Dear Michelle, 
As we conclude the celebration of "All
Saints" and anticipate the Thanksgiving Holidays, my
thoughts are on the saints in my life for whom I am
thankful!
Hebrews 12:1 reminds us: "Since we are
surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us
throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so
easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the
race marked out for us." For me, there is great comfort
in leaning on the arms of faith of spiritual fathers and
mothers who have gone before us and some who are still
with us!
On Sunday, I gave thanks for my
grandmother, whom I affectionately called "Mammy." I can
remember as a young child sitting in her lap while she
placed my hands on hers to play the great hymns of our
faith. "Love Lifted Me, Standing on the Promises, In the
Garden, How Great Thou Art, etc." As I listen this
morning to a CD of Mozart's Piano Concerto's, I am
convinced my love for music has been passed down through
my grandmother, and I give thanks!
I give thanks for my parents who
instilled in me a strong work ethic, an understanding of
the power of unconditional love, and the strength of
relationships. Each fall, the anniversary of their
journey from this life to life eternal, brings to mind
their tremendous legacy and the many ways they lived
their lives in communion with God through the power of
the Holy Spirit.
I remember with thankfulness, Gene
Zimmerman and Phil Roughton, who gave me my first "Youth
Ministry" job at Trinity UMC in Tallahassee in the late
1970's. I am grateful for the ways in which they
mentored me, challenged me, and asked me if I might be
called to Ordained Ministry in the United Methodist
Church.
While "Sainthood" is not something we
ever aspire to, as United Methodists, we are on a
journey that involves God's Sanctifying Grace. It
is sometimes good to remember that we are a reflection
to others of Christ in us!
In this season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for
those who have been Christ to me. Those who have helped
me run the race with perseverance, fight the good fight,
and live my life as one who has benefited from their
guidance, inspiration and belief that "I (We) can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me
(us)."
I Love Being (and am Thankful to be)
Your District Superintendent,
2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us
a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and
of
self-discipline. | |
| The Lewis Pastoral Leadership
Inventory |
|
One more reminder to
all pastors to take advantage of the LPLI by going to [Churchleadership]. Upon
completion, you will receive a personalized summary of
your inventory, including the summarized feedback from
those you selected to respond as a part of the 360
profile.
Many of you have expressed interest in
ways you can get good feedback about your ministry, but
most leadership inventories are expensive and based on a
business model. Here's an opportunity to receive
helpful, and free, feedback.
|
| Thinking of Retirement? |
The Florida Annual Conference Office of Human
Resources in cooperation with The Florida United
Methodist Foundation is sponsoring a pre-retirement
seminar-R-10 and Counting-for clergy and spouses who
have 10 or fewer years until retirement.
The seminar will be held January 28-30
at the Life Enrichment Center. I have heard
nothing but positive feedback on this helpful
seminar. The seminar is limited to 30
participants, with couples counted as one
participant.
Registration information is available
at http://mail.flumc.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0018Frl69xcnGGWolPFKotiaoACR685o2kWIsn1wI1W3UOwTJ_RLE4RimyKaxN0boSgW9GFBVzejkad2A8qb7lUUxaQ0vG2U_USIJvRphVaMDw=
and registration deadline is December 15th.
|
| Natural Church Development |
|
Welcome to the Journey
By
Rev. Linda K. Mobley
Church Health Specialist
Natural Church Development (NCD) is an approach to
living the Christian life together as a
congregation. It combines biblical principles with
insights from the most extensive church health and
growth research ever done. As of this year, more
than 45,000 churches from around the world have
participated in NCD on one level or another and 85% of
them experienced improvement in their health [Read
More]
|
| Asbury "Restore The Joy" Conference |
|
Speakers include Brennan Manning, Nancy
Ortberg, Tony Campolo, Shane Claiborne, Judith MacNutt
and Kirbyjon Caldwell. In addition to the
speakers, there will be inspiring worship and numerous
workshops addressing the theme.
