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Youth awarded ‘Good Samaritan'

ESSEX - James Lambert, 14, a member of Essex UMC, received the Good Samaritan Award on Scout Sunday in March. The award was created by United Methodist Men to honor young people from 12 to 21 who demonstrate the attributes of the Good Samaritan described in Luke.

James, an eighth-grader, helps serve food to the 150 homeless residents of Sarah's Hope at Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore. They also did Halloween and Thanksgiving projects. With Easter coming up, Lambert will deliver bags of candy and cards of hope.

Gourley leaves for Zimbabwe

ODENTON - Jim Gourley, a member of Nichols-Bethel UMC, left March 25 to spend five months as an individual Volunteer-in-Mission in Zimbabwe. He retired as a Navy Captain in 1998 and has been volunteering ever since, primarily with Habitat for Humanity, with two years as the executive director in Arnold. He is co-team leader, with Neil Moores, for the conference Zimbabwe Partnership.

Gourley will continue his servant ministry by going to Mutare, Zimbabwe, to assist the Rev. Lloyd Nyarota with the projects of the HOPE Fund, said Jo Chesson, project manager. He'll be there when members of the conference go in July to help with the Pastor's School and Zimbabwe Summit. He'll organize the distribution of 10,000 insecticide-treated bed nets, for the conference's Partnership.

He'll also greet several VIM teams that do ministry in Zimbabwe, including a team from Community UMC in Crofton, which will arrive in Zimbabwe at the end of April to work on the Hanwa Mission School project.

"I serve," Gourley said, "with a servant's heart."

Epworth House celebrates 45 years

COLLEGE PARK - About 180 people attended the 45th annual Epworth House luncheon March 10, held in the Holiday Inn. The event is sponsored by the United Methodist Women of Greater Washington and Washington East districts, to raise support for the missioner-in-residence at Wesley Theological Seminary.

The Rev. David McAllister-Wilson, president of the seminary, spoke.

Not only did this year's recipient of the $10,000 scholarship attend, but Esther Agbosu from Ghana, West Africa, also celebrated her birthday. "There is no place I would rather be on this day," she said.

To arrange speaking engagements with Agbosu, contact Mauri Bishop at 202-885-8526.

Bears carry good wishes

PRINCE FREDERICK - Prince Georges County policeman, Steve Esposito, a member at Trinity UMC, shared his experience responding to domestic violence incidents, which are especially hard on children. He found giving the child a teddy bear was "a big help," he told the Rev. Charles Harrell.

Esposito's wife, Tina, had an idea. She asked the church to collect teddy bears and other stuffed animals for emergency personnel to use in such situations.

The congregation loved the idea, Harrell said, and "Bears from Badges" was launched on Valentine's Day.

The response was huge. More than 500 bears were collected in a few weeks time. Before sending them on their way, members of Trinity's "Faithworks" program tagged the toys with "You are loved" messages.

Officers from five different police services came in uniform to the worship service March 22 to receive batches of the stuffed animals.

"It was a very exciting Sunday," Harrell said.

UMM sends spiritual help to military

COLUMBIA - When Sherman Harris, past president of the conference United Methodist Men, returned from a trip to UMM headquarters in Nashville last month, he carried with him four devotional guides.

"I always give them to any military person I see," he said.

Nationwide, the United Methodist Men have distributed more than 350,000 of "Strength for Service to God and Country," with daily messages "for those in the service of others." The devotionals are distributed free of charge, the costs covered by the contributions from United Methodist Men.

The Baltimore North District men have been especially supportive, Harris said.

In the news

WASHINGTON - Johnnetta B. Cole, former president of United Methodist-related Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C., and Spelman College in Atlanta, and a member of the Africa University board of directors, has been named director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art, effective March 2.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Young people from across the nation raised more than $9.7 million in goods and dollars to fight hunger and poverty during the 2009 Souper Bowl of Caring. About 2,357 United Methodist congregations and more than 20,000 United Methodist youth raised $971,771. Since the campaign's launch in 1990, young people have raised more than $41 million for soup kitchens, food banks and other charities in communities across the world.