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Prayer Garden Volunteers Needed at Annual Conference |
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Every
Year during Annual Conference the conference Spiritual Formation Team
prepares a Large Room for Prayer, this is what we call "the prayer
garden". The prayer Garden will be opened during Annual Conference from
Wed 2 PM unitl Friday 7PM. We invite you to come in for prayer anytime.
We
also need prayer volunteers for one or two hours during annual
conference to pray with people who come in asking for prayer. If you
can help, please contact LIA ICAZA WILLETTS by[email] or call (239) 839-4887 | |
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 Dear Michelle,
EC District Leadership Team
Casts New Vision:
"Wholeness for our Clergy, Congregations
and Communities"
A
culmination of almost two years of study, reflection, and dreaming have
brought about a Vision Statement for our East Central District. When I
think of the word "Wholeness," a number of images come to mind. There
is the act of being "made whole" through healing, love, and
relationships. There is implicit in the word wholeness, also a sense of
'holiness" or, as Wesley might prefer, sanctification. The reality that
our ability to seek wholeness in our lives ushers us into a sense of
being made "holy" is, in and of itself, challenging! I think the
Apostle Paul challenged us to run the race, even with the reality of
our human inconsistencies (That which I do not want to do I end up
doing!). Wesley calls us to stay on (the) track... to keep keeping on
and moving toward perfection in our Christian living. So when I
think about "wholeness", it is for me, a journey.
The first "leg" of our journey calls us to Care for our Clergy
through the oversight of the Superintendent and aided by our Clergy
Care Team chaired by Tom Samuels and Ann Hutches. This team provides
ongoing pastoral care for our clergy in times of need and recently
hosted a wonderful Beachside Retreat this past February entitled
Personal Wholeness and Holiness.
The second "leg" of our journey calls us to Care for our Congregations.
This is given oversight by our District Congregational
TransformationTeam (DCTT) chaired by Janet Earls with staff support
from Kim Shockley. They help us with our Vital Signs, Natural Church
Development and Refocus Processes, as well as new initiatives like
Clergy Coaching and Mystery Worshipers.
The third "leg" of our journey calls us to Care for our Communities.
Our Church and Community Connection Ministry chaired by Syl Johnson and
Drew Parsons with staff support from Marilyn Beecher, our General Board
of Global Ministries Missionary, works with local congregations to
connect them with opportunities for Mission Outreach in their
communities. A new initiative this summer will be their emphasis
on Summer Day Camps in low income rural and urban areas.
I
am grateful for our new Leadership Team taking office in July. We offer
a special thanks to Carol Conner, Joyce Waldon-Bright, and Chris Akers
whose terms have ended.
Leadership Council
Chair: Clare Chance
Vice Chair: Dave Elyea
Finance Chair: Scott Davidson
Secretary: Alice Williams
District Superintendent: Wayne Wiatt
Lay Leader: Janet Kelley
Class of 2010: Robert Brown; Scott Davidson; Dave Elyea; Jeanine Spangenberg
Class of 2011: Clare Chance; Jaime Faberlle; Ithamar Fonrose; Janet Kelley; Jose Nieves;
Class of 2012: Sarah Campbell; Dwayne Craig; Steve Harper; James Lake; Frank Mercer; Alice Williams
I
know you will join me in praying for this Leadership Team as they help
us live out our Vision of Wholeness for our Clergy, Congregations, and
Communities in the East Central District.
I Love Being Your District Superintendent,
Wayne
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.
P.S.
Our EC News "mystery word" contest will resume in July. Congratulations
to double winners last month, Dianne E. Young, Orlando, and Cindi
Brownfield, Port Orange, who won gift certificates to Olive Garden |
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CONGRATULATIONS FOR SALTY SERVICE
On
May 1st, the Orange County Public Schools recognized businesses in the
community that have been instrumental in assisting them throughout the
year to care and educate their children. This year at a ceremony at SeaWorld, two churches
from our district were selected to receive Partners in Education Awards
for their ministry to a school in their community: Christ to the
Nations Church for their work at Bonneville Elementary School and
Reeves UMC for their work at Fern Creek Elementary School. Zellwood UMC
was also was of the 94 nominees for these awards. Congratulations to Rev. Jaime Faberlle, Rev. Linda Tice, Rev. Nadine Richmond and their congregations for this honor. |
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Kudos & Congratulations!! |
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The Grindheim-Sims Evangelism Award
This
award honors the pastor of a congregation of less than 250 whose
members have distinguished themselves for growth in worship attendance
and professions of faith.
