North Texas Conference Dates to Remember  NTCDATES.PDF

NORTH TEXAS CONFERENCE UMMEN LEADERSHIP TEAM MANDATORY MEETING MARCH 19, 2005 9:00-12:00 PM
First United Methodist Church Richardson
534 Beltline Road
Richardson, Texas

 ntcumm 3-19-05 meeting minutes.doc
Downloadable MS Word document

Project Alpha South 2005
Saturday June 25, 2005 8:00 AM
Spanish version

Project Alpha is a conference held by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc and March of Dimes North Texas Division. The conference provides an environment where young males (ages 12 through 18, inclusive) can learn about sexuality, manhood and relationship issues. Young males will receive information and problem-solving skills, and share their own experiences in an all-male setting. 

The conference is facilitated by the Men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. During the conference, participants will receive information on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, abstinence/virginity and condom use. Due to the sensitive nature of the content, all conference participants under the age of 18 need the consent of their parents or guardians in order to attend the conference.

No one will be admitted to the conference without this completed consent form. This form
should be brought to the conference.
Registration and Consent Form
Registration form due not later than June 11, 2005
 

UMMen also 'win with Mavericks'

By Dr. Joan Gray LaBarr
Editor

NTC UMMen president Todd Bristow following United Methodist Men’s night at the Dallas Mavericks basketball game at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

A special group was in the stands cheering as the Dallas Mavericks deftly defeated the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Arena on March 7. That group – NTC United Methodist Men (UMMen) – enjoyed themselves as they made history, if not for Dallas’ playoff-bound National Basketball Association Team, for the UMMen movement in our area.
 

Todd Bristow, the energetic young president of the NTC UMMen, is intent on attracting men of all ages. The intent is to help form biblically informed, mission-minded, Christ-centered men. There are different ways to reach the goal, and the success of UMMen Night at the Maverick’s game points to basketball as one.
 

The game itself was only part of a full evening. Prior to tipoff, Mavericks President/CEO Terdema Ussery challenged and inspired the men as he shared parts of his journey from boyhood poverty to success and worldwide recognition along with the Christian faith that sustained him on the way.
 

“I feel blessed to say that I am a man of God,” he said. Recalling terrifying turbulence on a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo, Ussery said he remembers thinking, “What are people going to say about me if they find me in the Sea of Japan?”
 

That experience gave Ussery new insights on what really matters in life. “It’s not the stuff I’ve done. It’s who I am,” he said. He decided to have a set of dog tags made that read: “Terdema Ussery II, Christian, husband, father,” and his date of birth. “At the end of the day, this is who I am, and what I do,” he said.
 

In his challenge to the UMMen, Ussery said: “We need people to raise young men and young women to be people of faith… Everything has been done. God has been consistent in love, grace, and forgiveness. Thank you for being men of faith that you do not hide.”
 

Randell R. Holmes, an account executive for the Mavericks, was the staff member who worked with Bristow to organize the UMMen event. He described how the two of them shared a passion to shape a Methodist Men’s Night that would generate funds for the organization’s mission and most importantly, get the Word of God out to men.
 

“There is a real hunger in the Christian community for men to be fed and to define what it means to be a man and a Christian in today’s society, not only in the home, but in the workplace as well,” Holmes explained.
 

He sees a wonderful synergy in groups like UMMen. “Most men compete by nature. It is wonderful to have a place to share their lives, testimony, and their personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” he said.
 

By using high-level entertainment venues like the Mavericks to reach men, Holmes sees a unique opportunity to glorify God and help satisfy their needs. He considers the potential of making such events inter-denominational, a place where men of all denominations can gather to seek God’s will for their lives through non-traditional ministry.
 

The UMMen night was one of three special nights focusing on Christian men’s groups, and the only one dedicated to a particular denomination. On March 18 there was a Scouting night that also involved NTC participation.
 

Bristow agrees. “I think it’s important that UMMen have activities where they can fellowship and grow in discipleship together. Going to a game, service projects, and short and long-term Bible studies are effective,” he says.
 

