors and /or Educators, bring your Junior or SeniorHigh youth confirmation class to this weekenddevoted to learn how they can use their giftsfrom God to help others. Cost is $80.00 percamper. Contact the camp atregistrar@gretnaglen.org or call 717-273-6525 for more information or to register yourgroup.UM MEN CONVOCATIONApril 1-3, 2005

The UM Men Convocation will be held atPocono Manor Inn and Golf Resort, PoconoManor, PA. Speakers include Theme Speaker,Rev. Dr. Eh. Eddie Fox and Keynote Speaker,Rev. Dr. Jack Topolewski. Special musicalprogram will be presented by Bruce and JoshEvans, with Dorothy Blakeslee at the piano.Four popular features remain: “SUNRISEINSPIRATION” Bible Study; The ConvocationMen’s Chorus; The Upper Room Prayer Line;and the Cokesbury Book Sales Display. Threeworkshops are available; participants selecttwo choices at the convocation. 1) The PowerOf A Praying Man; 2) Introduction To Faith/Sharing; 3) Hands -on Ministry.

COST: Regular Saturday & Sundayregistration $120 per person, double.Singel,$140. For Fri. arrival, $179 perperson, double. Single, $219. Saturdayprogram only ,$45 per person. If you are onlyattending the saturday session,you still mustregister. For registration form or if you havequestions, send e-mail to eriedel@webtv.netGRANT WRITING WORKSHOPApril 5-7, 2005

The Office of Urban and Global Ministriesinvites local churches throughout the EPA tohold these dates. Workshops will be held onApril 5th (evening) - 6th (morning) inPhiladelphia; April 6th (evening) - 7th(morning) in Reading. Each workshop will bein 2 sessions- morning/evening.

The facilitator will be Dr. Joe D. Connelly,and ordained UM Minister who has served asChurch Growth Consultant for the UMdenomination since 1994. Dr. Connelly willcover organization readiness, drafting theproposal and grant research. This is a dynamicand interactive workshop to share the secretsof grant writing and help your church build itsskills in this important method of financingministry in you community. For furtherinformation, a brochure and registration,please call Dr. Dorothy Watson Tatem, Directorof the Urban/Global Office at 215-878-8054.LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPApril 9, 2005

Developing leadership in small member-ship churches training workshop. Tony Pappasof The Alban Institute will speak/train on whysmall churches are central to God’s plan, Fourcurrent definitions of “small church” and whythree are inadequate, Eight ways small-churchculture differs from U.S. society and what todo about it, An affirming, challenging modelfor understanding the nature of the smallchurch, Five attitudes that will help small-church leaders increase their leadership“batting average” while having more fun, Sixmeasures to small-church health, Six means toturn the “headaches” and “heartaches” ofsmall-church ministry into an agenda forhealth and growth, Eleven action strategies tointroduce change into your small church.Time: 9:00 - 4:00 Location: Myerstown: ZionUMC, 22 E. Main Ave., Myerstown, PA. Formore information or to register, contact TheNorthwest District Office, 1725 BreckenridgeRd., Orwigsburg PA 17961-9544; Phone:570.366.1471; Fax: 570.366.1626; E-mail:northwest4@verizon.net.

An Episcopal Letter to United Methodists inthe Wake of the Tsunami Disaster

Dear Clergy and Members of thePhiladelphia Area:

“In my distress I cry to the Lord, thathe may answer me.”-Psalm 120:1

“You are with me; your rod and yourstaff, they comfort me.”-Psalm 23:4b

In the twinkling of an eye, walls ofwater swept tens of thousands of oursisters and brothers in South Asia,Southeast Asia and Africa to theirdeaths. Some firsthand observersrecall that the onrushing torrentlooked like smoke, so quickly did itmove and so high in the trees. A thirdof the dead may be children. Millionsof people are destitute.

Now the long recovery has begun.Thanks to the generosity of bighearted people-United Methodists inthe United States as well as people inthe affected regions and persons of allfaiths-aid is moving into place innearly a dozen stricken countries. Theemergency aid includes medicines andhealth camps, temporary shelters,food, and clothing such as saris anddhotas.

Rapid measures are possible becauseof cash donations to many relief andhumanitarian agencies, including theUnited Methodist Committee on Relief.

The outpouring of response deeplymoves me and other members of theUnited Methodist Council of Bishops.The bishops are profoundly grateful toour church members who have heardcries of distress on the other side ofthe world and responded with action.UMCOR dispatched $750,000 in aid inthe first week, and there is more tocome.

Another important contribution isyour gift of your trust in a soundrelief process. UMCOR is listeningclosely to our ecumenical partners andto communities most affected by thedisaster in planning long-range efforts.We are notably interested in ministriesthat fill the gaps in humanitarianresponse. UMCOR’s strength is infinding those who are or may bemissed, identifying the services thatwill assist over-stressed providers, andin respecting the strengths and thecapacity of the local people to managetheir own recovery.

We thank you for the generosity ofyour donations by phone, on theInternet, and in special Sundayofferings. We urge congregations thathave not received an offering for

tsunami relief to prayerfully considerthe possibility. The needs for renewaland restoration in the vast areasswept over by the tsunamis will beacute for a long time in the future.UMCOR is evaluating the roles it canplay in reconstruction. A delegationvisited Indonesian sites January 12-16.Staff was on the way to Sri Lanka thatsame week. Their observations and

recommendations will help us deter-mine a long-term strategy for theregion. Your persistence in giving andyour heartfelt prayer for these col-leagues will be important sources ofsupport as we enter this future work.

Soon the tsunami story will move offof page one, out of the 24/7 televisionnews spotlight, perhaps out of theconsciousness of many of us as thenext news takes its place. But thebeauty of The United MethodistChurch is that it has always found theresources to stay the course. UMCORwill be there, assisting in whateverway it can for years to come. That ishow we do things. We have the pa-tience to abide with the most vulner-able.

On March 6 our church will have anopportunity to underscore bothemergency assistance and patience inthe long haul, this United Methodistgift of bearing witness away from thespotlight. On that date, our congrega-tions will receive the annual OneGreat Hour of Sharing offering. Thisoffering supports the administrativecosts of our humanitarian mission.Our stewardship in this offeringmakes it possible for every singledollar of your gifts designated for thetsunami emergency to reach the peoplewhose lives changed on December 26.

Again, thank you for your gifts ofmoney, trust, and ability to abide sothat cries of distress do not go un-heard. Thank you for your generoushearts. Thank you for strengtheningsurvivors and aid workers alike withyour gifts of ceaseless prayer in theLenten season ahead.

Yours in Christ,

Published 10 times per year byThe Eastern Pennsylvania Conference ofThe United Methodist Church

Valley Forge Corporate Center980 Madison Avenue, Norristown, PA 19403

Bishop Peter D. WeaverSuzy Keenan

Amy Botti

Philadelphia Area BishopDirector of CommunicationsGraphic Design and Layout

Annual subscription $12Please submit articles for publication by the 10th of the month to:

The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church,P.O. Box 820, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0820

or via e-mail to communications@epaumc.org

Periodical postage paid at Norristown, PA 19403POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

NEWSpirit at EPA Conference, P.O. Box 820, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0820

Bishop Marcus Matthews

BISHOP MARCUS MATTHEWS

www.epaumc.org

FEBRUARY 2005 3 3 3 3 3

UPCOMING CCN SEMINARSTRANSFORMING CHILDREN INTO

SPIRITUAL CHAMPIONS

Thursday, February 10 11:30a - 2:00p-Becoming a church that transforms childreninto spiritual champions. Recent researchindicates that the critical years for developingworld view happens before a child is 14 yearsold and once set, that world view does notradically change. If that’s true, then there isno more important people group for thechurch to invest in than children! JoinGeorge Barna and ministry experts as theyteach you how to build an effective ministryto children and families that can actuallytransform children into spiritual champions!

OVERCOMING OVERLOADThursday, February 17 11:30a - 2:00p-

Pastors are more overloaded than ever -information overload, expectation overload,meeting overload, sermon overload, andmore! With Pastors leaving the field at analarming rate, Dr. Richard Swenson andKevin Miller are ready to provide hope andhelp for overloaded Pastors. Discover how tomake the load manageable with practicaltools and insights from these experts. Dr.Richard Swenson, Kevin Miller

GOOD $ENSE BUDGET COURSESaturday, February 26 11:30a - 5:30p-

For required workbook pre-register by Feb.6. Help the people in your church discovertools and develop skills that enable them tocontrol their finances rather than allowingtheir finances to control them. Invite yourwhole congregation to take their first stepstoward financial freedom! (Note: Workbook$8.50 each) Dick Towner

FOR ALL EVENTSFor guaranteed seating, please call ahead

to confirm. Seminars may be cancelled wheninterest in low.

Cost of regular seminar at First Church,Ephrata: $10 per person. Beverage & lightrefreshments served.

Call Ahead To ConfirmFirst UMC, Ephrata 717 738-2465 —

bfoster@ephratafirst.orgGrace UMC, Millersville 717 872-4571

— billskelly@gracemillersville.orgKochenderfer’s UMC, Lebanon 717

273-0525 - mail@kochenderfer.orgUMC of The Redeemer, NE Phila 215

745-5963 — RedeemerUM@aol.com

TSUNAMI PRATSUNAMI PRATSUNAMI PRATSUNAMI PRATSUNAMI PRAYERYERYERYERYERWords and Music by Kenneth L. Morrison

Lamb of God, hear us in our sorrow; catch the tears from wavesthat washed away tomorrows. Once you crossed a raging sea;

stand with those whose pain we see. Jesus, Jesus.

Lamb of God, give our bread to others; heal the sick, let themdrink pure water. Send the miracles they need; help us love in

word and deed.

Bind the broken hearted with cords of human care; show aworld who doubts you the truth, you are there. Give ev’ry childloving arms, healing hands. Give ev’ry parent the strength to go

on. Jesus, Jesus.

Lamb of God, open wide the heavens; save the weak, fill theirsouls with leaven; send them miracles they need, help us love in

word and deed.

Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy. (REPEATED)Lamb of God, have mercy upon us we pray; take all our sins

away. (REPEATED)Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy,

Lamb of God, hear us as we pray.

(Written January 5, 2005 to encourage prayer and support for the victims of the tsunami onDecember 26, 2004. First performed at Sanctuary United Methodist Church in North Wales, PA on January

16, 2005.)

Copyright 2005 by Kenneth L. MorrisonAll Rights Reserved

Use my songs in worship: www.sing4free.com

Composer Ken Morrison sits at the piano where he composed thechoral anthem, “Tsunami Prayer.”

By Suzy Keenan

When the Ken Morrison heard thenews of the devastation of the tsu-nami in South Asia, he could do littlebut sit down.

Morrison, a composer and UnitedMethodist pastor who resides in thePhiladelphia area, sat down at thepiano, feeling a melody stir in hisheart.

Out of a heart for the victims ofthe tsunami and their suffering, healso wrote and set a prayer to themelody. His composition became“Tsunami Prayer,” a new choralanthem. Morrison has made itavailable for free printing and perfor-mance by church and school choirswho want to encourage prayer andsupport for the victims of the Dec. 26,2004 tsunami.

Morrison (a member of the DesertSouthwest Annual Conference)formerly served as interim pastor ofSanctuary United Methodist Churchin North Wales, PA and now volun-teers as part of music ministry teamthere, while working as fulltimesongwriter and also teaching conflictresolution at Eastern School ofChristian Ministry (undergraduate) aswell as theology and practice ofworship at Eastern Seminary.

“This a story of human need,” saidMorrison. “Our missions agencies willinvite teams to raise funds to help withrelief efforts. I hope that this anthemwill be helpful to congregations asthey gather teams together to pray forthe victims and support relief effortsof The United Methodist Committee onRelief (UMCOR).”

By January 6, Morrison wasrehearsing “Tsunami Prayer” with thechoir at Sanctuary UMC, and pre-miered the composition on the morn-ing of Sunday, January 16 in worship.The anthem was accompanied byprojected scenes of survivors andrelief efforts.

Jim Carver, Senior Pastor ofSanctuary UMC said that he “was socaptivated by the rhythms of theanthem, almost haunting as it is beingsung, befitting the incredible devasta-tion of that region, yet filled withhope. The song captured the hope wehave in God, and it acknowledged themiracles that are unfolding even in themidst of this great tragedy.” SharonMeyer, organist and children’s/youthchoir director at Friendship UnitedMethodist Church in Cincinnati, OH,called the piece “very beautiful, a wellwritten piece,” while requestingpermission to use it in worship. Thecomposition is written for soprano,alto, tenor, and bass voices with maleand female soloists and has accompa-niment for piano and strings.

“I have been writing songs forworship my whole career;” Morrisonsaid. His education includes a B. S. inMusic from Millsaps College, a Masterof Divinity from Asbury TheologicalSeminary, and a Doctor of Ministryfrom Candler School of Theology atEmory University.

For the last year and a half he hadbeen composing choral music andpraise and worship music fulltime, andreceived an award from Broadjam (aweb community) for his composition,“That’s What He Did” based on afamily story, being a theologicalreflection on losses of people in themilitary.

Pastor composes anthem to help with tsunami relief efforts

“Tsunami Prayer” and otheranthems by Morrison are available at:www.sing4free.com

To view and print the song,“Scorch” software will have to bedownloaded from the website andinstalled on the visitors computer.Then, click on the “Tsunami Prayer”name at the bottom of the screen.

There is also an mp3 file of a demorecording generated by the composer’sSibelius software.

“Tsunami Prayer” is also availableon www.gbod.org.

For more information, contact Ken Morrison atemail drkenmorrison@yahoo.com.

YOUTH ANNUAL CONFERENCEMAY 20-22, 2005.

The theme for YAC 2005 is “Youth UnderConstruction” (Phil. 1:6) There will bespeakers and music groups from our ownEastern PA Conference, games, workshops,small group Bible study, dancing and lots offun! We are trying to keep costs at a minimumto maximize participation. Registration will beavailable on-line in February. Watch for apostcard and more information at theconference web site in the coming weeks. If youhave a recommendation for a speaker or musicor drama group from the Eastern PAConference please e-mail the suggestion toGeorgette Hall-Peterson atghpeterson@comcast.net .OLDER ADULT CONFERENCEOctober 21-22, 2005

Sponsored by the Nurturing DisciplesResource Team Older Adult Task Force. DaysInn Conference Center - Allentown, PA.Featuring Dr. Richard Gentzler, Director of theCenter on Aging and Older Adult Ministry. Ofthe General Board of Discipleship. For furtherinformation or to receive “The Elder Sage”Newsletter contact: Dorothea Burnett, OlderAdult Coordinator, 116 South 53rd Street,Philadelphia, PA 19139; 215-476-5504 orothea9@netzero.com

www.epaumc.org

44444 FEBRUARY 2005

• OKLAHOMA

Weekday ministries thrive atdowntown churches

OKLAHOMA CITY - Not long ago,many Americans lived, worked,worshipped and shopped downtown.While that has changed as people havemoved to suburbia, downtown Method-ist churches remain a vital part ofmany cities. Members have overcomesuch obstacles as declining residentialpopulations, parking headaches andeven - in the case of Oklahoma City -terrorist activity, to continue servingtheir ever-changing neighborhoods. Indoing so, the churches themselveshave changed the way they do ministryand worship. Like the corporate world,these downtown churches are open forbusiness all week.

• TEXASJobs program helps fill gapsfor youth with disabilities

LONGVIEW - Preparing a resume,tracking down leads and getting readyfor interviews can make searching fora job a challenge for anyone. Theprocess can be even more challengingfor the 53 million Americans withdisabilities. “They’re falling throughthe cracks when they graduate fromhigh school,” says Debby Puckette,who saw that firsthand with her ownfamily. She founded Real Jobs forYouth, providing training and encour-agement for young people withdisabilities and becoming an advocate

for employers to hire them. Pucketterelied on her faith as a United Method-ist to start the nonprofit organizationtwo years ago, trying to fill a gap leftby other agencies. She works withstudents and former students ages 14to 29.

• NEW YORKTake precautions when givingonline, UMCOR executive says

NEW YORK - During the first twoweeks after the Indian Ocean tsunami,more than a fourth of the $2 milliongiven to the United Methodist Commit-tee on Relief came from online credit-card gifts. While online giving is safe,“there are a few ways in which scamartists can mess up an occasionaltransaction,” says Glenda Survance,with the United Methodist Board ofGlobal Ministries, UMCOR’s parentorganization. “So we have developed ashort list of precautions that donorsto UMCOR should follow.” Donorsshould use only Web sites they knoware reliable and avoid charitable linkssent by e-mail, she says.

• WISCONSINFitting forgiveness into hecticlives often a struggle

MADISON - All too often, we live ourlives by mechanically runningthrough to-do lists as we juggle toughjobs and demanding family responsi-bilities. If we work hard enough, webelieve we can have it all. But when weslip up, can we admit it? Are we able to

forgive ourselves and others, whetherit’s for a spat about money or some-thing more serious? Religious leadersincreasingly find the topic turning upin pastoral care. Dr. Bob Enright of theInternational Forgiveness Institute atthe University of Wisconsin-Madisonestimates there were no more than 10books on the topic 20 years ago whenhe began researching it. Now there aremore than 700, he says, and thenumber of studies on forgiveness hasballooned.

• WASHINGTON D.C.United Methodist pastor givesbenediction at inauguration

United Methodist Pastor KirbyjonCaldwell asked for God’s blessing onGeorge W. Bush’s family and adminis-tration during the president’s Jan. 20inauguration ceremony in Washing-ton. As he did in Bush’s first inauguralceremony in 2001, Caldwell gave thebenediction after the president’saddress. In his prayer, which closedBush’s official swearing-in, Caldwellfocused on thanksgiving, rallyingAmericans together and providing“equal opportunity for all, includingthe least, the last and the lost.” Afterthe prayer, Bush, also a United Meth-odist, embraced Caldwell. The pastorleads Windsor Village United Method-ist Church in Houston.

• GEORGIA

CNN features UM pastor on'get-fit' program

ATLANTA - The Rev.Leigh Ann Raynor, senior pastor ofThomasville First UMC, is used tobeing in the limelight within hercongregation, but now she is takingcenter stage on a much larger plat-form - the worldwide cable network ofCNN. Raynor is one of five peopleselected to participate in the "New YouRevolution," a CNN project to helppeople get fit and manage their health.Raynor, 49, is working with a personaltrainer, attending cardiac rehab andlearning from a nutritionist - all at nocost to her. Her progress will becharted and updated each week onCNN's "American Morning."

• WASHINTON‘Off’ switch may be best shieldagainst indecency in media

The answer to the national debateover decency in the media might besimple: Control the remote, lest theremote control you. Is media decency afaith issue? “Everything is a faithissue,” says Philip Patterson, authorof The Electronic Millstone: ChristianParenting in a Media Age. “Scripturetells us to ‘test everything.’ I thinkthat applies to the media I watch,” hesays. Teresa Tomeo, a Christian radiotalk-show host in Denver, encouragesvisitors at www.teresatomeo.com topray for change in media, join letter-writing campaigns to network offi-cials, and boycott programs andadvertisers’ products when appropri-ate.

By Elliott Wright

NEW YORK — Contributions tothe United Methodist Committee onRelief for Asian tsunami relief passedthe $4 million mark during the MartinLuther King Jr. holiday weekend andpassed the $6 million mark by January31st.

“We are still opening checks,” saidRoland Fernandes, treasurer of theUnited Methodist Board of GlobalMinistries, the parent organization ofUMCOR.

The death toll from the tidal wavesthat swept the Indian Ocean the dayafter Christmas reached 220,000 onJan. 19.

“The outpouring of love andconcern in the form of dollars isdeeply touching,” said the Rev. R.Randy Day, chief executive of themission board. Two days earlier, hehad returned from Indonesia, thehardest hit of the 12 countries sweptby the gigantic waves.

