Attention 8th graders!! The Youth Leadership has decided to open up registration to rising 9th graders to attend 2021 ACS. Please don’t miss this opportunity, registration closes this week! https://nccumc.org/youth/events/register/
Youth
ACS 70th T-shirt for Sale
Would you like a t shirt to celebrate ACS 70th Anniversary? Order yours today! Proceeds go to YSF. Please click her to order!
2021 ACS (Annual Conference for Students)
You don’t want to miss out on this year’s youth ACS 2021. This year ACS is turning 70 and we want the youth to celebrate this milestone with us! Please go to https://nccumc.org/youth/events/register/ to register, the deadline for registration is July 1st!
Conference Connectional Table: Meeting Updates from 5-18-2021
The Conference Connectional Table (CCT) met May 18 by Zoom for the second of its quarterly meetings in 2021. A meeting summary follows.
STRUCTURAL UPDATES
- Bishop Leonard Fairley will come among us as episcopal leader in September.
- At Annual Conference, we will report the following shifts through the structure review process. Beth Hood will become the Assistant to the Bishop for Clergy Life, supporting clergy throughout their life in the church, from call to post-retirement. Gray Southern will become the Assistant to the Bishop, working with Bishop Fairley directly. He will take up some of the work that Bishop Hope currently does and that Bishop Fairley will do.
- CHRISTIAN UNITY & INTERRELIGIOUS CONCERNS (CUIC): Because the Bishop is the chief ecumenical officer and the UMC Office of Christian Unity & Interreligious Concerns is housed in the Council of Bishops, the conference Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns will now sit within the Bishop’s Office, moving out of Connectional Ministries.
- BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION & CAMPUS MINISTRIES (BHECM): Because of the connection with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the call of the students, and theological education work, the conference Higher Education and Ministry will sit within the Office of Clergy Life, moving out of Connectional Ministries.
PROGRAM UPDATES
- FINANCIAL STATUS: Currently, our apportionments are up by a few percent, compared to this time last year. So far, finances are in good shape, so we are proceeding with caution. Staff are saving money where they can, but are also trying to begin to put things back into place and get things going again in a different way. The new position of Assistant to the Bishop and the change of Assistant to the Bishop for Clergy Life was planned for in the 2021 operating budget through the supplemental process. We had around $1.3 million that was not spent in 2020, so those funds were rolled back into the reserves and used by CFA for some of those supplements. We project some similar savings into 2021.
- COVID ASSISTANCE GRANTS: These grants remain available to churches through the Cabinet.
- METHODIST BUILDING OPENING: We expect a partial opening July 1st when staff will return to work around two days a week and the building will open to committee meetings. After Labor Day, we plan to open the building fully.
- USING ZOOM FOR MEETINGS: Utilizing Zoom over the past 1.5 years has realized great savings and, in some regards, enabled us to reach farther than we could do in-person. Moving forward, conference committees report that they are looking at a mix of in-person and Zoom meetings when the conference building opens again. The agenda may be the best indicator of what kinds of meetings can be facilitated through Zoom. Although Zoom can bring in people from further away with ease, that impersonal screen-to-screen can impact engagement levels.
- CONFERENCE COUNCIL ON YOUTH MINISTRY (CCYM): After decades of faithful service in conference youth ministries, Suzanne Cobb stepped down from the role of CCYM chairperson. The conference is taking this opportunity to step back and re-evaluate the entirety of youth ministry in the Annual Conference. Jay Locklear has agreed to lead that task, along with Jason Villegas and another person to be determined. Many groups will be involved, including youth leadership, district coordinators, youth operations team, and Cabinet. Chris Harman will work with them to begin that overview, developing long-term strategies and recommendations. We’ve had a strong system for a lot of years, and we want to ensure that we maintain that strength and make it even stronger.
