Hand-in-Hand in the Rock Hill District

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1 March 2016 South Carolina United Methodist Conference Rev. Joe N. Long, Jr., District Superintendent Lollie Haselden, District Secretary 139 Elizabeth Lane, Rock Hill, SC fax Inside this issue: Important Dates and Local District 2-10 Conference Announce- Asbury Hills/ LJA District Website rockhill.umcsc.org

2 March 2016 Page 2 I heard of some church members of a splinter group who wanted to set themselves apart from other churches. They placed on the front wall of their building large gold letters which proclaimed JESUS ONLY. A gust of wind blew away three letters. After that, the message they presented to the world read US ONLY. What message are we giving? Jesus only or Us only? We may not have gold letters on the outside of our buildings but we send clear messages by what we do and how we do it. People in the community may have never stepped inside our building, but they know from how our key leaders treat people if we are about Jesus or ourselves. The ways we serve the needs of people near our buildings helps spread the word. So do our budgets and our calendars. Is it about Jesus and what Jesus wants? Or is it about us and our wants? Think about that the next time your church makes a decision. This month we remember Jesus praying in the garden, not my will but thy will be done. He died on the cross to save all sinners. He rose from the grave giving victory to all who believe. Hallelujah! It s about Him. Tell the story. Live the good news. Joe

3 Dates to Remember: Important Dates and Local District News March 5 th, Saturday Stewardship Summit at Simpsonville UMC March 10 th, Thursday Clergy Orders Gathering at Lexington UMC March 2016 Page 3 March 11 th -13 th Spouse Retreat at Epworth by the Sea, St. Simon s March 12 th 13 th Lay Servant Training, Cornerstone UMC March 25 th Good Friday, District Office closed March 28 th Easter Monday, District Office closed March 31 st, Thursday Local Church Annual Audit Due April 7 th, Thursday District Clergy Meeting & Invitational Preaching Workshop New Hope UMC, Rock Hill April 10 th, Sunday District Youth Rally at India Hook UMC 4:45pm 7:15pm (see more details later in this newsletter) Apportionments We are nearing the end of the first quarter of To date, apportionment giving for our district is 6.36%. Imagine No Malaria As a conference, we have raised over $200,000 so far toward our $1 million goal. The Rock Hill District has contributed about $5,000 so far. Let s keep giving. Many people working together can make a huge impact! When the Imagine No Malaria initiative began, a child died from malaria every 30 seconds. Today, less than 10 years later, the death rate has decreased to one child every 2 minutes. Our giving is making a difference in the lives of children every single day. If you need help finding resources or have a great idea for fundraising for our Imagine No Malaria campaign, please contact Lollie Haselden (lphaselden@gmail.com) or Rev. Heather Humphries (hbhumphries@umcsc.org) for assistance. Learn more: home/ministries/imagine-no-malaria/

4 March 2016 Page 4 Grades 6th-12th

5 March 2016 Page 5 CELEBRATING! 20 YEARS OF GODLY PLAY MINISTRY & 13 YEARS OF NC/SC GATHERINGS First United Methodist Church, Clover, SC MARCH 12, a.m. -- 4:30 P.M. THE SPIRITUALITY OF CHILDREN & THE MAKING OF STORIES Continental Breakfast (8:30-8:55 a.m.) Experiencing a complete Godly Play session with a new presentation of the MYSTERY OF EASTER: FACES OF JESUS STORY Enjoying a SPIRITUALITY OF CHILDREN presentation by Kaye Edwards, special guest from the Disciples of Christ denomination A Delightful Lunch by Chef Charlotte Viewing GODLY PLAY CONVERSATIONS, a new DVD production of First UMC, Clover MAKING STORIES with Sally Selzer, special guest craftswoman from Worship Woodworks, Kansas ( 9 Parables, Creation, Lord s Prayer, Paul s Discovery, Mystery of Christmas: Journey to Bethlehem) Participation in Workshops: DEEP TALK WI TH GODLY PLAY LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF GODLY PLAY COST: $15 per person (includes lunch, breaks) (plus cost of materials for stories you chose to make -- price sheet will follow soon) =================================================================== REGISTRATION: GODLY PLAY GATHERING March 12, First UMC, Clover, SC NAME: CHURCH: DENOMINATION: ADDRESS: CITY/STATE E- MAIL: PHONE: $15 FEE ENCLOSED (Make checks to First UMC, Clover and send to Dick Gibson, 866 Meadowlark Drive, Rock Hill, SC 29732, and/or contact him for more information: , OR dkgibson@comporium.net)

6 March 2016 Page 6 Friendship UMC, 1200 Neely Store Road, Rock Hill, SC will be showing a Lenten play, The Living Dramatization of Leonardo da Vinci s Lord Supper. It will be presented on Saturday, March 19 6:00 and on Palm Sunday, March 20 11:00 with lunch, (Sign up requested, call the church office at 803. ) and Egg Hunt following the play. It is Free and open to the Public!!

