Animation Creates a Splash

The Asia, Edgar, and Kat characters in the Deep Blue Curriculum videos are modeled in a three-dimensional format. They also star in the FREE Deep Blue Adventure App!

You’re standing in front of a bunch of squirming kids in Sunday school; before you can even begin to tell them a Bible story or teach them a song, you’ve got to get their attention. Animation might be just the way to get those kids to sit still.

“In today’s world, people have short attention spans and are unwilling to sit through anything they don’t have to,” states Neil Wood-Mitchell, creative director and filmmaker at Three Motion, an animation production company in Newcastle upon Tyne. “According to Forester Research, one minute of video and animation is worth a staggering 1.8 million words.”

One Video for All

When conceptualizing the new Deep Blue Curriculum for children, Cokesbury’s creative team immediately turned to animation for the teaching videos. Although the many other Deep Blue collateral materials, including interactive posters, bookmarks, songs, puzzles, games, and apps hit age-specific targets, Cokesbury’s strategically designed the videos to appeal to all age groups.

“We knew animation was a good way to reach kids,” explains Alan Vermilye, Senior Marketing Manager for Children’s Curriculum. “And animation spans a variety of age groups; it’s very hard to reach three- to ten-year-olds when you’re using actors.”

Of course the overwhelming successes of animated movies like Pixar’s Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Brave prove that animation is popular with adults, too. “Yeah, that’s something we wanted to do—create videos that the teachers would also enjoy, so teaching would be fun for them, too,” says Vermilye.

The Messages Comes Through

Animation not only grabs kids’ attention, it delivers a message to them in a meaningful way. “Animation transforms a message, making it easy to understand and visualize,” says Wood-Mitchell. “Any complex idea or concept can be broken down into easy to understand and digestible information with animation.”

Kelly Loosli has worked with both DreamWorks Feature Animation and Buena Vista Motion Pictures at Disney. He’s now the director of Brigham Young University’s Center for Animation. “An animator’s job is to create worlds of enchantment, transporting the audience to a different time or place,” he says in a Salt Lake City Deseret News interview. “Animation allows kids to drop their guard and go into an imaginary world. The messages come through even more vividly. This is a great way to teach audience members lessons of life and morality.”

The Bible in 3-D

Most animated teaching videos are produced in a two-dimensional format, meaning they have a flat appearance on a screen. The Asia, Kat, and Edgar characters in the Deep Blue videos, which were introduced with Cokesbury’s release of the CEB Deep Blue Kids Bible, are in a three-dimensional format; they have rounded shapes with depth that’s created by using computer-generated ‘lighting.’ “The Bible has been very popular,” says Vermilye, “and so we thought what a great opportunity to use those characters who were already built into 3-D.” The result is no less than the quality of animation you would expect to see from a Hollywood feature film release.

We hope you’ll like the Deep Blue Curriculum as much as Pam Snider, Director of Children’s Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. Here is her enthusiastic review:

“I think I can say I’m going to love everything about Deep Blue! Last year, I gave the Bible as our gift Bible and the children like it very much. As for the curriculum, I am attracted to the continuity with the Deep Blue Bible, the overall look, the diversity in characters, the video and music components, the downloadable option and especially the app for families. Just imagine the ease of touching base with the church at home, in the car, on summer vacation, etc. Brilliant! The content goes without saying. I always trust that no theological editing will be necessary when I use Cokesbury materials.”

We’ll let Reverend Nancy Millwater of Lees Creek United Church of Christ in Sabina, Ohio share a last few kind words. “Although I’m a UCC minister, I normally recommend Cokesbury curricula— I trust its theology, it’s user friendly with plenty of activities, it has attractive four-color components…all in all, I’ve recommended it to my current church and my last two, not only for Sunday school but also for VBS…. Our kids leave after the Children’s Message and we have one to eight with ages from three to twelve so we use the One Room Sunday school materials.”

Have we gotten your attention?

If so, check out our Deep Blue curriculum catalog here. And let us know what you think.