The UMMen celebrate the fulfillment of their goals for the evening. They had long hoped to sponsor a first-rate event that connected them with a first-class organization that excels in its field. to "Hearing an inspiring message of what God is doing in a professional setting outside the church, and gathering in that setting to celebrate is reason to give God all the glory, honor, and praise." Bristow said.
 

NTC UMMen plan to continue to find innovative ways to reach out to men and to be in ministry in unique ways. Men interested in becoming part of the organization are invited to contact Bristow at todd.Bristow@eds.com, or online at: http://gbgmchurches.gbgm-umc.org/ntcumm/contact.htm.

NTC UMMen 'Potato Drop' at Richardson
2/27/2005

NTC UMM president Todd Bristow, center, holds a bag of potatoes dropped at First UMC, Richardson, destined for an area food bank. From left, Jeff Kempf, Andres Construction, the contractors for the new First UMC, Richardson building; Dr. Clayton Oliphint, senior pastor, First UMC, Richardson; Tim Janssen, Boy Scout Troop 778; Bristow; Allen Avery, Boy Scout Troop 914, NTC Scouting Coordinator; and Susie Marshall, program director of the Society of St. Andrew.

North Texas United Methodist Men demonstrated that the UM connection is alive and well, continuing in a rich tradition of fellowship and service at the Feb. 27 “Potato Drop” sponsored by the First UMC, Richardson, group.

Despite a chill drizzle, UMM from several congregations, Cub and Boy Scouts and family members, and volunteers from agencies that provide food for needy persons in their communities reported for duty at the construction site for the Richardson church’s new building.

The Society of St. Andrew provided a “mountain” of potatoes for the volunteers to sort and bag. Volunteers loaded the bounty into trucks for transport to Dallas area food pantries.

From the very young to senior citizens, the volunteers pitched in as the potato mountain began to shrink as bags filled up. “Part of our goal was to have a leveraged event, to bring in families, and a diversified group of God’s people working together,” says NTC UMM president Todd Bristow, a member at First UMC, Richardson.

“The UMM want to emphasize ways we are able to provide for those less fortunate in the midst of building a new church,” Bristow continued. First UMC, Richardson, pastor Rev. Clayton Oliphint reinforced Bristow’s point, explaining that the congregation is intent on demonstrating the church is a place to serve the community, even before the walls go up.

For more information on either the UMM ministries, please call Todd Bristow, 972-604-4947, or online: http://gbgmchurches.gbgm-umc.org/ntcumm, for First UMC, Richardson, please call 972-301-0104 or visit Web site: www.fumcr.com, or for the Society of St. Andrew, call Suzie Marshall, 972-253-4559.

HEROES AND HEROINES: CAUSE TO CELEBRATE
12/3/04
By Wayne Jackson

While it’s easy to think that heroes and heroines are in short supply,  the good news is they’re out there in greater numbers than you might think.  Better news is that Walnut Hill United Methodist Church has a whole slew of connections to lots of them.

These young women and men are either in harm’s way right now defending the liberties most of us take for granted, or stand ready to put their lives on the line at a moment’s notice.  Their names have been published in Heartbeats since the beginning of the war in Iraq.  Regardless of our individual opinions of the soundness of that war, we celebrate these brave young folks, we pray for them, and we mourn when they are wounded or worse.

But we can do more, and Jim Tarr has led the way in showing us one way to strengthen our efforts.  Jim recently told The Men of Walnut Hill that a daily devotional entitled Strength for Service to God and Country currently is being given out to as many service personnel as possible.  Jim challenged the mens’ group to purchase enough of these books that one could be given to every Walnut Hill member for distribution to their family and friends in the various services.  The men of the church eagerly accepted with a hearty thank you to Jim for such a great idea.

This devotional has a proud history.  One week after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Bill Gill of Ohio enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps.  While he was home on leave in Christmas, 1942, he was given a copy of Strength for Service to God and Country which became his constant companion on 31 missions out of Italy as a B-24 bombardier.  But the story doesn’t end with World War II.

