To Lunch or Not to Lunch? World Malaria Day is April 25: Skip a lunch. Send a net. Save a life.

NASHVILLE: The people of The United Methodist Church are marking the lead up to April 25, World Malaria Day, with a renewed call to members and friends to support Nothing But Nets, a grassroots anti-malaria effort which allows anyone, for $10, to send a lifesaving bed net to a family in Africa. Bed nets protect children and their families from the bites of malaria-infected mosquitoes.

“Malaria is a crisis that is threatening many of God's children across the globe,” said Bishop Thomas Bickerton, referring to malaria’s rank as Africa’s leading killer of children under age five. “Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are the most scientifically proven way to stop its spread.”

Bickerton, chairperson of The United Methodist Church’s Global Health Initiative, joins with the people of The United Methodist Church in urging everyone to forego a lunch out, and to direct that $10 savings toward the purchase of a bed net.

“We’re asking people to ‘skip a lunch, send a net, save a life,’” said Bickerton.

Dubbed “To Lunch or Not to Lunch?” the campaign highlights how $10, the cost of lunch, is all that it takes to provide a potentially lifesaving bed net to an African family. A $10 donation at www.umcnothingbutnets.org covers the cost of the bed net, its distribution, and education on its use.

New downloadable resources are available at www.umcnothingbutnets.org for churches to use for World Malaria Day 2009, including a bulletin cover, door hanger, web banner, poster, and postcard.

Inspired by a column by sportswriter Rick Reilly, Nothing But Nets’ founding partners include the people of The United Methodist Church, the United Nations Foundation, the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, and Sports Illustrated. To date, Nothing But Nets has raised $25 million, enabling the distribution of 2.5 million bed nets.

Seven-year old Hannah Skelton of Caldwell United Methodist Church in Caldwell, N.J. raised $400 for Nothing but Nets after she learned of the plight of children in Africa from her pastor, the Rev. Jeff Markay. “He told us kids were dying . . . and I really wanted to help,” said Hannah.

Hannah emptied her piggy banks and then scoured the house to find spare coins when her parents promised to match whatever she could raise. Then she began calling family members and friends to ask if they could help her raise money for nets. “Nets can help because mosquitoes can’t get in the nets,” said Hannah.

When Hannah took the money to the bank and shared her story with the bank teller, she got $10 more. Hannah is continuing her quest to raise money and says she will continue to give through her allowance. “I am trying to get everyone in Africa to have a mosquito net,” she said.

For more information on malaria or to make a contribution to Nothing But Nets, visit www.umcnothingbutnets.org, or call 888-252-6174.

Upper Room, Ministries with Young People Growing in Russia

By Andrew J. Schleicher*

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 25, 2009/GBOD/ -- The recent consultation on the Russia mission initiative gave evidence of growth of The Upper Room and ministries with young people throughout Eurasia.

A group of 27 people from Russia and Ukraine joined about 140 U.S. participants in the Russia Initiative for a consultation in San Diego, Calif.

Joan Floyd, coordinator of international ministries with The Upper Room shared about how both the Walk to Emmaus and The Upper Room devotional guide (http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/) started in Russia last year.

It was 15 years ago when 12 Russian men and women came to the United States and learned about the Walk to Emmaus. Floyd served at that women’s walk as a representative of the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship, which oversees the work of The Upper Room. Fourteen years later she meets a fellow traveler again, this time in Russia.

After the first Russian walks last July, Floyd participated in an Emmaus community training in November. Many of the team members had traveled to walks in the United States and some to Estonia, but the movement is taking hold now in Russia. Fourteen men and 23 women attended the first two Russian walks.

A second round of walks will occur this July.

Meanwhile, the first Russian-language edition of The Upper Room devotional guide appeared in November. Nicola Vidamour heads up the local team as managing editor. She has previously written for Upper Room as a teenager. That first devotional appeared November 1, 1987.

The growth of the Russia Upper Room ministry is being supported by churches in the United States. Many are giving gift subscriptions including a Sunday school class from Christ UMC in Memphis donating 30 subscriptions to a church in Kallingrad.

