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Central E-LinkWeekly Newsletter of the Central Texas Conference
November 3, 2005 Welcome! This is the conference’s weekly update to church leaders — lay and clergy — for things you probably need to know. Information to be shared must be submitted to Carolyn@ctcumc.org by 4 p.m. Wednesday in order to be e-mailed on Thursday. Articles should be as brief with active links to websites or contact persons for details. Use this information for announcements, in church newsletters and/or bulletins. The E-Link and the Central Link newspaper are posted on the conference website at www.ctxumc.org. Read them online or download and copy to share with others. To add a colleague or church member to E-Link’s weekly distribution, send their addresses to susan@ctcumc.org.
— Editor: Carolyn Stephens Carolyn@ctcumc.org.
Shortcuts: Top News Events Resources Calendar Needs ______________________________________________________________________________ For worldwide news of our denomination click here! www.reporterinteractive.org
Near-Time Items
Mission Education Opportunity (repeat):
Renewal of the Graying Church (repeat) Renewal of the Graying Church: Is Discipling Elders Worth the Effort? is an event offered by the Central Texas Conference Mission Ministries Nurture Council and the Wesleyan Home in Georgetown. This event is just right for you if: • 25% or more of your congregation’s active membership is 45 or older • your community’s median age is 45 or higher • your congregation’s leaders still long to reach new people for Christ and His church • your congregation’s leaders believe meaningful life does not end at retirement • growing in discipleship is a life-long process • you are clergy or laity • you want to be part of the solution
Dr. Richard Gentzler, director of aging and older adult ministries for the General Board of Discipleship, and Dr. Dan Bonner, vice president for development at Wesleyan Homes, will lead the program from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 12 at Central UMC, Waco. Gentzler’s ministry involves providing resources and training support for leaders of midlife and older adult ministries. Bonner is an experienced pastor of renewing and growing congregations in which elders play important ministry roles. A brochure for this event is available on the conference website (www.ctxumc.org). If you have questions, contact Karen Granderson at 817-877-5222, 800-460-8622 or Karen@ctcumc.org.
Why settle for a “good” marriage when you can have a “great” marriage You can make the leap from just "good" to “great” on a weekend! Marriage Encounter is 44 hours where married couples can get away from jobs, kids, chores, and phones — and focus only on each other. If you'd like greater depth, growth, and enrichment in your relationship, you'll like the difference a Marriage Encounter weekend can make! The next Texas Methodist Marriage Encounter weekend in Irving is Nov. 11-13. Registration closes in early November, so a quick response is encouraged. For more information or to register, contact Russ & Linda Smariga at 817-337-8979 or e-mail to linda@smariga.com.
Dispelling Myths: Building Families
First UMC of Waxahachie (515 W. Marvin,
Waxahachie 75165) will join the Christian Coalition for Adoption
Awareness in co-sponsoring the
Dispelling Myths:Building Families workshop on Saturday,
Nov. 12. The keynote speaker will be nationally known author and
lecturer Dr. Randolph Severson with special guest Brendan Higgins,
Channel 5 NBC news anchor who is an adoptee himself. Registration and
continental breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m. with the workshop ending at
1:30 p.m. For registration information contact Karen Pfeifer, R.N., St.
Joseph's Catholic Church at 972-938-1953.
Lay Speaker Training (repeat) The Lay Speaking Ministries Basic Course will be offered in the Waco District Nov. 6, 13 and 19 at Bracks UMC, Waco. For more details on course focus, trainers and how to register, contact the district office at waco@ctcumc.org.
Happily Ever After (repeat) White’s Chapel UMC in Southlake requests the honor of your presence at a special bridal show, “Happily Ever After,” from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. There will be fashions and a wide variety of vendors to help brides in their wedding-related planning. For more details and registration, visit www.whiteschapelumc.org.
Junior High Youth Rally (repeat)
68º is a Junior High Youth Rally Nov. 11
and 12 at Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center. Registrations were e-mailed
to local churches and can be downloaded from the conference website at
www.ctcumc.org/youth.asp#68_Degrees.
The theme for this year’s event is “Finding God in the World.” Our
speaker is Adam Jungeblut and our music leader is Wayne Kerr, both from
the Houston area. For more information, please contact Doug Vaughn,
director of student ministries, at 800-460-8622, 817- 877-5222 or
doug@ctcumc.org. Return to Top
News
****Judicial decisions / Council of Bishops’ response**** Meeting last week in Houston, the UM Judicial Council issued two decisions related to the case of Rev. Ed Johnson, who was serving as senior pastor at South Hill (Virginia) UMC until he was placed on involuntary leave of absence in June. In Decision 1031, the Council said the pastor did not receive due process in how he was disciplined following his denial of membership to a gay man who had requested transfer of his membership from another denomination. In Decision 1032, the council’s ruling said that the church’s Book of Discipline “invests discretion in the pastor-in-charge to make determination of a person’s readiness to affirm the vows of membership.”