Back Away from the Facts and Figures

Should we revamp our Sunday schools? Change our methodology of teaching? Would remodeling with bright colors make a difference? Or should we simply stop offering Sunday school altogether? Experts can be found on all sides of the issue and they can back up their opinions with every kind of research imaginable. The concerns are valid, but maybe we need to back away from the facts, figures, and predictions about the future just a bit and concentrate on supporting our churches’ Sunday schools and children’s ministries right now.

Remember baptismal vow

Sue Jacobs, Education Specialist with the Christian Education Committee of the Presbyterian Church in America, reminds us that the spiritual formation of our children is the responsibility of not only parents and teachers, but of the entire church. In an essay on her organization’s website, she reminds us about our promise during infant baptism. “The congregation must consider the vow taken at covenant baptisms as seriously as the parents do,” she says. “If you do not know and serve them [children in your church] in some capacity, you need to search your heart before taking the baptismal vow again.”

In an online article on how to retain Sunday school teachers, the Center for Excellence in Christian Education says you don’t have to teach to support your children ministry’s efforts. The article states, “In one sense, everyone in the church can be a part of a children’s ministry regardless of the gifts, skills, time, and energy they can give. We need people to pray for this ministry, the teachers and the families we serve.”

Prayer covering

Dr. S. Joseph Kidder, Professor of Biblical Spirituality at Andrews University (Berrien Springs, Michigan) agrees. “Tremendous amounts of pressure on children and their families exist today,” he says. “Our families certainly need a prayer covering, and so do the children’s workers who are trying to reach them.”

He suggests that one way to encourage your congregation to take ownership in your children ministry is to ask if they would commit to praying for a particular child once a week for a certain length of time. Put the name and a short description of each child onto individual cards, and then hand the cards out to those who make the promise to pray. “Such a ministry helps build bridges between the generations and automatically increases adult interest and support,” he explains. “This may also increase your base of volunteers.”

Gestures of gratitude

Recognizing volunteers is another way to support your children’s ministry. Organize a team of members to write thank you notes to your Sunday school teachers. Take photos of your teachers enjoying an activity with their class and post it on your website. Make sure they know you want to hear their ideas and encourage them to think creatively. Present them with a small bouquet of flowers from your church’s garden. Think about how even small gestures of gratitude make you feel, and do something for your volunteers. No facts and figures needed.

8 Ways to Beat Discouragement

If you work in the children’s ministry as either a church staff member or as a volunteer, you’re going to occasionally feel discouraged. It happens to all of us, so take heart. And follow this advice from Tony Kummer, founder of ministry-to-children.com, on how he makes it through a bout of discouragement. (Used with permission.)

1. Focus on the long-term vision
Short-term setbacks can really kill my morale. I get discouraged when my teaching falls flat or when I lose a busy volunteer. Ask yourself, “What am I trying to accomplish in the lives of these children twenty years from now?” Stay faithful to the vision and do the little things well. Then trust God to work things out in the long term.
2. Be thankful for past success
Take the time to step back and see how much has been accomplished this year. Write down five ways that God has touched lives through your children’s ministry. Give thanks to God and trust him to continue his work next year.
3. Pray
Nothing energized me for ministry like getting close to God. Very few real gains have ever come without prayer. Fight discouragement by seeking direct support from your Heavenly Father.
4. Remember that kids matter to Jesus
When God was calling me to work in children’s ministry I was amazed to discover all the Bible verses that spell out God’s love for children. Always remember that his passion to reach the little ones will always exceed your own. All you have to do is get in line with his purpose.
5. Encourage others
One of the best ways to get over discouragement is to become an encouragement to someone else. Look a Sunday school teacher in the eyes and say, “Your work matters to God and is making a difference.” Do this every week.
6. Spend more time with hurting children
Sometimes I forget the pain that many of these children are facing in their own lives. Take time to connect with a child who is suffering from a rocky home life.
7. Visit unchurched families
Few things energize me for ministry like getting into the “rough” homes of some of our kids. Remember, only the Gospel can break the cycles of sin that destroy so many families.
8. Love the unlovable
Identify the child that causes you the most stress, the one that you may have written off as a troublemaker. Then make it your personal project to love that child and become the presence of Christ in their lives. If you succeed, you will never forget it.

