SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICT NEWS 9-17-2012

CHARGE CONFERENCE REMINDERS

Each church included in a Cluster Charge Conference should have received the information & questions regarding your Cluster Charge Conference. 

  • Updated Cluster Charge Conference schedule is attached above.
  • Reports are to be completed and online 2 weeks prior to your Charge Conference date.
  • Hard copies should be submitted at the Cluster Charge Conference.
  • You received an email from Pete Banish dated July 16, 2012 which gives a link to your individual pastor's report and a link to last year's Charge Conference forms. 
  • A copy of the email from Pete Banish is attached.
  • Individual Pastor Reports were emailed to each pastor.
  • If you are having difficulty with accessing or completing Charge Conference forms, please call Sandy at the SC District Office (205) 226-7983.

 

MAGIC CITY MIRACLE

September 30, 2012

Some United Methodists in the Birmingham area are expecting a miracle on September 30, 2012. In fact, they are working together to help it happen. . .

To learn more click this link: http://northalabamaumc.org/news/detail/1192

 

WORLD COMMUNION 

Sunday, October 7, 2012

The image of the world’s people gathered at one table, communing with God and enjoying the bounty of God’s blessings, resonates delightfully with all of us. At the same time, we know that not all of God’s children have the same access to share that bounty. The church wide offering given on World Communion Sunday is one step toward improving that access. World Communion Scholarships (formerly known as Crusade Scholarships) ease access to higher education for people of various ethnicities here in the United States and around the world. Your gifts also provide Ethnic Scholarships and support Ethnic In-Service Training. When your church observes World Communion Sunday, you widen the table and make room for more to share the abundant bounty of God’s blessings!

Call 888-346-3862 today to order offering envelopes, posters and other resources to help your congregation celebrate World Communion Sunday. There is no cost to your church! Find inspiring stories, ideas for celebrating the day and other resources at umcgiving.org/specialsundays.

 

INSTALLATION SERVICE

Bishop Debbie Wallace-Padgett

October 7, 2012 at 5:00 P.M.. – Reception following installation
Canterbury UMC

Clergy should arrive at 4:00 P.M. and will process wearing black robes and white stoles.
RSVP to Ron Schultz at rschultz@northalabamaumc.org as soon as possible if you plan to attend.

Laity are invited and encouraged to attend the installation of Bishop Wallace Padgett.

 

Looking for Church Historians

North Alabama Conference Historical Society Fall Meeting

Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 9:30 A.M.

Sylacauga First UMC. 

The fall meeting will feature the history and musical compositions of Dr. John Dressler by his son-Theo Dressler. There will also be a history of Sylacauga First presented.  John Dressler immigrated from Austria in 1954 and went to Sylacauga First to direct their music program. During the meeting local church historians will be recognized and will be guests for the luncheon.  

Luncheon reservations may be made by sending a check for $10 per reservation to Karen Brewer, Sylacauga First United Methodist Church, 105 E. Spring Street, Sylacauga, AL 35150. Deadline for reservations is Monday, October 8.

For additional information contact Pete West (256) 404-5547 or pwest1031@charter.net. To get directions to the church call (256)249-0362.

 

SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICT CLERGY REMINDERS

Christmas Brunch

Saturday, December 1, 2012
10 A.M. to Noon
Mountain Chapel UMC, Birmingham

RESERVATIONS DUE no later than Nov. 20, 2012 sokelley@northalabamaumc.org or 205.226.7983.

  

LOCAL PASTOR INTERVIEWS 
with South Central District Committee on Ministry

Monday, November 5, 2012

Local pastors please mark your calendar.

More information will be forthcoming. 

 

CLERGY SPOUSE RETREAT

“Similar Yet Different,”
October 19 & 20, 2012
Camp Sumatanga
Register online at www.northalabamaumc.org/spouseretreat2012 . 
For more information:  http://northalabamaumc.org/events/detail/4071
Scholarships available.  Contact Marcia Steedman at 205.902.0784 or mtsteedman@bellsouth.net.

 

GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING


White House Highlights Rev. Sally Allocca, East Lake United Methodist Church

A "Champion of Change" for Strengthening Food Security

 

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, September 6, 2012, the White House welcomed 11 Champions of Change who have committed themselves to Strengthening Food Security in the United States and around the world. These individuals know that hunger is an issue that touches the lives of people all around us.

North Alabama’s Rev. Sally Allocca was among those recognized. To read more click this link: http://northalabamaumc.org/news/detail/1194

 

 God Shows No Partiality

Author, Dave Barnhart, SC District new church start pastor

If people in the early church had driven cars, "God shows no partiality" would have been on their bumper stickers. It was a well-known principle that led the church to include Gentiles, eunuchs, foreigners, women, and children within its community life. This slogan shows up in multiple books of the New Testament, yet it remains unfamiliar to most Christians today. Our failure to remember this slogan that once made the church so dynamic has warped Christian theology. What would happen if we reclaimed it as a slogan with which to address racism, homophobia, and religious exclusivism? This book makes the case for a different understanding of what "Lordship" means when talking about an impartial God. By looking at the conflicts of the past, it points the way to a hopeful future.

 Interested in a free copy of the book, call the SC District office at 205-226-7983.