Retirement Seminar deadline approaching
The deadline for registering for the Board of Pension Retirement Planning Seminar is Thursday, March 10. Don’t miss this opportunity to prepare for this transition in ministry and life. For event and registration details, visit the Pensions page or call JoAnna Cafferty at 1-800-849-4433 ext. 225.
Register middle schoolers for Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope provides middle school youth encouragement in faith and growth in spiritual life. The weekend will feature inspiring worship services and fun recreation and games, as well as Covenant and Holy Habit groups to encourage growth in a small group setting. This year’s theme is “Dive into Faith.” Kaleidoscope will take place April 1-3 and the cost for the weekend at Camp Don Lee is $95.00. Registration deadline is March 11. Go to www.nccumc.org/youth to find the 2011 Youth Events Brochure and registration form.
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. The Marriott block is full so persons needing rooms should call the Sheraton or the Clarion. For reservation information and telephone numbers, go to Hotels. When you call the hotels, please ask for the United Methodist Church group rate.
Annual Conference information on conference website
In an effort to conserve funds and be good stewards of conference resources, and to utilize the most up-to-date technology available, the Annual Conference Planning Committee is asking members to go on-line, to Conference Secretary. All the information and materials there is being updated regularly and can be printed out as needed.
Reports due to Conference Secretary by May 2
Committees, commissions, and agencies wishing to include a report in Pre-Conference publications online must submit it to the Conference Secretary’s office no later than May 2. All reports will be posted online and available for printing. Reports must be submitted in Microsoft Word format and sent to smedlin@nccumc.org. Please contact the Conference Secretary’s Office at 800-849-4433, ext. 222 with any questions.
Youth Lay Speaker Training at Methodist Building April 16
A Youth Lay Speaker Training session for youth in grades 8-12 will be held Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the United Methodist Building in Garner. Youth interested in participating must submit the application and pastor/youth leader’s recommendation by April 8. There is no cost to participate and lunch is included. The training will be led by Conference Director of Lay Speaking, Linda Harris. The application is available at https://nccumc.org/youth/.
Connect youth and missions with CO+MISSION
CO+MISSION Weekends are designed to connect youth, young adults, and youth workers from across the NC Conference to mission opportunities working with financially struggling families in Rocky Mount, NC and its surround counties. In addition to learning how to serve, teams will be encouraged and challenged through relevant and engaging worship services throughout the weekend. There is still room for the April 8-10 CO+Mission Weekend. read more
NC Conference Date for Native American Ministries Sunday – May 22
Native American Ministries Sunday will be celebrated on May 22 in the NC Conference. This date is different from the one designated by the General Church but works better with other events on the NC conference calendar. Be sure to order free resources to promote the offering that supports Native American ministries and helps United Methodist Native American seminarians to become church leaders.
Delegate nomination form deadline is May 2
This is a reminder to laity and clergy desiring to represent the conference at the General and Jurisdictional Conferences to go to Nomination forms and submit the 2012 General/Jurisdictional Delegate Nomination form. The deadline for submission is May 2. Nomination forms will not be accepted after this date.
Are you an NCC Pacer?
If you are an NC Conference clergy member and haven’t enrolled in the Amazing Pace program, don’t delay! Eligible participants can enroll at anytime. To be eligible for the cash incentive in each journey, participants must meet three criteria: (1) enroll by the first day of the next journey (April 25, 2011) (2) wear your pedometer at least 65% of the days in the journey and (3) upload your pedometer at least once a week (Monday-Sunday). Free replacement pedometers are available, so live with a bandaged-up pedometer! To enroll, request replacement pedometers and for any technical assistance, please contact the Amazing Pace customer service department at 1-800-852-8862 or support@lifebux.com.
2011 Convocation & Pastors’ School
October 10-11, 2011 Duke Divinity School – Durham, N.C.
The annual Convocation & Pastors’ School is an intensive two-day conference that offers lectures, worship and seminars for Christian leaders of all traditions. Led by scholars and practitioners from Duke and beyond, this event is a cooperative endeavor with the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Conferences of the United Methodist Church. Significant scholarships are available to those associated with The Duke Endowment churches. At the 2011 Convocation – Drawn into Scripture: Arts and the Life of the Church – participants will experience the scriptures from a new perspective and explore the arts as a source of inspiration for interpreting the Word. Featured presenters include professor and musician Jeremy Begbie, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson, and professor and musician Anthony Kelley and the BLAK Ensemble. The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel will be the Convocation preacher.
New Online Bible Study Explores Contemporary Faith Issues
The United Methodist Church is set to debut an online Bible study beginning March 14, where participants will have an opportunity to explore and discuss contemporary topics and how they relate to the Christian faith in response to the call to Rethink Church. Participants who sign on for the Encounter Faith Bible study, available for free at Encounterfaith, will be looking through a lens of faith at timely issues making headlines and creating conversation, such as the demonstrations in North Africa and the Middle East. The Encounter Faith Bible study is specially designed so that participants with different levels of knowledge can join the discussion. They need not be experts on Bible history or Scripture to participate. read more
REMINDER:
Christian Educators’ Retreat with Delia Halverson https://nccumc.org/christian-education/files/dhr.pdf