It’s your turn.

Share some of your “right now” ideas for supporting your children’s ministry and Sunday school volunteers. We can’t wait to see your comments!

What’s Up With Sunday School?

While Melissa Pandika’s article, “Has the Sun Set on Sunday School?” (ozy.com, March 16, 2015) was not the first to raise the question, the piece seems to have sparked increased interest—possibly because it was picked up by USA Today a few days later—in the debate from all sides. Google-search the phrase “future of Sunday school” and be prepared to scroll through page after page of articles, research papers, and blogs that all address the issue.

But you don’t have time for that. So we’ll give you a quick take on what people are saying.

Eating Our Families Alive

Turns out, that’s one of the major factors contributing to a decline in children ministries’ Sunday school attendance and in church worship attendance in general: time, or lack thereof. In her article, Pandika states, “Instead of a day of rest, Sunday has become just another day for over-scheduled kids to be chauffeured from sports practice to music lessons or SAT tutoring. It doesn’t help that parents themselves, so overwhelmed by life, are skipping church.”

Will Mancini, founder of church consulting firm Auxano and author of Church Unique, agrees, explaining that people don’t have time for church because of the “increasing involvement with kid’s activities including more ‘multiple activity’ commitments (sports, music, etc.) for longer durations with greater competitiveness.” He continues: “The growth of club sports and the intensity of competition creates a market for kids to get started earlier and be involved longer. This is literally eating our families alive when it comes to time. “

In his column about youth sports for Forbes magazine, Bob Cook shares from personal experience: “I’m a Sunday school teacher but I’m also a parent who has let his kids sleep in from church because they are worn out from a week’s worth of school homework, sports, activities and events. So I understand why youth sports is one of the many reasons what most people know as Sunday school—Christian instruction given to children before, during or after a church service—is on the wane.”

Footballs and Paintbrushes

Some churches have already thrown in the Sunday school towel and are trying new ways to reach young families and their children, but most are choosing instead to revamp and revitalize their existing Sunday morning classes.

On the Baltimore Washington United Methodist Church Conference website, Carrie Madren shares what Trinity UMC in Emmitsburg, Maryland, is doing to reimagine their Sunday school program. “The new school year kicked off with Fundamentals of Faith and Football, which used basic football skills to teach biblical lessons on faith. Starting with a tailgating party, Faith and Football became a six-weeklong series in the park,” she writes. “Another football lesson related football penalties and game rules to God’s law and the Ten Commandments.”

Inventive Sunday school ideas from another United Methodist church, Parkway Heights UMC of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, are featured on the United Methodist Church website, umc.org. “At Parkway Heights UMC, each Sunday morning in September found young Michelangelos by the roomful, stretched out flat on their backs, painting their own versions of the Creation story,” the site’s article states. “The opportunity to try matching brushstrokes with Michelangelo is just one of several innovative ways children experience the Creation story.”

If They Enjoy

These success stories illustrate what author S. Joseph Kidder means in his book, The Big Four: Secrets to a Thriving Church Family, when he explains, “In the past, parents brought their children to the church and the Lord. Today, children bring their parents and friends to the church if they enjoy their experience there.”

Not only does Kidder give us an additional and significant reason to make Sunday schools work—a new dynamic of who leads whom—but he also hits another nail on the head: “if they enjoy their experience there.”

We know we’ve only explored a fraction of the Sunday school debate here, but naturally we’re drawn to Kidder’s statement. Developing ways for you to provide enjoyable experiences to children so that they can learn about Christ’s love is what we do. And we think we do a pretty good job with products like the CEB Deep Blue Kids Bible and all the other Deep Blue curriculum materials.

The Devil’s Super Bowl

Amidst the scurrying and worrying over what’s the best thing to do for our kids, thank goodness there are those who find a lighter side.

In his book, Stuff Christians Like, Jon Acuff says the hour before you attend church is like the devil’s Super Bowl. He writes, “I am assuming his goal is to get you distracted and angry and all poisonous before you have a chance to connect with God during the worship service. So he just wrecks your morning and gets you in some squabble with your spouse or a roommate.”

