Your Connection to the Starkville District of the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church THE STARKVILLE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER

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1 Your Connection to the Starkville District of the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church THE STARKVILLE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 7 Jesus replied, It isn t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:7-8 It is a Glory Sighting! Thank you for faithful work and ministry that allows us to continue to bear witness throughout the District, Mississippi, to our neighbors both near and around the world of the POWER of We! Dr. Embra Jackson Starkville District Superintendent Friday I November 4, 2016 DISTRICT MISSION SHARES We are so excited to announce that the following churches have made significant contributions to the work of the Starkville District through their Mission Fair Shares offerings through October 31, % PAID S. Union Mt. Hermon Rockport Artesia Columbus: New Hope Baldwin Drake Hill Bellefontaine Brooksville Crawford Buffalo Mt. Lebanon Caledonia Flint Hill Columbus: Shaeffers Chapel Columbus: St. James Wrights Chapel Columbus: St. Stephens Piney Grove Eupora: Liberty Kosciusko: Wesley Bevil Hill Louisville: Hopewell Maben Mt. Moriah (Macon) McAdams Bethel Liberty Hill Middleton Vernon Noxapater New Hope (Macon) St. Michael Plair Palestine Piney Grove (Louisville) Shuqualak Macedonia Shuqualak: Asbury Starkville: Aldersgate New Zion Starkville: First Starkville: Griffin Sturgis Big Creek Sturgis: Boyd Chapel Pleasant Grove Dumas Chapel St. Stephen (Webster Cir.) Eupora: Lebanon Mathiston LaGrange Mt. Moriah (Mathiston) Providence Mt. Salem (Weir Cir.) Weir Salem (Weir-Salem) West Point: St. Paul Whitehall (Louisville) Camp Ground Flower Ridge Rocky Hill Center Ridge Pleasant Hill (Louisville) Rural Hill Ethel Tabernacle ON TARGET 83.33%+ Military Columbus: First Lindsey Chapel By Gwen Sisson In just two hours last Sunday, Columbus reisidents got out a little frstration while helping raise money for a good cause. Elizabeth Swartz of First UMC Columbus said at the Annual Fall Festival, held Sunday, Oct. 30, enough money was raised in two hours to buy 16 mosquito nets for the Imagine No Malaria campaign. The Smash Malaria car was covered with pictures of mosquitoes. Participants were charged $1 for three smashes at the car. All proceeds will go to the No More Malaria Campaign. They also distributed Imagine No Malaria offering Columbus FUMC had a smashing good time boxes, information sheets and return labels for the offering. Each mosquito net costs $10 and can save one life, as part of the No More Malaria Campaign. Mississippi Bishop James Swanson has set a goal for the Mississippi Conference Mission Focus to provide 100,000 mosquito nets for Imagine No Malaria by the 2017 annual conference. Research says that in Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria continues to kill a child every two minutes. The campaign says, by improving the ways people fight the disease using bed nets, providing access to diagnostic tests and medicine, drain- MALARIA Continued on page 4...

