Vol. 6 • No. 9  
May 9, 2007
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In This Issue of The Link
 Conference News
--Sandi Hortman commissioned as deaconess
--Letter from SEJ College of Bishops Encourages Diversity in Elections
--Disaster Updates from the Disaster Response Team
--Administrative Services Office Seeks a Full-time Administrative Assistant
--Still Time to Sign Up for Youth Leader Training
--Disciple Bible Study Training to be held in Woodstock, Ga
--Don't forget to register!
Annual Conference 2007
--Day of Service -- REGISTER NOW!
--Golf Tournament to Benefit Wesley Community Center
--Book of Recommendations
--Other AC Information and Reminders
Connection News
--Commission Proposes Changes for General Conference
--Judicial Council reaffirms decision on Cote d'Ivoire
--'Town hall' gathering offers snapshot of the church
-- Bishops' president calls for new church movement
--'Incredible' Growth of UM Mission Volunteers across a 15 Year Span
--Top Needs for Sager Brown
Resources
--Hymns for Commencement and Graduation
--Graduation and Baccalaureate Resources
--May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Mark Your Calendar
--All Upcoming Events
--Summer Camps


CONFERENCE NEWS

Sandi Hortman commissioned as deaconess
For the first time in 44 years, South Georgia has a United Methodist Deaconess. On April 24, 2007, Dr. Sandi Hortman was commissioned for Christian service through The United Methodist Church at the semi-annual meeting of the General Board of Global Ministries. The last deaconess commissioned from the South Georgia Conference was Gwinnette Suggs who served in Guyton, Georgia.

Deaconesses are women who engage in ministries of justice and service across the United States, often in underserved communities. Dr. Hortman serves at the Director of Resource Development at Open Door Community House in Columbus, Ga. and is a member of St. Luke UMC.

“It's been a marvelous journey which I wouldn't trade for anything," said Hortman. "Anyone feeling called to lay ministries of justice and service in the UMC will want to check out the deaconess/home missioner relationship.” The youngest candidate in this year's commissioning class was in their 20's and the eldest was almost 70. The calling requires at least 21 hours in ministry each week, either paid or volunteer. The relationship offers a nurturing environment of prayer, conferences, extended training, respite, and a network of support with sisters and brothers in relationship across the United States.

Currently there are less than 200 deaconesses and home missioners in the United States but the movement is growing. Click here to learn more.

Letter from SEJ College of Bishops Encourages Diversity in Elections
Click here to read a letter from the SEJ College of Bishops concerning the upcoming elections for delegates to General Conference.

Disaster Updates from the Disaster Response Team
Update on Disaster Recovery in Sumter County
Jody Wade, Case Manager and Volunteer Coordinator for Sumter Disaster Recovery, Inc. (SDR), reports that needs assessment surveys are currently being conducted to determine how much rebuilding help is needed in the Sumter County area following the March tornadoes.  The results of the surveys will be brought before the SDR review board on Monday.  Once they determine how many teams are needed Jody will be in contact with those who have expressed a desire to send a work team.  If you have a team who can help in this rebuilding phase, please contact Jody at 888-435-7191 or info@sdrhelp.org.  Updated information will be posted at www.sdrhelp.org. 

Update on Southwest Georgia Fires
Last Thursday more than 900 firefighters continued to battle a major wildfire in southeast Georgia that has now blackened more than 150 square miles.  Officials said the fire, which began in Ware County more than 3 weeks ago, was 75 percent contained.  It has burned 96,456 acres to date.  Right now this particular disaster is still in a Rescue Phase, with the actual incident (fires), as you know, still in progress. Gov. Sonny Perdue took a tour of the area last week and declared a state of emergency for 21 counties in southeast Georgia affected by the fires.

Many people have asked how the South Georgia Disaster Response Team and United Methodist Committee on Relief are responding to this situation.   

Because this incident is still in Rescue Phase, most faith-based relief organizations are unable to enter the area. State and local governments have charge of the disaster response. They have agreements with several non-profit agencies to provide specific assistance during this rescue phase. These organizations include the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Southern Baptist Convention. They are asked to provide initial assistance (feeding/shelters) for those impacted by the disaster and for those who are helping with the rescue. So, it is not uncommon for the public to see these organizations responding initially to a disaster site.

Once it is decided that the area is safe and ready for additional outside help, faith-based groups like South Georgia Disaster Response and UMCOR will be invited in to assist. More information will be shared as soon as we are able to go in and assess what our role will be in this particular disaster.

Administrative Services Office Seeks a Full-time Administrative Assistant
The South Georgia Conference Administrative Services Office in Macon has an opening for a full-time Administrative Assistant. Ability to use Word Perfect or Word and Excel are a necessity. Responsibilities vary from answering the phone, copying information and/or arranging details for meetings, to working with the forms submitted to this office for missing reports or information. For more information or to send a resume, contact Miriam Hagan at (478) 738-0048 or by e-mail, Miriam@sgaumcadmin.com by May 22.