Contributions included in the $4million figure are primarily fromtelephone and online credit-carddonations and checks sent directly toUMCOR.

Fernandes said this included somebut by no means all of the moneygiven through local church collectionsand forwarded through denomina-tional channels. He noted a significantslowdown in online contributions inrecent days. “This is quite natural aswe move away from the immediateemotional impact of the tragedy,” hesaid.

Day and a delegation of United

Methodist mission and communica-tions leaders visited the island ofSumatra, near the epicenter of theearthquake that caused the tsuna-mis, on Jan. 11-16. The group tookmore than 100,000 doses of medicinefor tsunami survivors.

Dr. Charles Yeh from the Chi-nese Christian Relief Association inTaiwan and Indonesian Methodistswill use medications presented by adelegation of leaders from theUnited Methodist Church to aidtsunami victims in Bireuen, Indone-sia.

UMCOR is engaged in bothimmediate and long-term relief andrehabilitation in the affected area.Its work is coordinated with that ofother Methodist and humanitarianagencies, and it puts a high priorityon collaboration with local effortsand personnel.

Donations to UMCOR’s “SouthAsia Emergency” relief efforts canbe placed in local church offeringplates or sent directly to UMCOR,475 Riverside Drive, Room 330, NewYork, NY 10115. Designate checksfor UMCOR Advance #274305 and“South Asia Emergency.” Onlinedonations can be made atwww.methodistrelief.org. Thosemaking credit-card donations can call(800) 554-8583.

Wright is the information officer of theUnited Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

United Methodist Bishop Joel Martinez (right) prays over a shipment ofmedicine presented by a delegation of leaders from the United Methodist Church toaid tsunami victims in Bireuen, Indonesia. At left is delegation member Kyung ZaYim, president of the denomination’s Women’s Division. A UMNS photo By ElliottWright

Giving to UMCOR tsunami relief exceeds $6 million

The Ministry of UMCOR aroundthe world is made possible whenyour church pays 100% of itsConnectional Ministry Asking.

www.epaumc.org

FEBRUARY 2005 5 5 5 5 5

• INDONESIANew UMC.org feature offersfull coverage of delegationvisit to Asia

UMC.org, the official Web site of theUnited Methodist Church, haslaunched a new online feature packageoffering immediate reports from adelegation of mission and communica-tion leaders who visited Indonesia inJanuary. Accessible from UMC.org’shome page, the Indonesia delegationfeature includes print, photo and videoreports provided by a team of report-ers from United Methodist Communi-cations. The Rev. Larry Hollon, head ofUMCom, also shares his personalaccounts of the trip through hisWeblog on the site.

• INDONESIAUpper Room plans long-termspiritual tsunami assistance

The Upper Room, a United Methodistministry that provides spiritualresources to people around the world,is focusing on the emotional needs ofthe victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami. TheUpper Room, housed at the UnitedMethodist Board of Discipleship inNashville, TN, is a global ministry thatmeets the spiritual needs of peoplethrough devotional magazines, booksand printed resources. Its devotionalguide, The Upper Room, has editionsand partners serving people in nearlyall of the Indian Ocean areas affected

By Linda Beher

NEW YORK — How well do reliefoperations follow through withrehabilitation after “mega-disasters”such as the earthquake and tsunamisthat swept the Indian Ocean Dec. 26?

The New York Times posed thatquestion in a front-page story Jan. 11,using as examples the 1998 hurricaneMitch in Honduras, the 2000 floods inMozambique and the 2003 earthquakein Iran. The story described unfinishedhousing dotting the Honduranlandscape and uncompleted projects inBam, Iran. “We are abandoned,” aresident of Tegucigalpa, Honduras,said.

“In big, complex recoveries frommega-disasters, we plan to be in placefor a long time — for years,” said theRev. Kristin Sachen of the UnitedMethodist Committee on Relief.

“I do not doubt that more rebuild-ing is needed in Honduras,Mozambique and Iran. Though anumber of organizations have leftthose three countries, UMCOR is stillat work,” she said, “just as we will bein the Indian Ocean region long afterthe media and dignitaries leave.”

“Our volunteers are still rebuild-ing houses in the Honduran towns ofTegucigalpa, Subriana and LaCeibita,”said the Rev. Paul Dirdak, UMCOR’schief executive. “We sent 45 teams toHonduras in 2004 and have even morescheduled for 2005. In Iran, throughgrants to our partner, the Interna-tional Blue Crescent, UMCOR contin-ues to minister to children in Bam.”

UMCOR has also built housingunits in Cuba with funds donated for

Hurricane Mitch recovery. In2004, 20 families in a smallfishing town at the west edge ofHavana moved into new apart-ments and another 100 receivedupgraded water service as aresult of UMCOR work there —six years after the hurricanestruck.

United Methodist donationsare still at work in Mozambique,another country mentioned inthe Times. Floods in 2000 devas-tated whole villages. UMCORhelped build houses in the newvillage of Mangoanine for 70families that lost both theirhomes and land. A secondproject begun later in Bantuinvolves building 138 flood-resistant brick homes using abrick-making machine pur-chased by UMCOR. Landmineremoval and school constructionare ongoing projects across thecountry.

“United Methodists areextremely generous in respond-ing to disasters,” Sachen said.“This means we can stay withpeople as long as it takes to getthem back on their feet. It’s theway United Methodists do things— having the patience to staywith the most vulnerable, howeverlong it takes. We don’t quit.”

Cash gifts will help UMCORcontinue to support local relief effortsin the South Asia disaster area as wellas other regions. Checks can be mailedto UMCOR, 475 Riverside Dr., Room330, New York, NY 10115. One hundredpercent of every donation to any

tsunami relief contributions to the2004 or 2005 tax years, as long as thegift designated for 2004 is made by Jan.31.

Beher is communications director for theUnited Methodist Committee on Relief, a unit of theUnited Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

UMCOR stays course in ‘mega-disaster’ relief

appeal, including “South Asia Emer-gency,” UMCOR Advance #274305, goesto support recovery efforts in thedisaster-stricken regions.

Donors using a credit card maycall toll free (800) 554-8583 or giveonline at MethodistRelief.org. TheInternal Revenue Service will allowdonors to decide whether to apply

A fishing boat rests in the street in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, following a Dec. 26 tsunamikilled thousands in the region. A delegation of mission and communications leaders of theUnited Methodist Church visited areas of Sumatra, Indonesia, near the epicenter of theearthquake that triggered the waves. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

by the tsunami, including Indonesia,India and Sri Lanka, as well as inSingapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong andelsewhere. The guide is localized andprinted and distributed in each ofthese areas.

• SRI LANKASri Lankans work acrossreligious lines to help withrecoveryBATTICALOA — Abdul Mahid standslooking at what is left of his house.Unlike his neighbors, he is not search-ing through the rubble – all thatremains of his home. “More than 50 ofmy neighbors died,” he says. He is stilldazed at having escaped the force ofthe waves with his life. Abdul Mahidlived and owned a store inKattandkudy in Batticaloa, on the eastcoast of Sri Lanka. Whole areas of histown and villages nearby were obliter-ated by the tsunami that crashed intothe coastline Dec. 26. In this part oftown, the Muslim Quarter, 1,000residents have been confirmed dead,says the Rev. Nadarajah Arulnathan,who is coordinating area relief effortsfor the National Christian Council ofSri Lanka – a member of the globalalliance Action by Churches TogetherInternational. The National ChristianCouncil/ACT is heading the coordina-tion of medical assistance to 10 campsin the Batticaloa area, where about5,500 were killed. “It is a big challengeto feed them,” Arulnathan says.

• ENGLANDMethodists across Europerespond to tsunamiLONDON — Horrified by what theysaw and heard of the destructionwrought by deadly tsunamis in SouthAsia, Methodists across Europe havelined up to help in whatever way theycan. A congregation in the north ofEngland is filling and shipping plasticcrates called “aquaboxes” that containwater purification and filter equip-ment. An elderly Irish Methodistcouple donated their governmentwinter fuel subsidy to those theybelieve have more need of the money.Lithuanian United Methodists col-lected a special offering that will go tothe United Methodist Committee onRelief ’s tsunami response. SlovakianUnited Methodists are collectingdonations for the entire month ofJanuary. And in the Czech Republic,where United Methodists rememberthe devastating effects of recent floodsin their own country, congregationshave organized a national appeal. Thestory is similar in Switzerland,Germany and other parts of Europe.

• GERMANYEuropean youth discern God’scall for their livesBRAUNFELS — Young United Meth-odists from Central Europe gatheredin late 2004 to discern God’s call fortheir lives. The 45 Methodist partici-pants, ages 16 to 26, gathered in

November for EuropeanExploration 2004, a weekend eventmodeled after the biennial U.S. Explo-ration events that the denomination’sBoard of Higher Education andMinistry has sponsored for the past 12years. The European gathering,sponsored by the denomination’scentral (regional) conferences inEurope, offered the participants anopportunity to look at using faith indaily life, no matter what professionthey choose.

• URUGUAYMethodist sees hope in newUruguay rulerQUITO — The year 2004 was notablefor the emerging of left-wing govern-ments in Latin America, and a Protes-tant leader believes that in Uruguay,this could lead to a change in theprivileged position the dominantRoman Catholic Church has held. InUruguay, voters participating inOctober elections — the first since asevere economic crisis two yearsearlier — chose the country’s firstleftist president, Tabare Vazquez, whowill take over leadership of thecountry in March. “One thing is forsure: Uruguay will not change drasti-cally,” said the Rev. Oscar Bolioli,president of the Methodist Church inUruguay, commenting on the left-wingvictory. But the election result repre-sented a key step forward for a histori-cally fragmented left, as it “actedtogether,” he said.

www.epaumc.org

66666 FEBRUARY 2005

Continued from Pg 1

is to bridge those divides of the whiteand black communities.”

He grew up in the delta region, thepoorest region of Mississippi, whichMosley characterizes as twenty yearsbehind rest of Mississippi, which istwenty years behind rest of country interms of race relations and inclusive-ness. “I was taught that we could notgo into public library, and at 12, myfriend Lee and I said we ought to readsome books. That caused a stir in thelibrary.”

