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Bishop Watson has just announced two changes to the North Georgia Cabinet effective July 1. Dan Brown will be appointed as the Griffin District Superintendent, and Terry Fleming will be appointed as the Augusta District Superintendent.
Our special offering will support World Methodist Evangelism including the World Methodist Evangelism Institute. It is recommended that you hold a special offering in your local church sometime before the start of the Annual Conference Session.
Looking for a hotel room during the 2012 North Georgia Annual Conference Session? Take a look at this list containing hotel room availability in and around the Athens area as of April 10, 2012.
Travel is at the heart of North Georgia missionary Jennifer Hansen’s calling. Her first step was to make it to Kampala, Uganda, last year where she is serving through the General Board of Global Ministries.
Take a look and see what a few North Georgians are blogging about. From great worship suggestions to helpful stewardship resources, this is a goldmine of ideas, information, and inspiration.
Online registration is now available for the 2012 Annual Conference Session, June 12-14, at the Athens Classic Center. All active clergy and lay members are required to register. The registration fee for this year is $30.
Name: Marge Kimbrough
Role: Lay delegate
Local Church: Cliftondale UMC
Legislative committee: Church and Society II
Q: How would you compare your experience in Tampa with your previous experience at General Conference?
A: I am very disappointed. Overall, the leadership was sub-par.
Q: How so?
A: We kept putting off and avoiding the most critical issues. From my sub-committee, on Church and Society II, to the plenary sessions, we spent so much time on the less important topics we never got around to the bigger issues of the day. We should have been moving people toward decision-making and we did not.
Q: What specifically should have been addressed that was left on the table?
A: There were a large number of issues on my committee that were never brought forward. It was like, ‘Ok, it is 9:30, so let’s go.’ In the plenary, we weren’t given enough time to study the details of the restructuring plan (Plan UMC), to understand it or to reconcile some of the inconsistencies in it. We desperately need restructuring, but it should have been given more time for discussion and debate. It was not thought out well enough.
Q: What other issues were not properly addressed?
A: The whole controversy over human sexuality. We went out of our way to avoid the biggest concern that causes the most hurt and pain in the church - the wording over homosexuality being inconsistent with Christian teaching. We didn’t want to deal with it. Many people just wanted to eliminate that one word and it was never addressed. We need to work harder to bring people into the church and let the Spirit transform lives.
Q: So, you think there was a lack of leadership?
A: Yes. And we should have never called for a break during the demonstration yesterday morning.
Q: What would you have done?
A: I would have called the police and cleared the hall.
Q: What positive decisions do you think were made here?
A: I am supportive of the elimination of guaranteed appointments.
To read more about Marge, please find her bio here.
By Heather Hahn
Name: Dick Williamson
Role: Lay delegate
Local Church: Gainesville FUMC
Legislative committee: Local Church
Q: This is your fifth General Conference, so you are familiar with the workload. How are you holding up?
A: This does take a lot of endurance. I am 77 and don’t know if I could do this again.
Q: What makes Tampa stand out in your mind?
A: The people were very amiable and we managed to get a lot done and work efficiently. Jamie Jenkins was chair of my committee and he did a very good job in keeping things on track. People were very respectful of each other. We had 75 or 76 resolutions to address and we got through every one of them.
Q: What would you say about the overall tone here?
A: No doubt about it, it was the best of any of the five General Conferences I have attended. On occasion, it got a little rambunctious, but it was very good overall.
Q: If this is your last General Conference, what will you miss the most about it?
A: The people in our delegation and the camaraderie we have.
Q: What do you think of the city of Tampa?
A: It is gorgeous. It is the first time I have ever been here and I have really liked it. The people seem to be very friendly.
Q: What has meant the most to you about being here?
A: My wife, Marilyn, is with me. She is in the final stages of pancreatic cancer. In July, she was given 4-6 months to live. It has been 10 months now. If she was not here then I would not be here either. She knew that. If she that she stayed home I would have been home with her.
To read more about Dick, please find his bio here.
By Rich Peck
General Conference 2012 approved a budget of $603.1 million for seven general church funds during the 2013-2016 period; that total is 6.03 percent less than the amount apportioned for the 2009-2012 quadrennium –– the first time the assembly has accepted a lower budget than the amount set for the preceding four-year period.
That sounds like a whopping amount, but local churches should not count on huge savings since only 2 cents out of every dollar in the collection plates goes to support general church ministries. Also, costs of annual conference operations, clergy pension benefits and inflationary costs are likely to increase local church costs.
Two new line items
Delegates approved two new line items in the World Service Fund. They established a new $5 million fund for theological education in central conferences and $7 million to recruit and train young clergy in the United States.
That action, combined with earlier recommendations to reduce agency budgets by 6 percent, means general agencies will receive nearly 10 percent less money in the 2013-2016 period then they received in 2009-2012.
Costs of new structure
The General Council on Finance and Administration and the Connectional Table had the nearly impossible task of estimating the cost of forming the new Council on Strategy and Oversight and other costs of the new structure, including adding additional central conference members to agency boards, a new program audit, an adaptive Challenge Fund and costs of research.
Based on early estimates, the assembly approved reducing the Episcopal Fund by $3 million to cover costs in the World Service Fund related to Call to Action recommendations and the new structure.
Affect on agencies
While agencies may experience some savings in a reduced number of agency board members, those savings will be less than the 10 percent reduction in funds and the rate of inflation over the next four years.
Since all local churches do not pay the full apportionments, the amount received by all funds is less than the amount budgeted. In the past, receipts have hovered around 90 percent of the goal amount.
General Conference
The delegates called for the Advance Edition of the Daily Christian Advocate to be translated into Kiswahili, and increased the size of the Commission on General Conference, thus adding some $600,000 to the cost of the General Conference.
