February 8, 2016/Volume 15, No. 3

Conference News

AWF Continues Celebration of Saving 100,000 Lives Through Imagine No Malaria

(Montgomery, AL) - The Alabama-West Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church has reached its goal of saving more than 100,000 lives, thus raising over one million dollars for Imagine No Malaria. The AWF Cabinet and conference staff held a celebration on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. Kim Bullard, a long-time United Methodist member in Montgomery, prepared a stunning cake representing a young girl sleeping comfortably in a bed surrounded by a bed net. Bishop Leeland expressed his thanks to this leadership group for the global impact they had by reaching this goal. Click here to see photos from the celebration. Other celebrations will be held in the eight districts and at 2016 Annual Conference. Full story here.

The Source Holds Inaugural Worship Service at New Location

The Source–A New Community of Faith held an inaugural worship service at its new location on the campus of Auburn Montgomery on Sunday, January 31, 2016. Co-pastors Revs. Bessie and Elvyn Hamilton welcomed people from around the community to worship and learn more about this church family. Rev. Elvyn Hamilton preached a message about "Encountering Jesus" based on John 4 and Jeffrey Postell, a Huntingdon College student, led music. Dr Cory Smith, AWF Directional of Connectional Ministries, attended with his family and said, "It was exciting to see 100 people of all ages at Sunday's launch. The message and music was uplifting and it was obvious that the Hamilton's had done a great job leading their hospitality team to welcome the community to this new United Methodist church." Rev. Bessie Hamilton expressed, "The hope is that it will be a place where all people feel welcome. We hope that our numbers will increase and the stadium will be filled with people seeking God's heart. We look forward to having a second service when we fill all the seats in the 9:45am service. Since The Source has a student ministry on campus, we look forward to being able to advertise the Church to college students and to those in a three-mile radius around the university. We are faithfully praying that it is a major landmark that will draw people to The Source. Photo courtesy of Rev. Neil McDavid.

2015 Conference Missional Giving Highest in Fifteen Years

The Alabama-West Florida Conference celebrated its highest conference missional giving (apportionments) in fifteen years. After year-end totals were calculated, the conference reported that 87.99% of apportionments were paid in 2015, the highest given since 2001. A steady increase has been reported each year since 2009. The Marianna-Panama City District had the highest percentage given of the eight districts with 92.78%. This record is also noteworthy because of the ongoing Imagine No Malaria campaign that was accomplished in January and the conference budget is the lowest it has been since 2001. Bishop Paul Leeland expressed his thanks by saying, “I am deeply grateful to the Alabama-West Florida Conference for making our connectional giving a priority. It reinforces our commitment to one another and the mission of the church. These missional dollars allow us to reach beyond the walls of our own churches to minister to those in all areas of our world to ensure they know the love of Jesus Christ. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each of you for your generosity and look forward to setting another record in 2016.”

January Cabinet Synopsis

(Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon) - Thanks be to God! This expression of praise is certainly warranted when we consider the many good things happening in the Alabama-West Florida Conference as we begin 2016. We have reached our goal in the Imagine No Malaria campaign to save 100,000 lives as an annual conference, joining with our sisters and brothers throughout the denomination in an effort to continue to reduce deaths from malaria. Thank you, the people of Alabama-West Florida, for your support of this initiative. It is yet another example of how we are all better together. Full report here.

Bishop's Day Apart Registration Now Open

The annual Bishop's Day Apart will be held Monday, February 22 at Aldersgate UMC in Montgomery, AL. Dr. Tom Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology, is the guest speaker. Registration is required to attend. You may choose to eat on or off campus. Click here to register. Note that the conference PayPal system is currently down. You may mail a check or bring money with you to the event if you are eating at Aldersgate UMC.

Around the Conference

Join us in Prayer Through the Prayer Calendar

Prayer does not equip us for greater works; prayer is the greater work.
-Oswald Chambers

(Rev. John Weaver) - The Alabama-West Florida Conference is an instrument of grace and hope. We at the Town and Country Commission want to celebrate the churches, ministries, and agencies that make up this amazing conference and strengthen our connection through intentional prayer. To practice this intentionality, we invite everyone in our annual conference to participate in the prayer calendar and email. Each day two churches and clergy persons are highlighted for your prayers. Please pray for them (and if possible email them an encouraging word or two). More here.

Registration Opens for Summer Huntingdon Leadership Academy

Huntingdon College has opened registration for the 2016 Huntingdon Leadership Academy. Based on the success of last year's inaugural Academy, the 2016 program has been extended by one day. Pastors and youth ministers who serve United Methodist churches in the Alabama-West Florida and North Alabama Conferences of The United Methodist Church are invited to sponsor high school juniors and/or seniors to participate in the summer program, June 22–24. The Huntingdon Leadership Academy is designed to help students discern the various ways they may live out God's calling on their lives. Click here for more information.

Save the Date: Toxic Charity Author to Visit AWF

The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and Communities of Transformation will be hosting Robert Lupton, advocate of those living on the margins and author of the transformative book Toxic Charity, March 5-6, 2016. Lupton will be speaking on building fruitful ministry with the poor. He will be speaking on two separate occasions:
-March 5, 2016: Daphne UMC in Daphne, Alabama
-March 6, 2016: Aldersgate UMC in Montgomery, Alabama
These events are free of charge and open to the public – all churches, denominations, and communities are invited! For more information, contact Heather Allen at heather@awfumc.org or click here.

