Vol. 5 • No. 19
October 4, 2006
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In This Issue of The Link:
Conference News
--Congratulations to Kelly and Brian Roberson
--Health Flex Incentive
--United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Training Session
--United Methodist Men Fall Planning Retreat
--Register Now for November Celebration ‘06
--Search for Conference Pastoral Counselor Underway
--Safe Sanctuaries Trainings Scheduled for 2007
--General and Jurisdictional Delegation Elections Process Defined
--Louisville UMC to hold Homecoming/Revival Services
--Don't Forget to Register!
Connection News
--EXPLORATION 2006
--Global Young People’s Convocation
--2007 Congress on Evangelism
--2007 Church Musicians Retreat
--New Training Resources—Certified Lay Minister
--The Contemporary Charles Wesley
--Survey to help assess 'State of Church' for United Methodists
UMVIM, SEJ Exploratory Teams for 2006/2007
Resources
--Free “Hallelujah Chorus” for Christ the King Sunday
--Advent: Expecting the Unexpected
--New Resource for Churches: Medicine Box Guide
--New Resource for Churches: Spiritual Care in Disaster Response
--What's in a Hymnal Name?
Mark Your Calendar
--All
Upcoming Events
CONFERENCE NEWS
Congratulations to Kelly and Brian Roberson
Kelly Roberson , our Conference Director of Communications, and Brian, her husband, gave birth to their first child on Wednesday, September 27. We give thanks to God for the birth and blessing of William Brian. Kelly will be on maternity leave for the next six weeks. Any communication needs should be directed to the Office of Connectional Ministries, where several staff members will be covering duties while Kelly is away.
Health Flex Incentive
The Conference Board of Pensions would like to remind lay and clergy participants in the Health Flex insurance plan to take advantage of an incentive that could increase your wellness and generate financial rebates for you and your congregation. This incentive will apply to insured persons under the age of 65. All one has to do is gather your basic health information and spend about 30 minutes taking the Web MD health survey online at the General Board of Pensions website, http://www.gbop.org, then click on the “Health Flex / Web MD” oval. Churches will receive a $240 rebate on the annual premium retroactive to the beginning of the 2006, plus churches and participants will share any additional rebates we might receive if we have enough persons participating in the Web MD survey. Why not stop right now and go to Web MD? If you need additional assistance logging on to the website, please contact one of staff at the Administrative Services Office at 1-800-535-4224.
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Training Session
There will be an UMVIM training session on October 14th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Christ UMC in Warner Robins. Lunch will be served and reservations should be called into the church office at 478-922-0211. The Macon District will be hosting the event this year, and it is for all interested churches and individuals who would like to become a "missions" oriented church through participation in short-term missions, local, national and international. For more info, contact Dr. Charles Cravey, Conference UMVIM Coordinator, at DrRev@alltel.net or 912-564-2722.
UMM Planning and Training Session
The South Georgia Conference United Methodist Men will hold a planning and training session November 10-11, 2006 at Kamp Kirksey in Albany, Georgia. Included on the agenda are discussing how to begin new UMM groups in the local church, sharing program ideas for local units, nominating conference UMM officers, planning the spring retreat for Conference UMM held at Epworth By The Sea, and other business. All local and district UMM leaders are urged to attend this important meeting. If you need additional information, please contact Larry Price , UMM President, at 229-888-8088. Kamp Kirksey is located at 2416 Kirksey Road, Albany, GA 31705. Each participant will need to bring linens (for bunk beds) and toiletries. Conference UMM will pay lodging costs for first 60 registrants.
Register Now for November Celebration '06
On November 17-19, 2006 the South Georgia Conference Connectional Ministries Office will be sponsoring November Celebration '06. Held at Epworth By The Sea on St. Simons Island, this retreat is intended for 6th – 12th graders.
“A Time for Change” is this year's retreat theme. Change can be both an exhilarating and a frightening experience for teenagers. No matter how we view it though, change is inevitable when we meet Jesus Christ. Throughout the weekend students will hear examples of people's lives that were changed when they experienced an actual encounter with Jesus.
Click here for more information or to register online.
Search for Conference Pastoral Counselor Underway
The South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church is searching for a half-time Conference Pastoral Counselor. Successful candidate should be an Ordained Elder or Deacon (or equivalent) who possesses either a LPC, LMFT or LCSW and preferably is a Member in AAPC. Duties include: offering pastoral counseling to clergy, clergy families and paid church staff; assessing and referring persons to one of a network of counselors; teaching in workshops, seminars, and retreats; responding to traumatic or crisis events in the Conference and in local churches; and other duties as assigned. Click here to view the job description. Click here for the application packet. For more information, see the job description or contact Dr. Brad Brady, P.O. Box 20408 , Saint Simons Island, GA 31522. Applications are due by November 3.
