| Tracing Wesleys life ELLICOTT CITY Twenty-one members and friends of the Glen Mar UMC choir sang July 13 in Wesleys Chapel at City Road, London, as part of the 300th anniversary observances of the birth of John Wesley. The Rev. Andy Lunt, who was on the international planning group for the celebrations of Methodisms founder, read the Scripture during the service. Seventeen members of the choir spent the previous 10 days performing at worship services and concerts in Stokesly, Durham, and Mansam, accompanied by eight spouses, family and friends from Glen Mar. Their trip also included visits to Lindisfarne (The Holy Island), Whitby, Hadrians Wall, and two days in Scotland. Mfon Umoren, a dentist from First UMC in Hyattsville, and Linda Worthington from Chevy Chase UMC, were also in the congregation. For them, the service in the chapel, where Wesley was buried in 1791, concluded a week of following in Wesleys footsteps throughout the central part of England. Visits included Wesleys birthplace and home in Epworth, Lincolnshire; Oxford University where he and brother Charles Wesley formed the Holy Club; Bristols New Room, the first Methodist Chapel built in 1738; and the graves of his parents, Samuel Wesley in Epworth, and Susannah Wesley in Bunhill Fields across the street from Wesley Chapel. Deaf choir performs in New York BALTIMORE When the 204th Session of the New York Annual Conference opened June 4, participants were greeted by a concert performed by the choir from Christ United Methodist Church for the Deaf, according to the conferences newspaper. The choir of 11 members, nine deaf and two hearing, made the trip to Hofstra University on Long Island for the evening concert, which was an introduction to the New York conference of Shalom Zone ministry. Their participation was sponsored by the General Board of Global Ministries Health and Awareness Ministry, according to the Rev. Peggy Johnson who accompanied them. The group also had a display and awareness table and spoke with many people about the National Committee for Deaf, Late Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Christ UMC of the Deaf has about 125 deaf members and 10 hearing members. Youth raise support for Zimbabwe OLNEY Traveling with Joyful Noise!, the youth choir from Oakdale-Emory UMC, to southern California this summer was a friend whose volunteerism with the choir paid off. Dave Zechar, a member of the church, whose daytime job is with ABC News, a part of the Walt Disney Company, spends many hours each year as a volunteer, taking vacation time to accompany the choir. Disney rewards volunteers by giving grants to their favorite charities, with a pilot program called EARS To You. As a result, the coffers of United for Children, a conference Advanced Special that raises money for children in extreme poverty in Zimbabwe, is $1,000 richer. The choir on tour raised an additional $3,000 for the Zimbabwean children, said Tom Price, who with his wife, Becki Price, directs the choir. Flagpole is not what it seems  WOODFIELD Wesley Grove UMC is used to being known as the church without a steeple, said its pastor the Rev. Nina George Hacker. The congregation has worked for two years to rebuild its 90-year-old bell tower, George Hacker said.
From here on, Wesley Grove UMC will be recognized as the church with the big flagpole. On July 27, the congregation dedicated a 100-foot flagpole, topped by a huge 15- by 25- foot flag, mounted atop the churchs 3.5 acres of high ground. The flagpole is not what it seems. It hides a cellular phone tower that improves wireless communications to the community. The tower also increases the churchs income by $14,000 a year, George Hacker reported. Churchs video history receives high honor ROCKVILLE Millian Memorial UMC was named a national finalist in The Vision Awards competition for 2002-2003. The competition was open to more than 40,000 advertising agencies, production companies and television stations in the United States. The churchs entry is a video program depicting the history of the church, titled This is My Story, written and directed by Wesley Paulson. Entries in the 44 categories were judged for creativity, production quality, copy and concept, talent and overall effectiveness. | 
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