5 Areas of Focus

The North Georgia Conference has claimed our core values and named five areas of transformational disciple-making that are most essential to our mission.

Values

As United Methodist Christians in North Georgia, we value:

Integrity
We will walk with integrity in Christ and build trust with each other through transparency, honesty, and accountability. As commanded in Jesus’ sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:37, our yes will be yes and our no will be no.

Courage
With courage, we will innovate and adapt, repent and repair, and live out our historic faith as a prophetic witness. When we risk failure or threat for the sake of the Gospel, we will not fear. For Christ has conquered the world. So be at peace, and take good courage. (John 16:33)

Inclusion
Christ welcomes All to the Table. Therefore, so we will. We will remove our prejudicial blinders & barriers, and see each other through the eyes of baptism (Gal 3:28). We will celebrate the beauty of our diversity: for we are the body of Christ, and each one of us is a part of it (1 Cor 12).

Connection
As Wesleyan Christians, we will live and love as one church in limitless missional expressions. As Jesus himself prayed on our behalf in John chapter 17, verses 22-23, our oneness will be our witness.

Transformation
Drawing from Paul’s words in Romans chapter 12 - that we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds and by devoting ourselves to the difficult, holy work of living as Christ’s church - we will seek God’s preferred future for our neighbor as for ourselves. Sanctify us, O God. Perfect us in Your love.

5 Areas of Focus

In the North Georgia Conference, we want to Be Disciples Who Make Disciples devoted to these 5 areas of focus:

#1 Scriptural Literacy and Imagination
Our ability to experience the Word, Christ, through the pages of Christian scripture is at the very center of our United Methodist practice of faith. Scriptural literacy, the ability to access the Bible’s stories, narratives, poetry, fables, parables, history, prophecy, and exposition, is an essential part of our work to both be disciples and to make disciples.
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#2 Health and Wellbeing
These next few years, we commit to helping increase access to mental health support, increasing conversation around wellbeing, and helping communities move toward flourishing. Wellbeing is both individual and communal. We need healthy pastors to lead congregations. We need healthy congregations to nurture discipleship. We need healthy discipleship to lead to transformation of communities. And we need to recognize that serious disparity and stigma exists in access to these resources.
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#3 Community Engagement
United Methodist Christians proclaim the good news of God's grace and exemplify Jesus's command to love God and love neighbor. We believe that Christ will help us become disciples who make disciples by engaging with our communities.
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#4 Racial Justice and Healing
The ultimate goal for anti-racism for the Christian must be community. This is why Dr. King taught about the Beloved Community. The beloved community does not allow injustice to remain. It pursues justice to correct the wrongs and also seeks to heal the wounds caused by the injustice. When community is the goal, the means used to achieve justice matter. The methods used must not prevent healing from being possible. This is why this focus area is called Racial Justice and Healing. Racial Justice and Healing is the pathway to Beloved Community.
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#5 New Faith Opportunities and Communities
We have experienced rapid changes in our culture in the last few years. We have all witnessed the staggering effects of isolation on the mental health and well-being. People are seeking community and meaningful connection. Yet more than 60% of our neighbors do not have a connection to a vibrant faith community. The North Georgia Conference addressing this need and hunger by intentionally cultivating new faith communities for the purpose of moving people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
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Church of Excellence Awards

As an invitational challenge to engage with these focus areas, the Office of Connectional Ministries has developed awards to recognize churches that embrace at least one of the five areas of focus.

Each Award has three award levels to recognize churches just beginning to engage this focus, those who have practical experience in this area and seek to deepen their engagement further, and churches who have committed themselves to this work as a defining way of living Christian faith as a congregation.

We invite your church to discern which area is most embodied by your church... or which area is a growing edge that you would like to develop!

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