Bishop Ward reflects on the Silent Garden
Bishop Ward reflects on the significance and the sacredness of the silent garden in this week’s Easter Connections.
First Quarter data is due April 1
The data entry page for the 1st quarter Critical Drivers information will be made available on the Online Data Collection System beginning April 1. Please log-in and enter your church’s first quarter information to ensure it is included in the reports submitted to the Cabinet on Monday, April 8.
Family day for young clergy families April 6
A reminder that the first Young Clergy Family Day is quickly approaching. Participants will gather on Saturday, April 6 at Camp Chestnut Ridge in Efland to play games, canoe, explore nature, go on a hayride, and enjoy peaceful family fun. This event is open to all young (35-ish and under) clergypersons, seminarians and candidates, and their spouses, children, significant others/friends. If you plan to attend, please respond to lledford@nccumc.org by Monday, April 1.
Missionary from Armenia available to visit churches
Nara Melkonyan, director of Project AGAPE, mission to Armenia, will be visiting the North Carolina Conference area during the month of April. Project AGAPE is a joint ministry of both the Western North Carolina Conference and the North Carolina Annual Conference. Nara will be able to share how you are making a difference and bringing hope through the crucial ministry of AGAPE. To schedule Nara to visit your church for any sized gathering, please contact the Conference Mission Secretary, Bill Haddock at: revbillh@nccumc.org or 910.262.3831.
Summer Youth Mission opportunities with SoSA
The Harvest of Hope program, through the Society of St. Andrew, provides opportunities for local church youth teams to be in mission by gleaning, studying, and worshiping around the theme of eliminating domestic and global hunger. There are week-long and weekend dates available for the summer and the fall. For more information, go to http://endhunger.org/Harvest/.
Office of Outreach calling for Key Taylor nominations
Rural church nominations for consideration of the Key Taylor Award are needed by May 17. The Rural Church Fund (Key Taylor Award) was created in 1958 as a permanent endowment fund with the United Methodist Foundation, Inc. as trustee. The idea for the Fund came from the Rev. Key W. Taylor and the Commission on Town and Country of the Conference Board of Missions. Congregations can nominate themselves. The purpose of the award 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 by May 17 to kduncan@nccumc.org .
Fan the Flame registration deadline is April 5
Fan the Flame, a three-day small church revitalization workshop will be held April 12-14 at the Bladen Charge, near Elizabethtown. The workshop will focus on the areas of effective preaching, dynamic worship, children and youth ministry, mission outreach, spiritual formation and discipleship. The registration cost for each church team (which includes housing, meals, and workshop materials) is $150 with scholarships available through the Bladen Charge. Registration will close on April 5. Fan the Flame is co-sponsored by The Duke Endowment, Duke Divinity School’s Thriving Rural Communities Initiative, and the NCC Committee on Evangelism. Please contact jmills@nccumc.org for more information.
Clergy encouraged to learn more about domestic violence
Duke Divinity School’s Methodist House of Studies and Women’s Center invites local clergy to a workshop on the issue of domestic violence on Saturday April 6, from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m in 0016W of Duke Divinity School. Dr. Rev. Aleese Moore-Orbih will be leading the workshop. The projected schedule includes education on domestic violence, lunch, tools for pastoral care, and space for discussion, reflection, and resources. There is no charge to attend this event but registration is required by going to http://svy.mk/100lKK6.
Family Weekend at Hinton Rural Life
Pull up a rocker on the front porch at Hinton Rural Life Center, overlooking Lake Chatuge for some refreshing mountain air, and a fun-filled, family-friendly, Memorial Day weekend in the beautiful mountains of Hayesville, NC. A warm welcome awaits May 24-26 at Hinton Center, a Christian retreat and conference center that builds community through sacred space for retreat, reflection, and renewal. Through a ministry of hospitality, the weekend will provide parents, children, grandparents, and/or grandchildren with quality time amidst God’s creation for fellowship, outdoor fun, relaxation, and reconnecting faith. The weekend will include an ice cream sundae get-together, fun, adventure, and exploration in the mountains, lakeside worship and a bonfire with s’mores. For more information, go to Family Weekend.
Change the World Weekend is May 18-19
Begin the conversation now about how your congregation can be out and impacting your community and the world during Change the World Weekend. For information on how to get started, go to Change the World.
UM Family Fun Days at theme parks (corrected links)
March 29 – April 7; 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 $31.99 per person ages 3 and up for those dates. To order tickets for Kings Dominion, go to www.kingsdominion.com/affiliates and type in username and password KDMETHODIST. To order Carowinds tickets, go to www.carowinds.com and enter promo code CAMETHODIST at the top right of the page. For each ticket redeemed, a $1 contribution is made to Youth Service Fund.