Vol. 5 • No. 13
July 13, 2006
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In This Issue of The Link:
Conference News
--School of Christian Mission Kicks off Today
--Harvest Church to host a Purpose-Driven Seminar in August
--An Evening with Candler in Macon
--New Book by Watson to Benefit Miss Ella's Camp for Special People
--Georgia Christian Council to hold forum
--Don't Forget to Register!
Connection News
--South Georgia Young Adult among 8 to be commissioned as US-2 missionaries
--United Methodists celebrate clergywomen at annual gatherings
--Newsweek lists UMCOR among "Big Names in Katrina Relief"
--Last Days on the River
--Lighten the Burden Aids Conference
--Groundbreaking Ceremony held for Bethea Welcome Center
--Connectional Table needs Teens and Young Adults for Interviews
Resources
--Secret Shopper List Helps Churches in their Outreach
--"What a Joy, this Habitation!"
--Paying the Piper: A Consideration of Church Musicians' Salaries
--What you need to know about bird flu
Mark Your Calendar
--Upcoming Conference Events
CONFERENCE NEWS
School of Christian Mission kicks off today
The South Georgia Conference 2006 School of Christian Mission kicks off today, July 13 at Epworth By The Sea. Meeting under the theme “Harvesting Peace,” this event provides opportunities to prepare for leadership in mission study and personal enrichment. Pictured is the leadership for the 2006 School of Christian Mission.
Harvest Church to host a Purpose-Driven Seminar in August
Every life, church, and organization is driven by something. What drives you? The Purpose-Driven Strategy is not about culture, worship style or personalities. The Purpose-Driven Strategy is about Changing Lives…on Purpose! Harvest Church , a United Methodist Congregation in Warner Robins , is offering a one day Purpose-Driven seminar August 24, 2006 at the Eagle Springs Clubhouse in Warner Robins. This seminar is intended to be a concise overview of the Purpose Driven Church Strategy. Registration deadline is August 5. For questions, please e-mail kelli@harvestchurch4u.org or call 478-923-8822. Click here to download a registration form or register online at www.harvestchurch4u.org.
An Evening with Candler in Macon
Emory University's Candler School of Theology is hosting "An Evening with Candler" at Vineville United Methodist Church in Macon, GA on Thursday, September 7. This event brings Candler to prospective students in the South Georgia Conference. The program includes dinner, information about admissions and financial aid, and a presentation by one of Candler's distinguished faculty. Alumni and ministers are welcome attend and encouraged to bring someone interested in pursuing a graduate theological education. For more information, please contact Jena Tenley at jtenley@emory.edu. RSVP will be required.
New Book by Watson to Benefit Miss Ella's Camp for Special People
Christmas Cornucopia — nineteen original Meditations for Advent / Christmas by W. Hamp Watson, Jr., will benefit “Miss Ella's Camp for Special People” at Epworth by the Sea, the retreat and mission center of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. It will be available at the Cokesbury Book Table at Georgia Methodist Pastor's School July 24-27 for $14. Feel free to sample some of the meditations before buying. It will also be sold in the Epworth By The Sea Gift Shop adjacent to the Dining Hall.
Georgia Christian Council to hold forum
In keeping with its calling to do all it can to help the Churches of Georgia become stronger in their witness and ministry, the Executive Board of The Georgia Christian Council is sponsoring a number of forums on relevant issues and challenges for churches over the next two year. The first forum will focus on "The Church and Homosexuality: The Bible, Science and Ministry" and will take place September 14, 2006 from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm at the Rumford Center in Macon. Dr. Robert Gagnon, widely renowned and recognized as one of the most knowledgeable experts in the United States, will be the resource leader. Dr. Gagnon will present a strong scholarly foundation for the church's traditional stance and will provide a forum for discussion for those who may have doubts about this stand. The forum will also build the foundation for why and how we should be in ministry to the homosexual community. Click here to download more information and a registration form.
Don't Forget to Register!
Registration is underway for the following events. Click the name of the event for more information.