First UMC is now becoming aconnector themselves - to welcomethose who might not feel welcomeotherwise. The kids in program are allAfrican-American, come from theinner city, and probably come fromlower income families.

The first objective was to encour-

age interaction, with students beingspecial guests at meal and having themperform. Feeling welcomed, thestudents themselves said they wantedto go to church at First UMC. Dr.Johnson and Mosley arranged pro-grams for students over breaks. Whenstudents got back in the fall, Johnsonhad pulled together program askingfamilies to sign up. At one time theyhad more families than students. Thenword got out and more students signedup.

Participants are required to have atleast two or three interactions persemester. They can choose togetherwhether the families invite the stu-dents to meals or to go out.

One family had lost their onlydaughter who was their pride and joy.“They’ve been very depressed,” saidMosley. The young woman y who wasassigned to this family happened tohave lost her mother when she was aninfant. The mother called up herstudent on the girl’s birthday, askingwhat she was going to do for herbirthday. Mosley said, “The girl saidshe had no plans. And the motherarranged for a cake and a party withfriends. Clearly, a generational divideand a racial gap have been bridged.”

Ama, a student in the program whocomes from West Africa, recently satbraiding her adopted mother’s hairinto African cornrows. The motherwore it to church the next morning.Mosley sees “transformative stuff” inthis kind of interaction, “and the

College students flock to church in Schuylkill Havenchurch is at the core of it. The churchis the bridge.”

Ama says of her relationship withher adopted mother, “I can call her andwe can go to her house and hang out.It’s nice. She calls me once a week,and I call her. We email each other.”Explaining her background, Ama said,“I am not Christian. My religion isAkan from Ghana, West Africa.Coming here, she (my adopted mother)was open to learning about myreligion and I was open to going tochurch with her.” Forty-five studentsare now part of the program, and eachis assigned a family.

Dr. Johnson had noticed in her inher work on campus that there waslittle interaction of students withchurches or spirituality on thecampus. Most students come fromurban area and had little feeling ofbelonging to or connection with thecommunity. She also saw how herchurch had wanted more involvementwith youth and campus. Now shereceives calls from other churchesasking if they can get involved in theadopt-a-family program.

Johnson notes that informal get-togethers work best in buildingrelationships. Once the relationshipaspect fell into place, the programbegan to see success. “The familiesand students share things they havein common - feelings, love, willingnessto grow and move beyond comfortzone. Now both students and familiesare on the waiting list,” she said.

Annual Conferenceschedule set

The June Session of Annual Confer-ence will open with worship mid-dayWednesday, June 15th, include eveningbusiness sessions, and adjourn withthe Ordination Service Friday evening,June 17th. Lunch will be provided onWednesday.

The June session (except for theClergy Session) will be held at theLoews Hotel (the recently renovatedformer PSFS Building) at 12th andMarket Streets in Philadelphia.

Because of a recent Judicial Councilruling which now allows ClergySessions to be held at a separate placeand time, EPA’s 2005 Clergy Sessionwill be held at Hempfield UnitedMethodist Church on Monday, June13th, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. TheChurch is located at 3050 MariettaAvenue, Lancaster, PA 17601. Fordirections, go to:www.hempfieldchurch.org

The Laity Session will be held at theLoews Hotel on Wednesday, June 15th,from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. There willalso be an additional Laity meetingThursday, June 16th during breakfastfor those who cannot attend theWednesday Laity Session.

The rates will include 2 nights stay(Wednesday & Thursday), parking andfood for two and half days (2 break-fasts, 3 Lunches and 3 dinners).Complete details, including rates, willbe available in the registration materi-als, which will be mailed in February.

Annual Conference Workshops

One more reason to attend Annual Confer-ence in Philadelphia June 15-17, 2005.

Workshops are back - they are different,informative and exciting. Registrationinformation will be included in your confer-ence booklet.

The DNA of Small Membership Churches -Small member churches of less than 200members represent the largest number ofcongregations in America. Yet many smallchurches don’t understand their structureenough to be healthy. Join Al Maloney as heprovides facts on ways to understand thestrengths and weaknesses of these churchesand how those attributes play a vital role inthe vitality of the church.

Technology and the Local Church - Thisworkshop led by members of the conferencetechnical staff will teach the awesome powerof Technology in the church. The face ofworship is changing and you won’t want tomiss this opportunity to learn and askquestions on “Worshipping with Technology”

The Ministry of Finance - Building theLocal Church Budget - Steve Morton willshare valuable information on the local churchbudget and how it impacts the total churchministry, mission and programs. Pastors andmembers of the Finance and Stewardshipteams will benefit from this workshop.

Writing Successful Proposals and Grants -Join Lenora Thompson for an overview of howlocal churches miss out on available funds togrow ministries by not understanding thecomponents of grants and where to look forfunding. Learn how to take the informationyou have and use it to write grants that work.

Healing the Wounds - An Overview - Manyof you expressed some concern in attendingthis mandatory workshop. Join the core teamin this overview of what to expect for yourinvestment of time and money. Not to beconfused with the actual workshop, this is anopportunity to ask questions from the expertsand feel more comfortable in attending thethree day program.

Youth and Christ Servant Ministry - WhereDo They Fit? Pastors will want to attend thisinformative workshop on preparing youth toserve as Christ Servant Ministers. Youthunderstand and are already involved withvolunteerism in the local church. Prepare themfor future service.

Stewardship a Matter of the Heart - Thisworkshop will help members of the localchurch overcome the barrier of giving andprovide ways to start the stewardship process.Learn effective tools to help promote awillingness to make commitments.

Beyond Belief! Developing a Vision for YourCongregation - This exciting workshopaddresses the topic of vision and the signifi-cant role it has in the overall health of themission and ministry of a church. Join ValHastings as he guides participants in gaining astrong understanding of the power of vision,how to cast a vision and the nuts and bolts ofimplementing a vision.

Multiple Intelligence, the Art of DevelopingSpiritual Gifts! - This new and innovativeworkshop looks at laity and how they can beempowered in the congregation. You won’twant to miss this different approach to thepartnership between clergy and lay.

Property Liability, Workers Comp and RiskManagement - a must for Trustee Chairs andPastors.Jim Lewis from the ConferenceInsurance Group gives valuable insight intowhat’s new in insurance and things we shouldbe doing as a matter of protection.

Emerging Trends and Demographics - PeterWernett, President of Percepts offers valuableinformation on demographics and how it canbe used to respond to the community, a mustfor new church starts and for churches wantingto identify need in their community anddiscover their “target audience”. This valuableinformation is being used successfully in manyof our local churches

Charles Wesley, the Founder of Methodism-Join Chuck Yrigoyen, as he provides a historicoverview of the research complied for hisrecent book. Chuck always provides us withhistoric views that can be used in today’senvironment. For those who want to under-stand more about the United MethodistChurch and its beginnings, you won’t want tomiss this experience.

HEALING THE WOUNDS OFRACISM WORKSHOPS

Southeast: Jan. 28-30, Sept. 22-24Southwest: Feb. 24-26East: March 14-16Northwest: April 29-May 1Northeast: May 19-21, Oct. 21-23Central: Aug. 26-28, Aug. 22-24General Area: Nov. 7-9For the full brochure and registration

form, go to: www.epaumc.org/NewsDetails.asp?pageID=655

Members and churches of The EasternPennsylvania Conference contributed atotal of $14,803.64 toward the Peter D.Weaver Service Fund for the BethlehemHaven Ministry in Pittsburgh, PA.

www.epaumc.org

FEBRUARY 2005 7 7 7 7 7

serve the Harry Hosier United Method-ist Church (UMC), a new church startin the Logan Community of Philadel-phia. Blanks stated, “I havehad a fun-filled, challenging,rewarding, holistic ministry.Not only was it a newcongregation, but thecommunity was new in thatit was changing - African-Americans, Asian-Ameri-cans, Indian-Americans weremoving in and whites weremoving out. We shared ourbuilding with three fledglingcongregations: one Asian andtwo Indians. On the cuttingedge, we looked at how best we couldlive together and do what we needed todo to help each other - which includedEnglish classes as a second languagein the Harry Hosier Church.”

Bishop F. Herbert Skeete appointedRev. Blanks to Mother African ZoarUMC in 1985. At Mother African Zoar,he led the congregation in a year longBicentennial celebration in 1994 and a$300,000 historic building renovationprogram. Working with the West

this donation to UMCOR with me.” “Five hundred dollars per month

would be easy, but I would like to raise$1,000 per month,” Gaspar said. “If Iwake up in the middle of the night, Igo see how my sales are doing. Myhusband, Ruben, makes a trip nearlyevery day to the post office beforegoing off to work.”

She easily spends six hours a dayposting auctions on the computer andpackaging postcards to mail tocustomers.

Poplar Neighborhood AdvisoryCommunity Development Corporation,a $9 million Nehemiah Housing Grantwas secured to do more than 180affordable Townhouses for first-timehomeowners. This housing project

brought a long awaitedrenaissance to the WestPoplar Community. It alsoproved to the mayor andcity leaders that if youbuild in North Philadel-phia, people will returnand invest their resources.

Bishop Peter D. Weaverappointed Rev. Blanks toJanes Memorial UMC in2001. Playing a strong rolein the community, he

serves as chair, Resource DevelopmentCommittee of African American Inter-Denominational Ministries; vice-chair,North Philadelphia Health Systems;chair, Patient Services and PlanningCommittee St. Joseph’s Hospital; chair,City of Philadelphia Fair HousingCommission; and member of Black/Jewish Coalition, First HospitalFoundation, Greater PhiladelphiaHealth Action, and Korean Commu-nity Development Service Center. He is

the only United Methodist pastor tohave served as president of BlackClergy of Philadelphia and Vicinityand the second United Methodistpastor to serve on the School Board ofthe City of Philadelphia (the late Rev.Dr. Henry H. Nichols, longest-tenuredpastor of Janes UMC was the first).

