__________________________PRAYER CONCERNS________________________

FROM the Bryan District~
Rev. Wayne Middleton is in the hospital in Bellville. He stepped on a
nail while doing mission work in Beaumont over the weekend. He is
diabetic and has no feeling in his feet. The nail remained in his foot and
got abscessed. They removed the nail yesterday. Please pray for healing.

FROM Lonna Nunn, Texarkana District Office~
Rev. Ken Golden, Redwater UMC in the Texarkana District, wants to let
everyone know that his father came through surgery fine. He will be out
of ICU by this afternoon. Doctors believe that they got all of the
cancer.

______________________________BIRTHS______________________________

FROM Lonna Nunn, Texarkana District Office~
Richard and Pat Dowden, Avinger - Harris Chapel in the Texarkana
District, want to announce the birth of their grandson. The baby weighed in
at 9 pounds. Grandparents are excited and will be sure to share more
details later.

_________________________DEATHS/FUNERALS_________________________

FROM Dottie Dumas, Pastor, St. Paul's UMC, Baytown~
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I would appreciate prayers for our family, as my husband, Duwain's
stepmom passed away. We will be traveling Sunday evening and have a
brief family service in Rocksprings on Monday. Her name is Misse Dumas.
Duwain's dad's name is Bob Dumas and he will need many prayers to adjust
to life without her as he was her caregiver for the past few years. She
will be greatly missed by many people. Thank you for your prayers.

_____________________CONFERENCE INFORMATION______________________

___________________NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS/EVENTS___________________

FROM John Dawson- webminister@PayneSpriingsUMC,org - Payne Springs UMC~
OLD TIME REVIVAL -
April 2 - 5 - Featuring Rev. Kay Alewine, Pastor of Arp TX UMC.
5:30 Snack supper Every Evening.
Worship begins at 6:30 p.m. with singing, preaching, and eating.
Payne Springs UMC; 9667 State Highway 198 South; Payne Springs, TX
75156 - (Palestine District); 903-451-2978 OR Rev. Elizabeth Elizardo at:
Pastor@PayneSpringsUMC.org - Secretary@PayneSpringsUMC.org

FROM Rev. Don White~
ENGAGED ENCOUNTER - UNITED METHODIST Weekend coming up-
On April 21-23, 2006, there will be an Engaged Encounter-United
Methodist weekend held in Dallas. (The next weekend in Houston will not be
until August 25-27, 2006.) This weekend experience, an approved
program of the General Board of Discipleship of The UMC, is available to
couples considering engagement, couples who are already engaged, and
newly-married couples up to year after the wedding. The focus of the weekend
is on the lifetime commitment we make in marriage, not on the wedding,
so it is appropriate for all of these couples. For information, the
Texas Engaged Encounter Contact Couple is: Rev. Don and Vivian White at
donvivwhite@juno.com .

________________________THIS WEEK'S EVENTS_________________________

FROM Patty Wehn-Glowski~
Magnolia UMC will host a Bible Conference March 31 and April 1st. Dr.
Jim Fleming will be lecturing on "The Turning Points of Jesus' Life."
Registrations will be taken at the door. Call 281-356-6647 for more
information.

FROM Melissa Wilkins Brigman (melissabrigman@hotmail.com)~
On Saturday, April 1, Marvin UMC in Tyler is sponsoring EMPTY BOWLS, a
fundraiser for hunger relief. Over 60 one-of-a-kind bowls have been
designed by Marvin artists and friends. There will be a silent auction
that night to raise money, but you may go to the website at
www.marvinumc.com, click on Empty Bowls and follow the directions to place a bid
early.
The fun begins at 6 p.m. at Marvin UMC, 300 W. Erwin in Tyler, with
a great dinner, silent auction, music and moments of inspiration and
fun! Tickets for this great event are $15 each and may be purchased at
the door.

