Sharing Expertise to Help Local Youth and Young Adult Ministries
By Tom Gillem*
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 28, 2010/GBOD/ — Youth and young adult ministries at United Methodist churches across the United States will gain more immediate access to support and resources with a new effort aimed at helping local churches share their best expertise.
Church leaders with successful programs and ministry skills will be sought out in each jurisdiction to serve as resources for others who need their support, says Rev. Michael Ratliff, associate general secretary of the Young People’s Ministries, a division of The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church.
“We want to find people who are already established in the jurisdictions of the church, who already have a track record in relation to young people's ministries, and have the abilities to work with established organizational structures to help us relate to people at every level of the church,” Ratliff says.
A part-time YPM staff member is being hired in all five jurisdictions to help make the local resources more accessible.
“We, as a general agency of the church, are trying to make a difference in what is happening in local congregations, but there are a lot of levels of the church between us and a local congregation,” Ratliff says, adding that the YPM wants to provide more direct assistance to local ministries by marshalling existing local resources.
Carl Thomas Stroud Gladstone, working in Detroit with the North-Central Jurisdiction, is the first part-time YPM staff member working on a jurisdictional level. Others will be added in jurisdictions each quarter with all five in place by January 2011, Ratliff says. Beyond the United States, similar division staff members are currently serving in each Central Conference region.
Ratliff says he wants the YPM staff members serving in jurisdictions to identify people in their jurisdictions who are excellent in particular areas of ministry and enlist them to be available to other people in ministry who need their expertise.
“It may be that we identify local church leaders working in young people’s ministries through this process who can become a resource on the general church level, too,” Ratliff says. “So it really is a binary process, not a one-way process. … We're trying to open up that conduit for ministry in both directions. And ultimately, the goal, of course, would be to help young people—both youth and young adults—to discover faith in Jesus Christ and to grow in that faith as Christian disciples and become Christian leaders in the United Methodist Church to make a difference in our world.”
Gladstone, who was ordained as a deacon in 2004, previously served as full-time director of the Youth Leaders Initiative, a collection of programs to nurture young people as Christian leaders in the Metro Detroit area. The YLI is supported by the Detroit East and West Districts, and he will continue working part time in that position.
“We want to be doing things on the general church level that increase everyone's immediate access to learning how to do ministry in even more effective and radical and influential and inspirational ways,” Gladstone says. “So whatever tools we develop need to really hit that mark.”
Gladstone says he feels the structure of the United Methodist Church is important because of the church’s reach in the world and the local resources it offers. But he says, “I really don't think that we can exist as a church up in the stratosphere of the institutional formation.
“The church always has to be focused on the ground, really making things happen, changing somebody's life and giving them the tools to immediately re-connect back on their block, in their city in a new way,” Gladstone says.
“My task is to look at the North-Central Jurisdiction and figure out ways that I, as a division staff person, can help connect the various ministries, celebrate them, communicate about them, build up relationships between people within the jurisdiction and in general be a catalyst for all things we are doing and make them even more successful.”
Gladstone says he wants to create a peer-to-peer system for sharing all the ministry wisdom that abounds in his jurisdiction.
“In the area of youth and young adult ministries around the North-Central Jurisdiction, I'm starting to develop a list of people who have some expertise in particular areas—youth missions, young adult drama groups, campus ministry, all of those kinds of things,” Gladstone says.
Others will be able to connect with those resource people online.
“So, someone coming to an eventual website might type in their geographic area and see who is around them that has what kind of expertise. Or they might come to the website, type in ‘I really need to know something about small group ministry and youth programs and I'll drive wherever I need to drive to talk to somebody about that,’ ” he says.
GBOD’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.gbod.org for more information or call the Communications Office at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 1726.
*Tom Gillem is a Brentwood, Tenn.-based freelance writer for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship
Friday, February 05, 2010
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wesley Theological Seminary courses for local church adult education
About Wesley Ministry Network
Wesley Ministry Network is an outreach of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to produce substantive adult education courses that make the best of Christian scholarship accessible to people in local churches. Courses are designed to be facilitated by local church members and include DVD-based lessons by scholars from around the world. Wesley Ministry Network courses have been used by tens of thousands of people from across the United States and in approximately fifteen other countries on five continents. Bishop Richard B. Wilke, founder of the Disciple Bible study, calls Wesley Ministry Network, “the perfect follow-up to Disciple Bible Study. The content is superb and the combination of print, video and Internet communication is dynamic.”