Rev. Blanks’ service to EasternPennsylvania Conference and theGeneral Church includes the follow-ing: delegate and alternate to Jurisdic-tional Conference; president, UnitedMethodist Metro. Ministries, Inc.;member of the Board of OrdainedMinistry and District Committee onMinistry; member and former presi-dent of Black United MethodistPreachers; member and formertreasurer of National Black Method-ists for Church Renewal.

As a part of his global ministry,Pastor Blanks has traveled to theIvory Coast, Korea, Zimbabwe, Israel,Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia,Hungary, and Austria.. A volunteerwith Operation Smile, a medicalorganization which does facial recon-struction focused on cleft-lip/palateimpairment of children, Pastor Blankswent on several mission trips to

Kenya. He has made a commitment towork with an indigenous Kenyancommunity group to develop and builda medical clinic.

As a district superintendent,Blanks envisions his role to be one ofwalking with pastors and congrega-tions, getting to know them, as well asworking, supporting, encouraging andliving with them in the midst of day today ministry. “These are exciting andchallenging times to be God’s ambassa-dors. The stronger the local church,the greater the impact in transforminglives and communities; thus, a morevisible witness as Christians in theUnited Methodist Church. After a 30year journey of pastoral/communityministry, I come as a pastor to workwith clergy and laity for the advance-ment of the Kingdom of God.”

Blanks is husband to Judith, fatherof Jason, Noelle and Averie, andgrandfather of LaTise and Jasmine. Hecredits a good diet, a regular exerciseprogram and a strong devotional lifeas supplying the power and staminaneeded for the challenge of ministry.

Known as “postcardpastor” oneBay, Gaspar has sold postcards tocustomers all over the world. Whilegiving the name of her church on eachauction, she also sees her auctions asreaching out in the name of Christ.People from different continents havee-mailed her with such questions as,“Are you really a pastor?” and “I didn’tknow women could be pastors.”

Several customers and even non-customers have sent donations,sometimes including an additionalamount above their postcard purchaseas a donation. “People have sent

money for the church, sending me $10on a sale of $3.50, and ask me to putthe rest in the plate,” she said.

“Ebay is a global market, and soit’s amazing what people will buy. Ihave sold postcards to people fromIsrael, all over Europe, Africa, Japan,South America, Thailand and HongKong.”

Gaspar has received more than8,000 positive feedbacks (indicatingcustomer satisfaction) from more than4,251 customers since March 1999. Shesells just about anything in terms ofpostcards, new or old, even if in raggedand horrible condition, as those arepurchased for scrap booking. Custom-ers like local or global cards, dogs,cats, floral and art cards, old docu-ments, stamps and first day covers.

“Your mission field is anywhereyou make it,” Gaspar mused.

While in nursing school in herearly 20s, she had wanted to be amissionary in the United States, butchanged those plans when she met herfuture husband, Ruben, while bothwere attending Arch Street UnitedMethodist Church in Philadelphia. Asa registered nurse for 28 years, Gaspartook care of people who are nowmembers of her church, viewing thisas having nurtured their bodies andtheir souls. Now, with her own walk-ing disability, she finds members atGladwyne United Methodist Churchnurturing her.

In order to accommodate Gaspar’swalking disability, Gladwyne con-verted its downstairs room into amultipurpose room and sanctuary, tomake it accessible.

The upstairs, formerly the sanctu-ary, houses a home schooling projectfor 33 children from kindergarten tograde 12, of Christian, Jewish andMuslim faiths. On Sundays, thechurch building also hosts a newchurch start, a non-denominationalPilipino congregation.

Gladwyne is a small, strugglingcongregation in a tiny village thatused to be a mill town, and is nowsurrounded by multimillion-dollar

mansions inhabited by some ofPhiladelphia’s richest and mostfamous celebrities.

“Rather than feel ‘helpless’ in lightof these tsunami events, this is oneway we can come together and provideextra dollars to UMCOR relief inSouth Asia,” Gaspar said of herpostcard ministry.

She welcomes donations ofpostcards of any sort, in any condi-tion. They can be sent to her at 317Iven Ave., St. Davids, PA 19087. She canbe contacted by e-mail atcharlenegaspar@comcast.net.

A hundred percent of all dona-tions to UMCOR go to emergencyrelief around the world. As on Jan. 10,contributions to UMCOR for tsunamirelief reached $2 million, a figure thatincorporates online giving andtelephone credit card donations butonly part of the boxes of checksreceived so far.

The Internal Revenue Service willallow donors to decide whether toapply their tsunami relief contribu-tions to the 2004 or 2005 tax years, aslong as the gift designated for 2004 ismade by Jan. 31. UMCOR is exemptfrom tax under the Internal RevenueCode and qualifies for the maximumcharitable contribution deduction bydonors.

More information about UMCOR’sministries is available at www.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/. Donations can beplaced in local church offering platesor sent to UMCOR, 475 Riverside Dr.,Room 330, New York, NY 10115.Donations by credit card can be madeat (800) 554-8583 or by going online towww.MethodistRelief.org.

Contributions specifically fortsunami disaster relief should bedesignated for UMCOR Advance#274305, “South Asia Emergency.”

A UMTV report is available atumns.umc.org.

Keenan is director of communications for theEastern Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conferenceof the United Methodist Church.

Pastor’s postcard hobby becomes ministry for disaster relief

Bishop Matthews Ralph E. Blanks appointed to CabinetContinued from Pg 1

Continued from Pg 1

RALPH E. BLANKS

www.epaumc.org

88888 FEBRUARY 2005

The Camping Board and Conferencestaff received word on January 14 thatthe Rev. David Berkey has accepted theposition of Executive Director forCamps and Retreat Ministry of theFlorida Conference of the UnitedMethodist Church, effective in March.

Rev. Berkey has been the Director ofCamp and Retreat Ministry of the EPAConference since May, 1995, duringwhich time there has been significantgrowth in the program, revenue andfacilities. Overall revenue is up nearly75% and summer campers have risento over 5400 registrations during theten year period. The conference-widecapital campaign from 1998-2002yielded $1.5 million and has resulted inthe construction of a new recreationcenter at Innabah, dining hall atPocono Plateau, retreat lodge atGretna Glen, and the planning for anew multi-purpose building at Carson-Simpson Farm.

It’s cold outside! Want to feel“strangely warm”? How aboutstarting to think about Summer Camp2005 with the Eastern PA Conferenceat Carson-Simpson Farm, GretnaGlen, Innabah and Pocono Plateau!

Prayer will be an active part of everyday at camp this summer as we exploretogether the theme “PRAY!” As Paulwrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstances, forthis is the will of God in Christ Jesusfor you.” Campers will be encouragedto see that living lives of prayer helpsthem see God at work in their livesand in the world.

There are 114 different events tochoose from at our four Eastern PAcamp and retreat centers for ages Pre-K through Grandparents. There aremore new events each year that areworth looking into including familyand parent/child camps, sports daycamps, mission/work project camps,fishing camps, music and drama

camps, movie and computer camps,late night and stay-up-all-night-sleep-during-the-day camps, bike and paddlecamps, and lots of exciting adventuresto challenge campers and grow lastingfriendships. Events include daycamps, three-day overnight, six-dayovernight and trip camp opportuni-ties.

Complete information on “PRAY!”,the 2005 Summer Camp program of theEastern PA Conference of the UMC,including a downloadable registrationform, is available on line atwww.epaumc.org/camping or at eachof the sites individual web sites:www.csfarm.org, www.gretnaglen.org,www.innabah.org, andwww.poconoplateau.org. You can callour toll free number 1-877-UMC-CAMPto order a summer camp catalog or tobe connected directly to any of ourfour camp and retreat centers.

The printed version of the summercamp catalog was mailed to thechurches and summer camp families

on Monday, January 24, and individualsite brochures were mailed to summercamp families earlier in January. On-line registration is available as well asmail-in and fax registration. Creditcards are accepted.

Scholarships are available fromvarious sources for those campers andfamilies that are facing economichardship. No camper is to be refusedan opportunity to attend due tofinancial reasons. The application forthe EPA Conference Campership isincluded on the registration form.Camper families are encourage to seekscholarship help from their localchurch first, then the camp/retreatcenter at which the event is takingplace.

What a great opportunity it is toserve as a summer camp volunteer!Program directors, counselors, nurses,chaplains, registrars, maintenanceand food service volunteers are needed.Training is provided. Most volunteershave such a great experience that they

come back year after year! Scholar-ships are available for adult volunteersto send their children to camp duringthe week that they serve. Pastors areencouraged to take a non-vacationweek to join us in this vital ministry.Take a look at the catalog and choosea week to help make a difference in achild’s life this summer!

The Volunteer Program DirectorTraining Day is set for Tuesday, March1st at Innabah for all four sites. As inyears past, there will be identicalsessions from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (includ-ing lunch) and from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30p.m. (including dinner). This will beour final opportunity to share in theministry of the Rev. David Berkey whois leaving Eastern PA to becomeExecutive Director of Camps andRetreat Ministry in the FloridaConference. Please register throughthe camp/retreat center at which yourevent will take place this summer.Volunteer counselors are also welcometo attend. The snow date is March 8th.

In his new position in Florida, Rev.Berkey will oversee a state-wide UnitedMethodist camp and retreat ministrybased in Leesburg that includes a 400-bed adult retreat and conferencecenter with a youth/children’s campacross the road, all on Lake Griffin.There is also a South Florida Campnear Ft. Myers and Lake AsburyRetreat Center near Jacksonville. Thenew position will begin in March witha job-share transition to take placeduring the month of February.

“I’m leaving with a mixture ofexcitement and sadness, “ says Rev.Berkey. “It is a wonderful opportunityand challenge with the Florida Confer-ence as they are seeking to do a newthing with camp and retreat ministryin forming a new board and developingnew programs and fund-raising. I amconfident that the situation with thecamp and retreat centers in EasternPA is on solid ground. We have a great

staff and volunteer leadership thatwith God’s help will guide the ministryinto the future.”

The Human Resources Committee ofthe EPA Conference and the Office ofCongregational Transformation willbe developing the job description forthe Director of Camping and Nurture

Ministries over the next few weekswith the hope of advertising theposition sometime in March or April.For further information, pleasecontact the Rev. Larry Leister, Execu-tive Director of CongregationalTransformation, at 610-666-9090, ext.230.

