Vol. 6 • No. 24 
December 19, 2007
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CONFERENCE NEWS

UMCOR Disaster Response Update for Ashburn, Georgia – December 19, 2007
Rev. Scott Hagan, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, and Rev. Lowery Brantley, Connectional Ministries Director, traveled to Ashburn December 18 to assess the damage following Saturday's tornado. They met with Red Cross officials and the town mayor to help determine our response as United Methodists.

Fortunately, the amount of actual structural damage is less than first perceived. The greatest need right now is for Early Response Teams to remove trees and debris. The Georgia Department of Transportation and the local government have committed to removing all debris that is placed by the side of the road.

The South Georgia Conference trained over 1,000 volunteers in the months after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.  This is an opportunity for some of those volunteers to serve a community within the bounds of our Conference. 

Early Response Teams are being coordinated through Mr. Jim Hedges, Mayor of Ashburn. The contact number is 229-567-3431. Teams are asked to be self-contained and to bring their own chainsaws and rakes.

Development Conference Set for January 9
The Methodist Home Foundation and the South Georgia UM Foundation are co-sponsoring a Development Conference at The Methodist Home for Children and Youth in Macon January 9, 2008. The purpose of this gathering is to promote giving to our institutions and churches, as well as cooperation and collegiality among peers. This one-day conference will provide a relaxed and informative atmosphere for dialogue and relationships. Guest speakers include Mr. Pete Cates, J.D., Kentucky Giving Initiative, and Mr. Jeff Barker, Director of the St. Marys UM Foundation. There is no charge for this event. However, you are asked to RSVP by e-mail (sgumf@bellsouth.net) so that a sufficient amount of materials can be prepared. Click here to download a letter of invitation, which includes a schedule of the day and contact information if you have questions.

Georgia Campus Ministries Join Together for Mission Trip
Campus ministries across Georgia are gearing up to travel to New Orleans, LA May 14-18, 2008 to work with UMVIM in their ongoing mission to help families rebuild their homes. The theme for the trip is “Restore,” based on the scripture 1 Peter 5:10. The hope is that as team members work with the people in New Orleans to restore their homes they would see the Lord at work restoring lives—both the people of New Orleans AND the Georgia students who are serving. Students and young adults from across the state of Georgia are invited to participate and unite for a common mission---to serve the Lord and participate in His restoring work! The cost of the trip is $150. To register yourself or your group, go to www.gaheid.com/restore.html . There are two forms to download and fill out (one per participant). Registration forms and payment should be mailed toTammy Gann, 103 Herty Dr., Statesboro, GA 30458. Have questions? See the website for more information and for contact numbers.

2008 Congress on Evangelism – “Spirit of Faith Come Down”
Savannah, Georgia will be the site for the 2008 Congress on Evangelism.  Set for January 2-5 at the beautiful Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, the Congress on Evangelism will meet under the theme “Spirit of Faith Come Down.”  This event will honor Charles Wesley's birth and will be one of the largest United Methodist gatherings to focus on the historic recollection of this brother in Christ. 

Bishop Mike Watson will bring the welcome and greeting on Wednesday, January 2.  South Georgia's own Bishop James Swanson, episcopal leader of the Holston Conference, will preach the opening plenary.  Others presenters include Dr. Robert Tuttle, Professor of Evangelism at Asbury Seminary - Florida Campus, Dr. Evelyn Laycock, retired Director of the Lay Ministry Center for the Southeastern Jurisdictional Council, and Dr. Bill Bouknight, former pastor of Christ UMC in Memphis.  Rev. Grace Imathiu, pastor, Bible teacher, and evangelist, will be the Bible Study Leader. 

You are encouraged to come and be renewed in the Wesleyan passion…the making of Christian Disciples.  For more information or to register, visit www.congressonevangelism.com . 

Ministry Exploration Event - January 4-6
If you are between the ages of 15 and 25 and are thinking of pursuing ministry as a vocation, then the Ministry Exploration event is for you. Set for January 4-6, 2008, at Epworth By The Sea, this weekend retreat will include large group sessions, peer chat groups, practical tools workshops, and educational training information. The Elder Workshop will be led by Dr. Hal Brady and Rev. Robert Beckum. The Deacon Workshop will be led by Rev. Cathy Tucker and Rev. Sandra Henry. Extension Ministries Workshop will be led by Dr. Wright Culpepper and Dr. Billy Oliver.
Cost for the event is free . Funding is provided by the St. Marys Foundation and the South Georgia Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. Click here for more information and to download a brochure.

Columbus District Leadership Training
"Training Tomorrow's Leaders for Today" is a is a one day district-wide training event designed to equip congregational leaders with tools to be effective in the area they have been called to serve. The training will be held at Wynnton United Methodist Church on January 12, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Cost for the event is $6, which includes lunch. Please contact the District Office, 706-561-4541, with the total number of participants from your church so that adequate lunch preparations can be made. For more information and a list of workshops, click here . This training is being sponsored by the Columbus District and the Office of Connectional Ministries.

