April 27, 2016
In this issue …
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
2016 Appointment Announcements
Covenant Hills to be open for retreats
Rev. Anne Robertson will lead Bible study at Annual Conference
May 1 deadline to register for Annual Conference at the $100 rate
Greeters and other volunteers needed to AC 2016
Conference has new lockbox for Mission Shares, insurance payments
‘Tending the Fire’ small-group leader to retire
Are you called to be a church planter?
BU School of Theology visits Cuba
Historic stained glass windows available
Get resources for Peace with Justice Sunday
NE Branch of UM Credit Union closed May 9-16
EVENTS
CLASSIFIEDS
UMC.ORG NEWS
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
2016 Appointment Announcements
Appointments for 2016 are listed on the Conference website as they are received by the Communications office. Click here
Covenant Hills to be open for retreats
The Vermont Task Force on Camping/Retreat and Outdoor Ministries has worked with the Conference Trustees and the Covenant Hills Board/Site Committee to recommend that the site be open for retreats and other events during the summer 2016 season.
There will be no programming available, but churches and other groups may rent the facilities, including Faith Lodge, Taylor’s Barn, and any number of cabins for their retreat needs. A work day is scheduled for May 21 and the Task Force is seeking suggestions for ideas for the site going forward.
Learn more
Rev. Anne Robertson will lead Bible study at Annual Conference
A member of the New England Conference, Rev. Robertson is the author of “Exploring the Bible: The Dickinson Series” and executive director of the Massachusetts Bible Society. We talked with Rev. Robertson about the importance of biblical literacy.
Read more |
|
May 1 deadline to register for Annual Conference at the $100 rate
Those who register for Annual Conference after May 1 pay the late registration fee of $125. The deadline for online registration is June 1; after that, registrations will be done onsite. Deadline to register for a hotel is May 24. The dorm reservation deadline is extended to June 1.
Learn more at www.neumc.org/acsessions
Greeters and other volunteers needed to AC 2016
Greeters are needed for Wednesday and Thursday, June 15 and 16, at the Radisson Downtown in Manchester, NH. If you'd like to help out, please contact the New Hampshire District Office at (603) 225-3455 or nhdistrict@neumc.org.
Teller/Ushers needed Frances Camacho, head teller/usher at Annual Conference, is recruiting Teller/Ushers for this year's session. We have 10 signed up – thank you! And we could use five or six more volunteers. If you are willing to volunteer to be a teller/usher, contact Camacho via email at Frances.Camacho@ppsd.org
Medical Volunteers needed We are seeking volunteers with medical training who are willing to be “on call” during the Annual Conference session in case of a medical emergency. Nurses, EMTs or others with medical training who are willing to volunteer during the session are asked to contact Sessions Committee Chair Mark Monson Alley at markmonsonalley@gmail.com.
Conference has new lockbox for Mission Shares, insurance payments
In an effort to offer quicker posting times for your payments of Mission Shares and insurance, the New England Conference is switching lockbox companies. Payment information will now be available the next day. For more information, contact Steve Hart, Financial Services Manager, at shart@neumc.org or 978-682-8055 ext. 112.
Churches should submit all future Mission Share and Insurance payments to the new address:
New England Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church
P.O. Box 419371
Boston, MA 02241-9371
‘Tending the Fire’ small-group leader to retire
This spring, the Rev. Jerry Rardin will retire as a New England Parish Consultant and as a small-group leader of “Tending the Fire” trainings for clergy. Rev. Rardin has written a tribute to “Tending the Fire” in which he shares some of what he’s learned over the years.
Read “Thanks for the Fire"
|
|
“Tending the Fire” will be offered three times in 2016-17: In Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont. Click on the links to get more information or to register for the training.
Are you called to be a church planter?
New churches continue to be one of the most effective ways of reaching new people, younger people and more diverse people. The New England Conference of the United Methodist Church is planting new congregations almost every year. Our greatest challenge? Finding those called to this specialized ministry. Have you ever wondered if your gifts and graces align with the call to church planting? Are you interested in beginning a process of discernment?
The Church Planter Assessment Team of the NEC is accepting applications and is scheduling interviews for May 4, 2016. If you are interested in completing an application, or simply want to know more, contact Rick McKinley, Director of Congregational Development, at rickm@neumc.org.
