News

3/26/2015

Ansley Brackin Communications Specialist Buford First UMC’s youth program, F.L.A.M.E. has completed the second edition of their Lent devotional. While working at Tucker First UMC, Suzanne Clegg became inspired by a devotional that the congregation created during Advent season. Now, as Buford First’s Student Ministry Director, she decided to follow in their footsteps and make a Lent devotional written almost completely by youth. “It’s great to get youth to focus on something serious,” says ...

3/19/2015

ELI helps 11-12th graders discover strengths, practice leadership, explore calling...   ELI End-Of-Summer Celebration Video 2014 From Glisson's Thursday Mail Call: What if instead of saying youth are the future of the Church, we realized they're a key part of its present? What if we gave high schoolers a chance to discover their natural strengths, learn leadership theories, practice leadership skills, and explore their calling? And what if that chance could be two parts: a ...

2/23/2015

Fun Fact About Sam Halverson  I love to cook for my family and friends and love eating in local places almost as much. Many would call me a “coffee snob” (but only before 1 p.m.).   What services does your position offer to local Churches? As one of the Associate Directors of Connectional Ministries I serve as a resource for congregations. As a person who has had over 30 years of experience in leading youth ministry in local churches I focus most of my work on youth and young adult ...

2/13/2015

Children’s Ministry Connection held their 2nd workshop session of their 2014/2015 school year on Saturday, February 7th, at Griffin First UMC. The event featured writer, Sybil MacBeth, author of Praying in Color, who spoke of how anyone could pray creatively, regardless of artistic talent or age. MacBeth shared examples of her own prayer drawings. Her process usually begins with write a name, either a name for God or the name of someone she is praying for. From there she doodles abstract ...

2/8/2015

Scout Oath “On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” By Ansley Brackin Communications Specialist Mount Pisgah UMC of Johns Creek recently honored the success of Fran Gillis; a man who has been the Scoutmaster for Troop 629 since 1999. Gillis celebrated the one hundredth Eagle Scout under his mentorship, Sunday, February 1st, 2015. The ...

1/20/2015

Three-plus packed days of inspiring speakers and top-flight Christian musical artists await youth and youth leaders who attend YOUTH 2015 in June, but the deadline early bird registration is just a few days away. The best possible price for the national gathering for United Methodist youth is available only until Jan. 31. The event, scheduled for June 24-28 at the Orlando World Center Marriott, is sponsored by Young People’s Ministries (YPM), a division of Discipleship Ministries. YOUTH 2015 ...

1/13/2015

Fun Fact About Debby Fox I was a centerfold!  No, not that kind! A national magazine for teachers featured my class and me as their centerfold poster, “A Day in the Life of a Teacher.”  What services does your position offer to local Churches?   I am delighted to offer training, consulting and coaching to clergy and laity in local churches in the areas of Christian Education, faith formation, Children’s Ministry, Safe Sanctuaries, leadership and ministry program development. I can ...

12/5/2014

Are there youth in your congregation with leadership potential and gifts? If there are youth in your congregation, that's likely a "yes"! Take a look at these four excellent opportunities to strengthen young leaders: 1. Apply for ELI (Experiential Leadership Institute) ELI stands for Experiential Leadership Institute, and it's available to rising 11th and 12th graders in your church. The commitment involves two weeks at the beginning of the summer (in 2015 ELI is looking for 100 teens from ...

12/4/2014

More than 100 college and seminary students from the North Georgia Conference received scholarships from the United Methodist Church's General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in the 2014-2015 school year.  In addition to the dozens of scholarships available from GBHEM, several students from North Georgia United Methodist churches attending UM-related institutions applied for and received a Conference Merit Award scholarship thanks to the generosity of North Georgia Conference churches ...

11/10/2014

Thank you to all the churches that have collected the 2014 Amazing Grace Offering for the UM Children's Home. Please read and share the following update from the Children's Home. God’s Amazing Grace has definitely been shining on The United Methodist Children’s Home in 2014, and we want to recognize just a few churches who have really stepped up the pace in donations! We are appreciative to each and every church who has taken or plans to take the Amazing Grace Offering (it’s not too late!) for ...