- CDC RECOMMENDATIONS / CONFERENCE WEBSITE: We have updated our website with the latest information from the governor and the CDC. We still suggest that folks meet virtually or outdoors, especially if there are a number of people in the congregation who are not vaccinated. Robeson County, for example, only has 24% of its population fully vaccinated, so decisions about meeting together would best be contextualized. To see the latest numbers in your area, see covidactnow.org. We continue to have weekly conversations with Wes Wallace and a number of pastors around Chapel Hill. Wes has suggested and affirmed what we’ve posted on the website.
- ANTI-RACISM EFFORTS: After a few months, about 180 people within our conference have taken the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), representing all eight districts. Additional anti-racism training dates offered by Changing the Lens have been added for early fall: September 7 (Optics – Implicit Bias) and September 20-21 (History of Racism).
- HOUSE BILL 324: CCT members read and made editing suggestions to the letter from Church and Society, Congregations for Children, and the Bishop, written in opposition to Ensuring Dignity & Nondiscrimination/Schools (House Bill 324).
- LEADING DURING LIMINAL TIMES: In May, Susan Beaumont led a series of three webinars around her book How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season. Beaumont says that these liminal seasons – times when we are in-between two different stages – are the breeding ground for dysfunction and disorientation. During these liminal times, Beaumont suggests setting aside expectations of what a leader should be and, instead of claiming to know all the answers and giving directions, to admit that we don’t know it all. This approach gives space for creativity in others and a time to see what’s next. One leadership stance that Beaumont suggests is to stand in awe of what wants to emerge.
- THE COLOSSIANS WAY: The conference has been awarded a grant from the Intentional Growth Center to support 40 churches in their participation in The Colossians Way. The program’s focus is relationship building, using Bible stories and personal stories in a structured way to have productive conversation on difficult topics. Training will happen over the summer and groups will roll out in the fall.
- C4C / UPMAPS: UMAPS will be the fourth priority of Congregations for Children, and no longer sit as a separate entity.
- Fall CCT Retreat: In preparation for a CCT retreat in early fall, members considered core ministries that need to be carried forward as well as new ways of leading over the next two years. Discussion questions included: How do we help re-energize committee work to lead, create, and support the connectional and local church ministry as we emerge from the pandemic? Where do you see the most passionate response in our work of discipleship and transformation? How might we lead in new ways, and renew and reinvent our work? What should be the core points for new visioning? What do you want to explore more fully?
The next CCT meeting is scheduled for early fall. Exact date is under consideration.
Under the structure of the North Carolina Conference, the Connectional Table provides a forum for the understanding, casting forth, and implementation for the vision of the conference. It is the place where ministry and money come to the same table to coordinate the mission, ministries, and resources of the conference.
Small and Rural Church Resources
Do you attend or lead a small church? Is your church in a rural area? The NC Conference Media Center offers books and resources specifically tailored to your congregation’s unique challenges. We have books about small and rural church leadership, leading small youth groups, and teaching all ages of children in one room. We also recommend some online classes and other online resources of use to small and rural churches.
Leadership and Significance
Small and rural churches are vital to the communities they serve, and they can thrive within their context. Use these books to discover the significance of your congregation and learn how to lead it well.
Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations by Allen T. Stanton. Rev. Stanton uses his experience serving a rural church in the NC Conference and his time as a Rural Faith Communities Fellow at the Institute for Emerging Issues to provide this energetic and encouraging guide to building thriving rural congregations. The book explores the myths and realities of rural places, and how those common narratives impact the leadership of rural churches. Arguing for a practice of evangelism imbued with a mission of vitality, Rev. Stanton promotes the church as a leader in economic and community development, modeled upon a Wesleyan theology of grace.
Small on Purpose: Life in a Significant Church by Lewis A. Parks. This book is a joyful and honest look at the kingdom-enriching characteristics of small congregations. Rev. Parks demonstrates how to see and build upon those strengths. He shows us how life in a small congregation is profoundly significant and the important role these churches play. The book includes clear instructions on how leaders can streamline ministry to maximize the unique and powerful contributions small churches make in their communities.
