New Vision UMC to hold grand opening of The Matrix Center on Feb. 3, 2012

The Matrix Center of New Vision United Methodist Church in Florence is more than a student center. It is designed to be a launching point for young people, bringing about a change in their lives and their community. The grand opening of The Matrix Center is set for Feb. 3, 2012. The Matrix Center developed as a way of addressing the best way to disciple young people today. Although, many people in youth ministry use youth talks as a primary teaching strategy, research has been shown that...

Bread and Butter training encourages and empowers youth workers

On August 27, 2011, more than 125 youth workers and youth leaders gathered at Trinity UMC in Homewood for the first Bread and Butter Youth Ministry Training. It was a day that featured Duffy Robbins as the keynote speaker plus a selection of breakout seminars led by youth leaders with a passion for their subjects and years of experience to share. Both the planning team and participants agree, the day successfully met its goal to encourage and empower youth workers who play a critical role in...

August 27 Bread and Butter training designed to encourage and empower local church youth workers

On August 27, 2011, the North Alabama Conference will host the first Bread and Butter Youth Ministry Training for youth workers and student leaders (11th and 12th grade). The day will take place at Trinity UMC in Birmingham and will feature Duffy Robbins as the keynote speaker plus a selection of breakout seminars led by leaders with a passion for their subjects and years of experience to share. The Bread and Butter training event was created to encourage and empower youth workers who play a...

Fultondale UMC Students to spend 21 nights under mosquito nets to end malaria

Students from Fultondale UMC (Central District) are on a mission to heal. Joining together with 11 million United Methodists, they are fighting to wipe out malaria. To raise money for Imagine No Malaria, students are asking people to make a pledge for each night a student sleeps under a mosquito net in front of the church. The effort began July 17 and the students are planning to continue until August 7. Imagine No Malaria is an effort of the people of the United Methodist Church to raise $75...

Birmingham First UMC's Discovery Weekend leads to new members

Discovery Weekend is a life-changing weekend which happens at a local church. The focus for the weekend is the Junior High students of the congregation. The weekend helps teach Junior High students about God’s love for them and that the local church also loves them and wants to help them grow in their Christian faith. During the weekend, the congregation’s own Senior High Students and Adults serve as leaders for the event. This allows the Senior High Students to learn leadership...

Upper Sand Mountain Circuit creates joint Confirmation and Membership classes

from the Mountain Lakes District News January 2011 reposted with permission The Upper Sand Mountain Circuit from the District has worked together to create a joint confirmation and membership class series to offer to our small churches. While most churches in the circuit do not have enough by themselves to offer a confirmation class, together we started a confirmation class on January 16, 2011 that currently has 19 children. Simultaneously, a membership class is offered for those already...

Mountain Lakes District youth leaders meet for training, dreaming and connecting

from the Mountain Lakes District News January 2011 reposted with permission “MONEY IS NO OBJECT! Resources are UNLIMITED! What would the perfect district youth event look like?” This is the question that over 40 youth leaders from across the district dreamed about and discussed during the Pre-Conference Networking Session last Sunday. Everything from a Christian Cruise to concerts with Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns and Skillet was presented. Divided into small groups, they were...

Young Adults of the Scottsboro Circuit UMC plant community vegetable garden

As the young adults of the Scottsboro Circuit (Aspel, New Hope and Hollis Memorial UMCs in the Northeast District) began planning for the summer of 2010, Pastor Donna King directed the group to think about mission/outreach projects that could be done in the community. Ideas for helping several community service agencies were discussed, but one member of the group, Jason Aericko, shared his vision that the group should begin their own project that would be an outreach to the community. The...

insideOut helps churches focus on ministry outside their church doors

InsideOUT is an exciting vision that has grasped the attention of churches in both the Mountain Lakes and Cheaha Districts this summer.  This vision is leading the congregations to step outside their church doors and be in ministry to children in their community. The ministry assigns a college intern to a congregation which has formed an InsideOUT team of laity. They work together to develop a six week stint of summer ministry to children in their local community. The rule is...

North Alabama looks to future of youth ministry with Conference youth ministry assessment

To better live out the North Alabama Conference priority of Empowering a New Generation, the North Alabama Conference Office of Connectional Ministries contracted with Youth Ministry Architects to do an assessment of North Alabama Conference youth ministry as well as provide recommendations and a suggested timeline for the future of conference initiatives in youth ministry in North Alabama. On March 8-9, 2010, Mark DeVries (who was one of the featured speakers at Annual Conference 2009) and...

