Bishop's Panel at Georgia Pastors' School with Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson and Bishop Lawson Bryan. Moderated by Rev. Matt Nelson. (Photo courtesy of the South Georgia Annual Conference) By JESSICA BRADFORD For many years, hundreds of active and retired clergy have convened near the banks of historic Frederica River at Epworth By The Sea for the annual Georgia Pastors’ School. Pastors’ School provides inspiration, education, worship, fellowship, fun and relaxation for North and South Georgia ...

Do you feel called to reach the unreached? Creating new places for new faces is one of the most effective ways we can do that. And you don't have to do it alone. That's why the North Georgia Conference developed the NExT Leadership Academy.  We've found that there are 10 essentials for successful church start-ups: Call, Vision, Launch, People, Funding, Preaching, Leadership, Family, Staffing, and Systems.  Through NExT, you'll get exposed to these essentials in action, be inspired by ...

Campus ministry, plus a Connectional Ministries grant, plus a local church partner equals 25,000 pounds of potatoes to hunger ministries in Atlanta. By Sybil Davidson Last fall the Georgia Tech Wesley Foundation hosted a “Potato Drop” at Tenth Street Underwood UMC near campus. The Wesley Foundation received 25,000 lbs pounds of gleaned potatoes from The Society of St. Andrew to distribute to hunger organizations.   Wesley Foundation staff and students connected with other student volunteers ...

There is an urgent need for construction teams in the Lumberton, NC region, which is still recovering from significant damage from Hurricane Matthew. The North Carolina Annual Conference shared that there is a need “like never before” for volunteer teams in August, September and throughout the fall. Teams are need for framing, roofing, electrical, and plumbing assistance. Any and all volunteers are welcome, but the need for those skilled in these four areas are critical at this point. To ...

Michael Black and Nathan Brasfield (center) with EarthKeeper facilitators Susan Mullin, John Hill, Jenny Phillips, and Jerome Sahabandhu Michael Black, a member of Decatur First UMC, and Nathan Brasfield, a student at Candler School of Theology, recently joined the ranks of five previous EarthKeepers in the North Georgia Conference. From August 1-6, Nathan and Michael received training through Global Ministries at Mount Sequoyah Retreat Center and commissioning at Trinity United Methodist ...

Here’s an opportunity for office volunteers that could be fun for individuals or “friend groups” of 2 or 3 people from a church. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED UMCOR is seeking willing volunteers to help make badges for dedicated early response team members and others who respond to humanitarian need following disasters. An UMCOR badge reassures survivors and officials alike of the wearer’s connection to UMCOR and the people of the United Methodist Church. Volunteers for badge-making will receive training,...

The North Georgia Conference Bridges partnerships are based on a 50/50 relationship between our Conference and Methodist mission colleagues around the world. Rev. Herzen Andone, Conference Director of Connectional Ministries, gave an update to members of the 2017 Annual Conference on three Bridges. The Bridge to El Salvador has been active every year since its launch, according to Andone. Two teams from the LaGrange District and one from LaGrange College travel to El Salvador each year and are ...

Volunteer Opportunities Now Available    Next week Action Ministries will officially launch the sixth year of Smart Lunch, Smart Kid, the organization’s nutrition and educational enrichment opportunity program for Georgia’s kids. Created to help children who are at risk of hunger when school’s out for the summer, the program provides children in communities all across the North Georgia Conference with healthy meals and academic enrichment.   Since 2012, Smart Lunch, Smart Kid has served more ...

Save the date! On Saturday, Aug. 26, the first-ever WITH Conference will take place at Dunwoody UMC. The conference, sponsored by Action Ministries and the Housing and Homeless Council, is a grass-roots event organized by North Georgia United Methodist clergy and laity and designed for churches called to ministry with those struggling with poverty in local communities. The conference will be a time to learn what it means to be in ministry WITH the poor as opposed to “to the poor” or “for the ...

The United Methodist Children’s Home Agrees to Sell Campus to City of Decatur; Funds from $40 Million Sale Will Serve More Children and Families in Crisis (NOTE: Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions at the Children's Home website.) Responding to the growing needs of the children and families it serves, the Board of Trustees of The United Methodist Children’s Home (UMCH) has agreed to sell the ministry’s 77-acre campus to the City of Decatur. The Decatur City Commission approved the ...