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Connectional Ministries Highlights from Annual Conference 2011


QuickByte Videos

*Special thanks to Founders Kitchen and Bath Showroom in Alpharetta for use of their facility to film the video intros.

Upcoming Event Highlights

Below are a few of the upcoming training events highlighted at Annual Conference:


Connectional Cafe: Ready to Serve

Connectional Cafe offers a training menu of nearly 200 workshops taught by more than 100 faculty members. 


Move Packs

Getting a new pastor? Laity, download this helpful information pack (pdf)
Getting a new church? Clergy, download this helpful information pack (pdf)

Safe Sanctuaries

Is your church Safe Sanctuaries compliant? There is at least one approved trainer in your district. Download the list of trainers at http://www.ngumc.org/pages/detail/653.

Demographic Information


News Briefs


Connectional Café
Debbie Fox, vice-chair of the Board of Connectional Ministries, thanked the conference for the huge response to Connectional Cafe, Connectional Ministries' menu of 150 workshops taught by more than 100 faculty members. Since last year, more than 3,000 people have taken part in a Connectional cafe workshop. To schedule a workshop from the menu, go to www.ngumc.org/cafe and contact the faculty member of the class you'd like to offer. 
                                   
Small Membership Church
Shari Rates, chair of the Conference Parish Life Team, announced the launch of G.E.M. (Growing Effective Ministers). Connectional Ministries is looking to establish a long-term partnership, offering support that specifically addresses the needs of clergy and lay leaders of small-membership churches. For more information, contact Shari Rates at shari.rates@ngumc.net.

Denman Awards
Leon Matthews and Winston Worrell presented the Harry Denman Evangelism Awards. Recipients were:
Denman Clergy Award – Michael McQueen of St. James UMC Alpharetta
Denman Laity Award – Maggie Lasher of Trinity UMC Cartersville
Denman Youth Award – Brandon Pennamon of Golden Memorial UMC

Worship Design With Marcia McFee
Marcia McFee, worship designer for General Conference, will be in North Georgia in August and November leading workshops and providing consults to individual churches. Register for these events at www.ngumc.org and click "registrations" or contact Phil Schroeder at pschroeder@ngumc.org to learn about consult opportunities.

Safe Sanctuaries
Cindy Blocksidge, chair of the Conference Nurture Team, announced that 39 trainers - at least one in every district - were recently certified. Please call on trainers in your district if your church is not already in compliance. We would like to see our Conference 100 percent compliant.

Great Starts
Getting a new pastor? Getting a new church? Connectional Ministries wants to help you make a great start! Visit www.ngumc.org and "registration" to sign up.

Church of Excellence in Outreach Awards    
Alice Smith and Catherine Boothe presented six churches with the Connectional Ministries Church of Excellence in Outreach Awards. These churches met 11 outreach criteria from local to the international level. The awards were presented to:
-Union Point UMC, AGST, Bert Mathews, pastor, Pat Flynt, lay rep
-Loganville First UMC, ATHN, David Gravitt, pastor, Glenda Creasy, lay rep
-North Decatur UMC, ADOX, Lee Fullerton, pastor, Alton Jones, lay rep
-East Cobb UMC, AMAR, Brian Germano, pastor, Lee Bierce, lay rep
-McEachern Memorial UMC, AMAR, Donna J. Goff, missions pastor, and Selena Prado, missions chair
-Chamblee First UMC, AROS, Josh Roberts, associate pastor, and Richard Hickam, lay rep

Bridges: Uganda 
Last year the conference launched an ongoing mission program, Bridges, with the first Bridge to Uganda. Today, Annual Conference was blessed by the presence of Scouts from Humble School in Uganda who are here to visit scouts from St. James UMC in Alpharetta. Updates from Bridges Uganda include:

- Bridges Uganda would like to help organize a mission trip to Uganda for your church.
- The Bridge is partnering with Stop Hunger Now to deliver 285,000 meals to Humble School. They are in the process of raising $11,000 to ship those meals.
- There is a construction trip planned to Humble School in March 2012 led by Dalton Rushing. Contact dalton.rushing@ngumc.net for information.
- An internship program was launched and this summer Dan Tinsley, Milie Davis, Hannah Stubblefield are currently serving in Uganda.

Bridges: El Salvador
This year we launch a Bridge to El Salvador. Bishop Watson recently joined a group on an exploratory trip to determine how we can best partner with the United Methodist Church in El Salvador. For more information on Bridges: El Salvador, contact Stephen Soulen at stephen.soulen@ngumc.net.

Disaster Response
Mike Yoder, chair of Disaster Response, reported that the North Georgia Conference are hard at work responding to the tornados and deadly storms travelled through Georgia in April. Our churches are still working in 11 counties in this state and across the Southeast and teams have come from all over United States to help with this disaster. Find updates on disaster needs in North Georgia at www.ngumc.org. "We have reacted to the need of the people as the Lord told us to do in Matthew 25," said Yoder. "We hope we can train many of you to respond."

Stewardship Insights
Following the success of the 2010 Generosity Summit, Bernice Kirkland, stewardship co-chair, and Leon Matthews, chair of the Witness Program, announced four regional stewardship events. Regional events will be Oct. 2 at McEachern UMC, Feb. 5 at Trinity on the Hill Augusta, Feb. 26, at Gainesville First UMC and at a date still to be determined at Wesley Chapel UMC in McDonough.

Journal/Handbook Committee
After annual conference, you may order the 2011 Journal online at www.ngumc.org/journal. 

Camp Glisson
As Russell Davis, director, gave his report, more than 400 children were leaving after week three of Camp Glisson. Priorities at camp this year include teaching the campers that worship is not a spectator event, that we are all to bring our gifts and talents to worship God. Glisson expects  2,500 campers this summer. If your church hasn't had a young person attend Camp Glisson in five or more years, take advantage of the First Camper program. "EcoEternity Forrest Resolution" brought by the Glisson board was approved.

Connectional Ministries Wrap-Up
Mike Selleck, director of Connectional Ministries, thanked the staff, board, ministry team leaders and many volunteers who make up the ministry arm of the Conference. The staff said goodbye to Associate Director Renita Thomas and welcomed new Associate Director Jasmine Smothers.