connections: Where the Spirit Leads Us
In this video, Bishop Hope shares the vision for the Conference and the local church in the coming year.
Pastoral/Congregational Assessment
Bishop Ward has asked pastors and chairpersons of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee to work together to lead a conversation of assessment of the ministry of each church. The assessment process this year will focus on five specific areas of ministry flowing from the mission statement of the North Carolina Annual Conference and the 2014 Annual Conference session: Effective Leadership, Healthy Congregations, Congregations for Children, Imagine No Malaria and Unity. The 2014 Assessment Questions are offered so that we might experience alignment of our ministry even as we encourage creativity in response to God’s call upon our lives. The assessment will be accomplished with the pastor and committee working together. Please receive and respond to the questions posed on the worksheet in the Online Data Collection System. All assessments must be completed by November 30, 2014.
Skeeter Run 5Ks
This fall, United Methodists, friends and communities will help raise money and awareness for Imagine No Malaria through Skeeter Run 5Ks held throughout five districts in the NC Conference. The first three events will be on Oct. 12. Please register for the race or volunteer to help. All profit from the races will go to the NC Conference Imagine No Malaria $1 million campaign goal. Additional dates and information will be added to the Skeeter Run 5K post.
Get your flu shot!
Flu season is almost here, but NOW is the time to protect yourself, your family and your colleagues. For your convenience, the NC Conference is hosting an onsite flu shot clinic in Dixon Chapel, Oct. 14 from 10am-1:30pm. Sign-Up is required, so please notify the District Office at 919-779-9435 to register. If you are covered by the NCUMC BCBS health plan, your flu shot is covered by your insurance. If you’re not on this plan and still wish to receive your shot at this location, the cost is $30 per vaccine. If Medicare is your primary carrier, please note that Medicare normally covers one flu shot per flu season, so you too can get your shot at the Conference office.
George Reed to Retire
North Carolina Council of Churches Executive Director George Reed has announced that he will retire at the end of June, 2015. George informed the Governing Board of his decision at their regular meeting on September 9. At the time of his retirement, George will have been Executive Director for 15 years and have been employed by the Council for 18 years. A search committee is being formed to begin the process of selecting the Council’s next Executive Director with expectations that the work will be well underway before the end of the year. A full job description will be posted when it becomes available.
Jack Crum Conference on Prophetic Ministry: Voting Rights for All
Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Duke Memorial United Methodist Church
504 West Chapel Hill Street, Durham
This year’s Jack Crum Conference on Prophetic Ministry takes as its focus “Voting Rights For All.” Former NC Senator Ellie Kinnaird is the keynote speaker. A panel will discuss the changes in voting law, and workshops about voter ID, the changes in the law, and legislative redistricting will be offered. The cost is $15 in advance, $20 at the door and $10 for students. The cost includes a light breakfast and a luncheon catered by the Interfaith Food Shuttle. For more information and to register, click here. Registrations may also be mailed to MFSA-NC, PO Box 18311, Raleigh, NC 27619. Make checks payable to MFSA-NC.
Yam Jam is here!
Looking for a sweet way to spend a Saturday? Yam Jam is an annual event by the Society of St. Andrew, and the idea is pretty simple. We glean edible sweet potatoes left in the fields after harvest to get the food to hungry people. With your help we distribute the sweet potatoes to those in need! At least a million pounds of sweet potatoes are waiting to be saved and used to feed our hungry neighbors. Every Saturday in October, we anticipate gleaning at farms in the Johnston/Wake/Harnett County area. The exact farm location & directions will be provided via email a week before the event. For more information or to register, visit http://www.endhunger.org/nc/YamJamForm.htm by October 2nd, or call our office at (919) 683-3011.
Bishop’s Day Apart with Young Clergy
Join together with Bishop Hope and Young Clergy from the NC Conference for a time of worship and learning on Monday, October 27th, 10 am – 4 pm at St. Francis UMC in Cary. More information can be found here. Please RSVP to Laura Fine Ledford (lledford@nccumc.org) by October 20th.
Sabbath Economic Household Practices
Growing as a disciple through spiritual exercise of our household economy. We are in an age of “death by affluenza,” a culture of putting spiritual value on physical things. Our economic systems are in deep decline as are the moral fibers that hold together our culture. This eight part series, steeped in scripture and using the highly interactive process of Biblical Animation, leads small Christian communities to a more sustainable household economy that cares for the poor, holds gently to creation, and seeks to worship the God who says he is found in the “least of these.” This series is focused on growing disciples to transform the world. You can see more by downloading the 1 page overview of Sabbath Economics, here. Or, for more information, please contact: Kathy Duncan, kduncan@nccumc.org, (919) 779-6115, or Steve Taylor, staylor@nccumc.org, (919) 780-4141.