Online Archives

WE youth support Liberia clinic

LEONARDTOWN – About 24 youth from the Washington East District helped save lives at the Camphor Mission Health Clinic in Liberia, said the Rev. Dave Showalter, Washington East District youth coordinator.

The youth, their leaders and parents from St. Paul UMC in Lusby and First Saints Community UMC in Leonardtown hosted a dinner show Sept. 25, with the help of the St. Paul Kitchen Ministry Team.

Sara Forsyth, a St. Paul UMYF alum, worked at the Volunteers in Mission-sanctioned Camphor mission in Liberia for two months this summer. She shared her experiences and emphasized the critical need the clinic has for a patient transport vehicle.

Inspired by her story, the youth raised more than $1,000 at the event towards a vehicle that will cost almost $8,000.

Others who would like to contribute may do so through Advance GCFA #12548A, with “Camphor Mission Vehicle Fund” on the memo line. For more information, contact Showalter at .

Whole church invited to football game

JESSUP – The entire congregation of Asbury UMC was invited to Fedex Field to see the Washington Redskins play the Houston Texans Sept. 19.

A Redskins employee, inspired by the church’s community outreach and witnessing, e-mailed Pastor Gay Green-Carden saying, “We are impressed with your work in the community and would like to invite you and your entire congregation to the Redskins game.”

That meant 100 tickets.

“When I extended this great gift to the congregation, we didn’t have one ticket left,” Green-Carden said.

The congregation includes 5-year-olds to great-grandparents, and all attended. They sat together with 91,000 fans watching the game, which went into overtime. The ‘Skins lost 27-30.

School-church cooperation works

SILVER SPRING – Good Shepherd UMC has developed a close relationship with the Linkages to Learning staff at nearby Broad Acres Elementary School, where many of the children are from poor or single parent homes.

Last year they began collecting materials for back packs for the children. This year they donated 67 packs, up from last year’s 54, to the children. In addition, “we were also able to collect numerous school supplies, including, reams of paper, colored pencils, crayons, and pencil boxes,” said Adrian Jones-Dove.

When the staff mentioned that many families were having trouble finding funds to purchase new school shoes for their children, the church immediately purchased $10 Target gift cards to give to the families most in need.

The money keeps coming in to help the children. And more Target gift cards are on the way, said the Rev. Joye Jones.

UMM awards Man of the Year

HANOVER – The annual meeting of the BWC United Methodist Men at St. Mark UMC Oct. 9 focused on the outstanding UMM leaders in each district and their faithful service.

Receiving District Man of the Year Awards were Doug Ripple from the Annapolis District, Leander D. Barnhill from the Central Maryland District, Carl Lee from the Frederick District, Dexter V. Herbert and Oliver Meyers from the Washington East District.

Ripple, a member of Glen Burnie UMC, was also selected for the “Conference Man of the Year Award,” in recognition, in part, for his 15 years transporting homeless men to area churches for shelter during cold weather.

Perhaps the most poignant part of the annual meeting was the presentation of the John Wesley Award, the highest acknowledgement that the national UMM offers, to honor Phil Ferguson, a retired Lieutenant Colonel, who recently died after a lifetime of service as treasurer of the BWC UMM. He was a pioneer in forming the Gethsemane UMC’s UM Men’s Fellowship 40 years ago.

Interfaith cooperation builds a house

SILVER SPRING – When Habitat for Humanity in Montgomery County completed its first-ever interfaith house, it had a special thanks for the Silver Spring United Methodist Cooperative Parish which was a sponsor of the project and donated $5,000 to building costs. In addition, many church members volunteered during the build.

Church members from both Woodside UMC and Marvin Memorial UMC, which make up the cooperative parish, gathered with other supporters, Oct. 23 to dedicate the new home, Habitat’s 57th built in the county.