Summer camps gear up for faith and fun in the sun

EPA Camping program and leadership to undergo changes

By Stacy Martin

December continued to presentmore “firsts” for me as I learn moreabout my ministry in my new positionas Director of the Foundation. TheRev. Dr. Dorothy Watson Tatem, my co-chair, and I met with theScholarshipTeam to make awards forthe spring semester. Three awardswere made to individuals pursingdegrees from area seminaries with theintent of doing full-time ministrywithin the Eastern PennsylvaniaConference upon graduation: Tracy L.Bass, Kenneth Eugene DeWalt, andSamuel Derick Kofi Ashley.

The ability to grant scholarshipsfor seminary students within theEastern Pennsylvania Conference ismade possible by the generosity offunds set up by two people: GeorgeGarrett and Hilda Longenecker. Manyyears ago these two individualsestablished funds, in 1939 and 1988respectively, specifically to providescholarships to seminary students.Through the benefit of good invest-

ment management, the assets havegrown to a point where they canprovide significant assistance tostudents. Both individuals saw theimportance of helping future pastorswith their seminary expenses. Thefear of taking on such seminaryexpenses, especially for those seeking asecond career in ministry, preventssome individuals from pursuing acareer toward which God may becalling them.

In addition to awarding scholar-ships to students preparing for full-time ministry, the Scholarship Teamalso awards scholarships to under-graduate and graduate studentsstudying in other areas. These awardsare made in the spring for the upcom-ing academic year. If you, or someoneyou know, are interested in applyingfor scholarships for the 2005-2006academic year (Sept. - May), applica-tions and a list of scholarships areavailable on our websitewww.epaumc.org, under the Businessand Finance section, or, by calling

UM Foundation prepares for2005-2006 scholarships

See SCHOLARSHIPS P9

www.epaumc.org

FEBRUARY 2005 9 9 9 9 9

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP IN SMALL MEMBERSHIP CHURCHESApril 9, 2004, 9:00 - 4:00 Myerstown: Zion UMC, 22 E. Main Ave., Myerstown, PASpeaker/Trainer: Tony Pappas, The Alban InstituteContact Northwest District Office to register:

570.366.1471 or Gloria.Maloney@epaumc.org

Participants will learn:* Why small churches are central to God’s plan* Four current definitions of “small church” and why three are inadequate* Eight ways small-church culture differs from U.S. society and what to do about it* An affirming, challenging model for understanding the nature of the small church* Five attitudes that will help small-church leaders increase their leadership “batting

average” while having more fun* Six measures to small-church health* Six means to turn the “headaches” and “heartaches” of small-church ministry into an

agenda for health and growth* Eleven action strategies to introduce change into your small church

Most of the afternoon session will focus on:* Developing an effective, small-church-appropriate leadership strategy for your ministry* Examining nine functions of a healthy small church* Assessing your congregation’s current strengths* Targeting one or two areas for developing effectiveness

Many small churches stagnate because they have substituted inertia for the adventure ofGod’s calling, management for leadership, duty for joy, and guilt for giftedness. But thisworkshop will help small-church people break out of their constraints and re-find theexcitement of God’s presence and purpose!

Workshop Leader: Tony Pappas, the American Baptist Area Minister for southeasternMassachusetts, pastored a small Rhode Island church for 20 years. He edits The FiveStones-Newsletter for Small Churches and has authored five books, including entering theWorld of the Small Church - A guide for Leaders and Pastored Stress (both published by theAlban Institute). Dr.Pappas regularly speaks in local-church, regional, national, and interna-tional conferences on small-church issues.

This week’s “Quality Counts”report, issued by the D.C. -basedEducation Week, highlights the urgentneed for Pennsylvania to come toterms with providing a school financesystem that guarantees every childaccess to a quality public education.

This annual report, which assesseseach state’s progress in improvingpublic education, compares statesacross a broad array of indicators,including how states pay for educa-tion, how they distribute money toschool districts, and whether theytrack expenditures.Equity

According to the report, Pennsylva-nia remains in the bottom of the packamong states when it comes to thefairness of its system for fundingpublic schools, ranking 43rd andearning an overall grade of C-. Trail-ing Pennsylvania were North Dakota,Virginia, Illinois, Massachusetts,Montana, Idaho, New Hampshire,Vermont and District of Columbia.

Avid readers of past “QualityCounts” reports may recall that lastyear Pennsylvania ranked 48th.According to Education Week re-searcher Ronald Skinner, the change isless a result of anything Pennsylvaniadid than a change in the methodologyused by Education Week. This year’s

analysis excluded the state equaliza-tion effort, a measure that reflectsboth the percentage of funding foreducation provided by the state andthe extent to which those funds aretargeted to property-poor districts.While the measure can be an impor-tant indicator of state efforts toequalize funding across districts,Skinner said, it is “sometimes subjectto vagaries in the classification offinance data across the states, andmay not capture the multiple mea-sures states use to equalize funding.”Adequacy

In another departure, this year’sreport also dropped its grading ofstates on adequacy because “there isno agreed-upon measure of adequatespending on education.” More prob-lematic to Good Schools Pennsylvaniais that our historic high ranking onadequacy has always masked thedisparities among districts. And thisyear’s report shows just how “gross”those disparities are. Consider this:Pennsylvania’s average per pupilexpenditure is $8,328. However, only13.6% of Pennsylvania’s students arein districts that spend at or above thenational median of $6,208. In contrast,every neighboring state - includingWest Virginia — has close to 100percent of students in districts

spending at or above the nationalmedian!

Percent of students in districtswith per-pupil expenditures at orabove national median of $6,208:

* Delaware: 100%* Maryland: 100%* New Jerrsey: 100%* New York: 100%* Ohio: 90.2%* Pennsylvania: 13.6%* West Virginia: 99.1%These statistics should dispel any

myth that Pennsylvania is a high-spending state. Rather, Pennsylvaniastarts to look a lot like a third worldstate compared to our neighbors.

Other indicators show plenty ofroom for improvement as well: Penn-sylvania gets a B- in standards andaccountability, a C in efforts to im-prove teacher quality, and a C inschool climate.

Meanwhile, in the 2003 NationalAssessment of Educational Progress(NAEP), (also known as “the Nation’sReport Card”), Pennsylvania studentsscored as follows:

* 36% of 4th graders at or above proficientin math

* 30% of 8th graders at or above proficientin math

* 33% of 4th graders at or above proficientin reading

* 32% of 8th graders at or above proficientin reading

Despite the changes made to schoolfunding this year, lawmakers continueto balk at asking the really important

questions: What will it actually cost toenable all students to meet highstandards, and how are we going topay for it so we can ensure thatstudents from low-income communi-ties have equal opportunity? Withoutasking those questions, our approachto school funding is like throwingdarts at a target while blindfolded, andhoping to get it right.

Fourteen states are involved incosting out studies to answer suchquestions. Sixteen states are tied up inlitigation challenging the schoolfinance systems they now have inplace, according to the “QualityCounts” report, while over the pastfive years, lawsuits in 20 other stateshave been decided or settled, often inthe plaintiff ’s favor.

Until we have a responsible schoolfinance system in place, every qualityof life indicator for every Pennsylva-nian will suffer. The quality of ourschools affects our economic develop-ment, whether our cities and innerring suburbs flourish or wilt — evenwhether our open space is preserved orconsumed by migrating families insearch of better schools. It’s crucialthat the governor and the legislaturethis year continue to take steps toreduce the opportunity gap.

To read the “Quality Counts 2005”report, go to: www.goodschoolspa.org

IN MEMORIAMThe Rev. James T. Myers,retired elder

December 25, 2004.He is survived by his wife, Emily, 3

sons, grandchildren and great grand-children. Services were held Thursday,December 30, 2004 at Good ShepherdUMC, Security, Colorado. Condolencesmay be sent to Mrs. Emily S. Myers,325 Everett Drive, Colorado Springs,CO 80911. Memorials may be made toPikes Peak Hospice, 825 E. Pikes PeakAvenue, Suite 600, Colorado Springs,CO 80903.

The Rev. William C. Strother,Jr., retired elder

December 26, 2004.Services were held on Friday,

December 31, 2004, at Sayers MemorialUnited Methodist Church. Rev.Strother is survived by a daughter,Pricilla Anne Ramsey. Condolencesmay be sent to Shirley Tyree, 6135Ellsworth Street, Philadelphia, PA19143. In lieu of flowers, contributions

may be sent to the William StrotherMemorial Scholarship, c/o SayersMemorial United Methodist Church,6101 Catherine Street, Philadelphia, PA19143.

Rhea Flurer, widow of Rev.Frances G. Flurer

December 10, 2004.Mrs. Flurer was the surviving

spouse of Rev. Francis G. Flurer.Surviving Mrs. Flurer are two chil-dren, Lon David Flurer and Lois AnnSnyder. Condolences may be sent to Mr.Lon Flurer, PMB, 38, Ozark, AL 36361.

APPOINTMENTBishop Marcus Matthews an-

nounces the appointment of theReverend Ralph Blanks from JanesUMC to superintendent of the CentralDistrict, effective July 1, 2005.

Carol von Minden at 800-828-9093. Thedue date for applications this springhas been extended (for this springonly) to April 1, 2005.

Also included on the list arescholarships available through manyof the General Boards and Agencies ofthe United Methodist Church. Youcan find more information on thosescholarships by going towww.gbhem.org. In preparing for theScholarship Team meeting, I learnedthat the total amount of financial aidgiven by the General Board of HigherEducation and Ministry, Office ofStudent Loans and Scholarships in2003 was $68,660 to students in theEastern Pennsylvania Conference!

The UM Student Day Offering givesUnited Methodists an opportunity tosupport our students. In 2003, EPAmembers gave $6,360 to this offering.Inasmuch as 10% of the Student Dayoffering will come back directly to theEPA for local scholarships, ourstudents will receive an additional$636. Students in our Conference andaround the world really benefit fromour connectional giving!

