What an incredible summer on the mountain!!! Hear from the Directors, check-out the stats and gear up for the Fall in the 2010 September Newsletter
Mountain T.O.P. founder, George Bass, received the Allison Social Holiness Award
On Tuesday, June 15th, George Bass was awarded the prestigious Richard Allison Social Holiness Award for outstanding work in Christian service. Charles "Skip" Armistead from Hilldale UMC in Clarksville, TN nominated George for the award. A copy of what presenter James Coles, pastor of Woodbine UMC in Nashville, said about George is provided for those who missed the presentation at Annual Conference. Mountain T.O.P. is truly grateful for George's servant heart and leadership, as the ministry would not have thrived all these years without him. Thank you for all that you do, George!
Our next recipient has influenced the lives of untold youth and young adults throughout his many years of service through our Conference.
The nominator writes: “he is one of the most optimistic upbeat faith-filled individuals who is loaded with spirit-led visions, ideas, gifts, talents and graces. His entire life has been Christ-centered, and church-centered. He is a gifted trainer both with the State of Tennessee and with youth and young adults through his work.”
Through his life’s work he has sensitized thousands of people to the social, spiritual, economic, emotional and relational needs of the weak, the least, the last and the lost of the Cumberland Mountains.
It began when our recipient was working with the youth at Blakemore UMC. He took his youth to a work camp at Hinton Rural Life Center. He felt the nudge from God which led to the question, “Why can’t we do this in Tennessee?” Why can’t we help our youth more fully “realize the needs of others as well as meet those needs? Thus, he began to develop the Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project) ministry.
The first Mountain T.O.P. camp was in 1974 at Beersheba Springs Assembly. Through the years our recipient has led this ministry that hired, trained and developed more than 1,050 young adults as summer staff. An estimated 17,5000 youth and adults from 28 states participated in week long work camps and children’s day camps sharing the love of Christ with the people of the Cumberland Mountains.
The nominator writes: “Having been an active participant with Mountain T.O.P. I got to see lives changed. I saw two elderly widows’ faces light up with new hope when our work team cleared their orchard which they hadn’t seen for years. I saw the toothless smiles of men moved to tears because some youth cared to take time to listen to them. I’ve seen youth from wealthy homes humbled as a result of their contact with people from an entirely different culture. I’ve seen youth who felt like they were nothing and of no value to anyone become ‘somebodies’ when they helped others in the name of Christ.”
This work goes on today as Mountain T.O.P continues to thrive. Because our recipient embraced developing and facilitating social holiness with youth and adults of one culture with a people of another culture, he has helped to break down walls and enable the Kingdom of God shine just a little brighter in this world.
We thank God and are very pleased to present this J. Richard Allison award to:
Mr. George Bass
2010 May Newsletter!
We are excited to report that we have had an incredible Spring on the mountain. Over 40 adult volunteers participated in Friends Weekend, 288 college students and youth braved the uncanny cold weather to participate in Spring Breakout, and 5 families, making 19 volunteers total, joined us for Family Weekend!
Please pay special attention to our "Equipping the Saints for Service" campaign kicking off now!
Fish Camp & Quest, Two NEW MTOP programs, were featured in the TN Conference Review!
During the summer of 2010, Mountain T.O.P. will be kicking off two BRAND NEW programs. Read more about what these programs have to offer by clicking HERE.
2009 Annual Report
In an effort to continue being transparent about what's going on at Mountain T.O.P., we've created a 2009 Annual Report that includes letters from the Executive Director and Chairman of the Board, Program Highlights, A Statement of Income and Expense and A List of Financial and In-Kind Contributors! Thank you for your partnership, love and devotion to Mountain T.O.P.!
2009 Annual Report (High Quality)
2009 Annual Report (Low Quality)
Announcing the 2010 Summer Staff!!!
Directors:
Thomas Harness- Sanford, FL
Elise Low- Ann Arbor, MI
Sarah Gothard- Montevallo, AL
Mark McGlothlin- Austin, TX
Field Managers:
Steve Frankenfield- Perkasie, PA
Amelia Millemon- Alton, IL
Michael Reed- Sycamore, IL
Vincent Vasquez- Austin, TX
Day Camp Manager:
Andrew Phillips- Germantown, TN
Program Managers:
Kim Fall- Ellisville, MS
Mary Kate Fisher- McMinnville, TN
Kim Tidman- Nashville, TN
Cayce Powers- Nolensville, TN
A.I.M. Staff:
Director:
Leigh Shepherd- Brownsburg, IN
Field Manager:
Scott Dorton- Livonia, MI
Program Manager:
Diana Woodlock- Spring, TX
Summer Plus, Kaleidescope and Quest:
Betsy Galbraith- Greenfield, IN
Service Project Ministry Coordinators:
Michael Junard- Brentwood, TN
Chelsea Scheck- Akron, OH
William Holloway- Long Beach, MS
Nicholas Beegle- Collierville, TN
Keith Makar- Whippany, NJ
Rachael Head- Nashville, TN
Danielle Mitchell- Thompson Station, TN
Hannah Brock- Naperville, IL
Olivia Evans- Thompson Station, TN
Emily Mistrzak- DeRidder, LA
Stephen Wright- Mt. Pleasant, TN
Matthew Phillips- Lilburn, GA
Joshua Sakalaukus- Pass Christian, MS
Rebecca Goltry- Wichita, KS
Shannon Jablonski- Marietta, GA
Jenny Chappuis- Ann Arbor, MI
Ginny Severns- Williamsburg, IA
Justin Campbell- Collierville, TN
Russell Ambrose- Smithville, TN
Day Camp Ministry Coordinators:
Chelsi Warren- Clarksville, TN
Emily Hurst- Nashville, TN
Mountain T.O.P. Featured in UM Publications!
The Circuit Rider
The Circuit Rider is a quarterly professional magazine for pastors. It is published by The United Methodist Publishing House for United Methodist clergy. Their mission is to address the spiritual, intellectual, and practical needs of pastors serving local churches. Mountain T.O.P. wrote an article for the Nov/Dec/Jan focus titled "Ministry With the Poor." The article expresses how youth are in ministry while at camp, highlighting Mountain's T.O.P. unique foundational objectives, style of leadership and organization. Check it out!!
The Reporter
During the Fall of 2009, the Memphis Conference United Methodist Volunteers In Mission team traveled to the Mountain for one week of Major Home Repair. Check out the article volunteer Carrie Handerson wrote for the conference publication The Reporter!!
Cross Connection
Cross Connection is a bi-weekly publication of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Executive Director, Ed Simmons, was recently featured in the publication. Check it out!2010 Focus
We are pleased to announce that our theme for 2010 will be "Livin Hope."
"In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3
We are eager to explore the theme of hope in our camps, our communities and our walks with God. We invite you to join us as we seek and discover more about God's message of hope.
