|
|
|
|
| Clergy Meeting | |
September 9
10 AM - 2 PM
St. Paul UMC, Largo
All appointed Clergy expected to be in attendance. |
| July Birthdays | |
1 - Cheryl Knight
3 - Debbie Machtel
4 - Jackie Walker
6 - Patti Martin
10 - Megan Dorsey
15 - James Mitchell
15 - Scott Frost
16 - Anne Butcher
17 - Gary Eldred
17 - Don Ringland
20 - Grant Corrigan
20 - Terri Ebert
27 - Mason Dorsey
27 - Heather Kirk
August Birthdays
2 - John Hay
2 - Amber Bennett
5 - Susan Gill
6 - Kathy Moore
8 - Phyllis Haas
11 - Sallie Vandervort
12 - Jerry Partney
13 -Chuck Engelhardt
18 - Bert Blomquist
20 - RayaSue Hallman
21 - Jim Rosenburg
24 - Judy Angel
26 - Jane McCloskey
27 - Gaye Bosley-Mitchell |
| Anniversaries | |
July 10:
Rich & Robin Hager
July 15:
Joe & Jackie Walker
July 17:
Dave & Sarah Baldridge
July 25:
Sallie & John Vandervort
August 6:
Craig & Kathy Moore
August 10:
Timothy & Phyllis Haas
August 11:
John & Martha Peavey
August 12:
Eric & Barbara McCrea
August 25:
Dan & Martha Campbell
August 26:
Alex & Cheryl Knight
August 29:
Mark & Iris Whittaker |
|
|
| Newsletter July/August 2010 |
Greetings!
G.K. Chesterton once wrote, "There is one good thing, at any rate, that must strike all Englishmen who have the good fortune to have American friends; that is, that while there is no materialism so crude or so material as American materialism, there is also no idealism so crude or so ideal as American idealism." I think Chesterton is right on target. We are a nation of idealists. Yet, even in the beginning, as the ink was still drying on the Declaration of Independence, our materialism got the better of us. After all, slaves were owned by several of those "idealistic" signers of that great document. Materialism won out over idealism when it came to their own personal interests. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were ideals they demanded for themselves. But they were not willing to grant these to their black brothers and sisters. Do we perhaps have similar conflicts today between our ideals and materialism? For example, are we really as committed to the environment as we say? Are we willing to make sacrifices as individuals and as a nation in order to care for God's creation? The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico just may be a wake up call to us regarding creation care. God calls us to be good stewards of earth. God indicates in Genesis 1:26 that we humans are to have dominion over the earth and the earth's inhabitants. The verb "dominion" in Hebrew is understood in terms of care-giving and nurturing, not exploitation. May our comfort and material well-being be less important to us than the great ideals we celebrated on Independence Day, and less important to us than the call of God for us to care for creation. May we seek life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness not only for ourselves, but also for others, including future generations. May we seek to buy earth friendly products, recycle, not over-consume, share with others, and elect leaders who are committed to the ideals of earth care and the well-being of all God's people.  God help us to be more a nation of committed idealists than one of greedy materialists. Shalom,
John |
|
Congratulations to those who were Licensed, Commissioned and Ordained At Annual Conference on June 11
Ordained Elder in Full Connection
Michael Pestel - Skycrest
Susan Schrier Clouse - Manatee
Joe Walker - St. Paul
Gabriela Wright - Asbury
Commissioned as Provisional Elder
Sarah Campbell - Harvest
Licensed as Local Pastor
Daniel Bennett - Clearview
We would also like to welcome our New Pastors:
David Baldridge - Palm Harbor
Josh Bell - Heritage
Daniel Bennett - Clearview
Glenn Bosley-Mitchell - St. James
Sarah Campbell - Harvest
Tamara Isidore - Friendship
Samuel (Skip) Parvin - Allendale
Reassigned within the GC Ddistrict
Susan Schrier Clouse - Manatee
Gerald Partney - Gulfport |
|
New Florida United Methodist Center
ADDRESS:
450 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave.
