Vol. 6 • No. 2  
January 25, 2007
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In This Issue of The Link
Conference News
--Wesley Glen Ministries begins local church campaign
--Entering College Freshmen Encouraged to visit Higher Education Website
--UMW Young Women's Retreat Planned for February
--Nomination Forms Being Accepted
--Don't Forget to Register!
Connection News
--Ministry Commission Recommendations, Survey Now Online
--Still time to apply for 2007 Young Adult Missionary Service
--'Discernment Event' Planned to Assist Laity in Finding God's Will for Their Lives
--Student Loans Available Now, Scholarship Applications Open
--UMCom Offers Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants
--United Methodist Deaf Ministry Featured on Upcoming PBS Documentary
--Support Souper Bowl of Caring
Resources
--Resources for Black History Month
--New Books, Web Site for Young People
-- Lenten Candle Extinguishing Liturgy
--Free E-mail ListServ for Musicians and Worship Leaders
--January Specials from TechShop
Mark Your Calendar
--All Upcoming Events

CONFERENCE NEWS

Wesley Glen Ministries begins local church campaign
Wesley Glen Ministries, South Georgia Conference's ministry to adults with mental disabilities, has begun its local church campaign, “Our Residents…Our Reason.” District rallies will be held as follows:

The three fold purpose of the $10 million campaign is to raise funds to build a Life Skills Center, strengthen the endowment, and pay off all indebtedness. The goal for the local church campaign is $1.5 million. The Board of Laity had endorsed the campaign and local lay leaders are being asked to lead their churches in meeting the goal. Make plans now to attend the rally in your district to support this important conference ministry.

UMW Young Women's Retreat Planned for February
The South Georgia Conference United Methodist Women are planning a Young Women's Retreat for February 3-4, 2007, at the Baptist Convention Center in Norman Park, Ga. This year's theme is "Seeking Peace." Rev. Kim Jenkins will serve as the spiritual leader. Mary Crowson and Laneah Maddox will lead the music. Click here to download a flyer for use in advertising the retreat in your local churh. Click here to download a brochure and registration form.

Entering College Freshmen Encouraged to visit Higher Education Website
A Note from the Director
Each year at Charge Conference you are asked to provide the names and contact information of the young people in your church from the 7th grade through the college years. Those names are much, much more than a list – these young people are a vital part of our future and our present.

We would like to be more effective in our ministry by notifying the colleges and Wesley Foundations of potential students. We need your help. The Georgia United Methodist Commission on Higher Education and Campus Ministry has created a new tool on our website, www.gbgm-umc.org/gumchecm, for high school students that have made their decision of which college or university they will be attending. Please encourage your students to visit our website and click on the link “Attention High School Students – Click Here”. We want to make your students feel welcome on campus so we have created this new resource for notifying our campus ministers of your students' impending arrival. In providing those names you make it possible for us to keep them engaged and involved with the Church as they are growing up into young adults, and enable United Methodist colleges and Wesley Foundations to be in ministry that equips them to be servant leaders.

We encourage your youth ministers, pastors, parents and students to visit our website not only for scholarship information, but contact information at the schools, your Wesley student ministry, and to find out a little bit more about your Church on campus. On behalf of the Georgia United Methodist Commission on Higher Education and Campus Ministry, I want to express my profound gratitude for your support of this vital ministry.

Sincerely,

Bill Griffin

Nomination Forms Being Accepted
Nominations for the following conference awards are now being accepted. Click for more information.
--Denman Evangelism Award
--Carl and Ruth Looney Evangelism Award
--Social Community Award
--World Community Award
--Bishop L. Scott Allen Award

Don't Forget to Register!
--Safe Sanctuaries Training - January 27 (There's still time to register for this one! Call the Connectional Ministries Office at 888-266-7642 ASAP).
--UMW Young Women's Retreat - February 3-4
--Winter Camp Meeting - February 4-7
--Safe Sanctuaries Training - February 24
--Confirmation Retreat 1 - March 2-4
--Confirmation Retreat 2 - March 16-18

Ministry Commission Recommendations, Survey Now Online
(GBHEM/FYI) A draft report by the Study of Ministry Commission for the 2008 General Conference proposes eight important recommendations about the ordering of ministry, including the creation of three classifications of ordained elders and separation of ordination from full conference membership. The report, which is framed in the historic form of Methodist conferences as “minutes of several conversations,” is available at www.gbhem.org, along with an online survey to collect reaction to the report.

Still time to apply for 2007 Young Adult Missionary Service
(GBOD) There is still time to apply for the next classes of young adult missionaries in The United Methodist Church. Assignments will begin in the Fall of 2007. Two opportunities are available; one a two-year program in the United States and the other a three year opportunity, half in an international setting and half in the US. Both are open to young adults aged 20-30 who are called mission service through social justice and have a bachelor's degree or equivalent life experience. Participants in both become commissioned missionaries of the Church. More>>

'Discernment Event' Planned to Assist Laity in Finding God's Will for Their Lives
To “discern” means to recognize or identify. United Methodist young laity—women and men—seeking to discern God's will for their lives will have that opportunity in late April, 2007. A Young Adult Deaconess and Home Missioner Discernment Event, open to persons aged 20 to 39 living in the United States, will take place in New York City on April 27-29. Regional events are tentatively scheduled for later in the year. More>>

Student Loans Available Now, Scholarship Applications Open
(GBHEM/FYI) College students who find they need additional funds for the semester beginning in January can apply for a United Methodist Student loan. “We are accepting applications for loans for the winter/spring semester right now,” said James Harding, assistant executive director for loans administration and operations for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. “Often, students find that they get to the spring semester and the money they thought would cover everything they needed doesn't go quite as far as they thought it would.” About $2 million is available for student loans in 2007 through the Office of Loans and Scholarships of GBHEM. To learn more about applying for a loan or scholarship, visit www.gbhem.org/gbhem/loans2.html.

New Books, Web Site for Young People
(GBHEM) The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry has three new resources that can help young people in identifying and forming their vocations as Christians for leadership in the global church and the world.

Answering God's Call for Your Life
This book by Robert Roth serves as a guide to help young people listen, discern, and understand God's call in their life and its meaning for their life's work. ISBN: 0-938162-94-2 / Price: $12.95 / Order Now!

The Christian as Minister
This book is an introduction into the meaning of God's call to ministry, the vision for that ministry, and the opportunities The United Methodist Church offers to live out that call. ISBN:
0-938162-98-5 / Price: $6.00 / Order Now!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

All Upcoming Events
Keep up with what's going on in the South Georgia Conference!
--Safe Sanctuaries Training - January 27
-UMW Young Women's Retreat - February 3-4
--Winter Camp Meeting - February 4-7
--Licensing School for Local Pastors - February 9-16
--Sexual Ethics Workshop - February 15
--UMM Business Session - February 17
--Andrew College Sunday - February 18
--Safe Sanctuaries Training - February 24
--UMVIM Sunday - February 25