United Methodist initiatives boost clergy health

Deborah White

Bishop James Swanson always packs his tennis shoes when he travels, and when he is home, he and his wife Delphine, walk together. Bishop Swanson has lost 30 pounds since he began walking at least three times a week and made other lifestyle changes to improve his health. Photo by JaNhé Swanson.

After a medical checkup and a gut-wrenching session with a life coach, Bishop James Swanson of the Holston Conference is taking better care of himself. He is one of many spiritual leaders leading healthier lives because of new United Methodist clergy health initiatives ranging from in-depth studies to a reward program for physical activity.

Swanson’s turning point came in June 2008 when the Episcopal Leadership Forum of Duke Divinity School arranged for him and other bishops to receive health assessments and coaching sessions in Memphis, Tenn., at the Church Health Center, an organization with a strong preventive medicine component.

“I discovered that I have diabetes,” said Swanson, episcopal leader of the Holston Conference. The life coach “talked about my responsibility not to shortchange my family or my church.”

Looking at an old picture added to his motivation. “I noticed that my skin tone looked different – that guy back there looked a lot happier,” Swanson recalled. “At one time, I wasn’t as large. I thought about my family. I did some serious soul searching and prayer. It was confusing. I had to let God break my heart.”

Now he walks three times a week, eats more leafy vegetables, drinks more water, and consumes three servings of dairy products a day. “I lost about 30 pounds,” Swanson said. When he travels, he makes time to eat a nutritious meal at a restaurant instead of hurrying to a meeting with one hand on a hamburger and the other on the steering wheel. And he always packs his tennis shoes. He spends time apart, too, reflecting and releasing tension. “For most of our pastors, if anything adds to the deterioration of our bodies, it is stress,” he said.

Swanson made a lasting impression in August 2009 when he spoke about his health journey during the New District Superintendents / Directors of Connectional Ministries Training Event at Lake Junaluska, N.C., sponsored by the Council of Bishops, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and the General Board of Discipleship. Participants received a pedometer and a booklet, On the Move in Congregations: Walking with Jesus, which outlines changes clergy can make to lead healthier lives.

Holston Challenge 2010 Celebration Planned

On May 23rd, 2010 The Wytheville District is planning to hold a Celebration with Baptisms, Dinner on the ground, and a live band. This event is in response to the 50 Golden Days, Holston Conference Challenge for the 50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday.

Stay tuned for details but please mark this event on your calendars.

River Baptisms

Dinner on the Ground

Celebration

Ronnie

Holston Challenge 2010

Witness Team Challenge 2010

The following is a letter written by Harry Denman in 1949

Dear Friend:

This letter is to ask every pastor not to observe Pentecost on June 5, but to meet the conditions so that every church will have a Pentecost on that day. It can be done if we will organize our church to witness to the fact that Jesus is Christ and that he is alive and can save persons from sin and death.

Easter to Pentecost

Fifty Golden Days of Evangelism

EASTER, We celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Redeemer. We have a living Christ. This is the beginning of evangelism. Why shouldn’t every church organize visitation teams to visit one night each week during this period and secure thousands of first commitments for Christ and his church, to be received on Pentecost Sunday, June 5?

FAMILY WEEK. May 1-8, This is a splendid time to visit young families and secure their first commitment for Christ and his church and establish a Christian home. What holy days they are, Easter to Pentecost, Including Family Week!

There were One-hundred-twenty in the Upper Room. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Three thousand were baptized that first Pentecost. How many will be baptized in our churches on Pentecost Sunday 1949?

Let us pray and work daily that every church will have a Pentecost.

Your Friend, Harry Denman

Shepherds, May 1949

Source: The Prophetic Evangelist

In memory of Evangelist Harry Denman, the Witness Team is presenting a challenge to all United Methodist Churches in the Holston Conference.

Easter Sunday is April 4th, 2010 and Pentecost Sunday is May 23. There are 50 days between Easter and Pentecost. We are presenting the challenge to each church to organize visitation teams to visit and knock on doors in your community one night each week during these 50 days with the intentional purpose of inviting people to church.

In his book “The Unchurched Next Door”, Thom Rainer and his group conducted a scientific survey and found the following results.

