Providing Relief. Bishop Schnase presents at Shreveport event

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1 527 North Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID BATON ROUGE, LA PERMIT # 575 To volunteer with the Louisiana UM disaster response effort laumdisastermin@bellsouth.net or call (877) or visit the Conference website at VOL. 9, NO. 20 BATON ROUGE, LA Bishop Schnase presents at Shreveport event Providing Relief More than 250 people heard keynote speaker Bishop Robert Schnase at the Leadership and Effective Management Conference held at First United Methodist Church, Shreveport Sept Schnase, bishop in residence for the Missouri Area, spoke about the five practices that churches should employ to become more effective. His book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, has become widely read throughout the connection. Although the ideas of hospitality and worship are not new, the concepts of radical hospitality and passionate worship can cause a shift in focus and energy for local churches, according to Schnase. What we do and how energetically we do it contributes to the overall direction of See Bishop Schnase, page 7 Taylor Phillips /3 Wakefield UMC /4 First UMC - BR /5 The La. Conference of the UMC Disaster Response, Inc. has been involved in debris and tree removal, tarping damaged roofs and delivering nearly $500,000 worth of emergency supplies to people throughout the state affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. An UMVIM Emergency Response Team from North Carolina removes a fallen tree in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Conference volunteers assisted with mass distribution of ice and water to areas of the state that were without water and electricity for weeks after the storms hit. Louisiana disaster ministry responds to storms BY BETTY BACKSTROM The La. Conference of the UMC Disaster Response, Inc. is assessing community needs in the wake of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. A lot of the response work that was completed after Rita was undone by Hurricane Ike, said Rev. Darryl Tate, director of the disaster response ministry. A grant for UMCOR funding to support response work in the wake of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike has been submitted and is under review. The grant is asking for assistance in Iberville, Assumption, Ascension, Lafourche, Terrebonne and Cameron parishes. The disaster response ministry is currently hiring additional case managers and project managers (construction personnel), in addition to seeking unmet needs funding for clients in these devastated areas. Rev. Darryl Tate, director of Louisiana Conference of the UMC Disaster Response, Inc. voiced concerns about the amount of funding that might be received because giving is down, nationally. It makes sense because the economy is down and this new need comes closely on the heels of major response efforts for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said Tate. In a recent edition of The United Methodist Reporter, Rev. Sam Dixon, deputy general secretary of UMCOR, was reported as saying, With Katrina, we had steady news coverage for a week, See Relief, page 7

2 2 Louisiana Conference Now! ON THE JOURNEY A Little Good News! I believe it was the Canadian Songbird Anne Murray who sang the song that contains the lyric, Sure could use a little good news today. (Ever since I incorrectly attributed the line from It Might as Well Be Spring to the musical South Pacific, I am overly cautious about being definite as to the origin of some of the lyrics that lurk in my mind!) It seems like a song that could be reintroduced today! Here we are in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression! (I ve always marveled at how we capitalize that phrase.) The political election is just about to drive everyone to the brink of intolerance. My two football teams lost this weekend Oklahoma and LSU. The costs for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike are rolling in and we again face BILLIONS of dollars of loss as a state. The wound on the top of my head broke loose from its stitches and now I have a gaping hole there. And it is now dark in the morning when I get out to do my exercise. What else could go wrong? Yes, we sure could use a little good news today. Well, I have some! A few years back, I believe in 2003 or 2004, we had two seminars here in our Conference in Faith Sharing led by Dr. Eddie Fox and Dr. George Morris. One was in Baton Rouge and the other in Ruston. At each of them Dr. Fox challenged us to provide the monies to build a new United Methodist Church in Bulgaria a nation just emerging from Communist rule and eager to restore the churches that had been lost when the Communists took over. Dr. Fox asked for the amount of $40,000 to be raised and we did it! I stood in amazement as the monies were either given right on the spot, or were pledged by churches and individuals. Because the permission to build a church in Bulgarian cities is so difficult to obtain, even in this new day, the building of the church Louisiana was paying for was delayed for a few years. However, in the past year the permit to build in Veliko Tournovo, the former capital city of Bulgaria, was granted. It was granted to build on the property owned by the Methodist church before the Communist regime and the oldest Methodist property in the country. This beautiful new church was completed just a few weeks ago. On Sunday, September 21, I had the blessed joy to stand in the pulpit of that newly completed church and preach the consecration sermon for the new building! It was a great day! Kay was able to be with me. Dr. and Mrs. Eddie Fox were there, as were Bishop and Mrs. Bob Fannin. Officers from the World Bishop William W. Hutchinson Methodist Council Dr. John Barrett, British Methodist; Bishop Mvume Dandala, All Africa Council of Churches and Bishop from South Africa; and Bishop Heinrich Bolleter, retired Bishop of Central and Southern Europe also were present. We sang very familiar hymns, only in Bulgarian, and I was surprised to sing Revive Us Again as their favorite hymn! I wish you could have heard Hallelujah, Thine