The Commission on General Conference will struggle to find ways to reduce costs. For instance, it could decrease the number of delegates from 1,000 to 600 or decrease the number of days the assembly meets. It also could make greater use of technology and consider other cost-saving measures.
For the first time, delegates agreed (504-406) to save money by eliminating the right of individuals to petition General Conference. All petitions now must be submitted by a local church council or a larger unit of The United Methodist Church.
Apportionment fund formula
Delegates continued the present apportionment formula that provides a percentage adjustment based on the economic strength in a conference, which is based on per-capita income in the area, and local church costs divided by the number of people in attendance.
They also approved a requirement that general agencies receiving general church funds provide an annual report on the names of people receiving funds as outside contractors and the amounts paid.
By GLENN HANNIGAN
For two weeks, they gathered to address the challenges and obstacles facing the church and to set a course moving forward. They shared their hopes, aspirations and solutions while dealing with some daunting realities.
One thousand delegates from around the world, including 26 from the North Georgia Conference, gathered in Tampa to set policy for the United Methodist Church. They were broken up into 13 distinct legislative committees to debate and hammer out resolutions, then reconvened in plenary sessions to cast ballots and make the ultimate decisions.
The debate was sometimes passionate and emotional, and often legalistic and pedantic. The reactions about the 2012 General Conference were almost as numerous as the people who participated in it.
After dedicating so much time to the issues of the United Methodist Church, what do North Georgia delegates think about its future?
“The future of the church is bright,” said clergy delegate Steve Wood, “and in good hands both globally and generationally.”
“I am excited about the spirit of this General Conference and pray that delegates will carry the hope living with us to the local churches,” said lay delegate Jane Finley.
“The future of the UMC will be determined by laity and clergy in local congregations,” said lay delegate Mathew Pinson. “If laity and clergy join together to build strong congregations, then I know we United Methodists will be in ministry long into the future.”
"The world is our parish," said clergy delegate David Jones. “But, like politics, all religion is local. Our future depends in large measure on solving the complex puzzle of what a worldwide church must hold in common and at what points nations can have different opinions and practices.”
“General Conference is such an ‘up and down,’ but we will only be able to see the whole after time has passed,” said clergy delegate John Simmons. “I am optimistic that God will continue to work through churches and individuals.”
“I am hopeful, but we have some very significant challenges,” said clergy delegate Jamie Jenkins.
“My feelings are mixed,” said clergy delegate Jim Cantrell. “I love our UMC and my hopes are high, but I have concern. We have had little meaningful conversation and no clear strategy to evangelize young adults.”
“I am impressed with the preparation and articulation of our delegates from Africa,” said lay delegate Lyn Powell, “particularly their leaders in the legislative committees.”
“I am excited and enthusiastic about the future of the United Methodist Church,” said lay delegate Bill Stikes. “This Conference has been filled with spirited debate from persons who sometimes disagree, but I've been uplifted by the number of my fellow young adults who are committed to making the church better in order to assist local churches in making disciples for Jesus Christ to transform the world. The future is bright!”
“I remain hopeful as I see amazing discipling work being done in local churches across our conference and beyond,” said clergy delegate Phil Schroeder.
“I will leave Tampa hopeful that our denomination can embrace our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” said lay delegate Bill Martin. “I have enjoyed getting to know the North Georgia delegation and others from around the connection and will take their friendship home with me.”
Bridges, the North Georgia Conference mission partnership emphasis, offers two upcoming mission exploration opportunities. Bishop B. Michael Watson has just announced two changes to the North Georgia Conference Cabinet. These changes will take place July 1, 2012.
Rev. Dan Brown will be appointed as Superintendent of the Griffin District. Brown currently serves as senior pastor of Trinity on the Hill UMC in Augusta.
Rev. Terry Fleming will be appointed as Superintendent of the Augusta District. Fleming currently serves as senior pastor of Norcross First UMC.
About Dan Brown
Dan Brown received his Bachelor of Arts degree from LaGrange College in Social Work in 1976. He completed his Masters of Divinity degree at the Candler School of Theology in 1979. He has done extensive doctoral work at both McCormick Theological Seminary and Asbury Theological Seminary.
Over the years, Brown has enjoyed a great deal of community involvement. He has been active in such organizations as the American Cancer Society, the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services, the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, the Lion's Club, and the Rotary Clubs in Griffin and Augusta. He has served as an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees of Reinhardt College, and is a current member of the Board of Trustees at LaGrange College.
Brown's previous appointments include: a student appointment to the Jenkinsburg Charge; Antioch UMC in Thomaston, GA; Sharp Memorial UMC on the campus of Young Harris College; McKendree UMC; Canton First UMC; and Griffin First UMC.
Dan and his wife Carol have two children: Chris, who is married to Ashley; and Kathryn who is married to Scott Curkin and gave birth to Max, Dan and Carol's grandson.
About Terry Fleming
Terry Fleming was raised in Hogansville, GA in St. James UMC. He heard God’s call to ordained ministry when he was 16, and attended Asbury College where he majored in speech communication. He completed his graduate work at both Asbury Theological Seminary and Candler School of Theology.
Fleming's previous appointments include: Lowell UMC in Carrollton, GA; Buchanan UMC; Pleasant Grove in LaGrange, GA; Rock Spring UMC; McKendree UMC; and Norcross First UMC.
Terry and his wife Carol are preparing to celebrate their 26th anniversary. They have two daughters, Lauren, who is in graduate school at James Madison University, and Robin, who will be a freshman at Auburn University this fall.
By Rich Peck
General Conference 2012 approved a budget of $603.1 million for seven general church funds during the 2013-2016 period; that total is 6.03 percent less than the amount apportioned for the 2009-2012 quadrennium –– the first time the assembly has accepted a lower budget than the amount set for the preceding four-year period.
