News, notes and anecdotes from across the conference

Weekends are filling up fast for group retreats this fall. If you know of a church, school, or nonprofit group that's looking to retreat in 2013-14, share Glisson with them as a one-stop solution for comfy lodging, tasty meals, ample meeting space, and exciting team-building opportunities. www.campglisson.org. 

      Night of Champions, an annual Action Ministries event, raised $100,000 to support the nonprofit’s mission to mobilize communities to address the challenges of poverty by focusing on hunger relief, housing and education.  The event took place at  Northside UMC and was hosted by Bill Curry, recently retired head football coach at Georgia State University, and his wife Dr. Carolyn Curry.

     There’s a new scholarship opportunity available for Methodist students in North Georgia attending Methodist-affiliated schools, thanks to the Martha Forrest scholarship endowment. Scholarship awards will be matched by the Higher Education Foundation, the participating Methodist-related schools and the student’s local church. The funds are invested at the Georgia United Methodist Foundation in Norcross. 

     The endowment was established to honor Martha Forrest, a retired North Georgia District Superintendent, and was developed with cooperation of Bob Fletcher at the UMHEF and Chuck Savage of the Georgia United Methodist Foundation. 

      Applicants must be active, full members of a United Methodist church in the North Georgia Conference for at least one year prior to application. He or she must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a full-time degree program (undergraduate or graduate) at a UM-related college, university or seminary in Georgia.

      Recipients will be chosen by the Georgia United Methodist Foundation as part of the United Methodist Dollars for Scholars Quadruple Match program. Participating schools include Andrew College, Candler School of Theology, Clark Atlanta University, Emory University, LaGrange College, Paine College, Reinhardt University, Wesleyan College and Young Harris College. 

     To make a contribution, make a check payable to United Methodist Higher Education Foundation, For: Martha Forrest Scholarship Endowment, and mail to 60 Music Square East, Suite 350, Nashville, TN 37203. For more information, visit www.umhef.org or call 800-811-8110.

     On May 18, Midway UMC in Douglasville observed Change the World weekend by hosting a breakfast for the homeless in the community.  Pastor Frank Boone and several church members greeted the men and women upon arrival.  Midway's men cooked and served a hearty breakfast.  The women served coffee and milk and visited with our guests and made them feel welcomed and loved.  The Midway Praise Band provided beautiful music during the breakfast.  Prayer cards on each table gave our new friends the opportunity to request prayer from the Prayer Ministry. 

   Jere O'Neal, from Douglasville First UMC attended and brought Gideon Bibles for the men and women.  Everyone was given a gift bag, which included a Chick-fil-A coupon and toiletries as they left. Everyone who participated was blessed and wants to continue the service to our neighbors.  We all felt the presence of the Holy Spirit on this rainy Saturday.

 Action Ministries Housing is looking for skilled workers to help with house repair projects!

      Do you have a group of friends who have the skills to renovate a kitchen or bathroom and who would like to volunteer at one of our houses?  If so, give us a call. Contact Sarah Gleason at sgleason@actionministries.net or 404-881-1991 x5618.

 Mt. Gilead UMC: Weekly farmers market

      The Woodstock church is hosting a farmers market at 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays through the last Saturday in October.  Featuring locally grown agricultural products, organic farming and gardening, healthy eating, and better land stewardship, sponsors the Farmers Market as an outreach to the community. The market will be held in the church parking lot at 889 Arnold Mill Rd. Contact 770-551-0837 or 770-490-9345 or visit www.mtgilead-umc.org. 

      The 2013 Conference on Ministry with Children (formerly FOCUS) is offered by the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) of The United Methodist Church to support those engaged in ministry with children. This event is open to teachers, leaders, pastors, children’s advocates, preschool teachers and directors, annual conference staff, and anyone who is committed to faith formation of children. We will offer workshops, panel discussions, networking, engaging worship experiences, and resources for training and connecting leaders in ministry with children while equipping participants with practical applications and practices to use in their congregations.

       Join us as we “Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord” July 22-26, 2013 in beautiful Greenville, S.C. at Buncombe Street UMC. We will celebrate our work with children and connect in ways that will help our children continue to grow in faith. For details, e-mail childrensministry@gbod.org.

     Clergy and Conference staff members who are participants in HealthFlex should take advantage of the free Quest Diagnostics Blueprint for Wellness® screening ongoing through July 31. This screening is part of your HealthFlex wellness benefits. Participants and spouses in active HealthFlex plans can each earn $100 HealthCash.* You’ll receive valuable health data to share with your doctor.

     Blueprint for Wellness is a comprehensive biometric screening. Just one blood sample and a few quick measurements analyze 30 health factors. Results are confidential and will be mailed directly to you, to share with your doctor. You must preregister to obtain this screening. 

     To register, call (866) 908-9440.  Employer/group: “United Methodist Church” or “HealthFlex” 

     To register online: www.gbophb.org.  Log into HealthFlex/WebMD and select “Quest Blueprint for Wellness” in left column.