the glory, Hallelujah Amen! Hallelujah, Thine the glory, Revive us again, in all those different languages! And then we read together what has become known as the Bulgarian Psalm, Psalm 124. I invite you to go immediately to your Bible and read this beautiful and apropos Psalm! What a beautiful blessing it was to celebrate the truths of this ancient Word among a people who have lived a life to which it speaks so profoundly. I don t know when I have been any more touched by worship and celebration than I was that day in Veliko Tournovo! And it was made possible by YOU the United Methodists of Louisiana. Out of your generosity and your commitment to mission and outreach, a people who have lived for years under oppression and repression are now free to worship as they desire and without fear of reprisal. And they are worshipping in a beautiful building paid for by YOU! Bulgarians, Turks and Gypsies, all are now worshipping in a United Methodist Church made possible by YOU. And that is more than a little, that is an EGAD sized piece of Good News! Praise be to God that in the midst of everything that seems wrong and/or bleak, we can look to God s goodness and say with the Psalmist, Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! owe have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 124: 6-8, RSV) In Christ s Love, Bill Hutchinson Shown at the deacons event are Revs. Lucinda Warren, Linda Joseph, Micky Cloud, Hugh Devo and Barbara Einsel. Deacons spend day apart with the Bishop Deacons of the Louisiana Conference gathered Oct. 2 at the Wesley Center for A day apart with the Bishop. Bernadine Johnson, chair of the order of deacons for the new quadrennium, hopes that this will become an annual gathering. In attendance were many of the deacons in full connection, probationary deacons and retired deacons. The day opened with worship led by Janet Cavalier, Ann Trousdale and Dawn Young. The scripture focus for the morning was Matthew 10:5-27 as read from Peterson s The Message, which included the admonition Stay alert. This is hazardous work I m assigning you. You re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack. Worship concluded with a devotional that compared deacons to Lego building blocks, and those gathered constructed a Lego representation of their connectedness. Bishop Hutchinson then led the deacons through a series of discussions on the four focus areas for the upcoming quadrennium and a discussion of sacramental authority for deacons voted on at General Conference. The bishop then led the group through a spiritual journey of Reuben Job s Three Simple Rules. The four areas, as determined by the Council of Bishops and the Connectional table are developing prin- Louisiana Conference Now! William W. Hutchinson Don Cottrill Betty Backstrom cipled leaders for the church and the world; creating new places for new people (new church starts and revitalization of existing churches); engaging in ministry with the poor; and combating the diseases of poverty by improving health worldwide. The Bishop specifically charged the group to consider how the deacon could bring the needs of the world to the attention of the church. The group discussed the fact that the overall purpose of the sacramental authority legislation was to extend the church to the world, through the varied roles of the deacon. The consensus was that when agreement is reached as to guidelines and structure of this authority that they should be towards the purpose of directing the Deacon in their primary appointment, rather than attempting to stop or discontinue a behavior or practice that may or may not occur. The final discussion exploring Three Simple Rules centered around what additional things could be done by members of the group to 1) do no harm, 2) do good, and 3) to stay in love with God. The deacons shared Holy Communion and each received a beaded reminder of the day created by Amy Mercer. Resident Bishop Provost Editor Louisiana Conference NOW! is the newspaper of the Louisiana Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church and is published twice a month. Subscriptions are $20 for one year, $30 for two years. (Please make checks payable to Louisiana Annual Conference.) Send subscriptions, news and information to: Editor 527 North Boulevard Baton Rouge, LA lanow@bellsouth.net (888) ext. 227 (225) , (225) fax You can find the Louisiana Annual Conference on the Internet at

3 Louisiana Conference Now! 3 Louisiana UMW member finds career as bail bondsperson BY BETTY BACKSTROM Taylor Phillips, 76, is a typical member of United Methodist Women. She is very involved in her local unit at Mallalieu United Methodist Church in Jennings, Louisiana. Taylor is devoted to her family, which spans five generations starting with her 94- year-old mother, Bessie and ranging down to Taylor s great-grandchildren, who live in Atlanta, Georgia. She is remarkable in how she takes care of herself, walking two miles a day, reading two newspapers daily, and finishing eight to 10 books every year. Also remarkable is her service to United Methodist Women. Taylor has been a UMW officer for 25 years, and has served as Dean and Assistant Dean of the School of Christian Missions. Taylor has attended two national seminars, three jurisdictional meetings, three assemblies and two national seminars. Most atypical about Taylor Phillips is the fact that in her professional life, she works as a bail bondsperson. And as Taylor puts it, she has been in the business for 20 years. I got into this line of work because a lawyer that I know asked me to do this. In his opinion, there were not enough women who were doing this sort of thing. He had discovered with clients that it was uncomfortable for women who found themselves in jail over a speeding ticket to contact a man in the middle of the night looking for assistance with bail, said Phillips, who added that it wasn t always safe, either. So Taylor studied for the test that she would need to take to become a bail bondsperson. I only missed one half of a question, she said with a laugh. Phillips currently works as an independent agent for a firm in the Alexandria, Louisiana area. Phillips believes