2 2 CHURCH OF THE WEEK CALENDAR Aldersgate UMC ABOUT THE PASTOR NAME: Jamie Bailey CHURCH: Aldersgate UMC in Starkville CHURCH ADDRESS/TOWN: 820 Evergreen Street, Starkville PASTOR'S BIRTHDAY: December 21 PASTOR'S HOMETOWN: Columbus, MS PASTOR'S EDUCATION: Millsaps College, BA; The University of Mississippi, M.Div.; Candler School of Theology at Emory University Rev. Jamie Bailey PASTOR'S STATUS WITH THE CONFERENCE: Elder in Full Connection WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE CHURCH YOUR ARE SERVING? The people at Aldersgate are warm, caring individuals that care for one another and for all God s people. We are very oriented toward the neighborhood, local missions and projects. ABOUT THE CHURCH: NAME OF THE CHURCH: Aldersgate UMC ADDRESS/TOWN OF THE CHURCH: 820 Evergreen Street, Starkville HOW MANY YEARS HAS THIS CHURCH BEEN WORSHIPING GOD TOGETHER? June 1960 HOW MANY IN REGULAR ATTENDANCE? 35 on Sunday mornings and 20 on Wednesday at Date@THE GATE our mid-week meal, fellowship, study, music and prayer program WHAT MINISTRIES IS THIS CHURCH KNOWN FOR? Aldersgate UMC is known for their generosity throughout the Starkville community. We recently partnered with CARE Ministries, a non-profit that provides low-vision and blind clients taped devotional materials. CARE now occupies two downstairs rooms at Aldersgate. We are very excited to be involved in such an important ministry to individuals with visual impairments. NOVEMBER 5 Starkville District UMW Officers Training/Update TBA NOVEMBER 10 CHILI SUPPER FUNDRAISER From 4:30-6 p.m. Nov. 10, there will be a Chili Supper Fundraiser at the MSU Wesley Foundation Worship Center on the MSU campus in Starkville. Tickets are available from Wesley Board members and from the Wesley Office for a donation of any amount. Dine in or carry out. NOVEMBER 12 DEC. 3 The financial leadership training provides counsel and guidance to strengthen the administrative and financial abilities of the local church treasurer, financial secretary, finance committee members and church business administrators. NOVEMBER The annual Youth Spiritual Life Retreat is set for Nov at Camp Lake Stephens. It is a chance for youth in grades 7-12 to come and encounter God in a beautiful camp setting. While in the midst of God's creation, youth will have the opportunity to attend worship sessions led by gifted speakers and musicians, participate in small groups, and play and fellowship with one another. Leading worship sessions for the weekend will be Trey Skaggs, along with Eddie Willis and the Narrow Path Band. For more information, contact Chap Fenwick at chap@camplakestephens.com. NOVEMBER 15 Starkville District UMW Officers Training/Update TBA NOVEMBER 20 St. James UMC in Columbus will host their annual Women s Day Program at 3 p.m. Nov. 20. The guest speaker will be Rose Coffey Graham of Pleasant Hill UMC in Starkville. NOVEMBER District & Conference Offices closed in observance of Thanksgiving DECEMBER 6 Starkville District UMC Christmas Party at 6 p.m. at the Christian Life Center at First United Methodist Church of Starkville. DECEMBER 23, 2016-JANUARY 2, 2017 District & Conference Offices closed in observance of Christmas & New Year s Day JANUARY 13-14, 2017 Pastor s Retreat at the Jubilee Center in D Iberville. JANUARY 14-16, 2017 CAMP LAKE STEPHENS OVERFLOW Traditionally taking place over New Year's, Overflow has become a Camp Lake Stephens constant for now over 30 years! Now for the first time, Overflow will take place during the Martin Luther King., Jr. weekend. Youth in grades 7-12, either individually or with their youth groups, are invited to attend. Leading our worship sessions for the weekend will be Russ Polsgrove, along with Matt King and Austin Black. Additionally, we are excited to announce the return of Big Al to the Camp Lake Stephens stage. For additional information, please contact Chap Fenwick at chap@camplakestephens.com. P. O. B o x , S t a r k v i l l e, M i s s i s s i p p i ( ) ( ) ( f a x )

3 3 ST. JAMES UMC GOLDEN WARRIORS Modeling discipleship throughout the District By Gwen Sisson There is a special group of people who are meeting together each month with every intention of spreading the word. Throught the Mississippi Conference, Spiritual Operation Teams are meeting in each district, and they have plans to take what they are learning into the churches. Scott Wright of First United Methodist Church of Kosciusko is a leader within the team for the Starkville District. He said they are in the process of planning a Day of Discipleship to better enable churches in the district to implement their own disciple-making plans. The purpose and focus of the group is to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ, Wright said. We are in a covenant together that holds us accountable to each other for prayer, as well as prayer for our district. Wright said the team reads, studies, discerns and prays together at least once a month, with individual homework between meetings modeled after the early Methodist Bands created by John Wesley. Teams typically include the district superintendent and 5-12 members from the district, who meet for a minimum of five to six hours each month. Starkville District Superintendent Rev. Dr. Embra Jackson said he hopes the team is modeling spiritual leadership, living out the POWER of We through the principles of Loving, Learning and Leading. We will in turn assist local churches in our district in living into this same means of grace and accountability, Jackson said. More information about the Day of Discipleship will be announced soon. St. James UMC in Columbus s Health and Wellness Committee honors their Golden Warriors. (Photos submitted) The Starkville District goal for the Africa University endowment is to raise $130,000 over a three-year period. We have received pledges of $36,820, with $25, collected to date. Pledges from the Starkville District will go to create a scholarship in honor of Rev. Byrd and Sarah Hillman. Churches are encouraged to pledge a minimum of $1,200. Make your pledge TODAY! Contact the District Office for more information at (662) CONNECTIONS RESIDENT BISHOP: Dr. James E. Swanson, Sr. bishop@mississippi-umc.org DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT: Rev. Embra Jackson ejackson@mississippi-umc.org ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Tammy Carroll Starkville@mississippi-umc.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Gwen Sisson gwenwoodssisson@yahoo.com DISTRICT HEALTH COORDINATOR: Carolyn Jackson andrewandcarolyn@bellsouth.net LAY ACADEMY DEAN: Rev. Sarah Windham eswindham@bellsouth.net Find us on Find the FACEBOOK group at StarkvilleDistrictUMC/

