News

9/23/2014

By Rachel Reiff Ellis Stewardship campaign season is a time of nurturing generous giving within our congregations. But there’s an angle you may not have considered as you craft your stewardship messages: Mindful use of resources as a means for stretching donated dollars to their fullest.   The word “steward” means “caretaker,” or “custodian.” As caretakers of our church facilities we have the opportunity to model Creation care to the larger community. But can an intentional focus on ...

9/22/2014

We have a reporter live on the scene as North Georgia United Methodists anticipate the refresh of Connectional Cafe.  Connectional Cafe is the training resource for North Georgia Conference churches, groups of churches, and districts. At the website www.ngumc.org/cafe, visitors will find more than 100 workshops led by North Georgia Conference laity and clergy. There is no cost and the workshops are adaptable to meet your needs.    Learn more about Connectional Cafe in this fun video. Do you ...

9/3/2014

Bishop Mike Watson announced today the appointment of Rev. Scott Parrish to a new position as Associate Director of Connectional Ministries for Missions.   This position was created in partnership with the General Board of Global Ministries and the Conference Office of Connectional Ministries. The appointment is effective October 1, 2014.   "Essentially it is two part-time positions woven together to form one full-time position, with both positions focused on a common ministry: the advancement ...

3/25/2014

You are invited to pull a chair up to the table and share a deepening understanding of scripture and God's call to faithful life in Jesus. Covenant Bible Study has arrived in North Georgia.  The North Georgia Conference is hosting several Covenant Bible Study preview experiences in the coming months.  Each of these previews are two and one half hour sessions designed to help participants learn how to successfully lead and/or implement Covenant Bible Study in their congregations. Register here....

10/7/2013

Exploration 2013 is a three-day event for young adults age 18-26 to hear, discern, and respond to God’s call to ordained ministry and to explore their gifts for service as a deacon or elder in The United Methodist Church. This event, sponsored by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, will be held Nov. 15-17 in Denver, Colorado. Registration is open at www.explorecalling.org/exploration. Rev. Jasmine Smothers, Associate Director of Connectional Ministries, will be MC for the ...

8/15/2013

Rev. Debby Fox will join the staff of the North Georgia Conference Office of Connectional Ministries on Sept. 9 in the role of Associate Director of Connectional Ministries. Her emphasis will be on children's ministry and church training. Currently the Pastor of Christian Education and Discipleship at Gainesville First UMC, Fox brings with her much experience in teaching and training. "Rev. Fox, a professional Christian Educator, will bring deep conference experience and broad Christian wisdom ...

4/4/2013

The denomination-wide Native American Sunday is April 14, but churches may celebrate and collect the special offering any time. The first priority for this offering in the North Georgia Conference is to assist Native American students with their college costs. This offering is an investment in students such as: Kyle and Skye Wilkins, two Lumbee student recipients, are members of Zoar UMC. They will speak at their church on Native American Sunday. They are also leading an UMVIM mission trip to ...

2/1/2013

By GLENN HANNIGAN      Do you know someone in the North Georgia Conference who has a particular passion or special gift for evangelism? Nominations are being accepted for the Harry Denman Evangelism Awards, which seek to recognize one youth, one lay person and one clergy person from the conference each year.     The Harry Denman Evangelism Awards honor people whose lives exemplify the teaching of Christ and the Great Commission. Denman, founder of The Foundation for Evangelism, played a special ...

1/29/2013

In the Jan/Feb edition of New World Outlook Magazine, Edgar Avitia writes about how the General Board of Global Ministries and Methodists in Latin America are creating strategic plans for ministry. "Building a mutual relationship was much more important than building a row of churches," says Avitia.  In the exerpt below he tells the story of how the North Georgia Conference has partnered with Methodist churches in El Salvador: Redefining Partnerships Some of our efforts in redefining ...

1/29/2013

Thirty-six pastors and lay leaders from El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras attended a four-day seminar in January, “Sharing Faith the  Wesleyan Way,” presented by the North Georgia Conference and World Methodist Evangelism in the city of Salvador, El Salvador.   Dr. Eddie Fox, World Director of Evangelism of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute, taught on the topic of the nature of Christian faith and meaning of the Christian faith, sharing practical tools with the delegates. ...