If you are interested in helping tosupport our students with a direct gift,either for seminary students orundergraduate students, please call meat the Foundation at 800-828-9093 ext.247. While we have some funds avail-able, every contribution makes adifference in the life of a student orpossible future pastor!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT YOUTH ANNUALCONFERENCE 2005

Youth Annual Conference (YAC) 2005will be held at East StroudsburgUniversity the weekend of May 20-22,2005, one week later than previouslyannounced. This is to accommodatethe youth who will be involved inconfirmation activities on PentecostMay 15th. The theme for YAC 2005 is“Youth Under Construction” (Phil. 1:6)There will be speakers and musicgroups from our own Conference,games, workshops, small group Biblestudy, dancing and lots of fun! We are

trying to keep costs at a minimum tomaximize participation. Registrationwill be available on-line in February.Watch for a postcard and moreinformation at the conference web sitein the coming weeks. If you have arecommendation for a speaker or musicor drama group from the Conferenceplease e-mail the suggestion toGeorgette Hall-Peterson atghpeterson@comcast.net Make yourplans now to join us at YAC 2005!Please forward this announcement to

UM Foundation prepares for2005-2006 scholarships

Good Schools Pa: national report highlights need to close the equity gap

Continued from Pg 8

www.epaumc.org

1010101010 FEBRUARY 2005

By Linda Bloom

MEDAN, Indonesia – A UnitedMethodist team’s visit to the island ofSumatra followingthe Dec. 26 tsunamihas laid the founda-tion for a futurepartnership withthe Gereja Method-ist Indonesia(Methodist Churchof Indonesia).

United Method-ist Bishop JoelMartinez of SanAntonio said hefound Indonesianchurch leaders“genuinely pleasedand appreciative”about the Jan. 12-16visit. Martinez, whois president of thedenomination’sBoard of GlobalMinistries, co-ledthe delegation withthe Rev. R. RandyDay, the board’schief executive.

“We tried tolisten to the churchand get theirperspective, and then we also were ableto witness and observe for ourselves,”Martinez explained.

Part of that observation included atour of the devastated city of BandaAceh and impromptu visits to campsfor internally displaced persons. Eventhree weeks after the tsunami struck,the bishop believes “the full dimen-sions of the tragedy are not fullyknown” and expects the price tag ofthe disaster to exceed initial estimatesjust as the death toll did.

Although the tsunami swept overother Indian Ocean nations — includ-ing Sri Lanka, Thailand and India —the delegation chose Indonesia as theplace to make a pastoral call, to letIndonesian Methodists know that thegreater Methodist family was grievingwith them, according to Day. Sumatrasuffered 115,000 of the more than162,000 deaths caused by the tsunamiand the earthquake that triggered thegiant waves.

“While we mourn the people whodied in the tsunami, we’re also takingimmediateaction to carefor thesurvivors, sothe death tolldoesn’t gohigher,”Martinez said.That actionincludeddelivery ofmedicines thatthe Indone-sian churchcan use in itsrelief effortsin 11 camps fordisplacedpeople.

The Rev.David Wu, aboard staffexecutive andnative ofIndonesia,said he wasimpressed thatthe small

church had immediately set up anemergency relief committee on itsown, without asking for help.

“Perhaps bringing our church andtheir church together would create a

greater energy, a greater hope,” henoted.

Kyung Za Yim, president of theWomen’s Division, Board of GlobalMinistries, said she found the surveyof tsunami damage to be a “shockingand painful experience.”

After meeting with several churchwomen in the region, she said shehoped to help them coordinate effortsto participate in tsunami relief efforts,perhaps through the assistance of theWomen’s Division’s regional coordina-tor based in the Philippines.

“Once they set up a system, theycan empower local women to jointhem,” she said.

Day said he is thankful for theinitial generous response of UnitedMethodists to tsunami relief effortsthrough the United Methodist Com-mittee on Relief and Board of GlobalMinistries. Besides Indonesia, fundshave been directed to Sri Lanka andIndia, and future work is expected inThailand.

Coordinating with Asian leader-

ship, he would like to see new giftsdirected to the care of internallydisplaced people now living in camps,especially children. That care couldinclude housing, medical and educa-

tion needs. “We want to do ourpart in rebuilding those commu-nities,” he said.

As in other countries, therebuilding of communities byUMCOR covers people of allfaiths, according to the Rev. PaulDirdak, the relief agency’s chiefexecutive. In communitiesdivided by religion or ethnicity,“our projects are often opportu-nities for modeling coexistence,”he said.

One such possibility, headded, would be in the town ofMeulaboh, which was severelydamaged by the tsunami. Anequal number of homes could beconstructed for Methodists andMuslims there.

Day noted that Indonesia hasa long history of religioustolerance, even though it isoverwhelmingly Muslim. Thatfoundation of tolerance “gives abasis for cooperation as we dohumanitarian work together.”

“We would see it as an honorto work with Muslims in thelargest Muslim country in theworld,” he added.

Delegation members acknowl-edged the need for psychologicalas well as physical care inIndonesia. Dirdak pointed outthat Methodists there — inaddition to being “shocked andexhausted” from the first threeweeks following the disaster —carry the everyday strain ofbeing part of a small minorityand sometimes suffering fromdiscrimination.

Right now, Indonesian churchmembers and pastors are in a“survival mode,” Wu said. “Butdeeper than that, it’s a questionof theological understanding:Where is God in this disaster?”

If pastors don’t have thechance to process or cope withthis question, there will be adisconnect between what they

United Methodists forge ties with Indonesian church for recovery workpreach and what they feel.

Since many churches are notequipped to take this step, Wu said hehopes to organize a retreat for Indone-sian pastors to help unravel theologi-cal issues raised by the crisis.

Another concern is possiblediscrimination against some tsunamivictims by the Indonesian govern-ment. The Rev. Henry Leono, anIndonesian native and pastor of St.Paul United Methodist Church inWillingboro, N.J., said a number ofethnic Chinese that he met during thetrip expressed fear that the aid wouldnot reach them.

For Leono himself, the destructionof the area where he spent his child-hood was painful to see. “I feel sooverwhelmed by the magnitude of theneed,” he said.

He hopes the church can at leastkeep small relief projects going “tokeep their hope alive.”

The Rev. Larry Hollon, chiefexecutive of United Methodist Commu-nications, said his agency would helppresent the reality of the tsunamidisaster, in Indonesia and elsewhere, tothe denomination as a whole. “Myhope is that we can help interpret theneed, which is obviously for the long

term,” he said.He believes the immediate world-

wide response after the tsunamidemonstrates a rejection of hostilityand conflict in the face of human need.“A spirit of compassion lives aroundthe world, and people want to bridgethese divisions,” Hollon declared.

Donations to UMCOR’s “SouthAsia Emergency” relief efforts can beplaced in local church offering platesor sent directly to UMCOR, 475Riverside Drive, Room 330, New York,NY 10115. Designate checks forUMCOR Advance #274305 and “SouthAsia Emergency.” Online donationscan be made atwww.methodistrelief.org. Thosemaking credit-card donations can call(800) 554-8583. One hundred percent ofthe money donated to “South AsiaEmergency” goes to the relief effort.

Bloom is a United Methodist News Service newswriter based in New York. She is traveling with theUnited Methodist delegation to Indonesia.

UM Bishop Joel N. Martinez (left foreground) visits with a patientat the Rumah Sakit Methodist Hospital in Medan, Indonesia. Thewoman was evacuated from her home in Banda Aceh for treatmentfollowing the tsunami that devastated the area.

A Muslim Mosque stands relatively unscathed amongst a sea of debrisand destruction in Banda Aceh. However, the mosque did sustainextensive water damage inside [UMNS photo]

About 700 people who were displaced by the Dec. 26 tsunami are living in thiscamp in Bateilik, Indonesia. The Methodist Church of Indonesia is helping supportprograms at the facility. A delegation of mission and communications leaders fromthe denomination visited areas of Sumatra, Indonesia, near the epicenter of the

earthquake that caused the triggered the waves. [UMNS photo]

www.epaumc.org

FEBRUARY 2005 11 11 11 11 11

Jude 1:22And of some have compassion,making a difference. (King James Version)

The congregations of the EasternPennsylvania Conference and theirmembers really helped make a differ-ence for the children this Christmas!The gifts delivered to MethodistServices for Children and Familieswere distributed to more than 3,000children. Such a beautiful demonstra-tion of faithful love for others!

The following recounts the experi-ence of one Methodist Services staffmember and her visit to the Christmasparty at the Kensington office. Theyoung teens who received the gifts youdelivered struggle daily to focus ontheir school work while living in oneof the most violent and dangerousneighborhoods in Philadelphia. Theyknew that gifts they received at theparty would be the only gifts theywould receive. When the childrenopened the gifts at the party, they wererather sad, knowing that their parentscould not provide them with a giftchosen just for them.

“Janice, the program director,worked especially hard to find aspecial gift for each of the teens in herprogram - and thankfully this year we

had plenty of gifts so she could makegood choices. As each young personreceived their gift from under the tree,they were reluctant to open them.They wanted to save them for Christ-mas morning. Even after the giftswere opened, some young teens re-wrapped their gifts to bring home sothey could open them again. Theatmosphere was subdued, which wassad. This party was very differentthan what occurs in many homes andat other Christmas parties - the smilesand the joy are not long lasting. Thechildren’s eyes were so sad; they knewthat they are separated from otherchildren their age by the simple factthat they are so impoverished. Oneother issue is that often these childrenhave been mistreated and neglected, sowhen they do get a nice gift from us,they don’t think they are worthy toreceive it. After that party, I justwanted to go home and hug my sonsand tell them how much I love themand how wonderful they are.”