FROM Cindy Broyles~
Moody Memorial First UMC of Galveston is pleased to present 14-year old
concert organist Samuel Gaskin on Sunday, April 2, at 4:00 pm.
In 2001, at age 10, Samuel was the youngest recipient of the A.W.
Yeats Scholarship for Pipe Organ Study from First UMC of Beaumont. In
2005, as a 7th grader, he was selected as a national finalist for both the
Albert Schweitzer and the L. Cameron Johnson organ competitions. Samuel
was also awarded a 2005 French Organ Music Seminar scholarship to
travel to Paris to meet and learn from some of the world’s best organists.
In addition to performing in concert in three different cities this
spring, Samuel will be performing with Boston Brass at this summer’s
Meadowlark Music Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. Come enjoy the music by one
of southeast Texas’ own!

FROM Kenneth Tielke, President, United Methodist Men~
All pastors and men's ministry leaders please pass this information on
to all the men in your congregation, and have this announcement read
from the pulpit on APRIL 2.
"All men of the Conference are invited and encouraged to attend the
Spring Men's Retreat sponsored by the Texas Conference Board of United
Methodist Men at Lakeview Methodist Conference Center, south of
Palestine, Friday evening through Sunday morning, April 28, 29, 30, 2006. You
will enjoy great speakers, great music, great fellowship and have a
great time. Bring your son or grandson or a friend. Register on-line at
http://www.tcumm.org/ under Spring Retreat, or contact Kenneth Tielke,
Conference UMM President, at 281-342-9677 for information or a
brochure.
MAILING DEADLINE IS APRIL 8.

FROM Anissa Cantin~
ATTENTION High School Students!
The IMPACT team from Texas A&M invites you to come spend some small
group sessions with college students who are devoted to Christ. They will
share their testimonies, tell you what they are experiencing in college
and answer questions you may have about college. Sessions will be small
groups, as well as large group talks, games, and worship.
WHEN: April 1st - April 2nd (Sat - Sun) 6:30 pm - 8 am -
WHERE: Crosby UMC; 1334 Runneburg Road; Crosby TX 77352 ~
$10 recommended donation to cover expenses and meals. Dinner served
at 6:30 pm; breakfast at 7 am Sunday morning.
This non-denominational event will be over before 8 am to allow you
time to return to your home church for service.
More information about the IMPACT group can be found at
www.impact.tamu.edu -
RSVP to Robin Hamel at rrhamel@yahoo.com or 281.467.9464.

FROM Kathie Mann, Director, Partners In Mission~
EARLY RESPONDER Training will be offered on April 1st & 2nd for those
who would like to be certified by UMCOR to go into a disaster area to
make home and churches SAFE, SANITARY and SECURE.
Attendance is limited to 2 representatives per church.
Contact Mary Ann Hodges, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator at
maryannhodges1@aim.com or 281-379-5091 for additional information
and/or a registration form.

FROM Michael Hunter (mhunter@aciglobal.com)~
Division of Youth (DOY) - Conference Council on Youth Ministry CCYM) -
will meet at Lufkin FUMC IN Lufkin, TX - Saturday, April 1, 2006 - DO
NOT COME ON FRIDAY.
For more information call: Michael Hunter - 254-359-4356, home;
903-388-1246, cell.

_________________________MARK YOUR CALENDAR_______________________

FROM Nancy Hairston~
Dr. J. Ellsworth Kalas will be at Tennison UMC in Mt. Pleasant for our
annual joint Lenten Series. Friday and Saturday, April 7-8, covered
dish meal begins at 6 pm, Fellowship Hall; Worship begins at 6:45 pm,
Sanctuary. Sunday, April 9, morning worship at 10:50, Sanctuary. The church
is on Church and 3rd (313 Church), 903-572-5341.

