e-Review archive
July 2010
 

Members challenged to be part of modern-day miracle

By Derek Maul | July 1, 2010 {1192} LAKELAND — A child dies of hunger in Guinea, West Africa. Another goes to bed hungry in Florida. Hunger relief advocates speaking at this year’s annual conference event offered Florida United Methodists a glimpse of how they can create a different reality for the world’s children. full story

Methodists take their message to the capitol

By Tita Parham | July 6, 2010 {1193} TALLAHASSEE — Given Florida’s budget woes and lagging economy, legislators meeting this spring had tough choices to make regarding what areas of the budget would be cut or shored up. Florida Methodists made sure they heard loud and clear what the priorities should be. full story

Conference calls for sustained social justice

By Derek Maul | July 8, 2010 {1195} ST. PETERSBURG  — A recent conference offered conversation around the question of how faith communities can be committed to social justice for the long haul, despite the enormity of the task. full story

Conference joins denomination’s fight to end malaria

By Derek Maul | July 12, 2010 {1196} LAKELAND — A mosquito bite in Florida is merely an irritation. Around the world it kills through the malaria it spreads. That’s a reality United Methodists are working to end. full story

Pastor relinquishes duties after arrest

By Tita Parham | July 15, 2010 {1197} The Rev. Kenneth W. Kleckner III relinquished his duties as senior pastor at Ocala West United Methodist Church after his arrest July 9. full story

Opportunity: Camp gives grandparents, kids time to connect (Aug. 2-5)

Grandparents interested in a camping experience with their grandchildren are invited to attend Grandparents and Me Aug. 2-5. The half-week camp gives children ages 5-12 and their grandparents a chance to visit the Florida Conference Life Enrichment Center and enjoy a camping experience together in a Christian environment. Grandparents and their grandchildren stay either in motel-style rooms at the Life Enrichment Center or in their own RV. The camp is designed to allow time for games, playground activities, nature exploration, swimming, Bible study and more. More information is available at http://www.lecretreats.org/page.asp?PKValue=120. full story

Native American author says ‘be yourself’

By J.A. Buchholz | July 15, 2010 {1198} NOTE: A headshot of Richard Twiss is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml.   FRUITLAND PARK — There is one true God, but there are many ways to worship him. That was the message to participants attending a recent Native American ministry retreat. It’s a belief they were also able to put into practice. full story

Opportunity: African-American women connect at leadership event (Aug. 5-7)

All African-American lay and clergy women are invited to the 2010 African-American Women’s Leadership Conference Aug. 5-7 at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center in Lake Junaluska, N.C. Themed “The Strong Black Woman — a Gentle Force for God,” the event offers plenary sessions, workshops, worship and free time. Clergy and laity will discuss such life issues as health, spirituality and family from a distinctively African-American female perspective and learn approaches to help deal with issues in their lives and the impact being grounded in their faith can have upon these issues. More information is available at http://www.lakejunaluska.com/african-american-womens-retreat/. full story

Opportunity: Disaster ministry offers basic training (Aug. 7, 21)

The Florida Conference Disaster Recovery Ministry is offering “Community Arise: Basic Disaster Ministry Training” to all interested laity and clergy Aug. 7 at Heritage United Methodist Church in Clearwater and Aug. 21 at Memorial United Methodist Church in Lake Placid. The daylong training offers an introduction to the unique and important role the faith community plays in disaster mitigation, preparation and response. Basic Disaster Ministry teaches people in the faith community how to identify and address unmet needs of all survivors, particularly people who were vulnerable before a disaster, and how to provide a larger vision of life that includes emotional and spiritual care, as well as physical rebuilding to assist in long-term recovery of those in need. More information is available at http://www.flumc2.org/calendar.asp. full story

Opportunity: General board offers ethnic local church grants (Aug. 10 deadline)

The deadline to apply for a series of ethnic local church grants from the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society is Aug. 10. The grants are to strengthen ethnic minority local churches through education, advocacy or leadership development as they engage in social justice. To qualify for grant consideration, applicants must be either a United Methodist local church, district, annual conference, racial/ethnic caucus or other affiliated ethnic group/organization or an ecumenical group/organization working with and through at least one United Methodist agency or organization whose program has an impact on at least one United Methodist ethnic minority local church. Two funding periods are available for consideration: Aug. 10 is the deadline for the October cycle and Jan. 10 for the March cycle. More information is available at http://tiny.cc/0mss2. full story

Opportunity: All ages invited to take action in the fields (Aug. 13-Oct. 22, various events)

