January 6, 2012 OBITUARY


CONWAY Lora Woods Lora Lafaye Teeter Woods, 98,


passed away on Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, at Conway Regional Medical Center.


She was born Sept. 28, 1913,


in Plainview to Melvin Odus and Bertha Dee Bowden Teeter. She was predeceased by her parents; a brother, Clayton; a sister, Oleta; and her husband of 62 years, the Rev. Woodrow Woods. Survivors include three


children, Katala Sisco of Clinton and her husband, Bob; Don Woods of Bryant and his wife, Belinda; and Sandra Woods of Conway; a sister, Nina Taylor and her


husband, Roy, of Wolff orth, Texas; six grandchildren and 10 great- grandchildren. She grew


Lora Woods


up on Crow Mountain, north of Pottsville in Pope County. She was a member of Wesley UMC in Conway. For


more than 40 years, Lora was a faithful pastor’s wife, serving churches throughout the former North Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church. She oſt en served as the pianist at


churches where her husband was appointed as pastor. In addition to her work in


churches, the joy and focus of her life were her family and helping others. During their ministry together, she and Woodrow oſt en spent T anksgiving and Christmas aſt ernoons taking food baskets to the poor. She enjoyed gardening, sewing, cooking, and reading. A funeral service was held at


Wesley UMC on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Burial followed at Crestlawn Memorial Park in Conway. Memorial giſt s may be made to Wesley UMC, 2310 E. Oak Street, Conway, AR 72032, or to the church of your choice.


11A


Grants from Ingathering go to ministries statewide


T e nine districts of the Arkansas Conference have announced grant


funding for 57 feeding ministries across the state. Funding for all grants came from giſt s given to Ingathering, the annual


collection of supplies and funds to help those who face sickness, hunger or disaster around Arkansas, the U.S. and the globe. Grants awarded at Ingathering on Nov. 19 focused on providing start-up


funds to emerging hunger relief ministries, while the districts directed their grants toward established ministries. T e emerging ministry grants were listed in the Dec. 2 issue of the Arkansas United Methodist. District grant amounts ranged from $200 to $1,000, depending upon


Grand opening for UM Museum of Arkansas’ new location Jan. 14 All United Methodists of Arkansas invited


United Methodists from across the state will fi nd


Opening reception: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.


Dedication ceremony led by Bishop Charles Crutchfield: 11:30 a.m.


pieces of their past at the grand re-opening of the United Methodist Museum of Arkansas. All Arkansas Conference United Methodists are


invited to attend the ribbon-cutting and dedication service on Saturday, Jan. 14, at First UMC Little Rock, 723 Center Street. T e museum is located on the ground fl oor, in the oldest portion of the church building. T e reception runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the


11:30 dedication led by Bishop Charles Crutchfi eld. Light refreshments will be served. “Although the museum was formed in 1995, it has


been something of a best-kept secret,” said the Rev. Ed Matthews, chair of the Museum Committee. He hopes that with the museum’s relocation, “United Methodists


across the state will be encouraged to develop more interest not only in the Conference history and artifacts, but in local church history.” T e museum’s collection, covering the denomination’s history in the Arkansas area, spans two centuries and


includes artifacts such as historic Bibles, hymnals and church furnishings; items used by early circuit riders; photographs and other art; and commemorative plates from churches across the Conference. Funding for the relocation from Batesville and the extensive site preparation was made possible by a generous


grant from the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas. To share with the museum artifacts of historical value, or to serve as a volunteer tour guide, contact museum


coordinator Martha Sowell at 501-224-9333 or mars75@abcglobal.net. Local churches wishing to invite a speaker to present a program on the museum and the history of Methodism in Arkansas should contact Sowell, as well. To schedule a tour visit for a confi rmation class or other study group, contact the Arkansas Conference offi ce at 501-324-8000 or toll-free 877-646-1816 aſt er Jan. 14.


Find the Arkansas Conference of T e United Methodist Church on Facebook at facebook.com/arkansasumc


www.arumc.org


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factors determined by the district. Each district reviewed applications from within its own boundaries, which allowed for greater attention to the unique nature of each ministry. Some districts chose to give equal amounts to all churches selected, while others gave more to ministries that serve larger numbers of people. Recipients of district hunger ministry grants include: Central District: Community Food Pantry at Amboy UMC; Gardner


Memorial UMC food pantry; Geyer Springs UMC food pantry; the community garden feeding program at T eressa Hoover UMC; the weekly food pantry at Oak Forest UMC; the twice-monthly food pantry at Quapaw Quarter UMC; supplemental and emergency food distribution at Sweet Home UMC; and supplemental food distribution at Wesley Chapel UMC. North District: North Sharp County Ministerial Alliance, Ash Flat UMC;


Feed the Hungry program at Holiday Hills UMC; T e Food Closet and Power Express aſt er-school ministry at Leslie UMC; Melbourne UMC Backpack Program; Cedar Ridge Helping Hands Food Pantry, Oil Trough UMC; and Valley Springs UMC Food for Children. T e North District used its own funds to give additional grants to the Agape Cafe Ministry of Hardy UMC and the food pantry at Bald Knob UMC. North Central District: Amazing Grace Cafe at First UMC Conway; First


UMC Des Arc’s Brown Bag Ministry, which feeds children during the summer when they do not have access to free or reduced-price school lunches; Grace UMC Conway’s Coupons for Christ Program to benefi t Bethlehem House; Conway County Care Center, an extension ministry of First UMC Morrilton; Mount Tabor UMC Cabot’s Brown Bag Ministry for children in summer; the food pantry at Vilonia UMC; and the food pantry at Wesley UMC Conway. First UMC Des Arc received a second grant for a weekend backpack program that will serve the same children as the summer Brown Bag Ministry. Northeast District: Food pantries at Cherry Valley UMC; First UMC


Blytheville; Fisher Street UMC Jonesboro; Harrisburg UMC; Hickory Ridge UMC; Hughes UMC; Piggott UMC; St. Paul UMC Jonesboro; Trumann UMC. Northwest District: Food pantries at Central UMC Lincoln; Decatur


UMC; First UMC Bentonville; Grace UMC Rogers; Harmon UMC; and Wiggins UMC Fayetteville. South Central District: Open Door Ministries in Jones Mill, directed by


Cathy Larson, a United Methodist Lay Missioner. Open Door serves hot meals and provides a number of other services for children and families. Southeast District: Gillett UMC; Helping Hands ministry connected with


First UMC Hamburg ; Pioneer Club, an aſt er-school ministry of First UMC Hamburg ; Marianna Larger Parish, a ministry coordinated by Church and Community Worker Evelyn Banks-Shackelford; White Hall UMC; Wilson Chapel UMC Warren. Southwest District: T e Stewpot, a ministry of First UMC Magnolia that


serves an aſt ernoon meal three days a week. West District: Alma UMC, for its work with the local Community


Outreach Center food pantry; Bluf on UMC Waldron and Gravelly UMC, a two-point charge with an outreach network that delivers food within 24 hours of learning about a need; Greenwood UMC food pantry; Hartman UMC food pantry; First UMC Ozark food pantry; Faith UMC Fort Smith food pantry; the “Least of T ese” ministry at Midland Heights UMC, providing warm meals and aſt er-school snacks; Mulberry UMC food pantry; St. Paul UMC Fort Smith’s ministry of providing hot meals the fi rst Saturday of each month.


Arkansas United Methodist


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