Courses
Religion and Science: Pathways to Truth
Dr. Francis S. Collins, the new director of the National Institutes of Health, hosts this ground-breaking series in which a dozen leading scientists, theologians, and philosophers consider how religion and science might coexist and even complement one another in the 21st century.
Devotion to Jesus: The Divinity of Christ in Earliest Christianity
This course takes on revisionist accounts of how and when the first Christians came to believe in Jesus as the divine son of God. Dr. Larry Hurtado, Edinburgh University professor and one of the world’s leading authorities on early Christianity, challenges misrepresentations of Christian origins, such as the notion that belief in Jesus’ divinity arose decades after his death, or the idea that Christianity is an invention of the apostle Paul.
Simply Christian
Based on the best-selling book by Bishop N. T. Wright, this course addresses questions of the reasonableness of the Christian faith in the modern world. Wright begins by exploring what seem to be universal longings – for justice and relationship, spirituality and beauty – and from these goes on to simply, yet powerfully explain the core of Christian faith.
Serious Answers to Hard Questions
Ten leading Christian and Jewish theologians each address a single tough issue, such as the existence of evil or the relationship between religion and science. These ten issues are obstacles to faith for many both in and outside of the church. This course encourages the energetic discussion and sustained reflection that is key to a life of informed discipleship.
Women Speak of God
This course introduces us to some less familiar voices in church history: voices which attest to God’s living presence through time as these six women struggled with issues of identity, character, and calling, which still resound with us today.
A Life Worthy of the Gospel
This is a challenging and inspiring introduction to Christian ethics, which explores the formation of Christian character through the writings of the Bible, Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Wesley.
Journey Through the Psalms
Take an in-depth look at the book of Psalms – the prayer-book of the synagogue and the church. Through study of the word and insights gained through the arts, we are invited to approach God with the same honesty and intensity as the ancient Psalmists.
In God’s Time
A faithful and sane alternative to sensationalist perspectives, this course opens up the entire Bible and reveals its teaching of God’s ultimate victory, a hope that is to be taken seriously and yet sensibly.
For more information on these courses, including sample videos, and to order course materials, visit http://www.wesleyministrynetwork.com/.
About Wesley Ministry Network
Wesley Ministry Network is an outreach of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to produce substantive adult education courses that make the best of Christian scholarship accessible to people in local churches. Courses are designed to be facilitated by local church members and include DVD-based lessons by scholars from around the world. Wesley Ministry Network courses have been used by tens of thousands of people from across the United States and in approximately fifteen other countries on five continents. Bishop Richard B. Wilke, founder of the Disciple Bible study, calls Wesley Ministry Network, “the perfect follow-up to Disciple Bible Study. The content is superb and the combination of print, video and Internet communication is dynamic.”
Courses
Religion and Science: Pathways to Truth
Dr. Francis S. Collins, the new director of the National Institutes of Health, hosts this ground-breaking series in which a dozen leading scientists, theologians, and philosophers consider how religion and science might coexist and even complement one another in the 21st century.
Devotion to Jesus: The Divinity of Christ in Earliest Christianity
This course takes on revisionist accounts of how and when the first Christians came to believe in Jesus as the divine son of God. Dr. Larry Hurtado, Edinburgh University professor and one of the world’s leading authorities on early Christianity, challenges misrepresentations of Christian origins, such as the notion that belief in Jesus’ divinity arose decades after his death, or the idea that Christianity is an invention of the apostle Paul.
Simply Christian
Based on the best-selling book by Bishop N. T. Wright, this course addresses questions of the reasonableness of the Christian faith in the modern world. Wright begins by exploring what seem to be universal longings – for justice and relationship, spirituality and beauty – and from these goes on to simply, yet powerfully explain the core of Christian faith.
Serious Answers to Hard Questions
Ten leading Christian and Jewish theologians each address a single tough issue, such as the existence of evil or the relationship between religion and science. These ten issues are obstacles to faith for many both in and outside of the church. This course encourages the energetic discussion and sustained reflection that is key to a life of informed discipleship.
Women Speak of God
This course introduces us to some less familiar voices in church history: voices which attest to God’s living presence through time as these six women struggled with issues of identity, character, and calling, which still resound with us today.
A Life Worthy of the Gospel
This is a challenging and inspiring introduction to Christian ethics, which explores the formation of Christian character through the writings of the Bible, Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Wesley.
