South Carolina United Methodist Conference March 2015 Rev. Joe N. Long, Jr., District Superintendent Lollie Haselden, District Secretary 139 Elizabeth Lane, Rock Hill, SC 29730 803.328-0218 803.328.6209 fax rhdist@umcsc.org Hand-in-Hand in the Rock Hill District U nited Methodists worship in various ways. As a district superintendent, I have the opportunity to worship with many congregations. The past few weeks illustrate this. The youth at Revolution worshipped with flashing lights and contemporary music at a turned up volume. Within a few days, I experienced Native American worship with the smudging of smoke, the beating of sacred drums, and an eagle in the sky. In worshipping with both African American and white congregations, praising God involved prayers (written and spontaneous), music (old and modern), and traditions unique to a particular culture and common to all. The Lenten season began with a ceremony using the ancient ritual of ashes. Each worship experience was different yet similar. Each was United Methodist. In each I worshipped the one true God. In each God was honored. Connecting with God is the heart of worship. We gather. We hear God s message. We respond in praise and service. Inside this issue: Important Dates and Local District News Conference Announcements 2-11 11-17 Asbury Hills 18 LJA 19 As you consider worship, ask: Am I connecting with God? Do I share a warm, welcoming spirit? Is my worship about pleasing me or pleasing God? Am I honest and open before God? Will I allow God to make a difference in me? Do I expect something to happen today? Will my love for God inspire others to worship our Lord? Good friends, in whatever style of worship you find yourself, look to God and be drawn closer to Jesus. Allow the Spirit to empower you to live fully in the light of the Gospel. NEW District Website http:// rockhill.umcsc.org
March 2015 Page 2 Upcoming Events & Deadlines Important Dates: March 10, Tuesday Lexington UMC Important Dates and Local District News SC Conference Clergy Orders Meeting April 9, Thursday Monthly Clergy Meeting 9:30 Gathering St. Luke, Lancaster joint gathering with Hartsville District 10:00 Meeting Education Partnerships You can be an advocate for education. The conference webpage has a resource to help. Check it out at http:// www.umcsc.org/home/ministries/children-poverty-initiative/education-partnership-resources/. Salkehatchie Summer Service Online registration for volunteers will begin in February. For information about camps and registration, please visit www.salkehatchie.org. 2015 Callahan Seminar for Pastors and Key Leaders Dr. Tim McClendon, Senior Pastor, invites you to attend the annual Callahan Conference for Pastors and Key Leaders at St. John s UMC in downtown Aiken, SC. The dates are March 25, 26 and 27, beginning at 9 am each day. The cost is $250. 2 CEUs will be awarded upon completion of the Conference. Visit http://www.stjaiken.org/ for more information and to register for the conference. 5 Focus Areas: New Ways for Shepherding Worship in Our Times Reaching the Generations Recovering Credibility What to Do When a Church Plateaus Apportionments As we enter the month of March, remember the importance of your giving to the life blood of our connection. A third of our churches have already begun giving to the apportionments for 2015. The fall session of Rock Hill District's Lay Servant Ministry training classes will be on September 12-13, at Aldersgate UMC, on Celanese Rd in Rock Hill. More details will be posted when they are known. Please place these dates on your calendar.
March 2015 Page 3 York-Clover Cluster Youth Event Sunday, March 22, 2015 Trinity UMC 22 E. Liberty Street, York SC 29745 4-6 P.M. Shoes4Water presentation by Steven Bell, Project Manager aka Steve the Shoeguy (see below how to donate) Speaker, Rev. James Grubb from Conway, SC Games and Pizza! Churches are asked to provide a drink and a dessert. See you there! Youth donate shoes today for water! 1. Shoes can be used and ANY kind of shoes! Flip Flops, high heels, tennis shoes, dress of different sizes, They must be wearable. No holes, rips, tears or mildew. 2. Shoes must be in pairs. 3. Place in Ziploc bags or plastic grocery bags (tie handles). There will be a collection box at the event.