--Pastors' School
--Pathways to a Healthy Church
--Bishop's Day Apart
--Purpose-Driven Seminar
--The Gathering
--Safe Sanctuaries Training
--Experiencing the Holy Mystery
--Black Church Summit
--Holy Spirit Conference
Joseph Bethea was an African-American United Methodist Bishop who served in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. According to Jimmy Carr, Executive Director of the Southeastern Jurisdiction, “We are proud to name this building after Joseph and Shirley Bethea. They were leaders of hospitality and kindness for The United Methodist Church.” Carr went on to add that “This building will serve as a constant reminder that we are all children of God and need to be welcoming to everyone.” More>>
Connectional Table needs Teens and Young Adults for Interviews
The Martec Group is conducting a variety of phone interviews for the Connectional Table, an organization within the United Methodist Church. They are currently trying to find lay members to participate. They are particularly looking for younger (less than 45 years old) members if possible, but will accept any interested individuals. The Martec Group is an international research company located in the USA, Europe, and Asia. The Martec Group in the US will be conducting some of the interviews in person and some over the phone.
To fulfill the requirements of the survey, The Martec staff will contact both leadership and members of the UMC for the purpose of conducting personal and telephone interviews. Martec's success in conducting interviews is highly dependent on the support and cooperation of pastors, members and lay-leaders. More specifically, their assistance is crucial to help find and get in contact with active and inactive members, whose participation and feedback is of great importance.
This first phase of research is qualitative and the second phase will be quantitative. The questions are free-flowing ones regarding members experience...what they like, what attracts them to their church in general, etc. There is no preparation needed for those interviewed. The interview last between 20-30 minutes.
Please contact Ashley Holz, The Martec Group, to participate at 1-888-811-5771 or Ashley.holz@martecgroup.com.
RESOURCES
Secret Shopper List Helps Churches in their Outreach
How friendly is your congregation? How easy is it to find the sanctuary? To help churches become more effective in these and other areas, the Conference Witness Team is providing a "Secret Shopper List." The idea behind this list is for someone from outside the church to visit on a Sunday morning with the checklist in mind and then offer an objective opinion about how the church is doing with regards to all aspects of the service (pre-service outside, pre-service inside, actual service and post service). Click here to download the list.
"What a Joy, this Habitation!"
A Hymn in Celebration of Habitat for Humanity
(GBOD) Hymn writer Carolyn Winfrey Gillette composed this hymn originally in celebration of the construction of a home by a local Habitat for Humanity chapter. Habitat for Humanity is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in 2006, and the local chapter is once again using this hymn in an ecumenical service. The hymn may also be used for dedication and consecration services for new church buildings. Click here to view.
Paying the Piper: A Consideration of Church Musicians' Salaries
(GBOD) One recent discussion on the MethodistMusicians List was on the topic of musician salaries in local churches. This article addresses some of the points and questions of that discussion. It begins with some widely held assumptions of church musicians and moves on to the hows and whys of salaries. Why do churches pay less than comparable musicians' receive outside the church? What can or should the general church do? What about other denominations and organizations? How do UMC musicians seek change? Click here to read more.
What you need to know about bird flu
(UMCOR) Questions on bird flu? The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has launched a new resource on their website. Although bird (avian) flu is currently limited to fowl and is only occasionally transmitted to those in close contact with infected birds, there remains a risk that this virus will change so that it can spread between people. If this happens the world may have a flu pandemic. UMCOR wants you to have the information you need to be prepared and to respond appropriately. Churches are in a special position to be a positive force in response to a bird flu pandemic. You can help by knowing your facts, what you need to do to prepare, and where to find good information. Whether you're a church member, pastor, or a layperson simply wanting to be more informed, these web pages will help you distinguish fact from myth, identify concrete steps. UMCOR's Azerbaijan office has developed educational materials on bird flu. UMCOR workers distribute these through UMCOR's Refugee Health Clinic. The clinic serves over 4,000 refugees and asylum seekers living in the capital city of Baku and surrounding districts. In the US the disaster response team participates in frequent updates from the Center for Disease Control, and they will post new information as it becomes available. Click here to read.