Greenwood United Methodist Church. Virginia Annual Conference By Aggie Dalton and Steve Stalnaker

Transcription

1 July 2014 Greenwood United Methodist Church Page July 2014 Twig Bender Virginia Annual Conference 2014 By Aggie Dalton and Steve Stalnaker F ormer Greenwood/Laurel Park directors of Christian education, the Rev. Brian Johnson and the Rev. Anita Mays, were ordained and commissioned, respectively, at this year s Virginia Annual Conference. Rev. Brian was ordained as an Elder in Full Connection and is now pastor of Salem UMC in Mathews, VA. Rev. Anita was commissioned as a Provisional Member. She will continue her appointment as associate pastor at Mount Pisgah UMC. The Annual Conference 2014 theme was Lord Renew us with Your Spirit. In his episcopal address, Virginia Conference Bishop Young Jin Cho asked each of us to pray for the renewal and revival of the United Methodist Church. He also asked every church to OUR MINISTRY OF PRAYER help save 100,000 lives by taking Please pray for these brothers on Imagine No Malaria as a spiritual discipline rather than just an- and sisters in Christ Lois Cullom, Dawning Ladd, other fund-raising drive. Pastor Barbara Lewis, Lieu Bishop Cho asked everyone to Lewis, Jean Mowatt, Dean pray for the United Methodist Pittman, Emma and Roy Roberts, Brenda and Harry Shuler, ed to homosexual inclusion a Church. He called the issues relat- Dorothy Sties (Continued on page 7)

2 Page 2 The Twig Bender From the Pastor The Busy-ness of the Conference I usually love the business sessions of Annual Conference. I actually like hearing reports, knowing what is going on and glimpsing where our conference is heading. Sometimes I even enjoy the debates, hearing differing opinions and learning why people think the way they do. But this year I missed much of the business of the conference to do the business of conference. As a member of the Board of Communications, I was responsible for helping with the display area table where we provided free resources and lots of information to the attendees. I also was out and about taking pictures of events and happenings for use on the conference web site and in the Advocate publications. At other times I was participating in the Computer Assisted Note-taking program providing a form of closed-captioning in real time for the hearing impaired. So, you might say, I was busy. Being busy, I missed hearing many of the reports, discussions and even some of the worship. Through it all, though, I discovered I was actually involved in the best of the busy-ness. (Continued on page 9) Drive-Thru Prayer The Willing Workers Circle have resumed their Drive- Thru Prayer ministry at 6 a.m. on Mondays. Anyone is welcome to come help pray or be prayed for!

3 July 2014 Page 3 The Hermitage Needs You! By Arline Shafer An important part of your United Methodist community needs your prayers, presence, dollars, talents and your love. The Hermitage in Richmond needs volunteers; the Hermitage Guild asks us to take this message to our churches. Many in the Metro area give lots of hours and energy to this community, including our sister church, Laurel Park. Join the crew of volunteers; sew, visit, read to residents, write letters; help with birthday parties or coffee hours/bake sales; help with shopping; work in or make contributions to the monthly Country Store. (I can model some nice outfits I have bought there!) Come and worship with us at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon (maybe Pastor Barbara will again preach). Come visit our library managed by a fellow resident and me. It was a big change to give up the family farm, later my own home, to move to The Hermitage. It turned out to be a wise decision. Someone who can t stay at home can live at The Hermitage as an Independent, or with 2 levels of assisted living, or in Health Care or Memory Care sections if necessary. The family-like atmosphere is warm; staff and residents treat everyone (Continued on page 12) July Communion Offering Sheltering Arms

