October 19, 2006
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In This Issue of The Link:
Conference News
--Communication Director on Maternity Leave
--Bishop Watson Announces Spiritual Disciplines Resource for Extended Cabinet
--Health Flex Incentive
--South Georgia UMW Annual Meeting
--80th Anniversary at Palmyra Road UMC
--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
--Don't Forget to Register!
Connection News
--Judicial Council sets oral hearings for two cases
--Garrett-Evangelical Preaching Workshop
--2007 Congress on Evangelism
--Dates set for 2007 Convocation for Pastors of African American Churches
--Consultation will study impact of two court rulings
--2007 Church Musicians Retreat
--Spiritual Formation Academy
--New GCFA Website Launched --Denomination Launches Resouces to Increase Church Vitality
--West Virginia Mission Opportunity for Youth Groups
Resources
--A Gift that Keeps on Giving
--Online course will help churches develop Web ministries
--Worship, Music, and Preaching Resources for All Saints Day
--Suggestions for Observing Veteran's Day in Worship
--Advent: Expecting the Unexpected
--Advent Wreath Candle Lighting Meditations for 2006
--UMCOR's 2007 Calendar Available for Purchase
--The Africana Worship Book
--DVD assists with dialogue, not debate, about homosexuality
Mark Your Calendar
--All Upcoming Events
CONFERENCE NEWS
Communications Director on Maternity Leave
Just a reminder that Kelly Roberson, our Conference Director of Communications, is on maternity leave after giving birth to her first child on Wednesday, September 27. Any communication needs should be directed to the Office of Connectional Ministries, where several staff members will be covering duties while Kelly is away.
Bishop Watson Announces Spiritual Disciplines Resource for Extended Cabinet
At the beginning of each Christian year, on the first Sunday of Advent, our South Georgia Extended Cabinet begins a new year of daily devotional practices. This year for our daily devotional guide we will be using A Disciple's Journal: Daily Bible Reading and Guidance for Reflection (Year C Revised Common Lectionary) by Steven W. Manskar, who is the Director of Accountable Discipleship at the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. This daily journal is organized in the Wesleyan tradition to help a Christian disciple maintain balance between works of piety (loving God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength through acts of worship and devotion) and works of mercy (loving neighbor as oneself through acts of justice and compassion). You are invited to join the South Georgia Extended Cabinet on this journey in discipleship. You can get the Manskar book through Cokesbury or directly through Discipleship Resources, PO Box 340003, Nashville, TN 37203-0003 www.discipleshipresources.org.
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.
South Georgia UMW Annual Meeting
The United Methodist Women of South Georgia will gather for the 34th annual meeting at Park Avenue United Methodist Church in Valdosta, Georgia on Saturday, October 21, 2006. Registration will begin at 9:30 AM. The theme for this year’s meeting is "Rekindle The Flame Through Harvesting Peace.” Participants will be inspired by several dramatic presentations telling the story of women who made a huge impact as missionaries to India. Conference President Gloria Morgan will preside over the business session and give the presidential address. Other highlights include recognition of the Rekindle the Flame candle burning, adoption of the budget and pledge, election of officers, recognition of retiring officers, and celebration of Holy Communion. All United Methodist Women of South Georgia are urged to register early and attend this 34th annual meeting on October 21. Brochures are available on the conference website www.sgaumc.org/umw. Pre-registration is strongly urged. Registration of $12.00 includes lunch, insurance, and program expenses. For additional information please contact: Tara Jones, UMW Conference Vice President, Rt. 3, Box 20, Nashville, GA 31639. Phone: (229) 686-7234. Email: mtcccjones@hotmail.com.
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.
80th Anniversary at Palmyra Road UMC
You are invited to join with Palmyra Road UMC in Albany on November 12, 2006 as they celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Grace Methodist Church. In 1926, Palmyra Road began as Grace Methodist, a mission church to the Cotton Mill village on the northern outskirts of town. In 1953, the church was moved to Palmyra Road and the name changed. Dr. Hugh Davis, Thomasville District Superintendent, will be preaching at the 11:00 a.m. service in which the History Room will be dedicated. Immediately following the service, all are invited to join us for lunch. Please call the church office if you have any questions, 229/435-5411.