7 March 2016 Page 7 Panama Mission 2016, Santiago, Panama The Rock Hill District United Methodist Volunteers in Mission recently returned from a week long mission in Santiago, Panama. The eight team members built 5 pews for the church, a steel swing set that holds 4 swings, did plumbing work and some concrete work. More importantly, the team worked to build relationships in the surrounding community by sponsoring a community lunch where 200 hot dogs were cooked and by visiting the homes in Los Calenas and distributing food bags containing rice, beans, pasta and a cross. Several community members asked for prayers for specific circumstances and the team members were able to pray with them. United Methodist Missionaries David and Cindy Cebelas hosted the team. Please pray for both full-time missionaries and those who travel as short term missioners. If you have an interest in finding out more about this type mission work, contact Ken Hudson at kenrhudson@yahoo.com 2016 Annual Conference Mission Fair For the past two years at Annual Conference, Lay Leadership has sponsored a Mission Fair that generated enthusiasm and excitement about what is happening in local church missions across our conference. Church representatives have set up displays, power point presentations and used numerous other ways of sharing their stories of how they do mission in their churches and communities! The 3rd Local Church Mission Fair will be held at Annual Conference on Monday, June 6, 2016, in the Civic Center in Florence, SC. The event will be from 12:00 Noon until 2:00PM in the Exhibit Ballroom downstairs. As in the past, food will be available during the mission fair for purchase from Civic Center and cost of meal tickets will be announced soon. Following this year s Conference theme, A More Excellent Way, Making Space for God to Work, the Mission Fair Theme will be, Spaces Where God Is Working! We invite local churches to share information on a successful mission where God is working in the lives of the people involved in the mission and also those helped through their efforts. Representatives are encouraged to be creative in setting up an exhibit that shares information about a successful mission project from their church, including having someone there to answer questions and provide additional information to those who request it. To participate and enter your mission project for the Mission Fair, please go to the SC UMC conference website, look for the Mission Fair tab and register. Submissions must be completed by April 30, For additional information or questions, please contact Donald Love or Lisa Livingston at laityevents@umcsc.org.

8 March 2016 Page 8 In Remembrance John s Story Let your imagination take you back over 2000 years ago. John, Christ s beloved disciple will be your narrator. He was there when it all happened and will tell you this story in his own words. An eyewitness to the love and power displayed in the miracles of Jesus, John gives us an up-close and personal look at Christ's identity. Jesus Christ did not have to die for us. He did, because He values every life on earth and wants to see each of us sitting at His dining table someday in heaven. In return, Jesus makes a simple request, to remember this act of love He performed on our behalf. We can apply the lessons Jesus taught at the Last Supper to live a faithful life while here on earth by serving others in love. The bread is a symbol of the body of Jesus, never to be forgotten as it was given to us. The cup represents the blood of Jesus, never to be forgotten as he poured out His life for us. Jesus Christ has offered everyone the gift of His life; death and resurrection Join us on Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 pm at Philadelphia United Methodist Church, 2260 Chester Hwy York SC for.. In Remembrance of Me, John s Story

9 March 2016 Page 9 Conference The next team leader training will be on April 9th in Florence at Central UMC. If you are interested or know of someone please contact Lee McMillan, (lmcmillan@umcsc.org). We will start at 10am and hopefully be finished by 3pm. Lunch will be served and the cost for the training is $45 payable at the training. Submissions are invited for a new Advocate project: South Carolina Stories of Racial Awakening. Here are the details: The Advocate is now accepting submissions from S.C. United Methodist lay or clergy (any race, gender, ethnicity) for the South Carolina Stories of Racial Awakening Project. Submissions selected for publication will receive $50 courtesy of an anonymous donor helping with the project. The Advocate will select up to 10 narratives to be published in the Advocate, one a month for 10 months. The submission should be a narrative about how you went from a negative, exclusionary view about another racial or ethnic group to beliefs and practices that are positive and inclusive. The narrative should honestly and vividly describe the writer s previous attitudes and behaviors (and reasons for them) toward people of a different race/ethnicity, why and how that changed and how the change is manifest in the author s current behaviors. Writers must provide their age, race/ethnicity and church they attend (with city). Submissions can be between 500 and 1,000 words. One submission per person will be accepted. Published submissions will receive $50 each. Submissions will be accepted until the 10 publishable narratives have been selected. Send submissions to jbrodie@umcsc.org. Submissions or questions: jbrodie@umcsc.org Thanks! Blessings, Jessica

