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Birthday |
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October
2 - B J Foster
5 - Bishop
Whitaker
6 - Toni Schmidt
14 - Rich
Hager
Pat Partney
16 -
Katie Pestel
17 - Mary
Beth Smith
21 - Craig
Moore
22 - Chris
McNeill
26 - Martha Campbell
26
- David Gill
28 - Gabe Wright
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Anniversary |
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October
14 - David
& Robyn Miller
20 - Sharon & James
Patch
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The Gulf Central
District
October 2008
Newsletter |
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We Are
The World
"For by one
spirit we were all baptized into one body.... And
all were made to drink of one
spirit." I Corinthians
12:1
Dear
,
When visiting a poor barrio in
San Salvador, El Salvador in 1984, I came upon a
group of children in the street listening to a
radio. The song that was playing was the
then popular "We Are The World". The
children were singing along in perfect
English. After the song ended I tried to
converse with them in English. Not one of
them understood a word. Yet when I asked
them in Spanish if they knew what the song meant
they replied, again in perfect English, "We are
the world" and pointed to themselves and then to
me and smiled.
You
better believe they understood. The question
is, do we? These barrio children know how
interconnected our lives are.... Latin Americans,
North Americans, Africans, Asians, Europeans, and
so forth. I forget now who said "America
sneezes and all of Latin America gets a
cold." The current economic problems in the
United States, as we are seeing, are having a
world wide effect. Economically,
politically, culturally, and spiritually the world
of today is anything but a group of isolated
islands. Our lives are entwined. We do
not and cannot live in isolation from one
another. We are brothers and sisters.
We are the world.
October 5th is
World Communion Sunday. Christians of many
cultures and continents will gather at the Lord's
Table on that day, celebrating our oneness as a
family of faith. May we pray this week for
our family members, both immediate and those of
other cultures and nations. And may you
never forget, as I won't, after my encounter with
those Salvadoran Kids, that we are the
world.
 Shalom,
John
Powers District
Superintendent | |
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 Notes from Maggie . .
.
October is Clergy Appreciation
Month!!! Check your Church Locator
Information
Please go to the
Conference website ( www.flumc2.org)
and click on the church locator on the left side of the
page and follow the directions to look at the information
about your Church. If information is missing or
needs correcting, please contact me and I'll be glad to help
you. In the last 30 days 6,568 people have gone here for
information about our churches. Please help them to find
you at the right time and place by reviewing this information
and ensuring its accuracy.
Disaster Plan Template
Available
The template for your church to use for their "Disaster
Plan" was sent to each church please complete it and send your
completed copy to Disaster Recovery at the Conference
office. This is an excellent tool for every church to
use.
District/Conference Leaders
Needed
Please identify persons in your congregation who would be
good District or Conference leaders and submit their
information on the appropriate Charge/church Conference
form. |
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 Radical Hospitality Event
Lowers Registration Costs
Because so many
people have asked for registration that reflects the realities
of smaller churches, the Florida Conference has revised the
registration costs for the five upcoming Radical Hospitality
workshops. The new fees are $75 for up to three people, plus
$15 each for food and snacks. A single registration will be
$50, including food and snacks.
This
one-day event, held in five locations across the Florida
Annual Conference, is designed to help teams from
congregations think through what it would mean for their
congregation to be radically hospitable to the people of their
community and to the next generation. In addition to the three
plenary sessions, each participant will be able to choose from
two practical breakout groups. For more information, dates and
locations of the Radical Hospitality events, [click here]. |
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2008 Clergy Assessment Process Now
Underway The Rev. David Dodge, executive
director of the Center for Clergy Excellence, reminds Florida
Conference clergy that the 2008 assessment process is now
underway. It is the intent of this process that it should be
used with any clergy appointed to the church - pastors,
associate pastors and deacons. In addition, this material can
be used effectively with the entire church staff. Deadline to
complete the process is Oct. 31. For more information and
directions for this process, [click here].
Special Event for Potential Young Clergy
The
Center for Clergy Excellence will be holding a special event
next February 20-22 for young adults, ages 18 to 25, who
exhibit gifts for ministry. "SCREAM: Get Ready for the Ride,"
will help young adults discern whether they are being called
to full-time Christian ministry. The event will be held at the
Holiday Inn in Orlando near the entrance to Universal Studios.
The cost to participate is a $25 registration fee. The Rev.
