connections: Breaking Bread in the center of the State Fair
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward shares her story of baking and serving ham biscuits at United Methodist Churches in the heart of the NC State Fair. Bishop Ward’s story reminds us of all the ways we can be in communion in the center of public life, as the body Christ.
Bishop’s Forum on Israel/Palestine Livestream
On Oct. 16, the Bishop’s Forum will be focusing on the church’s response to the Israel/Palestine crisis. The forum will be streamed beginning at 11am. The guest speaker will be The Rev. Alex Joyner, author of a book on Israel and currently Superintendent of the Eastern Shore District of the Virginia Conference.
Prepare/Enrich Training Opportunity
Join us for a one day facilitator’s workshop for training in the use of a couple’s assessment tool, www.prepare-enrich.com. Prepare and Enrich is a customized online assessment for premarital or marital couples to assess their strengths and growth areas. Carl and Nancy Terry, leaders in the marriage enrichment field for over 35 years and Seminar Directors for Prepare/Enrich since 2004, are the trainers. The next class is Nov. 10 from 8:30am-4pm at Church of the Nativity, Raleigh, NC. Cost is $175 per person. Discounts are available to couples and students. Registration deadline is Oct. 30. Please contact Carl Terry, cterry5@nc.rr.com or 919-559-2696, to register or for more information.
Help pack Christmas Boxes for Project Agape this weekend
Thanks to the faithfulness of so many churches in the NC Conference, the Mission Warehouse at 3MC now has nearly 4,000 boxes that have been prepared for children in the Nagorno-Karabakh region near Armenia. Project Agape, a joint venture between the NC and Western North Carolina Conferences, will distribute each box to a child on Jan. 6, 2015 (Christmas for the Armenian Apostolic Church). For the boxes to arrive by their Christmas, we need to check them and pack them in larger containers. Over 2000 boxes have been checked and boxed, but that same amount still needs to be finished! With volunteers on site at the Mission Warehouse at 3MC, we can complete the task quickly. Volunteers need to be at least middle school age. The next opportunity for volunteers is this coming weekend: Oct. 17-18. The Warehouse will be open from 9am-5pm on Fri. and 9am-2pm on Sat. The more volunteers we have, the quicker we can accomplish the task ahead of us. Contact Rev. Bill Haddock at revbillh@nccumc.org or at 910.262.3831 for more details. See you there!
Conference Offering Church Treasurer/Finance training
Local church treasurer and finance committee training will be held on Sat., Dec. 6, from 10am-3:30pm at the United Methodist Building in Garner. Local church finance basics will be covered as well as updates from recent legislative changes. Local church treasurers, finance committee members and pastors are encouraged to attend. Seats are limited so registration is required. 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 kwilder@nccumc.org.
Conversation with Rev. Sally Bates and Bishop Peter Storey
Mark your calendars for Wed., Oct. 29, 6:30-7:30pm at Kerr Hall. Bishop Peter Storey will visit Edenton St. UMC for a one evening only event. Bishop Storey will help transform and shape our hearts and minds to the likeness of Christ with his conversation with Rev. Sally Bates. Bishop Storey, in his 40-year ministry in South Africa, was defined by sustained opposition to the infamous apartheid government and its oppressive racist policies, first in Cape Town during the forced removals of people of color and as chaplain to Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners on Robben Island. Later, as a Methodist and Ecumenical leader he played a significant national role in the Church’s anti-apartheid struggle. He and then Bishop Desmond Tutu were witnesses-in-chief for the SACC when the apartheid regime put the organization on trial. Childcare available with reservation through Robin Ellison at the church office or online.
Mission Jubilee ’14 in the Western NC Conference
On Sat. Oct 25, 9am-3 pm, at Pfeiffer, the Uwharrie District will host Mission Jubilee ’14. Get off your donkey! Help Somebody and Help Yourself! The key note speaker is Reggie McNeal. Lunch is provided. Please RSVP to khopkins@wnccumc.net or call (704) 983.1104. See more information about this event.
Peace with Justice Grant deadline is Jan. 10
Jan. 10 is the deadline to apply for a Peace with Justice grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). Funding for this program is generated through the Peace with Justice Special Sunday offering of The United Methodist Church. Peace with Justice “witnesses to God’s demands for a faithful, just, disarmed and secure world.” Peace with Justice grants are awarded in two cycles: spring and fall. Applications are evaluated by GBCS’s Board of Directors. Grant applicants must be either a United Methodist or other affiliated organization, or an ecumenical group working with and through at least one United Methodist agency or organization.
Human Relations Day grant deadline is Jan. 10
Jan. 10 is the deadline to apply for a Human Relations Day Grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). The grants are to support ministries that respond to non-violent young offenders through education, advocacy or leadership training and development.
Ethnic Local Church grant deadline is Jan. 10
Jan. 10 is the deadline to apply for an Ethnic Local Church Grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). The grants are to strengthen ethnic minority local churches through education, advocacy or leadership development as they engage in social justice.
Rockfish Meet and Greet
Rockfish Camp & Retreat Center extends an invitation to you to come to our Meet and Greet for our new staff members on Oct. 23, 2014 from 3 pm – 5 pm and again from 7 pm – 9 pm right there at Camp Rockfish. We are excited about having Bobby Wills, Duncan McMillan, Deb Cunningham and Teresa Rutledge on board and are looking forward to all that God has in store for Rockfish. Hope to see you then! RSVP info@camprockfish.org or Call 910-425-3529 No Later Than Oct.14.
Ministers’ Transition Fund Annual Letters Are In The Mail
The annual contribution letters have been mailed to Ministers’ Transition Fund (MTF) members. These letters detail each members’ 2014 contribution payment due by Jan. 31, 2015. Failure to pay the contribution may result in either forfeiture of this year’s dividend and/or lack of credit towards future dividends. Members who have elected the monthly billing option will not receive a letter. Instead, they are encouraged to verify with their church treasurer that the appropriate amount has been withheld from their paychecks and remitted along with the pension billing each month this year. It’s not too late to join the MTF this year! To find out more about the benefits of this retirement savings plan, visit the Conference Treasurer’s Office Pension page or call JoAnna Ezuka, Program Administrator, at 800-849-4433, ext. 225.