Rev. Walter Monroe and the Stewart Memorial UMC Congregation
During
2008, the Stewart Memorial congregation reversed a six-year slide in
worship attendance! Their attendance increased by 40 persons or
35% to an average of 155 persons. Also during this year, the
congregation received 18 persons by profession of faith - an increase
of 14 persons over the previous year.
Again, this sort of
change in a congregation's life requires the sustained and hard work of
many people and comes as the result of a myriad of factors.
Pastor Monroe mentioned three factors he believed key to the
congregation's growth. First, there was a year-long focus on
Matthew 28 and what it means to be a disciple. Every member was
repeatedly challenged to reach one person for Christ during the coming
year. They were asked intentionally to cultivate a relationship
with unchurched persons and to invite them to church with them.
Secondly, they had a special emphasis to reach boys 12-14 in the
community. They provided each young man an adult male mentor who
regularly spent quality time with him. Thirdly, the congregation
targeted a nearby neighborhood, canvassed it, talked with parents of
children who did not go to any church and asked them if they would be
willing for their children to be picked up by the church van on Sunday
mornings, brought to church, provided a hot breakfast and engaging
Christian activities, and then returned home. As a result of the
young men's emphasis and the children's van ministry, the congregation
had a large confirmation class.
This
pastor and congregation give us a powerful example of how
Jesus still honors our focused and sustained efforts to join him in
fruitful ministry aimed at changing lives and communities.
Do you have a ministry, mission, or accomplishment that we can recognize in the EC News? Send it to ds-ec@flumc.org so we can brag on you! |
| New Clergy Apointments in the EC District |
Casa de Paz - Rev. Jose Nieves (Multicultural New Church Start - Kissimmee Area)
DeLeon Springs - Rev. Kathy Boyles
First Kissimmee - Rev. Bob Wooten
First New Smyrna - Rev. Molly Warren
First St. Cloud - Rev. Mike Briggs
Lake Helen - Rev. Robert Storrs (PT)
Montverde - Pastor Todd Bardin (PT)
Trinity Orlando - Rev. Roy Harris (PT)
EC Clergy Appointed to other Districts:
Scott Baker - First Clearwater (Gulf Central)
Don Bremer - Hollywood Hills (South East)
Andy Sistrunk - Van Dyke Extension Campus (South Central)
Alexis Talbott - First Homestead (South East)
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Managing Change Retreat offered by Shade & Fresh Water |
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| Annual Conference Special Information and Reminders |
The
2009 Florida Annual Conference Event will focus on "Transforming the
World by Cherishing the Creation." With the event now only days away,
here are a few reminders-and invitations-to review before you arrive at
Bethune-Cookman University. Please share these items as appropriate
with your fellow church leaders, in your church's bulletin, or your
church's newsletter [Read More].
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2009 Annual Conference Offering - East Angola, Africa |
Join Bishop Whitaker and Wayne Wiatt in encouraging the $1 per member goal for the 2009 Annual Conference Offering
The Annual Conference offering is focused
toward the initiatives that are a part of our partnership with
the United Methodist Church in East Angola. These monies will
strengthen the church in East Angola by developing leadership for the
future, providing funding for education at the School of Theology and
the Colegio. It will also be used to enable Armando and Icel
Rodriguez as missioners to Angola for the 2009-2012 year, along with
providing grants to churches to assist them in traveling to East Angola
to build relationships with partner churches. If every church
contributes $1 for each member of the congregation, the results would
be transformative for the people in Angola.
Help us reach our EC District Goal of $45,609 for
Angola. (45,609 is the Number of Members in all of our EC District
Congregations - reported on the 2008 year end statistical report).
Thank you in advance for your outstanding leadership toward this goal. |
| Annual Conference East Central District Breakfast - June 12 |
 First UMC of Ormond Beach at 7:00 am
Lay
and Clergy Members to Annual Conference are invited to Connect at the
East Central District Breakfast Friday, June 12th 7:00-8:30 am.