Methodist Services for Childrenand Families is an authorized childwelfare agency of the Eastern Penn-sylvania Conference providing vitalintervention, counseling and educa-tional programs in Philadelphia andrural northeastern Pennsylvania. Thegenerous support of individuals andtheir congregations allows crucial

Christmas, in the eyes ofthe children in Kensington

programs to continue.Angele Marie Parker, president and

CEO of Methodist Home for Children,extends thanks to all of the Churchesin the Conference, the United Method-ist Men and United MethodistWomen’s groups and parishioners forthe overwhelmingly generous outpour-ing of gifts for Christmas. Parkersaid, “You enabled more than 3,000children to have a joyful Christmas!Your gifts brought wide smiles andsome tears of happiness to children of

all ages. What a joy to bring Christ-mas gifts to every single child weserve! Your generosity made themothers in our Bridge House forWomen Transitional Housing Programproud to be able to give a toy to each oftheir children or grandchildren.”

Without your support the Method-ist Home for Children would not beable to serve all the children that theydo, which gives them hope for theirfuture. To find out more about theprograms, please call 215-877-1925.

Stuffed animals, games and other gifts sit ready to be distrubuted by MethodistServices for Children and Families to over 3,000 children.

Jose “Ricky” AyalaC.A.L.M. Missionary

Columbia Area Latino Ministry(CALM), with the partnership ofColumbia UMC held an event onJanuary 8 entitled “Star ofBethlehem.” Children and theirfamilies learned about a Latinotradition that celebrates “Three KingsDay” on January 6th.

More than 100 people enjoyed hotdogs, chips and refreshments preparedby the volunteer kitchen committeefrom Columbia UMC. A special play,based on scriptures reading fromMatthew 2:1-11 and Luke 2:1-20,involved seventeen children acting inthe roles of Mary and Joseph, shep-herds’ animals, and three wise menbringing gifts to baby Jesus. After-

wards the children received giftsdonated by sponsors who filled thewishes of the children from their wishlists.

Since the event was family ori-ented, there were gifts for parents aswell. It was a joy to see people ofdifferent backgrounds in one locationenjoying themselves, laughing to-gether and spending time with theirchildren (a big plus!).

CALM would like to thank thefollowing churches for their continuedsupport: Ruhls UMC (Manheim),Covenant UMC (Lancaster), MiltonGrove UMC and Columbia UMC.Through their generous donations, thechildren of this community arereached and through the children, theparents get involved also.

Family celebration shares Latinotraditions of Christmas holiday

2005 M em bershipA United M ethodist W itness in Pennsylvania

Nam e: ______________________________________________ Phone: ( ______ ) ______________ Area Code

Address: _________________________________________________________________________ Street, Box, RR, etc.

_________________________________________________________________________ City State ZIP

I would like to receive em ail Action Alerts at the following em ail address (please print clearly):

Em ail Address: ____________________________________________________________________

M em bership Dues/Gift enclosed (check one): ? $10 Dues ? Other Gift $_______________ Dues/gifts to A United M ethodist W itness in PA are not tax deductible (501c 4).

H elpful: House District______ Representative________________________________________

Senate District______ Senator______________________________________________

To quickly find your House and Senate District num bers and legislators, go to www.umwitnesspa.org and click on “Find Your Legislator”

M ail to:A United M ethodist W itness in Pennsylvania

216 State StreetHarrisburg, PA 17101

A UNITED M ETHODIST W ITNESS IN PENNSYLVANIAFAITH IN ACTION

W ITNESS strives to inform members of the United M ethodist Church and members of the General Assembly

about issues of social concern to church ministry such as the regulation of alcohol, preventing the expansion of

gambling, education quality, healthcare and welfare reform, and the repeal/reform of capital punishment.

ACT NOW !! M ake a difference, be involve. Join our online advocacy network— receive the latest

legislative updates and action alerts on issues of social concern to church ministry. Receive an invitation to

attend media events, advocacy days at the capitol, and annual meeting. Join A United M ethodist W itness in

Pennsylvania.

Together W e Can M ake a DifferencePenny W . Staver, Executive Director717-236-6363 * 800-511-4937 * umwitnesspa@ aol.com

If you wish to submit an article or photographs to the NEWSpirit using e-mail (we accept material viaU.S. Mail, too), here are some suggestions for you that will make our job easier and greatly increase yourchance of getting the information out in a timely manner.

We accept e-mailed articles in only the following formats:.doc Microsoft Word document.rtf Rich Text format.txt Simple text file

If you are sending us photos, we prefer them sent as actual stock photos. If you must send themelectronically, please send them either as .tif or .jpg. We cannot use pictures less than 800 pixels wide.

If you are sending logos or other graphic art, please send them in either .wmf or .eps format.Please do not imbed articles or graphics in e-mails. Send them as attachments. This will prevent us

from having to extract the file from the email.If you have previously sent us a submission and wish to update or correct it, please indicate that it is

an update or correction.If you have any questions about how to send material, please mail

communications@epaumc.org

NEWNEWNEWNEWNEWSpirit submission requirements

Subscribe today: 10 issues, $12Name_______________________________________________Address_____________________________________________City_____________________________State____Zip________Phone___________________________E-Mail______________

Mail to:Mail to:Mail to:Mail to:Mail to:NEWSpirit at Eastern Pennsylvania Conference

P.O. Box 820, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0820

www.epaumc.org

NEW BOOK COMING MID-APRIL 2004

“SEE HOW JESUS HANDLED REJECTION”Published by WinePress Publishing

(with Interactive Study Guide) - $9.95by GERALD H. IHLE

FOREWORD By Bishop Neil L. Irons, Ph.D.Resident Bishop, Harrisburg, PA Area, UMC

Bishop Irons: “Here is a kind of realism that remains optimistic in a world ofpeople that does not always welcome gospel.”

FEBRUARY 2004 12 12 12 12 12

VICE PRESIDENT FORACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND DEANOF FACULTYEvangelical School of Theology seekscreative leadership for its academicprograms and excellent faculty.Evangelical welcomes applicationsfrom all qualified persons who arecommitted to the mission, core values,and theological affirmations of theseminary. Send a CV and letter ofapplication to Dennis Hollinger,President, Evangelical School ofTheology, 121 S. College Ave.,Myerstown, PA 17067. Information onthe seminary and the position can befound at http://www.evangelical.edu

ASSOCIATE EDITOR & WRITERFor UM General Board of HigherEducation and Ministry. Edits andproofreads copy to assist GBHEMstaff in maintenance of accuracy,consistency, and quality control;develops and writes news releases toinform church constituencies ofGBHEM’s programs; writes articles

and other copy to assist staff indeveloping promotional materials;writes copy for ads, scripts, and othercustomized pieces to assist staffclients in communicating with churchconstituencies; tracks projects inprocess to keep all print and Webprojects on schedule; serves as staffliaison with Cokesbury DistributionCenter in tracking GBHEM stock inCokesbury warehouse system; andserves as staff liaison to Interpretermagazine. Some travel required. ApplyTo: GBHEM Human Resources, CherylStacker, P.O. Box 340007, Nashville, TN37203-0007; Phone: 615/340-7360; Fax:615/340-7048

KURZWEIL PRODUCTIONSTATION KEYBOARDModel: K2500X -88-note fully weightedpiano-style keyboard with proprietaryV.A.S.T. system, Polophony: 48 voices(or 24 stereo), display: 64 x 240 fluores-cent backlit display, and with outputs:8 audio outs (double inserts) plus mixmaster pair. 600 ohm stereo. Dimen-

sions: 54.3" x 17.8" x 4.8" Weight: 72lbs.. Has a hard travel case and stand.Original List price was $6,120. Asking$3,000. Call Rev. Judy Kehler at 610-767-2001 for further information.

COMMUNION CUPS AVAILABLEWe have many (100+) glass communioncups that we no longer use. If youwould like them, please contact EileenColelli at Glenside/Abington UMC, 137N. Easton Road, Glenside, PA 19038,telephone - 215-884-5251, e-mailgaumc1@juno.com.

FULL-TIME ASSOCIATE PASTORPOSITIONWith benefit package. Responsible fornew post-modern service, youth andyoung adult ministry. Immediateposition. Send resume to St. John’sUnited Methodist Church, P.O. Box 299,Seaford, DE 19973. Fax: 302-629-2467. E-mail: stjohns@dmv.com. Reply no laterthan Feb. 28, 2005.

DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVESERVICES FOR CUMAC/ECHO,INC. -Responsible for general bookkeeping,property and data management. It isan hourly paid position requiring 35- 40

hours per week (standard schedule tobe set and agreed upon). Maintainsand records business transactions,performing a variety of related tasks.Prepares reports. Uses experience toaccomplish goals within assignedparameters, working under generalsupervision. Is responsible for main-taining complete confidentiality of allinformation related to this position.Reports to the Executive Director. Formore details and directions forapplying, please e-mail The ReverendPatricia L. Bruger atpbruger@cumacecho.org or call theoffice at 973-742-5518 and requestinformation. The Center of UnitedMethodist Aid to the Community /Ecumenically Concerned HelpingOthers (CUMAC/ECHO) is a non-profit, outreach ministry of the UnitedMethodist Church dedicated to thealleviation of poverty and hunger inPaterson and Passaic County, NJ.

EASTWICK @ THE MEADOWSExceptional and Elegant Facility forEvents, Conferences, Weddings,Banquets and Balls. Full CateringServices on Premises, Professional,Personal, Personable and CapableStaff. For More Information or to tourthe facilities, please call (215) 365-1810.

SPRING GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP

The Office of Urban and Global Ministries invites local churches throughout the EPA to participate in a spring grant writingworkshop on these dates: April 5-7, 2005

Workshops will be held in two locations:April 5th (evening) and April 6th (morning) in PhiladelphiaApril 6th (evening) and April 7th (morning) in Reading(Each workshop will be in 2 sessions: evening and following morning.)The facilitator will be Dr. Joe D. Connelly an ordained United Methodist Minister who has served as a Church Growth

Consultant for the United Methodist denomination since 1994. One of his primary areas of focus has been grant writing. Dr.Connelly will cover Organization Readiness, Drafting and Proposal and Grant Research. This is a dynamic and interactiveworkshop to share the secrets of grant writing and help your church build its skills in this important method of financingministry to tour community.

For further information, a brochure and registration, please call Dr. Dorothy Watson Tatem,Director of the Urban/Global Office at 215-878-8054.