Has your church registered a Change the World event?
Change the World weekend is May 14-15. Only eleven churches in the North Carolina Conference have registered as Change the World event sponsors. Chances are many are planning events and just haven’t registered. Go to Change the World by April 14 to be included in the denomination-wide count. Each church that registers will receive a coupon for 50% off an order for promotional resources. To see the resources, go to Resources. How many lives can be impacted in your community by your church’s participation in Change the World?
Conference resolutions are due this week
This is a reminder that Resolutions are due April 15. This will allow the resolutions to be reviewed by the Resolutions Committee prior to Annual Conference. Please send all resolutions to: smedlin@nccumc.org in Microsoft Word format. According to the conference rules, only one resolution per person or agency is allowed.
General Conference petition submissions now being accepted
Petitions for consideration by the 2012 General Conference may be submitted to the Petitions Secretary now through September 27, 2011. According to church law, “Any organization, clergy member, or lay member of The United Methodist Church may petition the General Conference…” Detailed instructions for submitting a petition and more information about the process are available on the General Conference website at http://www.gc2012.umc.org/.
Connecting college students to campus ministries
As many young people venture to college or graduate school, campus ministries, like the Wesley Foundations, provide a faith community for these students, nurturing faith and encouraging service in mission locally and globally. Campus ministers need help to connect with students from United Methodist congregations. In May, please submit via the On Line Data Collection System this additional information: name and home address of graduating high school seniors, and the name of the school each will attend, if higher education is anticipated. Please submit this information prior to Annual Conference, and prior to a change of appointment, if a change is anticipated. When the campus ministers receive this information, they will extend hospitality to your students over the summer.
Hinton Rural Life Center has limited volunteer openings available
Hinton Rural Life Center has some openings available for summer volunteer mission teams who want a transformative service experience in rural Appalachia. A mission agency of the United Methodist Church, Hinton creates opportunities for work teams from all over the country to experience rich mountain culture, to serve with others in repairing or building homes with local families, and to grow in their understanding of faith in action. read more
Make hotel reservations as soon as possible
Due to the North Carolina Conference contract with the Raleigh Convention Center and the incentive they have offered to the North Carolina Conference, persons attending conference are encouraged to make reservations at one of the following hotels located downtown. We must meet a 500-room occupancy for at least one night between June 15 and June 18. Call the Marriott Raleigh City Center (919-833-1120), the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel (919-834-9900) or the Clarion Hotel State Capital (919-832-0501) to make reservations and make sure you ask for the United Methodist Conference rate. For more information, go to Hotels.
Unity Dialogue to meet April 27
The Unity Dialogue will meet April 27 at Methodist University in Fayetteville. Discussion will focus on an article first printed in 1996 in Christian Century magazine, by Walter Wink, titled “Homosexuality and the Bible.” Now available online, the article can be found at Wink article. Permission to print the article is give at the end of the site. The Unity Dialogue is committed to civil conversation about the challenging topic of homosexuality. The dialogue is open to all. The gathering at Methodist University is at 3 p.m. in the Heritage Room, and following worship with communion, Bishop Al Gwinn will facilitate the discussion.
News Briefs is a conference communications tool to connect local churches with the conference, jurisdiction, and the General church. The e-mail newsletter is sent weekly with announcements, event notices and dates to remember. Pastors are encouraged to make News Briefs available to church staff and committee members by submitting email addresses to the Conference Communications office (Communications@nccumc.org) and to local church members by printing News Briefs announcements in church bulletins and newsletters.