Safe Sanctuaries Trainings Scheduled for 2007
Safe Sanctuaries is the name commonly given by local United Methodist Annual Conferences and local churches to their individual efforts to make conference, district, and local church programs welcoming and safe for children and youth. The Safe Sanctuaries training is a first-step in an intentional effort to protect our young. Below are the current trainings scheduled for 2007. For more information about the training, click here. For more information on Safe Sanctuaries, click here.
January 27, 2007 at Richmond Hill UMC in Richmond Hill
February 24, 2007 at Valdosta First UMC in Valdosta
April 28, 2007 at Pierce Chapel UMC in Columbus
General and Jurisdictional Delegation Elections Process Defined
The South Georgia Conference will elect its delegation to the 2008 General and Jurisdictional Conferences during the 2007 Annual Conference Session in Savannah June 3-7. Click here to view details of the elections process.
Louisville UMC to hold Homecoming/Revival Services
You are cordially invited to the Homecoming service and Revival with the congregation of Louisville United Methodist Church . The annual Homecoming service will be held October 8, 2006 and will celebrate one hundred thirteen years of ministry in Jefferson County . Following Homecoming, a Revival will be conducted October 9-11, 2006 beginning at 7:00 each evening. The guest preacher for all services will be Rev. Sammy Clark. Rev. Clark retired from full time ministry in 1998, but remains actively in service for Christ. For more information, contact the church office at 478-625-7669.
Don't Forget to Register!
Registration is underway for the following events. Click the name of the event for more information.
UMW Annual Meeting, the 34th annual meeting of United Methodist Women
Holy Spirit Conference, a weekend retreat sponsored by the Brunswick Sub-district
Discover God's Call Retreat, a retreat focused on discerning God's call in your life
November Youth Celebration '06, a weekend retreat for 6th-12th graders
CONNECTION NEWS
EXPLORATION 2006
EXPLORATION 2006 will be held November 17-19, 2006 in Jacksonville, FL. This event is for high school seniors through age 24 who are considering ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church. The final deadline for registration is Friday, October 6 and scholarships are still available for student participants. For more information about this event, or to register, click here. Please encourage those young adults you know who may be considering ordained ministry to attend this event. Contact Valerie Ealey at vealey@gbhem.org or 615-340-7431 for questions about EXPLORATION.
Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly Set to Meet in Johannesburg
(GBOD) The United Methodist Church Global Young People’s Convocation and Legislative Assembly will convene December 28, 2006 - January 1, 2007, in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the international convocation, which targets United Methodist youth, young adults, and adult workers with young people, participants will engage in worship, Bible study, leadership development training, and cultural exchange. Registration, event and travel information can be found at www.globalconvo.org.
2007 Evangelism Congress - keeping the main thing the main thing
(GBOD) The 2007 Congress on Evangelism will be held at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C., January 2-5, 2007. The Council on Evangelism, originally founded by Dr. Harry Denman in 1955, sponsors this annual event in cooperation with the United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship. The event regularly draws over 1000 clergy and lay persons. The theme for the national gathering, “Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing,” is inspired by I Corinthians 2:2. This year’s inspiring keynote speakers include: Adam Hamilton, Jeff Dunn, Anne Graham Lotz, Joy J. Moore, J. Ellsworth Kalas, Bishop Scott Jameson Jones, and Wesley Putnam. Visit http://www.gbod.org/evangelism/congress07home.asp for more information.
2007 Church Musicians Retreat
(GBOD) The General Board of Discipleship is sponsoring a Church Musicians Retreat January 25-28, 2007 in Nashville. For more information or to register, click here.
New Training Resources Available For Certified Lay Ministers
(GBOD) For the first time in United Methodist history, resources are available to help prepare United Methodist laypersons to be certified as lay ministers within the denomination for assignments to pastoral leadership posts.
The resources, developed by The General Board of Discipleship in partnership with the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, are a response to action by the church’s 2004 General Conference authorizing a new form of church leadership, said Sandy Zeigler, director of Discipleship’s lay leadership development.
A Certified Lay Minister is typically assigned by a district superintendent to serve a small church under the supervision of a clergyperson. He or she also may serve as part of a pastoral team in the church where he or she regularly worships.
The modules are downloadable as Adobe Acrobat® PDF documents from The Upper Room online bookstore of the General Board of Discipleship Web site www.GBOD.org.
The Contemporary Charles Wesley
(GBOD) Charles Wesley has enjoyed a privileged place in the hymnals and songbooks of every generation. Two things are happening today: 1) those raised on contemporary music, praise songs, choruses, and emergent congregations are discovering the value and importance of including traditional hymns, especially those of the great writers like Wesley and Watts, in their worship repertoire; and 2) contemporary musicians and recording artists are experimenting with putting Wesley’s words into a variety of modern musical styles and idioms. How successful are these attempts? Can Wesley speak today in these new styles, or are there problems? This article explores those questions: http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=18165
Survey to help assess 'State of Church' for United Methodists
(UMNS) United Methodists are encouraged to participate in an online survey to help collect information for the denomination's "State of the Church" project.