10/29/2014

On Sunday, October 26th Chapel Hill UMC of Rome will uniquely celebrate Rev. Ken Kulp’s 80th birthday by watching him sky dive alongside the church's senior pastor Rev. Rich Griffith. Kulp, who retired in 1998, accepted the call to return to his last appointed congregation as a co-pastor with Griffith this June. He has enjoyed working with his fellow pastor so much that he asked him join him in completing this bucket list item. As they collect courage for the big event, taking place at 3p.m. ...

10/16/2014

Glisson Camp and Retreat Center shared the following email announcement today. Congratulations, Glisson! You did it! Congratulations, Glisson Family: We Did It! If you have made a pledge, given a gift, told a friend, told a stranger, recruited your church, or recruited your friend's church ...boy, have we got good news for you: WE DID IT! If there's a member of the extended Glisson family within shoutin' distance, give them a holler! Better yet, a high five! Sing a round of "My Friend" ...

9/25/2014

Join Craig Kennet Miller in a six part series on iKids: Parenting in the Digital Age. Each hour session will focus on how our digital culture is influencing the live of iKids and their families. The sessions are based on iKids: Parenting in the Digital Age and Six Values for the Digital Age Group Study. These webinars are offered at no cost by Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church and will be recorded and archived for later viewing. To sign up or find more information, visit h...

9/8/2014

Bob Bruder-Mattson President and CEO The United Methodist Children’s Home God’s amazing grace weaves through all our shared experiences here at the United Methodist Children’s Home.   We saw it a few weeks ago when a three-year-old child arrived to us at 1 a.m. to be placed into one of our foster homes. He wore clothes that were way too big and shoes that were way too small. We didn’t have anything in storage that fit him, and because of the late hour, no stores were open. When we shared our ...

9/8/2014

It’s the Last Week to Register for Fam Fest! Join the Children’s Home to Celebrate All Families at Six Flags Over Georgia It’s the last week to purchase tickets for Fam Fest, the United Methodist Children’s Home celebration of foster children and the families who open their homes to them. The event takes place at Six Flags Over Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 20. Purchase your discounted tickets until Sept. 12 at https://www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia/store/tickets (enter promo code UMCH). For more ...

9/8/2014

There are many ways to keep up-to-date on the latest Children’s Home news, success stories and updates! Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/umchildrenshome Follow us on Twitter: @umchildrenshome Sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletter: https://www.facebook.com/umchildrenshome/app_100265896690345. Visit our website: www.umchildrenshome.org.    And be sure to check out the latest Signposts online: http://unitedmethodistchildrenshome.org/signposts/2014/summer

9/8/2014

Latrena Martin drove from Texas to Atlanta with her three children and the promise of a new start. She had accepted a full-time job and had an apartment lined up. But upon her arrival to the city, the job offer was unexpectedly rescinded, and her apartment was not ready. The family stayed in a hotel, but then money ran out and the apartment fell through too. Within two weeks of her arrival to Atlanta, her family was in the scary situation of sleeping in their car in a parking lot.   Latrena had ...

9/8/2014

Lora Petersheim always will remember the baby that broke her heart and helped her overcome fear of becoming a foster parent. A nurse, she was taking care of two babies in a neonatal intensive care unit. One had an adopted home, and throughout the day family members visited, brought gifts, laughed and spoke happily about bringing the baby home. The other baby was in the custody of the state. “There were no gifts, no phone calls, no signs of love for that baby,” said Lora. “When the infant was ...

9/8/2014

The United Methodist Children’s Home serves children and families across North Georgia through our top-rated foster care and independent living programs, as well as our family housing cottages where families get the support they need to thrive. Watch our latest video to learn more about these efforts: http://www.umchildrenshome.org/2014/08/14/aug-14-2014-changing-lives/

8/19/2014

By Ansley Brackin Communications Specialist of The North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church Dunwoody UMC held its third food packaging event with Stop Hunger Now on Saturday, August 16. Named "Foodstock 2014," the event had a goal of packaging 300,000 meals -- a goal the church exceeded with 303,224 meals by 6 p.m. Dunwoody has now packaged a grand totally of 1,004,942 meals with Stop Hunger Now since October 2010 where their first event brought in about 30,000 meals. The ...