Harvest of Hope is offering people of all ages a chance to be in mission together for the hungry. Harvest of Hope is the ecumenical study, worship and action mission trip program of the Society of St. Andrew, which has been salvaging fresh, nutritious produce from American farms and homes that otherwise would be left to rot and delivering it to agencies across the nation that serve the poor. Through Harvest of Hope experiences, participants work in fields gleaning food for the hungry, study hunger issues and participate in Christian worship. Harvest of Hope educates participants about the hunger problem domestically and globally and encourages them to make lifelong commitments to being part of the solution. Harvest of Hope intergenerational weekends for people ages 10-100 will take place Aug. 13-15, Sept. 24-26, Oct. 15-17 and Oct. 22-24. An overnight event for college students and young adults ages 18-30 is Oct. 1-2. More information is available at http://www.endhunger.org/harvest.htm. full story

Opportunity: Asbury Seminary Florida offers open house for doctoral candidates (Aug. 19)

Asbury Theological Seminary is holding an open house for people interested in pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in transformational innovation Aug. 19 at its Orlando campus.   The evening gathering offers opportunities for guests to meet with faculty, program directors and admissions staff.   More information is available at 800.2.ASBURY or http://www.asburyseminary.edu. full story

Opportunity: Gathering offers networking opportunity for spiritual formation directors (Aug. 21)

Spiritual formation directors have an opportunity to discuss their unique ministry at a daylong gathering Aug. 21 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville. The event is designed to be a prayerful exploration of spiritual direction, both for those experienced in and new to the practice, and will include information on spiritual formation definitions, historic origins, practical experience and discovering the relevance of spiritual direction in today’s world. More information is available at http://www.flumc2.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2961. full story

Opportunity: Training empowers laity for ministry (Aug. 20-22)

Laity who want to be better equipped for ministry and their particular call are invited to attend the 14th Annual Conference Leadership Training Event Aug. 20-22 at the Florida Conference Life Enrichment Center in Fruitland Park. The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dr. John Griswold, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Jupiter. Courses offered include “Teaching the Teacher,” “Learning to Walk on Water,” “Storytelling,” “Prayer and Fasting” and the basic lay speaking course. The training is offered by Florida Conference Lay Servant Ministries. More information is available at http://www.flumc2.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2781. full story

Opportunity: Church leaders, staff invited to be ‘in’ the know (Sept. 14-16)

Church leaders and staff are invited to a nationwide training event Sept. 14-16 in Altanta, Ga., covering the essentials of church management, programming and church health. The emphasis is on ideas and helpful knowledge for churches of all sizes. Coordinated by Leadership Nexus, the “IN Conference” revolves around inviting, involving, inspiring, investing and integrity — five concepts for church health. The conference offers 65 workshops for all areas of ministry, as well as opportunities for fellowship, small group meetings, networking and panel presentations featuring best practices, emerging church, sages and an idea celebration. Speakers include Bishop Larry Goodpaster, chair of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church; the Rev. Dan Kimball, leading author and speaker for the emerging church; Dr. Jan Love, president of Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.; Dr. Bob Pierson, executive director of Leadership Nexus; and others. More information is available at http://www.leadershipnexus.org/conferences/inconf.php. full story

Opportunity: Children’s advocates gather for peace (Sept. 18-21)

Children’s advocates from across the United States will gather Sept. 18-21 at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center in Lake Junaluska, N.C., for the third annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference. Themed “Peace for the World’s Children,” keynote speakers and leaders include Marian Wright Edelman and Jeni Stepanek. More information is available at http://www.lakejunaluska.com/peace/. full story

Opportunity: Leaders consider how to be the church today (Sept. 22-24)

Lay and clergy leaders are invited to gather at Christ United Methodist Church in Mobile, Ala., Sept. 22-24 to consider ways to effectively reach non-Christians in today’s rapidly changing culture. The “Catapult Conference” is in response to the dramatic changes taking place in society and The United Methodist Church, which loses about 1,500 members each week in the United States. The conference is based on the idea that Christians must take church to people where they are, and that mission must be more than a committee or trip. Instead, it must become the organizing principle of the church. The goal is to help each congregation discern its ministry call and develop its own missional action plan. Keynote speakers include Mike Slaughter, Reggie McNeal and others. A variety of breakout sessions focusing on action and implementation will also be offered.   More information is available at http://awfumc.org/events/detail/2287. full story

Opportunity: Retreat offers chance to get to know Wesleys (Sept. 27-30)