In translating The Upper Room to Russian, more people are growing in faith. “It meant so much for people to have in their hands something in their own language," Floyd said.

Fourteen young adults from Russia were a part of the Eurasian delegation to the consultation. Michael Ratliff, associate general secretary for GBOD’s Division on Ministry with Young People, facilitated a young adult panel discussion along with Elena Kim from Russia.

“We had the opportunity to learn about some of the ministries these young people are involved in,” Ratliff said. “A ‘café’ ministry in St. Petersburg stands out as an example of a ministry where United Methodist young people are seeking to reach other young people where they are.”

These young people grew up in a Russia that did not restrict religion. Two are pastors and many others are attending seminary. “To move forward as a world-changing entity, the church must include its young people in leadership if we are to share the good news of Jesus Christ in an increasingly relevant way,” Ratliff continues.

The Russia Initiative continues to show hope as many are being formed by these new opportunities.

*Andrew J. Schleicher is a writer, editor and provisional deacon in the United Methodist Church based at Nashville, Tenn.

Brazilian Partnership Agreement Highlights GBHEM Directors Meeting

A partnership agreement between the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and the General Council of the Methodist Institutions of Education (COGEIME) was signed during GBHEM’s spring meeting. Shown, from left, are: Bishop James Swanson, a Board member; the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, GBHEM’s General Secretary; Wilson Zuccherato, president of the Superior Administrative Council of Board of COGEIME; and Bishop Marcus Matthews, president of GBHEM’s Board.

By Vicki Brown*

A partnership agreement between Brazilian educational institutions and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry will further the Board’s ability to “engage effectively in its global work of developing principled Christian leaders for the church and the world through the Methodist international connection and network,” said the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, GBHEM general secretary.

Under the agreement, signed Thursday between GBHEM and the General Council of the Methodist Institutions of Education (COGEIME), the council will function as the regional operating vehicle of the Methodist Global Education Fund for Leadership Development (MGEFLD). This is the first of five regional vehicles planned under the initiative.

Bishop Marcus Matthews, president of GBHEM’s Board of Directors, said the partnership is the culmination of “twenty-four years of hard work” and represents a significant step in furthering the global education work of The United Methodist Church.

Bishop Luis Vergilio, vice president of the College of Bishops of the Methodist Church in Brazil, said the agreement represents the understanding of the church that education promotes human life, stewardship of nature, and justice.

“This agreement, by means of the higher education in Brazil, will reach the whole of Latin America,” Vergilio said.

Under the agreement, COGEIME will provide technical assistance and support to 120 Methodist educational institutions that enroll 95,000 students in Latin America.

“The present economic crisis impacts every corner of the world. This is the time for us to work together, as partners, not only to overcome current difficulties, but also to advance the development of principled Christian leaders around the world,” Del Pino said.

Under the agreement, GBHEM and the MGEFLD will:

.provide technical expertise in developing an institutional network among Methodist-related educational institutions in Latin America;
.provide technical expertise in improving and strengthening institutional health and viability;
.assist COGEIME in increasing institutional effectiveness of those Methodist educational institutions in Latin American through developing quality governance, administration, academic programs and faculty, student recruitment and retention, marketing, and physical facilities;
.assist COGEIME in exploring and cultivating possible funding sources to support Methodist-related educational institutions in Latin America and its network;
.assist COGEIME to facilitate the needs of Methodist-related educational institutions in Latin America with Methodist-related educational institutions in the other four regions for faculty, staff, and student exchanges, research and program cooperation, and other initiatives;
.assist COGEIME to implement the institutional self-assessment tool developed by the International Association of Methodist-related Schools, Colleges and Universities (IAMSCU) as a way to establish institutional quality standards.