Lakeland, FL 33815-1522
(800)-282-8011
Please update your records! |
|
Lakewood UMC becomes a Reconciling Congregation
Lakewood United Methodist Church of St. Petersburg, a racially/ethnically diverse congregation pastored by Tracy Hunter, voted 30-2 at a May 27 Church Conference to become a Reconciling Congregation. They adopted a welcoming statement that includes people of all sexual orientations. The Reconciling Ministry Network which they are affiliating with, states in their mission statement, "Reconciling Ministries Network mobilizes United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ's inclusive love."
Lakewood Church was led through a year and a half study to become a Reconciling Congregation by a Committee of church members and affiliated clergy that included retired United Methodist pastor, Ted Lockhart, who once pastored the first African American Reconciling Congregation in the denomination. There are currently two Reconciling Congregations in the Florida Conference (St. John UMC of Miami Beach is the other) and about 250 in the United States.
|
|
|
|
|
 UM Cooperative MinistriesFundraiser at the ballpark with post game fireworks!
Saturday July 10, 2010 at Bright House Field,
Hwy 19 & Drew St., Clearwater
Clearwater Threshers vs.Daytona Cubs [See Flyer] Game time 6:30 p.m. / Gates open at 5:00 p.m. Tickets $16 per person (Kids 4 and Under are Free!) $5 from each ticket will be donated to UMCM. Enjoy an evening of fun in the Hot Corner Café! All you can eat from 5:00-8:00 p.m. - hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, peanuts, popcorn, chips, ice cream sandwiches, soft drinks and bottled water. For tickets and information, |
|
Gulf Central District Celebrate Jesus Mission
 Week of July 17-24, 2010
During the week of July 17-24, hundreds of local church members will be joined by over 100 visiting missionaries to share the love of Jesus with our communities in a variety of ways. Please join us in celebrating what God is doing as we share in uplifting praise and worship, listen to powerful testimonies, and continue praying for our neighbors and for one another.
Join us for the Mid-Week Celebration! It's a wonderful time when all the host churches come together for praise and worship, prayer and a time of sharing testimonies. Each church will have the opportunity to select one person (either church member or visiting team member) to share a brief testimony about how God is working in your community! Your entire church family is invited and encouraged to come. Wednesday, July 21 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Pasadena Community Church, 227 - 70th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33707
Applications are still coming in from team members. Please pray for those that God is calling to come on mission this summer. Our staff will spend several days praying over all team member applications and seeking God's wisdom as we assign them to teams. We covet your prayers for this process! Once all team assignments are finalized, there are numerous letters and packets that need to be prepared and mailed, which takes several days. We ask for your understanding and flexibility!
Come to the July Prayer Gathering on Friday, July 16, 7 pm at Mt. Zion UMC, Clearwater
|
 Robin Mark & Band in Concert Thursday, July 22 at 7:00 pm at Christ Umc, Bradenton
Sunday, July 25 at 6:30 pm at St. Paul UMC, Largo
Join us for two wonderful evenings of Praise & Worship with a world
renowned Christian artist and his band from Belfast, Ireland!
Robin Mark is an acclaimed worship leader and songwriter based in Belfast, Ireland. Known for his unique blend of Celtic-style instrumentation and modern Christian worship music, Robin is a previous winner of the Gospel Music Association's "International Award". He is a prolific songwriter who has penned standards such as "Days of Elijah", "Lion of Judah", "The Wonder of Your Cross" and "Jesus, All for Jesus". His CDs include Revival in Belfast, Come Heal This Land, East of the River and Year of Grace, his latest project and first-ever album recorded in the U.S.
Tickets are available for a $12.00 donation in the church office. Get your tickets now!
St. Paul UMC, Largo Christ UMC, Bradenton
Sunday July 25th Thursday July 22nd
1199 Highland Avenue 5512 26th Street W
Largo, FL 33770 Bradenton 34207
(727)584-8165 (941) 755-2722
|
|
Freedom Workshop on July 23-24, 2010
Hudson First United Methodist Church
13123 Hwy 19, Hudson, Florida
The Freedom Workshop is an intensive study of the Book of Ephesians as understood through the Bible's "Armor of God" analogy. Those who attend the workshop are shown how to put on this spiritual armor, which the Bible says equips Christians to "take your stand against the devil's schemes."