that her work is uniquely connected to UMW s mission focus on the prevention of abuse toward women and children. Largely, her clients are women and teenage boys. I am helping these people, said Phillips. But, I don t fool with anyone in the drug business. For the most part, they are repeat offenders. I have seen people lose their homes over crimes related to drug use and distribution. She also chooses not to work with accused rapists. From what I have seen, if they get out of jail, they will do it again, said Phillips. She once received a call on a $150,000 bond for a man that had been accused of raping an 11-year-old girl. Taylor decided not to take the client. He did manage to get out on bond. When he left the jail, he went straight out to find the 9-year-old girl that had told authorities about the rape. Out of vengeance, he raped her. He was not out of jail three hours before the second crime was committed, said Phillips. For her clients under the age of 21, most of Taylor s work has to do with arrests for unpaid traffic tickets, loud music and disturbing the peace. In south Louisiana, everyone was to pass a good time and have fun. Unfortunately, some of the teenagers don t realize that that could get you in trouble. On occasion, they will arrest you for playing loud music in your car, especially if you are running the streets after 12 midnight or 1 o clock in the morning, she explained. One young man that Taylor assisted was a college student. He was riding in a car with his friends, making noise and playing loud music. After we posted bail, I sat down and talked with him. I told him he shouldn t be hanging around with those boys. I told him, Your goals are different. If you get a record, it sticks with you. The boy went on to finish college, and Taylor Phillips is pictured, center, with other participants of a United Methodist Women s event. another young man went into military service. Taylor assisted a young man in getting out of jail. She talked to him about turning his life around. He explained that he wanted to go into the shrimping business. I told him that he should go to college first. He didn t exactly take my advice, but he did eventually go to trade school. And then he was able to fulfill his dream of entering the shrimping business, said Phillips. Many young people do not understand that even if they have not committed the actual crime, their presence at the scene makes them accessories to the crime. I tell them, You don t want to get caught in these situations. You need better friends! After something happens, these young people have this offense on their record. And every time they apply for a job, or a check is run on their name, this record will appear because the national crime lab has the information, said Phillips. Taylor finds her job very rewarding. The people that I have helped usually thank me for being so nice to them. They also know that they can always depend on me. Many bail bondspersons won t make the trip to jail for a minor offense, because there is not enough money to be made in writing the bonds, she said, add that her goal is to keep families together. She also finds her job frustrating at times. Too often, people don t understand the consequences of their actions. Taylor recounted the story of one family where every member was arrested for stealing clothes out of a washateria. These kids had been in trouble before, mainly because of the mother s influence. Most of the kids that I get are not repeaters. But the mother of these kids had taught her children to manipulate and take advantage of others. A sad part of Taylor s job is witnessing the cycle of physical abuse toward women and how rarely the cycle is broken. Women who are abused by their husbands are quick to bail their abusers out of jail, and then drop the charges. I try to help them, advising them to go to women s shelters for their own safety. Some have gone, and maybe stayed the weekend. Some get some counseling. Others claim that they are going to file for divorce, but eventually they get back on the same track, becoming victims of abuse again and again, said Phillips. Often, the woman s in-laws or the parents of the perpetrator try to influence these women on behalf of their son. They ll tell the children that their father is in jail and that if she would, their mother could get him out. They try to drive a wedge in the family, rather than trying to get help for their son. So often, the women fall to this pressure, bail the abuser out of jail, and take him back into the home, she said. Taylor has been able to incorporate her faith in working with people who are searching for answers and a way to start their lives on the right path. One of my clients expressed a desire to know more about church and God. So I arranged for him to be picked up every week and taken to my church for services. I told him that we would help him out as long as he behaved himself, didn t get out of line, and didn t smoke in the car, said Taylor, in her own inimitable style. After attending for six months, the man finally joined the church. He struggled with the decision. In the beginning, he was lonely because none of his old friends were coming to see him. I told him that it was because he was changing his life for the better, and they wanted to lead him down the wrong path. I told him that God was testing his faith, but that the rewards would be great, said Taylor, who is convinced that churches need to take a more active role in preventing violence against women and children. Our pastors must preach about the prevention of violence from the pulpit. We UMW member Taylor Phillips, 76, is a bail bondsperson in her professional life. Taylor has been able to incorporate her faith in working with people who are searching for a way to start their lives on the right path. should offer anger management courses in churches and in schools. Women must be taught to have self respect. Some say that s not the church s business, but by offering these kinds of workshops and classes, you may be saving a person s life, she added. Taylor has observed that contrary to public belief, not all abused women are poor or stuck in an underprivileged