Mission Seed Funds are provided to resource NCC local churches and help them engage in ministry that is transformative for the world and the church. These funds are specific to new ministry development, encouraging ministry with a specific focus on outreach to people who are not yet part of the existing congregation through ministries of service, evangelism, and presence.
The application deadline is October 14.
Registration for Pilgrimage 2024 is now open. Register now to attend Pilgrimage 2024.
You can register for Pilgrimage 2024 by visiting nccpilgrimage.org/2024/registering.
At Pilgrimage 2024, you have the option to attend additional events. There are Saturday Lunch options, Saturday Afternoon events, and a Saturday Evening dinner. For more information on each of these, visit nccpilgrimage.org/2024/schedule.
Please note:
Pilgrimage 2024 t-shirt pre-orders are available and are being accepted through Monday, October 9, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. You can pre-order t-shirts at nccpilgrimage.org/2024/ysf-merch.
There will be a limited number of t-shirts available for purchase at Pilgrimage 2024. All pre-orders will be available for pickup at Pilgrimage 2024 at the Rocky Mount Event Center.
September is National Preparedness Month! This year’s theme is “Start a Conversation.”
Here are some ways that you can start the conversation and begin preparing:
Develop an emergency plan with your family. Discuss what types of disasters may impact you and your community. Know where emergency shelters are located and your evacuation route, and establish a meet-up location.
Download a local church disaster plan template to help your church prepare for disasters. The plan includes inventory lists, communication plans, and contact lists.
Having important information in one place will help you find all the information you need if a disaster impacts your community.
Assemble an emergency kit in an easy-to-carry container or bag. Include a supply of water and non-perishable food for 3-7 days, a first aid kit, medications, important documents, and items for your pets. Keep an emergency kit in your car.
An outreach opportunity for churches could be to create kits for older adults or church members.
Already have a kit? Check to see if any of your supplies need to be refreshed.
Gather copies of essential documents, such as health care, insurance, social security, vehicle information, titles, mortgage information, birth certificates, and utility bills. Check with your insurance company to see if your plan is active, what it covers, and how to file storm damage claims.
Also, take an inventory of items in your home or church and document their conditions if you need the information for insurance claims.
Visit ready.gov to learn about National Preparedness Month, and visit our preparation page for more resources. To learn more about how you can prepare for and respond to disasters, sign up for an upcoming Connecting Neighbors course or schedule a training at your church.
The North Carolina and Western NC Conferences of the UMC have long led our denominational efforts to better care for God’s Creation. As we see momentum growing in this area of ministry, we are pleased to announce several upcoming opportunities to learn more about creation care, and engage our churches and communities in ministry.
Rev. Jarrod Davis is offering this Bible study for groups and individuals alike. Creator, Creature, Collards: A Bible Study from the Farm is a six week study beginning Sep 11 that will guide participants into a biblical understanding of what it means to be a part of God’s creation, all set in the backdrop of the historic Davis Family Farm.
This study is designed so that church groups can participate without having an expert in the room; all your church needs is a good internet connection and someone to help facilitate conversation. Don’t have a group? Choose the individual registration option and you will automatically be signed up for the Thursday evening session with like-minded individuals.
For more information and to register, please click here.
Each Tuesday in September at 7pm, join us via Zoom for a webinar where we’ll hear about exciting ways our congregations can begin or continue the work of caring for creation. Click each date below to register for each session.
September 24, 7-8pm: Finish out the Season of Creation by learning how you or your church can engage in advocacy at the local, state, and national levels. This webinar will be led by Rev. Keith Sexton, a pastor in the NCCUMC, climate advocate, and advocacy trainer.
September 3, 7-8pm: Roundtable discussion about local church creation care teams – how to start them, and what the possibilities are. This roundtable will feature Epworth UMC, Centenary UMC, and SALT (a New Faith Community in Wilmington).
September 10, 7-8pm: We will be joined by Ilka Vega, the Executive for Economic and Environmental Justice at United Women in Faith. Ilka will share with us about the United Women in Faith’s Just Energy for All initiative.
September 17, 7-8pm: Did you know that your church can receive a free energy audit? And become a Certified Green Church within the Conference? Hear more about both of these opportunities from our very own John Rees of Waste Reduction Partners.
In this 7-week hybrid learning experience, we will explore emotional and spiritual responses to ecological and social challenges. Responses like grief and sorrow, anxiety and fear, guilt and shame, anger, and despair are normal responses in challenging times. This course is designed to offer mutual support, healing, insight, and compassion, but this is not a grief therapy experience. Past participants expressed profound gratitude for being among people who could talk honestly about grief, suffering, and the ecological and social challenges of our time.
Click here to learn more and to register. UMC Clergy are eligible to receive $20 off this course; please contact Jarrod Davis for details.
General Conference 2024 turned out to be a real positive for legislation related to creation care and justice, much of which directly effects the local church. Are you familiar with these additions and changes to The UMC Book of Discipline, The UMC Book of Resolutions, and the newly adopted, totally revised Social Principles? And further, do you know how your church might implement these additions and changes?
You are invited to join the upcoming “Lunch and Learn” series being offered online weekly by members of the Western NC Conference Creation Care Ministry team. These weekly half-hour sessions will begin on Wednesday, September 4th , at noon, and continue each Wednesday at that same time throughout the months of September, October, and November.
Follow this link to learn more about what was passed at General Conference.
We are transitioning from Summer to Autumn, but the days are still very hot. High heat is a danger to many in our community, enough so that the rising temperatures are considered a disaster. Unlike hurricanes, tornadoes and the like, high heat is a disaster we can predict and be prepared for ahead of time.
Follow this link to learn more about how local churches are responding to high heat, and how you can join in this work.
Join Rev. Dr. Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship at Discipleship Ministries, on September 17 as he shares ideas on how your church might end the year strong!
Join ChurchSalary and Church Law & Tax on August 21 at 2 pm for a free webinar discussing recent budget, pay, and employment trends.
We invite you to give in your local community this Christmas.
919-779-6115
800-849-4433 (Toll-Free)
NC Conference of
The United Methodist Church
700 Waterfield Ridge Place
Garner, NC 27529
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