Journey Through the Psalms
Take an in-depth look at the book of Psalms – the prayer-book of the synagogue and the church. Through study of the word and insights gained through the arts, we are invited to approach God with the same honesty and intensity as the ancient Psalmists.
In God’s Time
A faithful and sane alternative to sensationalist perspectives, this course opens up the entire Bible and reveals its teaching of God’s ultimate victory, a hope that is to be taken seriously and yet sensibly.
For more information on these courses, including sample videos, and to order course materials, visit http://www.wesleyministrynetwork.com/.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
United Methodists lead nation in number of God and Country Awards
ST. LOUIS, Mo.––Over 7,000 young people have received one of four awards offered by Programs of Religious Activities with Youth (PRAY) during 2008. That total leads all denominations in usage of the St. Louis-based program that provides God and Me, God and Family, God and Church and God and Life for young people of various ages.
PRAY's mission statement is to “foster the Christian growth of children, youth, and families through churches and youth serving agencies.”
The God and Country Award Program uses Bible lessons paired with service projects to help young people grow in their Christian faith and to express that faith by serving others. Some pastors combine the awards program with the confirmation classes.
After completing the study and the service projects, the young people are presented with cross-and-flame medals.
The United Methodist portion of this program is coordinated by the Nashville-based General Commission on United Methodist Men.
A total of 28 denominations participated in the PRAY program. Independent denominations were the second highest group to use the study/action program, followed by Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Episcopal, and Evangelical Lutherans.
For information about PRAY, contact Larry Coppock or Marc Stowe, staff executives with the General Commission on United Methodist Men (866-297-4312) (mstowe@gcumm.org).
ST. LOUIS, Mo.––Over 7,000 young people have received one of four awards offered by Programs of Religious Activities with Youth (PRAY) during 2008. That total leads all denominations in usage of the St. Louis-based program that provides God and Me, God and Family, God and Church and God and Life for young people of various ages.PRAY's mission statement is to “foster the Christian growth of children, youth, and families through churches and youth serving agencies.”
The God and Country Award Program uses Bible lessons paired with service projects to help young people grow in their Christian faith and to express that faith by serving others. Some pastors combine the awards program with the confirmation classes.
After completing the study and the service projects, the young people are presented with cross-and-flame medals.
The United Methodist portion of this program is coordinated by the Nashville-based General Commission on United Methodist Men.
A total of 28 denominations participated in the PRAY program. Independent denominations were the second highest group to use the study/action program, followed by Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Episcopal, and Evangelical Lutherans.
For information about PRAY, contact Larry Coppock or Marc Stowe, staff executives with the General Commission on United Methodist Men (866-297-4312) (mstowe@gcumm.org).
Sunday, February 22, 2009
National Camp and Retreat Leaders Conference headed to Lake Junaluska, January 31-February 4, 2011
Lake Junaluska, N.C. - The National United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry Committee, an affiliate organization of the General Board of Discipleship, has selected Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center as the location for their 2011 National Conference. Every two years the National Camp and Retreat Committee (NCRC) coordinates a national training event for leaders of Christian camp and retreat ministries.
Jimmy L. Carr, Executive Director of Lake Junaluska, said members of the United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry will enjoy Lake Junaluska’s hospitality.
“It will be a privilege and honor to welcome the National Camp and Retreat Center Committee at Lake Junaluska in 2011. This group has a unique ministry within The United Methodist Church as their members serve over one million children, youth and adults annually through ministries provided by more than 225 camp and retreat centers in the US. In addition, there are a growing number of Methodist related camp and retreat ministries in other countries across the globe. They understand the challenges of providing hospitality and training for disciples of Christ. For them to select Lake Junaluska as a meeting site affirms their belief that we can serve all of their needs and enhance their ministry.” Carr said.
“We are very excited about being at Lake Junaluska and experiencing the Christian hospitality of this site so rich in tradition and so poignant in living out vital core values of the faith today,” Mike Huber, Chair of the National Camp and Retreat Committee and Executive director of Casowasco and Aldersgate in the North Central New York Conference of The United Methodist Church, said. “We are touched by the broad embrace of all God’s people that Lake Junaluska serves,” he said.