FROM Tanya Sterling~
JOY Ministry - a ministry of First Methodist Houston (Westpark and
Beltway 8) that joyfully reaches out to those with Special Needs and their
Families - annouces:
JOY RESPITE NIGHTS - an opportunity for parents of children with
disabilities and their siblings to enjoy a Friday night out while their
children are well cared for and have FUN!
JOY SUMMER ADVENTURE CAMP - our one-day summer adventure camp
designed to help school-age children with special needs and their siblings
enjoy a one-day summer camp within a God-centered, safe environment. The
JOY Summer camp will be held at Wesley Academy (on First Methodist’s
campus) on June 23, 2006 from 9am-1pm.
Please contact Tanya Sterling/Director-JOY Ministry for more
information - 713.458.4797.

________________________JOB OPENINGS/JOBS WANTED_________________

Below are the most current openings and job information. Previous job
postings can be located on the conference website: www.txcumc.org. Thank
you.

FROM Amy Kelley~
ASSISTANT YOUTH DIRECTOR NEEDED:
Holy Covenant United Methodist Church, Katy, Texas, is currently
accepting applications for the position of Assistant Youth Director. It
is a full-time position with salary to be determined. Church membership
of 1,600.The responsibilities will include working closely with the
youth director in directing both youth and college ministries. A college
graduate with 2 or more years experience in both youth and family
ministries is most desired. Please submit resume, references and salary
requirements to Cliff Cheadle at cliffordcheadle@sbcglobal.net or you may
send it to: Holy Covenant U.M.C., 22111 Morton Ranch Road, Katy, TX
77449. ATTN: Cliff Cheadle, SPR.

FROM Lauren R. Koenig, Director of Communications~
Preschool Director -
Bear Creek United Methodist Church School is a licensed, NAEYC
accredited school in Northwest Houston. Currently we have 250 students and a
staff of 35. The Director will manage the operations of Bear Creek
United Methodist Church School in cooperation with the School Board. We are
seeking experienced candidates with the demonstrated ability to
supervise personnel, manage funds, implement curriculum and maintain positive
relationships with parents and staff, other agencies and the general
public. Qualified candidates will meet the requirements for education and
experience of the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory
Services and NAEYC. Commitment to the NAEYC accreditation process and
experience in working with educational programs is preferred. he demonstrated
ability to lead and supervise others will be a vital qualification for
this role. Forward resume and supporting documentation to:
Jennifer Wilson; Bear Creek UMC School; 16000 Rippling Water;
Houston, Texas 77084; bcumcschool@yahoo.com

FROM Mary Jane Van Dussen, Pastor~
St. Mark's (Pecore) is accepting applications for anyone interested in
a part time (10-15 hours/week) position as Director of Children's
Ministries. The growth of our congregation is reflecting the demographics
of the Heights area and is a wonderful opportunity for someone wanting
to develop a program. Please call the church office (713/861-3104) or
email (office@smumc.org) to receive more information and a detailed job
description.

______________________WANT ADS (Items Needed/Wanted)________________

FROM Nikki Waits~
We, at Beneke Methodist Church in Houston, Texas, are a small loving
Hispanic congregation that truly believes in miracles. We are prayerfully
looking for a small bus- type vehicle that will enable us to shuttle
many of our congregants (especially the children) to and from our regular
church activities. As we are grateful for our many blessings, we know
God will provide. If anyone is able to donate such a gift, please
contact our Minister, Jose Cortinas, at 713-695-2582. May each of you that
reads this message be touched with the love of our Saviour.

FROM Sherri Kelley~
The Conference Division of Single Adult Ministry is trying to find
another division or group who would like to share the expenses of booking
Sam Glenn, motivational speaker, author, humorist, & chalk artist. The
DoSAM would like to book him for Sun., May 28, for their Annual
Conference banquet. He's willing to do two presentations for the price of one.
He would prefer to do both presentations on May 28. His website is
www.samglenn.com. If this would be of interest to you and your group,
please contact sherikelley@mdumc.org or call 713/468-8356, ext. 119 as soon
as possible.