The 2012 Annual Conference is just around the corner! The following Briefing Session videos are intended to help everyone prepare for the upcoming 2012 Annual Conference session by bringing information to consider prior to it being presented at Conference.

Please find all Annual Conference related files and information on the official 2012 Annual Conference page. If there are any questions, please send them to helpdesk@nccumc.org.

Introduction

A brief overview of what to expect from the Briefing Session videos. View the transcript (PDF) or watch the video below.

Theme & Logistics – Carol Goehring

Carol provides information about the theme and highlights some of the sessions of Annual Conference. She also provides information on lodging and parking. View the transcript (PDF) or watch the video below.

Laity Services – Emily Innes

Emily brings information specifically on Lay Ministries and the Laity Worship Service. View the transcript (PDF) or watch the video below.

District Transition Team – Linda Taylor

Linda updates the conference on the work of the Transition Team over the past year in the District Transition Team report. View the transcript (PDF) or watch the video below.

Financial Overview – Christine Dodson

Christine reviews the reports from the Board of Pension, Commission on Equitable Compensation, Insurance Committee, Incapacity Committee, Council on Finance and Administration and the Conference Board of Trustees. View the transcript (PDF) and the slides (PDF), or watch the video below.

Conclusion

Thanks for taking the time to view the 2012 Annual Conference Briefing Sessions. Again, if there are any questions, please send them to helpdesk@nccumc.org.

General Conference 2012 approved several changes related to clergy benefit plans. This high-level summary lists changes with potential impact as well as the effective dates for each approved change.  Detailed information about the revised clergy benefit plans will be forthcoming over the following weeks. Questions related to benefits proposals approved by General Conference actions can be directed to the NC Conference Benefits Team in the Treasurer’s Office (1-800-849-4433) or to the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (1-800-851-2201).

An updated copy of the 2012 Conference Workbook has been posted on the Annual Conference page.  Please go on-line, here to view the most recent version.  There will not be any copies of the workbook available for distribution at Annual Conference.  However, most of the reports and items requiring a vote at Annual Conference will be included in the Advocate, which will be available at conference.

The Strong Black Woman: Rejoicing Together in God’s Abundant Grace 

2012 African-American Women’s Leadership Conference
August 23-25, 2012

  Early Registration ends June 30!  

• Leadership includes: Dr. Sheron Patterson, Rev. Candace Lewis, Dr. Bernice Williams Kirkland, and Lucinda Laws, Kendra Ross, and Christal Brown-Gibson
• 1.3 CEU’s available
• www.lakejunaluska.com/african-american-women

The Media Center will be closed the entire week of May 28th – June 1st.  Resources needed at the end of May or the beginning of June should be requested as soon as possible and no later than May 24th at 3:00pm.  Items can be returned in the mail or to the receptionist at the UM Building when the Media Center is closed.  The Media Center will re-open on Monday, June 4th.

If you need a hotel room while attending Annual Conference the Sheraton has extended their release date to May 18, 2012.   Please call the Sheraton at 919.834.9900 to reserve your room today!

Thursday, May 17, 6:30pm CT
Introducing “Extravagant Generosity” to Your Congregation
It’s one of the key practices of fruitful congregations, and it is also an exciting stewardship program available for your congregation. Join the General Board of Discipleship for this webinar and see if “Extravagant Generosity: The Heart of Giving” is right for your church!
Register now at http://www.tinyurl.com/ExtraGenerosity

For a list of other upcoming webinars, visit our Stewardship page.

Rural church nominations for consideration of the Key Taylor Award are needed by June 3. Congregations can nominate themselves.

For 2012, an amount of $1200 will be awarded. The award, sponsored through the United Methodist Foundation, is to call attention to the mission work of all rural churches by honoring the specific achievements of one rural church.

To nominate a church, respond via email in narrative form on one page to the criteria below by June 3 to Kathy Duncan (kduncan@nccumc.org) at the Office of Outreach Ministries. Include the name of the church and district. The criteria is as follows: a) the church is in a community of less than 1,500 people; b) the church has 250 members or less; c) the church is significantly involved in community mission; d) the church shows faithfulness in its stewardship of the mission and service commitments (apportionments) and supports Advance Specials; and e)  the church displays commitment towards growth in ministry and perseverance toward accomplishing their vision of ministry.

Society Of St. Andrew Needs Your Help Hosting Potato Drops In May!

Society of St. Andrew needs help with bagging and distributing 150 tractor-trailer loads (approximately 6 million pounds) of donated sweet potatoes during the next 3 weeks. We are very excited about this opportunity to feed the hungry in our communities, but this quantity far exceeds our current budget and distribution channels! We hope to partner with church groups and community organizations to do Potato Drops across the Carolinas.

Please review the time, space, and resource requirements listed below. If you can meet the requirements independently or in partnership with other churches and organizations, contact Anna MacDonald Dobbs at 919-683-3011 or: sosanc@endhunger.org to coordinate a Potato Drop.

• Your location must be an open, flat space large enough to accommodate the 18-wheeler, your volunteer work force, and the coming and going of agency vehicles.
• It takes 100 or more volunteers 4-5 hours to bag a 40,000-pound truckload of potatoes. Additional time is needed to oversee distribution and cleanup. Local grocery stores may be able to donate bags and boxes.
• Society of St. Andrew can help you coordinate with food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other hunger-relief agencies to distribute bagged potatoes.
• You will need volunteers with trucks to deliver to agencies that cannot pick up the potatoes. A pickup truck can hold 800-1,000 pounds.
• Potato Drop sponsors are asked to help with the cost of freight, which is based on mileage (typically $1000 or less). The value of the donated sweet potatoes is $14,000-15,000 per load!
• Please keep in mind that Society of St. Andrew receives potatoes because they are not in perfect condition and there will be waste. You will need to have a way to dispose of the bad potatoeseither a dumpster or a truck to haul them to a dump or livestock farm.

Please let us know if you would like to participate in a Potato Drop and cannot meet all of the requirements. We may be able to coordinate multiple groups to distribute large loads in your area. Thank you for your responding to our need and the needs in your community!

United Methodists from five continents addressed a wide range of challenging issues, including church structure and human sexuality, and engaged in an Act of Repentance toward indigenous people during their 10-day legislative gathering.   Meeting in the Tampa Convention Center, steps away from the waters of Tampa Bay, the 988 delegates recalled through worship, song and sermon the healing and transforming ministry of Jesus beside the Sea of Galilee.  Read more:

http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=8057055&ct=11742349