For more information [click icon
above]
|
| 5-Day Academy for Spiritual
Formation |
Many have found this Academy a pivotal
event in their spiritual journey. This year's
topic is "Journey To a Thankful Heart". Being
grateful is more than saying "thank you". Explore
the beliefs, barriers, bridges and becoming of genuine
Thanksgiving as you learn how to develop a thankful
heart. The dates are March 30 to April 4, 2008 at
the Life Enrichment Center. This year's faculty
includes Graham Standish, author of "Becoming a
Blessed Church" and "Humble Leadership"; and Linda
Douty, author of "How Can I Let Go If I Don't Know I'm
Holding On-Setting Our Souls Free". For more
information and/or registration, [click here]
|
 "The Passionate Worship: Divine
Inbreaking" Event
April 11-12, 2008 Gainesville
April 14-15, 2008 Palm Beach |
| The "Passionate Worship: Divine
Inbreaking" event will be held on April 11-12, 2008 at
Trinity UMC, Gainesville and April 14-15,2008 at United
Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches. This
conference will focus on the elements of what makes for
passionate worship, providing resources for
congregations with practical worship and team-building
ideas, exploring the use of theology, liturgy and the
sacraments in worship, and going beyond the worship
gathering to reaching those outside the church.
Participants will learn that passionate
worship isn't about a particular order or technique or
style. What is passionate about our worship is the
relationship of faith we have toward Christ as we gather
to worship. Having said this, what we do in worship at
the functional level, the particular acts of worship,
how we attend to Gods Word, how we celebrate the sacred
acts of baptism and Eucharist, the music we use, the
space in which we gather, the media we employ, how we
are led can either encourage or be a distraction from
our passionate worship.
Both locations will feature four presentations
based on the different movements of worship plus 21
breakout groups featuring topics such as basic worship
planning, worship as
spiritual formation, worship in the emerging
culture, care and feeding of a praise team, and
connecting worship to the outside community. There will
also be opportunities for you to
meet with other worship leaders and pastors to have
a time to network and share resources.
We are encouraging pastors, worship leaders,
worship teams and anyone else who is involved in making
worship happen at their local church to attend this
conference.
If you have questions, please contact the Office of
Connectional Ministries at 800-282-8011, Ext.
183.
You can register for the event by clicking on the
"Passionate Worship" icon
above. |
| Grants Available to Seniors |
|
Rev. Linda Tice has recently found a resource that
may be very helpful to the churches in the EC
District. The Golden Years Foundation has been
given a grant of $30,000 a month to assist seniors with
financial problems with items such as food,
transportation, etc. They are having trouble spending
their monthly amount of money according to one
resource!
Their website is under construction right
now, but if anyone wants information, they can call
407-496-7758. The Alzheimer's Resource Center made
this information available and I thought it may be a
good resource for our
churches. |
| Helpful Resources for Your Church |
|
2008 APPORTIONMENT REPORTS ARE NOW ON
LINE. [Click Here] When it opens up
you will see Local Church 2008 Apportionment
Report. Click on it and when it opens enter your
GCFA # in the GCFA box and then hit review report.
Up comes your 2008 Apportionment breakdown. (I
know everyone has been waiting for this
information.) Problems with these instructions,
call me. Problems with what is on the report, call
the Conference, Ivette ext. 108.
ALSO, If you need to look at a current 2007
Apportionment sheet, you can do that by [Click Here] Open up the link and
right at the top under Apportionments there is a link
that says "Click here to download your report".
Click on that link and enter your GCFA# twice.
Then go down to the next bar that reads "Make
Selection", click on it and pick "Apportionment Reports"
and there you are. The updated reports are usually
posted by the 15th of the month.
