| Church helps six to attend college  CUMBERLAND In 1992, Emma Ruth Minke left $5,000 of her estate to Melvin UMC, as an endowment fund to provide scholarships to needy students.
 Not only did the church invest wisely, but because the will read that the principal must remain intact, they increased the fund through other memorial gifts and fundraising activities,  said Kim Smith.
This year the church scholarship committee provided $500 in cash gifts to six students who are members of the church. The recipients were Katherine N. Smith, a 2003 graduate, who will attend Allegany College of Maryland in the dental health program; Matthew D. Smith, a senior at Frostburg State University; and Christopher M. Smith, who is majoring in business administration at Allegany College of Maryland. All three are children of Marvin and Kimberly Smith. Other recipients were Keiria Pomeroy, a N ational Honor society member who plans to attend Chatham College in Pittsburgh and major in Spanish; Shaun Evans, a senior at Frostburg State University, majoring in computer science; and Dustin Dawson, who will study environmental analysis and planning at Frostburg State. Christian bands highlight fall festival ELLICOTT CITY Rockland UMC has turned the amphitheater grounds that block the church from noisy Route 29 into a concert venue for Christian bands. For the past two years they have held City on the Hill concerts twice a month through the summer. The season ended with a Fall Festival Sept. 27 that included four local Christian bands, along with crafts, childrens games and a barbecue. More than 100 people, many of whom had not previously been to the church, enjoyed the day and came to worship the next day, said the Rev. Mark Teasdale, who at 28 was the youngest pastor ordained as an elder in the conference. Adult Day Care Center opens BALTIMORE Epworth Chapel UMC opened a new Adult Day Care Center Sept. 28, in an area of north Baltimore that has few facilities to accommodate seniors with medical needs, reported the churchs communicator, Sarah Brown. The Rev. Louis Shockley, Baltimore North District superintendent spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The center will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week and can accommodate 39 senior citizens. Jeanette Revely, a registered nurse, is the centers director and will staff the facility full time. Church publishes on transgender WASHINGTON Dumbarton UMC recently published a booklet, Made in Gods Image: A Resource for Dialogue about the Church and Gender Differences, by member Ann Thompson Cook. Combining valuable information, personal sharing and resources, this booklet is a perfect starting place for any congregation, family or individual seeking to better understand transgender issues and to provide a supportive environment for all of Gods children, the books Web site says. The publication was launched at the Witness Our Welcome conference in Philadelphia in August, reported the churchs newsletter. Ten thousand copies were printed, with half of them going to Reconciling Ministries Network. The booklet focuses on transgender issues and is a companion piece to And God Loves Each One, that Cook wrote in 1988. To learn more see www.madeinimage.com .
 Bells UMC in Camp Springs celebrated World Communion Day Oct. 5, with a parade that included people of different ethnic backgrounds and countries of origin. Among them were, left to right, Carol Callahan, Mexico; Douglas Pfaff, China; Destoney Spurlock, Ivory Coast; Chanel Farmer and Cheyenne Holmes behind the Oriental parasol; Guy Holmes, China; Shea Farmer, India; Peg Weiss, Germany; Whitney Holmes, Cameroon, and Claire Kennedy in an American suit. Flags from many countries serve as a backdrop. Following the parade of nations and worship service, lunch was served with foods from Ireland, Nigeria, Mexico, Germany, Italy and China. | 
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