Vol. 4 • No. 18 
June 20, 2005
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PATHWAYS TO A HEALTHY CHURCH
Helping churches live the vision to be faithful, fruitful and bold
August 27, 2005
Martha Bowman UMC
Macon, Georgia
9:45 am - 2:45 pm

The purpose of the Pathways to a Healthy Church event is to provide quality, cutting edge training for lay and clergy leaders. Forty workshops designed to help congregations grow in one or more of the 16 healthy church traits will be offered. Participants will walk away stimulated with new ideas that will work in their local ministry setting, recommitted to their role as spiritual leaders, and empowered to go forth to offer vision-driven leadership. 0.5 CEUs are being offered for the event.

--Register online
--Download brochure (legal size)
--Download registration form
--Learn more about this event
--View workshop choices

Connectional Ministries Office Seeking Associate Director
The Connectional Ministries Office is currently seeking to fill the position of Associate Director of Life Span Ministries. The Associate Director has primary staff responsibility for planning and coordinating the life span (age-level) and nurture ministries at the conference level and resourcing local churches for enhanced disciple-making. A significant portion of the Associate Director's work involves directing the camping and event programs flowing out of the Conference's work with children, youth, young adults, adults and older adults. Interested lay or clergy persons can click here for more details and an application packet.

Purpose Driven Church Strategy Seminar Being Offered
A one day seminar focused on "Purpose Driven Church Strategy" is being offered August 18th from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Eagle Spring Clubhouse in Centerville, Georgia. This event is being sponsored by Harvest Church in Warner Robins.

Every life, church and organization is driven by something. What keeps you going? What or who determines the vision for your congregation? The scriptures are clear that the body of Christ is to be driven by purpose. This purpose is laid out clearly for us in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The question then is “How do we do that?”

This one day seminar is a concise overview of the Purpose Driven Church Strategy. Harvest Church has seen first hand that these strategies work in all types of situations around the world. It is not cultural, it is not about a worship style, it is not about personalities. Purpose Driven Strategies are about Changing Lives on Purpose.

Pastors, you are encouraged to bring a team of staff and laity to enjoy the day with you so that you can dialogue together about how to implement these tools in your situation. The cost is just $35.00 for materials. For more information or to register, contact Jennifer Cowart at Jennifer@harvestchurch4u.org.

Rev. Hollie Tapley Chosen for Trip
The Rev. Hollie Tapley, an ordained deacon in the South Georgia Conference who serves as chaplain at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro, has been selected to participate in a Mission Caravan to Zimbabwe and Africa University September 17-October 1. The caravan is being sponsored by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Division of Deacon and Diaconals, and will do some groundwork for the establishment of an HIV/AIDS project at Africa University that will include a clinic, home-based care a rehabilitation farm.

PK Retreats Just Around the Corner
The 2005 PK Retreats are just around the corner. The Elementary PK Retreat is scheduled for July 15-17, and the Teen PK Retreat will be July 22-24. Brochures have been sent out. If you would like more information please contact Dr. Edwin Chase at 478-751-2209.

Rev. Mike Ricker to Preach at Tattnall Campmeeting
Tattnall Campground has been in existence for over 130 years, and this year they are proud to welcome the Rev. Mike Ricker to preach this year's Campmeeting July 17-24. Ricker is a clergy member of the South Georgia Conference and serves as director of the Light For the Nations Ministry, an Evangelism and Missions Agency whose primary purpose is to assist local churches in fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. There will be two services daily, 11:00am and 8:00pm. You are invited to come and experience the Tabernacle Services at Tattnall, a great place to grow and walk with God. For more information on the services, facilities, and for directions, click here.

Tattnall Campground Offers Programs for Children and Youth
Tattnall Campground offers programs for all ages, from Pre-K to 12th Grade. Led by Matt & Wanda Shryock, programs include a Day Camp, Elementary Camp Week, and Youth Camp Weekend. For more information visit the Tattnall Campground website.