• 82 percent of the unchurched are at least “somewhat likely” to attend church if they are invited.
• 8 out of 10 unchurched persons said they would come to church if they were invited.
• Only 21 percent of active churchgoers invite anyone to church in the course of a year.
• Only 2 percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church.
• Very few of the unchurched have had someone share with them how to become a Christian.
• The unchurched would like to develop a real and sincere relationship with a Christian.

“For years I have been asked how churches can grow. I have consulted with hundreds of church leaders across America, leaders who sincerely desire that their churches reach people. “Why aren’t we reaching people?” I am often asked. “Why is our society so resistant to the gospel?” many inquire.

“After nearly a decade of research and almost fifteen years of consulting with churches, I am becoming more and more convinced that the answers to most of these questions can be found in the mirror. Nearly 130 million people in the United States alone would come to church if they were invited. And if they came, many would hear about the Savior who offers the only way of salvation.”

Thom S. Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door

When is the last time you invited an unchurched person to church?

The Witness Team will offer suggestions for the teams of people in your church who will be visiting the homes in your community.

We will provide you with computer models of door knockers to leave at the homes where no one is available, post cards to make follow-up contacts and many other tools for reaching your community for Christ. We will make these tools available on the Holston Conference web site in the near future.

There will be a reporting tool on the web site as well as a phone number that you can call to report the number of visits made by your church as well as the visitors who attend your services.

Please e-mail us to let us know that your church will participate in “50 Golden Days of Evangelism 2008”. Someone will then contact you with further information.

Let us pray and work daily that each of our churches will have a Pentecost Sunday on May 23, 2010.

If you have questions, please contact Rev. Ronnie Collins of The Holston Conference Witness Team 276-728-2434 or ronnie24317@yahoo.com

How can this happen in America?

Source SIte

Monday December 21, 2009

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Virginia Mother Gets Away with Infanticide Due to ‘Loophole’ in the Law

As long as umbilical cord is attached and placenta is still in the mother, baby can be killed

By Patrick B. Craine

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Virginia, December 21, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A mother who suffocated her newborn baby earlier this month in Campbell County, Virginia cannot be prosecuted, say investigators, because the umbilical cord was still attached.

“In the state of Virginia as long as the umbilical cord is attached and the placenta is still in the mother, if the baby comes out alive the mother can do whatever she wants to with that baby to kill it,” stated investigator Tracy Emerson. “She could shoot the baby, stab the baby. As long as it’s still attached to her in some form by umbilical cord or something it’s no crime in the state of Virginia.”

The baby, who was born full term around 1 a.m. on December 11th, was dead when the police arrived ten hours later.  According to the medical examiner, he or she was born healthy.  Police say the mother knew she was pregnant and had undergone prenatal care.

While the authorities have seen numerous similar killings, and have sought changes in the law, legislators have not acted thus far because they felt the issue was too close to abortion.

It appears that action will take place this time around, however.  State Senator Steve Newman announced last week that they had begun drafting a bill to protect born babies still attached to the mother.

“It is difficult to believe that the current Code could have such a flaw that would allow anyone to take the life of a born child,” he said.  “While I will not comment at this time on the case in Campbell County, it is abundantly clear that Virginians will demand a legislative cure to this loophole.”

But what legislators, the authorities, and media are calling a ‘loophole’ is, in fact, no loophole at all, commented CatholicCulture.org’s Diogenes.  “It’s a carefully crafted legal fiction whose sole purpose is to establish the unborn child as something less than human in order to permit its mother to kill it,” he said.

“Note that if a woman wanted to give birth to a healthy child and her obstetrician did what the murderess did in the Virginia episode or what the abortionist does in a [partial birth abortion], that obstetrician would be sued if he acted through incompetence or charged with murder if he acted in malice,” he continued.  “What makes a human person a human person, according to our law, is whether its mother wishes it to be — at least up to such time as it’s alive and kicking apart from and independently of her.”

“Our society tolerates the gross incoherence of these legal fictions because the fictions themselves are necessary lies, necessary to the public justification of abortion,” he concluded.

Something musta happened here…

“An old pioneer traveled westward across the great plains until he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the Grand Canyon. He gawked at the sight before him: a vast chasm one mile down, 18 miles across, and more than 100 miles long! He gasped, ‘Something musta happened here!’