John UpChurch, Senior Editor at biblestudytools.com, provides a very relatable description of a typical family’s Sunday morning scramble in an essay he wrote for crosswalk.com: “The drive to church takes about an hour. That means we hustle. While my praise-team-singing wife readies herself in the cramped bathroom, I do my best to whirl around the house and keep our girls on track. The soundtrack of our Sunday mornings goes something like this: ‘Yes, you have to wear those tights. No, you can’t match leopard shoes with that dress. I have no idea if that goes together. I think I saw your bear under the pile of clothes. Your sleeve is not a tissue.’”

Tell us what you think!

If you were to create a wish list for your church’s Children’s Ministry, what would it include? What out-of-the-Sunday-school-box ideas have you tried? Do you have tips for finding peaceful time for family worship in the midst of the weekly scramble? Let’s talk about how we can shape that enjoyable experience together! Please comment here.

Council Of Bishops Issues Pastoral Letter On Racism

Letter from the United Methodist Council of Bishops

“Grace and peace in the name of Jesus Christ!

We, the bishops of The United Methodist Church, are meeting in Berlin, Germany, 70 years after the end of World War II.  As we gather, we renew our commitment to lead, as together we seek to become the beloved community of Christ.

We are a church that proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  On every continent, people called United Methodist are boldly living the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  Yet, the people of our world are hurting, as injustice, violence and racism abound.  Our witness to the dignity of all human life and the reign of God is needed now more than ever.

Our hearts break and our spirits cry out, as we see reports of migrant people being attacked and burned in the streets of South Africa, note the flight of Jews from Europe, watch the plight of Mediterranean refugees and see racially charged protests and riots in cities across the United States that remind us that systems are broken and racism continues.  The evidence is overwhelming that race still matters, that racism is woven into institutional life and is problematic to communal health.  This reality impacts every area of life – in the church and in the world.

Racism is prejudice plus intent to do harm or discriminate based on a belief that one is superior or has freedom to use power over another based on race. Xenophobia is an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange.  Racism and xenophobia, like other sins, keep us from being whole persons capable of living up to our full potential. They deny the profound theological truth that we are made in the image of God with the handprint of love and equality divinely implanted in every soul.

As bishops of the Church, we cast a vision for a world community where human worth and dignity defeat acts of xenophobia and racism. We acknowledge that silence in the face of systemic racism and community fears serves only to make matters worse.

We commit to lead, model and engage in honest dialogue and respectful conversation and invite people of faith everywhere to join us.  Let us repent of our own racial bias and abuse of privilege.  May we love God more deeply and, through that love, build relationships that honor the desire of people everywhere to be seen, valued, heard and safe. As we proclaim and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, may we lead the way in seeking justice for all, investing in and trusting God’s transforming power to create a world without hatred and racism.

As United Methodists, we affirm that all lives are sacred and that a world free of racism and xenophobia is not only conceivable, but worthy of our pursuit.  We renew our commitment to work for a Church that is anti-racist and pro-humanity, believing that beloved community cannot be achieved by ignoring cultural, racial and ethnic differences, but by celebrating diversity and valuing all people.

“This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also.” 1 John 4:21 (CEB)

RESOURCES

A New Dawn in Beloved Community:  Stories with the Power to Transform Us, Linda Lee, ed., Abingdon Press, 2012

Pan-Methodist Statement on Racism from the 72nd Consultation of Methodist Bishops

Understanding and Dismantling Racism: the Twenty-First Century Challenge to White America, Joseph Barndt,  Fortress Press, 2007”

Media contact:
Diane Degnan ddegnan@umcom.org
615.742.5406 (work) 615.483.1765 (cell)

How To Pray For Creation

Too often, Christians boil down the call to be godly stewards of the environment to a few short to-do’s. If we carpool, turn off the lights, buy “green” products, or conduct an energy audit on our home, we feel that we are doing our part to “save the world.” That is not to say that those actions aren’t valuable, but we should not forget that we are not the ones who can save the world; God is. The Lord is delighted when we ask him to do what we are not able to.

Here are some ideas to help structure your prayer time.