More than half a century later Evan Hunsberger, a California Boy Scout, decided, after his grandfather had given him his battered copy, that the book should be update and distributed to today’s heroes and heroines.  Yes, somebody should do that, and since Evan needed an Eagle Scout project, he resolved to be that somebody.  Apparently, Evan didn’t get the message that his project was going to be difficult, maybe impossible.

Evan probably would have responded, “God and I can do it.”  The young man then went on to secure permission to from the original publisher to bring the book out of drydock end even update it with some additional pieces submitted by prominent men and women of the church.  But funding remained a huge problem.

Here came the cavalry in the guise of United Methodist Men in Evan’s area to the rescue with some badly needed seed money and help with distribution.  Apparently, ecumenism is alive and well in California as young Evan is a good and faithful Roman Catholic.  The rest is an amazing story:  Evan’s efforts received national attention and with United Methodist Men in the vanguard more than 130,000 copies have already been distributed.

So the work of a Roman Catholic Boy Scout has been improbably joined with the efforts of The Men of Walnut Hill to bring a touch of home and the grace and peace of God to some truly outstanding men and women laying it all out there for each of us.  Coincidence?  You be the judge.

We’ve tried to be thorough, but if someone close to you would like one of the devotionals, please call Jim Tarr at 972-406-8833, and we’ll get one to you as soon as possible to send to your loved one in the service.  And thanks again Jim for bringing this project to our church.

Men want church involvement to make a difference
Sep. 23, 2004 News media contact: Tim Tanton * (615) 7425470* Nashville {04432}

By Tom McAnally*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - If men are to be attracted to United Methodist churches, they must feel that at the end of the day they have done something that makes a difference, according to the newly elected president of the denomination's Commission on United Methodist Men.

Gil Hanke, a layman from Nacogdoches, Texas, challenged members of the commission, meeting Sept. 20-22 in Nashville, to help men recapture a "doing spirit." The lack of church leadership by men is "frightening," he said, and the participation of men under 40 "pathetic."

In his long involvement with the church, Hanke, a speech and language pathologist, said he has observed that the most popular activities for men are Scouting, prayer life, hunger relief, missions and Christ-centered fellowship. "All these have in common the desire to be 'doers of the word'," he said.

Hanke was elected president by the 23-member commission as it organized for the 2005-08 quadrennium. The commission became an independent organization in 1996 after being a division of the Board of Discipleship in Nashville. Bishops headed the commission during each of the first two quadrennia, or four-year periods. Hanke becomes the first layman to serve in that capacity.

The Rev. Joseph Harris was re-elected staff executive of the commission, a post he has held since 1996. In his address to the commission, Harris stressed the importance of "reaching the hearts of men," particularly the next generation. "Younger men want to experience the faith, not just be told about it," he said. "They want to be participants, not spectators."

Continuing the theme of "doing," Harris urged the commission to give priority to hands-on ministry to help those in need during the next four years.

Acknowledging the presence of new commission members from the Congo and the Philippines, Harris emphasized the importance of reaching men around the globe for Christ. Harris is the first president of the World Fellowship of Methodist and United Church Men, which will hold a global gathering in Seoul, South Korea, in 2006.

Commission members heard initial plans for the Ninth National Gathering of United Methodist Men, set for July 15-17 at Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind. The event, held every four years, usually attracts more than 4,000 men for inspiration, education and fellowship.

The commission took several actions to strengthen the financial base for its work. About 25 percent of the commission's $1.2 million annual operating budget comes from the denomination's World Service Fund. The rest is raised through charters of local church United Methodist Men's organizations, the United Methodist Men Foundation, sale of resources, and individual contributions of $30 per year called, "Every Man Shares in Evangelism, Mission and Spiritual Life." United Methodist Men support and fund many mission activities, including the Society of St. Andrew, Upper Room Prayer Ministries, Lifestyle Relational Evangelism and Hope of Hearing.

Commission members approved a "Legacy Builder" program that will seek monthly contributions from men to support the goal of "setting the hearts of millions of men on fire for Christ within and through the United Methodist Church."

During the next four years, the United Methodist Men Foundation, created in 1981, is committed to funding entirely the commission's Office of Scouting Ministry, according to staff member Larry Coppock. A campaign to support the foundation will be officially launched at the gathering of United Methodist Men at Purdue in July, but $1.3 million has already been pledged toward a goal of $5 million.

