The Conference Connectional Table (CCT) met March 29th by Zoom for the second of its quarterly meetings in 2022. A meeting summary follows.
DEVOTION
Bishop Fairley reminded us that God always desires to communicate with us individually. We must be willing to give God space to speak to us because God asks us every day could I have a word with you?
EQUITY ENDOWMENT DISCUSSION
At their last meeting, the leadership team discussed establishing an endowment to be used in the ministries and support of our ethnic churches. A task team is being formed to establish a mechanism for bringing more substantial funding. This team will report back during the next CCT meeting in August.
#BeUMC
- #BeUMC is an international campaign developed by United Methodist Communications and adaptable to Annual Conferences around the world. It offers a way to share the good things about the United Methodist Church and what it means to be United Methodist.
- A foundation statement describes the structure that #BeUMC is built upon: The United Methodist Church is founded on a Wesleyan theology of grace, anchored in Scripture, and based in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the continuing movement of the Holy Spirit.
- #BeUMC is mobile-friendly, and can be accessed on computers, tablets, and phones. The NC Conference highlights #BeUMC in its weekly email Connections and on social media.
- Highlights from the #BeUMC information on the NC Conference website include:
- Study Resources from Our Media Center – Laura Dallas, director of the NCCUMC Media Center, has developed extensive resources that can be checked out for free and used in discussion groups, small-group studies, or Sunday School settings. Resources address what it means to be United Methodist as well as guiding conversations about the current debate.
- Video Testimonies – Currently, we have 11 video testimonials about being United Methodist, one-to-three minutes each. They can be downloaded individually and used in a local church in a service time, mission moment, study group, etc.
- Posts that Relate to #BeUMC
- Toolkit (leader & member toolkits) – The leader kit is messaged around four themes: Disciple Making; Belonging & Inclusion; Influence, Connection, Impact; and Experience of God through The UMC. Included are tools and worship resources like sermon prep, worship guides, and a soon-to-come discussion guide. The member toolkit centers around what it means to be United Methodist.
- Write Your Own #BeUMC Story – Join the Conversation is your opportunity to write your own story. Why you are United Methodist and what is your own call? We encourage you to share your story on social media.
- Council of Bishops’ Narrative
NEXT MEETING
The next scheduled CCT meeting is August 16th when the cabinet and the CCT will meet to develop an agenda and conference-wide calendar for Labor Day 2022 through the next Annual Conference session in June 2023.
Under the structure of the North Carolina Conference, the Connectional Table provides a forum for the understanding, casting forth, and implementation for the vision of the conference. It is the place where ministry and money come to the same table to coordinate the mission, ministries, and resources of the conference.