The workshop is conducted by Dr. Larry Richards, who has been called "the most prolific and influential Christian education writer of the last half of the 20th century." Richards, a retired seminary professor, is the author of some 250 books, many of which have been translated into 24 languages, and is a member of the International Society of Deliverance Ministers.
Asked about the Freedom Workshop, Richards says, "Christ came to set people free. Free from discouragement, free from anxiety and free from bitterness as well as free from addictive sins. That's what the Freedom Workshop is all about. Come, and find freedom from the damage done by the wounds and hurts we all experience." During the workshop Richards explains these schemes, and how believers can experience freedom from Satan's snares. Many who attend experience this freedom for the first time.
The Freedom Workshop is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. The Workshop begins at 7 PM Friday July 23rd and continues from 9 AM to 3:30 PM on Saturday July 24th. To pre-register for the Workshop, call (727) 868-6178.
|
|
Come to "Grandparents & Me" Camps this summer
Session 2: August 2-5, 2010
 The Life Enrichment Center is sponsoring two "Grandparents and Me" camps during the summer of 2010. These popular camps are fun times and a great opportunity to spend quality time with your grandchildren. The program is designed for children ages 5-11 and their grandparent(s). You will stay in our motel type rooms, and have three days of fun and learning about our faith. To learn more, and to register, go to www.LECretreats.org and click on the "Summer Camps" icon, or call 352-787-0313. |
|
Leadership Summit
August 5-6 at Van Dyke UMC, Tampa
|
|
Community Arise Basic Disaster Ministry Training
Saturday, August 7th, 2010 from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
 Heritage United Methodist Church
2680 Landmark Dr., Clearwater, FL 33761
This training provides an introduction to the unique and important role the faith community plays in disaster mitigation, preparation and response. You and your church will hear practical ideas on how to effectively respond to disaster in your community in cooperation with other churches, emergency management officials and the Disaster Recovery Ministry of the conference. You will understand the importance of communication and collaboration in meeting the needs of disaster survivors and the importance of being the church in the midst of crisis.
There is no cost for this training; however, registration is required for planning purposes. Lunch is provided. Sponsored by the Disaster Recovery Ministry of the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church.
For more information call Disaster Recovery (800) 282-8011 Ext. 149. To register, visit www.flumc.org/DisasterRecovery and follow the links to training. |
|
Hurricane Preparedness - Are you prepared?
Will you be ready if the next Charley comes calling?
If your community is hit by a hurricane and your church is destroyed... Who will you call? Where will you meet to worship on Sunday? How will you check on members of your congregation and who will do it? Are the church records secure - membership? Baptisms and confirmations? Financial?
What's your plan? [Click Here] for helpful information to prepare! |
 Two important items of information from Ministry Protection!
New Insurance Database: Please note that effective 7/1/10 the Florida Conference will be replacing the existing CONNECT property and casualty database with a new insurance database, RISK CONSOLE. This new data platform will contain similar church related information as CONNECT, but will eventually allow for increased functionality and capabilities for local churches. Please note that we anticipate that the database may experience some downtime in early July as RISK CONSOLE becomes fully operational. We appreciate your assistance and patience during the transition period. Further information will be distributed and instructional webinars will be scheduled shortly.
