ENCORE Ministry, the official older adult ministry of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church (TWK), awarded $205,502 to 26 churches and organizations in 2022.
The program, We Remember You, provides holistic and all-encompassing support to family caregivers of persons living with dementia. It also supports community education programs.
While summer 2022’s sizzle is just a steamy memory, members of Epworth UMC in Franklin, Tennessee, still feel grateful for the $8,000 ENCORE Ministry grant that helped them update the HVAC system for the sanctuary.
For more than 45 years, Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project) has offered home repair and day camp programs to individuals and families experiencing persistent poverty in Cumberland Mountain counties. As in many rural places, fewer resources exist for older adults and community-wide issues such as food insecurity and health-related emergencies tend to overshadow older adults’ physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
A $20,000 grant from ENCORE Ministry this year helped increase services to that older population.
With 65 percent of active members older than 65, Millington (Tennessee) First United Methodist Church (FUMC) is a graying congregation. However, the church is located in a diverse neighborhood with a high school, intermediate school, and single-family starter homes. In March, church members began an inter-generational outreach ministry — pickleball for all ages.
Before the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference’s birth in January 2022, the legacy Memphis and Tennessee conferences had senior ministry programs: GOLDEN CROSS Senior Ministry (GCSM) and ENCORE Ministry (EM) While each ministry lives on in the TWK Conference, they have distinct functions and characteristics.
Memphis’ St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church received a $7,250 ENCORE Ministry grant to help renovate a storm-damaged room and make it a safe and inviting workout area for senior adults. Church member and community residents use the facility.
ENCORE Ministry Executive Director Kent McNish announced the Bill and Lynn McAlilly Fund for Church Accessibility at the inaugural Tennessee-Western Kentucky (TWK) Annual Conference June 15-17, 2022. During the announcement, McNish presented a check for $500,000 from ENCORE Ministry to establish the fund.
Nashville’s Arlington UMC received a $10,000 ENCORE Ministry grant to help renovate flood-damaged areas in the church’s lower level.
Free Resource Helps Congregations Care For People With Dementia Diseases And Their Families For Bishop Kenneth Carder, retired bishop of
The ENCORE Ministry Foundation provided a grant to First United Methodist in Columbia, Tennessee, to help fund their feeding ministry, the People’s Table. Since 2004, the People’s Table ministry serves meals to neighbors in need every Tuesday evening and Friday afternoon, providing nourishment, love, and hope to the homeless, elderly, families, and individuals struggling to make ends meet. However, the need in the community is growing. With the closure of a local battery plant and reductions in SNAP benefits, more families are facing food insecurity.
Together, we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, feeding the hungry, caring for the vulnerable, and showing love to those who need it most. Every dollar you give to the Kent and Ellen McNish Fund for Older Adult Food Security helps feeding ministries stretch resources and serve more meals to those in need. Donate today and help support life-changing feeding ministries like the People’s Table.