12/22/2012

By GLENN HANNIGAN       It is a question every pastor has heard at one time or another: How far in advance do you plan your sermons?       In previous years, Zack Martin, pastor of Lanier UMC in Cumming, answered in a manner similar to many preachers. “I don’t plan ahead,” Martin would say. “I preach the lectionary.”       As Martin recalls, “I worked week to week. But I think you could spell week with an ‘a’. It was not the most effective use of my time.”       Though Martin still follows the ...

11/27/2012

Several ministries in the North Georgia Conference are participating in the inaugural Georgia Gives Day on Dec. 6, 2012.  Ministries include Camp Glisson, Action Ministries, Foundation of Wesley Woods, and The United Methodist Children's Home. Georgia Gives day is a new initiative in the state to raise awareness and charitable giving.  How you can help: Let folks in your church know about Georgia Gives Day via email, newsletter, and bulletin.  Many of your congregation will hear about it at ...

10/8/2012

The Conference is hosting three upcoming Webinars via Adobe Connect. To participate all you need is a computer with internet connection and a phone. UMVIM Team Leader Training - Online United Methodist Volunteers in Mission is offering a team leader training you can participate in online. The cost is $25. All you need is a computer with internet connection and a phone. The training will be Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, contact Dalton Rushing at dalton.rushing@ngumc.net. ...

9/22/2012

Participants in the North Georgia Conference’s Strategic Appointment Roundtable (START) met at Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville, N.C., recently in a continuing effort to develop strong leadership skills. The program was centered around Mike Slaughter, lead pastor of Ginghamsburg Church, a United Methodist church in Tipp City, Ohio. Slaughter, the author of several books including, “Unlearning Church”, “Christmas Is Not Your Birthday”, and “Change the World”, centered his talk on pastoral ...

9/19/2012

Roswell UMC Job Networking is hosting a Mini-Job Fair Monday, September 24, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The fair will feature workshops, networking and at least 17 employers waiting to interview candidates for their open positions. Local and national business leader, Rusty Gordon, will deliver a “must-hear” dinner message.    Accepting short term employment may actually extend the unemployment opportunities for job seekers, according to Katherine Simons, volunteer leader for the Job Networking ...

9/13/2012

From CatWalkChatt.com   Recently, the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church donated $10,000 to Walker County to support disaster relief efforts. “With the recent up-tick in storms that we have had to contend with, this money will certainly help bring much-needed relief to those most affected,” said Walker County commissioner Bebe Heiskell. Walker County, along with Dade and Catoosa counties, were hit by a string of tornadoes in April 2011 that destroyed much property, ...

9/7/2012

This fall North Georgia Bridges teams will make tracks around the world as they embark on the program's first trip to Moscow, a journey to the city of Porta, Portugal, and a return trip to the hills of El Salvador.   Each trip has around a dozen participants from various North Georgia churches, universities and agencies.   Russia This month, Bridges will make its first trip to Moscow to meet and discuss future plans for a formal partnership between North Georgia and the United Methodist Church ...

5/18/2012

Bridges, the North Georgia Conference mission partnership emphasis, offers two upcoming mission exploration opportunities.  Bridges will make its first trip to Moscow (September 24-October 1, 2012) to meet and discuss future plans for a formal partnership between the North Georgia Conference and the United Methodist Church of Eurasia. The second Bridges opportunity will take travelers from Atlanta to Lisbon and Porta (October 10-16, 2012) to establish a mission partnership between the North ...

10/3/2011

From October 10 through 19, there will be a 10-day online event that will mobilize passionate people to stand up and be counted for causes they believe in, called 10-Fold. Each day will feature a different United Methodist ministry supported by Global Ministries and UMCOR. Visit 10-Fold.org daily and register your interest. With one click, you can trigger a $1 donation each day of 10-Fold, up $10,000 for each project. This effort is of no cost to you, donations to these worthy projects are ...

2/8/2011

For more than 86 years Glisson has partnered with North Georgia churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. This year, Glisson is reaching out to churches the camp hasn't had a relationship with lately by launching the "First Camper" program. Through "First Camper," Camp Glisson is offering $350 to any United Methodist Church in the North Georgia Conference that hasn't had a Glisson camper since 2005 or earlier. It may be used this summer toward camp for ...