“A visitor to our world at Christmastime, seeing the lights, decorations, trees, parades, festivities and religious services, also probably would say,’Something must have happened here!’ Indeed, something did happen. God came to our world on the first Christmas” (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited).

This should also be the case when someone encounters us, a Christian.

Wow, something must have happened here!

Ronnie

All I want for Christmas is a Family

Knowing how much I love my family and honestly no gift is as good as just being with my family. They are the greatest gift that I have ever received. This is about children who are waiting and wanting a family to call their own. Misty and I adopted Kyle in the past two years and to watch him grow is just amazing. We bought him his first pair of winter boots this week and he even wanted to wear them to bed. God is amazing, please consider opening your home to a child without parents.

Ronnie

This Day In The Life Of Your Pastor – December 21st, 2010

1. “Nothing at all will be attempted, if all possible objections must first be overcome” Samuel Johnson about 11 hours ago from TwitterBerry
2. Speed in the long run is not as important as finishing. That pertains to foot races as well as the Christian life about 11 hours ago from TwitterBerry

3. very near bed time, work early then long run! about 12 hours ago from web

4. just realized my newsletter article is due tomorrow, no clue about 12 hours ago from web

5. What would you like to do to Celebrate New Years @ Out of the Box on December 30th? txt it about 13 hours ago from web

6. Remember there are no activities at Out Of The Box this Wednesday Night! See you on January 30 for a New Years Celebration @ Out of the Box about 13 hours ago from web

7. lets change the world Pentecost Sun 2010 http://www.facebook.com/ronnie24317?v=feed&story_fbid=217841486427#/group.php?gid=226898974663 about 13 hours ago from web

8. Check this video out — Techno Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5MJHR8qJQE about 13 hours ago from web

9. How do we change the world? One act of random kindness at a time. Holston, one baptism at a time or 3000 in a day. about 14 hours ago from web

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10. watching Evan Almighty with Kyle, Samuel fell asleep in my arms, Misty and Judah are Christmas Shopping about 15 hours ago from web

11. 3000 Baptisms Pentecost 2010 https://imagebearer.wordpress.com/2009/12/19/3000-baptisms-around-holston-conference-in-one-day-it-can-happen/ about 15 hours ago from web

12. lets be honest for a change https://imagebearer.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/what-is-your-testimony/ about 15 hours ago from web

13. It is still snowing in Hillsville, another snowstorm, please about 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry

14. cleaning up the office, you won’t believe it… about 18 hours ago from web

15. working on Carroll Co. Ministerial Matters about 18 hours ago from web

16. thank U 2 Donna, Patti, their families, & all who helped make the gifts for the children possible, UMM and OOTB Youth as well, serving well about 18 hours ago from web

17. just received $26.20 for the Children of Sudan, awesome about 18 hours ago from web

18. There is a real fine snow falling in Hillsville. I am ready for another foot and to be snowed in at home with the family. about 20 hours ago from TwitterBerry

19. Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. http://read.ly/Eph5.1.NLT about 21 hours ago from API

20. Quick lunch and back to Christmas Gifts for kids in Carroll whose parent or parents are incarcerated. God is doing great things in Carroll. about 18 hours ago from TwitterBerry

21. Internet is down at the church. Amazing how much we count on instant communication in 2009 about 20 hours ago from TwitterBerry

22. I am hearing so much about church budget cuts & freezing budgets. What if we 4get spending another dime & just go tell people about Christ? about 21 hours ago from TwitterBerry

23. Getting ready to deliver some Christmas care packages to a local resthome about 21 hours ago from TwitterBerry

24. Share this with your friends https://imagebearer.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/share-this-with-your-friends/ about 21 hours ago from web

25. Remember those who are lonely this time of year. Many of us are celebrating while many others are grieving. about 24 hours ago from TwitterBerry

26. Hillsville-Thursday Night Rain…sleet and freezing rain likely. Lows in the upper 20s. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. 5:08 AM Dec 21st from web

27. It is the week of Christmas and I really just want to hang out with my family but I guess I have to go to work. Lots to do this week. 5:06 AM Dec 21st from web

28. Myrtle Beach Marathon is 52 DAYS | 23 HRS | 36 MINS | 42 SECONDS 4:53 AM Dec 21st from web

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