Deadline for AC survey is Friday
A few more days remain for clergy and lay members of the 2009 Annual Conference who have not completed the on-line survey about the Conference in Greenville to enter their responses. The deadline has been extended to Friday, Aug. 7. The survey results will be used to begin the planning process for the 2010 Conference agenda. The survey is available at the following link: Annual Conference Survey
Hinton Rural Life Center hosting a workshop on “Money Matters”
“Money Matters for All Churches,” a workshop for clergy and laity will be held Aug. 14-16. The workshop will concentrate on understanding financial statements, building effective budgets, and dealing with conflict in the church family. The cost of the weekend would be a registration fee of $60 plus room and meals at the center. Scholarship assistance is available for pastors through a Duke Endowment grant. For more information, see the brochure at: Money Matters.
Award of Excellence in Youth Ministry
The Award of Excellence in Youth Ministry is presented to a local church youth group each year at Pilgrimage. The application deadline is Aug. 31. Applications are available at Youth. The Conference Council on Youth Ministries will make the selection of the recipient at their September meeting. The award will be presented during the Saturday, Nov. 14, morning session at Pilgrimage at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville.
NC Conference Mission Seed Fund information and application
For those interested in applying for 2010 Mission Seed Funds, an information and training session is scheduled for Saturday, Au. 22 at Farmville UMC from 10:30 a. m. – noon. A second training session is being held on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at Millbrook UMC, from 7- 8:30 p.m., in Raleigh. Though attendance at one of these sessions is not mandatory for those applying for Mission Seed Funds, attendees will learn about the 2010 application, will receive an overview for 2010 Seed Fund parameters, and will receive bonus points toward funding consideration. Anyone planning on attending should contact the Office of Mission and Justice ministries, 800-849-4433 ext 256 or kreavis@nccumc.org or staylor@nccumc.org
Shana Harrison – Missionary to Chile – in NC Conference in Aug – Sept
Shana Harrison, clergy member of the NC Conference, serves in the Crescendo (formally named La Esperanza) Sheltered Workshop and Group Home in Santiago, Chile. Shana will be visiting congregations, UMW groups, Sunday school classes, etc., in the NC Conference from Aug. 24 – Sept. 21. There are still some open dates available! If you would like Shana to meet with congregations/groups, please contact Rev. Bill Haddock at revbillh@nccumc.org. Shana can be reached at sdhchile2003@yahoo.com.
To assist Shana in this ministry, place an Advance gift in a church’s offering plate and mark it Missionary Support – Advance # 13089Z or give to the Crescendo Ministry – Advance #14056A. Also on-line giving at: Crescendo Advance On-line. For a Covenant Relationship with Shana, please see: Covenant Relationships.
Legacy Building Sunday set for September 13
Sunday, Sept. 13 has been designated as Legacy Building Sunday, a day to celebrate the lives of local church members who have made endowment gifts or other legacy gifts for missions, ministry, and capital projects in the NC Conference. It provides an excellent opportunity to talk about how persons can support ministry through wills and planned gifts. The North Carolina Annual Conference Legacy Partners can provide assistance for local churches in planning for this special day. The Legacy Partners website provides further information and a bulletin insert for Legacy Building Sunday. For more information or to request a guest speaker for that Sunday, contact Rev. Jim Mentzer at jmentzer@nccumc.org or 919-836-0029.
Bishop’s Day Apart scheduled for September 15
The Bishop’s Day Apart for Reflection and Renewal will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Nashville UMC. A boxed lunch will be served with a suggested donation of $5 to help cover the cost of the meal. The day will begin with a gathering at 9:30 a.m. The program will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and end by 3 p.m. An update on the Clergy Health Initiative will be included in the day’s presentations.
Duke Endowment scholarships for health and spirituality renewal
The Durham District has received a $30,000 grant from The Duke Endowment for rural church pastors to attend the Davidson Clergy Center, an ecumenical ministry in Davidson. Though not a part of the Clergy Health Initiative, this renewal program will address comparable questions of health and spirituality.