Lumicon Offers New Online Course "Graphics With Purpose"
Lumicon, a division of United Methodist Reporter Communications, is offering a course based on discussion and activities designed to bring about greater understanding of the power we wield with the incorporation of multimedia into our sanctuaries, with the primary goal of increasing students' skills in design and thematic considerations. This course, set for August 15 - September 23, 2005, is geared toward people who build presentations for worship, and who have a desire to ensure that every slide they show helps make worship meaningful. Your instructor will be Billy Reeder, director of communications for the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church and worship team leader at Dover UMC. Billy holds a BA degree in Broadcast Journalism, an MA in Multimedia Communication and is a Regional Igniting Ministry trainer. Cost is $150, plus required software and recommended text . For more information, click here.

United Methodists to focus on health in body, mind, spirit
(UMNS) Recognizing the importance of health-in body, mind and spirit-will be a focus of several United Methodist agencies during the next few years. United Methodist Communications will help coordinate that focus by providing a communications strategy, which will include the creation of a Web site and finding ways to link people with volunteer opportunities and models of health-related programs, according to the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive.  Denominational representatives met in early May in Washington to start shaping this focus on health and wholeness. More>>

 Africa Upper Room Ministries - Online!
(UM Newscope) Africa Upper Room Ministries online, went live in May. It is designed to draw people together throughout the continent and encourage the daily disciplines of reading the Bible, praying, and sharing their journeys with Christians around the world. Africa Upper Room Ministries was established near Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, marking the first time The Upper Room based an operation outside the United States. GBGM Wants Your Input
The General Board of Global Ministries is redesigning its Web to improve its usefulness to their visitors. They need your feedback about how you use the current website and about what new features or changes you would like to see on their redesigned site. Click here to take the web survey.

Whatever it is, the 'emerging church' is turning heads
(UMNS) Ask anyone to define the "emerging church," and they'll likely hesitate. "Good luck," jokes the Rev. Jay Voorhees of Antioch United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., who describes his congregation as an "emerging church."

A grassroots initiative that is not associated with any particular church denomination, the emerging church is a concept that's hard to define and full of paradox. For example, it is rooted in evangelism but - in a rare crossing of today's cultural divide - is steeped in social justice values often associated with liberalism. It welcomes innovation in worship but also holds to traditional Christian beliefs. To a growing number of young Christians, this ambiguity is the allure to what some call a movement but others call a "conversation." Either way, the emerging church has set out to transform churchgoing from the inside out by questioning some of its most basic traditions. More>>

Songs of Zion opened doors for 'songs of soul and soil'
(UMNS) Twenty-five years ago, a group of African-American United Methodists felt called to bring "songs of the soul and soil" from the black church into mainline church hymnals. The power of those songs finally convinced church leaders to publish Songs of Zion. The Rev. William B. McClain, in a paper on "The Story of Songs of Zion: Pioneering Paths in a Strange Land," chronicles the efforts of the National Advisory Task Force on the Hymnbook Project as they worked to convince church leaders to print a songbook of African-American religious music. More>>

Amity has short, long-term teaching programs
(UMNS) Brian Newell, a United Methodist and librarian at the Logansport (Ind.) State Hospital, has found a way to put the Chinese he learned to use. From July 3-Aug. 3, Newell will participate in the Amity Foundation's Summer English Program in China. Last summer, 62 teachers from the United States and United Kingdom were sent in teams to 14 locations in 12 provinces to teach English to Chinese middle-school teachers. The goal was to improve the listening and speaking abilities of those teachers, along with involving them in cultural exchange activities. Find out more about this program and how you can be a part of it. More>>

Nominations Being Accepted For Distinguished Evangelist of the UMC
The Foundation for Evangelism is accepting nominations for the 2005 Distinguished United Methodist Evangelist Award. The Deadline is June 30, 2005. This award recognizes a United Methodist clergy or lay person for extraordinary accomplishments in making disciples of Jesus Christ in the Wesleyan tradition. To find out more, click here.

Members Needed for Medical Team to Brazil
Ann Whitt of the North Carolina Conference is leading a medical team to Brazil through Evangemed and Dr. Wilson Bonfim. The dates for the trip are September 3-12, 2005. Ann has room for 16 persons, including doctors, nurses, a dentist, a pharmacist and lay people. The cost will be $2000/person. For more information, contact Ann Whitt at manwit@peoplepc.com.

