Help spread the word about the ministry of conference camps
The NC Conference is blessed to have three camp and retreat centers – Chestnut Ridge, Don Lee and Rockfish – where lives are being transformed through the love of Christ every day. All three are open year-round to school groups, families, and youth and adult retreats. Celebrate the many gifts of God’s great outdoors on Camp Sunday – Feb. 26 (or another Sunday that fits with a church’s schedule). Download the 2012 bulletin insert including information about camps and a litany for Camp Sunday.
Webinar on nurturing faith formation in adults
Small groups are one of the key drivers for vital congregations. Leaders of small groups and other settings for adult faith formation will find help in understanding characteristics of adults and in planning effectively through a free webinar Feb. 28 at 6:30 PM CST: “Adults are Different! Adult Experiences” of FaithHelp for teachers and leaders of adult groups in understanding some of the characteristics of adults that affect their participation and in planning more effectively for the members in their class or group. Register at www.gbod.org/adultseminars.
NC Conference is co-sponsor of event on mental health
Faith Connections on Mental Illness is the second annual conference on mental illness for families and friends with mental illness and the faith communities that provide support, advocacy, and encouragement in the struggle. The conference will take place at St. Thomas More Church in Chapel Hill, on Friday, March 2. Chaplain Craig Rennebohm, author of “Souls in the Hands of a Tender God,” is the featured speaker, and he and others on the program will provide insight and inspiration for congregations serving the mentally ill and their families. The NC Conference Committee on Disability Concerns is one of the sponsors of this event. To learn more and to register, please go to Faith Connections.
Conference prayer events to lift up GC/JC delegations
The Spiritual Life Team (Christian Formation) is presenting a series of prayer events around the conference February 25 and 26 to engage laity and clergy in praying for General and Jurisdictional Conferences this year. Prayers will also be lifted for Bishop Gwinn, the NC Conference delegation, and Gray Southern, the NC Conference candidate for the episcopacy. Pastors are invited to attend and bring at least one layperson. Resources for continuing this focus of prayers will be shared and the model presented that day can also be taken back to the local church to engage more persons in ongoing prayer. For the dates, times, and locations, go to Prayer Events.
Clergy CEU Credit Available at Clergy Benefits Seminar
Clergy seeking continuing education credit should consider attending the Clergy Benefits Seminar on March 22-23 in Research Triangle Park. Attendees will build confidence in understanding their benefit plans and will learn how to maximize those benefits for their own, their families’, and their ministries’ well-being. As an added bonus, the event has been approved for 1.0 Continuing Education Unit. Download the brochure, register and make payment online. Registration deadline is March 8.
Pilgrimage to England to follow the path of Wesley
A 10-day Wesleyan Pilgrimage in England planned for October will help United Methodist clergy and laity understand more clearly the missional nature of Methodism practiced by John and Charles Wesley. Early registration discounts are available for the Oct. 4-14 pilgrimage which will immerse the leaders in the practical theology of the Wesley brothers. During the pilgrimage, sponsored by GBOD and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, pilgrims will pray where the Wesleys prayed and served. Participants will explore Epworth, the Wesleys’ birthplace; Oxford, where John & Charles Wesley received theological education and led the Holy Club; Bristol, the home of the Methodist societies and class meetings, and London, where both brothers experienced assurance of salvation and John Wesley built the center of British Methodism. An early registration discount of $600 is available for everyone until April 29, and a discount of $300 will be available from April 30 – June 30. After Aug. 1, the cost will be $2,595. GBHEM is making $1,000 scholarships available for 20 provisional elders and deacons, lowering their cost to $995 until the April 29 early registration deadline. The cost includes 10 nights lodging, most meals and all admission fees. The pilgrims will be responsible for their own round-trip airfare to London and ground transportation to Sarum College in Salisbury. For details and registration information, go to Wesley Pilgrimage. Registration must be completed no later than Sept. 7.