2023 Lay Servant Ministries & Certified Lay Ministry
Check out the dates & registration for the 2023 classes.
Clergy Ethics Training – April 20
Every three years, according to the South Georgia Conference Sexual Ethics policy, persons serving under appointment by the bishop (clergy, local pastors, extension ministers, appointed lay speakers) are required to attend a Sexual Ethics Workshop. Under the guidance of the Office of Ministerial Services, the South Georgia Conference will offer Clergy Ethics trainings in March and April 2023. For more information and to register, click here.
Men's Spiritual Life Retreat – April 21-22
A Men's Spiritual Life Retreat is set for April 21-22, 2023, at Epworth By The Sea on St Simons Island. This in-person event is sponsored by the United Methodist Men of South Georgia and is open to all Christian men of South Georgia to attend. The retreat will be a time of spiritual renewal through: solid biblical teaching by Rev Tommy Mason, dynamic and uplifting music led by the Goshen Travelers Band, shared fresh testimonies of God's Grace, worship, prayer & fellowship, and a brief annual business session of the South Georgia United Methodist Men. Click here for more details.
MissionInsite Mosaics Webinar - May 10
Let’s learn about our neighbors! MissionInsite Mosaics is a powerful web-based tool for learning about your community and the neighborhood in which your church is planted. If you’re ready to learn more about how to put MissionInsite Mosaics to work for you, plan to join us for our upcoming training online with our South Georgia MissionInsite representative on May 10 via Zoom. Let’s take time to study our community and neighborhood so we can make the Gospel relevant to the people God has sent us to reach. Both clergy and laity are invited to attend! To register, click here.
Clergy Mental Health Retreat - May 18
In a season of high anxiety, we realize that those called to meet the needs of others are in need themselves. To help address the needs of our clergy, the South Georgia Conference Clergy Mental Health Task Force is putting together a series of retreats to support clergy in their mental health. The first retreat, Anxiety: Enemy or Ally, is set for May 18 from 10am-4pm at Wesley Gardens in Savannah, Ga. Led by Jason Mehl and Christian Swails, this one-day retreat will focus on what anxiety is and is not, how to work through anxiety, and how to speak to fear. The cost for this event is $20 (lunch is included). To register, click here: https://sgaumc-reg.brtapp.com/ANXIETYEnemyorAlly. Please note: this retreat will be capped at 30 participants. Additional clergy retreats are being planned for the Fall.
Called Annual Conference Session – May 21
A special called session of the annual conference has been set for Sunday, May 21, 2023. The meeting will begin at 4 pm using the Zoom Webinar platform in conjunction with an online voting system. The sole purpose of the special called session of the Annual Conference is to complete the process of ratifying the current requests for disaffiliation of local churches who have met the requirements outlined in ¶2553 of the Book of Discipline and who have met the published South Georgia Conference deadlines. Click here for more information.
Annual Conference Session – June 4-6
The 2023 South Georgia Annual Conference session will be held Sunday, June 4, 2023, through Tuesday, June 6, 2023. The conference theme will be: When They Prayed, based on Act 4:31. Click here for full Annual Conference details.
2023 Summer Camps
Don’t let your kids miss out on this summer’s Camp Connect - the South Georgia Conference Camping Ministry at Epworth By The Sea. These week-long residential camps are offered for elementary, middle and high school students in June and July. For more information, click here.
2023 Georgia Pastors School – July 17-20
Georgia Pastors School is set for July 17-20, 2023, at Epworth by the Sea on St. Simons Island. This spiritual formation event for pastors will feature Rev. Juanita Rasmus, co-pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, TX, and Johnny Sears from The Upper Room as this year’s teachers. To register and for more information, visit www.georgiapastorsschool.org.
Lay Planter’s Training - Fall 2023
Here in South Georgia, we are seizing the opportunity to start new things for new people in new places. We are seeing a resurgence of grassroots efforts among our laity to dive deeply into disciple-making using new models for church planting like home churches, fresh expressions and more. Can you imagine what it will be like in a few years when laity across the conference will be engaged in leading discipleship efforts across the conference? These discipleship groups and home churches will be able to meet in all kinds of places, made up of all kinds of people. Coming up on July 22, we will have an informational zoom session to find out more about an online Lay Planter’s Course we will be offering this Fall to interested laity. Coming to the meeting doesn’t commit you to the course; it’s an opportunity to hear more about it. Learn more