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Donna Ratzlaff, executive director of United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, says volunteers are the lifeblood of her agency's ministries. Those who assist with the organization's feeding programs "do everything," she says, from buying and preparing the food to serving it. Photo courtesy of United Methodist Cooperative Ministries. Photo #07-0557. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0647. | |
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A homeless man in the Tampa Bay area adjusts his belongings. Donna Ratzlaff, executive director of United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, says the number of people requesting food and assistance with rent and utilities from her agency doubled during the winter months, "a phenomenon we haven't seen at this level." Photo courtesy of United Methodist Cooperative Ministries. Photo #07-0556. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0647. | |
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Molly McEntire (center) delayed college to fulfill what she heard as God's call to serve in Africa. She and a fellow recent high school graduate spent three months after graduating working with disadvantaged children, teenagers and women in various ministries in Nairobi. Photo courtesy of Molly McEntire. Photo #07-0555. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0646. | |
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A baby in Epe, Nigeria, sleeps beneath an insecticide-treated mosquito net in this November UMNS 2006 file photo. United Methodist Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, president of the denomination's Council of Bishops, is urging United Methodists and other people of goodwill to skip lunch on Africa Malaria Day, April 25, and use their lunch money to buy a lifesaving bed net through the Nothing But Nets campaign supported by The United Methodist Church. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo #07-0554. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0645. | |
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Participants attending a recent education summit on children work in groups to find creative ways to meet children's needs. Photo by Pamela S. Davis. Photo #07-0553. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0644.
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Florida Conference Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker asks participants attending a recent education summit on children sponsored by the conference's United Methodist Women how Florida United Methodists can practice the "holistic ministry of the church” in order to meet children's needs. Photo by Pamela S. Davis. Photo #07-0552. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0644. | |
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Homework tutoring is just one of the many ways volunteers give the elementary-aged children who participate in the Prime Time after-school program at Christ United Methodist Mission in Gainesville the one-on-one attention they need to improve at school. Photo by Brandy Wilson. Photo #07-0550 Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0642. Web photo only. | |
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Thirty-four elementary-aged children receive the guidance and attention they need to succeed in school at the Prime Time after-school program at Christ United Methodist Mission in Gainesville. Photo by Brandy Wilson. Photo #07-0549. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0642. Web photo only.
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First United Methodist Church of Zephyrhills celebrated Children's Week by hanging cut-outs of the hands of children who participate in the church's ministries. Other churches also devoted a worship service to children and their needs. Photo courtesy of First United Methodist Church of Zephyrhills. Photo #07-0548. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0641. | |
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Neighborhood Ministries volunteers, children and youth lead worship at a weekly Wednesday night dinner at First United Methodist Church of Lakeland. Photo courtesy of First United Methodist Church of Lakeland. Photo #07-0547. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0641.
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Renovations at the Warren W. Willis United Methodist Camp are part of the 20-year master plan for the conference's camps and retreat ministries. Photo courtesy of the conference summer camp ministry. Photo #07-0546. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0640.
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NOMADS move new mattresses into a lodge at the Life Enrichment Center as part of renovations completed there in January, thanks, in part, to an $85,000 grant from the Florida Conference board of trustees. Photo by the Rev. David Berkey. Photo #07-0545. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0640. Web photo only. | |
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Alice W. Lockmiller. Photo courtesy of the Florida United Methodist Foundation. Photo #07-0544. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0638. Web photo only. | |
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(From left to right) The Revs. Felecia O’Neal, Debbie Allen, Britt Gilmore, Melissa Pisco and Marcus Zillman share their experiences as younger clergy serving Florida Conference churches and ministries. Photo by Erik Alsgaard. Photo #07-0543. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0637.
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At a recent consultation on the recruitment and training of younger clergy sponsored by the Florida Conference Center for Clergy Excellence, Dr. Lovett Weems, director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership in Washington, D.C., said one of the roadblocks to recruiting younger adults to ordained ministry is " ... the life and vitality that is in the church itself,” begging the question, is the church worth serving? Photo by Erik Alsgaard. Photo #07-0542. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0637. | |
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Youth register to attend a weekly Sunday evening gathering of EPIC Teen Community, the youth ministry at University Carillon United Methodist Church. Photo courtesy of University Carillon United Methodist Church. Photo #07-0541. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0636.