Epworth By The Sea to host event featuring Ed Kilbourne
Singer, storyteller & folk theologian Ed Kilbourne will be in concert January 14 – 16 at Epworth By The Sea for an older adult retreat entitled "The Gospel According to You." Ed grew up in China, Korea and Japan where his parents served as missionaries. After receiving his college and seminary degrees in Kentucky, he began his career in the Atlanta area as a United Methodist minister. As his gifts for teaching and performing became more widely known he began to tour the country as a musician and spiritual resource person. Ed has become nationally recognized for his ability to combine music and spiritual teaching in worship and concert settings. For a brochure and reservation information, visit www.epworthbythesea.org or call Tiffany Flavell @ 912-638-8688.

South Georgia Represented at SEJ Multi-cultural Celebration
(SEJ) Leaders in the Southeastern Jurisdiction, including 34 from South Georgia, took up the challenge of churches that struggle with inclusiveness and welcoming during a conference that tried to bring the region's varied ethnic groups from diversity into community.

At the “Embracing God's Diversity” convocation Dec. 13-15 at the United Methodist retreat center here, there was a sense of urgency to jump-start years of talk into action, and for the Southeast to take on more of a proactive role across the denomination.

“Across the SEJ we're tired of talking about a more diverse and inclusive church,” said the Rev. Dr. Carl Arrington, the Southeastern Jurisdiction's Director of African-American Ministries and one of the organizers of the conference. “We want people of all backgrounds to know they are welcome in The United Methodist Church as equal children of God.”

About 350 people participated in the three-day event, including almost every bishop in the jurisdiction and cabinet members from each conference. Some credited the surprisingly high attendance to the strong support that SEJ bishops provided to the gathering. More>>

Click here to view more pictures and to download a list of participants.

CONNECTION NEWS

Christmas at Humble Place
The children of Humble Place send Christmas greetings and thank you for your continued support. Humble Place, a ministry of the East Africa Annual Conference, is a model facility where the physical and spiritual needs of children can be met. The South Georgia Conference is in partnership with the East Africa Annual Conference, helping to feed, clothe, house, educate and medicate these precious children. For more information on how you can support this vital ministry, contact Rev. Larry Hollins, Open Hands Partnership Chair, at 912-537-3973 or Rev. Denise Walton, Conference Secretary of Global Ministries, at 888-266-7642.

United Methodists' global relationships enter ‘new phase'
(UMNS) How United Methodists relate to other religious bodies – both Methodist and ecumenical – is changing as society becomes more globalized. Dealing with those changing relations is a challenge both for the United Methodist Council of Bishops and the denomination's Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. Bishop William Oden, the council's ecumenical officer, spoke about that challenge during the commission's Dec. 4-6 meeting in Birmingham. “We are entering a new phase that the church has not encountered before because of globalization,” he told United Methodist News Service. “Old borders and old agreements, both denominational and ecumenical, no longer hold.” More>>

Registration Open for Christian Educators Fellowship/Preaching from the Center 2008 Conference
(GBOD) Registration has opened for "Blessed to Be a Blessing: Christian Education for the 7th Generation with Preaching from the Center," a conference of Christian Educators Fellowship (CEF) and Preaching from the Center (PFC). The conference will take place October 24-27, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Albuqerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

For the first time, these two normally separate national events will be held jointly. Participants will be able to cross-register for workshops from either conference, and many events (e.g. worship, Bible study) will be shared. Entire ministry teams are encouraged to attend together, as the conference is designed for both clergy and laity, professionals and volunteers, preachers and those involved in any kind of educational ministry. Full conference details are available at http://www.cef2008.org

United Methodist finance leader plans to retire early
(UMNS) The chief executive of the finance agency for The United Methodist Church will retire Dec. 31 instead of next June as earlier planned. Sandra K. Lackore, who is on leave to care for her husband as he battles leukemia, has headed the General Council on Finance and Administration since 1996. A search committee for her successor will begin its work early next year, said Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, president of the council. More>>

Task force seeks ways to increase Hispanic clergy
(UMNS) For some Hispanic men and women, life circumstances make it difficult to get the education required by The United Methodist Church to respond to God's call to ordained ministry. A task force of members of the denomination's National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry and the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry spent Dec. 11 discussing how to develop Hispanic/Latino pastoral leadership and consider alternatives to education for ordained ministry. More>>

United Methodist Mission Agency Resumes Summer Intern Program
(GBGM) The mission agency of The United Methodist Church is resuming a program that places young adults in mission settings in the United States for 10 weeks of summer service and education. A dozen persons ages 18 to 25 will be selected for 2008 as the program is reintroduced after nearly a decade of inactivity. The sponsor is the Mission Personnel Program Area of the General Board of Global Ministries. The young people selected to take part will receive a $1,000 stipend, travel to and from their place of assignment, and room and board. More>>

Connection News in Korean
Click here .