The project is sponsored by the Connectional Table, created by the 2004 United Methodist General Conference - the denomination's top legislative body - to guide mission and ministries.
The survey can be found here or by going to www.umc.org. It may be placed on other official denominational Web sites as well, and United Methodist Communications is sending the link to its e-mail lists.
UMVIM, SEJ Exploratory Teams for 2006/2007
UMVIM, SEJ is offering several opportunities for individuals to learn and serve in different projects around the world and to explore possibilities for follow-up teams.
For more info, contact the team leader listed.
ASP
Location: Brenton, West Virginia
Project: Appalachia Service Project
Dates: March 21-25, 2007
Team Leader: Roy Burris
Contact person: Roy Burris, Burris252@wmconnect.com or (252) 638-8759
Cost: $225 per person
Panama
Location: Panama
Project: Panama City sites 2 days, Camp Espino (on trip to Chiriqui) 2 days Bocas del Toro 3 days
Dates: March 6th- 16th, 2007
Team Leader: Tony Rowell, lolobobo@alltel.net or 803-359-2354
Cost: $1500.00
Bahamas
Location: Eleuthera
Project: Bahamas Methodist Habitat
Dates: December 8-16, 2006
Team Leader: Candy Benson, candy_benson@umvim.org or 404-377-7424
Cost: $1,115 (covers all costs excluding breakfast)
Nicaragua
Location: Leon
Project: El Ayudante
Dates: November 11-18, 2006
Team Leader: Landon Taylor, landon_taylor@umvim.org or 404-377-7424
Cost: $1300.00
RESOURCES
Free “Hallelujah Chorus” for Christ the King Sunday
(GBOD) Invite your congregation to sing the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s MESSIAH on Christ the King Sunday, November 26. The General Board of Discipleship worship and music website offers three versions of this classic for choir or congregation – hymnal score and PDF score for bulletin inserts or handouts, and PowerPoint score for projection. Download it FOR FREE at http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=15886&loc_id=17,897,745.
Advent: Expecting the Unexpected
(GBOD) Expecting the Unexpected is a wonderful new devotional guide for Advent from Upper Room Books. It includes images and reflections for each of the days in Advent as well as prayers and small-group discussion themes. It also includes a different Charles Wesley hymn each week for singing, meditation, and discussion. Use it as a guide for a church staff, a small group, a Sunday School class, a choir, your family, or for yourself. Leader's guide is included. For more information or to order, click
here or call toll-free 800-972-0433.
New Resource for Churches: Medicine Box Guide
(UMCOR) An updated guide for assembling the Medicine Box is available now from the Service Center. The United Methodist Church has a historic commitment to medical missions. Today, UMCOR cooperates with Interchurch Medical Assistance to distribute essential medicines packaged in the Medicine Box. Your congregation can play a direct role in saving lives. This guide and colorful wall poster, free except for postage and handling, show you how. Order online from the E-Store by clicking here or calling toll free 800-305-9857.
New Resource for Churches: Spiritual Care in Disaster Response
(UMCOR)
The TV cameras are gone, and early relief centers have closed. Many hands have removed debris, and the electricity works, most of the time. But for persons directly affected by a disaster, it can take weeks or months for survivors to get a handle on the permanence of their losses. How can congregations help? Here's a start. "Spiritual Care in Disaster Response" is a new collection of resources provided by UMCOR to assist congregations, families and children involved in disaster—as survivors or as people who emotionally support them. Topics include: Basic Trauma Information for Congregations; Where Are You on the Road to Recovery? (Plus: Phases of Disaster); How Can I Expect My Child to React in Disaster?; and Should I Seek Professional Counseling for My Child or Teenager? These materials were adapted for UMCOR by the Rev. Mary E. Hughes Gaudreau, LPC, Oklahoma Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, and UMCOR disaster response consultant. Download for free from the UMCOR website by clicking here.
What's in a Hymnal Name?
(GBOD) The United Methodist Church - and its predecessor denominations - has always been a singing church. It's an important element of our worship, and we support it through the publication of numerous hymnals and songbooks. There are frequent questions and confusion over one hymnal in particular: the 1966 hymnal published by The Methodist Church. The confusion arises over the different titles of this hymnal as well as multiple dates. Click here for the story.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
All Upcoming Events
Keep up with what's going on in the South Georgia Conference!
--UMVIM Training Session - October 14
--UMW Annual Meeting - October 21
--Vashti Sunday - October 22
--Eagles' Retreat - November 6-8
--UMM Fall Planning Retreat - November 10-11
--Holy Spirit Conference - November 10-12
--Wesleyan College Sunday - November 12
--November Youth Celebration - November 17-19
--Discover God's Call Retreat - November 17-19
--Georgia Day of Prayer for Moral Leadership - January 7