Vol. 4 • No. 24 
August 30, 2005
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UMCOR goes into action as hurricane strikes coast
(UMNS) The United Methodist Church's relief agency was already at work preparing for Hurricane Katrina before the Category 4 storm hit Louisiana. Tom Hazelwood, disaster response executive for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, had been in contact with the bishops and disaster coordinators in the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama-West Florida annual (regional) conferences since before Katrina made landfall in Louisiana Aug. 29.  As soon as the storm moved out of those regions, UMCOR planned to begin working with annual conferences to set up call centers and begin making assessments. The assessment process will take days to begin in some regions due to the extensive damage, the agency said.

"In the hardest-hit areas, it may be a week before we can get in to make assessments," Hazelwood said. UMCOR has been working with the Florida Conference as United Methodists in the area continue to recover from Katrina's initial strike Aug. 25 in southern Florida. In coming days, UMCOR said it would work with annual conferences to coordinate relief efforts, such as receiving volunteers, making assessments and distributing aid. Hazelwood planned to go to the hurricane-affected area to assist in the disaster recovery.  More>>

Bulletin Insert: Click here for a "Responding to Hurricane Katrina" insert you can use this Sunday.

You can help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Here's how: FLOOD BUCKETS – UMCOR needs flood buckets filled with cleaning supplies that people use to clean their homes after floods and hurricanes. For assembly and shipping instructions, visit UMC OR's emergency kits web page at http://www.umcor.org . Send your completed flood buckets to UMCOR Sager Brown at 101 Sager Brown Road, Baldwin, LA 70514 . (Warning, the cost of shipping is extremely high. You may prefer to send a financial donation so UMCOR can purchase materials, pack and distribute the flood buckets directly from Sager Brown. To help purchase cleaning supplies, give to UMCOR's Material Resource Ministry, Advance #901440. Checks can be submitted to the Conference Treasurer's Office, PO Box 5210, Macon, GA 31208.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT – Please give generously to UMCOR's Hurricanes 2005 Global, Advance #982523. We suggest you submit your contributions through the Conference Treasurer's Office, PO Box 52101, Macon , GA 31208. Clearly mark the check for Hurricanes 2005.

EARLY RESPONSE TEAMS – Affected Conferences and/or Districts will contact UMCOR Director Tom Hazelwood to report on their damage situations and both short-term immediate (relief) needs and long term (recovery) needs. In an effort to try to coordinate responses and get as much help as quickly and efficiently as possible, Tom Hazelwood will be appointing someone to be the coordinator of ALL National Early Response Teams. The contact information will be posted soon. (Mr. Chris Bills from Oklahoma had been asked to serve but has just been recruited by FEMA to work with them.)

GBOD provides worship resources in aftermath of storm
The General Board of Discipleship has put together a worship resource entitled, "When the Wind Blows: Worship Resources for Use After Hurricanes or Other Natural Disasters." Click here to view.

Feature stories in the September issue of Interpreter, the ministry magazine for United Methodists, will take a look at how several United Methodists live out their faith in the workplace, examine the issue of paying a "living wage" and look at the issues of exercising religious freedom in the workplace. Other features look at the continuing recovery from last year's devastating hurricanes and mark the launch of the fifth year of "Igniting Ministry." You'll also find new resources for your church's ministry in IdeaMart, JumpStart and "It Worked for Us" and find ideas for Living Our Your Faith in the Real World.

New songbook will offer contemporary, diverse mix
(UMNS) A songbook that captures the essence of 21st century worship in the African-American church is one step closer to reality, and Sept. 30 is the deadline for submitting music for possible inclusion. Zion Still Sings! For Every Generation is the title of the new resource, which will become available in January 2007 from the United Methodist Publishing House. The book will provide congregations with a resource for corporate singing with a black church flare, according to the editorial committee. The title represents a continuation of the theme of the Songs of Zion songbook, created in 1981 by the Publishing House. The committee's goal is to create a songbook that captures the ever-changing musical heritage of the African-American church, said the Rev. Myron McCoy, songbook editor and president of United Methodist-related Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo. More>>