South Georgia Conference UMC

In This Issue of The Link:
Annual Conference Reminders
--Deadline to Sign-up for Day of Service is May 8
--Annual Conference Special Offering Bulletin Insert
--AC Childcare
--Book of Recommendations and Reports
--Video/Media Presentations at Annual Conference
--Awards
--Books to benefit agencies will be available at conference
Conference News
--Moving Ministers' Workshops
--Junaluska Singers in Concert in Warner Robins
--Andrew College hosts youth rally
Connection News
--SEJ Ministers' Conference
--A Social Creed you can sing? Revision aims for broad usage
--Study finds similarities between 'churched,' 'unchurched' people
--Judicial Council denies reconsideration of two decisions
--Operation Care Packages brightens lives of Marines
--UMCOR launches new website
Resources
--Grant Available from the GA Department of Community Health
--Wedding Conflict: Battle of the Brides
--Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month Worship Resources
--United Methodist Communications Radio/Audio Survey
Mark Your Calendar
--Upcoming Conference Events
--Summer Camps

ANNUAL CONFERENCE REMINDERS

Deadline to Sign-up for Annual Conference Day of Service is May 8
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 can be downloaded 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.

Annual Conference Special Offering Bulletin Insert
Your congregation is invited to join with other churches across South Georgia to support the Central Conference Pension Initiative. This special offering will then be presented at the opening worship service at Annual Conference. Click here for a bulletin insert and to learn more about the Initiative.

AC Childcare
The deadline has already passed to register for Childcare at Annual Conference. Please contact Melissa Traver at 912-236-0042 or traver_m@bellsouth.net if you have not yet signed up but need to do so. Childcare will be available for children ages birth-5th grade throughout Annual Conference. Click here for more information.

AC Banquets

CONNECTION NEWS

SEJ Ministers' Week
You are invited to take part in the SEJ Ministers Week scheduled for July 10-14, 2006 at Lake Junaluska. The focus of the week is helping you to enjoy yourself and renew your spirit by discovering Sabbath--both there at the lake and back on the job. This will be a very "family-friendly" week with a variety of adventures open to families as well as morning workshops, keynote addresses and evening worship services. Click here for more information.

A Social Creed you can sing? Revision aims for broad usage
(UMNS) A "user friendly" Social Creed will make its way to the 2008 General Conference, and if the writers have their way, it will be set to rap, African, country and many other musical beats. Bishop Susan Morrison and a small group of United Methodist Church and Society board members took on the task of rewriting the denomination's Social Creed in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the creed and Social Principles. The anniversary will be celebrated at the 2008 General Conference, the church's legislative gathering. The original creed was written in 1908 and rewritten in 1972. Changes must be approved by General Conference. More>>

Study finds similarities between 'churched,' 'unchurched' people
(UMNS) A study to better understand the needs of those who are spiritual but absent from church has concluded that fewer differences exist between "churched" and "unchurched" people than one might think. The United Methodist Board of Discipleship and United Methodist Communications participated in a joint research project to better understand the needs, preferences, motivations and behaviors of "spiritual seekers" in two age groups: 21-40 and 41-60. The Rev. Dan Dick, research manager at the Board of Discipleship, said people both inside and outside the church desire connection, feel something missing in their lives, contemplate a "higher power" and want their lives to have meaning and purpose. More>>

Judicial Council denies reconsideration of two decisions
(UMNS) The United Methodist Judicial Council has rejected appeals to reconsider two decisions that have created much debate within the church. The council voted not to revisit Decisions 1031 and 1032, issued last October and related to the case of the Rev. Ed Johnson of South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church, who blocked a practicing homosexual man from taking membership in the church. More>>

Operation Care Packages brightens lives of Marines
(UMNS) It's the little things that make a big difference for soldiers at Camp Fallujah - like a care package of Doublemint gum that arrived just in time for St. Patrick's Day from some United Methodist church members "back home." Top of the wish list for April? Microwave popcorn. United Methodist Chaplain Ron Newhouse coordinates "Operation Marine Care Packages" from his tent at Camp Fallujah to help young Marines, sailors and soldiers deal with the "sparse amenities" at the camp in Iraq. For a list of care items needed and information on how to participate, visit the Web site http://www.ronnewhouse.com/. More>>

UMCOR launches new website
UMCOR invites you to visit their new web site, where you'll find a fresh new look and organization of material. Also--new stories, new pictures, new ways to give, and new resources. One resource you can download and print yourself is a bulletin insert called "Better Roads, Better Health, Better Lives"--all about how fairly traded products help small farmers earna decent living and strengthen their communities. UMCOR's Coffee Project is a delicious way to experience fairly traded coffee, tea and chocolate. Celebrate Fair Trade Day May 13 in your church. And help UMCOR combine immediate food crisis relief with long-term solutions by giving to UMCOR Advance #982920, World Hunger and Poverty. Visit the website at www.umcor.org.

United Methodist Communications will soon find new ways to put United Methodist voices on the Internet and on the radio. Before that happens, we really want to hear from you. We are using different email lists to distribute this request. If you receive two separate invitations to participate in this survey, you need respond only once for your opinions to make a difference.

Radio has been a very important part of our lives for generations now, and it remains an excellent way for the stories of our faith to reach people where they live. And now the Internet has become an effective means to bring voices to people's homes, and to their portable audio players. At United Methodist Communications, we want to know which Internet and radio possibilities would be most interesting to you, most helpful, and what would make the most difference in people's lives.

Will you take 5-8 minutes to take our survey and give us your thoughts? All you need to do is go to the following link and click on your answers to our questions:

Thanks for your help. Be sure to check in with the United Methodist website, www.UMC.org, and turn on the radio to hear what United Methodists are saying.

- Mike Hickcox, Manager of Radio Ministry Initiatives, United Methodist Communications

Upcoming Conference Events
Keep up with what's going on in the South Georgia Conference!
--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

SUNDAY
Clergy Spouses' Dinner	7:00 p.m.	Wesley Monumental UMC

MONDAY
Breakfast
Extension Ministers	7:00 a.m.	St. Joseph/Candler Hospital
Good News	7:00 a.m.	Wesley Monumental UMC
Andrew College	7:00 a.m.	Epworth UMC
Lunch
Fellowship of Local Pastors	12:30 p.m.	Wesley Monumental UMC
LaGrange College alumns/friends	12:30 p.m.	Trinity UMC
Eagles	12:30 p.m.	Skidaway Island UMC
Erskine Seminary	12:30 p.m.	Epworth UMC
Dinner
Methodist Home Barbecue		Porch of Civic Center

TUESDAY
Breakfast
"The Foundery Fellowship"	7:00 a.m.	Trinity UMC
Educational Opportunities	7:00 a.m.	Wesley Monumental UMC
Lunch
Historical Society	12:00 p.m.	Wesley Community Center
Retired Clergy (by Young Harris)	12:30 p.m.	Wesley Monumental UMC
Service Project Lunch (by reservation)	11:30 am-1:00 pm	Trinity UMC
Dinner
Asbury Seminary	5:30 p.m.	White Bluff UMC
Candler School of Theology	5:30 p.m.	Trinity UMC