Pam Price, EC District Financial
Administrator
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ONLINE E-LEARNING
AVAILABLEHave you checked out the
E-Learning Training available for your local church on
our Conference website? Training is available for
Staff/Parish Relations Committees; Finance Committees
(includes Stewardship); Trustees; and Membership
Secretary's. There is also an online Bible Study
available. [Click Here]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACK GROUND SCREENING SAVINGS FOR
CHURCHES
Ernie Post at Ocoee
Oaks UMC has a contact for a cost saving Background
Screening for volunteers. If you use their
services, they will contribute 1/2 of the cost of each
background check to the Building Fund for your church
or to the New Church Development Fund for
the EC District (however you determine the funds should
be distributed). If you have any questions,
contact Ernie Post at
407-293-0700. |
| Thanksgiving Mission Opportunity |
|
If you would like to help with a November Food
Collection in the East Central District, contact Candace
Owen, 407-849-0079 ext. 313 or [email]
Our Collection Sites include:
·First UMC
Deltona, 1045 East Normandy Blvd.
Deltona, FL; Nancy
Siebert 386-574-1391
·First UMC Winter Park, 125 N. Interlachen
Ave.
Winter Park, FL |
| Ministers' Mates Retreat |
|
Recently returning from a wonderful Ministers'
Mates Retreat in Leesburg. Some attendees from the East
Central District are Ramona Wiatt, Darlene Waller, Terri
Gill, Joanie Joyner, Paulette Monroe, Amelia Wines and
Fay Baker.
|
| Openings in Wesley Group Home |
| Wesley Group Home has openings for one female and
one male resident. Must be age 18 or over. Adults with
Developmental Disabilities must have current medical and
psychological histories with a current support plan
indicating small group home placement. Individuals
must need and agree to participate in Residential
Habitation training activities. For more information
call the Wesley Group Home 954-456-0519 and ask
for Amy Rains.
|
| EC District Calendar |
|
2007 EVENTS
Nov. 9-13: Global Convocation of Bishops and
Cabinets
Nov. 10: UMW Conference Annual Meeting @
Florida Southern College
Nov. 26: SPRC Training from
6:30-8:30p in Orlando
Nov. 27: SPRC Training
from 6:30-8:30p in DeLand
Nov. 30: Retired
Clergy Luncheon from 11a-1p
Dec. 1: Conference Table
- Older Adults
Dec. 5-7: Cabinet Retreat
Dec. 14:
District Staff Christmas Party
Dec. 13-15: SEJ
Diversity Event
2008 EVENTS
Jan. 21-25:
Large Church Initiative @ St Luke's UMC
Jan. 26:
District Training from 8:30a to 1:00p for Trustees,
Finance, Historian, Disaster, & Missions (location
TBA)
Feb. 4-6: Restore the Joy @ Asbury
Seminary
Feb. 28: Clergy Meeting @ St Luke's UMC from
9a-1p
Feb. 29-Mar. 1: "Deep Shift" with Brien McLaren
Event
Mar. 7-8: Lay Speaking Training @ Stewart
Memorial UMC, Daytona Beach
Apr. 11-13: Passionate
Worship Event in Gainesville
Apr. 13-15: Passionate
Worship Event in Palm Beach
Apr. 27: Announcement
Sunday
May 29-31: Annual Conference to be held in
Lakeland
June 17: Conference Table - In Defense of
Creation II
July 1: Moving Day
July 16-19: SEJ
Conference in Lake Junaluska,
NC | |
| |
|
|
|
Open Enrollment for Health
Insurance
All active clergy covered by our
conference health insurance must enroll or renew
online between now and the deadline of November
11th. Here you may make changes, renew, add or
drop benefits of your coverage.
|
|
|
 |
| [Click
Icon] |
| |
|
Next Clergy Team
Meeting
Thursday,
February 28, 2008 at St. Luke's UMC Orlando from 9:30 AM
- 1:00 PM, with lunch provided.
We will begin with a presentation by
the United Methodist Foundation on Fundraising in the
Local Church and an introduction to the Bishop's Capital
Campaign by Bill Barnes. We will conclude with our
district business. And yes, this is a mandatory
meeting for all appointed clergy.
(Please note that nothing else in this
e-news is mandatory . . . but highly recommended for
your information and edification -- but not
mandatory). |
|
|
|
 |
|
[Click Icon] Property Insurance Update from the Annual
Conference |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
SPRC District Training
Event
There will be two Staff Parish Relations
Committee Training Events in the EC
District
November 26
Peace UMC in Orlando
6:30-8:30 PM
November 27
First UMC in Deland
6:30-8:30
PM |
|
|
|
 |
New Book by
Brian
McLaren! "Everything Must Change" is the title of
Brian MacLaren's latest book and he is doing an eleven
city tour with a workshop of the same title. Plan
to attend the one coming up to our area, February 29 -
March 1st, at First Baptist Church of St.