The United Methodist Church is the second-largest sponsor of the Boy Scouts of America, with almost 400,000 youth meeting in 12,200 units in 7,500 congregations. Adding other groups, such as Girl Scouts, Camp Fire and 4-H, United Methodist churches serve more than 600,000 youth in about 27,000 units across the United States.

The United Methodist Church has nearly 37,000 local congregations. Of these, about 7,000 have chartered United Methodist Men's organizations.

The church's General Conference, meeting in Pittsburgh in May, asked the commission to conduct a study of men in the church. Harris said the study, a first for the denomination, will "put some facts behind our theories" and will be "critical to the future of the United Methodist Church as we address why men are not participating in our churches in greater numbers."

Commission member Bishop Hee-soo Jung of Chicago is chairing a task force to guide the study. "God is doing a wonderful work in our church and around the world," he said. "Let us not be discouraged." A survey form will be developed by December and will be ready for distribution early next year, he said.

Staff member Larry Malone said the commission is working to change the perception of men's ministry from being "one of meetings and events to empowering the local church to become a place that truly welcomes and attracts men, as it helps them grow spiritually and resemble Christ in their attitudes and actions." Two commission goals, he said, are to connect and build relationships with all local congregations and with all male members of the denomination.

Malone said the certification and study programs approved by the General Conference will glean critical information from local churches about what is, and isn't, happening with men and what is going on in their lives, hearts and minds. He outlined plans for identifying and emulating churches that are successfully reaching men, and a leadership and support plan that calls for men's ministry specialists working within local churches and other units in the denomination.

Among other actions, commissioners:

• Elected officers for the 2005-08 quadrennium. Elected in addition to Hanke were Bishop James King, Louisville, Ky., vice president; Dan Henry, Bolingbrook, Ill., secretary; Rod Erskine, Cleveland, treasurer; and Glenn Wintemberg, St. Charles, Mo., president, National Association of Conference Presidents.
• Agreed to make communications a priority, using the electronic media and a Web site.
• Approved as affiliate organizations the United Methodist Men Foundation, the National Association of Conference Presidents, the National Association of United Methodist Scouters, and the Society of St. Andrew hunger relief organization.

McAnally is a former director of United Methodist News Service.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

United Methodist News Service

"I am maybe a quarter of his age and I get tired. So he’s truly an inspiration to us all."

Foote says he tries to set an example for others.

"I do encourage people to become more active," he says. "I want to see especially our young people become more involved in Christianity."

Another testament to his fortitude is the part-time job he has held more than 40 years at the National Motor Club of America. He had worked as a full-time maintenance worker for 38 years, but took on the additional job when his wife became ill with diabetes.

"I got this second job in order to meet my obligations," he says.

Five days a week, Foote cleans coffee pots and straightens up break and conference rooms at the auto club. But he’s there more as an inspiration to employees, says Charlotte Rogers, administrative assistant.

Foote tried to retire several years ago when he grew weary of driving in heavy traffic. But Rogers convinced him to stay-and agreed to send a cab to pick him up and return him home.

Foote says he is glad he did not retire. With no living relatives, he considers coworkers at the motor club and fellow church members his best friends. He has outlived three wives as well as his siblings.

"My life has been built around friends," he says. "Friends in the church and friends on my job, the ones that have inspired me to keep going. And it hasn’t been easy, no. I’ve had my trials and my tribulations."

His favorite song is one of the most familiar hymns, "Amazing Grace."

"I like hymns, I like anthems and sacred songs," he says.

When he’s not singing, Foote can often be found passing out candy to children at his church.

"They’ll come up and take me by my pants leg and look up in my face and call me by my name. That makes me feel so good," he says. "My church means everything to me."

Foote says he does not feel like he is 97. His friends tell him he does not look it, either.

"My doctor told me, he says, you’ll live to be 100 years old," Foote says. "I said, well, you’re saying that, but I’ll leave that in God’s hands."

*Gordon is a freelance producer residing in Marshall, Texas.