Day Apart for Clergy Spouses registration deadline extended to April 10
Please join the first Clergy Spouses’ Day Apart on Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Nashville UMC, 209 East Washington St., Nashville. This will be a special opportunity to grow closer to one another and to God while digging into a deeper prayer life with the help of keynote speaker, Margaret Therkelsen. The cost is $20 per person which includes lunch. Childcare will be provided. The registration deadline has been extended to April 10. Please see Clergy Spouses for more information and registration form.
United Methodist Men Annual Rally to be at MERCI
The conference United Methodist Men will hold a rally and mission weekend April 16-17 at the MERCI Center in Goldsboro. Participating will be UMM National President, John Dowell; Bishop Gwinn; the SEJ UMM President, L W Smith; and Johnny Evans, retired professional football player and current sportscaster for NC State football. Activities will begin on Friday and continue through Saturday. For information about the activities and registration, go to www.ncumm.org.
Native American Ministries Sunday is April 18
On Native American Ministries Sunday, United Methodists cultivate and support the ministries of and with Native Americans and fund scholarships for Native American seminarians. The North Carolina annual conference retains 50 percent of the offering to strengthen and develop Native American ministries within our conference. The remaining 50 percent of the offering expands mission work with the Native American Urban Initiative and provides scholarships for Native Americans attending United Methodist and other approved schools of theology. To see how support of the Native American Ministry Sunday offering has impacted a pastor in the North Carolina Conference or for resources and promotional materials, go to http://www.umcgiving.org.
Restroom Accessibility Grants are available
Due to a generous grant by the Duke Endowment, restroom accessibility grant requests for rural churches are now being accepted. Grant applications must be received by April 19. Applications and guidelines are available online at Restroom Grants.
Sacred/Liturgical Dance Workshop to be held at Lake Junaluska
Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center will host a Sacred/Liturgical Dance Workshop PLUS on July 21-25. The workshop will be led by Tiffany Kirkland, Director of Children’s Ministries at West End UMC in Nashville, TN. The workshop is open to adults, as well as middle and high school students, and childcare for ages 2-11 is also available for a fee. Participants will learn dances, grow in their understanding of this ministry, learn criteria for dance in worship, and explore resources for dance ministry. In addition to liturgical dance, the workshop will also provide a look at signing, ballet, and other ways to enhance participants’ leadership in worship. Before June 15, participants may register for a fee of $75; after June 15, the cost is $90. Workshop attendees will also participate in Sunday morning worship at Stuart Auditorium. A detailed schedule, registration form, and more information about lodging and directions are available at www.lakejunaluska.com/dance, or by calling Pam Naplen at 828-454-6656.
Lecture on evolution to be held at Methodist University
The annual Templeton-Bullard Lecture in the field of Science and Religion will be held at Yarborough Auditorium, Clark Hall, Methodist University on Monday, April 26, at 11 a.m. The topic will be “The Battle Over Evolution: Who’s Fighting Whom About What?” The lecturer will be Ted Peters of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, a graduate of the University of Chicago, who teaches at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and The Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA). He is a co-author of “Bridging Science and Religion” (2003), “God And Evolution” (2006), and “A Scientific and Theological Commentary on Darwin’s Origin of Species” (2008). The public is invited to attend; there is no cost. Inquiries may be directed to Lloyd Bailey (919-489-8731; e-mail:lloyd@duke.edu