Clergy Spouses’ Day Apart in April, 2010
Save this date, April 24, 2010, as an exciting day is planned for clergy spouses. In place of an overnight event, a Spouses’ Day Apart will be held at the First UMC in Nashville, NC, from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Margaret Therkelsen, a well- known person of prayer and faith, speaker and author, will be the keynote speaker. She has a marvelous story to tell and a message to inspire all. The cost of $20 will include your lunch and snack breaks. Child care will be provided. More information about how to registered will be provided in future News Briefs.
Confirmation Opportunities
On April 16 & 17, 2010, Soapstone UMC will host Confirm ’10, a confirmation workshop with Chris and Gloria Hughes and Ed and Kathleen Kilbourne. The sessions will be on Friday evening from 7 – 9:30 p.m. and from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Saturday. Pre-registration will begin Jan. 5. Churches are asked to pay a $25.00 non-refundable deposit for each participant. (Adults are considered participants because they do everything the students do and receive all of the same projects and gifts.) The total per person cost will be available on Nov. 20. The cost includes the workshop fees, lunch and dinner on Saturday, and all craft and project materials. If there is enough interest, t-shirts will be designed and will be available and included in the price. If you would be interested in t-shirts or in doing an early registration (Nov. 20 – Dec. 20th) please contact Gretchen Shea at gshea@soapstoneumc.org or call Gretchen at 919-846-2212. Space is limited to 150 youth and adults. Churches are asked to bring 1 adult for every 7 youth. The Conference Confirmation Celebration will be Saturday, March 6 at Methodist University in Fayetteville. More information will be sent out and posted on the website about this event in December.
Local church treasurer training at St. Mark’s UMC: Raleigh
Local church treasurer and finance committee training will be held on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s UMC- 4801 Six Forks Rd. Raleigh, NC 27609. The format will change from previous years and will include a morning session focusing on an update on non-profit fraud trends, local church internal control minimum standards, and local church audits. The afternoon session will focus on best practices in local church financial leadership including stewardship practices, expense reduction, financial campaigns, and budgeting. Participants may sign up for the morning session, afternoon session, or both. Seats are limited so registration is required. Local church treasurers, finance committee members and pastors are encouraged to attend. There will be a $10 registration fee charged to help offset the cost of training materials and lunch. To register, please contact the Conference Treasurer’s Office at 800-849-4433 or kbell@nccumc.org.
Cokesbury Christmas Open House Nov. 19-21
Cokesbury will be celebrating the annual Christmas Open House Nov. 19-21. Save 25% on books, Bibles, gifts, greeting cards, and more. (Some items are excluded.) This discount can be used in the Raleigh store or at www.Cokesbury.com (click on the “Our Savior Has Come” banner.) The Raleigh store hours are Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
2010 NC Council of Churches Faith and Health Summit
The Council’s Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) Program will hold its 2010 Faith and Health Summit on Tuesday, March 23 at Raleigh’s First Baptist Church (on Wilmington Street) from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The program will begin with a keynote address by Gary Gunderson, one of the nation’s leading experts on issues of faith and health, and include informative sessions on a variety of health topics. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this critical gathering of congregants, faith leaders and health professionals from across the state! More details, such as instructions for registration and an agenda, will be provided at a later date.
Interfaith Immigration Coalition’s “Holiday Postcard Campaign.”
Sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society, the Holiday Card campaign runs through December. It affirms the United Methodist Social Principle stating, “We affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened (Para 162).” The campaign involves sending postcards to members of Congress urging them to take steps to “keep families together this Christmas.” Postcards can be obtained through the General Board of Church and Society at no cost. For information on obtaining postcards, please see: Holiday Postcard Campaign
United Methodist Committee on Relief Responds to multiple disasters
UMCOR is responding with humanitarian aid and spiritual assistance to disasters occurring across the globe. Please prayerfully considering giving to these critical efforts: Indonesia Emergency – UMCOR Advance #217400; South Pacific Earthquake and Tsunamis– International Response UMCOR Advance #982450; Philippines Emergency– UMCOR Advance #240235; El Salvador Emergency– International Disaster Response Advance # 982450; and Hurricane Response – Domestic Hurricane Response – Advance #3021002.
Gary Locklear – Church and Community Worker in the NC Conference
Gary Locklear is a General Board of Global Ministry Missioner from the NC Conference who is serving in this conference. Gary is serving in the second most diverse rural county in the U.S. and the third most impoverished of its size – Robeson County. Please consider a establishing a covenant relationship with Gary by going to Covenant Relationships.. Support can also be designated through Advance Giving by making a check payable to the local church with the designation to support Advance # 982955 Gary Locklear. One hundred percent of your gift will go toward Gary’s support. You can find Gary’s bio and information on making credit card donation at: Missionary Bio.
GBGM Missions grants encourage mission and ministry
To see how grants from the General Board of Global Ministries are supporting a broad range of ministries, read the article at GBGM Mission Grants.
World AIDS Day is Dec. 1
A United Methodist News Service article recently cited a United Nations report stating that the number of people being tested and treated for HIV/AIDS had doubled in a number of countries, undoubtedly saving or at least prolonging countless lives. Unfortunately, the number of new HIV cases remains high – an estimated 2.7 million in 2007 – which means too many remain uneducated about the disease. For the rest of the article see World AIDS Day. ZOE Ministry is responding to this need and seeks support. For more information about how ZOE is reaching out to the most vulnerable children in the world – AIDS orphans, go to ZOE.