March 2015 Page 4 Sunday Lunch Buffet on March 1st: stew beef, chicken strips, rice, green beans, mac & cheese, bread, dessert. $10 adult, $4 child. Eat in or take out. Mt. Vernon UMC, 2160 Smithford Road, Hickory Grove SC 29717. (803) 925-2316. Soup Supper All you can eat Soup Supper will be Saturday, March 14, 5:00 7:30 pm at Sharon United Methodist Church on Shannon Street in Sharon. There will be a large selection of delicious soups and desserts. Cost is donation basis. Proceeds go to our mission projects. Seminary and Graduate Level Scholarships Available Scholarships are available for seminary and graduate students. Scholarships include the South Carolina Conference Seminary Students Scholarship, The Bessie Bellamy Parker Memorial Scholarship, The Cook Scholarship Endowment Fund, The Fred E. and Janet Smith Plyler Scholarship, The Gene Roger and Mildred Wimberly Kizer Scholarship, The Lawrence and Margaret F. McCleskey Scholarship, The Melvin Kelly and Mayme DuBose Medlock Ministerial Scholarship and The William Fletcher and Agnes Dawsey Rogers Scholarship. Application procedures, guidelines and deadlines are available via the South Carolina Annual Conference s website. If further information is needed, please contact Reverend Roger Grambling, scumf@bellsouth.net or Reverend Jeffrey Salley, jsalley3@umcsc.org.
March 2015 Page 5 DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN YOUR CHURCH? THEN THIS TRAINING IS FOR YOU!!!!! DARKNESS TO LIGHT: STEWARDS OF CHILDREN TRAINING The Rock Hill District will be hosting Darkness to Light training events in the different clusters of our district and Suzan Phillips, a trained facilitator will be leading us in the training sessions. Darkness to Light is a sexual abuse prevention program used to train church workers, teachers, community organization leaders, parents and adults who care for children and youth in any capacity. This two hour training program will provide you with a workbook and resources to help you and your church protect the children and youth in your care from sexual abuse. For more information, you can visit the website D2L.org. If you need to review and evaluate your Safe Sanctuary policy, the resource material can be of tremendous benefit. If you are unable to attend the Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children training event in your cluster area, please feel free to register for the event that best fits your schedule. If you would like to host an event for your church, please contact Rev. Shelly A Holder. To register for one of these training events, contact Rev. Shelly A. Holder at shellyaholder@gmail.com or 803-238-8406. Training Dates: Chester Cluster Saturday, April 24, 2015 10:00am-12:00noon Capers Chapel, Chester Cost: $20 (includes lunch) Lancaster Cluster April Date is TBA St. Luke UMC, Lancaster
March 2015 Page 6 classifieds Director of Children s and Youth Ministries Needed St. Francis United Methodist Church 4200 McKee Road, Charlotte, NC 28270 Overview: St. Francis UMC, a warm and inviting mid-size church located in southeast Charlotte, seeks a Director of Children s and Youth Ministries to lead its vibrant children s and youth ministries. The position is full-time and offers an annual salary commensurate with experience. Qualifications: Enthusiasm and passion An engaging personality with an ability to relate to both children and youth Exemplary role model with strong Christian values Experience with children and youth Undergraduate degree Responsibilities: Children Ensure that children s programs are fun, inviting and comfortable for existing and new families/individuals Plan and conduct mid-week children s programs, special Holiday events (Christmas play, Easter butterfly release, etc.) and Vacation Bible School Full involvement on Sunday mornings with Youth Sunday School, Children s Church and availability to parents and newcomers Youth Lead Sunday night youth programs and occasional overnight youth outings Conduct mid-week Bible studies Create, plan and lead mission activities, including annual summer mission trip Combined Lead educational ministries for children and youth Oversee fundraising activities, volunteer recruitment and finances Communicate regularly with children, youth, parents and entire congregation Follow the Church s Safe Sanctuary Policy (St. Francis also has a robust food allergy policy) Engage all Church children and youth and minister to their needs Collaborate with the staff, parents and Youth Committee to involve children and youth in Church life Applications will be considered upon receipt. Please send the following: (as MS WORD or PDF documents) by email Wendy Williams at wendynw3@gmail.com: Cover letter describing your qualifications and interest in children s and youth ministries A resume Personal/professional references (at least 3), including contact information
