Vol. 5 • No. 8  
April 19, 2006
Return to Current Issue of the Link
Return to Archives Page

In This Issue of The Link:
Conference News
--Mother's Day Offering to Support Magnolia Manor
--Register Now for Annual Conference Day of Service
--Hole Sponsors Needed for AC Golf Tournament
--Deadline to Register for AC Childcare is May 1
 Connection News
--United Methodists plan long-term work in Gulf region
--United States, Central America: $52 Million to Hurricane Recovery
--UMCOR Sager Brown's Most Needed Supplies
--Book chronicles women's struggles for full clergy rights
--United Methodists to recruit new missionaries
--UMCOR Provides Emergency Grants in Five Storms
Resources
--New Dell Premiere Account for the UMC
--Earth Day Sunday - April 23, 2006
--Native American Ministries Sunday - April 30, 2006
--Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: May
--Fair Trade Day - May 13
Mark Your Calendar
--Upcoming Conference Events
--Summer Camps

CONFERENCE NEWS

Mother's Day Offering to Support Magnolia Manor
For more than forty years Magnolia Manor has offered quality, loving care to older adults across South Georgia. Since its beginning in 1963, a main feature of Magnolia Manor has been the League of the Good Samaritan. This League of generosity and compassion extends financial assistance to the most vulnerableof older adults. Because of those churches and individuals who support the League, Magnolia Manor is able to promise that no one will be forced to leave due to their inability to fully pay for the cost of their care. All churches in the South Georgia Conference are encouraged to celebrate and support the ministry of Magnolia Manor with a special Mother's Day offering which goes to the League of the Good Samaritan. 100% of this offering goes directly to resident support. Mother's Day is Sunday, May 14. Click here for a promotional poster.

Register Now for Annual Conference Day of Service
On Tuesday, June 6th, the people of The United Methodist Church will open the doors of the annual conference to serve the Savannah community. South Georgia laity and clergy will scatter across the Savannah community to be witnesses of our faith in Jesus Christ by serving through word and deed. It is our prayer and intention that we make a positive impact on the community as we live out God's vision that every soul and circumstance be redeemed. A list of each project as well as a registration form will be mailed to each 2006 lay and clergy member to Annual Conference. You can also find the list and registration form by clicking here. Online registration and payment is also available. Pre-registration is extremely important. The registration deadline is May 8. The Savannah Local Arrangements Committee is coordinating this day of service.

Hole Sponsors Needed for AC Golf Tournament
Hole sponsors are needed for the golf tournament planned for Tuesday morning, June 6, at Annual Conference. The cost to sponsor each hole is $200 or $100 for a half hole sponsorship. The hole sponsors will need to provide some type of signage to put at the tee box. Two tournament sponsors are also needed at $500 each. A banner will be provided to put up at the club house for the company or in honor of the church. If you know a sponsor please have them get in touch with Hale Bishop at 912-844-9081 or email at revhale@comcast.net. All proceeds for the golf tournament will benefit Wesley Community Center in Savannah. The golf tournament is part of the Day of Service. Click here if you are interested in signing up to play in the golf tournament.

Deadline to Register for AC Childcare is May 1
Childcare will be available for children ages birth-5th grade throughout Annual Conference. Drop-in childcare will be available at Trinity UMC for children up to 4 years old during all conference sessions beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday and then 7:00 a.m. each day until 1 hour after the closing session. All Day Care is available for older children 5 years through 5th grade Monday- Wed. 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Isle of Hope UMC. Pre-registration is very important. Please note that they will be unable to accommodate children over 5 who are not pre-registered. The deadline to register is May 1, 2006. Click here for more information. If you have questions, please contact Melissa Traver at 912-236-0042 or traver_m@bellsouth.net.

CONNECTION NEWS

United Methodists plan long-term work in Gulf region
(UMNS) United Methodists expect to be involved in Gulf Coast Hurricane recovery work at least until 2012. An overview of that work was presented to directors of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries during the mission agency's April 3-6 meeting.

As of Feb. 28, the denomination had raised $63.8 million, through the United Methodist Committee on Relief, in response to the 2005 hurricane season. In addition, $7.6 million of relief and emergency supplies were shipped from UMCOR's supply depot to the church's annual (regional) conferences in the Gulf region.

UMCOR has nearly completed the relief phase of its operations on the Gulf Coast, reported Bishop Edward Paup of Seattle, president of the relief agency's board of directors. The long-term recovery phase will begin April 17 and is projected to continue to January 2012. More>>

United States, Central America: $52 Million to Hurricane Recovery
(UMCOR) The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is fielding a robust hurricane recovery program serving thousands of families in the Gulf Coast of the United States over the next three years. A total of $52.3 million is aiding Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama-West Florida, Florida and North Carolina in long-term family problem solving, direct assistance, and extended rehabilitation. Also funded was a grant to the Missouri Annual Conference for its ministries to evacuees-one of several “grass roots” grants anticipated as UMCOR works to strengthen local capacity of organizations specializing in serving niche populations. Additional grants are supporting other programs such as housing for volunteer teams and restoring national mission institution properties. Grants also went to efforts in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua to provide shelter and restore crops. Please continue to pray for sisters and brothers in the zones so devastated by hurricanes in 2005. UMCOR thanks all who contributed in record numbers to Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005, enabling these long-term initiatives.