Petersburg. Go to www.deepshift.org
for more
information and registration.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Next Conference Table
Sat., December 1
St. Mark's UMC,
Ocala
The topic: "Beyond
50-- Living it Well." Click the
icon above to register.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
District Lay Leadership
Training
Mark your calendar and plan to attend the
East Central District Local Church Lay Leadership
Training on Saturday, January 26, 2008 from 8:30
a.m. - 12:30 p.m. This training event will focus
on providing local church leaders with resources and
information related to their specific
responsibility. Training will be offered on the
following topics:
Finance Teams and Interpreters of
Connectional Giving
Trustee Committees
Lay Leaders
and Lay Members to Annual Conference
Disaster
Recovery Teams
Mission Teams
Church
Historians
Watch for complete details and
how to register in the December EC Newsletter!
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Shade and Fresh
Water
This is a ministry of our
conference whose purpose is to provide respite and
reflective opportunities for clergy and their
families in order to keep them healthy and
refreshed. Shade and Fresh Water
understands the unique situations in which clergy
families live. They provide "healing
spaces" where participants may retreat with spiritual
direction. In addition to healing spaces,
divorce recovery retreats are available to clergy
and clergy spouses as needed. Clergy
children are also offered a retreat with other clergy
adolescents who share the divorce
experience. Clergy families who are relocating are
supported with information to
make the appointment process easier.
One clergy's testimony:
"The healing space provided me with
a time to rest and reflect on everything God is doing in
my life. It gave me the opportunity to
really allow God to being healing the loss I
experienced . . . I came back refreshed, clear
and ready to begin my life in ministry exactly how
God is re-creating me to
be." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Politics &
Pulpit
During these days leading up to
elections (local, state and national), there are
groups who come to your church wanting to
distribute unsolicited "Christian Voter's Guides"
to your folks. Some of our churches have
public visits from political candidates. Each
election year I have complaints from laity about
the "voter's guides" that some pastors have
distributed. Some churches who have
received "Faith Based Initiative Federal Funding" have
had their federal funding dropped and their tax
exempt status challenged in court after visits
from presidential candidates.
Let me direct your attention
to the following website that will take you
to "Politics and the Pulpit, 2004: A Guide
to the Internal Revenue Code
Restrictions on the Political Activity of
Religious Organizations" by the Pew Forum on Religion
and Public Life [Click
Here] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Weekend of Learning!
March 7-8,
2008
Lay Leadership Academy joins with Lay
Speaking Certification for a Weekend of
Learning
These courses are open to everyone.
If you have previously completed the Basic Lay Speaking
Course, then upon completion of one of these courses you
will receive your Certified Lay Speaking Certificate.
Either course will serve as the three year renewal
requirement for your Lay Speaking Certification.
Each 10 hour course is 2 days:
Friday, March 7, 2008 from 5:00 - 9:00 PM includes
dinner.
Saturday, March 8, 2008 from 9:00 AM - 4:00
PM includes continental breakfast &
lunch.
Cost is $45.00 for each course and includes
materials, meals, and snacks. Pre-registration
required.
United Methodist Heritage will be led by Rev.
Dr. Wayne Wiatt and Rev. Gary Shockley.
Teaching Adults will be led by Barbara
Bruce
and Kim Shockley.
For additional information contact:
Lynn Campbell 407-699-8155 office@tumcfl.org
or Kim Shockley at the EC District Office,
407-896-2230 kshockley@flumc.org. |
|
|
|
|
|
| EC District Website & Updates |
|
We want to feature your
local church ministry and mission highlights on our
Website. If you have a special Mission or Ministry event
that you might share with the rest of the East Central
District, please Contact our Webmaster,
Michelle
Colan at and share with her your article
and
picture. | | |