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March 2015 Page 13 Conference A C2015 is returning to hunger ministry as its service project this year. The conference is again partnering with the international hunger relief organization Stop Hunger Now to host a daylong meal-packaging event to help hungry people in desperate need of lifesaving meal packets. This is the same project that was done at Annual Conference 2013, and it was so successful that South Carolina United Methodists raised not only the $72,000 needed to do the meal-packaging event, but also to donate an additional $97,000 to hunger ministries throughout the state. This year, the costs of supplies and shipping have gone up, so the conference will be seeking $86,000 to do the Stop Hunger Now event, plus volunteers to work four-hour shifts and pack meals, said Chris Lynch, coordinator of the SHN effort. Any funds raised beyond the $86,000 will go toward both hunger and children in poverty ministries across the state and shared equally among the 12 districts. In addition to needing volunteers for the conference-wide service project (Stop Hunger Now meal-packing) on June 9 at Annual Conference, donations are sorely needed. The South Carolina UMC must raise $86,000 to purchase the supplies needed to pack more than 285,000 meals. To donate or volunteer, visit www.umcsc.org/stophungernow and click on the appropriate button. You can also mail a donation to the South Carolina Conference, 4908 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203. Make sure your check says Hunger Project in the memo. (This is from The Messenger, a weekly e-newsletter from The Advocate)
March 2015 Page 14 Honduras Mission Trip Bishop Holston to Again Be a Part of Annual Trip Applications are still being accepted for the 2015 SCMYP Honduras Mission Trip. SCMYP is excited to, once again be joining forces with HOI and the Kentucky Conference UMC for a second year for a mission opportunity for young people to Honduras this summer. The Honduras mission trip is open to young people (age 16-22) in the SC Annual Conference. This year's week-long mission experience in Honduras is scheduled for June 26-July 5, 2015 as we work alongside 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. The mission experience typically includes Vacation Bible School for the children as well as minor construction projects. 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 visit the SCMYP website for information and to download the Honduras Trip Application 2015. BIG CHANGES IN STORE FOR IMMERSE '15 Immerse is making some big moves in 2015. We will be at a new location - Spartanburg Methodist College - on a new weekend - July 9-12. What won't change this year is the great discipleship program you have come to expect at Immerse. Immerse is designed to offer youth an opportunity to DIG DEEPER in their faith journey. To that end, Immerse offers inspiring worship (led this year by Rev. Tiffany Knowlin and worship leader Robert McMichael), family groups that offer a chance to process the weekend in a safe community of peers, breakout sessions that deal head on with relevant topics where faith and life intersect, great rec. time for fun and fellowship, and much more. With the move to SMC, registration is simplified as well, as groups register ONCE through scmyp.org and that takes care of programming, lodging, t-shirt and meals. All you have to do is get to SMC for a great weekend of being challenged in your faith. The cost for the weekend is $225 per person, but if you register and pay in full BY MAY 1st, you get a discounted rate of ONLY $210. Online registration should be available by early March, so make plans how to join us at Immerse 2015. For more information, click the links below and follow SCMYP on twitter.
March 2015 Page 15 The spirit singers have released their 2014-2015 Weekend Tour Schedule. Please help support this incredible youth ministry by attending a concert and by sharing this information. For more information on the Spirit Singers, visit. http://scmyp.org/spirit-singers/ or watch this video http://scmyp.org/ the-spirit-singers-video-released/ Saturday, March 21, 2015 7:00 PM Philadelphia UMC 1691 Hwy. 160 West Fort Mill Sunday, March 22, 2015 11:00 AM St. John UMC 321 South Oakland Ave. Rock Hill THE FOUNDATION FOR CHRISTIAN FORMATION The Foundation For Christian Formation, in partnership with the Department of Religion at Pfeiffer University, leads a series of weekend events for young Confirmands of the United Methodist Church. These events are also designed for the pastors, adult leaders and mentors that accompany the youth on their confirmation journey. Since 2006, the Foundation team has led more than 60 confirmation retreats attended by over 700 churches and 10,000 participants from the conferences of the SE Jurisdiction of the UMC. FIND OUT MORE The weekend includes: Interactive workshops focused on the vows of membership in the United Methodist Church, "Promises To Keep -- Our Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service & Witness" Exploring and understanding the sacraments of Baptism and Communion, preparing to answer the claim and call of God in our lives Our signature "stole making" high touch, small group process through which we help Confirmands record highlights of their faith journey and witness to their emerging faith in their own words and symbols The culminating service of Receiving the Stoles - a sign of calling and commitment as part of the "ministry of all Christians" Gospel storytelling and music by nationally known recording artist, humorist, storyteller, worship leader and folk-theologian, Ed Kilbourne Process teaching with career Christian Educators and UM Ministers, Rev. Kathleen Kilbourne & Rev. Gloria Hughes FCF Confirm runs February through May 2015. See calendar for dates.