Small Church Checkup: Assessing Your Church’s Health and Creating a Treatment Plan by Kay Kotan and Phil Schroeder. This resource provides a guide to help you find hope, alternatives, and the possibility of a new beginning. Included are tools to help you measure your church’s vitality, evaluate the results, and diagnose your church’s condition, along with several options for treatment plans as you seek to faithfully serve your community. Follow the steps outlined in these pages to evaluate where you are and what the next steps on your journey need to be as you seek to be a “not yet big church,” “a stable, small church,” or a church that chooses to close and be repurposed for unexpected new life.
God’s Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church by Brad Roth. With the poetic force of Kathleen Norris and the pastoral warmth of Eugene Peterson, Kansas pastor Roth sets forth a vision for vibrant rural churches, for ministry in congregations that bear a profound sense of both loss and possibility, and for harvesting fruits of transformation and renewal. Rooted in stories from Scripture, his own ministry, and interviews with rural church leaders, Rev. Roth offers a sturdy theological and practical alternative to church-growth strategies that rely on success stories and flashy metrics. Rediscover the stunning abundance of God’s presence in rural communities. Learn to live and love and minister right where you are, no matter how small or unassuming it may seem.
The Gifts of the Small Church by Jason Byassee. In this clear-eyed, humorous appraisal, Jason Byassee contends that the “church around the corner” occupies a particular place in the divine economy, that it is especially capable of forming us in the virtues, perspectives, and habits that make up the Christian life. Having been a rural, small membership church pastor in Western NC, Rev. Byassee knows too well the particular vices and temptations to which they are subject. But he also knows the particular graces they’ve been given. Anyone who serves, or belongs to, a “church around the corner” will find their ministry strengthened by this enlivening, inspiring book.
Legacy of Faith: Rural Methodist Churches in North Carolina by Laura A.W. Phillips. James B. Duke grew up knowing the significance that churches held in rural communities. “My old daddy always said that if he amounted to anything in life it was due to the Methodist circuit riders who frequently visited his home and whose preaching and counsel brought out the best that was in him,” he once said. “If I amount to anything in this world, I owe it to my daddy and the Methodist church.” In the Indenture of Trust that created The Duke Endowment, James B. Duke set aside support for the building and maintenance of United Methodist churches in rural North Carolina. This book, Legacy of Faith, celebrates those churches, their architecture, history, and service.
Additional Books
We do have additional books on small and rural church leadership in our collection. A complete list of these books can be found in the Small and Rural Churches pathfinder in our online catalog.
Small Church Youth Ministry
Small(er) Church Youth Ministry: No Staff, No Money, No Problem! by Brad Fiscus with Stephanie Caro. If you are doing youth ministry at a small(er) church, this book is for you. The authors will show you how to start, build, and lead an effective disciple-making youth ministry. You’ll learn how other churches have created vibrant youth ministries without a lot of money or even a youth minister. Designed for use by individuals or in a team environment, it provides biblical foundation, practical helps, tools, and activities that have been proven to work in churches just like yours.
Single Digit Youth Groups: Working with Fewer than 10 Teens by Marcy Balcomb. This helpful book begins with a scriptural foundation and recognizing the benefits of single-digit youth groups. It then provides advice for adult leaders, starting or restarting a youth group, doing cooperative youth ministry, and safety issues. It also includes 42 great activities and reproducible forms.
Bonus Podcast! Youth Ministry: Small Church. This podcast was started by a youth minister at a small United Methodist Church in California. It’s about helping under-resourced youth workers find the resources and the answers they need to succeed. It includes episodes on the Small(er) Church Youth Ministry book listed above and many more resources.
One Room Sunday School
If you have all ages of children in one Sunday School classroom, these resources are designed for your use. They provide easy-to-teach lessons for all seasons of the year.
All Together Now: 13 Sunday school lessons when you have kids of all ages in one room by Lois Keffer. For ages 4-12, these 13 interactive lessons will help kids experience the wonder and adventure of the Bible. They will grow closer to God and learn invaluable truths. With step-by-step instructions, it’s easy to lead your children on a journey through the Bible. The four books in this series are seasonal and when used together, they offer lessons year-round.
