Vol. 4 • No. 5  
February 10, 2005
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Confirmation Event is this weekend!
Over 250 youth will be heading to Epworth By The Sea this weekend to be a part of the conference confirmation retreat, Join the Journey. This retreat will include large-group gatherings throughout the weekend based on the church seasons of Advent, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Breakout groups on Saturday will deal with topics such as grace, United Methodist history and United Methodist lingo. Confirmands will also be able to choose a "Holy Club" to attend on Sunday which will examine the topics of prayer, Bible study, Holy Communion and devotions. This is an exciting time for our confirmands. Please keep each one in your prayers. If your confirmands were unable to attend this weekend, there's still room in the March retreat. Check out the details here.

Wesleyan Christian Advocate: Blest Be the Tie That Binds
The Wesleyan Christian Advocate, the official newspaper of United Methodist Church in Georgia, is a tie that binds all United Methodists together. It provides news and stories about the United Methodist Church in Georgia, across the United States and around the world. Subscribe now to the print edition through your church by placing an $18 check marked Advocate in the offering plate. Or, if you prefer, you can subscribe to the e-edition for $12 at www.wcadvocate.org and read the Advocate online.

Witness Team Seeks Award Nominations
Know a pastor or lay person in the South Georgia Annual Conference who has distinguished themselves in the area of evangelism? If so then you are encouraged to submit his or her name to be nominated for the Denman Evangelism Award or the Carl and Ruth Looney Evangelism Award.

The Denman Evangelism Award recognizes both a pastor and a lay person who are effective in developing true disciples of Jesus Christ in keeping with United Methodist history and tradition. The Carl and Ruth Looney Evangelism Award recognizes a clergy person who has completed their educational requirements, are serving in a full time ministry position, and have the gifts, graces and passion for evangelism and outreach. This award includes a scholarship for continuing their education in evangelism.

Black History Month: Lift Every Voice and Sing
February 12, 2005 marks the 105th anniversary of the composition and first performance of the hymn, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," by brothers James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson. The date is no accident, since the hymn's first performance was in Jacksonville, Florida (February 12, 1900) in a children's musical celebration of the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln (born February 12, 1809). More>>

UMCOR opens mission in Sudan
(UMNS) The United Methodist Committee on Relief is now providing direct relief and rehabilitation in the embattled Darfur region of Sudan. Opened in early February, the mission's priorities include providing emergency aid and development services in water, sanitation, and agriculture. The initial work will be concentrated in South Darfur, on the western side of Sudan in northeastern Africa. More>>

Errata for the 2004 Book of Discipline
By March 1 all errata information for the 2004 Book of Discipline will appear at www.Cokesbury.com. Click on "Digital Store" and then "UM Resources." A link to the errata will then appear in the left-hand column. Any further errata will also be posted at this location as it becomes available.

UMC 101: The Apportionment System
The total amounts of funds needed to support worldwide ministries of the United Methodist Church are established by General Conference. These totals are apportioned to annual conferences based on a formula that includes: 1) net expenditures of local churches, including capital expenditures, interest payments, and benevolence giving; 2) per-capita income for counties in the annual conference and local church operating costs; and 3) a base percentage set by General Conference. On average, 70 percent of the local churches pay 100 percent of their general church apportionments and 3 percent do not pay any at all. The remaining 27 percent pay something less than 100 percent.

Each annual conference establishes its own formula to assess local churches for general church apportionments and annual conference, episcopal area and jurisdictional costs.

Of every dollar, 84.3 cents is used in local churches, 12.4 cents supports regional ministries and 3.3 cents supports general church ministries. For more information see www.gcfa.org.
(from Interpreter Magazine, The Rev. J. Richard Peck is a retired clergy member of the New York Annual Conference, three-time editor of the Daily Christian Advocate of General Conference and editor of the 2000 Book of Resolutions.)

Interpreting Technology for the Church: Is Your Church Safe from Viruses
Sasser, Netsky and MyLife are just a few of the computer diseases that have tied up computers and networks across the globe. These and similar viruses can damage files, overload networks and slow your computer if your church is not prepared.

Most people know to purchase and install antivirus software, but is that enough? Here are some common safety tips and guidelines to follow in keeping your computer “Sasser-free.”

1. Keep virus protection up-to-date. Simply buying and installing “Symantec” or “McAfee” on your computer will not protect your files. In order to stay current on cyber threats, keep your antivirus subscription current and run “Live Update” every few days to refresh your virus definition list.

2. Run Windows Live-Updates Frequently. As new viruses crop up, Microsoft creates “patches” or “anti-code” to strengthen the computer's defenses. To obtain these updates, connect to the Internet and click Start > Programs > Windows Update. Do this at least once per week.

3. Avoid suspicious attachments. It is a natural reflex to open e-mail attachments when you see them in your inbox. It is good to pay attention to the attached file name and subject line as opposed to just the e-mail sender. Watch for headings like “error” or “test” and attachments with only a numeric file name.

4. Never respond to an e-mail claiming to be from Microsoft or your bank. E-mails requesting personal account information, social security numbers and other personal information can appear legitimate, but never are. Occasionally, bank scam e-mails will provide links leading to open fields for information input. Avoid these links, even if you're sure the e-mail is legitimate, and go directly to the bank or organization Web site. The same information that is in the e-mail message should be on their site. If it is not, obviously the e-mail was a fake.

Many times victims fall prey to these scams because the message appears to come from an actual bank Web server address (i.e. charlie@usbank.com ) and may even look like your bank's Web site.
(from Interpreter Magazine, By Sean McAtee, TechShop Director, UMCom)

UMCom Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities
To strengthen the study and practice of religion communications, United Methodist Communications offers three communications scholarship and fellowship opportunities. Applicants must be members of The United Methodist Church.

For recent racial ethnic minority college graduates interested in pursuing religion communications as a career: The Judith Weidman Racial Ethnic Minority Fellowship is awarded to one recent college/seminary graduate each year. The recipient will spend a year being mentored and working as part of a communications staff in an annual conference office in the U.S., and will receive a $30,000 salary and benefits.

For graduate students: The Stoody-West Fellowship is a $6,000 award for students in their post-graduate study at an accredited U.S. college or university who intend on pursuing a career in religion journalism.

For racial ethnic minority undergraduate students: The Leonard M. Perryman Communications Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship for undergraduate study in religion journalism/mass communications. Candidates must be in their junior or senior year to qualify.

For more information about each of these opportunities, visit www.umcom.org or call 1-888-278-4862. Application deadline is March 15, 2005.

Seven Hymns for Handbells for Lent and Holy Week
The General Board of Discipleship is offering handbell arrangements of seven hymns for Lent and Holy Week. These may be obtained without charge on the GBOD worship-preaching-music website. Titles include:
--All Glory, Laud and Honor
--Beneath the Cross of Jesus
--Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
--God So Loved the World
--O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
--Up from the Grave He Arose
--Were You There?

United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Training Scheduled
The United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) will be hosting a weekend of training for both team leaders and individual volunteers April 29- May 1, 2005 at the SIFAT Campus (Servants in Faith and Technology) in Lineville , Alabama. Training will be led by the staff and experienced leaders of UMVIM, SEJ.

Individual Volunteers will receive invaluable information about effective and meaningful medium-term mission service, as well as placement assistance. Team Leaders will receive a wealth of information on preparing an UMVIM team for service, including such topics as effective project selection, cultural sensitivity for teams, logistics, and finance.

Cost is $140 and includes room and board as well as instruction and materials. For more information or to register online click here or contact UMVIM SEJ: 404-377-7424; sejinfo@umvim.org. 

Check out updated 2005 Annual Conference Information here