COGEIME agrees to:

.serve as the anchor agency of the Methodist educational network in Latin America and function as the regional vehicle for the MGEFLD;
.develop collaborative support relationships among Methodist-related educational institutions in Latin America;
.design, implement, and administer as network of Methodist education to minimize operational costs and maximize efficiency and effectiveness. That should include technical assistance, professional development, and scholarship support.
.gather and maintain institutional profiles of Methodist-related educational institutions in Latin America;
.develop annual operating income and expenditure budgets;
.interpret and promote Methodist-related educational institutions in Latin America;
.create a corporate branding of Methodist-related educational institutions and develop marketing strategies appropriate in Latin America;
.explore and secure funds from external sources in Latin America;
.evaluate periodically performance of the MGEFLD regional office functions.

On Wednesday, members of COCEIME met with GBHEM officials and Bishop Neil Irons and Dr. Vivian Bull, a GBHEM consultant, to discuss Methodist higher education in Brazil, as well as the role of the Methodist Church in higher education in that country.

The Rev. Prof. Luis de Souza Cardoso, executive director of COGEIME, told the group that while public education is the right of all citizens of Brazil, many families simply cannot afford for their children to access education. “Many have to work,” he said.

Bishop Stanley Moraes said that Brazil today is “very urban” and 80 percent of those not attending school are in the cities.

To learn more about the Methodist Global Education Fund for Leadership Development or to donate online, visit www.ghbem.org/mgef.

Board Members Approve Strategic Plan, Budget Cuts, New Scholarship

Scholarship recipients spoke about how the United Methodist scholarships they received had helped with their academic journey. At a dinner during the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s spring meeting, several spoke of how grateful they were to the church and GBHEM. Shown, from left, back: Kimberly Russaw, Kyle Kawczynski, Kathryn Cooper, Simeon Udunka. Front row, from left: Jessica Gadsden, Caroline Sugg, Uziel Hernandez, Ashley Travis, Trenton Teegarden.

By Vicki Brown*

A revised Strategic Plan, budget cuts, and a new scholarship fund were all approved by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s directors, who worshipped together and discussed what it means to lead the church in developing principled Christian leaders.

Also during the spring meeting of GBHEM, held March 19-21 in Nashville, a panel discussion examined GBHEM’s role in the churchwide Four Areas of Focus affirmed by the 208 General Conference.

“The way we were able to engage in conversation about what it means to be the lead agency for developing principled leaders for the church and the world was important,” said Bishop Marcus Matthews, Board president. “We are totally committed to giving all our energy to finding ways to be collaborative with other agencies.”

Budget cuts of 10 percent proposed by the staff and approved by the directors are an indication that “we understand that we are all in this financial belt-tightening together,” Matthews said.

In addition to the approved cuts, directors agreed the Board’s Executive Committee should consider actual income from World Service Fund payments through May and determine if further cuts are needed at that time.

The Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, GBHEM’s general secretary, called the cuts “a prudent response to an uncertain future economically.”

“We still intend to pursue robustly our mission of developing principled Christian leaders for the church and the world with the resources we have,” Del Pino said. “We have confidence that God will provide for that mission.”

Del Pino said GBHEM needs to be clear about what it brings to the table as the lead agency in leadership development. He said the agency primarily relates to institutions and annual conference boards, and it is through these networks that GBHEM develops leaders who have the expertise to find the systems and solutions to complete the mission set out in the Four Areas of Focus.

He pointed to the agency partnership with United Methodist Communications to develop distance-education systems across Africa using satellite and radio as an example of the kinds of collaboration and technology that will be needed to accomplish that mission.

Henk Pieterse, GBHEM’s director of scholarly research and book editor, introduced Friday’s panelists.

Dr. Trudi Kibbe Reed, president of Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla., one of the 11 historically Black colleges and university supported by the Black College Fund, said educators need to look at problem posing, not problem solving. “Problem solving locks us into traditional ways of thinking, whereas problem posing allows the Holy Spirit to enter in.”

The Rev. Ken Carter, chair of the Division of Ordained Ministry and senior pastor of Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C., spoke from the perspective of the local church. He talked about how his work at GBHEM has changed the way he does ministry, leading him to spend much more time with the youth and young adults of his church.

