Florida United Methodist Review Online

Churches reach out to Space Coast community

     While the nation mourned the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and the seven astronauts on board, members of the community and churches in the Melbourne District felt that loss even more deeply. For them, the tragedy hit home and on very personal levels.
     Approximately 11 United Methodist churches north of Melbourne have high concentrations of Kennedy Space Center (KSC) employees, between 10 percent and 40 percent of their members, according to Melbourne District Superintendent the Rev. Dr. Anne Burkholder.   Full Story

Hispanic team discusses candidates, issues

Leaders of the Florida Conference’s 52 Hispanic churches and missions decided to ask delegates to the 2003 Florida Annual Conference Event May 27-31 in Lakeland to elect six Hispanic delegates to the 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.
They also plan to educate the Florida Conference about some of the uniquely Hispanics issues they expect will arise at the denominational congress. Nearly 80 Hispanic clergy and laity representing the conference’s Hispanic ministries met at Sebring Hispanic United Methodist Mission here Feb. 1 to discuss strategies to ensure their concerns are addressed at General Conference. Full Story

United Methodists rally for peace

As the seemingly inevitable march toward war with Iraq continues, United Methodists in Florida are adding their voices to the chant of those calling for a peaceful resolution.
     The “United Voices for Peace” rally Jan. 18 near Tampa’s MacDill Air Force base featured music, speakers, drumming and display posters and signs. Groups from all across Florida came together to form the coalition, and crowd estimates ranged from the hundreds to thousands. Among the peace protesters was the Rev. Vicki Walker, deacon at Hyde Park United Methodist Church here, and a group of people from a study group she leads each week. Full Story

Gleaning yields 90,000 plus pounds for needy

     In spite of record-breaking cold weather, United Methodists from a dozen Brevard County churches, along with throngs of other volunteers, gleaned more than 90,000 pounds of citrus Jan. 25. The fruit was trucked to several locations in Appalachia and within Florida through the Society of Saint Andrew (SOSA) network.
The annual event, coordinated by First United Methodist Church here, rallied more than 200 volunteers for the one-day effort, described by SOSA as one of the largest in the country. Full Story

Churches challenged to collect for children

      Florida Conference churches are being challenged to raise enough money to purchase more than 10,000 School Kits for children in the Eastern Angola Conference and throughout Florida. The challenge, called “Children’s Harvest ’03,” is being issued by the conference’s committee on the Council of Bishops’ Initiative on Children and Poverty (BICAP).
     The goal of Children’s Harvest ’03 is to raise at least $100,000, which will be used by the BICAP committee to purchase supplies for more than 10,000 School Kits.   Full Story

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In Brief

Confirmation Convocation offers new experience

Opportunities

Celebrate Jesus offers first in series of training events

Hispanics offer Lenten retreat

Retreats offer programs geared across the age spectrum

Bishop gathers with clergy, spouses

Short Bites

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