That sounds like a whopping amount, but local churches should not count on huge savings since only 2 cents out of every dollar in the collection plates goes to support general church ministries. Also, costs of annual conference operations, clergy pension benefits and inflationary costs are likely to increase local church costs.
Two new line items
Delegates approved two new line items in the World Service Fund. They established a new $5 million fund for theological education in central conferences and $7 million to recruit and train young clergy in the United States.
That action, combined with earlier recommendations to reduce agency budgets by 6 percent, means general agencies will receive nearly 10 percent less money in the 2013-2016 period then they received in 2009-2012.
Costs of new structure
The General Council on Finance and Administration and the Connectional Table had the nearly impossible task of estimating the cost of forming the new Council on Strategy and Oversight and other costs of the new structure, including adding additional central conference members to agency boards, a new program audit, an adaptive Challenge Fund and costs of research.
Based on early estimates, the assembly approved reducing the Episcopal Fund by $3 million to cover costs in the World Service Fund related to Call to Action recommendations and the new structure.
Affect on agencies
While agencies may experience some savings in a reduced number of agency board members, those savings will be less than the 10 percent reduction in funds and the rate of inflation over the next four years.
Since all local churches do not pay the full apportionments, the amount received by all funds is less than the amount budgeted. In the past, receipts have hovered around 90 percent of the goal amount.
General Conference
The delegates called for the Advance Edition of the Daily Christian Advocate to be translated into Kiswahili, and increased the size of the Commission on General Conference, thus adding some $600,000 to the cost of the General Conference.
The Commission on General Conference will struggle to find ways to reduce costs. For instance, it could decrease the number of delegates from 1,000 to 600 or decrease the number of days the assembly meets. It also could make greater use of technology and consider other cost-saving measures.
For the first time, delegates agreed (504-406) to save money by eliminating the right of individuals to petition General Conference. All petitions now must be submitted by a local church council or a larger unit of The United Methodist Church.
Apportionment fund formula
Delegates continued the present apportionment formula that provides a percentage adjustment based on the economic strength in a conference, which is based on per-capita income in the area, and local church costs divided by the number of people in attendance.
They also approved a requirement that general agencies receiving general church funds provide an annual report on the names of people receiving funds as outside contractors and the amounts paid.
By Heather Hahn
By Elliot_Wright
United Methodist delegates and guests at their legislating General Conference gave more than $27,000 for missionary support and other ministries during the almost two-week meeting of the church’s General Conference in Tampa.
An opening offering of more than $15,000 was divided evenly between Imagine No Malaria, a church-wide campaign; Ministry with the Poor, a denominational focus areas, and Cornerstone, a local Tampa ministry related to United Methodist Women. The Ministry with the Poor portion will be used for the Laos Mission, which works primarily among the poor.
A total of $9,775.96 was given to The Advance for missionary support in a two-part offering, one part received at the end of a Sunday night celebration and another on the following Tuesday. Following the announcement of the total, a delegate offered a check to push the total over $10,000.
Another $2,769 was given on Sunday afternoon during a service in which new missionaries and deaconess were commissioned. That event was at the Palma Ceia United Methodist Church.
Slightly more than $11,000 was given to be divided among the dozens of pages and marshals who come to General Conference, mostly at their own expense, to assist delegates on the floor and in legislative sessions and to maintain the security of the official “bar” of plenaries and committees.
At the recommendation of the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, the North Georgia Conference will propose a new model for retiree health insurance. A series of information sessions will be conducted to provide retirees and surviving spouses the opportunity to learn about the proposed direction for their health insurance.
--Read More--
2012 HealthFlex Rates
2012 Mandatory Clergy Salary Deduction (MCSD)
Benefit Payments
PO Box 102555
Atlanta, GA 30368-2555
CRSP Calculator
General Board of Pensions (GBOP): CRSP Plan Details
Comprehensive Protecton Plan (CPP)
Insurance Coverage Guidelines
United Health Care
Workers' Compensation
Remittance Forms, Apportionment, Budget, and other related information is available at www.ngumc.org/giving
CCPI Fund Number: 1111
CCPI Website
UMPACT name changed to United Methodist Insurance
www.unitedmethodistinsurance.org
Church Safety Solutions
Webinar: Theft and the Local Church
MPM - Are You Going Away for Extended Time?
UM Insurance contact person:
Sheila Atkinson
410-472-6911
satkinson@cpg.org
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2012, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
IRS - Exemption From Self Employment(SE) Tax
As Conference Lay Leader, I greet you on behalf of the Board of Laity and welcome you to the “Ministry of the Laity” web pages. It is hoped that you will find the contact information, resources and programs sponsored by the Board to be of assistance and encouragement, as well as a useful tool for enhancing your personal and local church mission/ministry. It is our sincere desire to meet your needs, and we invite you to join us as we fine-tune our present endeavors and seek new projects and programs to better serve you.
During this quadrennium, the Conference Board of Laity will partner with clergy to identify and equip servant leaders as a diverse cadre of outstanding disciples to bring Jesus Christ to the world. We realize that the local church congregation is the important link to evangelism and witness; therefore, we will strive to provide the support you need to move from the walls of the church building into the community where opportunities are encountered for ministry with the least, last, lost and lonely. Through individual church projects and personal commitment to service, we will emerge as visible symbols of the “body of Christ” at work.
Visit our section on “Gift of Prayer” which has the laity in each church praying for their pastor(s), the pastor’s family and the mission/ministry of the church. The result of faithful prayer brings awesome results.
