Vol. 5 • No. 22 
November 15, 2006
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In This Issue of The Link
Conference News
--Celebration Point(e)!
--News from the Administrative Services Office
--Winter Camp Meeting Brochure Now Online
--Upcoming Special Sundays
Connection News
--Survey Seeks Grassroots Views on Future of United Methodist Urban Ministry
--Cote D'Ivoire Church not fully admitted, says Judicial Council
--Judicial Council: Conference May Disagree with Rulings
Outreach Opportunities
--Send a Net. Save a Life.
--Phone Cards for Soldiers
--Kartrina Appeal for Churches Needs Support, bishop says
Resources
--Start Your Christmas Shopping with UMCOR
--Music and Worship Resources for Christ the King Sunday
--Free Advent-Christmas-Epiphany Worship and Music Resources
--Free Download: Christmas Story & Music Program
--Pathways to Christ Revisited
Technology and Ministry
--UMC.org Offers Preview of New Web Site
--ExploreCalling.org Helps Examine Calling
Mark Your Calendar
--All Upcoming Events

YOU ARE INVITED

Bishop and Mrs. Benjamin Michael Watson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Elizabeth Margaret
to
Mr. William Zachary Riddle
son of
Mr. and Mrs. William Hal Riddle
on Saturday the sixteenth of December
Two thousand and six
at twelve o' clock
Canterbury United Methodist Church
Birmingham, Alabama

CONFERENCE NEWS

Celebration Point(e)!
Dr. Hugh Davis, Thomasville District Superintendent, shares a celebration point from The Pointe, a new United Methodist Congregation in South Lee County. The Pointe had an average attendance during October of 521 persons. From January 2006-October 2006 they have had 81 first time commitments to Jesus Christ. November 5, 2006 was their "Celebration Sunday". There were 743 persons in attendance, 37 people baptized, and 8 persons came to Jesus Christ. Rev. Bryan Gerstel is the pastor of The Pointe.

News from the Administrative Services Office

--November is Health Flex Election Month
November is the month to make decisions about Health Flex for 2007. Elections can be made online anytime until Nov. 30, 2006. All Health Flex participants should have received two mailings from the General Board of Pensions to assist in making Health Flex elections.

Note: Retired clergy do not have any elections to make. Retired clergy can ignore this request to make elections for 2007.

Active (non-retired) participants can choose to have a Medical Reimbursement Account (MRA) and/or a Dependent Care Account (DCA). These are described in the brochure. The annual limits for an MRA and a DCA are shown on the Health Flex Election Worksheet. The money to fund these accounts should be withheld from your salary by the church and the Administrative Services Office will bill your church each month.

The “Health Flex Elections Worksheet” and a “Web Guide to Making Health Flex Elections for Participants” contains the instructions needed to make your elections. The “PIN #” that you need to use in making the elections is given to you on the Health Flex Election Worksheet in the box with your name in it.

If you do not have access to a computer, you can make your choices on the Health Flex Elections Worksheet, sign it and send it to the Administrative Services Office, P. O. Box 52101, Macon, GA 31208. If you prefer to fax the form to us, our fax number is 478-738-0048. Your information must be entered by Nov. 30th, so please fax or mail it to us in plenty of time for us to receive your form before the 30th.

If you have questions about making these elections, call the Administrative Services Office at 1-800-535-4224. 

--2007 Medical Reimbursement Accounts
(A reminder from Miriam Hagan, Administrative Services Director)
A Medical Reimbursement Account (MRA) offered through Health Flex, our conference group health insurance plan, is a plan which lets you have pre-tax dollars deducted from your salary and defer them into a special account. The money in the account can be used for eligible health care expenses incurred by you, your spouse and/or dependents.

Since all “full time ministers” appointed to our local churches are in Health Flex, they have the option to participate if they choose to do so. Some may not realize that they can even cover eligible medical expenses incurred by their spouse and/or dependents even when the spouse and/or dependents are not covered by Health Flex. I should also remind you that a MRA is a “use it or lose it” type of account. This means, if all of the funds you set aside in your MRA are not spent; then they will not be refunded to you.

In the past in order for a medical expense which was incurred to be eligible for reimbursement, the expense had to be incurred during the calendar year. This year there is a change that you may not remember. Health Flex has adopted a “grace period” that allows you to submit claims incurred between Jan. 1, 2007, and March 15, 2007, for reimbursement from any remaining 2006 Medical Reimbursement Account balance. This grace period is available for participants who have an active Medical Reimbursement Account (MRA) as of Dec. 31, 2006. You must submit the claims to be reimbursed by April 30, 2007. We urge you to go ahead and submit claims that you have and not wait until the end of April. If you put it off, or if the claim gets delayed in the mail, you might miss out – so file your claims early.

One exception to the above deadline is as follows. If your participation in Health Flex terminates prior to December 31, 2006, then you have 90 days from the time you terminated to submit claims for reimbursement.

If you have chosen to have a Dependent Care Account (DCA) through Health Flex, then the deadline to submit all of the DCA claims incurred during 2006 is March 31, 2007. The DCA does not have the “grace period” available for the MRA above. T he DCA funds are also “use it or lose it” funds.

If you decide to participate in either the Medical Reimbursement Account (MRA) or Dependent Care Account (DCA), make your decisions wisely. At the end of the year (or in the case of the MRA the year and the “grace period”) the funds not spent and/or not claimed will be forfeited.

If you have questions about these accounts, call the Administrative Services Office at 1-800-535-4224.

--Standard Mileage Rates for 2007
The IRS released the standard mileage rates for 2007 on November 1. Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickup or panel trucks) will be:

--48.5 cents per mile for business miles driven
--20 cents per mile driven for medical and moving purposes
--14 cents per mile driven in service to a charitable organization

Winter Camp Meeting Brochure Now Online
The 2007 Winter Camp Meeting is set for February 4-7 at Epworth By The Sea. The Reverend Jim Jackson, currently serving the Chaplewood UMC in Houston, Texas, will be the preacher for all services. Jim is a native of South Georgia and served the St. Mark UMC in Columbus prior to his journey to Texas. Dr. Evelyn Laycock will be the Bible Study leader for this year. Evelyn is a wonderful teacher who passionately shares the scriptures in ways that connects people with God. The Reverend Thad Haygood will be the song leader for this year's camp meeting. Thad will lead congregational singing, coordinate the choral and other special music, and offer several solos during the camp meeting. Register today for a wonderful time of spiritual refreshment and fellowship. Click here to download a brochure and registration form or to register online.

Upcoming Special Sundays
--United Methodist Student Day is November 26. Find out how to promote this special Sunday here.
--United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Sunday is December 3. Find out how to promote this special Sunday here.