Morton Memorial United Methodist Church in Monteagle received a $2,500 grant from the Golden Cross Foundation, a ministry of the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. The grant helped purchase equipment needed for outdoor and online worship services. In the early months of the pandemic, congregation members formed a COVID Task Force, staying up to date on pandemic-related numbers …

Miriam’s Promise, an independent not-for-profit adoption agency in Nashville, received a $1,250 grant from the Golden Cross Foundation, a ministry of the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. The grant helps fund a webinar series to prepare grandparents for an adopted grandchild. During the pandemic, Miriam’s Promise has moved training to a virtual setting. After researching possible topics, grandparent/extended …

Tennessee Ridge United Methodist Church received a $10,000 grant from the Golden Cross Foundation. Money from the grant was used toward repairing and resurfacing an aging parking lot to increase safety and accessibility for all who attend. Comprised primarily of older congregants, the small-membership church is on a charge with three additional churches forming the Tennessee River Charge of the …

First United Methodist Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee, received a $10,000 grant from the Golden Cross Foundation, a ministry of the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. The grant is being used to help fund a community soup kitchen. The Shelbyville Community Soup Kitchen (SCSK) was started in February 2016 by the Bedford County Ministerial Association on a six-week trial …

The Golden Cross Foundation, a ministry of the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC), awarded more than $125,000 to churches and organizations throughout the conference in 2020. Money from the grants has been used toward retrofitting a parsonage to house low-income older adults to establishing food pantries to retrofitting churches with lifts or repaving parking lots making them …

Winchester First United Methodist Church received a $10,000 grant from the Golden Cross Foundation, a ministry of the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. The grant is being used toward purchasing and installing a four-person lift. Built in 1893, the church’s sanctuary is on the ground floor. Over the years, other floors were added including the first floor that …

The Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee (COA) partners with community organizations to find solutions for older adults, families, and caregivers in a 13-county service area. These programs and services have been created as a direct result of unmet needs in the greater Middle Tennessee area and COA’s mission to convene necessary groups to gather data, observe practices, and find …

Elder’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Smyrna received a $1,600 grant from the Golden Cross Foundation, a ministry of the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. The grant helped buy food for a food pantry ministry. Spearheading the ministry is Elder’s Chapel member Shelia Howse. After being challenged by a discipleship course to step out of her “boat” and …

Scott’s United Methodist Church in Shelbyville received a $1,200 grant from the Golden Cross Foundation, a ministry of the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. The grant helped launch the church’s Seasoned with a Touch of Salt food ministry, a lifelong vision of Scott’s UMC member Barbara Draine. Recognizing area seniors’ need for additional food, Draine and other Scott’s …

Any dictionary will tell you the “pay it forward” expression describes when the recipient of an act of kindness does something kind for someone else rather than simply accepting or repaying the original good deed. In other words, you pay it forward when you don’t repay the person who did something nice for you but rather you do something nice …