Connection News in Spanish
Click here .


RESOURCES

Fun Christmas Quizzes
(GBOD) Need a fun activity for a Christmas party or a family get-together? Here are two Christmas quizzes on the GBOD website as free downloads:
--Christmas Music Quiz: http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=1840&loc_id=9,612,45
--Christmas Carol Quiz: http://www.gbod.org/worship/music/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=23769&loc_id=17,823

Dear Father Charles
(GBOD) Click here to read a letter written to Charles Wesley on his 300th birthday.

Young People's Ministries debuts new leader development resource
(GBOD) The General Board of Discipleship's Young People's Ministries will sponsor leadership development sessions for adults who work in ministry with young people. Events will be held in five locations starting February 9 and continuing through May 17, 2008. Saturday sessions will run 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. "Young People's Ministries is excited to debut this new leader development resource for those adults who work with young people in our church. Through worship, interaction and information leaders will discover new ways of being in meaningful ministry with the young people they serve," said the Rev. Michael Ratliff, team leader for Young People's Ministries. Marketed as “The ‘SOURCE,” the event is designed to enhance spiritual growth and explore new resources for ministries with youth and young adults. Click here for dates, locations and more information.

St. Society of St. Andrew Lenten program
(SoSA) The Society of St. Andrew invites your church to participate in I Wonder , a program of spiritual reflection, prayer and giving to feed the hungry. Each household will receive a devotional booklet of daily reflections and a coin bank for donations to the Society of St. Andrew's hunger relief ministry. An optional Good Friday Fast is also available for use with the Lenten devotions or as a stand-alone program. There is no charge for our Lent program.  Materials will be ready in early January.   Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008. Follow this link to order a free sample Lent kit .

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

All Upcoming Events
--Congress on Evangelism - January 2-5
-- Ministry Exploration Event - January 4-6
-- Development Conference - January 9
-- Columbus District Training Event - January 12
-- Warmth in Winter with Ed Kilbourne - January 14-16
-- Macon District Lay Speaking Academy - January 25-26
-- Safe Sanctuaries Training - January 26
-- Peace Conference - January 31-February 2
-- Winter Camp Meeting - February 3-6
--Confirmation Retreat 1 - February 8-9
--Local Pastors' Licensing School - February 8-15
-- Day of Love and Justice at the Capital - February 11
-- Sexual Ethics Seminar - February 14
-- Safe Sanctuaries Training - February 16
--Confirmation Retreat 2 - February 29 - March 2
--Spouses Retreat - March 13-15
--UMW Spiritual Growth Retreat - March 28-30
--UMM Spring Retreat - April 25-27
--Celebration Day for The Methodist Children's Home - April 26

Safe Sanctuaries Trainings
The following Safe Sanctuaries training dates have been set. Click here for more information on Safe Sanctuaries.
--Saturday, January 26, 2008 at Pittman Park UMC in Statesboro
--Saturday, February 16, 2008 at Waycross First UMC in Waycross

CLASSIFIEDS

PLEASE NOTE : A local church can send their job description to kelly@sgaumc.com and it will run one time in The Link. The "Employment" section of the conference website will continue to run your ad for as long as you need.

Statesboro First Seeks Ministry/Program Coordinator
First United Methodist Church of Statesboro, GA is seeking a full-time Ministry/Program Coordinator to facilitate the design and offering of small groups for the sake of education, mission, evangelism, and fellowship for a large church. This position will also coordinate and assist other ministries throughout the church. A 4-year college degree and 1+ year(s) experience in establishing and coordinating new programs. Ordained minister is helpful but not necessary. Salary commensurate with education and experience. Send resume to Ministry/Program Coordinator Position, First United Methodist Church, PO Box 2048, Statesboro, GA 30459 or fax to 912-764-7638 or email to mail@statesborofirst.com . Application deadline is December 31, 2007.

Martha Bowman UMC Seeks Part-time Worship Leader
Martha Bowman Memorial United Methodist Church in Macon is seeking a part-time Worship Leader to assist in establishing a new contemporary service on Sunday mornings. Applicant should be a prayerful person steeped in the Word of God with musical ability (guitar talent preferred) and who is also experienced in staging and event planning. The ideal candidate is organized, collaborative and hardworking with multi-media savvy. The successful candidate must be able to develop other team leaders (musicians & singers), cultivate an altar prayer ministry, and encourage others in their discipleship. This new position will play a vital role in implementing plans for the new service and will report to the Associate Pastor, Rev. Steve Giglio. The schedule of work involves a 15 hour week and compensation will be based upon experience. Please send a resume, along with three professional references, to Martha Bowman UMC, Attention Rev. Steve Giglio, 500 Bass Road, Macon, Georgia 31210; or call 478-477-1901, extension 102 for more information.