The 2011 National Camp and Retreat Leaders Conference will take place January 31-February 4. For more information about the United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries, please visit www.gbod.org/camping
To learn more about Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center please visit www.lakejunaluska.com
Lake Junaluska, N.C. - The National United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry Committee, an affiliate organization of the General Board of Discipleship, has selected Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center as the location for their 2011 National Conference. Every two years the National Camp and Retreat Committee (NCRC) coordinates a national training event for leaders of Christian camp and retreat ministries.
Jimmy L. Carr, Executive Director of Lake Junaluska, said members of the United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry will enjoy Lake Junaluska’s hospitality.
“It will be a privilege and honor to welcome the National Camp and Retreat Center Committee at Lake Junaluska in 2011. This group has a unique ministry within The United Methodist Church as their members serve over one million children, youth and adults annually through ministries provided by more than 225 camp and retreat centers in the US. In addition, there are a growing number of Methodist related camp and retreat ministries in other countries across the globe. They understand the challenges of providing hospitality and training for disciples of Christ. For them to select Lake Junaluska as a meeting site affirms their belief that we can serve all of their needs and enhance their ministry.” Carr said.
“We are very excited about being at Lake Junaluska and experiencing the Christian hospitality of this site so rich in tradition and so poignant in living out vital core values of the faith today,” Mike Huber, Chair of the National Camp and Retreat Committee and Executive director of Casowasco and Aldersgate in the North Central New York Conference of The United Methodist Church, said. “We are touched by the broad embrace of all God’s people that Lake Junaluska serves,” he said.
The 2011 National Camp and Retreat Leaders Conference will take place January 31-February 4. For more information about the United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries, please visit www.gbod.org/camping
To learn more about Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center please visit www.lakejunaluska.com
Christian Education Workshops offered at the United Methodist Publishing House March 4, 5, and 6
Pastor and Leaders in Christian Education ministries (both staff and volunteer) are invited to participate in the following workshops led by staff of the United Methodist Publishing House and the General Board of Discipleship on March 4, 5, and 6. There is no charge for the workshops. Participants may choose from the following workshops, all of which are being offered at the United Methodist Publishing House, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Disciple Bible Study Leader Training of Trainers -- By attending this workshop you can become equipped to lead Disciple in your church or if you are already a leader, learn to develop other Disciple Bible Study leaders in your church, district and conference, so that more churches than ever will feel empowered and equipped to offer this life-changing and church-enriching study to their members.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. (Choose one of these three workshops)
A. Rock-a-Bye: Ministry with God’s Youngest Children -- A workshop you will use again and again to help leaders realize the potential their babies and toddlers have for beginning their faith journey. Get a preview of the new Toddlers and Two’s resource and the brand-new resource for teachers and workers with infants.
B. Reaching Out, Welcoming In -- Discover resources that help church members move “beyond the walls,” including the Go Fish! Series, Witness, and other studies
C. What Youth Need When and Where -- Identifying the needs of youth in various learning stages and settings and discovering the resources to meet those needs.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. (Choose one of these three workshops)
D. Planning for Christian Education in the Local Church -- How do we fulfill our mandate to “make disciples” in the context of Christian education ministry? An experiential overview of the process of planning a comprehensive ministry of Christian education for all ages, with helpful resources for guiding the planning and ministry in the local church.
E. Growing Together in Discipleship -- How to introduce Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations to churches helping them implement the study and fully realize the benefits for their faith community.
F. Equipping New Sunday School Teachers – A workshop to help you equip volunteers for their new ministry of teaching. Practical help for teachers of all ages.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. (Choose one of these three workshops)
G. Six Weeks With Tweens -- Crucial new short-term studies for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders - Choosing to Be A Christian, A United Methodist Is--, New Life in Jesus Christ, Getting Well, plus a new study on human sexuality and another on the parables.
H. Cokesbury Resources and the African American Church -- Vacation Bible School with On the Move and other resources that are specifically designed for and/or work well in African American congregations.
I. Financial Crisis or Crisis of Faith? -- This very timely workshop will equip you to assist churches in guiding their members of all ages to a faithful examination of Christian response to the current financial uncertainty.