UMCOR Sager Brown's Most Needed Supplies
(UMCOR) The United Methodist Committee on Relief's (UMCOR) relief supply warehouse, UMCOR Sager Brown in Baldwin, La., continues to send supplies to hurricane survivors as well as to people UMCOR serves all around the world. The five most-needed items include the following:

1. Cleaning Supplies
2. Flood Buckets
3. Bedding
4. Layette Kits
5. School Kits

For more information about these supply needs, visit the Sager Brown "Top Needs" page by clicking here.
You can also give towards the purchase of these supplies through UMCOR Advance #901440, Material Resource Ministry.

Book chronicles women's struggles for full clergy rights
(UMNS) A book recounting the stories of the first women to receive full clergy rights in the Methodist Church has been published by the denomination's Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Courageous Past–Bold Future chronicles the historic journey of the first women to receive full clergy rights and looks at challenges still facing clergywomen 50 years later.

”The stories of the women in these pages carry hope for the younger generation of United Methodist women. They are living narratives that bear the pain and joy of ministry that represents the paradox of Christ's call,” said the Rev. HiRho Park, director of Continuing Formation for Ministry at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. More>>

United Methodists to recruit new missionaries
(UMNS) The United Methodist Church needs at least 20 new international missionaries over two years. A recruitment effort—“The Next Missionary May be YOU”—was launched during the April 3-6 spring meeting of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. "We are extremely pleased to be able to again actively recruit missionaries for international service,” said the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the international mission agency. More>>

UMCOR Provides Emergency Grants in Five Storms (UMCOR) Violent storms and tornados rolled across multiple states in early April, killing 28 people and injuring dozens of others. UMCOR has sent grants to five of the affected annual conferences--Memphis, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Illinois Great Rivers--and continues to monitor reports of the disaster coordinators in those regions as well asothers that suffered damage. To assist in a meaningful way, please give to UMCOR Advance #901670, Domestic Disaster Response.
RESOURCES

New Dell Premiere Account for the UMC
Dell is back!  TechShop is happy to announce that they now have a new Dell premiere account for the UMC.  At www.dell.com/umc, you can configure and purchase most Dell hardware at a discount.  For more details, go to www.techshopministry.org/dell.  Here, you can find net 30 purchasing instructions, UMC Membership ID numbers, and Dell affiliate contact information.  They are also working to build an EPP (employee purchase program) site with Dell hardware.  Note: this program will not affect our current hardware relationship with Insight and related agreements with HP, InFocus, and Lenovo; you will still be able to purchase through those channels at the same discount level. They have also re-negotiated an agreement with Adobe / Macromedia.  This agreement will include major Adobe and Macromedia software on discount.  More information will follow in the coming weeks.

Earth Day Sunday - April 23, 2006
(GBOD) Worship and Music Resources from The General Board of Discipleship for Earth Day Sunday can be found by clicking here.

Native American Ministries Sunday - April 30, 2006
(GBOD) Music Resources from The General Board of Discipleship for Native American Ministries Sunday can be found by clicking here.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: May
(GBOD) The month of May is designated in The United Methodist Church as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. It would be especially appropriate at this time to celebrate the contributions of Asian and Pacific Americans by using some of the resources in The United Methodist Hymnal, The Faith We Sing, and The Book of Worship. A listing can be found by clicking here.

Fair Trade Day - May 13
(UMCOR) As Christians we can buy products that are fairly traded. We'll be supporting practices that help farmers in Latin America, Africa and Asia earn a fairer share of income. And we'll be participating in an act that is good for recovery from chronic poverty. Simply put, fair trade enables small farmers to sell their crops for a fair price. You can help in three ways! Celebrate this year’s Fair Trade Day on May 13 or on a Sunday near that date using UMCOR's new bulletin insert. Consider signing up for the UMCOR Coffee Project--a delicious way to serve people in need while enjoying an excellent cup of coffee, tea, cocoa, or chocolate. Give generously to UMCOR Advance #982920, World Hunger and Poverty. Your gifts enable UMCOR to continue its work on behalf of United Methodists for fair trade--good for recovery because it brings better roads, better health, and better lives.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Upcoming Conference Events
Keep up with what's going on in the South Georgia Conference!
 --UMM Retreat - April 21-23
--Faith and Health Ministries Symposium - April 22
--Creating a Culture of Community - April 27
--Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century - April 28-30
--Magnolia Manor Special Offering - May 14
--Moving Ministers' Workshops - May 16-18
--Mission Celebration Luncheon - May 20
--Annual Conference - June 4-7

Summer Camps
Click here for more information on summer camps or to register online.
--Mid-High Mania 1: June 12-16
--Mid-High Mania 2: June 19-23
--Elem. Camp 1: June 26-30
--In Focus Retreat: July 7-9
--Elem. Camp 2: July 10-14
--Elem. Camp 3: July 17-21