The Latest Edition of E-News - Hurricane Sally Response, Adventure in Ministry, Spiritual Health & Renewal, and more

E-News - September 30, 2020

E-News is an email newsletter sent out by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It contains important news, stories, and events from around our conference. Submit articles for the next e-news. Submit events.

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NEWS

Hurricane Sally Response This past weekend the WNC Conference delivered about 400 UMCOR Cleaning Kits to Dauphin Island, Alabama to fill a shortage of buckets caused by other recent hurricanes. WNCC Disaster Response Coordinator, Ben Rogers, shares the story. ERT Deployment The Alabama-West Florida and the Louisiana conferences both have current ERT requests open. Join us for Adventures in Ministry! Are you a high school student discerning a call to ministry? Or are you an adult who would like the opportunity to mentor a 9th-12th grade student through their discernment journey? Adventures in Ministry mentor, Kate, and high school senior, Jaya, share how excited they are to have five cups of coffee with one another and discover the ways God is calling Jaya to serve the world! Retiree Health Plan Informational Video Watch this video from Humana discussing the benefits of the retiree healthcare plan, including information on Medicare, details of the plan, enrollment steps, and what to expect after you enroll. Journeying Together Join a small group of colleagues (6 or 7 total) in an ongoing, facilitated colleague conversation to share and grieve, find balance, learn, and grow. Lean in and get messy, human, honest (or not) and experience the grace of navigating the journey of ministry together, at this time. Developing and Implementing an Outward Mindset In this workshop, LAY AND CLERGY participants will learn the difference between inward and outward mindsets. They will discover where they have been inward and how to turn more outward. They will learn how to turn their mindsets and behaviors outward by applying the following toolsets: self-awareness tools, mindset change tools, accountability tools, and collaboration tools. REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 2, 2020 Registration is OPEN For Sabbath Life 2021! Registration is now OPEN for Sabbath Life 2021! In this season when our church leaders are carrying especially heavy burdens, the team at Life Around the Table remains dedicated to creating space for clergy and ministry professionals to find renewal and rejuvenation of body, mind, and soul through our Sabbath Life ministry. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Retiring Well: A Pre-Retirement Webinar from Wespath Clergy who are 3-5 years from retirement are invited to join representatives from Wespath and EY to discuss retirement provisions, plans, and services. Register before November 4th and a personalized, confidential Benefit Projection will be mailed to you. PLUS sign up for a 30-minute individual virtual consultation with a member of the Wespath Benefit Education Team. Spouses are welcomed to join the webinar and consultation! Cell Tower Lease Survey Wesley Community Development is seeking to develop some best practices for local churches regarding cell tower leasing.  Please complete this survey if your church is in a lease agreement for a cell tower on church property.  Thank you in advance for helping them assist local churches throughout our Conference. Spiritual Renewal Grant Available Now! COVID has been hard on leaders and many are exhausted, discouraged, and in need of time away. The Leadership Development Team wants to help nurture your spirit in order to be renewed and restored in life and in ministry. This could be possible through a private, renewal retreat or by engaging with a spiritual director. Ministry leaders (clergy and lay professionals) who sign up for an offering and pay a personal investment of $50, are eligible for up to $500. Funds are available because of the generosity of churches who pay their apportionments. A Different-Kind-of-Summer Camp There is nothing quite like the experience of summer camp. It is a hallmark moment for most young people’s faith development. This year, however, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, camp looked a little different. Camps across the nation had to make rapid decisions about how they would provide a summer camp experience with social distance and pandemic-level safety protocols. It might seem impossible; but with determination, ingenuity, and God, camp staffs met the challenge and showed up for our young people. Here are some of the stories of Summer 2020 from the United Methodist camps here in Western North Carolina. UPCOMING WEBINARS:   Leading the Generations Thursday, October 1, 11 a.m. Join us for a FREE panel discussion Thursday, October 1st, as an intergenerational panel discusses what the crises of today are teaching us about the necessities, failings, and the future of the Church. Our four panelists include clergy from the network of HPU alumni, family, and friends in a variety of stages of ministry. I AM Her Women's Leadership Summit Registration Deadline - October 2 The I AM Her Women’s Leadership Summit is not your ordinary conference. It’s a movement of women coming together to Be Inspired, Be Empowered, and to Be Equipped to do the work both personally, professionally and within the United Methodist Church to connect. This summit will focus on worship, relationship building and network mapping along with various courses to help participants learn how women in leadership have overcome challenges, and created solutions that supported their success. There will also be opportunities to learn how to build your professional network and maximize its potential. On the Brink: Virtual Conference for Ministry Leaders Saturday, October 3, 9 a.m. EST Raushawna Price, international author, coach, speaker, trainer, and radio personality, is facilitating a free, 3-hour workshop to address internal and external obstacles that work against Pastors and Ministry Leaders causing them to slip, diminish their mental health, interfere with their relationships, etc. You won't want to miss this engaging event! This is a ministry safe space which means complete confidentiality and, if you wish, anonymity. Let's explore what happens as we react to difficult times and stress-filled situations. Equip yourself even as your cup feels like it is almost empty from pouring out so much to others. The Generous Church Leadership Course Early Bird Pricing Available through October 1; Course Opens October 19 A collaborative work of four general agencies of The United Methodist Church, the hope for the course is that participants will grow in their understanding of their leadership role in local church finances and will be able to connect and articulate generosity as a key component of a growing, authentic disciple of Jesus Christ. Racial Healing and the Gospel of Reconciliation The first conversation will be Wednesday, October 21.  A Workshop on the Ministry of Reconciliation Rooted in 2 Cor. 5:16-20, this workshop will teach reconciliation as spirituality, highlighting biblical examples of reconciliation and our call to be ministers of reconciliation as followers of Christ. With this theological foundation, participants will learn practical strategies for the Church to live out our role in the reconciliation process.