The Lay Leadership Resource Handbook along with the Standards of Leadership provides the foundation for growth of leaders and models servant leadership. The four programs sponsored by the Board provide something for everyone: Lay Speaking Ministries, Leadership UMC, Lay Ministry Training and Lay Revitalization Ministries. Each program is intentional for development of individuals and churches. Research these resources on the following laity pages and find the one that fits your particular need.
I invite you and your church to encounter God in a new and enthusiastic ministry this year. Please communicate to me your ideas and needs for reaching out of others as we formulate new programs and enrich our ministry during the quadrennium. You will find the contact information for the Conference Board of Laity and Executive Committee on the pages that follow. I look forward to serving in mission and ministry with you.
Jane Finley, Conference Lay Leader
North Georgia Conference
The mission of The United Methodist Church is to “Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” (Matt 28:18-20 & Matt 22:36-40) This mission is achieved through vital congregations that equip and empower people to be Disciples of Jesus Christ in their homes and communities around the world.
NOTE: For information or technical support, email vitalsigns@ngumc.org.
HARTFORD, CT (September 17, 2011)
Despite bursts of innovation, pockets of vitality and forays into greater civic participation, American congregations are less healthy today than 10 years ago.
Among the warning signs for congregations are drops in financial health, continuing high level of conflict, an aging membership, fewer people in the pews, and decreasing spiritual vitality.
Still, the decade saw increases in interfaith involvement, innovative worship, use of electronic technology and a greater variety of member-oriented and mission-oriented programs.
These are among the conclusions drawn from a major new Faith Communities Today 2010 survey of American congregations.
FACT is releasing a new report, titled "A Decade of Change in American Congregations, 2000 - 2010," that explores the health of congregations and how their health has changed in the past 10 years.
The Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership (CCSP) conducted the FACT 2010 survey, and analyzed responses from 11,077 randomly sampled congregations of all faith traditions in the United States. The survey updates results from surveys taken in 2000, 2005, and 2008 and is the latest in CCSP's series of trend-tracking national surveys of U.S. congregations. Overall, the FACT survey series includes responses from more than 28,000 congregations.
David A. Roozen, Director of the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership and Professor of Religion and Society at Hartford Seminary, said that "This is a significant report that offers a quick, if not somewhat sobering, check-up for congregations and religious leaders who support congregations. It presents many of the most significant mechanisms that encourage vitality and growth, and also several of the most challenging circumstances that lead to decline."
"Congregations are the organizational foundation of religion for their members and one of the strongest threads in the civic fabric of an American society that is, today, under stresses of historic proportions. Overall, this report says they continue to be key players in society, but they need to be more intentional in their worship and response to conflict, and open to technological innovation and the increasing diversity of American society," Roozen said.
The report offers findings in these categories:
Innovative Worship: The surge in contemporary worship continued, to more than 40 percent of congregations that always or often use electric guitars or drums in their worship in 2010. Also, both innovative and contemporary worship are catalysts of spiritual vitality.
Religion Goes Electronic: A third of congregations reported that their use of modern technology grew more than 10 percent. The more a congregation uses technology, the more open it is to change.
Racial/Ethnic Congregations: There has been a dramatic increase in racial/ethnic congregations, many for immigrant groups. In 2010, three in ten congregations reported that more than 50 percent of their members were members of minority groups, up from two in ten in 2000. One clear impact of the increase in minority congregations is that they inject a strong dose of growth and vitality into American religious life.
"Congregation is More Than Worship": Despite the overall erosion in congregational vitality and size from 2000 to 2010, there has been a slight increase in member-oriented and mission-oriented programming.
Financial Health: The number of congregations with excellent financial health declined from 31 percent in 2000 to 14 percent in 2010. Eighty percent of congregations reported that the recent recession negatively affected their finances.
Congregational Conflict: Almost two of every three congregations experienced conflict in 2010. In a third of the congregations, the conflict was serious enough that members left or withheld contributions, or a leader left. Conflict is corrosive - it leads to attendance decline and financial stress.
Demographic Details: The average percentage of participants over 65 has increased at the same time as the average percentage of 18-34 year olds has declined. Racial/ethnic congregations buck this trend, with significantly higher proportions of young adults among their participants than white congregations. Among historically white congregations, the membership of the typical Oldline Protestant congregation is much older than that of Evangelical Protestant congregations. For 75 percent of Oldline Protestant congregations, less than 10 percent are young adult. This aging of congregations is significant because as congregations age, their capacity for change erodes.
Interfaith Engagement: A little more than one in ten congregations surveyed in 2010 indicated they had shared worship across faith traditions in the past year, 13.9 percent in 2010 versus 6.8 percent in 2000. A special report on congregations' interfaith engagement is available at www.faithcommunitiestoday.
The Electoral Process: There has been a reversal between Oldline and Evangelical Protestantism in political action, through voter registration or education programs, in the past decade. While the use of the political process declined from 2000 to 2010 among Oldline Protestant Congregations, to 11.9 percent, it surged among Evangelical Protestant congregations, to 25.8 percent. The Black church also continues to use the political process, with 55 percent saying they offer voter education or registration campaigns.
Church Attendance: The average weekend worship attendance at a typical congregation declined from 2000 to 2010. Median weekend worship attendance at the typical congregation dropped from 130 to 108 during the past decade. More than one in four American congregations had fewer than 50 in worship in 2010.
Spiritual Vitality: Fewer congregations report high spiritual vitality - from 42.8 percent in 2000 to 28.4 percent in 2010. This decline in spiritual vitality is true across the board - including denominational family, race and ethnicity, region and size. Among the trends that negatively impact spiritual vitality are decreasing financial health, shrinking worship attendance, aging membership and high levels of conflict. One unexpected finding is that spiritual vitality rises considerably higher at the liberal end of the theological continuum than the very conservative end.
In conclusion, Roozen said, "Despite bursts of innovation, pockets of vitality and interesting forays into greater civic participation, American congregations enter the second decade of the twenty-first century a bit less healthy than at the turn of the century."