Following these decisions, the Council of Bishops released a pastoral letter to United Methodists around the globe. Bishop Ben Chamness joins the other bishops who acted unanimously in encouraging all our pastors to either read this letter in their churches on Sunday or to publish it in their church newsletters. “It speaks a word that we believe is very important in the life of The United Methodist Church in light of the recent rulings of the Judicial Council regarding the minister in Virginia who refused to allow a man to transfer his membership to a local United Methodist church because the man was a practicing homosexual,” states Bishop Chamness. “The United Methodist Church is a church of ‘open hearts, open minds, open doors.” This pastoral letter can also be found on the conference website at www.ctxumc.org.
A Pastoral Letter to the People of the United Methodist Church from the Council of Bishops
By grace you have been saved through faith. — Ephesians 2:8
Grace to you from Jesus Christ who calls his church to welcome all people into the community of faith as it proclaims the Gospel. The Judicial Council, our denomination’s highest judicial authority, recently issued a decision regarding a pastor’s refusing a gay man’s request for membership in the church. In the case, this man was invited to join the choir at the United Methodist Church in the community. As he became more active in the choir and the church, he asked to transfer his membership from another denomination to The United Methodist Church. Because he is a practicing homosexual, the pastor refused to receive him into church membership. The Judicial Council upheld the pastor’s refusal of membership.
While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier. With the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church we affirm: “That God’s grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in Christian community. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.” (Para. 161g, 2004 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church)
We also affirm our Wesleyan practices that pastors are accountable to the bishop, superintendent, and the clergy on matters of ministry and membership.
The United Methodist Church is committed to making disciples of Jesus Christ with all people. We, the bishops of the Church, uphold and affirm that the General Conference has clearly spoken through the denomination’s Constitution on inclusiveness and justice for all as it relates to church membership: “The United Methodist Church acknowledges that all persons are of sacred worth. All persons without regard to race, color, national origin, status, or economic condition, shall be eligible to attend its worship services, participate in its programs, receive the sacraments, upon baptism be admitted as baptized members, and upon taking the vows declaring the Christian faith, become professing members in any local church in the connection.” (Article IV, Constitution of The United Methodist Church)
We believe the ministry of the local church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is to help people accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We call upon all United Methodist pastors and laity to make every congregation a community of hospitality. — Nov. 2, 2005, Lake Junaluska, NC
This message is available on the conference website at www.ctxumc.org and additional information and background is available at www.umc.org.
Messages from conference humanitarian services director Jennifer Coggins THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROSITY! Once again, CTC churches collected vital relief supplies for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Thanks to all who contributed their time and resources. We collected over 2100 health kits and 225 flood buckets, as well as school kits, blankets, water and diapers. David Hill, a member of FUMC Keller, delivered the supplies to UMCOR’s Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, LA, where the truckload was gratefully received.
Smokeout The Great American Smokeout is Nov. 17, and the American Cancer Society offers resources to help people quit and opportunities to advocate for smokefree policies. For more information visit www.cancer.org/docroot/SPC/spc_0.1.asp. Call 1-877-YES-QUIT to get help quitting, and please support smokefree policies.
Youth director at Wesley Wesley Memorial UMC, Cleburne, welcomes to their staff as director of youth Katie Slaten, a student at Texas Wesleyan University.
Texas Church & Society statement The following is a statement by the Texas Conference Board of Church & Society. Statement in Opposition to Proposition 2 to Amend the Texas Constitution
First, do no harm.... (John Wesley: 2004 United Methodist Book of Discipline, ¶101: Doctrine and Discipline in the Christian Life, p. 48)
In November the people of Texas will be asked to vote on an amendment to our Bill of Rights of the State Constitution "providing that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage."
While we acknowledge the theological disagreement within The United Methodist Church on the subject of homosexuality in general, our United Methodist Discipline unambiguously commits The United Methodist Church to the support of the civil rights of homosexual persons.