situation. Some of these women have good jobs. One client of mine is a CPA, another is a computer specialist. The women that have higher income try to hide the abuse because of shame, said Phillips. She also believes that penalties for abuse should be greater, but points out that simply locking up the criminal won t help society s current situation. Offenders should be required to attend anger management classes and receive counseling. In most cases, the abusive behavior stems from drug and alcohol abuse. These criminals must be required to enter programs to end their addictions, she added, stating that by saving the perpetrator s body and physical being, we just may save his soul. God s spirit cannot dwell in a confused body. When you are healthy, there is nothing to distract you from making disciples for Jesus Christ, doing justice and walking righteously. Taylor remembers participating in the study offered by United Methodist Women addressing the alarming trend of increasing numbers of incarcerated women. Children don t get the right kind of training. If society can t provide it, the church should be helping children in positive ways. We must actively campaign for children.

4 4 Louisiana Conference Now! Piles of rubble lay outside the walls of Wakefield United Methodist Church in Cameron after Hurricane Ike flooded the city of Cameron and much of Louisiana s coastline. The church structure, which had been destroyed during Hurricane Rita in 2005, was nearly rebuilt when Ike hit on Sept. 13 of this year. Water soaked walls have already been torn out and plans are in place to rebuild Wakefield UMC from this point. Rev. James Moore, pastor, walks the church grounds with church officials. Cameron area churches affected by Hurricane Ike Rev. James Moore and his wife Marlene were on vacation when Hurricane Ike slammed into Louisiana s coastline on Sept. 13. The Moore s rushed home to find that over 28 inches of water had flooded the home they were living in at Hebert s Landing in Cameron Parish. We ve been through this before. The church parsonage is still destroyed from the effects of Hurricane Rita. This spot was our temporary home, said Moore, who is currently staying with his wife in the city of Lake Charles. The determined pastor is already planning the restoration of Wakefield and Grand Chenier UMCs, his two-point charge respectively in Cameron and Grand Chenier, La. Wakefield s structure, which had been destroyed during Hurricane Rita in 2005, was nearly rebuilt when Ike hit the area just over a month ago. Water soaked walls have already been torn out and plans are in place to rebuild Wakefield from this point. Right now, we re looking at installing break-away walls on the bottom floor, said Moore. The lower floor currently includes the sanctuary, Sunday school classrooms and a fully functional kitchen. We may ultimately move the worship area to second floor area. The waterline at Wakefield UMC hits at about five feet. The water came in by stages, exacerbated by the tides. The storm hit land on Saturday, and it was Monday before things dried enough for vehicle traffic, said Moore. Grand Chenier UMC, located east of Cameron, fared better with only three inches of water and mud settling in the sanctuary. We have pulled out the carpet and the air conditioner is running. Work has begun to restore things, but we will need additional help, said Moore, who added that St. Luke Simpson UMC in Lake Charles will be housing volunteer disaster response teams. What many people don t realize, said Moore, is the extent of the damage that Ike caused in Louisiana. We got water where we didn t get water for Rita. Louisiana experienced the equivalent of a surge from a Category 5 hurricane. The self reliant can do attitude of people living on Louisiana s coastline still prevails, added Moore. Everyone pulled together to clean out and re-stock Brown s, the store in Hackberry. Everywhere you look, people are working hard to come back from Ike. As with Hurricane Rita, Sweetlake UMC has served as a distribution site for flood buckets, bottled water, MRE s and tarps. Sweetlake is located further north, between Cameron and Lake Charles. The Louisiana Conference disaster response ministry is working with local authorities, assessing area needs and working on debris removal and light demolition. The church is also responding, as it did after Hurricane Rita, to the emotional and spiritual needs of those affected by this most recent storm. There are two different reactions by the locals to this kind of tragedy. Either they escape through work and football, or the disaster sends them in the direction of the church. I ve noticed since Rita, that even at purely social gatherings, conversations are centering more around the need for church and a faith life, said Moore. The presence of The United Methodist Church in this hard hit coastal area has been a lifeline for many. After Hurricane Rita, the disaster recovery ministry played a major role in debris removal and reconstruction. Sweetlake UMC was a major distribution site for everything from water to food to clothing. Just as they did after Rita, local churches are working with ecumenical events which deal with the emotional stress that is inevitable after such a disaster. On Oct. 30, Rev. Moore will be working with local city and church officials as they host a conference on dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The event will largley be attended by members of law enforcement, clergy and those working with volunteers. Moore adds that, despite the suffering, many positive things have come out of these events. Area churches are now working closer together on providing physical, spiritual and emotional support to area residents. Also, when you re wiped out for a second time, material things just don t seem as important any more. Stuff is just stuff. Fall is in the air, and local churches throughout the Louisiana Conference are sponsoring Pumpkin Patches as fundraisers for youth programs and mission initiatives. Customers will buy pumpkins, enjoy storytelling, participate in face painting and pumpkin carving. Support your local church pumpkin patch... it s for a good cause.

