Carowinds has now joined Kings Dominion in reducing the admission rate for UM Family Fun Days to $29.99. May 4, 11, 18, 25, 26 & 27 are designated as NC Conference United Methodist Family Fun Days at Kings Dominion and Carowinds. Tickets are available for United Methodists at the significantly discounted cost of $29.99 per person ages 3 and up for those dates. To order tickets for Kings Dominion , go to www.kingsdominion.com/affiliates and type in  KDMETHODIST as the username and password. To order Carowinds tickets, go to www.carowinds.com  and enter promo code CAMETHODIST at the top right corner of the page. For each ticket redeemed, a $1 contribution is made to Youth Service Fund.

Students who are graduating from high schools will be recognized and the milestone celebrated in local churches soon. If they are planning to attend a college, university, or a community college within the bounds of the NC Conference, they may find a community of faith for worship, growth and service through campus ministries. Pastors, please enter the names of graduating high school seniors into the Online Data Collection System with the name of the student and contact information, preferably an address. Using the drop-down box, enter the school the student will attend in the fall. Also, purge the data of students who have graduated from college. This will assure that they are not re-entered among the students attending schools of higher education. Please complete the data entry by June 10.

Starting this year, there will be a new process for moving pastors submitting moving expense forms.

There will be three online forms, which will be found on the District Website (on the right side listed under “Pages”).

The three forms are:

1. Clergy Moving Expense – Request for Advance – this form is only filled out if the pastor needs an advance of funds before they move
2. So You’re Moving – this checklist form is required. See below.
3. 2013 Itinerant Clergy Moving Expense Requisition – this form is required if moving expenses are to be reimbursed

There will be a field in the 2013 Itinerant Clergy Moving Expense Requisition that will allow the pastor to upload their scanned receipts and documentation that is required for reimbursement.

The Clergy Moving Expense – Request for Advance from is the only form, at this point, that is available on the district website. The other two forms will be available on the district website in the next couple of weeks.

There will also be a PDF version of the “So You’re Moving” checklist for pastors to leave for the succeeding pastor, Chair of SPRC & Chair of Trustees on the District website. The Assistant to the District Superintendent of each moving pastor will receive a copy of the “So You’re Moving” checklist, in case follow up is needed for any problem areas.

A change for some pastors this year, the “So You’re Moving” checklist is required and the pastor’s moving expenses will not be reimbursed until this form is submitted to the District Office through the online submission form.

On Tuesday, June 25, local churches in the North Carolina Conference will welcome their pastors. Some of these pastors will continue serving at the same location of ministry, but many will begin new appointments on July 1. For suggestions on ways to welcome a new pastor, read this document by Robert Crossman from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Comprehensive Plan of Inclusiveness grant applications are due no later than April 10 at 4 p.m. (if hand-delivered) or postmarked no later than April 10. No faxed applications will be considered and all must have the appropriate signatures. Do not wait until the due date to gather signatures. Plan ahead! Applications may be downloaded from the Leadership Ministries page.

The NC United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries announces the retirement of John A. Farmer, director at Don Lee Camp & Retreat Center effective Feb. 27, 2015. Since 1977, John has helped change people’s lives through encounters with God at this beautiful and blessed place on the Neuse River. A Search Committee is being formed to conduct a nationwide search for the next director. Details of the search, its timeline and application process will be forthcoming as well. In the meantime, we give thanks and praise for John Farmer’s loyalty and lifelong commitment to the camping ministry through his leadership at Don Lee Camp & Retreat Center.