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.
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
Judicial Council sets oral hearings for two cases
The highest court of the United Methodist Church will hear oral arguments from people concerned with two cases that will appear on its Oct. 25-28 docket. The Judicial Council will hear oral arguments beginning at 9 a.m., Oct. 26, at the Vernon Manor Hotel in Cincinnati. Only interested parties or their designees have the right to address the council during the oral hearings, but the hearings are open to the public. The first case involves legislation enacted by the 2004 General Conference, and the second will address action by the Kansas East Annual (regional) Conference. More >>
Garrett-Evangelical Preaching Workshop
The Styberg Preaching Institute at Garrett-Evangelical announces the Preaching to All Listeners Workshop being held on November 7-9. This workshop addresses the special requirements of developing and preaching sermons that reach all listeners in the post-modern world and beyond, while meeting the need to offer good news to the listening congregation. Dr. Ronald Allen, Nettie Sweeny and Hugh Th. Miller Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary, will lead this three day workshop. For additional information on this workshop, please see the attached brochure or visit us online at www.garrett.edu.
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.
Dates Set for 2007 Convocation for Pastors of African American Churches
(GBOD) The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church will sponsor the 2007 Convocation for Pastors of African American Churches, January 3-6, 2007 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. The 4-day event, hosted by Saint Luke Community United Methodist Church, will focus on “Making Healthy Connections.” The event will help United Methodist leaders of African American congregations be intentional about focusing on healthy options that connect spirit, body and mind. Registration is $275 before December 4, 2006. To register online, visit www.gbod.org/pastorsconvo. For more information, contact Deborah J. Carvin at 877-899-2780, ext. 7051, or e-mail dcarvin@gbod.org.
Consultation will study impact of two court rulings
A United Methodist agency is sponsoring a February consultation to study rulings by the denomination’s highest court in the case of a pastor who blocked a homosexual man from church membership. The United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry will gather a diverse group of bishops, seminary professors and pastors to probe the implications of Judicial Council decisions that upheld the right of the Rev. Ed Johnson, pastor of South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church, to deny membership to a practicing gay man. More >>
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.
Spiritual Formation Academy
The Florida Annual Conference and The Upper Room are co-sponsoring a five-day spiritual formation academy to be held on March 25-30, 2007 at the Life Enrichment Center in Fruitland Park, FL. Paul Chilcote and Stephanie Ford will be the faculty. Chilcote will lead participants in “Praying through the Arts” and Ford will make presentations on “Modern Spiritual Guides: Underhill, Merton and Nouwen”. More information may be found at www.fl5dayacademy.org.
New GCFA Website Launched
Check out the new General Council on Finance and Administration website at www.gcfa.org/.
Denomination launches resources to increase church vitality
(GBOD) The United Methodist Church has launched a cutting-edge resource that helps church leaders focus time and energy on areas of ministry that have the most potential for strengthening, reshaping and moving congregations forward. By using a congregational assessment and planning process called the Church Vitality Indicator™, church leaders discover where and how to invest their congregation’s energy and passion for the future. The Church Vitality Indicator™ helps focus a congregation’s resources on the areas of ministry that will yield the most results. For more information about the Church Vitality Indicator™ and other resources for renewal and new church starts, contact Betsey Heavener at 615-340-7295, or visit www.cvindicator.com.
West Virginia Mission Opportunity for Youth Groups
Church youth groups interested in a summer mission experience can take part in a new ministry at Asbury Woods, a United Methodist retreat center in Salt Rock, West Virginia. Appalachian Mission @ Asbury Woods offers mission camps of various lengths, which are designed for various ages from middle school to senior high youth. Work sites are available for all skill levels. No experience is required. The weeklong camps are offered for senior high youth and adults. One adult for every six youth is required. Weekend camps are open to middle school youth with appropriate adult supervision. For dates and cost information, contact Bobby Hall at 304-733-4237 or Jan Sullivan at 304-736-9962 or westernumc@aol.com.
