| Across The Conference 
John Coleman Jr. /UMCOnnection
At a dinner honoring the Council of Bishops during their day on Capitol Hill, Nov. 5, Bishop and Mrs. Ruediger Minor (left) of Russia accept a gift of Russian bread and other treats from Victoria Karachacheyeva, co-pastor of the Russian-American new church start at Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C. 
Kimberly Hall Williams
On Laity Sunday, Oct. 19, Good Hope Union UMC broke ground for a new addition to the church. Washington West District superintendent, the Rev. Marcus Matthews, left, the Rev. Ianther Mills and her husband Hilton Mills are seen at the afternoon service. This is the second phase of a building project that began when the church was constructed in 1998. The $500,000 construction will add a 4,000-square-foot fellowship hall and a commercial kitchen and is expected to be completed by March 2004. | TVs lessons for Christians ELLICOTT CITY In an effort to keep his congregation coming back during the summer, the Rev. Luther Starnes, who has served Gary Memorial UMC the past 16 years, preached on popular TV programs. He recently published these sermons in a 115-page easy-to-read book. Perhaps it is true that Americans spend too much time in front of the TV, he wrote in the preface. But since we do, maybe it is worthwhile to embrace some of the more compelling lessons for life from those few programs which have not yet been swallowed up by the inane and often degrading and morally bankrupt shows on the air today. In addition to biblical texts, A Christians TV Gbwc_superusere is peppered with poetry and hymns from the 19th and 20th centuries. The book is also salted with stories from Starnes childhood. Contact the author to purchase the book at (410) 964-6410. Youth explode in Frederick FREDERICK More than 500 youth and adults attended a Party with Jesus, hosted by the Frederick District Youth Council Oct. 11. It was an awesome expression of faith and love for Jesus Christ, said Angela Spencer, a member of Jackson Chapel UMC and the district youth coordinator. The Youth Explosion included Christian rappers, gospel rock bands, free food, a moon bounce, dunk tank and face painting. The youth council has already set the date of Oct. 9 for next years event. Leadership center offers new resource WASHINGTON The G. Douglass Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Seminary recently began a publishing partnership with Abingdon Press to provide resources for transformational leadership. The series, titled Discoveries for Church Leadership, includes the first book Take the New Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church, by Lovett H. Weems Jr. Wesley faculty will also author future books in the series. The second book in the series, tentatively titled Ducking Spears, Dancing Madly: An Alternative Biblical Vision of Church Leadership by Bruce C. Birch and Lew Parks will be published next spring. Birch is dean of Wesley Theological Seminary and the Woodrow W. and Mildred B. Miller Professor of Biblical Theology, and Parks is associate dean of Church Leadership Development at Wesley. Take the next Step is addressed to church leaders who often hear advocates of change speak in revolutionary terms. The problems with such calls for radical change, Weems said, is that they are not true to the way that genuine and lasting change takes place. For more information on the Center for Church Leadership call (202) 885-8600. |
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