March 2015 Page 16 Youth Ministy in Small Churches Training Session You are invited to hear Youth Ministry consultant, author and well known Group Publishing speaker: Stephanie Caro on Monday March 9th, 9:00-12:00 at the Foothills Presbytery Office, 2242 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville SC 29681. Stephanie is known throughout the US as one of the foremost voices on effective youth ministry in smaller membership churches. This is a great chance to gain some insight into youth ministry in a small church. You are welcome to pay the $10 fee (what a deal) at the door on the day of the event, but in order to make sure there is adequate space and set up for the event, if you plan to attend please contact Debbie Foster (debbiegfoster@gmail.com) via email. For more details or questions, email Chris Lynch at clynch@umcsc.org. Stop Hunger Now Returns to Annual Conference Stop Hunger Now will once again be the mission emphasis this year (as it was in 2013) at Annual Conference with a meal packaging event schedule for Tuesday, June 9th onsite at the Florence Civic Center. You can donate money or sign up for any of the three shifts online: 9:00-11:30, Noon- 2:30, and 3:00-5:30. Although youth are welcome to be a part of ANY of the three shifts, we are offering a special opportunity for youth groups who volunteer to work the final shift of the afternoon from 3:00-5:30. The schedule that evening at Annual Conference includes the youth/young adult worship service that is always a highlight of Annual Conference. For those groups who wish to work the final shift then enjoy some food and fellowship before the service, we will offer a free pizza party on site at the Florence Civic Center. In order to be a part of the pizza party, please be sure to fill out the SHN Pizza Party Sign Up Form online so that we have plenty of pizza for everyone. Be sure to check out scmyp.org and follow SCMYP on Twitter and Facebook for further details about the worship service and pizza party. If you have questions, you can email Chris Lynch.
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March 2015 Page 18 Do you regularly shop Amazon? Shop AmazonSmile and part of your purchase goes to support our ministry at Asbury Hills! http://smile.amazon.com/ch/01-0553641
March 2015 Page 19 Lake Junaluska Summer Youth Events Prepare the Way Register before March 15 to receive a $100 credit for your group! Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, Lake Junaluska is the perfect summer youth retreat for 6th through 12th graders. Each week will feature a morning and evening session that will reflect this year's theme, "Prepare the Way," (Isaiah 40:3.) See the event schedule, speaker and band bios, service project, and more! Lake Junaluska Youth Event speakers and worship bands include: June 11-14: Celia Whitler, Abbye West Pates *June 14-18: Chris Hughes, Abbye West Pates June 18-21: Kevin Wright, TransMission *June 21-25: Ciona Rouse and Lanecia Rouse Tinsley, Second Hand City June 25-28: Shane Claiborne and Tiffany Knowlin, Second Hand City NEW! July 2-5: Amena Brown and Lindsay Popper, The Adam Courtney Band*Modified program and includes July 4th Celebrations *July 5-9: Lane Davis, The Adam Courtney Band July 9-12: Steve Cheyney, The Adam Courtney Band *July 12-16: Andy Lambert, Second Hand City July 16-19: Duffy Robbins, Second Hand City *Includes Stop Hunger Now mission project. Rates and Registration Information Packages include housing, meals,and program. See website for complete details and additional package options. Program Only groups provide their own housing and meals. Rates are the same for youth and adults. Weekends: Package: $245 / person Program Only: $105 / person Weeks: Package: $317 / person Program Only: $120 / person For more information and to register: www.lakejunaluska.com/summer-youth registrar@lakejunaluska.com 828.454.6682
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