• Acknowledge that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.
• Confess that humankind (including yourself) has often failed to care for creation in a way that is honoring to him.
• Ask God to help you see the glory of creation all around you and respond to it with praise and gratitude.
• Thank God for all the ways that he uses creation to care for your needs and the needs of every other living thing on the planet.
• Ask the Lord to provide ways for you to be a better steward of creation in your church, community, and family.

(Used with permission from Rev. Rusty Pritchard – Flourish Magazine – http://www.flourishonline.org)

Who Needs Bricks And Mortar?

Although we know that the true definition of “church” is a community of people—a body of believers—most of us use the word to indicate a specific building. For hundreds of years, “church,” as a building, has conjured up a fairly universal image; not anymore.

A National Congregation Study completed in 2012 shows that 10 percent of congregations meet in a non-traditional setting. Using the 2010 U.S. Religion Census estimated total of 350,00 congregations, then, approximately 35,000 congregations meet somewhere other than a typical church venue.

What’s New?

The architecture of new church builds is often radically different than they were even twenty years ago. Some new brick-and-mortar churches include nothing on the exterior of the building to even indicate that the structure is, indeed, a church. And when it comes to new church plants, who needs bricks and mortar anyway?

In the past, new or planted churches most often made arrangements to meet in a school. They have parking lots, large rooms in which to meet and no one is using the buildings on Sunday mornings. In more recent years, schools are rarely an option anymore; the legal issue of religion in schools has required many churches to find new facilities.

In addition to changing trends in church architecture and signage, church doctrines are also changing, to reflect members’ growing concern for and responsibility to this world that God made for us. Church plants and new church start-ups are finding creative ways to use existing buildings instead of building from the ground up—which is not only good environmental stewardship, it saves money, too.

Where To?

When New Day Church (Springfield, Massachusetts) was formed in 2007, they never dreamed where they would eventually meet for church worship services. Originally, they met in a community house and later they held church in a hotel, but by 2009, their congregation had grown from eight congregants to six hundred in attendance; today, they hold three services a week in the Basketball Hall of Fame!

Lifechurch Macungie (Macungi, Pennsylvania) also began in 2007. Initially, services were held in a school and later, they shared space with another church. Their real estate break came in 2013 when they bought the former Roller Motion Skating Rink. Remodeling took two years; the church held its first service in their new facility on Easter of this year.

Paradise Outfitters Ministries (Oak Grove, Missouri) began about seven years ago as a home Bible study. When their pastor leased a vacant grocery store and converted half of it into a place for worship, the camp chairs, picnic tables, and taxidermy transformed their chancel area into an old, front porch; this unusual setting made a comfortable spot for sportsmen and women who would never attend a traditional church. And the other half of the store? It’s now a free, indoor archery range. Just put your donation into the minnow bucket.

Why Not?

If you’re thinking of building a new facility or planting a new church, maybe you don’t have to start from the ground up. Try thinking outside the bricks and mortar to find the perfect, existing worship space while honoring your commitment to be more environmentally friendly at the same time.

New Digs in Old Building

Like many businesses across the country—indeed, throughout the world—United Methodist Publishing learned that it’s more environmentally efficient to reuse an existing building instead of constructing a new one. In fact, the actual process of construction negatively impacts climate change . . . something that’s not widely known by the general public.

A 2012 study by The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Green Lab finds that even if the new building is energy efficient, the negative environmental affects of construction outweigh the positive gains. The report states that “it can take 10 to 80 years for a new energy efficient building to compensate, through efficient operations, for the climate change impacts created by its construction.” The study offers this startling example:

“In Portland, Oregon retrofitting just one percent of the city’s office buildings and single family homes that would otherwise be demolished and rebuilt over the next ten years would help to meet 15 percent of the entire county’s total CO2 reduction targets.”

So when it came time for United Methodist Publishing House to relocate its Cokesbury and Abingdon Press divisions’ headquarters, they decided to refurbish an existing facility instead of building from scratch. Their new home, still located in Nashville, Tennessee, is part of a complex that once contained retail shops, a multi-screen movie theatre and restaurants. With its park-like surroundings and man-made lake, the area had been a popular place, but it never took off as expected. The complex lost most of its tenants and deteriorated greatly.