For more information or to register, please contact the Cokesbury Christian Music and Education Services office (Curric-U-Phone), 1-800-251-8591. These workshops are offered as a part of an event described on the web site: http://www.sundayschool.cokesbury.com/content.aspx?dyn=1448
Pastor and Leaders in Christian Education ministries (both staff and volunteer) are invited to participate in the following workshops led by staff of the United Methodist Publishing House and the General Board of Discipleship on March 4, 5, and 6. There is no charge for the workshops. Participants may choose from the following workshops, all of which are being offered at the United Methodist Publishing House, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Disciple Bible Study Leader Training of Trainers -- By attending this workshop you can become equipped to lead Disciple in your church or if you are already a leader, learn to develop other Disciple Bible Study leaders in your church, district and conference, so that more churches than ever will feel empowered and equipped to offer this life-changing and church-enriching study to their members.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. (Choose one of these three workshops)
A. Rock-a-Bye: Ministry with God’s Youngest Children -- A workshop you will use again and again to help leaders realize the potential their babies and toddlers have for beginning their faith journey. Get a preview of the new Toddlers and Two’s resource and the brand-new resource for teachers and workers with infants.
B. Reaching Out, Welcoming In -- Discover resources that help church members move “beyond the walls,” including the Go Fish! Series, Witness, and other studies
C. What Youth Need When and Where -- Identifying the needs of youth in various learning stages and settings and discovering the resources to meet those needs.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. (Choose one of these three workshops)
D. Planning for Christian Education in the Local Church -- How do we fulfill our mandate to “make disciples” in the context of Christian education ministry? An experiential overview of the process of planning a comprehensive ministry of Christian education for all ages, with helpful resources for guiding the planning and ministry in the local church.
E. Growing Together in Discipleship -- How to introduce Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations to churches helping them implement the study and fully realize the benefits for their faith community.
F. Equipping New Sunday School Teachers – A workshop to help you equip volunteers for their new ministry of teaching. Practical help for teachers of all ages.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. (Choose one of these three workshops)
G. Six Weeks With Tweens -- Crucial new short-term studies for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders - Choosing to Be A Christian, A United Methodist Is--, New Life in Jesus Christ, Getting Well, plus a new study on human sexuality and another on the parables.
H. Cokesbury Resources and the African American Church -- Vacation Bible School with On the Move and other resources that are specifically designed for and/or work well in African American congregations.
I. Financial Crisis or Crisis of Faith? -- This very timely workshop will equip you to assist churches in guiding their members of all ages to a faithful examination of Christian response to the current financial uncertainty.
For more information or to register, please contact the Cokesbury Christian Music and Education Services office (Curric-U-Phone), 1-800-251-8591. These workshops are offered as a part of an event described on the web site: http://www.sundayschool.cokesbury.com/content.aspx?dyn=1448
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Gospel Recording Artist CeCe Winans Endorses Abingdon Press’s Vacation Bible School On the Move
Nashville, February 3—Recording artist CeCe Winans has endorsed Abingdon Press’s 2009 Vacation Bible School offering, On the Move: God’s Grace from Place to Place. “On the Move teaches heritage from the past, while making the present a fun learning experience," Winans says about this heritage-based, intergenerational, multicultural VBS program that combines Bible lessons and the past to build up the community as persons reconciled to one another and Jesus Christ.
CeCe Winans is a singer, songwriter, CEO, philanthropist, actress, talk show host, speaker, and author who has received ten Grammy awards, twenty-one Grammy award nominations, twenty Dove awards and numerous Stellar awards. Her Always Sisters/Forever Brothers conferences focus on young people. “My ministry is global and my longevity in the gospel music industry coupled with my love for the youth of this country has manifested itself through my work," she says. “If the older generation doesn’t reach our younger generation and reach them quickly, we will lose them.”
On the Move brings generations together through song, dance, crafts, and story. Participants learn how to progress in life while never forgetting the past. Five Bible stories are featured, each accompanied by the recounting of an historic heritage journey:
• Moving with God Towards Justice (Judges 4:4-10)
Bible: Deborah and Barak lead the Israelites out of oppression.
Heritage: In Maryland, African diplomats experience discrimination; Gloria Richardson protests.
• Moving with God Towards Greatness (Genesis 39:1-2; 41:14-21)
Bible: Joseph enters slavery, goes to jail, but becomes prime minister of Egypt.
Heritage: Literacy schools begin in Charleston, South Carolina, where many Africans entered slavery.
• Moving with Jesus Towards Blessing (Luke 9:12-17; Matthew 14:21)
Bible: Jesus blesses the food, and 5000 in groups of fifty are fed.
Heritage: In Mississippi, all civil rights groups cooperate and deal with hunger and poverty.
• Moving with God Towards Truth (1 Kings 10:1-10, 13)
Bible: The Queen of Sheba seeks new knowledge and truth.