David Dodge, executive director of the Center, asks clergy in
the Florida Conference to forward names of young adults who
would then be invited to attend this event. Clergy may send
the names and addresses of young adults in an email to Winnie
Dean at wdean@flumc.org. Space is limited to the
first 75 registrants. |
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The Clergy
Committee on Domestic Violence
presents:
The
Dating Game
Everything you ever wanted to teach about dating but
were afraid to try!
October 28, 2008, 7-9 pm
- Have you ever asked
yourself how youth picture healthy dating relationships and
how you can help guide them toward what is
healthy?
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Do you recognize
the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship and know what
to do if you see those signs in the youth you work
with?
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What activities or
materials are best to use with youth groups when talking
about dating
relationships?
These are just some of
the questions this workshop will begin to answer. There will
also be an opportunity for you to ask questions and to discuss
the issues with others working with youth in local
congregations.
Who:Youth pastors, youth
leaders and any others interested in helping youth recognize
healthy and unhealthy relationships as they begin or
participate in "the dating game".
Where:Hospice of the
Florida Suncoast,
5771
Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater in The Gathering
Place Conference Room.
RSVP by Oct. 24 to Victoria Thompson
at (727) 824-6900 x11257, or victoria_thompson@doh.state.fl.us |
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 Annual Open Enrollment for the
Florida Conference benefit plans is right around the
corner
Some of the news is
good; some of the news is less than good.
First, the good news. Those participants in the
retiree category will see their premiums reduced by either 13
or 29 percent, depending which of two new plans they choose.
The Conference Board of Pension & Health Benefits made the
decision to change providers for retirees
only in 2009. United Healthcare Options PPO and
Secure Horizions/Medicare Complete HMO will crease providing
benefits to retirees on December 31, 2008. The new
medical insurance plans offered in 2009 will be underwritten
by Sterling Life Insurance Company, an "A" rated insurance
carrier. National Employee Benefit Companies, Inc.
(NEBCO), an AmWINS Group Benefits operating company, will
provide administration for the new plans. A
communications campaign is underway for retirees to help them
understand the changes and make decisions for
2009.
Now, the less-than-good news: active clergy
will see their contribution rates climb in 2009, with clergy
paying 28 percent more per month than in 2008. Clergy will pay
20 percent of the overall premium; churches or other entities
will pay the remaining 80 percent. The so-called "blended
rate" for clergy serving local churches will be $839 per month
in 2009. The single rate for clergy will be $96 and the
family rate will be $236 per month. All 2009
health insurance premium rates are listed on the Conference
website at www.flumc.org/hr. Click the link for
"health, dental, pharmacy, FSA and life insurance
benefits" - then choose 2009 benefit
rates.
The reason for the significant increase in
participant contributions for 2009 is related to the action
taken by the Conference Board of Pension & Health Benefits
(CBOPHB) last year. In order to keep the 2008 premium
increase to about seven percent, the CBOPHB authorized the use
of reserve funds to subsidize the rates. In 2009, that
subsidy will not exist. Because the conference has had a very
good year in terms of medical insurance claims, the CBOPHB
felt that 2009 would be a good time to "catch up" for the rate
subsidies of 2008.
Everyone who participates in
Conference benefits is invited to view the live Open
Enrollment webcast on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 10 a.m.
sharp. Understanding your benefit plan is
critical to your receiving the maximum benefits. To view the
webcast, visit www.flumc.org on that day and click on the
appropriate button. Please make sure you encourage lay
employees at your church view the webcast who are also
participating in the plan.
The 2009
benefit plan for active participants continues to provide a
comprehensive, quality medical insurance plan for participants
and their families. There will be no change in carriers
for active participants (United Healthcare, CompBenefits,
Discovery Benefits, Minnesota Life) and the plan of benefits
will maintain the current co-pays for doctor's visits,
deductibles and out of pocket maximums, which limit
participants overall financial exposure. If you are
currently enrolled in United Healthcare and make no changes
for 2009 - you will not receive new ID
cards.
Highlights:
- The Open
Enrollment period begins on November 3rd and ends on
November 14, 2008.
- Open Enrollment
information will be sent to current participants home
addresses the week of October 13th.
- Live Open
Enrollment webcast Thursday, Nov. 6, at 10 a.m.
sharp.
- Participants must
re-enroll in the Health-care Spending Account and Dependent
Childcare Account every year - these benefit elections
do not roll-over from year to year.