The Duke Endowment grant will provide nine full scholarships, including travel expenses, for eligible pastors to attend Davidson Clergy Center’s Five-Day Renewal Program. These grants are open to pastors and district superintendents serving Duke Endowment Rural Churches in the NC Conference, listed at Duke Endowment.
Awards will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Confidentiality is always honored. To apply or learn more, contact the Durham District Office at 919-682-6439.
Second Annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference
The theme this year for the Sept. 20-22 event will be “People of Faith Building Partnerships for Peace,” and will bring together persons from the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Peace Conference will celebrate the common heritage, examine what each faith tradition brings to the unified search for peace, and explore ways all persons can be more effective “peace builders” in local communities. Registration can be completed online at Peace Conference. The web page also gives additional information on the Conference schedule, speakers, and provides a link for housing.
International Day of Prayer for Peace is September 21
The International Day of Prayer for Peace offers an opportunity for churches, other faith communities, and interfaith organizations in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, in families, in neighborhoods and societies. For more information on organizing local church participation or community event, or for more information and resource materials, go to International Day of Prayer for Peace.
Medical supplies available from MERCI
MERCI has 23 pallets of assorted medical supplies available for any mission effort. Please call 1-888-440-9167 or email ahuffman@nccumc.org for a spreadsheet listing these items.
African American Music and Worship Explo
Designed for African American congregations, this Oct. 1-3 event at Lake Junaluska will bring together pastors, musicians, ministers of music, singers, choirs and worship leaders from across The United Methodist Church to fellowship, network and learn from each other. For more information, go to
Lake Junaluska.
Finding Jesus on Facebook
The Conference Safe Sanctuaries Committee is offering a follow-up workshop to the cybersafety workshops offered last fall. This workshop, titled Finding Jesus on Facebook, will address ministry issues with young people with an emphasis on safe cyberpractices. The workshop is directed to leaders with children and youth ministries in local churches, to equip them in resourcing other ministry leaders and parents of young people. The workshops will be offered on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in three locations: Oct. 17 at Jarvis Memorial UMC-Greenville; Nov. 7 at Haymount UMC-Fayetteville; and Nov. 21 at Soapstone UMC-Raleigh.
There is no cost to attend the workshop, but pre-registration is requested. To register e-mail Robin Harry at rharry@nccumc.org or call 1-800-849-4433 x252. A flyer about this opportunity (and other safe sanctuaries resources including cybersafety) can be found at the website: Safe Sanctuaries.
Upcoming UMVIM team and Early Responder training events
Anyone wanting to be a first responder for disaster response must complete the early responder training and be certified. Classes will be held at the MERCI Center in Goldsboro. Classes are scheduled Aug. 14 – 15 and Nov. 20 – 21. Recent unfortunate events with several different teams have shown the essential nature of team leader training and SEJ-UMVIM insurance. For more information, please see: NC UMVIM
Sudan Emergency – UMCOR Continues to Respond
UMCOR continues to work in Sudan, named as the worse humanitarian disaster of the 21st century. Over 400,000 people are estimated to have been killed in fighting and over 2 million people are displaced. This critical ministry provides radical hospitality to some of the most vulnerable people in the world. UMCOR works in Darfur and other areas bringing agriculture extension, emergency supply distribution, and small-scale livelihoods. UMCOR also works with a coalition of other humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to Sudanese refugees who have fled to neighboring countries. Please prayerfully consider a gift to this important ministry. A gift can be made for the local Sunday offering by denoting on the gift: Sudan Emergency Advance # 184385. For more information and On-line giving: Sudan Emergency.
ZOE – Giving HOPE Ministry
Read about how North Carolina children are Giving Hope. This group recently received the Saints of God award given at the NC Annual Conference for their Pennies for Pigs fundraising efforts on behalf of ZOE Ministry. Wednesday, April 15 at 8:00 a.m., 12 p.m., 4:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.