wfn.org | UMNS# 04433-Devotional booklet sales pass 120,000

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Devotional booklet sales pass 120,000

Sep. 23, 2004	 News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470* 
Nashville
{04433}

NOTE: This report is a sidebar to UMNS story #432. A photograph is available
online at http://umns.umc.org.

NASVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Efforts by United Methodist Men to provide all
service men and women with the devotional book, Strength for Service to God
and Country, continue to gain momentum and support.

More than 120,000 copies have been sold, and contributions are continuing
from
a wide variety of organizations and groups, according to L.W. Smith, a layman
from Columbia, S.C. Smith gave the report at the Sept. 20-22 organizational
meeting of the Commission on United Methodist Men in Nashville.

The book is not designed exclusively for military personnel but is also being
distributed to professionals such as police, firefighters and emergency
medical technicians.

Strength for Service is a revision of a book carried 60 years ago by Eugene
Hunsberger during World War II. Hunsberger was given the book while serving
in
the Navy, and he continued to read from it for the rest of his life.

Four years ago, Hunsberger's 16-year-old grandson, Evan, asked his
grandfather
about the book and why it was so meaningful to him. Listening to his
grandfather tell how the book had helped him through difficult experiences,
the younger Hunsberger had an inspiration.

Evan needed to complete a special project in order to earn the rank of Eagle,
the highest level in Boy Scouts. He asked his grandfather if republishing the
book as a spiritual aid for U.S. service personnel today would be a good
Eagle
Scout project. "Not good," whispered Eugene, whose stroke had made speech
difficult. "Great!"

After receiving permission from the United Methodist Publishing House to
republish the book, Evan and 45 volunteers spent 2,500 hours scanning and
correcting copy from the book into computers.

The Commission on United Methodist Men supported Evan's work, and with the
Pentagon's approval, began trying to raise $3 million in order to give a copy
of the book to 1 million members of the military.

Smith brought new commissioners up to date on the book and its popularity.
Staff members also reported that the national news media are picking up the
story, and a wider variety of community, professional and service groups are
making contributions.

People who want to support the effort can send checks to Strength for
Service,
P.O. Box 340006, Nashville, TN 37203-0006. To order copies of the book,
contact Providence Publishing Corp., 238 Seaboard Lane, Franklin, TN 37067;
phone: (800) 321-5692.	Additional information is available from Larry
Coppock, Commission on United Methodist Men, at (615) 340-7149 or
lcoppock@gcumm.org .

*This story was reported by Tom McAnally, a former director of United
Methodist News Service, and includes portions from a previous UMNS article by
Rich Peck with the Commission on United Methodist Men.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

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United Methodist News Service