Links to view the report and related material are available at:www.faithcommunitiestoday.org
Faith Communities Today surveys and publications are products of the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership, a collaborative, multifaith coalition of American faith communities affiliated with Hartford Seminary's Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
FACT/CCSP offers research-based resources for congregational development that are useful across faith traditions, believing that all communities of faith encounter common issues and benefit from one another's experiences. It also informs the public about the contributions of congregations to American society and about the changes affecting and emanating from one of America's major sources of voluntary association - local congregations. For more information on CCSP, visit www.
About Hartford Seminary and the Hartford Institute for Religion Research: Hartford Seminary focuses on interfaith relations, congregational studies and faith in practice. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research has a 30-year record of rigorous, policy-relevant research, anticipation of emerging issues and commitment to the creative dissemination of learning.
For more on the Seminary and the Institute, visit the websites (www.hartsem.edu orhirr.hartsem.edu) or contact David Barrett at (860) 509-9519 or dbarrett@hartsem.
If Churches Can Change, They Can Grow
Shared from Lovett H. Weems, Jr
An exceptionally revealing report on church growth is now available from the Faith Communities Today research project. Drawing on extensive survey data, noted researcher C. Kirk Hadaway paints a compelling picture of factors leading both to church growth and decline. Churches have differing degrees of control over these factors.
Factors Beyond the Control of Congregations
Region. If your church is in the South, it is far more likely to grow than churches in any other region.
Population growth. The strongest demographic correlate with growth is an increase in the number of households in the area.
Location. Churches in newer suburbs are more likely to grow than churches in other locations, followed by downtown metropolitan churches. But central city churches are also more likely to decline than those in other areas, followed by those in towns and rural areas.
Congregation’s age. The more recent its founding, the more likely a church is to grow.
Household makeup. The proportion of households with children in the home is positively related to growth.
Factors Over Which the Congregation Has Some Control
Age of members. Churches with a healthy mix of ages tend to be growing, but those with more than 40 percent of regular participants over 60 are much less likely to grow.
Racial ethnic makeup. While most churches are composed of a single racial ethnic group, congregations with two or more racial ethnic groups are most likely to have experienced strong growth.
Gender makeup. Churches able to attract larger proportions of men than other congregations are more likely to grow.
Factors Over Which the Congregation Has Much Control
Conflict. Churches experiencing major conflict are likely to have declined in attendance. Congregations with no major conflict during the previous two years are most likely to grow.
Spiritual vitality. There is a strong relationship between growth and the sense that the congregation is spiritually vital and alive, a place where people encounter God.
Character of worship. A congregation that describes their worship as “joyful” is more likely to experience substantial growth, and churches where worship is described as “reverent” are least likely to grow.
Change. Congregations that say they are willing to change to meet new challenges also tend to be growing congregations.
Worship change. Congregations that changed their worship services moderately or substantially in the past five years were more likely to grow than those that changed their worship only a little or not at all.
Congregational Identity. When all congregations are combined, there is very little relationship between growth and theological orientation. More important is the religious character of the congregation and clarity of mission and purpose.
Children in worship. Congregations that involved children in worship were more likely to experience significant growth. Whether a congregation has relatively few or more than a few children and youth, not involving them in worship is associated with decline.
Website. Congregations that have started or maintained a web site in the past year are most likely to grow.
Sponsoring public events. Congregations that sponsor events are more likely to grow. These programs attract both members and non-members. This adds value for members and gives non-members a low-key opportunity to visit the church.
Support groups. Among churches where support groups are a key program, two-thirds are growing.
Follow-up in multiple ways. Congregations that follow-up with visitors in multiple ways are those most likely to grow.
A subtitle of the report sums up the reality churches face. “If churches can change,” it says, “they can grow.”
Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
A free download of the report “FACTS on Growth 2010” can be found athttp://faithcommunitiestoday.org/facts-growth-2010.
What Are the Top 10 Characteristics of a Healthy Youth Ministry?
by Kenda Dean
http://kendadean.com/
My friend Mike asked me (along with the other youth ministers he knows): “What are the top ten characteristics of a healthy youth ministry?” There are a million lists like that floating around, but it did make me stop and commit to a “top 10″ list for myself. So here’s my list, subject to revision. Email me yours before Easter, and we’ll post them!
So here goes (and I’m pretty sure that as soon as I post this, I’ll think of something I left out. Stay tuned!)
10. Safe space.
We live in what sociologist Ulrich Beck calls “a culture of risk.” There are lots of dimensions to that, but what it boils down to is a loss of certainty (I would say confidence) that were once provided by traditions and institutions. The upshot is a current of anxiety running through our culture that we mask with consumerism (“retail therapy”), attention to self-presentation (working out, body art, etc.), an overabundance of activities (“extracurriculars keep kids out of trouble”), and countless other practices designed to keep anxiety at bay.
Young people need safe spaces in their lives where they can “be” themselves instead of trying to “prove” themselves. Safe space can means time, relationships, or physical space where young people have the emotional, relational, physical, and spiritual freedom to explore, to risk, and to fail in a safety net of love–real love, not the Hallmark stuff. Safe spaces give youth the experience of being really “seen” and known as God sees and knows them, as beloved brothers and sisters of Christ.
(It goes without saying that “safe space” in youth ministry assumes a system of protection for sexual misconduct is in place.)
9. A culture of permission and creativity.
A safe space yields permission–permission to take risks, to move outside comfort zones, to initiate and to lead. Healthy youth ministry creates a culture of permission where young people can follow Christ where they sense they are being led, where adults are guides but not programmers, permission givers rather than gate keepers, trail guides rather than tour operators.
