OTC drugs not eligible for FSA beginning January 1
The IRS has issued a document about changes to health flexible spending arrangements (FSA), effective Jan. 1, 2011, that no longer permit reimbursement for over-the-counter medications. Anyone on the conference health insurance program should keep this in mind when designating the flexible spending amount to be set aside during the insurance open enrollment in November. This change does not apply to OTC medical devices or products such as bandages and for prescriptions from a physician for an OTC drug. To review the IRS Q&A document about this change, visit: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=227308,00.html
Abraham will speak to Order of Elders
A reminder that Dr. William J. Abraham will address the Order of Elders of the North Carolina Conference on Tuesday, Sept.14 at Nashville United Methodist Church in Nashville. The day begins at 9:30 a.m. and will conclude in the afternoon. Box lunches will be available for $5 each. For more details: https://nccumc.org/order-of-elders/
Pilgrimage – November 12-14 “With One Voice”
Join more than 6,000 youth and youth leaders at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville for Pilgrimage 2010 as keynote speaker Bart Campolo, the Pilgrimage House Band, and NCUMC youth come together for worship, service, fellowship, and fun, then send the youth out in Jesus’ name with One Voice. Registration deadline is Oct. 25. Learn more and register at the new Pilgrimage website.
CO+MISSION Early-bird Registration Extended
Early bird registration has been extended to Sept. 10 for CO+MISSION. This is a mission engagement weekend for youth, young adults, and youth workers sponsored by St. Paul UMC, Rocky Mount, the Rocky Mount District, and the Conference Office of Outreach Ministry. For additional information, details, or to register, visit the CO+MISSION website. Registration is limited.
Concert to raise funds for construction of children’s home in Haiti
A concert to raise funds to purchase materials for constructing the next phase of the Ryan Epps Home for Children (REHC) in Michaud, Haiti will be held Friday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. at Garner UMC, 201 Methodist Dr. The home benefits children without parents and other children signed over to REHC because of the inability of parents to provide support. Further detail about the home and musicians, visit: http://www.ryaneppshome.com/. Bishop Al Gwinn and the Conference Cabinet will travel to Haiti in November to construct the next phase at the REHC. They will use materials provided from concert funds. Each Cabinet member will be paying their own way to Haiti and 100% of the raised funds will be used in the construction. Included in the construction will be dormitories, kitchen/fellowship area and living quarters for the director and staff. Anyone unable to attend the concert can forward a donation directly to the North Carolina Conference, P.O. Box 60053, Charlotte, NC 28260-0053. Please make checks payable to “NC Conference/Raleigh Area” and place “Advance #S00245” on the memo line.
Order of Deacons will meet on September 30 in Cary
A Gathering of the Order of Deacons will be held on Thursday, Sept. 30 at St. Francis UMC in Cary. The day will begin with a gathering at 9:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided with a suggested donation of $5 per person. The day will conclude by 3 p.m.
Unity Dialogue to meet in September. All laity and clergy are invited and urged to attend the next meeting of the Unity Dialogue, on the Church and homosexuality, which will take place from 6-8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 13, at conference building (700 Waterfield Ridge Place, Garner.) Bishop Gwinn will moderate a discussion of “An Unworkable Theology” by Dr. Philip Turner (see Unworkable Theology); and the purpose of The Unity Dialogue will be considered (see Viewpoint Learning and Viewpoint Learning dialogue). Persons do not have to be a member of the Unity Dialogue to attend this important event.
UMM reaches out to youth
“Share the Game, Share your Faith,” is a community outreach event sponsored by the NC Conference United Methodist Men during the Duke vs. Army football game in Durham on Sept. 25. Local UMM units are encouraged to reach out to local youth groups to sponsor their participation in the event. The cost is $20 per person and includes the pre-game event, lunch, and game ticket. The exact time of a talk by Chad Goss, former Alabama starting wide receiver, and lunch will depend on when the game starts. That will not be known until 13 days before Sept. 25. For further information, see the Duke Day flyer.
Worship that fulfills the church mission is topic of September 16 worship
Planning Worship that Works is the title of the Sept. 16 presentation that is part of the National Leader Series offered by the Academy for Leadership Excellence. Pastors and lay leaders searching for a way to develop worship that fulfills the mission of the church and ignites the passion of congregations will find inspiration in the workshop. Pastor Jim Harnish of Hyde Park UMC in Florida will lead the session. For more details click on: http://theafle.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=2
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Ministers in Pakistan Flood
The floodwaters covering Pakistan are sweeping away homes and crops and destroying the country’s schools, health-care centers and roads – the essence of its social system. Up to 20 million people have been affected as the waters have covered an area in Pakistan equal to the size of England. Millions are homeless, and 6.5 million acres of crops have washed away in Sindh and Punjab provinces. Please help by giving generously on-line at: Support Pakistan Flood Victims. Donations can be make through a Sunday offering. Please note on the gift: UMCOR Disaster Response, International, Advance # 982450. For more information, please see: Pakistan Disaster.