Older adults and Wesley enthusiasts are invited to “Living with the Wesleys: Then and Now” Sept. 27-30 at Epworth By The Sea in St. Simons Island, Ga. Wesley experts Drs. Richard Heitzenrater and S.T. Kimbrough Jr. will offer a variety of forms of participation and learning: performance, dialogue, music, conversations and off-site visits, all taking place in a location where the Wesleys lived and preached for a short time. More information is available at http://www.epworthbythesea.org or 912-638-8688. full story

Opportunity: Confirmands learn about vows at fall retreat (Oct. 1-3)

Confirmation classes are invited to attend the fall confirmation retreat Oct. 1-3 at the Warren W. Wills United Methodist Camp in Fruitland Park to receive sound teaching on the confirmation vows they will be asked on Confirmation Sunday. Groups will participate in games and worship and bond as a class on the low initiatives portion of the camp’s ropes challenge course. Attendees will also experience being at camp with confirmands from around the state. The camp will coordinate housing, meals, challenge course facilitation, meeting spaces and worship service. The camp schedule also includes three or four times for each church group to meet to cover the curriculum they are using. Church groups may program this time as needed to review confirmation lessons, cover new material or just get to know each other better. More information is available at http://www.warrenwilliscamp.org/page.asp?PKValue=24. full story

Opportunity: Methodist men connect at spiritual retreats (Oct. 8-10, 15-17, 22-24)

The 2010 Men’s Spiritual Retreats, sponsored by Florida Conference United Methodist Men, will be held Oct. 8-10, 15-17 and 22-24 at the Florida Conference Life Enrichment Center and Warren W. Willis Youth Camp in Fruitland Park. Each retreat, themed “In the Name of Jesus,” follows the same schedule, beginning Friday and ending Sunday morning with worship, but has its own worship leaders, speakers and musicians. More information for each retreat is available at http://www.ummflconf.org/frameset4.html. full story

Opportunity: Conference offers ways to ‘lighten burden’ of AIDS (Oct. 14-16)

The United Methodist Global AIDS Fund and several United Methodist general agencies are sponsoring “Lighten the Burden III” Oct. 14-16 at the Radisson Central Hotel in Dallas, Texas Dr. Musa Dube, an internationally known theologian from Botswana, will lead the conference’s Bible study. Other speakers include United Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the Phoenix Episcopal Area; Jeffrey Crowley, director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, and Dr. Pauline Muchina, senior partnership adviser with UN AIDS. More information is available at http://tinyurl.com/2a98trd. full story

Opportunity: Adults hike Appalachian Trail (Oct. 18-23)

Adults who love to hike are invited to spend a week hiking the Appalachian Trail with other hikers from across Florida Oct. 18-23. Backpacking hikers will spend three or four nights on the trail. Day Hikers will take day hikes on different trails, while base camping in a mountain cabin near Bryson City, N.C. Participants must be at least 18 years old and in good physical shape. All hikers must have a completed physical done within a month of the hike. More information is available by contacting Joel Pancoast, program manager at the Warren W. Willis United Methodist Camp, at 352-787-4345, extension 3, or joel.pancoast@warrenwilliscamp.org or at http://www.warrenwilliscamp.org/page.asp?PKValue=29. full story

Opportunity: Teams receive training on early response after a disaster (Oct. 29)

Teams from local churches interested in receiving training on early response after a disaster are invited to attend an Early Response Team training Oct. 29 at the Warren W. Willis United Methodist Camp in Fruitland Park. Early Response Teams are specialized, self-contained teams that enter a disaster zone at the invitation of local emergency management. In addition to providing a caring Christian presence, the teams remove debris and provide temporary repairs to make a dwelling safe, sanitary and secure. Attendees will receive a disaster response manual, certification and credentials identifying them as early responders for the Florida Conference. The training will focus on the types, phases and levels of a disaster and explain what is meant by early response. It will also cover spiritual and emotional care, support from the United Methodist Committee on Relief, faith-based response in disaster, and team leadership needs and equipment. Because this is a specialized training requiring a higher level of expertise and commitment, participants must complete “Community Arise Basic Disaster Ministry Training” before taking Early Response Team training. More information is available at http://www.flumc2.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2893. full story

Resource: Conference offers new online learning course for teachers, leaders (July 15)

A new Florida Conference e-Learning online training module offers the basics for teachers and leaders who are involved or want to be involved in educational ministry in their local church. The “Teaching for Transformation” course provides the principles and fundamentals for working with groups of all ages, beginning with spiritual leadership and how that applies to teaching in the classroom.   More information on the new module and 10 others, including two Bible studies and training for members of finance, trustee and pastor parish relations committees and lay leaders, is available at http://www.flumcelearning.com/. full story