Dr. Lewis Parks, professor of Theology, Ministry, and Congregational Development at Wesley Theological Seminary, spoke about teaching future leaders the practice of hospitality. “The young people who show up in seminary have a global conscience. That’s not the issue. The issue is what you do with that.” Parks also said that most elders will be serving in small- or medium-sized churches and that theological education needs to answer that need.

The Rev. Ted Hill, a medical doctor and deacon who runs a clinic in Gallatin, Tenn., said leadership development must include learning how to empower the laity to do the work of the church.

The revised Strategic Plan approved by Board members sets seven strategic priorities:

1. Expand GBHEM’s support of global higher education, leadership development, and theological education.
2. Strengthen the viability, quality, and identity of United Methodist-related schools, colleges, universities, and United Methodist theological schools.
3. Strengthen campus ministry and enhance The United Methodist Church’s commitment to campus ministry.
4. Support young people in identifying and forming their vocations as ordained Christian leaders.
5. Lead The United Methodist Church in clarifying and building consensus around the denomination’s ordering of ministry.
6. Enhance the effectiveness of theological education and training for ordained and licensed leadership in The United Methodist Church.
7. Provide an efficient and effective support infrastructure for the delivery of GBHEM programs.

Staff are now in the process of developing detailed work plans for carrying out the strategic priorities.

The board approved a $20,000 scholarship fund named for Akiyo Ueda and Ken Yamada. Shown are Board President Bishop Marcus Matthews, left, and Ken Yamada.

Board members approved a $20,000 Methodist Global Education for Leadership Development scholarship fund named for Akiyo Ueda, a retired professor and dean of the College of Early Childhood Education at Seiwa College in Nishinomiya, Japan, and Ken Yamada, GBHEM’s special assistant to the General Secretary for Global Education and New Initiatives. Ueda donated $10,000 for the fund and Yamada matched that donation. The fund will be used for scholarships for children in Africa.

Board members also approved policy changes for United Methodist loans and scholarships that were required by General Conference 2008. In keeping with General Conference action, U.S. citizenship or permanent residence status is not required to apply for a scholarship, but international students from one of the Central Conferences must be a member of the UMC for a minimum of three years and be attending a UM-related school in the U.S. International students from an autonomous Methodist church must be a member of the UMC in the U.S. for at least three years and be attending a UM-related school in the U.S.

For loans, international students must adhere to all loan policies previously approved by GBHEM’s elected members and be a member of a Central Conference United Methodist church for at least three years. If the borrower is a member of an autonomous Methodist Church, they must be a member of the UMC in the U.S. for at least three years to qualify.

To learn more about the mission and ministry of GBHEM, visit http://www.gbhem.org/.

*Brown is associate editor and writer in the Office of Interpretation, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

Study of Ministry Commission Organizes Working Groups

A scroll covered with stick figures and drawings depicting the candidacy process is unrolled at GBHEM’s spring meeting during a Division of Ordained Ministry discussion of the Ministry Study Commission work.

By Vicki Brown*

The Study of Ministry Commission organized four working groups to explore the theological foundations of ordained ministry: ordination, sacramental authority, orders, and candidacy.

“We are excited about the progress we have made, the direction we have set, and the beginning we have experienced,” said Bishop Al Gwinn, chair of the commission. The group met March 17-18 in Nashville. Gwinn also said the commission had created an online group to continuing the work between meetings.

Members of the commission reported about their work to the Division of Ordained Ministry at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s spring meeting, held March 19-21 in Nashville, Tenn.

“As The United Methodist Church waits for greater clarity and direction on the ordering of ministry, we are reminded that for more than 50 years some form of ministry study has been in existence,” said Bishop Grant Hagiya, who added the work of the new commission stands on the shoulders of those past studies. General Conference 2008 asked the Council of Bishops to organize and lead the new commission. The Council of Bishops named the members of the commission and the chair. Staff is provided by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the General Board of Discipleship, the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.

Three bishops are on the Ministry Study Commission which began work March 17-18. From left, Bishop Grant Hagiya, Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, and Bishop Al Gwinn.