4 Page 4 The Twig Bender Annual Conference By the Numbers Virginia United Methodist Churches contributed 41,218 Kits for Conference, valued at $533,834 including: 30,844 health kits, 11,306 school kits, 5,325 birthing kits, 1,666 layette kits, 228 cleaning kits, 394 bedding kits and 1,455 miscellaneous kits. Food contributions included more than 85,000 lbs. of non-perishable food items for Bishop Cho shows off the Peninsula Food Bank. St. Andrews VA Conference awards. brought in tons of potatoes to distribute locally. Cans for Conference donations amounted to 8,500 lbs. At the Service for the Ordering of Ministry, 13 elders and one deacon were ordained. Also, 22 were commissioned as provisional members, and 27 were licensed as local pastors. One elder also had her orders recognized. Forty-one clergy took retired status this year. Financial and other administrative reports showed that the Conference budget has been reduced, and that conference finances are in good shape. The General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) honored the Conference for having the highest giving to The Advance for Christ and His Church ($2.5 million) in 2013, and for leading the Southeastern Jurisdiction in giving to missionary support. GBGM praised the Virginia Conference for contributing $1.1 million to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Bishop Cho announced that more than 200 churches had signed the bishop s Prayer Cove- (Continued on page 10)

5 July 2014 Page 5 Your Contributions for Conference Thank you to all who contributed to, provided items for, and helped assemble, the kits for conference. Greenwood and Laurel Park together contributed 92 assorted kits and over $600 to Annual Conference this year. We also provided 7 empty school kit bags to another UMC in need. Way to go! Thanks to all for your generosity! Those Kits for Conference go to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR.) When disaster strikes, it is local churches that provide the first response to their communities. This basic understanding that disaster response is local forms the foundation for UMCOR s U.S. disaster training and response. First and foremost, UMCOR is a resource for the local response. When responding to a disaster in the United States, UMCOR provides: Training UMCOR trains teams of volunteers. Financial Assistance UMCOR may provide an emergency grant if the bishop of the affected conference requests. Expertise UMCOR s disaster-response experience and knowledge are made available to those in need. Networking Getting connected with Non-Government Organizations, volunteers, experts, local government, and other organizations can help communities recover from disaster. Thank you for supporting UMCOR 100% of your donation goes to aid those affected. UMCOR is an amazing agency and usually stays long after the first responders leave.

6 Page 6 The Twig Bender What s an Elder in Full Connection? Whenever the Twig Bender reports on the Virginia Annual Conference I come across the term Elder in Full Connection, which I ve learned means a member of the United Methodist Clergy. There are several steps involved and the path is by no means as orderly as this article may imply. A starting point is Candidacy. This is the process by which those wishing to serve as appointed clergy apply, prepare and are evaluated by their annual conference to serve in the United Methodist Church. This is a time of discernment and preparation and involves extensive education. Once approved by the annual conference, these persons become certified candidates. Provisional Membership is the step in the ordination process between certified candidacy and ordination. Once a candidate has been commissioned, he or she serves as a provisional member of the annual conference, in an appointed position. Upon completing provisional membership requirements, a certified candidate can apply for ordination and full membership in the annual conference. Those applying for ordination must meet time, academic and administrative requirements. Rev. Barbara Lewis and Rev. Anita Mays are provisional members of the Virginia Annual Conference. Elder in Full Connection: elders are persons called by God, au- (Continued on page 11) You re Invited to a Wedding! Harry and Brenda Shuler along with Jayden and Jaliyah Shuler would like to invite our Church family to share in a celebration of love in the marriage of our Son and our Dad, David Shuler to Jonae Holmes on Saturday, July 12 at 6 p.m. at Greenwood UMC.