5 Louisiana Conference Now! 5 First United Methodist in Baton Rouge shows hospitality to disaster response teams First UMC in Baton Rouge is housing early response teams assisting with tree and debris removal throughout the city. The capital city was severely impacted by Hurricane Gustav. Clockwise, a trailer on loan from the Virginia Conference provides hot showers for volunteers, and the church has provided daily meals for every team. A team from North Carolina staying at First UMC clears trees that fell during the Labor Day storm. Members of the team from North Carolina are pictured, left to right, Cindy Lundy, Rev. Mike Duncan, homeowner Mrs. Peebles, Katherine Huffman, Charles Jones, Bob Smith and Wayne Huffman. Rev. Mike Duncan, pastor of Pisgih Trinity United Methodist Church in North Carolina, jokingly dubbed his UMVIM Early Response Team (ERT) as a DERT team. Cindy Lundy, team member from St. Luke s UMC in Hickory, North Carolina, said, If you see us later in the day, you will understand why. The team, which was already on their second job site for the day, had good reason for showing a little perspiration. As a matter of fact, this hard working emergency response team had been to five work sites in the Baton Rouge, La. area in four days. Throughout their stay, the group was hosted by First United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge. To date, the church has housed and fed nearly 70 disaster response volunteers who have removed trees and debris from homes hard hit by winds from HurricaneGustav.Gustsofupto91miles per hour leveled thousands of trees during the Labor Day storm, littering the capital city that is still hauling away tons of debris left in the storm s wake. The members of Rev. Duncan s early response team were complimentary of First UMC s congregation and church staff. They are all so friendly and gracious. Everyone has gone out of their way to make us comfortable, said Lundy. Coffee was ready for us every morning, as well as breakfast and sandwich items. Best of all, having a hot shower and a meal at the end of the day was wonderful. Karen Stagg, mission coordinator for First UMC, gave special kudos to church member Margaret Tyler who has done a lot of the menu planning and preparation. Margaret is an excellent cook, and has prepared many meals including barbeque and red beans and rice. Every Wednesday evening, the church holds worship and provides a meal for those attending. The food is always excellent. We serve at 5 p.m., so we usually make plates for any team members staying at the church because they like to keep working as late in the day as they can, said Stagg. A necessary comfort at the end of a long day of is a hot shower. The Virginia Conference has loaned Louisiana s disaster response ministry a portable trailer outfitted with 10 showers. The trailer, parked in First UMC s parking lot, has been put to good use by hard working volunteers. Team members were impressed with the level of activity at the church. There s an amazing amount of activity at the church never a dull moment, said Wayne Huffman, a Lutheran from North Carolina who is serving with the team. Rev. Duncan enjoyed a tour of the church s second hand shop, which is sponsored by the elder ministry of First UMC. Two members of the XYZ Club (extra Years of Zest) showed him the shop, and explained that over $10,000 in profit had been raised last year through store sales. Those funds go directly to support First UMC s mission efforts. Like so many others, Mike Duncan s early response team has provided labor and supplies to victims of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which slammed back-to-back into Louisiana s coastline. So far, groups from Tennessee, Ohio, North Carolina and north Louisiana have been housed at the church. These teams have worked so hard removing trees and tarping roofs on churches and on individual homes. It has been an inspiration for church members to see their diligence and generosity, and their willingness to travel so far to help us. Every homeowner has been so appreciative, said Duncan, adding, But teams need to keep coming. There is an incredible amount of work left.