10 March 2016 Page 10 Dear pastors and churches, Thanks for your help with and submissions to the March edition of the Advocate newspaper. That paper is arriving now in mailboxes across the state, as well as is posted online (in limited format) at Now we begin work on the April Advocate, which will come out roughly March 30. We invite your submissions for the April Advocate. Please them to by our deadline of March 10. Submissions include news articles, press releases, high-res photos, calendar blurbs, op-eds, letters to the editor and story ideas. We also welcome your paid display ads and paid classified ads. In addition, please encourage people to subscribe to the Advocate. We are doing our best to boost our circulation numbers, and we desire that all United Methodists read the Advocate in some form or fashion. We have individual or gift subscriptions, clergy 5 for $25 subscriptions and church groups plans available. Visit our subscription page on our website to purchase a subscription online or download necessary church plan or 5 for $25 forms. Thanks, and have a great day! Blessings, Jessica

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13 March 2016 Page 13 For costs and registration information go to the following web page:

14 March 2016 Page 14 Honduras Mission Trip SCMYP Honduras Mission Experience 2016 SCMYP is excited to, once again be joining forces with HOI and the Kentucky Conference UMC for a third year for a mission opportunity for young people to Honduras in the summer of As you know, Bishop Holston has a heart and a passion for missions. The Honduras mission trip is open to young people (age 16-22) in the SC Annual Conference. This God-sized vision became a God-sized reality as we held our first trip in The Honduras Mission Experience has now become a regular part of the SCMYP calendar. We now have dates reserved to participate in a similar, week-long mission experience in Honduras June 24-July 2, 2016 along with a group of young people from the Kentucky Conference. The trip will be organized and work will be done with Honduras Outreach International (HOI, inc). HOI has years of experience and has developed a meaningful relationship in communities in Honduras. We are excited about what God will do to make this trip a powerful experience for young people in our conference. If you are interested in being a part of this mission experience please complete the Honduras Trip Application 2016 and return it to the address below as soon as possible. Chris Lynch Honduras Mission Trip 4908 Colonial Dr. Columbia, SC 29203

15 March 2016 Page 15 Summer Camp Trek It's that time! Registration for summer camp is NOW OPEN! The website has been updated with 2016 dates, rates, and information about what's new for summer We've been listening and have added more of what you are asking for including more Drenched weeks and an additional Jr. High Expedition week. We are also re-vamping programs including adding a slackline course for Elementary Altitude and adding a special lake with activities just for our Drenched campers. More information and photos will be coming soon. The biggest change for next summer you will immediately notice is the registration process. We have worked this fall to overhaul our online registration system to (hopefully) make the process easier for you. It is now more simple to register multiple campers, you have more payment options (if you register early), and all forms* are now online! That's right. Your camper's health form and activity preferences are now a part of registration. This does mean that the time it takes to register your camper will increase, and you will need to have immunization & insurance information at the time of registration. But it also means that once your camper's registration is submitted, you're done! There are no additional forms to fill out for the majority of our campers.(*the only exception to this is the whitewater rafting release form for Expedition a n d A d v e n t u r e : W h i t e w a t e r c a m p e r s. ) We are pumped about everything God has in store for the summer! Don't miss it. Asbury Hills is Hiring! We are looking for the best summer camp staff who: 1. Sets a Christian Example 2. Demonstrates Leadership Skills 3. and Has a Servant's Heart Do you regularly shop Amazon? Shop AmazonSmile and part of your purchase goes to support our ministry at Asbury Hills!

16 March 2016 Page 16 LAKE JUNALUSKA SUMMER YOUTH EVENTS This spiritual formation event, in the beautiful North Carolina Mountains, offers morning and evening sessions focused on being the Body of Christ through service, worship, and community. During the past two summers, youth packaged 70,000 meals for hungry people, partnering with Stop Hunger Now and raised over $14,000 for this amazing mission. Each event includes guest preachers and worship bands. Afternoons are free for groups to plan additional service projects, rafting trips, or to enjoy the swimming pool or boats at Lake Junaluska. The program is geared towards 6th through 12th graders. Read More YOUNG PEOPLE IN MISSIONS Young People in Mission is a camp experience with hands-on mission opportunities for youth and young adults between the ages of 12 to 24. Our hope is that this event serves as a launch to empower them to serve with new eyes and a heart for Christ. Each year, young people serve with local mission projects, worship together, fellowship and grow with family groups, dive into Bible studies, and learn from featured speakers and the City of Opportunity. Read More M28 YOUTH CAMP M28 is designed to help you and your students grow deep relationships with Christ. Worship and teaching time will make a difference in everyone in attendance. Read More WHITEWATER RAFTING & ZIPLINE ADVENTURES MARCH OCTOBER Lake Junaluska Adventure Packages offer all-inclusive rafting and zipline packages bundled with YOU in mind. We provide simplicity each step of the way in order for you to relax and have a great time with your group. Packages start at $107 per person, based on four people in a room. Read More INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND JULY 1-5 Enjoy a patriotic celebration with reserved seats at the Balsam Range and Lake Junaluska Singers concerts. Festivities include fireworks, a parade, and more. Two-night packages Includes lodging, select meals, and reserved seats for select concerts. Read More BOOK TODAY! CALL