September 6, 2016/Volume 15, No. 14

Conference News

Graves Marks Official First Day as AWF Episcopal Leader

Perhaps you’ve seen the hundreds of back-to-school photos in your social media news feed over the past month? Thursday, September 1, 2016, was the official “First Day of Bishop” for Bishop David Graves in the Alabama-West Florida Conference and new Bishops around the connection in the United States. Bishop Graves comes to us from the Holston Conference where he was senior pastor of Church Street UMC in Knoxville, TN. Read more from the Times Free Press about Bishop Graves’ ministry and his hope for the church.

Ester Named as National United Methodist Women Vice President

The Alabama-West Florida Conference would like to congratulate Clara Ester on her election as the National United Methodist Women Vice President. Ester was elected at the national meeting on August 29, 2016, in Houston, TX. General Secretary Harriett Olson installed the new national officers, which are President Shannon Priddy, Vice President Clara Ester, Secretary Cindy Saufferer, Governance Chair Gail Douglas-Boykin and Finance Chair Estella Wallace. Ester commented that she was excited to, "Change the world in the next four years." More here.

Celebration Services and Receptions Announced for Bishop and Mrs. Graves

Two services and receptions will be held in the Alabama-West Florida Conference for Bishop and Mrs. David Graves. A Service Celebrating the Episcopal Assignment of Bishop David William Graves to the Alabama-West Florida Conference will be held on Sunday, September 11 at Montgomery FUMC at 4:00pm in the sanctuary. A Service of Worship to Welcome Bishop David William Graves will be held Sunday, September 18 at Crosspoint UMC in Niceville, FL at 4:00pm in the sanctuary. Receptions will immediately follow both services. Click here for invitation.

Meet Beverly Maddox: New AWF Lay Leader

Beverly Maddox was elected the new Alabama-West Florida Conference lay leader at the 2016 Annual Conference session. The AWF Office of Communications sat down with her to learn more about her ministry and passion for our denomination.
Q: What's your church home?
A: Lifetime member of Clear Springs UMC
Q: In what capacities have you previously served in the AWF Conference?
A: Local Church Leadership and Dates: Currently I am the Worship Leader, Choir Director, and Children’s Church leader. I have taught Sunday School for all ages beginning when I was 16 years old, I plan and direct Vacation Bible School and other children’s programs, I have served on every committee in our local church many different times, and served as Lay Leader from 2003 – 2014. Full interview here.

AWF Disaster Response Update

Thank you for your prayers for those in harm's way of Hurricane Hermine. We are thankful that the Alabama-West Florida Conference was spared significant damage. Our disaster response coordinator will be working with other nearby conferences to assess how we can best help our connection. We also extend our sincere thanks to those who generously responded to the Louisiana flood disaster response requests. Our conference has collected approximately $25,000 that will be sent directly to the Louisiana Conference and fifteen local churches in our conference served as supply collection locations. A few churches have already sent work teams to the area to help. This is our connection at its best, when we work together to restore people to wholeness after loss and devastation. Click here to find out how you can continue to help the Louisiana area. If you are interested in becoming a trained responder, click here to learn more about upcoming ERT Training sessions.

Around the Conference

Cabinet Welcomes Graves to AWF Conference

The Alabama-West Florida Conference extended cabinet gathered Tuesday, August 30, 2016, in their first session with Bishop David Graves. Bishop Al Gwin and Craig Robertson with Spiritual Leadership Inc (SLI) joined the session and have been leading the cabinet this past year on discovering, deploying and developing leaders. Pictured above: Bishop David Graves, the AWF Extended Cabinet and SLI leaders.

Cause for Celebration: Stegall Seminary Foundation Holds Annual Banquet

(SSSEF) - On Thursday, August 11, 2016, the Stegall Seminary Scholarship Endowment Foundation held its annual Dinner of Celebration at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Montgomery. A record crowd of over 475 students and supporters gathered to hear words of thanksgiving from representatives of the 47 seminary students that are being supported by the Foundation during the 2016-2017 school year. Each year, two extravagantly generous Foundation donors underwrite the entire cost of the banquet, ensuring that donations made to the Foundation only go directly to student scholarships. Rev. Dr. David Saliba, Senior Pastor of Perdido Bay United Methodist Church, served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies. The invocation was given by Miss Kathryn Beck, a first-year seminary student. Click here for full article. Click here to see photos.

Blue Lake Honored as Summer Camp that Changes the World

The Center for Faith and Service (“The Center”), based out of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, announced the 2016 list of Summer Camps that Change the World. Blue Lake is proud to receive this distinction which is published annually, and features both faith-based and secular camps from around the country. Full release here.

How a Florida Church Connects with Local School

(News Herald) - Teachers and administrators at the Oakland Terrace School for the Arts recently got a helping hand from a nearby church. During a luncheon Tuesday in the fellowship hall of St. Andrews United Methodist Church, the church donated school supplies to about 100 Oakland Terrace teachers and administrators. St. Andrews Minister of Nurture and Outreach Melissa Spanier said a “gigantic pile” of a few hundred items ranging from cleaning products to snacks was given away. “The special luncheon for the staff of Oakland Terrace is a yearly event that SAUMC provides to give back to its local community,” according to a news release from the church. “Teachers will have the opportunity to pick up baskets full of classroom supplies lining the hallway of the church at the culmination of the event.” Full story here.