Heritage: At the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, civil rights workers gain new skills.
• Moving with Jesus Towards Reconciliation (Acts 15:36-41; 2 Timothy 4:9-11)
Bible: In traveling, Paul argues about John Mark. They later reconcile.
Heritage: Starting in Virginia (1947), the Journey of Reconciliation tests new laws.
About Abingdon Press
Abingdon Press publishes resources for church leaders, scholars and students engaged in leading congregations and theological education and inspirational books and study materials that reach broad ecumenical audiences.
Nashville, February 3—Recording artist CeCe Winans has endorsed Abingdon Press’s 2009 Vacation Bible School offering, On the Move: God’s Grace from Place to Place. “On the Move teaches heritage from the past, while making the present a fun learning experience," Winans says about this heritage-based, intergenerational, multicultural VBS program that combines Bible lessons and the past to build up the community as persons reconciled to one another and Jesus Christ.
CeCe Winans is a singer, songwriter, CEO, philanthropist, actress, talk show host, speaker, and author who has received ten Grammy awards, twenty-one Grammy award nominations, twenty Dove awards and numerous Stellar awards. Her Always Sisters/Forever Brothers conferences focus on young people. “My ministry is global and my longevity in the gospel music industry coupled with my love for the youth of this country has manifested itself through my work," she says. “If the older generation doesn’t reach our younger generation and reach them quickly, we will lose them.”
On the Move brings generations together through song, dance, crafts, and story. Participants learn how to progress in life while never forgetting the past. Five Bible stories are featured, each accompanied by the recounting of an historic heritage journey:
• Moving with God Towards Justice (Judges 4:4-10)
Bible: Deborah and Barak lead the Israelites out of oppression.
Heritage: In Maryland, African diplomats experience discrimination; Gloria Richardson protests.
• Moving with God Towards Greatness (Genesis 39:1-2; 41:14-21)
Bible: Joseph enters slavery, goes to jail, but becomes prime minister of Egypt.
Heritage: Literacy schools begin in Charleston, South Carolina, where many Africans entered slavery.
• Moving with Jesus Towards Blessing (Luke 9:12-17; Matthew 14:21)
Bible: Jesus blesses the food, and 5000 in groups of fifty are fed.
Heritage: In Mississippi, all civil rights groups cooperate and deal with hunger and poverty.
• Moving with God Towards Truth (1 Kings 10:1-10, 13)
Bible: The Queen of Sheba seeks new knowledge and truth.
Heritage: At the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, civil rights workers gain new skills.
• Moving with Jesus Towards Reconciliation (Acts 15:36-41; 2 Timothy 4:9-11)
Bible: In traveling, Paul argues about John Mark. They later reconcile.
Heritage: Starting in Virginia (1947), the Journey of Reconciliation tests new laws.
About Abingdon Press
Abingdon Press publishes resources for church leaders, scholars and students engaged in leading congregations and theological education and inspirational books and study materials that reach broad ecumenical audiences.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Confirmation Retreats Focus on 5 Key Areas
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — Youth make an exciting commitment to their local churches once they complete their confirmation classes. They promise “to faithfully participate in its ministries by their prayers, their presence, their gifts, their service, and their witness.” How can youth keep their promise in these 5 key areas after Confirmation classes are over? During the 2009 Confirmation Retreat Weekends at Lake Junaluska, our goal is to help youth beyond the end of their Confirmation classes. Confirmation 2009 at Lake Junaluska is focused in one theme: “I Promise.”
Diverse United Methodist speakers who have a passion for youth ministries will lead our 2009 weekends. Cutting edge praise and worship is an essential part of the weekend. Each weekend offers a different speaker and band. Our dynamic workshops offer your youth a broader view of what it is to be part of The United Methodist Church. The best museums of Methodist history in the world are located at Lake Junaluska. The World Methodist Museum and the Heritage Center Museum have largest exhibit in the world chronicling Wesleyan history. Youth tour the museums and learn about their Methodist roots in an interactive way. For a complete list of workshops, visit our website.
Pastor Teresa Gray of Concord, N.C. and her Epworth United Methodist Church group were part of Confirmation for the first time.“We loved MEGA Weekend and plan to bring a group back next year,” Gray said.Parents of youth sometimes come as chaperones. They help youth leaders direct the groups’ trip activities throughout the weekend.“My son and I had a great time and I’ll happily participate in any retreat there in the future,” Rob Briton of Atlanta, Ga. Said.“I loved spending the weekend up at Lake Junaluska learning and teaching about God. It was awesome and I might come back in the summer with my middle school youth group,” youth leader Matt Furlough said.