“Our global world has changed so dramatically, we need to produce an ordering of ministry that is relevant without losing our historical Wesleyan roots. We are committed to this task,” Hagiya told DOM members.

He said the commission is committed to a grounded theological foundation that provides the framework for an ordering of ministry that will be “both effective and practical in the making of disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

“Our commitment is to transcend personal agendas in order to produce a theologically consistent and genuine Wesleyan ordering of ministry. We ask for the church’s prayers in our coming work,” Hagiya said. Hagiya and the Rev. Carolyn Peterson, a deacon who is a member of DOM, unrolled a paper scroll several yards long at the DOM meeting. The scroll was covered with stick figures illustrating the complexity of the candidacy process.

The Rev. David Dodge, executive director of the Center for Clergy Excellence, Florida Annual Conference, served on the last commission admitted that he had mixed emotions about the intial meeting.

“On the one hand I was hopeful that the group that would be gathering would be tuned toward helping the church find its way in the ordering of ministry for this new century. And yet, as one who had served on the last commission, I was also fearful that the work that had been done might be disregarded,” Dodge said. But he said the new commission is serious about its work and understanding what the previous group had done.

“I am energized by the sense of clarity that has already developed around the salient issues,” Dodge said.

The Rev. Mary Ann Moman, associate general secretary of GBHEM’s Division of Ordained Ministry, said she was excited about the composition of the new commission.

“The voices that are at the table come from young and old, racial ethnic persons, women and men from around the world, lay, deacon, local pastor, and elder,” she said.

Several members of the commission agreed that the young adults are contributing a fresh perspective since many of them have just been through the process. Some of the young members set up Google groups during the initial meeting to allow sharing of documents and work between meetings.

Reece Fauscett, a local pastor on the commission, said he hopes the commission that can build on the excellent work of the previous commission to offer to General Conference a clear, flexible, and relevant route of candidacy for those around the world who are being called to orders in the 21st Century.

*Brown is associate editor and writer in the Office of Interpretation, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry

A Message to the People of The United Methodist Church

This message is from the President of the Council of Bishops, Chair of the Table of General Secretaries, and the Chair of the Connectional Table

The global financial crisis is bringing hardship and suffering to people in every part of the world. For those in wealthy nations, it causes anxiety and uncertainty about declining pension accounts and the threat of lost jobs. Others are coping with unemployment and foreclosed mortgages. And for still others who live in places with scarce resources or exist in conditions of poverty, it means empty stomachs, lack of care for urgent health needs, and no prospects to earn a day's bread.

The International Labor Organization projects a loss of 50 million jobs globally by the end of 2009. The World Bank warns that an additional 53 million people will fall into poverty (living on less than $2 per day) and that 200,000 to 400,000 more children will die by 2015 if the crisis persists.

Local congregations, annual conferences, and the general agencies likewise face economic constraints, requiring them to reassess how they carry out ministry and to seek greater effectiveness and economies while keeping focused on loving God and neighbor.

In addition, the crisis is generating increasing global unrest and violence, creating even more misery and an insecure world. It is a prophetic reminder that our destiny as a worldwide community and a global church is interwoven with complex bonds of prosperity, security, dignity, and justice. We are no more secure than the most vulnerable among us; no more prosperous than the poorest; and no more assured of justice and dignity than those who live in the shadows of power, void of fairness and equity. We reclaim anew Jesus' teaching, “as you [cared for] the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40), as an urgent appeal for how we can live today.

At all times, but especially in fearful and dangerous days, we followers of Jesus are called to live in hope and in the assurance that God is present with us. Facing hard times, the Apostle Paul asked: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35 and 37, 39).

To the Israelites, having lost everything and living in exile, God offered assurance: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you” (Is. 41:10). The psalmists are similarly convinced: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (Ps. 46:1, 2).

With this firm assurance that the whole of creation lives within the embrace of a loving God, we are confident that the Four Areas of Focus for the mission and ministry of the people of The United Methodist Church affirmed by General Conference 2008 are among the most important ways we faithfully bear witness to the Gospel. We urgently need principled Christian leaders for the church and the world. People searching for meaning are seeking new places of welcome and hospitality for worship, prayer, and spiritual growth. It is abundantly evident that United Methodists must engage in ministry with the poor and tackle the diseases of poverty that rob people of the fullness of life, health, and wholeness.