4 4 Charge Conference gathering at Mathiston UMC... #GLORYSIGHTINGS Rev. Scott Wright, pastor at First United Methodist Church at Kosciusko, held the Charge Conference at Mathiston UMC on Monday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. Ten people were present. CHARGE CONFERENCE DATES APPOINTMENT Brooksville Circuit Columbus First Columbus: St. Stephens Eupora: Bellefontaine Eupora: First Eupora: Lebanon Kosciusko Circuit Kosciusko: First Lindsey Chapel/Plair Louisville: First Macon: First Shaeffer's Chapel Starkville: First Starkville: Aldersgate COUNTY PASTOR DATE TIME CC ELDER Noxubee Aubrey Mitchell 11/7/16 Embra Jackson Lowndes Raigan Miskelly 11/18/16 Raigan Miskelly Lowndes James Black 11/19/16 Curtis Bray Webster Roger Miller 11/6/16 In worship Embra Jackson Embra Jackson Webster Ron McDougald, III11/20/16 After Worship Webster Roger Miller 11/6/16 In Worship Embra Jackson Attala Ronald Thomas 11/7/16 George Buell Attala Scott Wright 11/6/16 In Worship Scott Wright Oktibbeha Jimmy Forrest 11/9/16 Embra Jackson Winston Mike Childs 11/1/16 Mike Childs Noxubee Andy Pearson 11/6/16 After Worship Andy Pearson Lowndes Curtis Bray 11/9/16 Curtis Bray Oktibbeha Giles Lindley 11/20/16 2 PM Giles Lindley Oktibbeha Jamie Bailey 11/9/16 Jamie Bailey We had a great heart-warming experience (last Sunday morning) that moved the entire gathering body like none before! It was so powerful! Tyrone Stallings PASTOR OF NEWBELLZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH MALARIA Continued from page 1... ing standing water and improving sanitation, Imagine No Malaria has already helped reduce malaria deaths by more than half. Imagine No Malaria combines integrated health infrastructure, education and advocacy to address death and the debilitating effects of malaria in sub-saharan Africa. For more information or resources, go to See the challenge video produced by Columbus First UMC on the facebook group page or use the dropbox link for iphone or ipad, you will need to use this link on a Mac or PC to download files: ppq;fd135qbfu/aad19wjhf4j Fay6ZmkShDWUra/INM?dl+0 P. O. B o x , S t a r k v i l l e, M i s s i s s i p p i ( ) ( ) ( f a x )

5 5 FALL EVENTS Last Sunday evening, First UMC Louisville had their Church Family Picnic at Lake Tiak O Khata. They had games, paddle boats, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and outdoor worship with Rev. Mike Childs preaching, followed by Holy Communion. A large crowd of all ages enjoyed the fellowship. (Photo subbmitted) First Unity s Higher Education Committee had activities for a special Trunk or Treat event, including a candy walk, basketball toss, go fishing, ring toss, and duck pick. They also had a costume contest. Everyone had a GREAT time! (Photos submitted) At Cedar Bluff UMC, the church held their annual Fall Festival to raise money for the Palmer Home for Children. And on Oct. 30, Cedar Bluff and Siloam UMC came together for fellowship and a monthly Bible study. (Photos submitted)

6 6 Dear members of the Mississippi Annual Conference, This season of political unrest and anxiety has created much division across the landscape of our country including our church congregations. Nonetheless, when all of the ballots are in and counted and winners declared, we remain as a society, residents of one nation. We, as United Methodists, continue to be members of one body, the body of Christ. In light of these recent polarizing tensions associated with the presidential election, we would like to invite any who are able to join us Wednesday, Nov. 9 on the grounds of the State Capitol Building located at 400 High St. in Jackson at noon to observe a sacred moment of healing, centered around the table of our Lord. If it is not possible for you to join us at that time, we invite churches across the various contexts of the Mississippi Annual Conference to participate in a healing Communion service in your local church the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 9 or Sunday, Nov. 13. We believe that healing is available to all and the invitation to peace can be found as we gather around and center ourselves on the presence of Christ. God bless and keep you centered in the peace of Christ, The Mississippi Conference Advocacy Committee & Bishop James Swanson