Is your church preparing to Change the World?
Change the World weekend is May 19-20. What is your church planning that will not only inspire and motivate your church members, but more importantly, make a difference in the life of someone in your community or the world? Register your Change the World event at ReThink Church before April 16 and receive a free lawn banner, sermon series bundle and T-shirt.
Bridging the Generational Divide
Tuesday, May 8 – North Ridge Country Club, Raleigh, N.C. Ron Carucci, the founding partner of Passage Consulting and best- selling author and his colleague, Josh Epperson, will lead this dynamic national Leadership Series session, sponsored by the Academy for Leadership Excellence. Through findings from hard-hitting research, compelling organizational and work-place stories, this workshop will offer practical steps for both incumbent and emerging leaders on how to overcome the generational divide and build high performance leadership relationships that will lead to success. For detailed information about this training event, go to Bridging the Divide.
Seminaries develop new peacebuilding program
Candler School of Theology in Atlanta and General Theological Seminary in New York are developing a new joint program in Peacebuilding, Justice and Conflict Transformation. It is designed for pastors, laity, community organizers, youth workers, teachers, students and others interested in learning peacebuilding skills. The schools are seeking input on how to tailor the program and have developed a short survey. Those who complete the survey and include their contact information will be eligible to win free tuition to attend the first program, which takes place at the Desmond Tutu Center on the GTS campus in Manhattan in early 2013. The survey closes April 22. Take the survey.
Native American Ministry Sunday – April 22
Native American Ministries Sunday is one of the six churchwide Special Sundays of The United Methodist Church.The designated Sunday for 2012 is April 22 but it can be celebrated on any Sunday that works with the ministry of each individual church. Fifty percent of the offering remains in this conference to develop and strengthen local Native American ministries. The remainder goes to the general church to support and fund scholarships for Native Americans to attend seminary and to support many ministries in the Native American Urban Initiative of the Board of Global Ministries. Follow this link to order resources for your church to celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday.
Open House at Camps Chestnut Ridge and Rockfish
Come one, come all to Camp Chestnut Ridge in Efland or Camp Rockfish in Parkton! On Sunday, April 22, enjoy a taste of the camp life at Chestnut Ridge with pony rides, canoeing, archery, crafts, hiking, hayrides, the zip line, and great food. Hours are 1-5 p.m. Take the opportunity to get to know Rockfish by touring the facility, and experiencing many of the activity areas including archery, canoeing, kayaking, arts and crafts, climbing tower, zip line, pedal boats, and environmental education. The day also includes a southern-style home cooked dinner served in the Dining Hall as well as a family worship experience. Rockfish hours are 1-7 p.m. Make your reservation today by calling 910-425-3529 ext 21 or by email to: info@camprockfish.org. Each one of these events is free. The spring open houses are open to church members, friends, and neighbors.
Retreat designed to help persons dealing with loss
The Hinton Rural Life Center is offering a retreat June 8-10 called “Pathways Through Loss.” Loss is both a universal and a deeply personal experience. The Pathways Through Loss retreat will be an exploration of the nature of loss, how we face it or avoid it, and some of the ways that we walk (or run) through it. It is open to anyone who is interested in thinking more deeply about loss (which we understand to be more than the experience of death) and how loss affects our lives and the lives of many around us. Please share the detailed information at the attached link with persons in your church who may benefit, and contact Amy Spivey: amy@hintoncenter.org, if you have questions.
Golf tournament scheduled to assist Methodist University Care Clinic
Methodist University’s Physician Assistant Program will host its third annual golf tournament Friday, May 4, at the Gates Four Golf and Country Club. The golf tournament will raise money for The Care Clinic and costs associated with the Class of 2013’s national board review. The cost to play for individual players is $75, or $60 for MU faculty/staff. Registration fees include lunch, and corporate sponsorship fees are also available. The tournament’s structure is four-person captain’s choice scramble. Registration opens at 11 a.m., with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams. There will be Hole-In-One prizes of a brand new 2012 Hyundai Accent on the front 9 and $1,000 on the back 9. The Care Clinic is a free treatment center that provides medical care to low-income and uninsured residents of Cumberland County. For more information about the golf tournament, go to golf.
How accessible is your worship space to all persons?
Can everyone comfortably come to worship with you? Take this Local Church Accessibility Survey to assess how welcoming your building, grounds, and leadership may appear to those with physical disabilities. Want to do more? The resource, Greeting Persons with Disabilities, provides more ways churches can prepare to help all persons feel welcome.
United Methodist Family Fun Days at Theme Parks
Dates in April and May are designated as NC Conference United Methodist Family Fun Days at Carowinds and Kings Dominion. Tickets are available for United Methodists at significantly discounted costs for those dates. Tickets may be purchased online or over the phone. If ordered by phone, be sure to mention North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church to receive your discount. For each ticket redeemed, a contribution is made to Youth Service Fund. Information on designated dates and ordering tickets is available at KD2012-NC Methodist Brochure.