The building is perfect, however, for Cokesbury and Abingdon Press and their almost 500-person staff. Refurbishing the new headquarters has taken about a year, but this month, employees begin the process of moving, and all departments will have transferred operations to their new digs by June 15.

Rare Book Relocation

United Methodist Publishing’s move brought attention recently to Cokesbury’s collection of ancient books, some of which date back to the 1600s and earlier. While the contents of a cubicle drawer can be tossed about, these priceless books are getting the white glove treatment . . . literally. Read more here

Thou Shalt Be Green?

Moses didn’t descend from Mount Sinai with a stone tablet that read “Thou Shalt be Green,” but more and more denominations have adopted environmental disciplines as part of their official doctrine. Christians are waking up to the fact that taking care of the Earth is, fundamentally, a moral obligation.

More than a Moral Issue

The Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith, an interfaith coalition for the environment, takes it a step further saying that responsible environmental stewardship is not only a moral issue, its within the definition of what it means to have a spiritual life.

On the very first page of his new book, GreenFaith, Harper goes right to the heart of our obligation concerning the environment:

“Nature, the outdoors, the environment, is fundamental to religious faith and spirituality. Human experience affirms this. The world’s sacred texts confirm it. Human life and vitality depend on it. And, healthy religious faith is incomplete without it.”

Hidden Truths

Harper says the Bible is filled with hidden truths that tell us to respect the earth. We’ve read how God created the earth over and over again in Genesis, but Harper suggests that we miss a key element of the creation story; that it is good. So from the very beginning, we’re told that earth is valuable.

The Bible also tells us that God’s creation belongs to God, and remains in the Almighty’s control. Again, it’s such a basic concept that it seems as though we need not note it. But doesn’t focusing on God’s control also point out our own responsibility? Harper says we’re using something that doesn’t belong to us—so doesn’t that make us incredibly responsible for its treatment?

“Do our systems of ownership and control of natural resources reflect the divine imperative that we respect and love creation and affirm its goodness by ensuring that it supports abundant life?”

Take a Walk—Now

Harper acknowledges that knowing how to begin to live a more ecologically sensitive life seems overwhelming; he says to start simply.

“Now—right now—begin by taking a walk outside to commune with God. Listen to God’s voice. Meditate on God’s ways. You are a caretaker of God’s earth. Ask God how you can take your role more seriously.”

Available in print and e-book formats, GreenFaith by Rev. Fletcher Harper is available here.

GreenFaith Resources for Your Church

The GreenFaith website, (http://www.greenfaith.org), provides a wealth of information for churches that want to become better environmental stewards. You’ll find eco-themed worship sermons, religious/environmental educational resources, eco-tips to use in your bulletins, children’s programs, and more. The following guide is reprinted with permission.

Building an Effective Green Team

Here are some tips to help you make your Green Team as strong as possible.

Tip #1: Identify Diverse, Motivated and Influential Members

Effective Green Teams have members who represent diverse constituencies within your community. The Team should include:

• Lay, ordained, and professional staff leaders
• Facilities maintenance staff
• Members of the buildings and grounds, finance, worship, education, and social-action committees
• Respected leaders within your community

Tip #2: Share the Work

Each Team member should have an area of responsibility (for example, energy conservation, publicity, and so on), which cultivates a sense of ownership, engagement, and leadership. Larger Green Teams may find it helpful to create subcommittees.

Tip #3: Meet Regularly

While there is no precise number of meetings that ensures success, it is important that your Green Team meets regularly to track your progress and plan upcoming activities. We recommend that your Green Team meet approximately once every six weeks.

Tip #4: Quick Wins, Publicity, and then Planning

The best Green Teams find ways to create “quick wins” for their community—and publicize these victories widely—in order to build positive momentum, a sense of pride and accomplishment, and to attract further support.

Planting More Than Churches

Even though Earth Day 2015 was a few weeks ago, it may not be too early to start thinking about how your congregation can honor our planet on April 22, 2016. Many churches have found that planting—not a new church, but literally digging into the soil—is the way to show their church’s commitment to year-round sustainability while reaching out to those who need help the most.