2010 Hurricane Season: As we all know, we are well into hurricane season. While we pray that Florida will again be spared of any significant storms, we should all continue to prepare for the worst. Ministry Protection has been taking ongoing steps to help ensure that hurricane damage sustained by Conference churches will be addressed promptly. Among those steps taken include retaining the services of an insurance adjusting company that specializes in large loss, catastrophic claims to assist Conference churches in the claims process. While the Conference has been making preparations for the storm season, we encourage local churches to do the same. A variety of important information can be found on the Ministry Protection website related to pre-storm preparation, deductible information, insurance summaries and other valuable resources. We encourage local church leaders, including trustees, to review this information
Please do not hesitate to contact the office or visit the Ministry Protection website [Click Here] for more information and resources. |
Child and Youth Protection: August 28
Second training event on the revised Child and Youth Protection policy
Faith UMC in Bradenton from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Course Facilitators: Sharon Powers, Grant & Maggie Corrigan
We encourage all pastors, Staff Parish Relations Committee Members, Youth and Children directors and worker, and any other interested parties to attend. The training event will be at Faith UMC in Bradenton we will begin at 9 a.m. and finish at 12 noon. It is critically important for leaders in the church to be trained in this policy and take the information back to the rest of their congregation. Please pre-register by going to the Conference Webpage [Click Here]. |
|
Asbury Seminary's Florida Dunnam campus hosts
Doctor of Ministry Open House
Evening of August 19, 2010 on the campus in Orlando
Asbury Theological Seminary is hosting an Open House for persons interested in pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Transformational Innovation. Event is the evening of August 19, 2010 on the campus in Orlando.
The Open House offers opportunities for guests to meet with faculty, program directors, and admissions staff. The event is free, and a meal will be served.
Asbury Theological Seminary is a community called to prepare theologically educated, sanctified, Spirit-filled men and women to evangelize and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world through the love of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of God the Father.
|
|
SAVE THE DATE!
Local Church Administrative Staff Training
Pick from 3 possible dates and locations - all will be 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Who should attend: All Local Church Administrative Staff Church Secretaries, Administrative Assistants, Business Managers, and Financial Managers. Our time together will combine fellowship and relationship building with other Administrative Staff throughout the GC District and training in specific tasks of Administrative Ministry.
Please mark your calendar and plan to join us. More details and registration information coming soon, watch for registration on the District Calendar.
|
|
Lake Junaluska Multicultural Conference
December 2-4, 2010 ~ Lake Junaluska, NC
"Embracing the Multi-Ethnic Body of Christ:
Breaking Down Barriers and Building Bridges"
This event is designed to address the challenges The United Methodist Church faces as we seek to be a racially inclusive church that values all people as the children of God as expressed in Scripture and by our theological understanding as Christians. Leave with a new passion, commitment and power to create a church and world where we will embrace all of God's children and create the "Beloved Community."
Our Leaders: This amazing event includes The Rev. Eric Law, Bishop Gregory Palmer, Bishop Will Willimon, Ms. Kristina Gonzales, Dr. Anne Marshall, Dr. Tim Tyson, Rev. Dr. Mary John Dye, and Bishop William Morris.
Register Now:
Early Program Registration Fee Deadline : $129 by October 16, 2010
Registration after October 16, 2010: $149
(Please note, Program Registration Fee does NOT include housing and meals. They must be paid for separately. For Lodging Reservations and rates call: 1-800-222-4930)
|
|
|
| District
Calendar |
Jul 17-24: Celebrate Jesus Mission Event
Jul 22: Robin Mark, Christ UMC, Bradenton, 7p
Jul 25: Robin Mark, St. Paul UMC, Largo, 6:30p
Aug 5-23: John on Vacation Aug 5-6: Willow Creek Leadership Summit Aug 16-31: Annual Ministry Protection Property, Casualty Renewal Survey Aug 16-31: Annual Workers Compensation Salary Survey. Aug 23: Annual Charge Conference forms available online Aug 28: Child and Youth Protection Policy Training - Faith Bradenton 9-noon Aug 30-31: Florida Conference New Minister's Orientation, Leesburg
Sep 6: District & Conference offices closed for Labor Day Sep 9: Clergy Meeting 10-2 St Paul UMC Largo
Sep 15-16: Cabinet meeting
Oct 16: Health Insurance Adoption Agreement
Oct 31: Clergy Assessment Process "Understanding our Ministry Together."
Oct 31: Continuing Education
Nov 11: Conference and District offices closed for Veterans Day Nov 25-26: Conference and District offices closed for Thanksgiving
Dec 24-31: Conference and District offices closed for Christmas | Mark your Calendar
Leadership Training Events
February 7 - First UMC, Spring Hill
February 8 - Heritage UMC, Clearwater
February 10 - First UMC, Bradenton
More information and registration information will come out soon. |
|
|
