• Meals on Wheels Director Earns National Award

    By Loretta Fulton Meals on Wheels Plus employees and volunteers got good news and sad news this week. The good news is that Betty Bradley, executive director, was honored with

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  • Director of Christian Service Center Retiring

    CHRISTIAN SERVICE CENTERDec. 13, 1965–Organized under the direction of 16th and Vine Street Church of ChristJanuary 1967–Grew to include four other congregations, each assuming some financial responsibilityMay 1, 1968–Turned the

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  • I Have a Dream

    By Danny Minton It was Aug. 28, 1963, when Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and gave his now-famous “I

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  • The Spiritual Practice of Waving

    By Isaiah Core The Texas state motto is “Friendship” and was adopted in 1930 by the legislature. The word Texas is derived from the Caddo word “Tejas” meaning friend or

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  • Words and More Words (“Thoughts,” Part 2)

    By Nancy Patrick People who have known me only as an adult express surprise when I tell them that I was one of the quietest students in all my classes.

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  • Masks Off

    By Jim Nichols It appears to be a child’s toy, small pieces that seem to relate a story that you get to make up as you play. “Invented” in the

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  • In the Spotlight: The Martins

    Everyday Ministry shines the spotlight on those who try to stay out of it. They’re the ones who stay in the background, quietly doing the small things that make life

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  • Healthcare CEO First Fletcher Lecturer at HSU

    The head of eHealth, an online independent health insurance advisor, will kick off the second year of the Fletcher Lecture Series at Hardin-Simmons University. Derrick Duke, chief executive officer and

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  • Maybe a Psalm for Today?

    By Glenn Dromgoole The Lord is my encourager. He gets me to let go of my fears and inhibitions.He gives me love.He gives me hope.He gives me strength.He gives me courage.He

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  • Windows

    By Danny Minton One of my favorite things growing up was when we would go to downtown Dallas and look at the Christmas displays in the department store windows. The

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Churches Leaving, But UMC Still Has ‘Strong Presence’ in Northwest Texas

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Links to related Spirit of Abilene articles:Aldersgate Leaves UMC; Conference Forms Online Missional Churchhttps://spiritofabilene.com/2022/11/12/aldersgate-leaves-umc-conference-forms-online-missional-church/Methodists Must Decide: Will We Stay or Will We Go?https://spiritofabilene.com/2022/05/27/local-methodists-informed-about-decisions-on-whether-to-stay-or-leave/St. Paul to Remain United Methodisthttps://spiritofabilene.com/2022/10/17/st-paul-to-remain-united-methodist/Local Methodists Not United on Futurehttps://spiritofabilene.com/2022/10/10/local-methodists-not-united-on-future/Q&A With Dr. Sandra Harper, McMurry University Presidenthttps://spiritofabilene.com/2022/06/03/qa-with-dr-sandra-harper-mcmurry-university-president/ By LORETTA FULTON “We’re finally past the fighting,” a relieved Jeff Fisher said following the departure of 145 United Methodist

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Problem People

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By JIM NICHOLS We all have these people in our lives, do we not? Problem people. There is a person down my street who has flown a gigantic TRUMP flag in his front yard for at least three years. I have exchanged pleasantries with him at the mailbox and he seems like a normal person. What is he thinking? There

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Candle of Peace

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By DANNY MINTON Churches vary on the lighting of the second candle of Advent, with some lighting the candle of peace and others the candle of love. I wasn’t sure which to do since my experience with the tradition of Advent is limited, so I decided to take the “casting lots” method of determining whether to write about peace or

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Another Six-Up Story?

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 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury My ancient Uncle Mort–with razor-sharp memory of the long ago but dullard-like on yesterday–has a mind recently clouded with “what if’s” concerning the World Cup. This is surprising, since he doesn’t know a soccer ball from Cinderella’s ball. He barely knows that World Cup has “kicked off” in Qatar. He’s apologetic for “punning along”

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Advent for a Novice

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By NANCY PATRICK I grew up in a church that did not observe religious traditions such as Advent or Lent. Although we observed Christmas and Easter, our leadership sort of skipped over other liturgical events, so when I began attending a church that followed the liturgical calendar, I had a lot to learn. The twenty-four days preceding Christmas is the

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Meet Rick Grant

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By LORETTA FULTON Wylie Baptist Church is celebrating its 40th year of producing the Living Christmas Tree, an annual gift to the community that involves almost everyone in the congregation.  This year’s productions will be held Dec. 8-11 at the church, 6097 Buffalo Gap Road. Tickets are free, but required. They are available at the church office or by calling

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The Candle of Hope

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By DANNY MINTON Until recently, the congregations I of which I’ve been a part have never had the Advent tradition. However, when I think about the meaning behind the practice, I realize that I have practiced its basic principles yearly and month after month. During this time of year, attention revolves around four central thoughts. Many churches will light a

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