2007 Worship-Preaching-Music Planning Calendar Now Available
The 2007 Worship-Preaching-Music Planning Calendar is now available from the General Board of Discipleship. The calendar includes Revised Common Lectionary citations for the entire year, Sundays, celebrations, and observances of the church year, holidays and observances of the civil calendar, and United Methodist special days and observances. To view click here.

New Hymn for Memorial Services: "O Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends"
Text: Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1809-1894
Music: English folk tune, harmonization by Dean B. McIntyre, 2005
The new hymn, "O Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends," can be used for memorial and funeral services, Memorial Day, All Saints Day, and other occasions for remembrance and celebration of life eternal. Text, tune, and accompaniment may be downloaded from The General Board of Discipleship worship-preaching-music website.

Note on the recommended date for celebration of The Epiphany of Our Lord and of The Baptism of the Lord in 2006-2007
The lectionary rubrics are in conflict for the transition between 2006 and 2007. Given the way the dates fall in relationship to the first Sunday in 2007, the Center for Worship Resourcing of The General Board of Discipleship has listed the observance of the Epiphany of Our Lord as follows:
Epiphany is to be celebrated on January 6, 2007, or on December 31, 2006.
Baptism of the Lord is to be celebrated on January 7, 2007.

Rationale: The United Methodist Book of Worship lectionary table on page 228 reads for Baptism of the Lord: "(First Sunday after the Epiphany; Sunday between January 7 and 13)". The rubric for the Epiphany of Our Lord reads: "(January 6 or first Sunday in January; A, B, and C)". Since Epiphany can be celebrated on January 6 (its traditional date) and January 7 is the first Sunday after the Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord will fall on January 7 in 2007. Churches that choose to interpret or arrange this differently are free, of course, to do so.

Save the Cheese
For the last six years, UMCOR supplemented the diets of thousands with cheese that provides additional protein and needed calories. To continue this program that is so important to 14,000 institutionalized Armenians, 11,000 of them children, additional funding is necessary. UMCOR needs to purchase about 75 tons of cheese to supply the program for the remainder of 2005. You can "save the cheese" that provides significant nutritional support to vulnerable people by giving to UMCOR Advance #250225, Armenia Emergency.

Cokesbury Specials for June
Cokesbury is pleased to offer quality resources at great prices to assist individuals and churches on their own Christian journeys. Below are some of the exciting events happening at Cokesbury during June.
--- Great Deals on All Editions of The New Interpreter's Study Bible: 30% off all editions! The New Interpreter's Study Bible is designed for use by clergy, teachers, congregations, college classrooms, and other readers of Scripture. This thoroughly engaging, in-depth encounter with Scripture provides guidance for your Christian journey
---Sale Prices on The Faith We Sing: Re-energize your worship with the bestseller that thousands of churches are using. 15% off all editions through June 30, 2005. Sale price is already reflected on the product line web pages. Pew editions, for example, that normally retail for $11 are now priced at $9.35 each. Singer's editions, normally $18, are now $15.30 apiece. The Faith We Sing is perfect for today's changing worship styles. This exciting resource enhances congregational singing, expands the repertoire of your congregations music, encourages the spiritual growth and development of congregational members, and helps congregations experience worship and praise of God in the global church.
---Custom Clergy Robe Sale: Save 15% off any custom clergy robe ordered before June 30th. Orders can be placed by calling 1-800-237-7511.
---Summer Reading Lists at Cokesbury: Summer reading lists for adults, youth, and children are now located in our Seasonal Selections area of Cokesbury.com. Many of these titles are on sale.

Upcoming Conference Events
Keep up with what's going on in the South Georgia Conference!
 --Mid-High Mania 2 Summer Camp - June 20-24
--Disciple Bible Study Training - June 23-24
--Elementary Camp 1 - June 27-July 1
--Youth Leadership Academy - July 8-10
--Elementary Camp 2 - July 11-17
--Mission Education Event - July 15-17
--Elementary Camp 3 - July 18-22
--Youth Harambee - July 22-24
--Pastors School - July 25-28
--Pathways to a Healthy Church - August 27