Welcome to UMTV’s Web Brief. I’m Reed Galin.

Long before it was an international slogan, United Methodists were called to "leave no child behind"...and in 1996, the church even formulated an "Initiative on Children and Poverty."

Because of that commitment, a delegation from the Council of Bishops went to Washington, D.C., recently to meet with lawmakers and to remind them that supports like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families bill and the Child Care and Development Block Grant -- both of which are up for vote in the coming days -- are not only financial decisions, but also moral ones.

Bishops on the Hill story:

Commentary “Partners with the Poor,” Bishop Ann Sherer:

Bishop Ann Sherer, resident bishop of the United Methodist Church in the state of Missouri, chair of the Bishops Initiative on Children and Poverty

We must talk about not just doing for but being in partnership with. John Wesley calls being with the poor a means of grace, because that’s where we can hear God’s voice.  And as we’re in partnership with the poor, God speaks to us and we begin to have an understanding of what it’s like not to know whether I can feed my children, what it’s like to worry about whether there’s any money to buy milk for breakfast, if we can have more than a quart of milk this week for two or three children. 

If we value children, we have good childcare, we have good maternity care.  We talk about being pro-family, but we don’t act pro-family. God calls us to speak on their behalf. And the poor can’t come; they are not here. 

There’s a lobbyist for almost everybody else in our state capitals and here, but the children don’t come to speak up for themselves. And I think it’s the role of the church. As we live in community with the poor, they’ll do us way more good than we can do them. They will be God’s instruments to help us see the world differently.

United Methodists in Phoenix are taking an innovative approach to tap into the mental well-being of children in their area. Forget Little League and soccer. It seems the newest sport for kids requires a little relaxation. Yoga is quickly gaining popularity for the playground-bound … and parents, kids and instructors say this sport is a whole body and mind experience.

Flap those wings..

OVER THE NEXT 45 MINUTES THESE KIDS WILL FLY LIKE BUTTERFLIES ... GROWL LIKE BEARS AND SLITHER LIKE SNAKES.

“How about we see some tongues sticking out like a king cobra.”

THEY WILL ALSO GET A GOOD DOSE OF STRETCHING, RELAXING AND BREATHING.

“Breathe in real deep.”

AT THE WEEKLY YOGA CLASS AT THE PARADISE VALLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ... TEACHER KAREN EYNON’S GOAL IS SIMPLE.

Karen Eynon/Yoga Instructor: “I just try to tune them in with their bodies and find some confidence just through movement.”

THE MOVEMENT IS NO PROBLEM; KIDS ARE NATURALLY FLEXIBLE.

“You’re a little too pretzel here.”

BUT THE PHYSICAL EXERCISE IS ONLY A PART OF THIS ROUTINE; 7-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW SOMETIMES HAS PROBLEMS FOCUSING.

“Watch your foot, Matthew. Where is it?”

BUT IF HE WANTS TO GET INTO THAT TREE POSE, HE’S GOT TO CONCENTRATE.

IN FACT, MANY OF YOGA’S NATURAL RELAXATION EXERCISES ARE PERFECT FOR KIDS WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER.

“This really encourages you to go inside and tap into the resources we've been given inside our own mind.”

THE KIDS SAY THEY LIKE THE CHALLENGE AND THE ESCAPE FROM THE REST OF THEIR SCHEDULED LIVES.

DURING MEDITATION TIME ... KAREN SPRINKLES HER WORDS WITH CHRISTIAN ALLEGORY.

“That star has lights streaming down, totally covering you, surrounding you with light.”

IT’S HER OWN TAKE ON YOGA’S SPIRITUAL BASE.

“Our health and our wellness fountain up from that sense of spirituality.”

AND EVEN IF THEY DON’T KNOW IT, THE KIDS LEAVE THIS CLASS HAVING EXERCISED BOTH BODY AND MIND.

“I am confident ... I am strong ... I am loved by God.”