Creativity requires freedom–which safe space and permission provide. Young people need practice in multiple “faith languages” – words and actions, art and prayer. Increasingly, the language of the arts is becoming a “spiritual language” for young people (especially emerging adults). Healthy youth ministries recognize that young people live in a participatory culture, where they create cultural content as well as consume it. Treating youth primarily as consumers (of worship, programming, mission) fails to recognize that they are created in God-the-Creator’s image, and also makes church seem unwelcoming and archaic.
8. A culture of theological awareness.
Youth ministry ought to help youth see their lives the way God sees them–which means becoming aware of theological categories like grace, forgiveness, redemption, sin, hope. One of the findings of the National Study of Youth and Religion is that churches are not helping very much on this front. The result is that kids growing up in churches frame their lives in pretty much the same was as anybody else–which makes it tough to buck cultural norms that run contrary to the gospel. Healthy youth ministry creates a culture of theological awareness, teaching young people how to imagine themselves as participants in God’s story.
7. Integration into worship and congregational life at every level — while maintaining significant peer groups of faith
Teenagers need people to reflect back to them who they are; this “mirroring” is basic to the process of identity formation, and for the church to be absent from this process is a lethal sin of omission. Only in the church do young people begin to see themselves through the eyes of people who try to see them as God sees them: beloved, blessed, called. Interaction with Christian peers is part of this process, but adults are significant mirrors as well.
Christ calls teenagers, like the rest of us, to follow him–which makes youth as integral to the Body of Christ as anybody else. Separating youth out from the larger congregation is both theologically irresponsible, and a pragmatic mistake. Segmenting youth exclusively into “youth activities” leads young people to associate church with their peer groups–making “graduation” into the intergenerational faith community extremely difficult .
6. A community of belonging that is authentic, fun, and passionate about living as Christians in the world.
Truth is, it doesn’t really matter if the community of Christians in which youth participate is a youth group, a choir, a drama troupe, a Bible study, a parachurch organization or even the congregation as a whole (though the larger the congregation gets, the less likely people are to experience it as a community of belonging apart from small groups of fidelity, intimacy, and prayer). The point is that teenagers need to feel like the church is a place they belong, and not just attend–and belonging means they participate with joy alongside others who are living in the same direction.
5. A team of adult youth leaders who are actively growing together in faith and who embody the quality of community with one another and missional attitude that we want our kids to have.
You can’t lead where you don’t go. Adults need to unpack their own baggage so we don’t accidentally bring it into our relationships with youth–and we need to model the kind of spiritual investment in ourselves, in one another, and in the world, partly because it’s a faithful way to live, and partly because youth need examples of what communities that support each other in living as Christians in the world looks like.
4. A supportive congregation where people actively seek God and that talk about God as the subject of sentences.
Let me unpack this one. First, I’m convinced by the 2003 Exemplary Youth Ministry study that congregations where young people reliably develop mature faith “talk about God as the subject of sentences.” Two things are important in that phrase: 1) People talk about God, which means God is a lively concern in these congregations; and 2) God is the subject of sentences, which mean when people talk about God, they are saying that God does things. God is an actor in their lives, in the life of the congregation; God is doing things through them; God is alive and present and in their midst. And, they talk to God as well as about God. You can probably think of churhces where God is about as inert as the couch in the church parlor. But congregations that help young people have vital, lively faith talk about God as the subject of their sentences. God happens to them and through them.
Talking about God as an actor in the world is an indicator that people in a church are actively seeking God, and that they believe God makes a difference. That’s Step #1 in becoming a supportive congregation for youth ministry. But I’m equally convinced by Mark DeVries’ thesis in Sustainable Youth Ministry that congregations that impact young lives deeply invest in the infrastructure and leadership (lay and clergy) that make it happen.
This is not in lieu of investing directly in teenagers; people in congregations need to know young people by name, and welcome them “as they are” (even kids who don’t fit the congregational norm, and who look, sound, and smell differently from the kids we imagined). Supportive congregations give young people given concrete evidence that they are known (“Hey, how did it go with that teacher who was giving you trouble?”), and challenge them to grow beyond who they already are, and into the person God has created them to become (“You can’t smoke weed here. I care about you too much to let you hurt yourself.”) They give youth opportunities to grow in their faith and to live into their vocations, naming teenagers’ God-given gifts and inviting them to use those gifts on behalf Christ in the church and in the world.
Third, a supportive congregation is one where the whole community invests–visibly–in growing in faith together, and where teenagers witness the fruits of this investment as people takes risks on behalf of others in Christ’s name.
3. A senior pastor who is crazy about young people.
See #4, above – all these things are true for people who lead congregations as well. The senior pastor or head of staff, in many ways, embodies the congregation’s “brand.” If a congregation supports youth ministry, it will be clear because the head of staff talks about young people (positively) in public, includes them in leadership, embraces the faith development of parents, knows youth and their leaders by name, and makes himself/herself available to young people for spiritual conversations. The senior pastor is youth ministry’s head cheerleader: Go, team.
2. Lots and lots of parents who are growing in, and living out, their love of God and neighbor (and who are aware that this matters to their kids).
You’ve heard it before: parents are the most important youth ministers young people ever have. No variable in the National Study of Youth and Religion is more important in young people’s faith identities, or in their ability to sustain those faith identities between high school and emerging adulthood, than parents who are religiously active while their kids are teenagers. And if young people don’t have parents who are investing in faith, then churches need to be places where kids can find adults who are investing in faith, and who are willing to “spiritually adopt” these teenagers so they can eavesdrop on what it looks like to be an adult follower of Jesus Christ.
1. Jesus. (Read below)
I know, I know: the “right” answer in church is always “Jesus.” And of course, Christians understand God as three-in-one, so Jesus is not the only person of the Trinity who matters in youth ministry, so please don’t misunderstand me as reducing God to the Incarnation.