7 July 2014 Page 7 (Continued from page 1) Annual Conference Report gathering storm for the church, mentioning talk of schism and counter proposals to keep the church together. This is a time when we surely need to pray and seek guidance from our Lord, Cho said, also asking members to pray for the future of our United Methodist Church very seriously. He added that the growing focus on sexuality related issues will make a difficult future for our local churches even more challenging. Conference delegates voted to table a resolution that would have asked the 2016 General Conference to change language in the Book of Discipline related to homosexuality. Members approved a resolution calling for a phased increase in the federal minimum wage, but defeated a measure asking the conference pensions and benefits agency to divest from fossil fuel companies. This 232 nd session of the Virginia Annual Conference took place at the Hampton Roads Convention Center from June The Rev. Barbara Lewis, Aggie Dalton and Susan Johnston represented the Greenwood/Laurel Park charge. For a more in depth look at the Conference wrap up go to the Conference web site. See the article on page 5 for a numerical recap of the Conference. Rev. Brian Johnson and Rev. Anita Mays

8 Page 8 The Twig Bender Greenwood UMC July 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat p.m. Choir Practice 4 Independence Day 6 p.m. Free Food 5 6 LAMB S Basket Sunday 11 a.m. Worship Service 7 6 a.m. Drive thru Prayer 8 7 p.m. LPUMC UMW p.m. Choir Practice 11 6 p.m. Free Food 12 8 a.m. Men s Breakfast 9 a.m. Road Clean up 6 p.m. Shuler- Holmes a.m. Worship Service 14 6 a.m. Drive thru Prayer p.m. Choir Practice 18 6 p.m. Free Food 19 F r i e n d s h i p Q u i l t e r s a.m. Worship Service 21 6 a.m. Drive thru Prayer p.m. Choir Practice 25 Twig Bender Deadline 6 p.m. Free Food a.m. Worship Service 28 6 a.m. Drive thru Prayer p.m. Choir Practice Mark Your Calendars September Fellowship Dinners Resume September Glen Allen Day September 27 October 4... CARITAS

9 July 2014 Page 9 The Busy-ness of the Conference (Continued from page 2) I had the opportunity to meet new clergy, visit with old friends, make new ones and share information with those who were seeking to learn more about our denomination, our churches in Virginia and how to reach the people in the world around us. People asked how to get more information to share within their own churches. People shared what they were hearing and seeing in the conference session and how they would use that back home. They shared their amazement at how involved we are as a group in mission, and the success stories of sharing God and improving the living conditions of people around the world. The people I met were engaged in living their faith in real, measurable, practical ways. I was only on the floor of the conference for a few votes. And when I was on the floor of the conference I was either at a keyboard or with a camera in hand. As I was being busy, I realized I was also doing the business of the conference. As I interacted with others, shared where God was in my life, helped others find ways of communicating God in their lives to oth- (Continued on page 11) July Men s Breakfast The next Men s Breakfast will be at 8 a.m. on July 12 rather than July 5 due to the Independence Day holiday weekend. Afterwards, at 9 a.m., we will be conducting our quarterly road clean up. Everyone is welcome to help.

10 Page 10 The Twig Bender Blankets for Westview Campers Do you have blankets in your attic or closet that never see the light of day? Westview on the James is looking for donations of blankets for use during the summer camp program. The small gift of a blanket can bring comfort to a child during their week at camp for children that do not bring on from home, or spend time in the infirmary, or need to have their bedding washed during their stay at camp. If you have a blanket you would like to donate, please drop it in the mail to: Westview on the James ATTN: Camp Blankets 1231 West View Rd. Goochland, VA VA Annual Conference by the Numbers (Continued from page 4) nant. Three new faith communities were introduced, for a total of 26 new faith communities started since the emphasis on planting churches began six years ago. Unfortunately, 7 churches closed their doors. Conference delegates approved a 2015 budget of more than $32.7 million, down by one percent from the 2014 budget. By the end of the Conference, donations had reached $145,000 of the $200,000 goal for Conference ministries, including Imagine no Malaria. Conference membership stands at 330,696, down 1,735 from the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 104,231, down by 897 persons.