- All Clergy and lay
employees at local churches must print their confirmation
statement upon completion of the open enrollment session and
provide a copy to their financial administrator/payroll
clerk to set up 2009 benefit payroll deductions.
- New benefit
elections will be effective January 1, 2009.
Wendy L.
McCoy
Director, Human Resources & Benefits
Florida
Annual Conference of the United Methodist
Church |
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Why People GiveBy J. Clif
Christopher
When I first started working with nonprofits
other than churches, I noticed one glaring difference.
Nonprofits understood why people give. Not only did they
understand why people give, but they structured all of their
methods and appeals around such knowledge. Before I started
working with them, I had only my church experience behind me,
and I realized that neither I nor the churches had any idea
how donors think or why they act the way they do.
In
one of my clergy seminars, I put up on a screen a laundry list
of reasons people give. I then asked the pastors to choose
which ones they felt were the number one, two, and three chief
reasons people give. They started blurting out, "taxes, guilt,
involvement . . ." No one was even close. Finally, a lady who
had been sitting quietly in the back raised her hand and said,
"Number one is a belief in the mission. Number two is a regard
for staff leadership, and number three is fiscal
responsibility." She was right. I was stunned. I asked her
where she was a pastor and she sheepishly said, "I am not a
pastor, but my pastor told me about this seminar and thought I
might learn something. I am the executive director of Habitat
for Humanity."
[Read
More] |
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November 12-14 at Anona United Methodist Church in
Largo, FL
If you came to The Gathering in January 2006 you know
what a great experience this will be. We gather together many
of our ChurchSmart Resources authors and provide eight tracks
of training from some of the best practitioners we know of who
are doing ministry in churches and towns just like
yours.
Learn from these
national authors and leaders in Church Health, Demographics,
Multi-site (Jack Stephenson, Christian Schwarz), New Church
(Bob Logan), Turnaround Church (Gene Wood), Leadership
Development (Grip/Birkman, Paul Ford), Advancing Leaders
(Terry Walling), Pathways to Peace (Jim VanYperen), Small
Church, and Practical Ministry Issues. Signup is through
ChurchSmart.org and $150 covers all books for each chosen course, lunches, and
assessments.
[More
information] |
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Grip-Birkman Blueprint Coaches Training
November 17-20 at Anona UMC, Largo
Paul Ford training in leadership development
using the Grip/Birkman Blueprint tool. This is a very high
level training for developing leaders based on their strengths
and weaknesses, gifts and personality type. This seminar
requires preparation and commitment. Sign up is at www.churchsmart.com is $600, and
certifies the person as a
coach.
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 Real Ideas Conference
2009
February 6-7, 2009
at Van Dyke Church in Lutz, Florida
You and your team will be encouraged,
challenged and equipped to move to the next level of
effectiveness in all areas of ministry. You will discover real
ideas that actually work that you can use immediately for
high-impact in your church and community. Past attendees have
been transformed by their experience, whether they've learned
something that changed the trajectory of their ministry, made
new friends, or heard from God in a way they never had before.
[More
information] | |
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Events
Calendar
Gulf
Central
District |
Oct. 7: Candidacy Mentor Training at
Peace UMC, Orlando 10a-2p
Oct. 10: Health Insurance
Adoption Agreement
Oct. 14: Convocation of the Clergy
at First UMC of Lakeland 11:00a-3p-Get this on your
calendar.
Oct. 15-16: Cabinet Meeting
Oct.
17-18: UMVIM Team Leader Training @ Lakewood UMC in
Jacksonville, FL
Oct. 24: Radical Hospitality at
Harvest UMC Bradenton
Oct. 24-25: Early Response
Disaster Team Training @ Warren Willis Camp
Oct. 25:
District Annual Meeting for United Methodist Women at
First UMC of Hudson 9:30a-3:30p. Registration with Jean
Nigro at jdorin@tampabay.rr.comOct. 31: Deadline for Clergy Assessment
Process
Nov. 3-14: Open Enrollment for
Benefits
Nov. 6: Live webcast Open Enrollment
of Benefits, 10a
Nov. 10-11: Cabinet Meeting
Nov.
12-14: "The Gathering" at Anona UMC, Largo
Nov. 17-19: Leadership Development Training
with Paul Ford at Anona UMC, Largo Nov. 26:
Final due date for all Charge/Church Conference
materials to be in the District office.
Dec.
2-4: Cabinet Meeting.
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