But Christians understand God as Triune through Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection reveals who God is and who we are in relationship to God. Doing youth ministry without God is like doing dinner without food: you can come to the table, but there’s nothing to eat…so why bother?
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"I did my best but I guess my best wasn’t good enough." These words have been spoken many times by countless people.
The rich voice of soul singer James Ingram repeats these words in the song "Just Once" that he recorded in 1981. It was his first recording, and it reached number seventeen on the pop charts.
The lyrics written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil detail the struggle of someone trying to understand why a relationship kept going sour. The question is asked, “Can’t we figure out what we have been doing wrong?”
Have you ever felt that way?
Whether crafting a sermon or developing a lesson plan; running your daily delivery route or honing your athletic skills; selling a product or performing a delicate surgical procedure; writing a computer program or a school term paper; creating an architectural design or parenting children. There are times when we are not sure that our best is good enough. We have made a good effort but think maybe it could have been more. The results could have been better.
Have you ever felt that way?
There are many explanations for why we are uncomfortable with the outcome of our efforts. Whether it is a relationship or some project that we are working on, often there is the feeling that something more or something different would have produced better results.
Some folks are perfectionists. No matter how hard they work or how well they apply themselves, it will be never be “right.” Others lack self confidence. They are convinced that they just don’t have what it takes to get the job done. They are always certain that someone else can do it better.
Fear of failure gets in the way many times. Reluctance to try something because it “might not make it” is a deterrent. Inadequate resources or limited skills can cause one to conclude that whatever is produced is not good enough.
An old proverb suggests that all God expects is that we do the best we can with what we have, now. We may try and fail but we must try.
A one frame cartoon shows an ancient architect and a builder standing in front of their completed project. The builder says to the architect, “I skimped a little on the foundation but no one will ever know.” The structure standing upright in that picture is what we now know as the “Leaning Tower of Pisa.”
There is no excuse for deliberately doing less than our best. When we do, we can expect the end results to reflect the level of our efforts. Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
When we have used our resources and skills to the best of our ability we can expect good results. I am not suggesting that the results will always be excellent but we should not worry about it. There may be imperfections but our goal is not to be perfect. Our goal is to do our best.
If the cause is consistent with God’s character and purpose, I believe God wants us to succeed. After we have done our best, then we need to turn it over to God. Even when our “best isn’t good enough,” God has the ability to transform it into something special.
Abraham Lincoln said, “I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep doing so until the end.” If we adopt that attitude, we have the right to ask God to “make the works of our hands last” (Psalm 90:17 CEB).
Jamie Jenkins
jjenkins@ngumc.org
5th Annual Wesley Speedway Walk for Others
April 21 | Atlanta Motor Speedway
For 110 years, Wesley Community Centers has been helping meet the needs of the poor in Atlanta. Support this ministry in "giving feet to the faith of the church" by walking or volunteering at the Wesley Speedway Walk for Others or by pledging to support a walker or worker. Proceeds support Project Extend, Bethlehem Senior Center, and Project SOAR. For more information, please call 404.872.0086 or www.wesleycenters.org
Tuesday, April 17
BASIC Training Boot Camp with Jim Griffith (Apr. 17-19)
Thursday, April 19
VitalSigns Training Webinar
Saturday, April 21
How to Develop Tippers into Tithers
UMVIM Missions Training
UMW Project Extend Work Experience
Wesley Walk for Others: Speedway
View all conference-related events
View all district-related events
View all local church-related events
2012 North Georgia Annual Conference Session
2012 General Conference Session
North Georgia Conference News
North Georgia Conference Classifieds & Employment Listings
North Georgia Conference Blogs
Subscribe to North Georgia Conference E-newsletters
The latest online edition of the North Georgia Advocate
Read the Bible in a Year
Become a Facebook fan of the North Georgia Conference
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4 (UMH 741)
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48
Visit the General Board of Discipleship website for lectionary planning helps
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This is the day after Easter. Yesterday we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus. We sang, "Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph o’er His foes. He arose victorious from the dark domain and He lives forever with His saints to reign.”
That was yesterday. Where are we and what is our attitude today?
Yesterday we remembered how the stone was rolled away from the tomb and Jesus, who died just a couple of days before, was alive again.
As we joined in worship Sunday, we listened to the story of the Resurrection of Jesus that has been told for over 20 centuries. We are among the multitudes of people who have believed what the angel said to the women when they came to Jesus’ grave early on that Sunday morning: “He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said.” We remembered that account and celebrated that fact.
That was yesterday. Where are we and what is our attitude today?
On the morning of Jesus’ resurrection when Mary Magdalene discovered that the tomb was open, she went to tell Peter and one of the other disciples. When they heard the news they ran to the tomb and found it empty just as they had been told. After seeing the evidence, they believed and then went back home.
Later that day Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had had seen and talked with Jesus. She related the entire conversation between her and Jesus.
You would think that Jesus’ closest followers would have been ecstatic over this news. The one whom they had loved and revered was not dead; he was alive! On the contrary, the next report is that they were fearful and had gathered together and locked all the doors in the house.
Yesterday we celebrated the Resurrection. Where are we and what is our attitude today?
One can easily understand how fear could prevail over those early disciples. They did not have the benefit of looking through the lenses of centuries of history. They had seen their leader cruelly mocked and brutally slain. Would they be next? Was their life in danger?
We have the advantage of reflection. We can look back and see the effect of the Crucifixion and Resurrection on humankind. We know from experience that Jesus is alive. He said that although he was returning to his Father in heaven, he would always be with us. Max Lucado said one indication of God’s love for us is that he could have chosen any place to live, but he has chosen to reside in our hearts.
