T h e S o u t h C a r o l i n a U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C o n f e r e n c e Greenwood District Volume 2, Issue 6 May 1, 2013 Greenwood District PO Box 49968 1633 Rivers St. Greenwood, SC 29649 864-223-2650 Fax: 864-223-4099 gwdist@umcsc.org Rev. James L. Friday District Superintendent You Are Invited Greenwood District Parsonage Open House Sunday, May 18, 2014 3:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Please join us for food, fellowship, and celebration of the new parsonage recently purchased for our District Superintendent and family. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sending Forth Service and Celebration May 16, 2014 6:30 p.m. Asbury Hall, Wesley Commons Greenwood, SC Mark your calendars now to join us in celebrating the ministries of those pastors moving or retiring. Invitations have been mailed. If you plan to attend, please send your meal reservation information and money to Martha at the District Office. Deadline for reservations is Monday, May 12. Cost of the meal is $15 per person. Annual District Sending Forth Service and Celebration Meal Reservation Form Reservation deadline is Monday, May 12. Please complete this meal reservation form and return to the district office with your check for the meal ($15 per person). Please note the change in the cost of the meal. If you are retiring this year or moving to new appointments this year you and your spouse will be guests of the district. We do ask that you complete the meal reservation form so that we will have an accurate count for dinner. NAME ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBER RETIRED Yes No MOVING Yes No Number of persons attending Amount Enclosed Please make checks payable to the Greenwood District and mail to PO Box 49968, Greenwood, SC 29649 We look forward to seeing everyone there for this annual event as we bid farewell and pray God s blessings on those going on to a new phase in their ministry, either a new appointment or retirement. Page 2
Congratulations to Broad Street United Methodist Church Clinton, SC The congregation celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, April 6. Bishop Holston was the guest preacher and Rev. Friday helped share in the celebration. Connectional Ministries Will meet on May 20, 6:30 p.m., at Johnston UMC. Congregational Development Will meet on May 22, 6:30 p.m., at Leesville UMC. Connect with Your District Office Online Email: gwdist@umcsc.org District web page: http://www.umcsc.net/greenwood/home/ District wiki: http://gwdist.pbworks.com Twitter: @gwdist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenwooddistrictscunitedmethodistconference LinkedIn: Greenwood District Page 3
Inaugural North & South Carolina Black Clergy Leadership Retreat May 20-23, 2014 Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, SC Inaugural North & South Carolina Black Clergy Leadership Retreat is designed to foster unified, communal relationships among African American clergy serving in NC & SC Annual Conferences, to share in corporate worship and spiritual formation, to share in holy conversation with our bishops about the state of leadership in our annual conferences and in the Black Church in particular, to learn best practices in self-care and other spiritual disciplines and to offer opportunities to share in mission locally and globally. The United Methodist Church s General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) is seeking to fundinnovative, bold, high-impact initiatives that will increase intercultural competency or support vital conversations about race, cultural diversity, and systemic equity. Share your idea for transforming the Church and the world. Apply today for a $20,000 to $80,000 CORR Action Fund grant. Annual Conferences, Churches, Seminaries, Jurisdictions, and Caucuses all are invited and eligible to apply. We ve created an easy-to-follow application process. Learn more by going to www.gcorr.org/ CORRActionFund. (Applications must be received via email to grants@gcorr.org no later than June 30, 2014.) Camps and Retreats Golf Tournament This annual golf tournament is scheduled for Saturday, May 31, in Florence. So come a day early and have fun while supporting one of the ministries of the SC Annual Conference. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the ministry of Camps and Retreats by providing support for children to attend summer camp. More information including registration will be available as we draw closer to Annual Conference time. Apply today! Help us reach more people, younger people, and more diverse people through groundbreaking and creative initiatives that result in long -term change and can be replicated across our Church and the world. Pre-Conference Training for Annual Conference 2014 The Greenwood District Pre Conference training event will be held at Main St. UMC, 211 North Main St., Greenwood, SC. We will gather on Sunday afternoon, May 4, 4:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Page 4
May 27 Page 5
UMM SC Teaching Churches How to Grow Your Church through Ministry to Men May 17, 2014 8:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Mt. Horeb UMC, Lexington, SC There is no charge for participating in this event. Topics include: Power of Praying Men led by Jeff Kersey Connecting with Men Inside the Walls led by George Ashford Connecting with Men Outside the Walls led by Jody Flowers Plan now to join in this one-day training event. You can register online. May 5: May 6: May 9: May 15: May 19: May 26: May 27: May 28: May 9: May 16: May 27: May 30: Kathy Carr Bill Quarles Becky Pickens (Jerry) Dean Lollis Becky Polk (Keith) Byron Smith (Thessa) Helen Short (Charlie) Amy Freeman (Kenneth) Steve and Laura Keck Barry and Caron Cannon Matthew and Adrienne Fink Byron and Thessa Smith National Day of Prayer May 1, 2014 In 1775 the Continental Congress allocated a time for prayer in forming a new nation. Over the years, there have been calls for a day of prayer, including from President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. On April 17, 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming the National Day of Prayer into law in the United States. President Reagan amended the law in 1988, designating the first Thursday of May each year as the National Day of Prayer. The National Prayer Committee was formed in the United States in 1972. It went on to create the National Day of Prayer Task Force, with the intended purpose of coordinating events for the National Day of Prayer. According to the Legal Information Institute, the President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals. (http:// www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/national-day-prayer) National Day of Prayer calls on all people of different faiths in the United States to pray for the nation and its leaders. It is held on the first Thursday of May each year. Page 6
