May the Light of Epiphany Shine
Bishop Ward calls readers/viewers to be people of mission, light, joy, and courage as they follow the light of Christ in this week’s Connections.
2013 Apportionment Payment Deadline
Final receipt cutoff date and time for 2013 apportionments is Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 8:30 a.m. All apportionments must be received by the Conference Treasurer’s Office by this date and time to be counted toward 2013 apportionments. To meet this deadline, please mail payments to the bank lockbox (P.O. Box 890202, Charlotte, NC 28289-0202) no later than Jan. 8. All remittances sent after that date should be mailed directly to the Treasurer’s Office, Methodist Building, 700 Waterfield Ridge Place, Garner, NC 27529.
Conference UMW 39 and Under Event
Join United Methodist Women on Feb. 21-22 for the annual 39 and Under Event. Young women from across the conference will converge at First UMC: Elon to learn, laugh and pray. This event is designed for teen and young women. The event starts with dinner on Friday evening. Registration will be open at 5:30 p.m. at the church. The event ends on Saturday around 3 p.m.
This is an event hosted by the NC Conference UMW, but is for all young women of the church. You do not have to be a member of UMW to attend. Registration information is available at 39 & Under.
Human Relations Sunday, Jan. 19
General Conference created six unique Special Sundays to prepare students to become leaders for the church and the world; empower the poor and victimized to live fuller lives through self-improvement programs; advocate and challenge injustice and pay administrative cost for disaster relief. Offer your church members the opportunity to change the world one life at a time by lifting up these Special Sundays. The first Special Sunday offering of the year will be received on Human Relations Sunday – Jan. 19. For more information on how this money is directed and for promotional resources, go to Human Relations Sunday.
Extension Ministries Forms due Jan. 31
All provisional or full elders and deacons that are members of the NC Conference are required to fill out our Extension Ministry Forms for the reporting period of Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2013 by Jan. 31. Forms and instructions are located at Extension Ministries. You must complete this form using your nccumc.org address. If you have problems logging into your nccumc.org address, please contact Linda Smith at lsmith@nccumc.org or 800-849-4433, Ext. 238.
MTF Payments due Jan. 31
The annual contributions payments to the Ministers’ Transition Fund (MTF) are due to the Treasurer’s Office no later than Jan. 31. Payments received after Jan. 31 will be returned to the minister. Failure to pay the contribution by the deadline may result in either forfeiture of this year’s dividend and/or lack of credit towards future dividends. For more details about the benefits of this Fund and to obtain an enrollment application, visit the Pensions Page on the Treasurer’s Office Web site or contact JoAnna Ezuka (1-800-849-4433 ext. 225).
Bishop’s Forum Luncheon Jan. 15
The next Bishop’s Forum luncheon will take place at the UM Building on Jan. 15 at 11 a.m. The topic for this forum will be Race and the Criminal Justice System. The guest speaker will be Daryl Atkinson, staff attorney with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and founding member of the North Carolina Second Chance Alliance. For more information on Mr. Atkinson, click on Southern Coalition. To reserve lunch ($5 cash donation at the door), please email Robin Harry at rharry@nccumc.org by Jan. 10.
PK Getaway at Camp Rockfish
A fun overnighter for PKs (Preacher’s Kids) ages 7-17, will be held at Camp Rockfish Jan. 24-25. Cost is $35. For more information, go to PK Getaway.
Lake Junaluska Peace Conference
March 27-30
Faith, Health, and Peace: Seeking the Basic Right to Good Health for All God’s Children.
The 2014 Peace Conference seeks to affirm the basic right to good health from the perspective of faith traditions, lift up “the leading causes of life,” and explore ways faith communities can combat the causes of poor health, such as disease, violence, and poverty. Early registration ends Feb. 15. Register at www.lakejunaluska.com/peace or by calling 800-222-4930.
January Webinars Inform Local Church Leaders
The General Board of Discipleship provides free webinars to inform and train local church leaders. January training include:
Stewardship and Finance: Getting It Right at the Starting Line
Thursday, Jan. 9, 6:30 CT
Stewardship teams, finance committees, or church council – if your work in the church deals with people’s giving, start off on the right foot. This is a slightly updated repeat of the stewardship webinar of 2013. Click to register.
SPRC Overview of a Year of Leadership
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m. CT
Guidance for how staff-parish relations committees can create a healthy work place for staff so that ministry is vital and effective. Click to register.
Lay Leader: What’s My Job?
Thursday, Jan. 16, 6:30 p.m. CT
Jodi Cataldo, the United Methodist Board of Discipleship’s new director of Laity in Leadership and Betsey Heavner will facilitate a discussion in lay leadership in congregations of all sizes. Click to register.
Conference Seeking Applicants for Communications Director
Position opening announced: The North Carolina Conference is seeking a Director of Communications. For details and a job description, go to Communications.