Encounter2010 weekend helps youth embrace fullness of the Trinity

On February 19-21, 2010, youth from across the North Alabama Conference gathered in Florence, Ala., for an intimate weekend at EncounterE3! National speaker and author Steve Case led the youth in talking about embracing the fullness of the Trinity. Worship leaders Lost and Found gave the youth incredible opportunities to come close to God in fun and inspirational ways. Hardy Kimber, a youth from Birmingham, Alabama commented, “Lost and Found was great; they led songs to help us become...

Huntsville First UMC focuses on reaching new generations through a new worship, Discovery Weekend and fundraiser participation

Huntsville First UMC kicked off its newest contemporary service of worship on August 9. “Exalt”, a name chosen for its strong biblical call and challenge to lift the name of our God in the world, began with an opening attendance of 302. The attendance at the second week’s service was 620, a number greatly helped by the youth “Discovery Weekend.” The service is placed at the 11 a.m. hour and is focused on reaching 20’s to 40’s with a mixture of...

Pell City First UMC youth serve and grow through new vision for youth ministry

written By Chrystal Henderson-Smith Pell City First UMC Youth Director Meet Oscar...he’s the guy in the picture with Pell City UMC youth Sami, Hannah, and Sam. Oscar is just one of the many wonderful people the group met during their June mission trip to Washington, D.C. This group of young people came across Oscar while hanging out at DuPont Circle. While DuPont Circle is famous for a lot of things, I bet you didn’t know that a large population of DC’s homeless call DuPont...

Wilson Chapel UMC youth assist with flag retirement

On Sunday, July 11, members of the youth group at Wilson Chapel United Methodist Church had a spontaneous opportunity for community service when they were asked to assist Gordon Hearn, chaplain for District III of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, in the transport of American Flags collected for retirement. Gordon, who also serves as the organist at Wilson Chapel UMC, says he was impressed at each youth’s knowledge of flag etiquette and the tremendous reverence each youth showed towards the...

Hazel Green UMC Youth Serve in Bahamas Methodist Habitat

Twenty-five high school and college youth from the Hazel Green United Methodist Church in the Northeast District traveled to the Caribbean island of Eleuthera for a week-long mission work trip, June 14-20.   The group was hosted by the Bahamas Methodist Habitat project, a program of the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church. The goal is to provide re-building from the frequent hurricanes that hit the island, and to upgrade sub-standard housing. Eleuthera is a small barrier island...

Denman Evangelism Awards recognize clergy and laity reaching a new generation for Jesus Christ

On May 21,2009,  the North Alabama Conference recognized the Conference winners and nominees of the Denman Evangelism Awards. The 2009 Awards specifically recognized pastors and lay persons who are helping young adults experience the transforming love of God through Jesus Christ. The winners were recognized at a dinner at Canterbury UMC in Birmingham.  The Conference clergy winner was Rev. Melody Traylor who was recognized for her ministry through Discovery Ministries. ...

Section UMC reaches out to new generation through new approach to prom

by Dr. Kenneth P. Graham Members of Section United Methodist Church took a different approach to the local Senior Prom and the festivities that surround the annual event.  On Friday night, March 27 the church hosted an elegant dinner for high school seniors.  Seventy students attended the event held in the fellowship hall of Section United Methodist Church. It all began with several members of the church discussing the expense of prom attendance, the danger of traveling to another...

Rush of Fools to perform concert at the close of Annual Conference 2009

Annual Conference 2009 will focus on the Conference priority of Empowering a New Generation of Christians. In an intentional effort to put that priority into practice Annual Conference 2009 will wrap up on Saturday night with a concert by the band Rush of Fools. Tickets are $10 each. It will be a high energy night for youth throughout North Alabama to join together in the spirit of the United Methodist connection. “We are very excited to have a band with the talent and spiritual...

EXPLORATION 2009 event registration now open to Young Adults considering Ordained Ministry

EXPLORATION 2009, scheduled for Nov. 13-15 in Dallas, Texas, addresses The United Methodist Church’s need for young clergy by offering youth and young adults who feel God’s call a chance to explore that call. “Today more than ever, the denomination needs to sponsor events that invite, train, and support young people as they answer their call to ordained ministry,” said the Rev. Meg Lassiat, director of Student Ministries, Vocation, and Enlistment at the General Board of...

Montevallo First UMC opens arms to grow more youth disciples

The vision of the North Alabama Conference is “Every church challenged and equipped to grow more disciples of Jesus Christ by taking risks and changing lives.”  The First United Methodist Church of Montevallo is making great strides to fill that vision with a youth program that has, in its two-year life, grown from a single contact on the basketball court to some 90 young people from all over that small town. The son of the pastor, Bill Brown, was shooting baskets one...