"Certain basic human rights and civil liberties are due all persons. We are committed to supporting these rights and liberties for homosexual persons. We see a clear issue of simple justice in protecting their rightful claims where they have shared material resources, pensions, guardian relationships, mutual powers of attorney, and other such lawful claims typically attendant to contractual responsibilities and equal protection before the law." (¶162H, 2004 United Methodist Book of Discipline)
Proposition 2 denies the very civil rights we as a church support. If passed, it would have harmful consequences extending far beyond a definition of marriage. As United Methodists in Texas, we believe it is important to defeat this proposed amendment and urge all United Methodists to prayerfully support the position of our church, defending the civil rights of many of our families, friends and neighbors, by voting against Proposition 2.
New office location for Brownwood District
As of Monday, Oct.31, the Brownwood
District office will be relocated at Pecan Square Place. The new address
is 311 N. Center Ave., Suite 300, located across from the Brown County
Courthouse. The mailing address and phone numbers remain the same:
Brownwood District UMC
Office, 311 N. Center Ave., Suite 300, PO Box 1665, Brownwood
76804-1665. 325/646-8223 800/646-8223 325/646-1600 (fax)
Return to Top Events-Opportunities
Large Church Initiative The Large Church Initiative and Cokesbury’s Worship Connection invite worship teams and other interested persons to a worship conference designed just for large churches. The event will be Jan. 17-19, 2006 at First UMC, Grapevine. Updated information is available at www.worshipconnection.com.
There will be a Small Group Leadership Workshop Saturday, Nov. 12, (8 a.m.-12:00 noon) at Arborlawn UMC in southwest Fort Worth. Make a difference in your congregation! This Group Publishing workshop is specifically designed for pastors and small group directors and leaders. Lunch will be served. Register online at www.group.com/sgl or call 800-888-5991. For more information or directions to Arborlawn, contact Judy Williamson or Sherry Roth, 817-731-0701.
Canned food drive for Tarrant Area Food Bank A canned food drive will be held Nov. 12 at the Texas Christian University’s football game (TCU v. UNLV at 6 p.m.) benefiting the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Three cans of food = coupon for: Buy one ticket, get ONE FREE (any available seats). For every 3 cans you get a coupon good for “buy one ticket, get one free” ticket to the UNLV game. Food will be used to replenish the Food Bank supply for the upcoming holidays. Look for Tarrant Area Food Bank truck in Frog Alley (close to the East side ticket office) and bring your canned goods to get your coupon. This event is sponsored by the Wesley Foundation at TCU -United Methodist Campus Ministry and the TCU Athletic Department. For more information call or e-mail: 817-924-5639 or methodist@tcu.edu.
United Community Centers Christmas fundraiser (repeat) United Community Centers, Inc., a national mission institution of the UMC located in Tarrant County, is selling Christmas cards to benefit UCC’s programs for children and families. Each package of 12 cards has inspirational photos of six Tarrant County churches (2 photos each) or you can purchase a package of 12 cards of one church. These churches are First UMC of Fort Worth, First UMC of Hurst, St. Andrews UMC Fort Worth, All Saints Episcopal Church Fort Worth, First Presbyterian Fort Worth, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Keller. $15 per package. To sell or purchase the Christmas Cards, please contact Susie Reyes at 817.927.5556, x115 or sreyes@unitedcommunitycenters.org. To view the cards, visit www.unitedcommunitycenters.org.
Singles book study at St. Barnabas The Singles of St. Barnabas UMC in Arlington will begin a book study at 7 p.m. Tuesdays starting Jan. 10. Single adults in the area are invited to join the group. Free childcare will be provided. The goal is to connect with other singles and form more Christian friendships while growing in our walk with God and others. E-mail Sheila@sbumc.org for more information and to indicate interest in this type of activity.
Lay Speaker event next February (repeat) Training is planned for United Methodists who wish to become lay speakers and lay speakers who wish to fulfill renewal requirements. Lay Speakers who have not taken a basic or an advance course since February 2003 should sign up for one of the advanced courses. Basic and advanced courses will be available, all held at Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center in Glen Rose. Applications can be attained through the district direct of lay speaker ministry or online at www.ctxumc.org.
Friday, 2-24-06 — registration starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, 2-25-06 — all day instruction Sunday, 2-26-05 — check out by 1 p.m.
Sexual Harassment Misconduct Prevention Training (repeat) The next Central Texas Conference-sponsored Sexual Harassment Misconduct Prevention Training will be March 18 at St. Andrews UMC in Fort Worth at 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is recommended that clergy, local church staff, district office staff, church daycare/nursery workers, staff/parish relations committees, campus ministry staff and all volunteers should attend this workshop if you have not already completed the October training event.
