Candler School of Theology announced that retired United Methodist Bishop Hope Morgan Ward will serve as Candler’s next bishop-in-residence, beginning January 5. Bishop Ward will travel between North Carolina and Atlanta as she enters this new role.
Announcements
We Need Your Help: Check Cleaning Kits at MERCI for Future Disaster Relief
Thank you to all who have packed and delivered cleaning kits for Hurricane Helene relief in Western North Carolina. Due to the amazing work of NC Conference United Methodists and other organizations, we no longer need cleaning kits at this time.
However, we need to ensure that the kits we have on hand are complete and ready for future use. MERCI is seeking volunteers to help check over 1,000 kits to confirm they are complete before being shelved.
MERCI will be open from 9 am to 3 pm (with a break for lunch) starting Monday, December 2, until Saturday, December 7, 2024, specifically for this purpose. Groups of any size or individual volunteers are welcome!
If you are interested in serving, please contact Rev. Bill Haddock at (910) 262-3831.
Become a Safe Sanctuaries Champion â Free Book!
Equip your church to protect the vulnerable and foster a safe, welcoming environment.
The Lay Servant Ministries team is offering a half-day Zoom courseâopen to clergy and laity alikeâdesigned to train you to become a Safe Sanctuaries champion in your congregation.
As a special incentive, the NC Conference Safe Sanctuaries Team will provide a free copy of the new Safer Sanctuaries book to the first 15 churches with a registered participant.
Donât waitâregister today and claim your copy!
In this course, you will:
- Understand the importance of Safe Sanctuaries in every congregation.
- Learn what Safe Sanctuaries means for you, your church, and those you serve.
- Gain practical skills to develop or revise your churchâs policy and train others to uphold it.
Every church needs a champion for Safe Sanctuaries. Let this course prepare you to lead.
Safe Sanctuaries
January 4, 2025, 10am-2pm ET
with Suzanne Cobb
Zoom, $15
Do I need the book?
Yes! All participants will need a copy of Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust within Faith Communities, the recently revised Safe Sanctuaries resource from Discipleship Ministries. If your church does not already own a copy, consider asking your church to purchase one that you can borrow for this course. To prepare for this session, you need not read the whole book, but please familiarize yourself with the contents of parts 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8.
Will I receive Lay Servant Ministries course credit?
While this course does not count as an âadvanced Lay Servant Ministries courseâ for those seeking to renew or certify in Lay Servant Ministries, it is a required course for all those preparing to become certified lay ministers. Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
About the Facilitator:
The Rev. Dr. Suzanne Cobb, a Raleigh, NC, native, graduated from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) with a B.S. in Education of the Hearing Impaired and taught Special Education for five years. She earned an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School (1999) and a D.Min. from Hood Theological Seminary (2013), focusing her doctoral work on âBuilding Trust in the First Six Months of a New Appointment.â
A longtime member of Soapstone UMC, Suzanne held various leadership roles, including Childrenâs Choir Director, Sunday School Superintendent, Youth Counselor, VBS Coordinator, and Womenâs Group Leader. She also chaired the United Methodist Women, sang in the Chancel Choir, and helped establish the churchâs preschool program, where she worked from 1992-2004.
Suzanne began her pastoral ministry in 2004, serving Leahâs Chapel/Shiloh UMC (2004-2006), Saint Luke UMC-Sanford (2006-2011), The Milwaukee Charge (2011-2015), and Fletcherâs Chapel UMC-Durham (2015-2024). She retired in June 2024.
Throughout her ministry, Suzanne served on the Conference Disaster Relief and UM Volunteers in Mission committees, chaired the MERCI Board, coordinated Sanford Disaster Relief, and held leadership positions in Conference Youth Ministry, including Chair of the Conference Committee on Youth Ministries.
In retirement, she continues serving as Chair of the Raleigh Wesley Board and a member of the Conference Safe Sanctuaries Committee.
NFC December 2024 Newsletter
God’s Stirring
The notes app on my phone is filled with partially written notes to myself about ideas, big questions, goals, or dreams that I jotted down between meetings or while out on a walk. Some of these thoughts seemed significant when I wrote them, but now, looking back, they feel nonsensical. Others I still ponder, wrestle with, and dream about to this day.
This month, weâre celebrating both the chartering of Village Church Rolesville and an inspiring Common Learning Day centered on the Fresh Expressions Movement. As I sat in both rooms, I found myself wondering how much of starting Village Church Rolesville or launching these Fresh Expressions originated from half-written notes about ideas or dreams that came as a fleeting thought. As you read Leah and Tylerâs reflections, I encourage you to consider your own half-written dreams or ideas. Where might God be stirring within you to co-create new spaces for new people to gather into communion with Jesus Christ?
UMC Support Webinar on Department of Labor Law Updates
Join the General Council on Finance and Administration on December 3 at 2:30 pm for a webinar to learn about updates to labor laws regarding overtime pay beginning January 1.
Clergy Ethics Training
Each quadrennium, the North Carolina Conference holds a mandatory Ethics Training for all clergy. This includes but is not limited to those assigned/appointed, serving a church, in extension ministry, or who might serve in the future.
Please register for the in-person training by December 3, 2024.
This Ethics Training will be led by Rev. Lindsay Geist and is designed as a two-part training:
- 3-hour online training component
- 5-hour (4-hour training plus breaks) in-person interactive training
Both online and in-person components are mandatory. The online component must be completed prior to the in-person training. You will receive your online course invitation on January 6, 2025 and must complete it by January 23, 2025.
There are four options for attending the in-person training. You must attend one of these trainings, but it does not have to be within your district.
- Thursday, Jan 30 – Wesley Memorial UMC (Wilmington)
- Saturday, Feb 1 – Haymount UMC (Fayetteville)
- Wednesday, Feb 12 – Plymouth UMC (Plymouth)
- Thursday, Feb 13 – Saint Andrews UMC (Raleigh)
Attending the training is free. The NC Conference will not reimburse travel expenses. You may bring your own lunch, or you can pay for a box lunch.
Attendance shall be recognized only for those persons present for the duration of the event. Partial attendance shall not be recognized. Clergy who do not complete this training can expect the Bishop and Cabinet to review their present appointment (assignment) and any conference committee assignments.
Topics covered throughout the session include boundary basics, boundary crossings and violations, power and vulnerability, expectations, transference and countertransference, dual relationships (including dating and friendship), loneliness, receiving gifts, technology and social media, harassment, finance, pornography, and mandated reporting.
The whole training is focused on the importance of clergy remaining personally healthy which leads to making healthy decisions and creating healthy congregations.
If you have any questions about this training, please contact the District Office at districts@nccumc.org.