A "Glimpse of Heaven" in Selma

(COT) - When the topic of Communities of Transformation in Selma comes up, COT Coordinator Laurel Blackwell's face breaks into a smile as she says, "Something special is happening in Selma." Many others witnessed that "something special" at the August 1 Taste & See event held at Selma's Memorial United Methodist Church. A Taste & See is a special meeting intended to give potential volunteers and participants an opportunity to learn more about COT, and many Selma residents attended. Site coordinator and VISTA volunteer Dorothy Fitts and Memorial's pastor, the Rev. Steve Kopp, also welcomed guests from Ohio and the entire COT staff to the meeting. One of the guests, Rev. Paul Clark, senior associate pastor at Fairhaven Church in Dayton, Ohio, shared his impression of Communities of Transformation. "My trip to Selma to visit the COT meeting was a wonderful breath of fresh air. Such a diverse group of participants and volunteers coming together in faith to help and encourage one another toward a better future was a glimpse of heaven. The individual stories they shared that evening gave me renewed hope that we can forge loving and mutually beneficial relationships that transform people and communities," he said.

Help Arrives for Flood Victims From Gulf Shores

(WAFB) - Southern hospitality continues to roll in from friends all over the Gulf Coast. Early Friday morning, members of Gulf Shores United Methodist Church loaded up trailers of supplies and headed towards Baton Rouge with things like cleaning supplies, toiletries, and more. Two hundred and fifty miles later, the group arrived at First United Methodist in downtown Baton Rouge. “We're thankful many of us weren't affected in the downtown Baton Rouge area, so the people receiving this help and these donations, these supplies, they are blown away by the support,” said Alex Byo, director of missions for First United Methodist Church. More here.

Baton Rouge Donations: 'People Have Great Passion'

(The Montgomery Advertiser) - For five days, an 18-wheeler sat in the parking lot of Woodland United Methodist Church on Wallahatchie Road. And in the approximate 60 hours church staff members manned the truck, thousands upon thousands of donations poured in for flood victims in and around Baton Route, Louisiana, where more than 100,000 homes and thousands of businesses have been damaged this month. The flooding has been characterized as the worst U.S. natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Full story here.

AWFUMC is on Instagram

The Alabama-West Florida Conference is on Instagram! Follow us by searching awfumc. Instagram is a mobile app that allows users to share photos and videos to followers. You'll see various photos from around our conference. We also welcome submissions for consideration. You may send those to luke@awfumc.org.

Connectional News

Choosing a New Church or House of Worship

(Pew Research Center) - About half of U.S. adults have looked for a new religious congregation at some point in their lives, most commonly because they have moved. And when they search for a new house of worship, a new Pew Research Center study shows, Americans look first and foremost for a place where they like the preaching and the tone set by the congregation’s leaders. Fully 83% of Americans who have looked for a new place of worship say the quality of preaching played an important role in their choice of congregation. Complete story here.

World Methodist Conference Brings Together Wesleyan Family

(UMNS) - There’s no better place than a World Methodist Conference to witness the scattered seeds and deep roots of John Wesley’s approach to Christianity. Some 2,500 Wesleyan faithful, from 108 countries and 88 communions including The United Methodist Church, are at a downtown Houston hotel for the 21st such gathering. “John Wesley said the Methodists are one people throughout the world,” said United Methodist Bishop Scott Jones, who as newly assigned Texas Conference episcopal leader offered greetings at an Aug. 31 opening service. “It’s in this conference, as we gather together from so many different places, that that unity becomes visible.” Full story here.

Clergywomen's Event Offers Celebration, Frank Talk

(UMNS) - The Global United Methodist Clergywomen’s Gathering, occurring in conjunction with the World Methodist Conference, drew some 450 participants from 27 countries. The event included celebration of advances for women clergy, but also frank talk about lingering challenges of justice, equity and living out the ideal of a worldwide church. Sam Hodges reports.

Resources

World Communion Sunday

Our church is at its best when we reach out to sisters and brothers in need. World Communion Sunday calls the church to reach out to all people and model diversity among God's children. United Methodists relate to World Communion Sunday by celebrating communion with other Christians around the world on this special Sunday. Churches are also encouraged to receive an offering to support ethnic undergraduate and graduate students. Our gifts often enable first-generation students to attend college. More here.

UMCom Offers Digital Advertising Grants

(UMCom) - United Methodist Communications is now offering 150 digital advertising grants to local United Methodist churches for Advent. The pre-designed, online ads with a Rethink Church message will link to the church website. The ads will be purchased and placed by United Methodist Communications and will help raise community awareness of churches. The application for the Advent grants is open now until Oct. 1 or all ad grant slots are filled. Read press release.