RESOURCES
A Gift That Keeps on Giving
Those looking for a personal Christmas devotional guide, or a gift for that special someone, should consider purchasing the Rev. Hamp Watson's latest book, A Christmas Cornucopia—Advent, Christmas Meditations. Not only will the reader be blessed, the gift "will keep on giving," since all proceeds from book sales benefit Miss Ella's Camp for Special People at Epworth By The Sea. The camp is held each summer for persons with disabilities, and this year 114 attended. The director of the 21-year-old camp is Ella Cawthon. Watson has written three other books to benefit South Georgia mission institutions: Frederick Wilson Still Speaks, for the Methodist -Home for Children and Youth; More Big Words for our Time, for Wesley Glen Ministries; and Little Stories/Big Ideas for the League of the Good Samaritan at Magnolia Manor. To order. A Christmas Cornucopia, e-mail: whwatson2@cox.net; call (478) 475-1763; or write him at 149 Cambridge Way, Macon, GA 31220-8736. The cost of the book is $16 (including $2 for postage and handling). Checks should be made out to Epworth By The Sea and mailed to Watson.
Online course will help churches develop Web ministries
(UMNS) The communications arm of the United Methodist Church is launching an online tool to help local churches develop Web sites and Web ministries that are helpful and inviting, and that provide opportunities for spiritual growth. In an effort to further bring the denomination into the digital age, United Methodist Communications has created Web Ministry 101, a free online training experience that provides a local church with the basic steps to establish an Internet presence. The introductory training provides 25 how-to steps to guide a person from the purchase of a computer to launching a church Web site. United Methodist Communications launched this online learning center Oct. 16 at www.web.umcom.org.
Worship, Music, and Preaching Resources for All Saints Day
(GBOD) Click here to view worship, music, and preaching resources for All Saints Day (Nov. 1, 2006).
Suggestions for Observing Veterans Day in Worship
(GBOD) Click here for suggestions for observing Veterans Day (Nov. 11, 2006) in worship.
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.
Advent Wreath Candle Lighting Meditations for 2006
(GBOD) Here are brief meditations for one or more readers for the Advent wreath candle lighting for all four Sundays in Advent and Christmas Eve. Each reading concludes with the optional singing of a hymn or song stanza from The United Methodist Hymnal or The Faith We Sing. These meditations may be used in worship, Sunday School, or in the home. Click here to view.
UMCOR’s 2007 Calendar Available for Purchase
The United Methodist Committee on Relief’s (UMCOR) 2007 calendar, Questions of Crisis: Answers of Hope, shows how hope can break through even the darkest of hours and provide people in crisis what they need to restore their lives. Each month you’ll be greeted with a story of how UMCOR offers the power of hope to people in difficult situations. You can order your calendar now, while supplies last. Call 800-305-9857 or go to http://www.umcorcalendar.org/ to order.
The Africana Worship Book
(GBOD) Discipleship Resources rejoices to announce the publication of The Africana Worship Book! Based on the church year, this rich resource offers prayers, liturgies, calls to worship, choral readings, creeds, and more to the church. Included in the book is a CD-ROM that congregations may use in the preparation of printed orders of worship. All the worship resources in the book are available in a cut and paste format for ease of use. Click here for more information or to purchase.
DVD assists with dialogue, not debate, about homosexuality
(UMNS) A DVD resource that offers a practical guide to discussions about homosexuality and the church while putting "a real human face" on the issue is now available to United Methodists. The resource was produced by the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns and United Methodist Communications. More>>
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
All Upcoming Events
Keep up with what's going on in the South Georgia Conference!
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 17-19Discover God's Call Retreat - November 17-19 Georgia Day of Prayer for Moral Leadership - January 7