ARM Cycle of Service Seeks Riders and Sponsors

(ARM) - The 2016 ARM's Cycle of Service will be three days, three states, and 300 miles. If you like to cycle and make a difference at the same time, then join us or encourage someone to ride with us. From April 22-24th, we will launch our 7th annual ride across the heart of Alabama. Going from West Alabama to GA and back into Auburn, it promises to be a challenging and meaningful experience. Cyclists help raise $25,000 for home repair by gaining sponsors and can ride all three days or various legs of the journey. If you would like to ride or be a sponsor of a rider, please see the details on Active.com or the Cycle of Service website. Registration is $65 and closes on April 8th. Contact Lisa Pierce at lisa@arm-al.org or (334) 501-4276 ext 300 for details.

Connectional News

Seminary, College Agree on Early-admission Option

(Huntingdon College) - Huntingdon College President J. Cameron West and Duke Divinity School Dean Ellen F. Davis have signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the college and the divinity school. The MOU is entitled “Answering the Call: The Huntingdon College-Duke Divinity School Admission Pathway.” The agreement offers preferred consideration and an early admission decision to any Huntingdon religion student who has earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better and completes a DDS application for admission and an interview. Full release here.

Summer Ministry Opportunities in the Connection

M28 Camps: Don’t miss this group-changing summer youth event held at Lake Junaluska, NC. Rev. Patrick Quinn, of Frazer Memorial UMC, will be the speaker for one of the events, challenging students and their leaders to a life of discipleship through music, teaching, and activities through the theme, “Light Shine Bright”. Rev. Jay Cooper of Bay Minette FUMC said, “M28 was the perfect camp for our group because of its emphasis on worship and discipleship for both our students and leaders. Being at Lake J was an added bonus to connect our group with the Methodist family.”
Raise the Roof Project: Raise the Roof Project is a home repair ministry for the South Broad Street area of Mobile, AL, providing groups with an opportunity to deepen their faith through service to others. Summer opportunities include roof and home repair ministry for high school and college students and adults including awesome worship and evening discipleship. Click here for brochure.
Children's Caravan: The Auburn Wesley Foundation is bringing back Children’s Caravan this summer! Children’s Caravan is a three-day Bible school experience designed for churches with 30 or less children in kindergarten through 5th grades. If your church is interested, please email Patricia Stevenson, at the Auburn Wesley Foundation, at auwesley@bellsouth.net for more information.
Auburn Wesley Foundation’s Youth Caravan will be traveling the area again this summer, with exciting programs planned for youth groups for up through five days. Contact Patricia at auwesley@bellsouth.net.

Change Coming to General Conference Voting

(UMNS) - United Methodist leaders are hoping a change coming to the 2016 General Conference will make voting faster and possibly less stressful for delegates. For the first time, delegates will use handheld electronic devices to log their votes in legislative committees, just as they do during plenary sessions of the full General Conference. Essentially, the move means delegates will have secret ballots in both locations. Previously, the delegates in committee typically would vote legislation up or down by a show of hands. Legislative committees are the first stop for petitions at the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly, which will be May 10-20 in Portland, Oregon. The United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women requested the change after the agency’s monitors reported that delegates faced pressure from observers during the 2012 General Conference legislative sessions. “There was a concern that the atmosphere created a tense environment that had the capacity to cause a chilling effect on delegates,” said Dawn Wiggins Hare, the commission’s top executive and a General Conference delegate herself. More here.

Resources

2015 AWF Journal Available Through Amazon.com

The 2015 Journal is now available online for purchase through amazon.com. Copies are $25 and will ship directly to your preferred location. Click here to order the Journal.

BSC UM Scholarship Deadline Extended

Birmingham-Southern College is extending the priority deadline for United Methodist students to apply for denominational scholarships to March 1, 2016. United Methodist students are engaged with ministries in the college's community each semester as a part of the covenant for scholarship support. Students who are interested in applying for the Christian Vocation Scholarship may contact Laura Sisson in Church Relations at BSC, 205-226-4861 or lsisson@bsc.edu. Click here to find information on the BSC website.

One Great Hour of Sharing Resources

(UMNS) - United Methodist Communications is providing new resources for pastors and lay leaders to use in promoting One Great Hour of Sharing, which will be Sunday, March 6, this year. Offerings on this Special Sunday support the administrative costs of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. See resources.

GCFA Tax Packet

Once again, another W-2 deadline is here. If you are a pastor or treasurer and haven’t prepared your W-2's, because you are unsure about what to include, you may find this information helpful. Click here for more.

Events & Deadlines

Save the Date: 5-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation

This event will be October 16-21, 2016, at Camp McDowell and is sponsored by the AWF Conference, the North AL Conference, The Upper Room, and The Episcopal Diocese of AL. Faculty presenters are Dr. Amy Oden (Former Dean of Wesley Theological Seminary and Professor at St. Paul Seminary) and Bishop Kee Sloan (Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of AL). The theme is God’s Welcome - The Spirituality of Hospitality. Contact Pat Luna for more information.

Legislative Prayer Breakfast, February 11

One Day: “Loving and Laughing on the Way to Church", February 13

AC 2016 Resolutions & Petitions, February 15

Bishop's Confirmation Retreat, February 19-21

Bishop's Day Apart, February 22

Brochure of Reports Content, February 22

ERT Training Camden UMC, February 27

COT Hosts Robert Lupton, March 5-6

One Great Hour of Sharing, March 6

Wesley Heirs Spring Meeting, March 8-10

Lay Servant Training Academy, March 11-12

River Region Great Day of Service, March 12