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The game room at University Carillon United Methodist Church's EPICenter has everything from pool tables to rock climbing walls for youth and young adults as part of the church's outreach to that demographic. Photo courtesy of University Carillon United Methodist Church. Photo #07-0540. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0636.
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(From left to right) The Rev. Bill McLoud; Lenny Schultz, a lay member of Hernando United Methodist Church; and the Rev. Wayne Curry discuss various Bible passages dealing with acts of mercy and justice, the differences between the two, and why churches often find it difficult to tackle social justice issues at the Jan. 27 Conference Table. Photo by Tita Parham. Photo #07-0539. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0635. | |
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Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker suggested to participants attending the Jan. 27 Conference Table that a worthwhile Christian social witness would be one "along the same lines as the 1908 Social Creed,” which influenced the development of reform in American labor practices and focused on reducing hours, providing a living wage and instituting child labor laws. “It was concrete, not a vague sentimental list of ideals for society,” Whitaker said. Photo by Tita Parham. Photo #07-0538. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0635. | |
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Walter Dry Sr., a member of First United Methodist Church of Spring Hill, the host church for the Conference Table on social witness, writes what he feels is the greatest issue Florida faces today on the sessions's grafitti wall. Photo by Tita Parham. Photo #07-0537. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0635.
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Alice Williams, a member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Windermere, and other participants at the Jan. 27 Conference Table on social witness vote for the issues they feel should be a priority of the conference. Photo by Tita Parham. Photo #07-0536. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0635.
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Cut-out and painted hands from children across the state hang in the rotunda of the Florida Capitol during the 2006 Children's Week events in Tallahassee. Photo by Tita Parham. Photo #07-0535. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0634. | |
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Florida Conference Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker urges support of Florida's children during a press conference held at the Florida Capitol during the 2006 Children's Week. Photo by Tita Parham. Photo #07-0534. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0634. | |
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Students celeberate their achievement during May 11 commencement exercises. Photo by John Reeves. Photo #07-0533. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0633. Web photo only.
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During the Florida Conference team's visit to Haiti early this year, team members had many opportunities to interact with and get to know the people of Haiti, like this boy, wearing the T-shirt of a summer day camp program in Boca Raton, Fla. Photo by Icel Rodriguez. Photo #07-0532. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0632. | |
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Bishop Ralph E. Dodge celebrates his 100th birthday with his children. Photo by Steven Skelley. Photo #07-0531. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0631.
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Nature Coast Clowns help Bishop Ralph E. Dodge celebrate his 100th birthday. The bishop is considered revolutionary by many for his efforts to improve social conditions in Africa from 1937 to 1964 while serving there as a missionary and bishop of the Africa Central Conference. Photo by Steven Skelley. Photo #07-0530. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0631. | |
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A number of signs reflective of issues regarding immigration decorated the walls of the room at Lake Junaluska Assembly where the recent conference on immigration took place. Photo by Erik Alsgaard. Photo #07-0528. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0629.
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Bishop Hee-Soo Jung (left) of the Northern Illinois Conference and Florida Conference Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker respond to a presentation by Dr. Joan Maruskin on biblical mandates of hospitality at the “Our Call to Hospitality: A Biblical Response to the Challenges of Immigration” conference at Lake Junaluska Assembly in early February. Photo by Erik Alsgaard. Photo #07-0527. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0629. | |
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Volunteers at the Florida Conference's Justice for Our Neighbors immigration clinic in Tampa wrote their hopes and dreams for the clinic on a wall in one of the rooms at Faith Community Haitian United Methodist Church Jan. 27 during the clinic's opening celebration festivities. The clinic will be open once a month and provide services to people on a variety of immigration issues. Photo by J.A. Buchholz. Photo #07-0525. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0627. | |
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The Rev. Tamara Isidore (left), pastor of Faith Community Haitian United Methodist Church, and Florida Conference Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker share a moment with participants attending the opening of the conference's second Justice for Our Neighbors immigration clinic at the Haitian church Jan. 27. Isidore said she has been waiting for more than 10 years for the church to open the clinic so she and her church can help those in the Haitian community work through tough immigration issues. Photo by J.A. Buchholz. Photo #07-0524. Accompanies e-Review Florida UMNS #0627.
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