Breakfast
will include: Fresh Fruit, Egg Soufflé, Sausage, Grits, Assorted
Pastries and Coffee Cake, Juice, and Coffee. Don't miss it!!!!
Registration Deadline is Friday, June 5, 2009 [Click Here to Register] |
AC 2009 Radical Hospitality Volunteer Opportunities
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 For Local Church Laity
Volunteers are needed in the following areas:
Hospitality Volunteers in areas of: Greeters and Welcoming
Hospitality, Gathering Place Hospitality. (Please be aware most of the
volunteer positions require standing for the shift time.)
Bus Drivers/Transportation will serve in providing transportation to and from BCU campus building and parking locations. [Click Here] for more information and to register. |
| Constitutional Amendments |
Delegates to
United Methodist annual conference sessions in 2009 will vote on 32 amendments
to the denomination's constitution. Twenty-three of the changes, if passed,
could lead to a new global structure for the church.
Lay and Clergy
Members attending the 2009 Annual Conference are encouraged to visit
the
Florida Conference website and review the amendments. New
information and commentary has recently been posted to the
website. In an effort
to provide some context for the Constitutional Amendments, there are
some
editorial and opinion articles from a variety of perspectives. The
views
represented in the stories are not meant to be an endorsement by the
Florida Conference. |
| Imagining Disciples |
Congregational Transformation in the EC District by Kim Shockley
 Wow!
Have we opened a can of worms! In the past few weeks I have
attended two seminars that highlighted some of the lies that the church
has bought into - mainly that if we keep our people busy doing "church"
stuff, then we will produce mature Christians. The reality seems
to be that what we have produced are just frantic and busy
people. The Conference Office of Congregational Transformation
has been wrestling with our Christian mandate to "make disciples" by
asking the question - What is a disciple? And last weekend's
seminar on Simple church with Eric Geiger has provided several more
meaningful questions.
So
where does this leave us? I want to unpack a few of my thoughts
about these things and perhaps point you in the direction of some
actions you may take for your congregation's mission and ministry.
First,
congregations need to start with the end in mind. If our mandate
is to make disciples, then we really ought to have some idea what a
mature Christian looks like. I've been defining disciples as
life-long learners who are able and willing to take what they learn
from life's experiences and use them, through the power of the Holy
Spirit, to be continually transformed into a likeness of Jesus
Christ. God does the transforming, but we are willing
participants! Congregations could be looking at the Five
Practices of the United Methodist Way (passionate worship, extravagant
generosity, intentional discipleship, salty service, and radical
hospitality) to help us clarify our goal. There are some great
scriptures that also help to paint a picture of maturity in Christ -
Galatians 5:22-23 (fruit of the Spirit) - is one of my favorites.
You will notice that none of these resources offers lists of do's and
don'ts - but rather a hope of our greatest potential as mature
Christians!
Once
you have some sense of the end, begin to work on how you as a
congregation can accomplish this end. There are lots of good
resources available to help you. Our next seminar for Intentional
Discipleship will be on September 11 at First UMC Port Orange -
Deepening Your Effectiveness. You can register online now: http://www.flumc2.org
on the right column link. If I may be so bold as to suggest
Imagining Church: Seeing Hope in a World of Change, Alban Institute,
2009 by Gary & Kim Shockley, which has a great chapter on Imagining
Disciples! As always, I am available to churches of the EC
District to come and work with you to develop this thinking for your
congregation! Give me a call at 407-896-2230 x 101 or send an
email to kshockley@flumc.org! I'll be glad to help! |
| Missional Vital Signs |
 Remember to Report!
July
1 congregations are asked to begin reporting data for Intentional
Discipling and Salty Service (Kudos to those who have already
started!) For complete information, go to MVS logo on either www.flumc.org or www.congregationaltransformation.com.
The purpose of the MVS is to help congregations stay focused on the
five practices of fruitful congregations and to track an indication of
their effectiveness for each of these practices. |
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Church Celebrates 10 Years of Ministry to Bikers |
By Mary Lee Downey | May 8, 2009
ORLANDO,
Fla. - Hundreds of motorcycles lined the parking lot, and event tents
stretched across the green lawn of the church campus.