2009 Dates:
February 20-22
February 27-March 1
March 6-8
March 13-15
March 20-22
March 27-29
April 17-19
November 6-8
To watch a video of our last Confirmation Retreat Weekend at Lake Junaluska, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hu9fLQkQqc
For more information on 2009 events, visit: www.lakejunaluska.com/confirmation.aspx
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — Youth make an exciting commitment to their local churches once they complete their confirmation classes. They promise “to faithfully participate in its ministries by their prayers, their presence, their gifts, their service, and their witness.” How can youth keep their promise in these 5 key areas after Confirmation classes are over? During the 2009 Confirmation Retreat Weekends at Lake Junaluska, our goal is to help youth beyond the end of their Confirmation classes. Confirmation 2009 at Lake Junaluska is focused in one theme: “I Promise.”
Diverse United Methodist speakers who have a passion for youth ministries will lead our 2009 weekends. Cutting edge praise and worship is an essential part of the weekend. Each weekend offers a different speaker and band. Our dynamic workshops offer your youth a broader view of what it is to be part of The United Methodist Church. The best museums of Methodist history in the world are located at Lake Junaluska. The World Methodist Museum and the Heritage Center Museum have largest exhibit in the world chronicling Wesleyan history. Youth tour the museums and learn about their Methodist roots in an interactive way. For a complete list of workshops, visit our website.
Pastor Teresa Gray of Concord, N.C. and her Epworth United Methodist Church group were part of Confirmation for the first time.“We loved MEGA Weekend and plan to bring a group back next year,” Gray said.Parents of youth sometimes come as chaperones. They help youth leaders direct the groups’ trip activities throughout the weekend.“My son and I had a great time and I’ll happily participate in any retreat there in the future,” Rob Briton of Atlanta, Ga. Said.“I loved spending the weekend up at Lake Junaluska learning and teaching about God. It was awesome and I might come back in the summer with my middle school youth group,” youth leader Matt Furlough said.
2009 Dates:
February 20-22
February 27-March 1
March 6-8
March 13-15
March 20-22
March 27-29
April 17-19
November 6-8
To watch a video of our last Confirmation Retreat Weekend at Lake Junaluska, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hu9fLQkQqc
For more information on 2009 events, visit: www.lakejunaluska.com/confirmation.aspx
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Christian Educators Fellowship and Preaching from the Center hold joint celebration
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico. November 21, 2008/GBOD/--The year is 1968. The U.S. is in Viet Nam. We elect Richard Nixon president. The Beatles release “Hey Jude.” TV sets are tuned to “Gomer Pyle” and the United Methodist General Conference recognizes the Christian Education Fellowship as the first official organization within The United Methodist Church.
Over 600 Christian educators and pastors attending “Blessed to Be a Blessing” learned this bit of Americana in the centerpiece video shown during the Christian Educators Fellowship’s 40th anniversary celebration in Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 24-27.
Held in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of Preaching from the Center, the festive event featured Native dancers Baila, Baila, Pueblo storytellers, praise choirs and local liturgical dancers, who Friday, October 24, led the gathering in prayer dances to commemorate decades of service to the church.
The joint event was a unique opportunity for church leaders in pastoral ministry and Christian education to come together for training, continuing education, inspiration and fellowship.
Director of Invitational Preaching, the Rev. Dr. Safiyah Fosua said the design team often meditated on the Lakota saying that “in any decision we make, we must understand how it impacts the next seven generations” in terms of impact on families, the economy, the environment and faith.
The Rev. Ronald Allen, who preached the service of baptismal covenant renewal on Saturday, October 25, told the gathering, “the world is such a chaos today. New empires replaced Rome crushing so many in so many different ways. You, the baptized, must stand up to these empires.”
“The water of baptism gives you the confidence that as God created out of the chaos once, a long time ago, so God can create out of the chaos yet again. And you can be apart of this re-creative process,” said Allen, an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and professor of preaching and New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis.
Participants who registered for either Preaching from the Center or the Christian educators conference attended sessions in the other event. Bible study, worship, meals and evening events exploring environmental, multicultural, multigenerational and technology themes, in relation to Christian faith formation and interfaith dialoging, took place together.
