New Faith Communities

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 February.

Conference

Bishop Fairley shared a message, “Make It Plain,” in observance of Black History Month.
A new, weekly bible study podcast with Belton Joyner was released. Listen and subscribe to “God’s Gift of Scripture with Belton Joyner.”
Episode 5 of “Grace for the Future” was released. The episode features Bishop Fairley, Rev. Dr. Jean Hawxhurst, and Rev. Dr. Gray Southern.
Deacon Endowment grant applications opened.
The Conference Health Committee shared two updates from their conversations with Disaster Medicine expert, Dr. Wes Wallace. Watch the latest update from February 22 and visit our Coronavirus Response page for additional resources.
The #BeUMC focus theme for February was Committed. Learn more about the campaign, watch new video testimonials, and share A Prayer for the Committed People of God.
The Conference Connectional Table approved the 2024 budget and sent the presentation to the Council of Finance and Administration for consideration.
Archives and History shared a story about Bishop Joseph Bethea’s life.
Bishop Fairley released a Pastoral Letter in Light of the Tragic Events in Ukraine.

Center for Leadership Excellence

The Center for Leadership Excellence presented a webinar on Demystifying Devotions for fifty church leaders. Jim Harnish inspired and encouraged attendees to find new ways to contextualize devotions to be more relevant to church meetings and bible studies.
Highlighted recent events related to anti-racism.

Christian Formation

Continued working with current Certified Lay Ministers on their renewal process and increasing web access to Lay Servant, Lay Speaker, and Certified Lay Ministry information.

Media Center

View resources for the Committed People of God.
View anti-racism resources for everyone in your church.
View resources to Teach Your Church to #BeUMC.

New Faith Communities

The Office of New Faith Communities hosted Common Learning Day at St. Paul’s UMC in Carolina Beach, February 8-9. Gathering both in person and online, planters focused on the topic of “holistic mission,” delving more deeply into congregational life cycles, creating a purpose statement and core values for a faith community, and learning how to lean into those values for decision-making and conflict navigation.

Office of Clergy Life

Applications for the 2022 Taste and See internship opened.
The Conference Board of Ordained Ministry interviewed and approved 13 elder and 4 deacon candidates for provisional membership.
NC Conference clergy serving a church or under episcopal appointment participated in sexual ethics training utilizing the resources of Safe Gatherings. The course addressed issues challenging today’s clergy and church leadership. Some of these issues included technology, sexualized behavior and misconduct, addiction, behavior with children and youth, narcissism, and plagiarism.

Outreach Ministry

The Creation Care Committee hosted a virtual book discussion of “Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.”
Registration for the first ever Green Church Training opened. Read a spotlight on one of the churches in our Conference who is certified as a Green Church.
Congregations for Children shared upcoming learning opportunities centered around advocacy.
Disaster Ministries hosted an Early Response Team Training. Register for an upcoming training.
The Health Ministry Team collaborated with the NC Council of Churches to present webinars addressing the use of settlement funds from several drug companies due to the opioid crisis.
The Project Agape Board of Directors is expanding the ability to garner support for our neighbors in Armenia beyond the NC Conference and the Western NC Conference by securing 501c3 status as a non-profit. Contributions can be given online or through the Advance S00004 – PROJECT AGAPE, Armenia.

Treasurer’s Office

The 2021 Annual Audit Report was launched and is available in the Online Data Collection System.
Forms for the Affordable Care Act Reporting were ordered.
Church audit and clergy tax accountant referral forms were published for churches to share their recommendations.

Youth Ministries

The Conference Council on Youth Ministries met on February 5. Youth Ministries will host one event this summer, NCCUMC Youth Week.

Creating New Spaces for New People
by Rev. Dr. Tim Catlett

Recently, I was speaking with a national church planting expert, and he said, “The pandemic will forever change the way the local church conceives of our relationship with buildings and physical space.”

For almost 70 years, members of the $10 Club and New Room Society have been helping co-create new spaces for new people to gather into communion with Jesus Christ. And while the local church’s relationship with buildings and physical space might be changing, the need for new spaces for new people to encounter Jesus Christ is as important as ever.

Over the last ten years, North Carolina is the sixth fastest growing state in the country, adding over 900,000 people. In 2020, our total population increased to 10.4 million people. While the state is growing in numbers of people, the state is also growing more diverse. NC leaders project that five of eight people added to our state through 2030 will be a person of color. Like much of our country, our state is also aging, with a continued increase in our older adult (65+) population.

Your prayers, support, and financial gifts are helping our Annual Conference actively engage in co-creating new spaces for new people moving into our communities with the hope they might encounter and enter into communion with Jesus Christ. Thank you!

We are currently actively supporting 16 new faith communities (congregations less than five years old) and exploring adding two to four additional new faith communities in 2022. This newsletter reflects on what our current new faith communities are doing. In particular, church planters will share how their teams are creatively using alternative spaces to invite new people into communion with Jesus.

Thank you again for your support. To make a financial contribution for 2021 or 2022, please visit us online, https://nccumc.org/newfaithcommunities/.

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Last Month in the NC Conference (February 2022)

NFC December 2021 Newsletter

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