6 6 Louisiana Conference Now! From the Pew BY CAROLYN DOVE For the past 20-plus years, I have been associated with the Daughenbaugh Matheny Scholarship Fund, administered through the Conference Board of Laity. Since I ve spent so many years dealing with this and other scholarships, imagine my surprise when I was doing research and realized there was so much about the scholarship that I didn t know...ithought I knew everything about the scholarship! Did you know that Centenary College has an archivist at the Magale Library that will go to the basement and do research for you? Did you know that the Howard L. Daughenbaugh Memorial Scholarship Fund was set up in 1950 at Centenary for young women interested in careers in Christian Education and Service? It wasn t until 1987 when the Thomas H. Matheny Scholarship was combined with the Daughenbaugh Scholarship that young persons (not just women) could apply for a scholarship to attend Centenary or Dillard Universities. Let me share with you some more Did You Know Facts. Shaun Jackson of Shady Grove United Methodist Church in Mansfield is now a doctor and his little sister Chasity is following in his footsteps as a physician and four year recipient of the Daughenbaugh Scholarship. Annie Smith of Calvary United Methodist Church in Thibodaux was a four year recipient of the Daughenbaugh Matheny Scholarship while attending Dillard University. Annie graduated from Dillard University in 2004 with a degree in psychology. Currently, Annie is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas El Paso. She will graduate in December 2008 with her PHD in clinical psychology. When asked what the Daughenbaugh Matheny Scholarship meant to her, Annie said, As an undergraduate it made me feel good about myself. The United Methodist church support gave me that extra boost to do well and succeed. Revs. Marie and John Williams have sent all three of their children to Centenary with the help of the Daughenbaugh Matheny Scholarship. James Williams goes by the title of Dr. James Williams now; Sarah is Sarah Williams Shoup, a deacon in the church; and Jared Williams is finishing an internship toward his Masters of Divinity degree. The Daughenbaugh Matheny Scholarship Fund has helped Jonathan King, Drew Sutton, Katie McKay, Joe Robideaux, Megan Saucier and Darrius Hills (to name a few) fulfill their desire to serve the church as United Methodist ministers. The recipients of the Daughenbaugh Matheny Scholarship Fund are serving the church through music, Christian education and administration. They serve their communities as teachers, nurses and Christian business persons. I don t know about you but I m sure proud to have learned some of the Did You Know Facts about the Daughenbaugh Matheny Scholarship. When your district begins their campaign to raise funds for the Daughenbaugh Matheny Scholarship Fund, please join the campaign with a grateful heart that the Lord has provided an opportunity for us to support the young people that are leading and will lead our church into the future. Conference raises funds for storm flood buckets Recent efforts within the Louisiana Annual Conference to raise funds and collect items for flood buckets resulted in a total of $97,687 or 2,171 buckets collected. The buckets will be used throughout the connection in areas recently affected by flooding, including our own state of Louisiana. Those churches contributing and district totals, by district, include: Acadiana ($4,464.52), Abbeville, Berwick, Briggs, Clanton Chapel, Covenant, Faith Community, First in Houma, First in Lafayette, First in New Roads, First in Plaquemine, Fitzgerald, Hartzell, Louisiana Memorial, Lydia, Memorial at Mathews, Mt. Zion, Patterson, Pharr Chapel, St. Mark, St. Paul in Waxia, Wesley in Napoleonville, and Woodlawn; Alexandria ($9,720), Asbury in Natchitoches, Bayou Chicot, Belah, Cheneyville, Colfax, Couley, First in Boyce, First in Natchitoches, First in Pineville, Horseshoe Drive, Lahey Chapel, Lecompte, Liberty Chapel, Mt. Zion, Newman, Nolley Memorial, Oak Grove, Palestine, Pollock, Provencal, Sanders Chapel, Vidalia and Weaver; Baton Rouge ($17,400.08), Andrew Chapel, Beech Grove, Bluff Creek, Broadmoor, Camphor, Carpenter s Chapel, Center, Clinton, Corbin, Darlington, Day s, Ethel, Faithful, First of Baton Rouge, First of Denham Springs, First of Greensburg, First of Hammond, First of Jackson, First of St. Francisville, First of Walker, First of Zachary, Francis Asbury, Friendship, Lee s Landing, Live Oak, Livingston, Mangum Chapel, Montpelier, Nesom, New River, Pine Grove, Pine Ridge, Roberts, Slaughter, St. Andrew s, St. James in Springfield, St. John s, Tangipahoa, University, Wesley, Wesley Chapel in Greensburg, and Wesley Chapel in Ponchatoula; Lake Charles ($8,653.44), Basile, Dequincy, Wesley in DeRidder, District office, First in Lake Charles, Henning, Holly Grove, Mallalieu in Jennings, Lake Arthur, Maplewood, Pine Grove, University, Warren, Welsh Memorial, and Westlake; Monroe ($20,683.29), Antioch in Eros, Asbury in West Monroe, Beulah, Mt. Zion in Calhoun, Chatam, Clay, Collinston, Columbia, Crowville, Delhi, Dodson, Douglas, Downsville, Eros, Farmerville, First in Bastrop, First in Monroe, First in