As part of the joint event, GBOD worship staff designed afternoon learning opportunities for pastors and preachers, and participated in developing the overall design for the conferences.
In addition to over 100 workshops and tours, the GBOD-sponsored Preaching from the Center sessions included: clergy self-care, faith and film, faith formation, New Testament preaching, and a full day pre-conference event led by Allen.
Other Preaching from the Center plenary leaders and speakers included: the Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards, GBOD director of Worship Resources with the General Board of Discipleship; the Rev. Safiyah Fosua, D. Min., GBOD director of Invitational Preaching Ministries; the Rev. Stephanie Moore Hand, Christian education consultant for the Western North Carolina Conference and minister of Christian education at Mouzon United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina; Dean B. McIntyre, GBOD director of music resources; Bill McKibben, author and scholar in residence at Middlebury College in Vermont; Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki, Ph.D., professor Emerita, Claremont School of Theology; the Rev. Marjorie Thompson, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA, and director of Pathways for Congregational Spirituality at The Upper Room based in Nashville, Tenn.; Osvaldo Vena, Th. D., associate professor of New Testament at Garrett Theological Seminary; and the Rev. Bob Winstead, senior pastor of Haygood Memorial United Methodist Church in Atlanta and president of the CEF Board of Directors.
GBOD’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.gbod.org for more information or call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7017.
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico. November 21, 2008/GBOD/--The year is 1968. The U.S. is in Viet Nam. We elect Richard Nixon president. The Beatles release “Hey Jude.” TV sets are tuned to “Gomer Pyle” and the United Methodist General Conference recognizes the Christian Education Fellowship as the first official organization within The United Methodist Church.
Over 600 Christian educators and pastors attending “Blessed to Be a Blessing” learned this bit of Americana in the centerpiece video shown during the Christian Educators Fellowship’s 40th anniversary celebration in Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 24-27.
Held in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of Preaching from the Center, the festive event featured Native dancers Baila, Baila, Pueblo storytellers, praise choirs and local liturgical dancers, who Friday, October 24, led the gathering in prayer dances to commemorate decades of service to the church.
The joint event was a unique opportunity for church leaders in pastoral ministry and Christian education to come together for training, continuing education, inspiration and fellowship.
Director of Invitational Preaching, the Rev. Dr. Safiyah Fosua said the design team often meditated on the Lakota saying that “in any decision we make, we must understand how it impacts the next seven generations” in terms of impact on families, the economy, the environment and faith.
The Rev. Ronald Allen, who preached the service of baptismal covenant renewal on Saturday, October 25, told the gathering, “the world is such a chaos today. New empires replaced Rome crushing so many in so many different ways. You, the baptized, must stand up to these empires.”
“The water of baptism gives you the confidence that as God created out of the chaos once, a long time ago, so God can create out of the chaos yet again. And you can be apart of this re-creative process,” said Allen, an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and professor of preaching and New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis.
Participants who registered for either Preaching from the Center or the Christian educators conference attended sessions in the other event. Bible study, worship, meals and evening events exploring environmental, multicultural, multigenerational and technology themes, in relation to Christian faith formation and interfaith dialoging, took place together.
As part of the joint event, GBOD worship staff designed afternoon learning opportunities for pastors and preachers, and participated in developing the overall design for the conferences.
In addition to over 100 workshops and tours, the GBOD-sponsored Preaching from the Center sessions included: clergy self-care, faith and film, faith formation, New Testament preaching, and a full day pre-conference event led by Allen.
Other Preaching from the Center plenary leaders and speakers included: the Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards, GBOD director of Worship Resources with the General Board of Discipleship; the Rev. Safiyah Fosua, D. Min., GBOD director of Invitational Preaching Ministries; the Rev. Stephanie Moore Hand, Christian education consultant for the Western North Carolina Conference and minister of Christian education at Mouzon United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina; Dean B. McIntyre, GBOD director of music resources; Bill McKibben, author and scholar in residence at Middlebury College in Vermont; Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki, Ph.D., professor Emerita, Claremont School of Theology; the Rev. Marjorie Thompson, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA, and director of Pathways for Congregational Spirituality at The Upper Room based in Nashville, Tenn.; Osvaldo Vena, Th. D., associate professor of New Testament at Garrett Theological Seminary; and the Rev. Bob Winstead, senior pastor of Haygood Memorial United Methodist Church in Atlanta and president of the CEF Board of Directors.
GBOD’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.gbod.org for more information or call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7017.
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