11 July 2014 Page 11 Doing Conference Business (Continued from page 9) ers, or even just assisting them to hear what was being said during the session, I was still involved in the conference. I also felt blest as I heard so many stories of what God was doing in the lives of people around our conference and world. I was surrounded by friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. So this year, the business of the Conference took on a different meaning for me: sharing our faith. Grace and Peace, Barbara An Elder in Full Connection (Continued from page 6) thorized by the church and ordained by a bishop to a lifetime ministry of Word, Sacrament, Order and Service. Elders serve in full connection to an annual conference, as a member of that annual conference. Rev. Brian Johnson is now an elder in full connection. Not a part of the ordination process listed above is the Licensed Local Pastor a person who is not ordained as an elder but is appointed to preach, conduct worship and perform the duties of a pastor. To be licensed, a person must complete licensing school and receive an appointment to serve. Licensed local pastors usually serve smaller congregations. The Rev. Dean Pittman was a Licensed Local Pastor while serving at Greenwood. And finally, a Pastor is an ordained elder or licensed person approved by the annual conference and may be appointed by the bishop to a position within that conference.

12 Page 12 The Twig Bender Be Prepared Read the Scriptures July Lectionary Readings July 4 July 6 July 13 July 20 July 27 Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 17-21; Psalm 72; Galatians 5:13-26; John 8:31-39 Genesis 24:34 38, 42 49, 58 67; Psalm 45:10 17 or Psalm 72; Romans 7:15 25a; Matthew 11:16-19, Genesis 25:19 34; Psalm 119: or Psalm 25; Romans 8:1 11; Matthew 13:1-9, Genesis 28:10 19a; Psalm 139:1 12, 23 24; Romans 8:12 25; Matthew 13:24 30, Genesis 29:15 28; Psalm 105:1 11, 45b; Romans 8:26 39; Matthew 13:31 33, (Continued from page 3) Hermitage Needs You! like a neighbor (no patronizing of The Old Folks!). Your Hermitage representative welcomes you to a friendly, caring, A-rated facility. Many of us still drive; when you move here bring your sewing machine, computer, etc. Enjoy a variety of entertainers; scenic rides; out to lunch bunch trips (the most recent to Lowery s Restaurant in Tappahannock) and more. The Hermitage needs volunteers; the Guild wants United Methodist churches to know this! To learn more about volunteering or about living there, call The Hermitage at , or me at

13 July 2014 Page 13 Greenwood Church Family Birthdays Isaiah Robinson... 7/3 Courtney Neagle... 7/4 Jennifer Friedline... 7/5 Dorothy Powell... 7/7 Brad Lahocki... 7/23 Raymond Ritchie... 7/24 Kyle Lahocki... 7/28 Cole Morgan... 7/30 Anniversaries Janice & Charley Banks... 7/12 Don t see your birthday or wedding anniversary in The Twig Bender and would like to have us publish it? Send your dates to admin@gumcva.org or call the church office at ; likewise, let us know if you d like your birthday or anniversary removed. The food collected through this program is being distributed, to those in need, on Fridays in June, July and August between 6 and 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. If you know someone in need, let them know about this mission; better yet, bring them! We could also use some folks to help out with this; see Adamarye. The July pick-up schedule is posted in the narthex. There s still plenty of opportunity for volunteers to help with this vital mission. See Adamarye to sign up!

14 Page 14 June Attendance and Offerings The Twig Bender Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce Proverbs 3:9 Date Sunday School Worship Giving June $ 2,426 June $ 1,323 June $ 1,057 June $ 1,713 June $ 1,457 Weekly Averages $ 1,595 2 Quarter Averages $ 1,943 YTD Totals $ 56,499 YTD Weekly Avg $ 2,260 Going forward in 2014, we will need a weekly offering of at least $2,642 to meet Greenwood s operating budget of $137,433. Twig Bender is a publication of Greenwood United Methodist Church Greenwood Road Glen Allen, VA Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship 11 a.m. Pastor The Rev. Barbara Lewis revbarbara@gumcva.org Music Director Open After School Phone: Office admin@gumcva.org Fax: Office hours 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday Friday Twig Bender editor Steve Stalnaker webmaster@gumcva.org Visit our web site at Greenwood UMC all rights reserved