West Monroe, Grace in Ruston, Grayson, Hebert, Hodge, Hope, Jonesboro, Lake Providence, Lawson Chapel, Lea Joyner Memorial, Little Creek, McGuire, Mer Rouge, Memorial in Monroe, New Hope, Newellton, Oak Grove, Quitman, Rayville, St. Joseph, St. Mark s, St. Paul s, Tallulah, Trinity in Ruston, Union, Wesley Chapel in Ruston, Winnsboro and Wisner; New Orleans ($27,120.25), Aldersgate, Algiers, Aurora, Belle Chasse, Bethany, Brooks Shaw Temple, Bush, Carrollton, Centenary, Cornerstone, Elizabeth Sullivan Memorial, First in Slidell, Fisher, Fitzgerald, Haven Trinity, Lacombe, LaPlace, Luling, Metairie, Mt. Zion, Munholland, North Cross, Parker, Pearl River, Rayne, St. Charles in Destrehan, St. Mark s, St. Paul s in Harahan, St. Timothy, Thomas, Varnado and Williams Ross.; Shreveport ($9,646.31), Benton, Bonchest, Brushwood, Christ, Coushatta, Cross Roads, Fellowship, Gibsland, Gilliam, Hall Summit, Haynesville, First in Homer, Lakeview in Minden, Lakeview in Shreveport, Logansport, Longstreet, Love Chapel, Noel, Oak Grove, Rosa, St. Lukes, Summer Grove, Vivian and Wesley in Mansfield.

7 Louisiana Conference Now! 7 Bishop Schnase, from page 1 a church, said Schnase during an interview after the Shreveport event. The practices of radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity are the basic precepts in Schnase s book. The adjectives describing the five practices tend to rachet up expectations for congregations, said Schnase. The surprise behind this concept is how many churches small, medium, and large have found the use of the language extraordinarily stimulating, said Schnase. It shifts the energy in the congregation, providing those aha moments that help people understand the mission of the church. The bishop from Missouri admits to being very humbled and a bit overwhelmed that the connection has found his book to be helpful. Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations has been on Cokesbury s best seller list for over a year. The following are excerpt s from the book s website, giving a brief look at the gist of the five practices outlined in Schnase s book: The Practice of Radical Hospitality Christian hospitality refers to the active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ. It describes a genuine love for others who are not yet a part of the faith community; an outward focus, a reaching out to those not yet known, a love that motivates church members to openness and adaptability, willingness to change behaviors in order to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of newcomers. Beyond intention, hospitality practices the gracious love of Christ, respects the dignity of others, and expresses God s invitation to others, not our own. The Practice of Passionate Worship Passionate Worship means worship that connects people to God, worship that people enter into with expectancy, and with the anticipation that God desires to speak to them and connect to them. Whether traditional, blended, or contemporary, Passionate Worship is authentic, connecting, and sustaining. The Practice of Intentional Faith Development Intentional Faith Development refers to the purposeful learning in community that helps the followers of Jesus mature in faith, such a Bible studies, Sunday school classes, short-term topical studies, and support groups that apply the faith to particular life challenges. The Practice of Risk-Taking Mission and Service Risk-Taking Mission and Service includes the projects, the efforts, and the work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ, whether or not they will ever be part of the community of faith. Some churches have after-school programs for at-risk children, some send work teams across the state or across the world, some offer regular ministries to the incarcerated. Risk-Taking refers to the service we offer that stretches us out of our comfort zone and has us engaging people and offering ourselves to ministries that we would never have done if not for our desire to follow Christ. Risktaking steps into great uncertainty, a higher possibility of discomfort, resistance, or sacrifice. The Practice of Extravagant Generosity Extravagant Generosity describes practices of sharing and giving that exceed all expectations and extend to unexpected measures. It describes lavish sharing, sacrifice, and giving in service to God and neighbor. Every scriptural example of giving is extravagant, and churches that practice Extravagant Generosity teach, preach, and practice the tithe. The focus is on the Christian s need to give because of giving nature of God whom we worship. For more information about Schnase s book, blogging and resources, visit Rev. Hulen Warren, pastor of Jefferson UMC in Baton Rouge, loads water and other supplies into a van headed for Dulac Community Center. Reilef, from page 1 highlighting the failure of the government to respond, and donations were driven by thatnews...ourobservationisthatdonations are really driven by the amount and kind of media coverage that a disaster receives. The disaster response ministry, working in conjunction with the Louisiana Conference, distributed close to $500,000 worth of relief supplies to affected areas. In the early days of Gustav and Ike, the