This last week I was able to stop for lunch with friends on my way home from meetings at Mingus Mountain camp. We were talking after lunch for a few extra minutes outside of the restaurant.  A man named Mitch, who looked like he was at least my age, walked up to us and asked if we had a couple of dollars that we could give him. He needed $1.50 in order to ride the bus. As Christians, how do we respond when someone asks us for money?

It has been fun watching our United Methodist Men “ramp-up” their efforts in the South District. I have been a part of several meetings in the past year where the United Methodist Men (UMM) in our Conference have been making plans to start building ramps for people who qualify as being low-income. The UMM have affiliated with other groups who have a long history of building ramps, and who are sharing their experience with us. One of the parts of this plan that I like the best is that the ramps are modular and temporary. The necessary pieces will be cut at wood shops across our Conference and put together on-site. If a time comes when the ramp is no longer needed, it can be removed.