In his Rule of 1221, St. Francis told the friars not to preach unless they had the proper permission to do so. Then he added, "Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds." That is probably what inspired someone to coin the phrase, "Preach the gospel at all time. Use words if necessary."
Jesus said, "I was dead, but now I am alive again. Because I live, you shall live also."
Yesterday was Easter Sunday but for the followers of the Risen Christ every day is a new beginning--a resurrection. May our live witness to that reality--in word and deed.
Jamie Jenkins
jjenkins@ngumc.org
VitalSigns Webinar Training Session
April 19 | 2pm & 7pm | Your computer, or the United Methodist Center
VitalSigns is a new weekly dashboard ministry of the United Methodist Church where each Monday your church will receive an email invitation to answer a few questions about your congregation. The Office of Connectional Ministries will host this training session to help facilitate this process. You can attend via your computer or come to the United Methodist Center for either time. To register, please go to http://www.ngumc.org/registrations/register/173.
Thursday, April 12
Advocacy Team Meeting
Saturday, April 14
NGC Delegation Meeting
Natural Disaster Simulation Training, Awareness, and Preparedness Event
Nurture Team Meeting
UMCOR ERT Training
UMW Program, Nominations and Executive Committees
View all conference-related events
View all district-related events
View all local church-related events
2012 North Georgia Annual Conference Session
2012 General Conference Session
North Georgia Conference News
North Georgia Conference Classifieds & Employment Listings
North Georgia Conference Blogs
Subscribe to North Georgia Conference E-newsletters
The latest online edition of the North Georgia Advocate
Read the Bible in a Year
Become a Facebook fan of the North Georgia Conference
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133 (UMH 850)
1 John 1:1-2:2
John 20:19-31
Visit the General Board of Discipleship website for lectionary planning helps
Camp Glisson: Open house for new families
Tickets are available by calling 404.606.1024 or email llemons76@comcast.net for more information.
Trinity UMC: Members extend mission internationally
more than 200 years as thousands of people have come through Trinity’s doors to receive physical and spiritual sustenance.
Recently, Trinity members stepped into the international mission field, with seven adults from Trinity, and two from Main Street UMC in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The group travelled to Cochabamba, Bolivia, at the end of March to serve with the staff of T’iu Rancho, a mission of the Methodist Evangelical Church of Bolivia. T’iu Rancho serves the native Quechua people through after school programs, health education, and continuing education for lay and ordained pastors throughout the region.
Trinity team members were Lil Bolster, Paul Bolster, Carrie Finegan, Gretchen Kaney, Dianne O’Neal, Kathey Stubbs, Tasso Tasioudis. Main Street members were Kelly O’Neal and Michael O’Neal.
“The staff at T’iu Rancho has done a phenomenal job reaching the most underserved persons in the Payocollo community, and the Trinity-Main Street team just came to lend a hand,” said Trinity associate pastor Rev. Carrie Finegan. “We offered expertise in the form of a small medical team, cooking classes, self-esteem workshops,
and interior maintenance. One of the most memorable days for the team was at 7:30 one morning when a local 95 year-old-man walked up to the ranch to see if the doctors could examine him early—he explained that
they needed to do their exam quickly because he needed to get to work. The staff told the team that his only source of income is a modest $30 a month pension from the government that is enough to purchase
some rice, oil, and potatoes. If he needs any meat, produce or medicine, it means continued labor in the fields. In fact, the team saw many men and women well into their senior years who continued to labor in order to feed themselves and their families.”
In addition to the medical visits, the team assisted the staff with teaching reproductive health to high school students, holding a Q and A session with the doctors for a young mothers group, making crafts and playing baseball (with newly donated equipment) with the Quechua children, leading a cooking class for women of the community,
preparing an apartment for two of the staff persons whose current adobe home is in disrepair, and—most importantly—building relationships with the staff of T’iu Rancho. Despite great language barriers, team members and staff members were each assigned a prayer partner and met with their partner each day of the trip to pray for
and with each other.
“The medicine the team brought will be used up. The baseball gloves will wear down. The apartment will fall into need of repair. But the impact of our relationships with one another—and the love and
hope we shared together—will last a lifetime. And that is what mission is all about,” said Finegan.
VitalSigns is a new weekly dashboard ministry of the United Methodist Church, designed to keep track of the following information about UM congregations: total worship attendance; number of new members and baptisms; how many persons actively engaged in small groups; local, national and international missions and outreach; numbers of people served by your congregation; amount given to other charities, and total offerings. Each Sunday, churches in the conference will receive invitations to answer these questions. Add filings@trendsendapp.com to your email contacts to prevent the emails from going to a Spam folder.
For more information, contact your district office or the Rev. Jasmine Smothers in the Office of Connectional Ministries (jasmine.smothers@ngumc.net or 678-533-1387) if you have questions or need assistance.
Looking for means to transform your congregation and equip them for effective, life-transforming ministry? Moving people from self-centered to Christ-centered is often the result of an effective missions program and this is the purpose of the Beyond These Walls 2012 Mission Conference, Oct 11-13 in Powder Springs. “Best of the best” missions teaching and training will help you and your leadership mobilize, revitalize, and equip your congregation so that they can fulfill their divine calling – making disciples of all the nations.
Keynote speakers will be Dr. Mark Beeson, Founding Pastor at Granger Community Church (5,500 attending congregation in Indiana), and Dr. Reggie McNeal, author and Missional Leadership Specialist for Leadership Network of Dallas, Texas. As before, you will have the opportunity to tailor your learning time by selecting for multiple workshops. The growing list of offerings, along with other conference details, can be found at www.missionconference.org. Registration opens June 1.
Attendees requiring overnight accommodations should contact the Holiday Inn & Suites-Austell, 770 349-8000. Be sure to identify yourself as being with BTW.