Still Time to Sign Up for Youth Leader Training
 On May 19, 2007, a youth ministry training workshop will be held at Forest Hills UMC in Macon from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.   This one-day seminar will explore the 3 V's of youth ministry: Validation, Vision, and Volunteers. Jeremy Wilson, Director of Youth Ministries at Forest Hills UMC in Macon, GA , and Jason Sansbury, Youth Pastor at Bethlehem UMC in Franklin , TN , will lead the seminar.  Jeremy and Jason have over 20 years of combined practical ministry experience.  This seminar will provide useful tips on recruiting and maintaining a committed core of volunteers, learning how to discern God's vision for your youth ministry, and steps to developing talks that matter.  Whether you are a veteran youth minister or a committed volunteer, this event will strengthen the work that you are already doing! Click here for more information or to register.

Disciple Bible Study Training to be held in Woodstock, Ga
Cokesbury and Disciple Seminars are pleased to announce Disciple training to be held July 20-21, 2007, at Hillside United Methodist Church located at 4474 Towne Lake Pkwy, Woodstock, GA 30189. This training event will be comprised of 4 offerings. The training for Christian Believer and Disciple: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study will be held on July 20th followed by training for Jesus in the Gospels and Beyond Disciple I on July 21st . Disciple is a program of disciplined Bible study aimed at developing strong Christian leaders. It focuses on the disciple as learner, believer, follower, proclaimer, and servant while providing the fellowship of a small group for study, prayer, preparation, support, and servanthood. For more information or to register visit www.Disciple.Cokesbury.com/training or call 1-800-251-8591.

Don't forget to register!
-- Dublin District Lay Speaking Courses - May 18-19
-- Youth Leader Training - May 19
-- The Fellowship of Local Pastors and Associate Members Luncheon - June 5
-- Summer Camps - All Summer Long!
-- Georgia Pastors' School - July 23-26


ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2007

Day of Service -- REGISTER NOW!
On Wednesday, June 6th, the people of The United Methodist Church will open the doors of the annual conference to serve the Savannah community. Opportunities range from making school bags for UMCOR to preparing casseroles for the Ronald McDonald House, from participating in a virtual prayer walk to sewing blankets for the less fortunate, from sorting items in a thrift shop to boxing onions for the hungry, from building transportable housing to light yard work at a home for single mothers. 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. The Savannah Local Arrangements Committee is coordinating this morning of service.

Click here to view a list of mission opportunities and to register.

Golf Tournament to Benefit Wesley Community Center
As part of the Day of Service, a Golf Tournament will be held Wednesday morning, June 6, to benefit Wesley Community Center, a United Methodist Mission operating a Women's Center, a day shelter, and an award-winning child care center in downtown Savannah. The tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 10:00 a.m. at Henderson Golf Course in Savannah. Click here for more information or to sign up. For questions, contact Hale Bishop at 912-786-449.

Book of Recommendations
The Book of Recommendations has been mailed out to lay and clergy who will be attending Annual Conference. You can also view it online by clicking here.

Other AC Information and Reminders
PRE-CONFERENCE ORIENTATIONS Click here for a schedule of the pre-conference orientations.

AGENDA Click here to view the 2007 Annual Conference Agenda.

CHILDCARE If you have not sent in your registration form for childcare during Annual Conference please do so immediately. Click here for more information and to download the registration form.

HOTELS A list of Savannah hotels can be found here.

SPECIAL OFFERING This year's special offering will be given to the East Africa Initiative. A bulletin insert will be included in the pre-conference mailing or you can download it by clicking here.

LOGO If you would like the Annual Conference logo e-mailed to you for use in your local church, contact Kelly Roberson at kelly@sgaumc.com or 888-266-7642.

TOUR OF CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH The South Georgia Conference Historical Society has arranged for a special Annual Conference tour of Christ Episcopal Church in Savannah. This free, one-hour tour is scheduled for Tuesday, June 5 and will begin at 7:00PM. For more information call Chris Shoemaker at (229) 382-8860 or email at chair@sgchs.org.

GOLF TOURNAMENT HOLE SPONSORSHIPS Hole sponsors are needed for the golf tournament planned for Wednesday morning, June 6, at Annual Conference. For more information, contact Hale Bishop at 912-507-8676 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.


CONNECTION NEWS

Commission Proposes Changes for General Conference
(UMNS) Future gatherings of The United Methodist Church's top legislative assembly could be smaller than the 1,000-delegate conferences of recent decades. The Commission on General Conference, which plans the assemblies, will propose to the church limiting the number of delegates to between 500 and 600. The petition was one of several considered April 17-19 as the commission looked at ways to improve the assembly's operation. The commission also adopted petitions aimed at refining the process for submitting petitions to General Conference and enabling annual conferences — the denomination's regional units — to set term limits for delegates if they choose. All of the commission's petitions will be sent to the 2008 General Conference for consideration. If approved, they would take effect for the 2012 assembly. More>>

Judicial Council reaffirms decision on Cote d'Ivoire
(UMNS) The United Methodist's Church's Judicial Council has upheld its earlier ruling that the Methodist Church of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has not been fully admitted to the denomination and may be limited to two delegates at the next General Conference. Meeting for the first time outside the United States, in the capital city of the Philippines, the denomination's top court reaffirmed the decision it made last October that the 2004 General Conference was within its authority to award Cote d'Ivoire two delegates – one clergy and one lay – at the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Click here to read more about this ruling and others made by the Judicial Council at its recent meeting.