ministry mobilized transports and distributions of water, ice, flood buckets and flood buckets to Plaquemine, White Castle, Bayou Sorrel, Bayou Pigeon Belle River, Donaldsonville, Baton Rouge, Cameron, Dulac, Abbeville and Delcambre. School supplies were also sent to a school in St. James Parish. Working with La. Volunteers in Mission, La. Conference of the UMC Disaster Response, Inc. deployed early response teams throughout the Baton Rouge area, hard hit by Gustav, for tree and debris removal and gutting. The Lake Charles District, under the leadership of Revs. Nancy Wofford and Roger Templeton, mobilized teams to Cameron parish to muck out flooded homes and to remove debris from churches and homes. Teams are also being sent to Dulac, Houma, Thibodaux and Abbeville for community and church cleanup. Local churches that were damaged by the two storms have discovered that the deductibles from their insurance claims are ranging anywhere from $6,000 to $50,000. Help will definitely be needed to offset these high deductibles for storm damaged churches, said Tate. funds needed for deductible Conference church officials are waiting for word from UMCOR about the final status of the grant request. This funding is critical if we are to move forward, said Tate. Any funds from UMCOR that were designated for Katrina and Rita recovery must remain with those projects. Tate estimates that it will take an additional two years to complete the 600 cases left from the 2005 storms. The disaster response ministry is optimistic that grant funding from organizations like Louisiana Family Recovery Corps is likely to be provided for Gustav and Ike, just as it was for Katrina and Rita. Volunteers from local churches who wish to help with the conference disaster response should laumdisastermin@bellsouth.net or call (225) or (877) Financial donations to hurricane response can be made out to Louisiana Annual Conference, with the UMCOR Advance # in the memo portion of the check. Mail checks to the conference at 527 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70802, or place your check in the offering plate on Sunday morning. More than 250 people heard keynote speaker Bishop Robert Schnase at the Leadership and Effective Management Conference held at First United Methodist Church, Shreveport Sept Schnase, bishop for the Missouri Area, spoke about five practices that churches should employ to become more effective. South Carolina s UMVIM Emergency Response Team traveled to the Lake Charles area Sept. 22 to help with mucking and debris removal for houses flooded by Hurricane Ike in Cameron Parish. Pictured in front of the team s trailer are, kneeling, Billy Robinson, Rev. Ken Phelps, Suzanne Failmezger and Meg Roberts. Standing are E.T. Smith, Dottie Phelps, Gene Failmezger, Bill Roberts, Wayne Goff, Jerry Gooden, Judith Smith and Terry Rawls.

8 8 Louisiana Conference Now! Green Chapel United Methodist Church in Lottie, La. celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sept. 28. The church, founded in 1908 in Point Coupee parish, was started by a small group of the faithful on the plantation of J. W. Green. Green Chapel UMC marks 100 years of mission BY JOYCE HENSON Green Chapel United Methodist Church in Lottie, La. celebrated One hundred years in mission and ministry to the glory of God on Sept. 28. Guest speaker was Rev. Charles Miller, pastor of the St. Peter-Jackson Chapel charge in Clinton, La. The church, founded in 1908 in Point Coupee parish, was started by a small group of the faithful on the plantation of J. W. Green. Prior to building the church, Green allowed them to use work animals and a wagon to travel nearly five miles to church every Sunday. The arduous trip resulted in both the people and the animals to be physically tired on Monday mornings, resulting in a day that provided less labor. To remedy the situation, Green donated the tract of ground where the church still stands to erect a building that would become a church or school. There was a proviso that when the land was no longer used for the purpose, that the property would return to the Green family. Rev. Lawrence Hall serves as pastor of this historical church. Open Hearts Open Minds Open Doors Bringafriendto church this Sunday Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church held a program Sept. 19 to highlight mission projects by church members and community mission minded persons. The purpose for the program was given by Pastor Darlene A. Moore and Rev. Mary Ann Robinson. Wesley Belton spoke about his mission to South Africa to help in the building of a church. Kameron Johnson talked about his trip to China with the People to People organization that sponsors cultural enrichment opportunities for public school students. Moore spoke about her mission trip in July to Ghana to work with Liberian refugees who were living in Ghana. UNCERTAIN U N ABOUT INCOME? Lock in a guaranteed anteed lifetime e income with a Charitable Gift Annuity! nuity! Establish a charitable gift annuity with your United Methodist Foundation, and: Provide for the future of your faith fih Leave alegacy for future generations Lifetime Income for oryou......alegacy for your Church h? or information@umf.org