Jack Crum Conference to be held in Raleigh
The 3rd annual Jack Crum Conference on Prophetic Ministry will be held at Avent Ferry UMC in Raleigh on April 9 from 9 a.m. to 3p.m. The theme is “One Bread, One Body: Embracing Diversity.” The cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door; students can attend for $15. Checks should be made payable to MFSA-NC and mailed to MFSA-NC, c/o Henry Jarrett, P.O. Box 18311, Raleigh NC 27619-8311. The event is sponsored by the NC Annual Conference Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. It is co-sponsored by the NC Chapter of the NAACP, Great Schools in Wake, NC Conference Board of Church and Society, Black Methodists for Church Renewal, Avent Ferry UMC, Fairmont UMC, and the NC Council of Churches.
Pan-Methodist gathering will meet at Duke Divinity School
There will be a gathering of persons interested in conversation among African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, United Methodist, and Episcopal colleagues. The gathering will be Thursday, Feb. 17, beginning at Goodson Chapel at Duke Divinity School in Durham for the 11:25 a.m. divinity school worship service. The service will recognize Absalom Jones Day; the preacher will be The Right Reverend Michael Curry, bishop of the North Carolina Diocese of The Episcopal Church. Following the service, Bishop Curry will lead a discussion on “Leadership for Overcoming Racial Divides.” Around 1:30, the group will meet in the York Room at the Divinity School, hopefully with students, and reflect on the relationships among the related groups in Christ’s family. The event should end by 3:00. Parking can be a challenge on the Duke campus, so allow enough time to find a spot for parking.
“Christian Conviction and Cultural Accommodation”
“Christian Conviction and Cultural Accommodation,” a one-day conversation on public witness in the public square, will be Feb. 21 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Greensboro. The event is sponsored by the Christian Unity Committee of the NC Council of Churches. The event will begin with a presentation on The Barmen Declaration, a theological protest against the Nazi captivity of the Church in Hitler’s Germany, by Dr. Robert T. Osborn, who taught theology at Duke for years and who is a retired member of the North Carolina Conference. It will then move into conversation about lessons that can be learned from Barmen and that can be applied in our time and place. The day will begin at 9:30 a.m. and run until 3:00 p.m. The cost is $10.00. To register, go to Christian Conviction or call 919-828-6501.
Methodist Home for Children Sunday is February 13
Once a year, congregations in the NC Conference are urged to receive a special offering for the children and families served by Methodist Home for Children (MHC). This offering helps support the work that touches more than 1400 young people and families each year with services that include foster care and adoption, family counseling, residential care and other programs. A critical source of support for this work is the annual MHC Sunday offering, taken in United Methodist churches on or close to Feb. 13. Special MHC giving envelopes and bulletin inserts are distributed by the district UMW. If your church needs MHC Sunday envelopes or would like to schedule an MHC speaker for a “mission moment” or other presentation, please contact Donna Tate at dtate@mhfc.org or 919-754-3621.
Employment Practices Liability Basics to be discussed
The Rev. Joy Melton, chief resource officer for The United Methodist Property and Casualty Trust will present an overview of federal laws that apply to employment procedures and give practical advice for how churches fit into federal requirements and how churches can protect themselves with adequate employment practices and procedures. This presentation will be Thursday, Feb. 17, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the NC Methodist Conference Building in Garner. Rev. Melton will cover the basic application of the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and several other federal regulations with which church leaders should be familiar. The registration fee for the event is $10 per person to cover the cost of lunch and workshop materials. Seats are limited so please email kbell@nccumc.org to reserve a spot.
Duke to host on-campus Visit Day for new degree programs
Duke Divinity School will host an on-campus visit day for its new Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) and youth ministry-focused Master of Arts in Christian Practice (M.A.C.P.) degree programs on Friday, Feb. 18. These degrees blend short, residential intensive seminars with web-based distance learning, allowing participants to remain in a full-time ministry context or other professional position. The visit day will begin at 3:30 p.m., and registered participants will receive dinner and overnight lodging accommodations. For more information or to sign up for the event, please contact the Office of Admissions by phone (888-GO-2-DUKE) or email admissions@div.duke.edu.
Time to make hotel reservations for Annual Conference
Persons attending 2011 Annual Conference in Raleigh are encouraged to make hotel reservations as soon as possible. Several other groups will be meeting in downtown Raleigh at the same time and rooms will fill up. For reservation information and telephone numbers, go to Hotels. When you call the hotels to make your reservation, please ask for the United Methodist Church group rate.
Alpha Marriage Course training in March
Church leaders are invited to attend an Alpha Marriage Course Training Day on Saturday, March 26, from 9-4 at Trinity Worship Center in Burlington. The purpose of the training is to equip participants to initiate a group in the local churches. Click Alpha Training to register or to download a printable flyer. Also, if any churches are already running the Marriage Course and would be interested in training others in how to run the course, there will be a “Training the Trainers” session on Sunday, March 27 from 2-5 pm. Please contact Jenny Noyes at jennynoyes@alphausa.org for more information on either session.
Corrected links:
The following links were not working in last week’s News Briefs.
The Clergy Partners’ Day Apart with Mrs. Gwinn Clergy Partners Day
Faith Connections on Mental Health Faith and Mental Health
Occasionally, the links published in News Briefs do not hold during the transmission of the e-mail. If a link does not work, please contact LeeAnne Thornton lbthornton@nccumc