This experience will help people define and understand sexual harassment and misconduct. The presenters will provide information that will help individuals be better aware of issues of power and misuse of power, and be able to identify unethical conduct/potential abusive situations within ministerial relationships. The cost is $25 for the workbook (at least one per five people is recommended) and $7.50 for lunch. If you have questions, please contact Susan Briles at 800-460-8622, 817-877-5222 or susan@ctcumc.org.
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Resources
The church’s brave new worship world http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=14978 What happens when a church goes wireless? What will be the impact on worship, choirs, congregational singing, Sunday school, the church budget? Will hymnals disappear from the pews? Find out what happens when satellite-delivered Internet comes to your sanctuary. Source: Dean McIntyre, director of music resources, General Board of Discipleship
UM church lay retirement benefits http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=14971 Many of our church workers — musicians, education directors, secretaries, custodians, and others — serve the church without benefits. The local church may pay them a salary, but all too often does not offer retirement benefits. The 2004 General Conference passed legislation directing Pastor-Parish (Staff-Parish) Relations Committees to recommend to the church council a retirement benefit for lay employees. Here are answers to frequently asked questions as well as contacts for additional information. Source: Dean McIntyre, director of music resources, General Board of Discipleship
2005 Advent wreath candleighting (repeat) http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=15104 A new resource from Dean McIntyre, director of music resources at the General Board of Discipleship: This set of brief meditations and scriptures may be used in lighting the candles of the Advent wreath in worship at church or home. Each meditation uses one of the 2005 lectionary readings for that day. The readings are divided into sections that may be assigned to various people participating, including children. A suggested hymn from both The United Methodist Hymnal and The Faith We Sing is provided, as an option, to conclude each meditation.
Resource Center new arrival New resources highlighted at the Conference Resource Center this week are described below. For these and many more resources, contact Carol Roszell at 817-877-5222 or 800-460-8622.
New Beginnings: The Gifts of Aging. DVD. Discipleship Resources. This shows creative ministries involving older adults. Mission opportunities, teaching, and service abound in the stories told on film. This can spark creative ideas for your church’s ministries with older adults. 2005. 20 minutes.
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— Looking Ahead — UM VIM training — Nov. 5 at First UMC, Mansfield Lay Speaking Ministries Basic Course — Nov. 6, 13 and 19 at Bracks UMC, Waco Marriage Encounter — Nov. 11-13 at White’s Chapel UMC, Southlake 68º Junior High Youth Rally — Nov. 11-12 at Glen Lake Camp Renewal of the Graying Church — Nov. 12 at Central UMC, Waco Zimbabwe Orphans Endeavor (ZOE) — Nov. 13 at University UMC, Fort Worth Alarga Walk to Emmaus — Nov. 17-20, 2005 event postponed to Nov. 16-19, 2006 at Glen Lake Camp United Methodist Student Day — Nov. 27 Metropolitan Board of Mission “Gift of Love” annual fundraiser — Dec. 3 ( 5:30-8:30 p.m.) at Meadowbrook UMC, Fort Worth Congress on Evangelism — Jan. 3-6 at The Opryland Hotel, Nashville Hurst 3D Youth presentation: Pressure Points — Jan. 15 at First Hurst UMC Conference Lay Speaker Annual Training Event — Feb. 24-26 at Glen Lake Camp, Glen Rose Spring Board of Ministry interviews — March 27-29, 2006 at Glen Lake Camp
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Needs, Resources, Opportunities
Glen Lake Camp &
Retreat Center director
Small Wurlitzer Organ
Available
Children’s Church
Coordinator
Hispanic Ministry
Coordinator/Youth Coordinator
Youth Director
Mother's Day Out
Director
Volunteer Tutors H.O.P.E. Tutoring Center, Inc. in Arlington is in need of volunteers to commit one to two hours a week to tutor 4th through 8th graders. Interested persons will receive an orientation and may contact Amanda Burns, volunteer-student coordinator at 817-860-7757 or coordinator.hope@sbcglobal.net. For more information about the program, please visit the organization’s website at www.hopetutoring.com.
Secretary/Receptionist
Part-time Organist First UMC in Midlothian seeks a part-time organist. Responsibilities include service playing for two Sunday morning worship services (8:30 and 11 a.m.) and all special services (Christmas Eve, Good Friday, etc.) as well as accompaniment of the adult Chancel Choir on Wednesday evening rehearsals. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications, but will most likely be in the area of $11,000. Please submit resume and any other appropriate supporting documentation to: Organist Search, First UMC, 800 S. Ninth St., Midlothian 76065. Return to Top
If you know someone in your church, district or even outside the Central Texas Conference who might appreciate receiving this weekly electronic newsletter — or to unsubscribe your own listing — contact Susan Briles at Susan@ctcumc.org |
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