We’d like to keep everyone up-to-date about the happenings all across the NC Conference offices and committees, so we’ll be posting a roundup of all the major news at the end of every month.

Here’s an overview of NC Conference events and updates from the month of April.

NC Conference

• View a quarterly newsletter with a list of grants, scholarships, and loans available to United Methodist churches in ministry leaders in the NC Conference. 
• Watch Bishop Shelton’s Easter Sunday message and the “Easter Video After Party.”
• Read daily Lenten Reflections from clergy and laity across the Conference centered on Graceful Hospitality.
• Bishop Shelton announces new Cabinet appointments for the North Carolina Conference, effective July 1, 2023.
• Bishop Shelton values relationships and continues to seek connection with the clergy of the North Carolina Conference. She will travel across our connection in May to meet with the clergy. 

Center for Leadership Excellence

• Twenty pastors attended a clergy care spiritual retreat at the Saint Francis Springs Prayer Center.
• Held the final session for the Class of 2021-2023 Leadership Fellows.
• Thirty applications were received for youth, laity, and clergy for the Denman Awards for Evangelism.
• Started three cohorts of Proclaiming the Word, online groups led by pastors to support Certified Lay Speakers in building community and strengthening preaching skills, supporting over twenty lay speakers. 

Christian Formation

• View the Board of Church and Society’s latest newsletter.

Media Center

• View resources for the Welcoming People of God. 
• View Creation Care resources for spring 2023.
• View anti-racism resources for your whole church. 

Outreach Ministry

• View speakers and learn more about “Redeeming Creation 2023.”
• Congregations for Children and United Women in Faith hosted an event, “Our Faith, Our Children, Our Public Schools,” on April 22. 
• Disaster Ministries hosted a training retreat for over 25 Early Response Team Leaders and District Disaster Response Coordinators. View upcoming training events. 
• The Conference Health Team shares updates on telehealth news, Medicaid expansion, and COVID-19.
• NCC UMVIM shares ten ways they can assist your mission journey. 
• Applications for The Gary Wayne Locklear Mission Endowment were received. 

Race Equity and Justice Ministries

• The United Methodist Strengthening the Black Church in the 21st Century (SBC21) and the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) issued a joint statement condemning the actions of the Tennesee House of Representatives. Read the full statement.

United Methodist Collective of North Carolina

• Hear how White Plains UMC (Capital District) became a Lighthouse Congregation.

Youth Ministry

• Middle schoolers met for Kaleidoscope, a weekend retreat focused on four holy habits to help you grow closer to God.