Add
the mix of worshippers inside the sanctuary wearing suits and dresses
and leather jackets and spiked riding boots and it was pretty obvious
this particular Sunday morning at Peace United Methodist Church was no
ordinary one.
The church was celebrating a decade of ministry to bikers across Central Florida with its 10th annual Biker Sunday.
George
Duktig was among the 1,200-plus bikers church leaders estimate visited
the church that Sunday earlier this year. He rode from Ocala, Fla., he
said, to be a presence and support the Christian Motorcycle
Association. He has been riding for 22 years, and that Sunday was his
first visit to the church. [READ MORE....]
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| Health & Wholeness Ministries |
 Does
your congregation emphasize the importance of the whole person and the
interdependence of the physical, emotional, and spiritual components of
each person? This is the basis for health and wholeness
ministries. This may be led by a health and wholeness team, or a
parish nurse (community health nurse), or may be fragmented under
different areas. We would like to identify a key individual at
each congregation that can share information about programs and needs.
Examples of programs and ministries might be physical fitness programs,
emergency preparedness, health education, support when in need,
referrals etc. Please contact Judy Davis parish nurse at First
UMC Apopka judyadavis@embarqmail.com or Betsy McKeeby parish nurse at First UMC Winter Park betsym@fumcwp.org. |
Mentor Training in the East Central District
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Wed., June 10 @ 10a - 2p at Stewart
Memorial UMC in Daytona Beach
Tues., October 13, 10a - 2p at Peace UMC
in Orlando
This is a reminder that there are two more
opportunities this year to attend a candidacy mentor training event. If you
last attended one of these events in 2007, you need to attend one this
year in order to recertify.
You may register for these events by emailing
Carole Rooks at carole@anona.com or
carole.rooks@flumc.org
Your commitment to the candidates for ministry and
the gift of your time and presence in this process is greatly appreciated. We thank you for attending one of the
upcoming training sessions in the East Central District.
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| Burning Bush |
 The Core Curriculum
of Discipleship University
Burning
Bush is a two-year experience designed for congregations of any size to
develop an intentional plan for making disciples of Jesus Christ for
the transformation of the world. Burning Bush 2 begins on August 27-30,
2009. The application deadline for interested congregations is June 15,
2009. Application information may be found at www.gbod.org/burningbush or by calling (877) 899-2780, ext. 1760.
Pastors and lay leaders or anyone expressing a need related to discipleship should consider participating in Burning Bush. |
| The Alban Institute - June Webinars |
We
have all felt the effects of the economic downturn in our personal and
organizational lives. Individuals and organizations of all sorts are
wondering what this crisis means in terms of the resources available to
accomplish their missions. Congregations and religious organizations
are not immune to the forces at work during economic tough times. As
institutions that exist to serve congregations and religious
organizations, it is the desire of Alban Institute and the Lake
Institute on Faith & Giving at the Center on Philanthropy,Indiana
University to launch a collaborative effort in order to learn more
about how this crisis is being experienced by congregations and how
they are responding to it. This webinar series is one way we are trying
to share what we learn with our constituents in a timely, sensitive and
creative manner (Click picture above for link to website).
Planning for Long-Term Change: Priorities, Outcomes & Processes - June 2, 1:00 pm Eastern
Talking About Money, Like It or Not - June 2, 3:00 pm Eastern
Stewardship in Lean Times - June 4, 3:00 pm Eastern
Discern, Participate, Act: How to Put Planning in Motion - June 9, 1:00 pm Eastern
Staff Anxieties in a Changing Economy - June 11, 3:00 pm Eastern
Moving from Financial Survival to Missional Focus - June 17, 3:00 pm Eastern
Being Ready for a Rebound - June 25, 3:00 pm Eastern
7 Things Your Board Can Do Right Now - June 30, 1:00 pm Eastern
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Pastor Gary Garay's book "Sembrare Mientras viva" |
| Available Now
In
this book pastor Gary enriches the life of the reader as he shares his
experiences in the mission's field and the field of practical theology.
He allows us to enter a private, intimate space where him and God have
decided to get together.
If you wish to obtain it, please write to: Amparito & Gary Garay Ministry, Inc. 612
Wavecrest Dr. Orlando, FL 32807 or call (407) 482-3521, (407) 277-7599,
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East Central District Clergy Team Meeting Sept. 24 - 9am to 1pm
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Save the Date!