'Town hall' gathering offers snapshot of the church
(UMNS) The vision for The United Methodist Church in the 21st century includes starting 650 new U.S. congregations by 2012, doubling the number of young people serving as pastors and church leaders, and expanding ministries in behalf of the world's impoverished people. Those were among the highlights from a first-ever teleconference inviting United Methodists worldwide to an April 17 "town hall" meeting with denominational leaders to talk about the church's membership, ministries, missions and challenges for the future. The teleconference was timed with the releaseof a report by the United Methodist Council on Finance and Administration, presenting and analyzing local church data about membership, attendance and giving trends. Called "This is Our Story," the report presents The United Methodist Church as "a faithful, generous people in dozens of nations who continue to make a difference in the lives of people around the world," said Sandra Lackore, the council's chief executive. More>>

Bishops' president calls for new church movement
(UMNS) The president of the bishops of The United Methodist Church is calling on the denomination to reclaim its heritage as a Christian movement. Bishop Janice Riggle Huie told her colleagues on the Council of Bishops that the church "must be led more by a clear vision and mission than by rules and regulations" in order to make disciples for the transformation of the world. In her April 30 address, Huie said John and Charles Wesley began a Methodist movement by ministering to people with no economic, religious or political power and helping them become what God intended. "They made Christian faith simple and practical," she said. More>>

'Incredible' Growth of UM Mission Volunteers across a 15 Year Span
(GBGM) United Methodist mission volunteers climbed from just under 20,000 in 1992 to more than 110,912 in 2006, with several peaks and valleys across the 15 year period. "This is an incredible growth of voluntary mission service," said the Rev. Clinton Rabb, assistant general secretary for mission volunteers of the General Board of Global Ministries. "The growth and the appeal come from the grassroots nature of the volunteer movement." The figures specifically chart the expansion of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), a program that involves mostly congregation-based teams engaged in short-term construction, medical, and educational service around the world. The total number of mission volunteers registered by Global Ministries in 2006 was 112,486, a figure that includes several programs in addition to UMVIM.

Top Needs for Sager Brown
Sager Brown, UMCOR's relief supply depot, is running low on kits of all kinds. Health kits, school kits, layette kits, bedding kits, and sewing kits are all needed. Sager Brown ships kits to places of need in the US and overseas throughout the year. A constant supply of these items is needed to meet demands. Please consider sending completed kits, kit supplies in bulk, or giving towards the purchase of kit materials through UMCOR Advance #901440, Material Resource Ministry. Learn more about how to send kits and kit supplies on UMCOR's Relief Supplies by clicking here.

May 12 is World Trade Day
World Fair Trade Day is this Saturday. May 12. Fair trade addresses one of the root causes of hunger and poverty: inequality in the market place. Simply put, fair trade enables small farmers to sell their crops for a fair price. The fair trade system allows farmers to earn a stable and fair price for their crops, affordable credit, a direct relationship with buyers, and sustainable agriculture support. Take time to observe this important day by learning more about fair trade and how it affects the daily life of so many. You can encourage your church to purchase and use fairly traded coffee, tea, and chocolate through the United Methodist Coffee Program. You can also give to World Hunger and Poverty, UMCOR Advance #982920. A bulletin insert is available by clicking here.


RESOURCES

Hymns for Commencement and Graduation
Click here for hymns to use for Commencement and Graduation services.

Graduation and Baccalaureate Resources
Click here for graduation and baccalaureate resources.

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
(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. Click here for a list of resources.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

All Upcoming Events
Keep up with what's going on in the South Georgia Conference!
--Magnolia Manor Sunday - May 13
--Dublin District Lay Speaking Courses - May 18-19
--Youth Leader Training - May 18
--Annual Conference - June 3-7
--The Fellowship of Local Pastors and Associate Members Luncheon - June 5
--Annual Conference Day of Service - June 6
--Moving Day - June 13
--Elementary PK Retreat - July 13-15
--School of Christian Mission - July 19-22
--Teen PK Retreat - July 21-23
-- Georgia Pastors' School - July 23-26
-- Pathways to a Healthy Church - August 18

Summer Camps
-- Mid-High Mania 1 - June 11-15
-- Mid-High Mania 2 - June 18-22
-- Elementary Camp 1 - June 25-29
-- Elementary Camp 2 - July 9-13
-- Elementary Camp 3 - July 16-20