From church to church, amen!

AMEN to Freer UMC for its postcard outreach. Each new post office box subscriber gets a postcard inviting him or her to the church.
AMEN to First UMC, Mission, for reaching out to neighbors. The congregation plays host to “Dinner with Friends” each Friday. The community is invited. For some, attending this dinner marks their first time in a church. The church recently graduated 10 students from its first English as a Second Language class.
AMEN to Bruni UMC for continuing to support Kairos with cookies (400 dozen) and volunteers.
AMEN to First UMC, San Benito, for finding a common time for Sunday school. Spanish- and English- speaking children meet together while classes in either Spanish or English are provided for adults.
AMEN to The Pharr Literacy Project, 1100 E. Business U.S. 83, Pharr. The project has received the “Host Site of the Year” award from Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas for an outstanding Parents Helping Parents program. Pairing classroom opportunities with strong parent support groups in three sites, the program is able to promote personal growth with spiritual development opportunities as a part of General Educational Development and Employability Training programs.
AMEN to the health ministry at First UMC, Kingsville. It has received as many as 101 orders for its Angel Food Ministry, and it offers the community use of the church Community Life Center for a walking program.
AMEN to First UMC, Donna, for its Way of the Child program during the second part of worship services and for its “Lift Off” Vacation Bible School program, to which the congregation invited the community. Sixteen children participated.
AMEN to First UMC, La Feria, for hosting a back-to-school fiesta on its front lawn for neighborhood kids and their parents.
AMEN to First UMC, McAllen, for extending an invitation to a “Blue Christmas Service.” It provided a venue for sharing prayers, scripture and music that acknowledged God’s presence at Christmas is also for those who mourn and struggle with “feeling blue” in the midst of society’s happy holiday celebrations.
AMEN to Pharr UMC for creating a new classroom space and providing new curriculum for use by 3-to-5-year-olds. The new class leaves more space in the old room for infants and toddlers.
AMEN to First UMC, Premont, for using both older and younger children to serve as acolytes. The congregation feels blessed to have children involved and has recently had to move the children’s Sunday school to a larger room.
AMEN to First UMC, Hebbron-ville, for being attuned to children. Birthdays are recognized during worship. There is a children’s time, a children’s church, and recently there was a children’s guest choir. After singing in worship, the choir was invited to a dinner with children of the church and their families.
AMEN to First UMC, Brownsville, for building a relationship with the community through a pumpkin patch. The pumpkin patch was used for preschool “pumpkin science,” high school students from the life skills classes and family pumpkin photos. Funds raised are used to support Methodist Camp Thicket, Wes-laco.
AMEN to Los Fresnos UMC for donating to the mission school built at the dump in Matamoros, where 200 children attend classes.
Do you have an AMEN to share for next month’s edition? Contact Mary Howard at (956) 421-3630 or yard23@aol.com.