Director of Communications: Melissa McGill

Communications Ministry Assistant: Aimee Yeager

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Resources for Vital Congregations

CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Books

Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Serve Your Neighbor

GBHEM Leadership Resources

eLEAD

Living Faithfully: Human Sexuality and the United Methodist Church

Englewood Book Review

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

Ted Talks: The Golden Circle

Ted Talks: The Power of Vulnerability

Ted Talks: The Price of Invulnerability

Design Thinking

Meditations on the Ministry of All Christians

DISCIPLE FORMATION:

Be A Disciple

A Disciple’s Path; A Guide for United Methodist

Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Adult Christian Studies from the Wesley Ministry Network

Traveling Together: A Guide for Disciple Forming Congregations

WESLEYAN STUDIES:

Living As United Methodist Christians

Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials

Reclaiming our Wesleyan Tradition: John Wesley’s Sermons for Today

John Wesley Sermons: Anthology

REACHING PEOPLE:

Get Their Name

Evangelism & Theology in the Wesleyan Spirit

Canoeing the Mountains

Fresh Expressions

Fresh Expressions: Dinner Church

Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Reach New Disciples

Lewis Center for Church Leadership: 50 Ways to Reach People

Community: The Structure of Belonging

RESOURCES TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY:

Institute for Emerging Issues

Congregations 4 Children

GRANTS:

The Royce and Jane Reynolds Ministry Fund Grants

The Duke Endowment

OTHER:

The Appalachian District Church Vitality Team has been prayerfully seeking ways to help support you and the ministries of your local congregation during this COVID-19 pandemic. Together they have diligently researched and connected with others throughout the conference and our denomination to identify resources and offer them to you. We hope they will be helpful to you and bless you greatly in leading your churches and communities through this unprecedented time. We are very grateful to the District Vitality Team and other contributors for their great work on this resource.
 
This faithful team has created three documents, two of which you are receiving today. They include:

• Family Home Worship – designed to help families establish a regular worship space within their homes as well as a time where they can worship together.
• Tech Strategies – to help guide you in selecting effective tools and resources within your budget to best communicate in the digital world.

 
We believe these resources will be of great benefit to you. Also know that the District Vitality Team is available to answer any questions you might have in regards to the documents attached. If you have questions, you may email Rev. Howard Fleming at hfleming@wnccumc.net.