an edition of the United Methodist Reporter THE MISSOURI CONFERENCE REVIEW


Leading congregations to lead people to actively follow Jesus Christ UMCOR


Aware


Bishop Robert Schnase discusses attentiveness and birding. 2A


Recent earthquake has UMCOR back in Turkey. 4A


Family


Bonds as strong as blood form through covenant. 5A


024000 l Volume 158 Number 28 l November 11, 2011 Two Sections, Section A


A losing proposition


Pastor takes big step to make himself smaller Last summer at Annual


Conference session Rev. Eric Moore was disregarded and ignored by colleagues he had known for years. They looked right past him, and didn’t speak when they saw him in lobby, as though he were a stranger. But Moore wasn’t being intention- ally shunned, his friends did not know him.


The identity crisis Moore con-


tinues to experience can be attrib- uted to one thing: he has lost 100 pounds since February. Moore, who is pastor of Linn


Memorial UMC in Fayette, has struggled with his weight since he was in second grade. With his peak weight being about 300 pounds, he had weight –related


See Weight Loss, pg. 6A The Habitat for Humanity house in Joplin was taking shape by mid-October.


Building back: Volunteers in Joplin enter construction phase


… a time to break down, and a


time to build up. Ecclesiastes 3:3, NRSV


For Christ Community UMC


New District office opens in Joplin


The Southwest District Office


is coming back into full operation in its new permanent home. A new office has been constructed at the same site as the former office, which was wrecked by the tornado that devastated Joplin on May 22. Although the office still stood


after the tornado, windows were knocked out, there were large holes in walls, and the entire


office was filled with debris and had extensive water damage. Initially important files were


evacuated to Southwest District Superintendent Sandra Nenadal’s home. A temporary office was later set up in some vacant retail space. Nenadal and district staff began moving into the new office in mid-October, and continue to finalize the details.


See District Office, pg. 6A


in Joplin, it is time to build. The first week of October started construction on a Habitat for Humanity house. It will only be one house in a town that needs hundreds, but for many people it is a turning point. “For months people here have


been carrying debris to the road,” said Rev. Chris Sloan. “I think it’s good for the city and good for our church to see building beginning again, and something new coming up out of the ground.” Many volunteers from Christ


Community will be working on the house. They will also be joined early on by a volunteer team from Campbell UMC in Springfield. The Habitat House is located at 1022 Sergeant St. Scott Clayton, executive direc-


Chris Sloan, pastor of Christ Community UMC, is shown here with Lorri Hensley, the owner of the Habitat home.


tor of Habitat for Humanity in Joplin, said the church’s role is very much appreciated. “I can’t say enough about how


helpful Chris Sloan and the vol- unteers from Christ Community have been,” he said. “We were


insulating this past week, and there’s plenty of opportunities left for volunteers to do things like paint, flooring and landscaping.” Clayton said he expects the home to be done by year-end.


See Habitat House, pg. 4A


The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Profi t, Dallas, TX 75247-3919. Periodicals Postage Paid at Dallas. Postmaster: Send address changes to The United Methodist Reporter, PO Box 660275, Dallas, TX 75266-0275.


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