The
focus of our time together will be on Community Outreach Mission.
We will meet at the "Destiny Foundation of Central Florida"
located at 150 W. Michigan St. Orlando, FL 32806.
Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. If you have a conflict, send your regrets to Wayne at ds-ec@flumc.org
and plan to attend a make-up meeting to be scheduled at a later
date. To register your participation and lunch reservation [click here] (New Clergy orientation will follow from 1:00 - 3:00).
The
Destiny Foundation of Central Florida provides the resources and tools
that help local families in need fight hunger, overcome personal
crisis, and prevent homelessness. They do this by offering food and
clothing assistance, social work that is personalized and caring, and
medical treatment at a campus that provides hope.
Their belief
is that circumstances do not define people, and through compassionate
actions we can preserve dignity and empower people to break the cycle
of poverty.
To learn more about the Destiny Foundation, visit their website at www.battlepoverty.org
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Passionate Leadership Conference - Save the Date!
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January 24-25, 2010 at First UMC of Winter Park
Bishop Will Willimon, Rev. Jorge Acevedo, Rev.
Debbie McLeod, and a videotaped interview that Kirbyjon Caldwell has agreed to
do are the beginning line-up of a Passionate Leadership Conference designed to
both inspire and challenge Florida Conference Clergy at First UMC, Winter Park
this fall.
All East Central District Clergy are encouraged to
mark their calendars now and plan to attend. The Passionate Leadership Conference will begin
late Sunday afternoon and concludes by noon or early afternoon on Monday. Complete details coming soon!
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| District
Calendar
of Events |
Jun 10: Celebrate Jesus Golf Tournament, Daytona Beach
Jun 10: Pre-Annual Conference Events, Bethune Cookman Univ., Daytona
Jun 10: Candidate Mentor Training, 10a-2p, Stewart Memorial UMC, Daytona
Jun 11-13: Florida Annual Conference, Bethune Cookman Univ., Daytona
Jun 11: Clergywomen's Lunch, 11:30a-1p, Bethune Cookman Univ.
Jun 11: Annual Conference Lay Speaking Dinner, 5-6:30p, First UMC Ormond
Jun 11: AC Communion Service, 7p Bethune Cookman Univ. Perf. Arts Ctr.
Jun 12: EC District Breakfast, 7:00a, First UMC, Ormond Beach
Jun 12: Ministers' Spouse Tea & Tunes at Annual Conference, 3p-4:30p
Jun 12: AC Ordination Service, 7p, Bethune Cookman Univ., Perf. Arts Ctr.
Jun 15:
JFON (Justice For Our Neighbors) Immigration Clinic. Pine Hills
UMC. By advanced appointment only, call 407-896-2230 Ext.
151 English, Ext. 152 Spanish, Ext. 153 Creole.
Jun 30: Moving Day for Clergy changing appointments
Aug 24: East Central District Staff Retreat - Office closed
Aug 24-26: New Minister Orientation for Clergy in 1st Appointments, Leesburg Sep 11: Congregational Transformation Event: Deepening Your Effectiveness, First UMC, Port Orange, 9a-3p Sep 12: Safe Sanctuaries: Train the Trainers, Contact kshockley@flumc.org Sep 17: EC dCOM, Asbury UMC, Maitland, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Sep 24: EC District Clergy Meeting, Destiny House, Orlando, 9a-1p with New Pastor Orientation after Lunch, 1-3p Oct 13: Candidate Mentor Training, 10a-2p, Stewart Memorial UMC, Daytona Oct 16-17: EC Lay Speaking Weekend, Pine Hills UMC, Courses TBA Oct 22: EC dCOM, Asbury UMC, Maitland, 9:30a-3:30p
Nov 15: Lay Leadership Conference with Greg Jones, First UMC, Winter Park
Nov 19: EC dCOM, Asbury UMC, Maitland, 9:30a-3:30p
Dec 17: EC dCOM, Asbury UMC, Maitland, 9:30a-3:30p
2010 Save the Date!
Jan 24-25: Passionate Leadership Conference for Florida Conference Clergy, First UMC, Winter Park |
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