As we enter into the season of Lent we are called to reflection, repentance, and sacrificial living. Lent is a time of preparation when we look beyond human frailty and the brokenness of the world to resurrection, hope, and new life. We are reminded that our faith does not rise and fall with the financial markets but resides in the enduring love of God who is present with us as we struggle and strive to love God and our neighbors. This Lent can be a time when we recommit to practice every day the Wesleyan values to do no harm, do good and stay in love with God.

A churchwide conversation is asking that we envision ways to reinvigorate our outreach to a hurting world and offer hospitality to those seeking deeper spiritual understanding. Local congregations are engaging in self-examination to “Rethink Church” and strengthen their outreach beyond the doors of the church buildings. Annual Conferences are working to ensure the human rights of the poor, to address the diseases of poverty, and to offer direct intervention to relieve human needs arising from poverty, including those of women and children in local communities and of persons who lack opportunity for artistic expression.

The general agencies of the church are finding ways together to achieve economies and assure greater effectiveness in support of annual conferences and local churches. Information on the Four Areas of Focus can be found by contacting the general agencies of the church directly and at www.umc.org/focusareas.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18) calls for individual and corporate responsibility. John Wesley wrote, “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social. No holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian perfection” (Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739, ¶ 5).

As we pray and reflect this Lenten season, may we embrace life with hope, expectancy, and the assurance that God through Christ Jesus is calling us to prepare our hearts, minds, and hands to work for the New Creation. And may we nurture and care for one another and for those to whom we are inextricably connected by God’s grace around the world.

With expectancy and hope,

Bishop Gregory Palmer
President, Council of Bishops

Neil M. Alexander
Chair, The Table of General Secretaries

Bishop John Hopkins
Chair, The Connectional Table

Revised Baptismal Ritual Now Available

The General Board of Discipleship Worship Web site now has, in addition to an article about the revisions made to the baptismal ritual, the full baptismal ritual itself revised to align with all of the changes that have occurred up to and including the 2008 Book of Discipline.

The new resource, called “The Services of The Baptismal Covenant in The United Methodist Church as Revised to Align with the 2008 Book of Discipline and Book of Resolutions,” is available at: http://www.gbod.org/worship/baptismal-ritual-revised.pdf; the HTML version is now online at http://www.gbod.org/worship/baptism-ritual/default.html.

Persons looking for guidance on receiving new affiliate and associate members may visit: http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=43820&loc_id=9,824.

While PDF and HTML versions of the full texts are now available, GBOD is still in the process of developing several other formats to deliver this resource, including a Word document and booklet-form PDFs for congregations to print to insert in their hymnals or pew racks as needed.

GBOD was granted permission by The United Methodist Publishing House to develop and publish online this new resource for congregations under the copyright of The United Methodist Publishing House.

In addition to the changes made to the ritual texts by the 2008 General Conference, the new resource updates language about membership clarifying the terminology about how we receive baptized and professing members and persons from other denominations. This clarification is based on “By Water and the Spirit” and changes to paragraph 225 in the 2008 Discipline. The changes also include instructions (in italics) that offer guidance for the role of Deacons in Full Connection in the sacrament.

The ritual as it appears in The United Methodist Hymnal (1989) and The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992) was created before The United Methodist Church instituted the Order of Deacons (1996).

While changes to the rubrics have not been specifically approved by General Conference, the 2008 Book of Discipline authorizes the General Board of Discipleship to offer new resources to the church that “set forth and interpret the biblical and theological basis for corporate worship… consistent with the doctrines of The United Methodist Church” (Paragraph 1114) and to “prepare revisions of the ritual of the Church and approved orders of worship for recommendation to the General Conference for adoption” (Paragraph 1114.4). This new resource, and the family of additional formats that will accompany it, are offered to the denomination in that spirit.