Opportunity: Life Enrichment Center needs volunteers (July 15)

The Florida Conference Life Enrichment Retreat Center in Fruitland Park is looking for volunteers to help in its ministry of Christian hospitality to retreat groups.   Front desk volunteers are needed to answer phones, greet people arriving at the center and prepare for groups by making signs, organizing room keys and other tasks. Dining room hosts are needed to welcome guests into the dining room, help those who need assistance moving through the meal line and returning trays to the dish room, and wipe tables at the end of the meal. Most of this service will be on weekends, but a number of weekday options are also available. Those who are interested are asked to contact Jess Schload, director of the Life Enrichment Center, at 352-787-0313 or jschload@flumc.org. More information is available at http://www.lecretreats.org/page.asp?PKValue=129. full story

Resource: Electronic book explores promise of campus ministry (July 15)

Campus ministry can provide vital insights for United Methodists in interpreting and living their mission and ministry in a rapidly changing world, and a new electronic book from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry explores that role with six essays from campus ministers, chaplains, theologians, historians and agency staff.   “The Promise of Campus Ministry: Theological Explorations,” available for free downloading at http://www.gbhem.org, resulted from a consultation on campus ministry hosted by the education board in 2009.   The goal is that campus ministers, chaplains, annual conference and boards of higher education and campus ministry and Wesley foundations will use the publication as a study guide or resource for reflection on the theological foundations of campus ministry. More information is available at http://tinyurl.com/27cb9n8. full story

Resource: InfoServ offers live chat (July 15)

InfoServ, the official information service of The United Methodist Church, now offers an online “Live Chat” feature that allows customers to communicate directly with representatives. Launched June 1, “Chat with InfoServ” encourages real time conversations between members, church pastors, agency staff and others with questions about The United Methodist Church. InfoServ is a ministry of United Methodist Communications. Begun in 1974 as a “reference desk” for those who have questions about United Methodist beliefs, worship practices, positions on social issues, local church questions and more, InfoServ averages about 1,700 inquiries a month. More information is available at http://www.infoserv.umc.org/. full story

Resource: ‘El Cristiano como Ministro’ now available (July 15)

“El Cristiano como Ministro” completes the list of Spanish-language resources published by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for those who are exploring ordained or licensed ministry in The United Methodist Church.   The new resources published since General Conference 2008 incorporate changes to The Book of Discipline, the denomination’s law book, that resulted from General Conference action.   The four books, a DVD, four flyers and three brochures range from a general information brochure about the education board to “Cumpliendo con el llamado de Dios: Guía y normas para la candidature,” the guidebook for the candidacy process for ordained ministry. More information is available at http://tinyurl.com/y6nxjrj. full story

Resource: CyberSafety training kit helps churches protect children, youth (July 15)

A new training CD developed by the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) is now available to help churches and community groups protect children and youth from the perils that exist in the digital world of cell phones and the Internet. The CyberSafety for Families Training Kit allows churches to be more directly involved in providing awareness and training around technology so that children and youth are protected as they navigate today’s technologies. More information is available at http://tiny.cc/figrh. full story

Leaders consider difference between member, disciple

By J.A. Buchholz | July 21, 2010 {1199} LAKELAND — Are conference churches making disciples or members? Conference leaders asked laity and clergy to consider that question, and its implications for ministry, during the recent conference session. full story

Commentary: Sanctification and evangelism in global Methodism

An e-Review commentary by the Rev. Jack Jackson | July 23, 2010 {1200} NOTE: A headshot of Jackson is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml.       The Rev. Jack Jackson says the struggles United Methodists in Florida have with evangelism are similar to those faced by other Wesleyans around the world. And one of the biggest challenges, he says, is clarity about the path to mature discipleship. full story

Leaders urge patience in meeting Haiti’s needs

By J.A. Buchholz | July 24, 2010 {1201} LAKELAND — Six months after the earthquake that killed more than 220,000 people in Haiti, recovery is slow and conditions in many areas remain dire. Despite such circumstances, Florida Conference leaders urged members to “give great care” to the process of helping the Haitian people. full story

Churches help youth get summer meals

By Derek Maul | July 24, 2010 {1202} A partnership between churches in Keystone Heights to feed youth this summer wasn’t just about food. It was a chance to show the community the Gospel in action. full story