Project AGAPE Director Visits
Project AGAPE Director and NC sponsored missionary, Nara Melkonyan, will be itinerating through the NC Conference from Oct. 20 – Nov. 8. She is available to speak at worship services, UMW groups, UMM gathers, Sunday school classes, Wednesday night fellowship gatherings, mission and ministry team gatherings, and other venues. Please consider inviting Nara to come and share the ministry of Project AGAPE, a ministry serving refugee families and other vulnerable people in Armenia. For scheduling, please contact the Rev. Bill Haddock at revbillh@nccumc.org, or (919) 772-2042. A love offering is requested to cover Nara’s in-conference travel expenses.
Help Society of St. Andrew receive a $250,000 Pepsi Grant
Society of St. Andrew, a partner agency of UM Men, is in the running for $250,000 in the Pepsi Refresh Project. Your vote can provide 9 million servings of food to hungry Americans! You can help us feed the hungry by voting every day in September for the Society of St. Andrew. Please follow this link and VOTE.
World Communion Sunday – October 3rd
World Communion Sunday is one of the six church-wide Special Sundays of The United Methodist Church. It is celebrated on the first Sunday in October, but can be observed at a time convenient for a congregation. The 2008 General Conference passed legislation to change the name of the Crusade Scholarship to World Communion Scholarship. The scholarship provides financial assistance for U.S. racial- and ethnic-minority students and international students on both undergraduate and graduate levels. It is funded through the special offering on World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October. For more information including observance literature, worship materials, and on-line giving, please see: http://www.umcgiving.org/site/c.qwL6KkNWLrH/b.3833895/k.62D/Special_Sundays__World_Communion_Sunday__Overview.htm or http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=6223461&ct=8608571 The date for the observance is Oct. 3 but another Sunday is appropriate.
Edelman, Carder at Peace Conference – September18-21
The third annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, Saturday to Tuesday, Sept. 18-21, will explore social issues facing children. Participants in the conference, “Peace for the World’s Children,” will have the opportunity to join children’s advocates from across the United States for a variety of workshops and presentations. Conference leaders include Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, Dr. Jeni Stepanek and Bishop Kenneth Carder. For more information please see Peace Conference.
10-Fold – Global Connections in the Life of Jesus
10-Fold is about multiplying ministry and mobilizing passionate people to stand up and be counted for the causes they believe in. The event will launch on Oct. 10, and last for 10 days. Every day will focus on a different project supported through The Advance, the designated giving arm of The United Methodist Church. The goal is to gain the support of 10,000 people for each of the 10 projects. You can see a video about 10 Fold here: 10 Fold or connect through Facebook.
Outreach focused discipleship formation
Risk Taking Ministry – Walking with Jesus: A Journey of Transformation – 8 to 10 weekly sessions, 1.5 hours each, journeying in the life of Jesus, considering how we make that same journey today moving beyond our pews into Risk-Taking Ministry and Radical Hospitality. Using the Biblical Animation – reading scripture in today’s context. As one pastor recently noted, “This study makes the Bible stories come alive. There is a wonderful positive buzz around our congregation about this study. Wow, what a blessing this has been!” A one session, 1.5 hour introduction is also available. All teaching and learning events use adult education methodology and are highly interactive. Please contact Steve Taylor at staylor@nccumc.org or Kathy Reavis at kreavis@nccumc.org or call 800-849-4433 ext 256 for more information.
International Day of Peace
In 1981 the United Nations declared Sept. 21 to be the International Day of Peace in an effort to give focus to those working for peace around the world and encourage ceasefires. In 2001, in response to an initiative from the World Council of Churches, the United Nations also declared Sept. 21 to be the International Day of Prayer for Peace, recognizing the importance of prayer in bringing about peace.
Congregations who would like to promote the IDPP can do so in any number of ways. One of those is to use a bulletin insert simply to encourage attention to peace issues. The insert can be customized to include a specific event at a local church. The insert and further resources can be found here: http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/2010/08/international-day-of-prayer-for-peace-sept-21.
Financial Seminar Registration Deadline Fast Approaching!
Trying to juggle your monthly finances, providing for your family’s well-being, and saving for the future all while bringing effective pastoral leadership to your congregation? Interested in learning how to prepare a will and manage your credit? Attend the Financial Planning Seminar for clergy in their early and middle years of ministry to be held on Oct. 8, 2011, at the new Conference building in Garner. Visit https://nccumc.org/treasurer/pensions/ for more details and to download a registration form. Registration deadline is Sept. 24th and space is limited! For questions, contact JoAnna Cafferty at 1-800-849-4433 ext 225.
Forms online for General/Jurisdictional delegate nominees
Delegate Nomination Forms for the 2012 General and Jurisdictional Conferences are on-line. There is information relating to the nomination process and the election preparation. Persons interested in placing their name up for nomination should refer to the pages at Delegate Nomination Form. Clergy persons are reminded that only deacons and elders in Full Connection are eligible to be nominated as clergy nominees. All nomination forms are limited to one 8 1/2 X 11 sheet, one side only. Questions can be directed to the Conference Secretary’s office at 800-849-4433, ext. 222.
A new make-up date for Sexual Ethics training
Please note the change of date for the Sexual Ethics Training make-up day from Thursday, Nov. 4 to Saturday, Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Methodist Building in Garner. This change was made in the hopes that a Saturday event will make it as convenient as possible for all of pastors to attend this training. Persons planning on attending the make-up session must contact Linda Bourey at lcbourey@ccumc.org so an appropriate lunch plans are arranged. For the other event dates, go to https://nccumc.org/ministerial-relations/.