BU School of Theology visits Cuba
Two members of the New England Conference, Rev. Nizzi Santos Digan and Rev. Dr. Cristian De La Rosa, were among those who traveled to Cuba March 29-April 4, 2016. Read excerpts from an account of the trip by Omar Brown, a student in the Masters program.
Read more
Historic stained glass windows available
A number of historic stained glass windows from the former Tremont Street Methodist Episcopal Church (now New Hope Baptist Church) in downtown Boston are available to interested churches or individuals.
The windows, installed in 1940, honor the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society (forerunner to the United Methodist Women) and New England Deaconess Association among others. Some of the windows have been claimed and some of the original dedications have been altered.
The windows are about 10’ high and 4’ wide, and are available at no cost other than shipping. Click this link to find detailed information about the windows.
If you have any questions or are interested in exploring the possibility of retrieving one of the windows, contact Pat Thompson Co-Chair of the NEUMC Commission on Archives and History, at pajt8817@aol.com or Maurice Cottman (from New Hope Baptist Church) at mlc5rus@yahoo.com.
Get resources for Peace with Justice Sunday
Peace with Justice Sunday is coming May 22, 2016. This Special Sunday of The United Methodist Church makes possible our ongoing ministries of peace and reconciliation. Ready-to-use resources are available to help congregations celebrate.
Get resources
NE Branch of UM Credit Union closed May 9-16
The New England Branch of the United Methodist Federal Credit Union will be closed May 9-16, 2016. The UMFCU California Headquarters is available weekdays from noon to 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at (800) 245-0433.
EVENTS
3rd Annual Eco-Creation event: A Day of Elemental Understanding
April 30 at Green St UMC, Augusta, ME
Exploring Systemic Racism Training
April 30 at St. Paul's UMC, Manchester, NH
May 7 at Hope.Gate.Way, Portland, ME
Mechuwana Senior Rally
April 29-May 1, Winthrop, ME; for youth in grades 9-12
Central MA Resource Day with Jim Harnish
April 30 at Charlton City UMC, Charlton, MA
Local Church History Workshop
April 30 at UMC, Tilton, NH
New Hampshire District Resource Day: Membership to Discipleship with Phil Maynard
May 7 at Plymouth UMC, Plymouth, NH
Tri-State Creative Worship Workshop
May 7 at Rockingham Church, Plaistow, NH; with Jason Moore of Midnight Oil Productions
Dismantling Racism
May 21 at Covenant UMC, East Hartford, CT
CLASSIFIEDS
Job Openings:
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
First UMC, Chatham, MA
Assistant Music Director
St. John's UMC, Dover, NH
Senior Director of Finance
Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, Atlanta, GA
Operations Manager
Carter Memorial UMC, Needham, MA
Director of LCKids' Ministries
Long’s Chapel UMC, Lake Junaluska, NC
Children and Families Ministries Director (part-time)
Wesley Foundation- A Boston/Cambridge Ministry of Higher Education Chaplain (full-time)
Harvard Epworth UMC, Cambridge, MA
Nursery Care Provider (part-time)
First UMC, Hudson, MA
Youth Group Leader (part-time)
Londonderry UMC, Londonderry, NH
Music Director & Organist
Highland Ave UMC, Gardiner, ME
Available:
Kaleidoscope Institute East Institute Spring 2016 - Holy Currencies: Stewardship 365
May 4-7 at Barbara Harris Conference Center, Greenfield, NH
Cape Cod Vacation Rental
West Dennis, MA
Wanted:
Schulmerich English Handbells
Epworth UMC, Worcester, MA
Mugs and Flatware
Mathewson St UMC, Providence, RI
UMC.ORG NEWS
Nearing a malaria goal before GC2016
With most of $75 million goal raised, United Methodists will celebrate how Imagine No Malaria has made a difference both inside and outside the church. Read More
What the church is doing about climate change
United Methodist concern for the environment, as reflected in legislative petitions, expands beyond individual acts to public policy change. Read More
Church, writers pay tribute to Prince for his music and his faith
A Tulsa United Methodist church posted a tribute within hours of the singer’s death, and it promptly went viral online. More
Texas flooding prompts relief work, prayers
Latest heavy rains have hit Houston, causing deaths and widespread flooding of buildings. Read More