One Million Book Challenge Greenwood District The end of this initial phase of the SC Conference s One Million Book Effort is quickly approaching. How are we doing in Greenwood? Here s a short tally of books and money collected so far: 2000+ books Congratulations to Cambridge UMC for reaching the 1000 books goal! $285 that can be used to purchase books. These figures represent a good start but they do not represent where we actually are in meeting the District s goal of 85,000 books. Only eight of our 54 charges reported their totals for this literacy project. What Is Your Church/Charge Doing to Help Meet Our Goal? Here are some suggestions: Include articles, pictures, personal statements in your newsletters and bulletins promoting the One Million Book Effort. Include information about this program on your church s web page. Encourage your church/charge to contribute to this mission project the same amount that was contributed last year for the Stop Hunger Now Campaign. Make announcements from the pulpit. This will be especially effective if you involve a young person who truly enjoys reading and ask him/her to talk about how he/she would feel if no books or access to books were unavailable ; you invite an elementary school teacher, reading teacher, or school librarian to talk about the importance of reading and a child s access to books. Contact your local newspaper regarding writing an article about this literacy project in an upcoming issue. Be sure to offer pictures. Contact your local radio station about playing PSAs (public service announcements) about this project. Talk to your fellow pastors (this is a non-denominational opportunity) about partnering with your church/charge to collect books and/or money to purchase books. Ask to speak to community groups (e.g., Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions clubs) about this project and encourage them to sign on as partners. Encourage groups in your church (e.g., Sunday School classes, youth group, UMM, UMW) to collect books or host fundraisers to donate money to purchase books. Promote the district TitleWish campaign which kicks off around May 12. Any interested individuals or groups may donate money online to this campaign. All funds collected will be distributed to the designated elementary schools. This is a statewide campaign. All schools receiving money through this campaign will receive a 10% discount off the books ordered. Details will be provided in early May. On the next two pages of this newsletter you will find a brochure that you may print and distribute to your church members and any other interested individuals or groups. You may also download a copy of this brochure from the http://www.umcsc.net/greenwood/home/. Just look under the tab for One Million Book Initiative. Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Remember to order your copy of 5 Dysfunctions of a Team. If you do not have your copy yet, you may order it from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. This book will be the basis of the discussions during the monthly district clergy meetings. Cluster groups will be assigned the responsibility of leading the discussions each month. As part of the discussion and work with The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, all clergy serving churches in the Greenwood District are asked to take this online version of the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory and bring the results to the first district clergy meeting, which is set for September 18, 2014. Mentor reports are due in the district office no later than June 16, 2014. New pastoral appointments may be announced publicly on Sunday, May 18, 2014. http://www.glasbergen.com/tag/cartoons-about-church/ A Path Toward Beginning Spiritual Balance Moving throws us off balance. No matter what the circumstances that triggered our change of appointment, there is no denying that moving upsets the apple cart of our family, our congregation, and ourselves. In the midst of the physical disorder of moving, we attempt to maintain order, and so get busy with sorting, packing, organizing, looking toward the new and leaving the old behind. But then, a second wave of assault on our state of equilibrium looms on the horizon, threatening to strip us of the patience, poise, peace, and grace that we have come to expect from a life lived in faith. The second wave cannot be worked through as quickly or efficiently as the first, for it involves people rather than possessions, and feelings rather than facts. Like Thomas who cries out at the news of Jesus departure, we, too cry out in confusion and fear. And in the lament, we, too, are reminded not to fear, for God through Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit will provide us with the means for turning what could be an awkward exit into a grace-filled goodbye. The following offers a prayerful approach to moving. Share with God, family, friends, and colleagues Offer your confusion, pain, fear, and budding anticipation to God. Invite God to be part of this experience. Allow God to take your hand as you seek to regain your balance. Review your ministry with God, lifting the victories and disappointments. Listen for God s forgiveness and blessing Share with your congregation Offer your feelings of grief, anxiety, and anticipation with grace-filled honesty and love. Invite the congregation to join you in a journey of through feelings and memories in preparation for your leaving. Review the victory and disappointments of your lives together and dream of the future... Listen for [and give] forgiveness and blessing. Reprinted from Move Pack: A Guide to a Good Move for Pastors and Families, East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, Canton, OH, 2001. Page 10