Video Archives

Health and Wholeness

Transplant Success Story Due to a shortage of donors, 19 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant. A pastor in Kansas is enjoying a new life thanks to the family of a teenage boy. He hopes his gold medal success story will inspire others to give the gift of life. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Worship And Weight Loss 200 members of Anderson United Methodist Church in Mississippi have decided physical health and spiritual health go hand in hand. Inspired by their pastor’s struggle with diabetes, together they’ve sworn off sweets and committed to regular exercise and weigh-ins. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Tutoring Storm Survivors A children’s literacy program founded 20 years ago in New Orleans survived the storm – thanks in part to United Methodist volunteers from the area. Now, second graders are associating “k” with the kindness following Katrina. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Post-Prison Oasis Nearly two-thirds of people who are released from prison will return within three years. They often have trouble overcoming substance abuse, finding a job or securing decent housing. The Woman at the Well program in San Antonio is helping female offenders overcome the obstacles. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Dealing With Dementia An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Most are being cared for by family but statistics show that caregivers can become burned out after only a few years of the near-constant attention required. Bethany United Methodist Church in Austin offers a special program to help families keep their loved ones at home longer. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Art Catapults Kids Education gives children tools for forging their futures. In a creative twist, women from Christ United Methodist Church in Chattanooga use giant slingshots and buckets of paint to inspire kids to take their best shot in school. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Summer Camp For Seniors If you think summer camp has an age limit, think again. At the Willowbrook United Methodist Church in Sun City, Arizona, the average camper is probably over age 60, and the activities include a human bingo game and lessons from "The Lucy Show." The goal is to help folks of any age stay happy – and healthy. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Helping Hispanic Neighbors Situated in an east Tennessee trailer park is a mobile home that serves as a community center for the area’s growing Hispanic population. Called “Open Doors,” the trailer is supported by six United Methodist churches and has become a haven for those trying to assimilate into the American culture. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Care For Chernobyl's Children Twenty years ago, the world suffered its worst man-made environmental disaster—a meltdown of a nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, Russia. Seventy-five percent of the radiation fallout occurred in Belarus and the people living there still suffer its effects. But each summer members of White Plains United Methodist Church in North Carolina host a group of Belarus children who travel to the U.S. to get a breath of fresh air and friendship. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Summer Camp For Teachers Teaching is considered one of the most stressful jobs in America. When the final textbook closed for summer vacation, some teachers headed to the Sawtooth United Methodist Camp. Catering to educators, the camp teaches the three Rs: rest, relax and renew. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
All-terrain Wheelchairs In developing countries, when the ability to walk is lost, it often results in a loss of dignity and independence. But, thanks to the support of local United Methodist churches, a group of seniors in Texas is building personal energy transportation vehicles (PETs) to restore mobility and self-reliance to the physically challenged. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Sex Ed For Tweens The Rev. James Ritchie doesn’t blush anymore. As author of the sexual education study “Created by God,” Ritchie has heard thousands of questions pertaining to sex and he’s not afraid to answer straightforwardly. His seminar intersects faith with sexuality, helping to open lines of communication between parents and their children. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Counseling Kids After Katrina The fear of more storms has many bracing for this hurricane season. That’s why United Methodist churches along the Gulf Coast are offering Camp Noah, a vacation Bible school that offers something extra—classes to help kids face the future. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Grandparents Camp Research says that in the last 10 years, the number of children living with their grandparents has increased by 50 percent. Raising kids after retirement age has its challenges. That inspired leaders at Buchanon First Methodist Church in Michigan to create a retreat, just for grands and kids, to have fun. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Stay-at-home Dads According to government statistics, there are about five-and-a-half million parents staying at home with their kids. And fewer than two out of every hundred are dads. DADS (Dialoguing About Dad Stuff) is a support group based at First United Methodist in Birmingham, Michigan that’s just for full-time dads. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Highway Hospitality Several major highways come together in Breezewood, Pennsylvania—and 40,000 vehicles pass through each day. United Methodist chaplain Bruce Maxwell has a ministry that helps travelers, no matter their need. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Counseling Cops When cops are caught on tape in what appears to be beatings or inappropriate behavior, the public can be shocked and concerned. What leads to police brutality and how should departments handle it? Chuck Ferrara has some insight. A former officer, Ferrara is now a United Methodist pastor who also volunteers as a chaplain to help cops cope with the stress of their service. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Wigs For Cancer Patients When Bonny Diver survived cancer, members of her church rallied behind her and inspired her to help others. Diver began a charity to provide wigs for cancer patients, and with the help of Ingomar United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, continues to reach out to those dealing with the disease. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Teens Talk AIDS HIV and AIDS are growing the fastest among minority populations…and Native Americans in particular have some tough obstacles to overcome due to social, behavioral and cultural issues. A program at Ft. Yuma United Methodist Church is designed to educate some of the Native American community’s most vulnerable members…its teens. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Pets For Elderly People Studies have shown that pets can help their owners live longer. And they certainly can provide companionship to those who are lonely. A veterinarian who attends Jubilee Shores United Methodist Church in Alabama, decided to match pets that need a home with people who need a friend. Her church family helps keep the program going. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
New Trends In Nursing In all the worrisome news about the U.S. health care system, there is some good news. Parish nurses are now working with more churches and helping heal the minds, bodies and spirits of their members. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Better Health For Haiti In Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, health care is a luxury. One of every eight children will not live to see their fifth birthday. Fifty percent of the island’s children are malnourished. It’s that need that has U.S. donors supporting a local hospital and trying to stem the tide of disease. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Iraqi Child Finds U.S. Family When an East Tennessee radio personality was embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, he heard of a child in Baghdad who was need of life-changing surgery. He petitioned his church, First United Methodist of Maryville, to help bring the girl and her family to the United States. Surgery is the main goal, but a lifelong friendship between the DJ’s daughter and her Iraqi guest is a cherished outcome. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Teaching With Tae Kwon Do Bullies. Bad grades. Focus problems. These can be serious challenges for children but a free program at Bay Vue United Methodist Church in Texas has found a unique way to combat them…by teaching combat, sort of. Teachers see fewer fights and higher grades. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Fighting Addiction With Tradition Nurturing cultural ties can often help with healing. Friendship House is a recovery program in San Francisco that uniquely serves the Native American population, with a high rate of success. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Real-Life Medical School Medical students spend years studying and taking tests but don’t always get a chance to do checkups with real patients. That’s why the United Methodist Outreach Ministries New Day Centers in Phoenix created a clinic that gives care for patients, and classes for aspiring doctors. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Mothers Against Meth She used to deliver babies, now Dr. Mary Holley delivers a message. Travelling the hollows of an area known as "Meth Mountain," this United Methodist wants to tackle the scourge that killed her brother and seriously threatens this north Alabama community. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Soothing Homeless Soles As an urban church, Centenary United Methodist in Richmond, Va. serves those who seldom take for granted three square meals and a warm coat. One volunteer is taking ministry a step further by offering a foot washing ministry that makes great strides in comforting "soles." Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Brushing Away Dental Bills It started in the basement of West End United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. and now the Interfaith Dental Clinic has its own state-of-the-art facility and serves the area’s working families who are not able to afford a full-fee dentist. Through this model, the clinic has restored thousands of smiles. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Teen Wheelchair Athlete She’s a world-class athlete, and she’s been called an inspiration for many in her church, Linden-Linthicum United Methodist in Clarksville, Maryland. But success didn’t come easy for young Tatyana McFadden, who’s come a long way from a Russian orphanage to a new life in the United States. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Storms Spur Domestic Violence Hurricanes can batter more than the landscape. When natural disaster strikes, domestic violence cases increase. Surrounded by tension and uncertainty, some women and children along the Gulf Coast are more at risk for abuse. But despite the destruction of some domestic violence shelters, there is still help available. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Haiti's Midwives The majority of the world’s births occur in non-hospital settings. Self-taught midwives do most of the deliveries in poverty-stricken Haiti. With below par health conditions, one in five children will die before the age of five. Now there's a program underway to better equip midwives with the knowledge they need to help more children survive. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG
Clergy Fight Katrina Depression With suicides expected to increase as much as 80 percent among those affected by last year’s hurricanes, pastors are often the first responders. But what if the clergy are among those who are depressed and discouraged? Mental health experts warn that with pastors losing homes, churches and congregations they are also at risk for suffering the blues. Script \| Windows Media \| MPEG