July 17, 2018/Volume 17, No. 11

Conference News

Charge Conference Forms Now Available

2018 Charge Conference Forms are now available online. You may access them through this link or go to our home page and click on the link under Quick Links. Should you have questions, please contact your district office . Click here to access forms.

Birmingham-Southern College named top 20 best-value college

Birmingham-Southern College has been named one of the 20 best-value colleges and universities in the United States by the 2019 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges, Fiske announced Tuesday, July 10. Fiske focused on BSC’s strong academics, campus life, and its recent tuition reset, which gained national attention for responding to families’ concerns about skyrocketing and confusing college pricing. “In an effort to be more transparent about out-of-pocket costs, this leading Deep South liberal arts college has reset tuition and fees back to 2002 levels – decreasing these costs by more than half,” the guide reads. More here.

Sexual Ethics Training Registration Now Live

All clergy in the Alabama-West Florida Conference should mark their calendars for one of the below dates and locations for the Quadrennial Sexual Ethics Requirement, sponsored by the AWF Board of Ordained Ministry. Dates and locations are as follows (choose one event to attend):
Saturday, August 25 at The Vision Center, Mobile
Monday, August 27 at St. James UMC, Montgomery
Tuesday, August 28 at FUMC Dothan
Click here for details and to register.

Around the Conference

Alabama church ‘gathers at the river’ every summer for five decades

(Alabama Newscenter) - Every summer for the past 50 years, people have gathered to worship Sundays on the banks of Lake Mitchell. Back in the summer of ‘69, “River Church” started as a way to draw boaters and lake-goers to worship. The Rev. Johnnie Trobaugh got the idea after asking young people why they were missing church. “It was all begun because Pastor Johnnie used to ask some of the young folks why they wouldn’t come to church in the summer, and they would say that they were on the river,” said Wes Kelley, co-pastor of Clanton First United Methodist Church. “He lived on the river as well and said, ‘All right, we are going to start having a service on my boathouse.’” Kelley and his wife, Meghan, serve as co-pastors of Clanton FUMC, which organizes River Church as a community outreach each summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Full feature here. Photo courtesy of Wynter Byrd/Shorelines.

Alabama Rural Ministry Hosts Works Teams Over Summer Break

Over the past five weeks (and two more to go), Alabama Rural Ministry (ARM) has hosted several youth mission teams engaged in home repair and children’s ministry. The following churches from our Annual Conference have sent teams: Demopolis UMC, Thomasville UMC, Tallassee UMC, Trinity UMC-Fort Walton, Auburn UMC and Mary Esther UMC. ARM also had teams from our friends in North Alabama: Fayette UMC, Gracepoint from Mt. Olive (Birmingham) and Birmingham Cooperative (Highlands UMC). Out of state teams have come from Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Texas. The twelve mission interns hosting the teams are engaged in their college ministries and five are part of Wesley Foundations! The connectional system is certainly at work. More here.

Students Discern Call to Ministry in HLA 2018

(Huntingdon College) - Twenty-one high school students from 15 regional churches participated in the Huntingdon Leadership Academy at Huntingdon College, June 24–29. The students, from rising high school sophomores to seniors, devoted their week to vocational discernment. Most of the students expressed feeling called to ordained or lay ministry vocations. Others were considering careers in nursing, teaching, or engineering, as examples, but wanted to stay connected to their faith communities and to their call to follow Christ. Full story here.

Wesley Place on Honeysuckle Earns National Quality Award

(Methodist Homes) - The American Health Care Association (AHCA) released the results of its 2018 quality awards and Wesley Place on Honeysuckle was one of only 9 facilities in Alabama to be awarded the 2018 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award. The distinction is the first of three progressive award levels through the National Quality Award Program, presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). The program honors association members across the country that have demonstrated their dedication to improving quality of care for seniors and persons with disabilities. Full story here.

Post-conference Survey Seeks Your Annual Conference Feedback

The planning for Annual Conference 2019 has already begun. Details and the agenda for next year's session are greatly influenced from the feedback given to the planning team from the survey. Please take a few minutes to tell us your thoughts on conference through this survey link. Thank you for your participation and time. We appreciate it!

Connectional News

Judicial Council Releases October Docket

(UMNS) - A request by the United Methodist Council of Bishops for a ruling on the constitutionality of three legislative plans heading to the 2019 special General Conference is among the docket items being considered this fall by the denomination’s top court. Judicial Council will meet Oct. 23-26 in Zurich, Switzerland. Click here to see docket. Click here to see the letter from Bishop Cynthia Harvey to the Judicial council and the request on the oral hearing of this case (including the three proposed church models).

UMC bishops praise God for the release of three missionaries from Philippines

(COB) - The bishops of The United Methodist Church are praising God that all three of the young UMC missionaries detained by in the Republic of the Philippines have been allowed to leave that country and are now safely reunited with their families. American Adam Shaw reached his parents’ home in Brunswick, Ohio, on July 4; Zimbabwean Tawanda Chandiwana landed in his home country of Zimbabwe on July 6; and Malawian Miracle Osman was allowed to leave to and join her parents in Malawi on July 11. Chandiwana had been incarcerated for eight weeks, while Osman and Shaw were prohibited from leaving by intentional government visa and passport red tapes. All three are mission personnel of United Methodist Global Ministries. Full release here.

Commission reverses special session registration fees

(UMCOM) - Thanks to a $450,000 grant from United Methodist Communications (UMCOM) and budget reductions identified by the General Council of Finance and Administration (GCFA) and General Conference staff, there will be no registration fees for the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference. The Commission on the General Conference voted this week to rescind the registration fees after United Methodist Communications agreed to provide $450,000 to cover communication-related needs outside the scope of their responsibility that would normally come from the General Conference budget. Any remaining shortfall could be covered through budget reductions recommended to the Commission on the General Conference and revenue from ministry partnerships. Full release here.

ERT Help Needed–Rio Texas Conference

The Rio Texas Conference is in need of our assistance. On June 20 and 21, torrential rain hit the Rio Grande Valley in the Rio Texas Conference. Over 7,000 homes were affected by the flood. ERT teams are needed to assist with the clean-up. Teams from any conference are welcome and should register at https://riotexasresponse.org/volunteer-for-ert/. More information here.

Resources

New back to school resources

(UMCOM) - As a new school year begins, families will be searching for community connections as they settle into a routine. Reach out to your neighbors with back to school resources! Banners, postcards and invitation cards are available in a variety of designs and two languages. The customizable tools will help you build awareness of worship services, events and activities for students of all ages. While supplies last, use code F18UMC200 to get $200 discount on your order! More here.

Looking for Adult Education Studies for Fall?

(Lewis Center) - The Lewis Center is the home of the Wesley Ministry Network–insightful video-based ecumenical studies that encourage energetic discussion and personal reflection. Ideal for your congregation's small groups, adult Bible studies, and Sunday School classes, courses include video lessons, leader's guides, participant's guides, and more. Learn more here.

LIVE Q&A: Social media for churches

(UMCOM) - Telling your church’s story online provides an opportunity to connect with people who are searching for deeper meaning in life. In fact, recent research revealed that 83 percent of spiritual seekers use social media every day! Join us for a free social media Q&A on July 26 at noon Central time; this live learning session is a continuation of the Social Media Q&A held earlier this year, and is a further opportunity to answer your remaining questions about Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. More here.