FALL 2010


THE WEST ViRGiniA UniTED METHODiST • www.wvumc.org


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A friendly game of Foursquare By Adam Cunningham


Playing four square is a fond memory I have of church camp. If you’ve never heard of the game, here’s how it works: four players hit a ball


into another person’s square, hoping they can’t return it. Te goal of the game is to get to the fourth square and stay there as long as possible. Years later as an adult, I’ve found the fun of four square again, kind of. Tis


LAURA ALLEn


Joy Hicks, program coordinator for Amachi West Virginia speaks at Milton UMC in Milton, W.Va. “My work with the United Methodist Women (UMW) inspired me to apply for this job,” she said, noting the emphasis the UMW place on the well-being of women and children. Amachi matches children with a parent in the correc- tional system with an adult mentor.


Amachi Comes


to W.Va. Region Program seeks to break incarceration cycle through volunteer mentoring


By Laura Allen


Kids with a parent in prison are 70% more likely to wind up there them- selves. Tey face a unique challenge: “a particular form of grief and loss that comes from having a parent alive but unreachable,” notes researcher Linda Jucovny in her 2003 report: Amachi: Mentoring Children of Prisoners in Philadelphia. “Amachi” is a Nigerian Ibo word that


means “Who knows what God has brought us through this child”. Te initiative, launched in 2000 in Phila- delphia, by Public/Private Ventures, a 501c3 organization, seeks to help chil- dren with a parent in the correctional system realize their potential through effective mentoring. Te program now has a presence in 47 states, in- cluding West Virginia. “Children who meet weekly with


a mentor have reduced rates of first- time drug and alcohol abuse,” said Joy Hicks, Program Coordinator for Amachi West Virginia, in a presenta- tion to the members of Milton United Methodist Church last month. Mrs. Hicks learned about the pro- gram last year aſter she lost her job.


Her work with the United Methodist Women influenced her to apply for her current position, which she saw in the classified ads in her local paper. She’s the Social Action Coordinator for the United Methodist Women (UMW) in the West Virginia Conference, and an active member of her local church UMW chapter at Calvary UMC in Ripley, W.Va. “Te UMW purpose focuses on


women, children and youth, people who are greatly affected by incarcera- tion,” she said. “I had been praying to find a job with meaning and purpose, and here it is.” Her job is to recruit mentor volunteers


from Kanawha, Jackson, and Cabell counties – at least at first. “Te eventu- al goal is to spread the program across the state of West Virginia,” she said. A unique aspect of the Amachi pro-


gram is its intentional effort to recruit volunteer mentors from church con- gregations, the reason for Mrs. Hick’s visit to Milton UMC last month. Contact her to schedule a visit at your church or other venue at 304- 532-0120. More about the program, including a bulletin insert is online at wvumc.org.


Jada Wolfe poses for a picture with Rev. Pius Asoegwu of Nigeria at a recep- tion, who spoke at Montgomery, East Bank and Lizemores United Methodist Churches this summer. Rev. Asoegwu is director of Restoration Ministries in Ni- geria, and travels through the United States each year to share the Gospel.


Betty Perry of Montgomery UMC in Montgomery, W. Va. hosts a prayer table at the church’s annual block party. People were asked to write prayer requests for the church, prayer team and pastor to pray for. “This is always a wonderful time for the church to witness and demonstrate the love of God to our community,” Pastor Wilma Dobbins said.


time it’s on my cell phone and the places I visit every day. Te competition is there - so is playing with friends. In this version, ‘Foursquare’, players check-in to places they visit anywhere in the world and announce it to their friends. If you visit somewhere enough, you’re named Mayor. Tis is what I consider the “fourth square” of this game. If someone else checks-in more than you, you’re out. Foursquare also awards points and badges for check-ins. What’s interesting about Foursquare is how businesses are taking advantage of


the mobile game. Te coffee chain Starbucks offers their Foursquare Mayors dis- counts on the latest drink. Entertainment store FYE offers anyone who checks in a discount on a purchase of a CD, DVD or video game. How could a church tap into the Foursquare audience? Te Foursquare platform allows users to leave “tips” about the places they visit.


Tis could be a great place to list worship times or the next movie night at a church. I frequently check for tips at a restaurant to find the local favorite. May- be a church could give something to their Foursquare Mayor - A pen, a t-shirt or a dessert. Te good news about Foursquare is you only need a computer and internet


connection to add your church. You can also track statistics about check-ins at your church, and Foursquare will send you a window decal to remind folks to check in. Visit foursquare.com for more information. Is your congregation using Foursquare to attract visitors to your church? Please let us know on the Facebook page at facebook.com/wvumc.


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