Green thumbs optional

“Gardening was an unlikely calling for me, since I have no gardening skills,” laughs Sarah McGinley, member of Franklin First United Methodist Church (Franklin, Tennessee) and lead volunteer of the church’s Giving Garden ministry. Shovels and spades began turning the garden’s soil in 2009 and since then, McGinley’s thumb has turned a vibrant shade of green.

“The garden is my passion,” she beams. “It has provided an amazing opportunity for all church members young and old to gather together as the body of Christ and plant a garden, harvest the garden’s produce, and then share that produce with many who might otherwise not have access to fresh vegetables.” In 2014, Franklin First UMC gave away approximately forty thousand pounds of produce.

The Giving Garden does more than provide much-needed produce to the community’s disabled and disadvantaged. “The garden allows us to go beyond our own walls to build relationships with other church congregations, with the DUI court where offenders can put in their community service hours, where kids can visit on school trips, and where special needs adults can volunteer,” says McGinley.

More than beautification

The Garden Ministry at First United Methodist Church Richardson (Richardson, Texas) began approximately seven years ago. The garden was an idea that originated with the church’s Landscape Committee as a grounds beautification project; since that time, however, the mission has evolved to include vegetable gardens with the produce going to a local food bank.

“In 2014, we donated close to 1,100 pounds of organic produce,” says Donna Morrell, one of the Garden Ministry’s fifteen-member volunteer team. “The recipients of our produce come from a variety of countries . . . we strive to provide the types of foods that they will be familiar with, and know how to prepare.”

FUMCR volunteers have found that their garden gives both adults and children the chance for a hands-on gardening experience. “Many Saturday mornings are spent giving garden tours to members of the community,” explains Morrell. “A group of Daisy Scouts earned their gardening badges in our garden; they released ladybugs, planted Sunflower seeds, and helped weed a garden bed.”

Fruits of forgiveness

Perhaps no garden embodies the spirit of giving (and forgiving) like the Anathoth Community Garden and Farm in Cedar Grove, North Carolina.

Shortly after Grace Hackney became the pastor of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, she happened to introduce herself to Valee Taylor at the post office and invited him to visit her church. Cedar Grove was an extremely racially divided community; the idea that a female pastor of a white congregation would invite an African-American man to attend one of their services was beyond novel, and left an impression on Valee.

In June 2004, Bill King, also African-American, had been senselessly shot and killed while closing his bait and tackle store one evening; no one was charged with the crime. The incident accelerated the community’s fear, anger, and distrust.

Valee remembered meeting the Reverend Hackney and went to her church to discuss what could be done to bring the town together. They organized a prayer vigil in the parking lot of King’s store and every one Cedar Grove’s one hundred residents attended, including Valee’s mother, Scenobia Taylor.

Scenobia had inherited her father’s land when he passed away and after the prayer vigil, she had a dream. In it, God told her to donate five acres of the land. She didn’t understand how, but she felt as though God would use the land to help heal the wounds of the community.

Valee Taylor, Scenobia Taylor , Reverend Hackney and the Cedar Grove United Methodist Church took that small plot of land and made it into what it is today: Anathoth Community Garden and Farm, which now includes over a hundred acres and provides a constant, living reminder of how to give and forgive. A quote from the church’s website might sum it up best: “When an improbably tiny seed can produce, in just three short months, an astounding five pounds of Cherokee Purple tomatoes, we can see a reflection of grace itself.”

To Plant or to Plant

As it turns out, church planting means different things to different people. Mention “planting” to First Franklin’s McGinley and she’s likely to hand you a rake or a spade. ”Through our garden, I dream that hearts will be transformed to serve as Christ served,” she says, “inspiring others in our community to join us in the harvest and in the work of building relationships with each other so that we are not bound by these walls, but are truly a community.”

FUMCR’s Morrell breaks it down even more. “Jesus told his disciples to ‘feed my sheep,’” she says. “When we send fresh produce to the food bank, we are following the directive that he gave the first disciples.”