All-in-One Sunday School. Discover 13 fun, Bible-based programs full of creative ideas for classes with kids ages 4 to 12. You’ll save time and money–just gather a few common, inexpensive items, photocopy the handouts, and you’re ready to teach creative Bible lessons your kids will love. You’ll also discover how to help kids of multiple ages work together as a team, learn what to expect from different age groups, and be able to give young children the extra attention they crave while helping older children feel special as they help younger children learn. The four books in this series are seasonal and when used together, they offer lessons year-round.
One Room Sunday School. This quarterly curriculum kit offered by Cokesbury includes everything needed for Sunday School when you have kids ages 3-12 in one room. The kit includes a leader guide, reproducible kids’ book, resource pack, and CD-ROM. The CD-ROM is a quarterly music CD-ROM with added PowerPoint slides, song sheets, and instrumental tracks. The Resource Pack contains colorful, easy-to-use posters to reinforce the Bible story, plus storytelling helps, an attendance chart, and more! The Reproducible Kids’ Book is 96 pages of activities tailored to each session throughout the quarter. From coloring pages to creative writing prompts, this resource will lead children to a deeper understanding of each Bible lesson.
Online Classes
Ministry in the Rural Context. Beginning on June 20, 2021, this online class from Wesley Theological Seminary explores the diverse range of rural life in the United States and the opportunities for ministry these settings hold. Through an exploration of the cultural and theological realities in rural ministry, this six-week course offers a framework of creativity and hope for ministry grounded in a collection of resources, stories, and media designed to support those serving in rural communities.
Online Classes from BeADisciple.com
These short-term online classes are offered from Southwestern College, a United Methodist institution, through BeADisciple.com, a portal for Christian online education. Some of these courses contribute to a Certification in Rural Ministry.
Rural Ministry and Country Music. Beginning on July 12, 2021, this course is for church leaders who want to pair the imagery and storytelling of country music with the disciple-making goals of their faith communities. This three-week course explores the themes of country music and how they can support the discipleship ministries of the rural church without hiding from the realities of country music.
Engaging the Bible in Rural Ministry. Beginning on August 23, 2021, this online class is for laypeople and clergy in rural communities who want to explore the value of the Bible to their distinctive rural settings. Participants explore the unique places they live and how the Bible matters both inside and outside of the church without being glued to studies and sermons.
Rural Relationships and Rural Ministry. Beginning on August 23, 2021, this online class takes a drive down the backroads of our rural communities, exploring cultural, social, economic, and spiritual realities present in rural communities. Special attention is given to the need to explore the needs of the community and how student’s rural ministries can help.
Practical Theology in Rural Communities. Beginning on October 11, 2021, this online class engages both the terms “rural” and “practical theology” in ways that allow for application and inspiration of the Holy Spirit in rural ministry. As rural life looks very different depending upon context, this course allows for application which provides fewer solid answers, and more a toolbox for engaging in ministry.
Transforming Rural Places Through Congregational and Community Partnerships. Beginning on October 11, 2021, this online class helps students discern the best partnerships for their ministries to engage the gifts of their communities. Rural communities are built on connection and relationships, to place, people, heritage, and culture. Students will learn how to tap into these resources in order to build sustainable and creative connections for change.
Other Online Resources
Small Membership Congregations. This 2-part webinar series from Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church focused on effective congregations and the Nurture Outreach Witness model of ministry. The recording is archived and available for viewing.
Small Membership Churches. The Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary periodically publishes articles and podcasts about small churches that are archived on their blog. Several of the authors featured above have lent their voices to these publications.
Rural Faith Communities as Anchor Institutions. The Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State University offers a Rural Faith Communities initiative. It includes periodic gatherings for rural church leaders, peer networks, resources, and an emerging issues forum.
ACS is turning 70!
Join us in celebrating this milestone! A celebration will be held on Tuesday, July 20th at 7pm (with gathering starting at 6:30) at Camp Rockfish. We will be Honoring our Past, Celebrating our Present and Anticipating our Future! Need further details? Contact Jennifer Cooper at jcooper@mhfc.org.