News

3/14/2024

By Amelia Simmons  At the corner of Metropolitan and Moreland Avenue near East Atlanta Village, Eastside United Methodist Church catches the eye with its vibrant doors and the reassuring message, "You Are Loved," boldly adorning its entrance.   And the essence of Eastside transcends its exterior—it’s found in how it engages with and serves its community.   I visited Eastside and pastor Rev. Elaine Puckett showed me how this congregation is committed to listening and learning from the various ...

2/21/2024

PHOTO ALBUM With great joy, East Cobb United Methodist Church and Family Promise of Cobb County dedicated a house on East Cobb UMC's campus February 4 to serve as temporary housing for families transitioning out of homelessness. “Throughout East Cobb UMC’s history, this house has been used for a variety of purposes, from the junior parsonage to office space, including the former site as the Family Promise Day Center," said Rev. Kristin Lee, senior pastor. "We are excited about this newest ...

1/25/2024

By Phyliss Williamson My church, Fayetteville First UMC, has been offering Messy Church for the last four or five months. When we first began this outreach, we really had no idea what to expect. I imagined something like Saturday Bible School for a few hours, with parents included and lunch served.  Messy Church is open to the whole community. It's a time for games and planned crafts, and of course a lesson. Families come with children of various ages. One of my favorite experiences of Messy ...

10/16/2023

TWO SHIRTS THRIFT STORE A Mission and Ministry of Villa Rica First United Methodist Church Luke 3:11  If you have Two Shirts, share By Nancy Wise How do you know if your mission on earth is finished?  If you’re alive, it isn’t. Two Shirts celebrated its tenth anniversary on October 1, 2023. Every member of Villa Rica First UMC and many more beyond our doors who have helped make Two Shirts a force in our community should be very proud. I gratefully thank everyone for not only believing in this ...

9/25/2023

The Best of the Story Wesley Woods' Heroes, Saints & Legends gala on September 21 raised more than $405,000! Funds raised through the annual event go toward on-site chaplains providing pastoral care at the 10 Wesley Woods communities across North Georgia, financial assistance with meals and housing for residents, and innovative wellness programming to help seniors live independently for as long as possible. (Watch a video about how Wesley Woods carries out its mission.) The 2023 Heroes, Saints...

7/14/2023

Thanks to your generous giving, the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference special offering total is $86,368.30 as of June 30! Half of these funds will go to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and half will be used for North Georgia Conference Disaster Response efforts.  "This is wonderful news and a gracious response by our generous Church," said Rev. Scott Parrish, Conference Mission and Disaster Recovery Specialist.  In 2023 tornadoes caused significant damage across North Georgia. ...

6/7/2023

By Rev. Blair Boyd Zant and Rev. Richard Hunter The landscape for faith communities in North Georgia is ripe with potential. Our cities, county seats and many of our rural communities are experiencing significant population growth. We have a large population of spiritual refugees, in other words, our neighbors who have dropped out of church due to relocation, division, displacement, church closures, and loss of connections. There is an ever-growing number of “nones and dones” who have decided ...

5/7/2023

Members of the Imani Kiborione Group at their graduation ceremony. In 2020, a group of orphaned and vulnerable children were brought together and told that some people very far away not only thought they deserved a better life, but believed in their ability to become self-sufficient and even to become leaders in their community. It was hard for them to fully grasp what the future could hold, but Zoe helped them dream and then taught them how to achieve their dreams. Your generosity provided ...

4/19/2023

By Sybil Davidson In recent years, school districts across the country have faced a shortage of substitute teachers. Recognizing their call to church and community, several North Georgia Conference clergy have responded by serving as "subs" in their local schools—exchanging church bells for school bells as they're needed.  Clergy bring unique gifts and skillsets that make them well qualified for the role: a desire to serve the community, experience working with children and youth, safe ...

3/20/2023

Pictured: Some “Joyristas,” friends of Java Joy and ESP (Extra Special People), in the SERVE ROME kitchen at Rome First UMC. They use the kitchen 7 days a week for Java Joy — a mobile coffee cart that goes all over Rome and Northwest Georgia! By Rebecca Wallace In 2020, the North Georgia Conference established the Barnes Evaluation and Administrative Team (BEAT) to oversee a new process to grant funds to churches for innovative mission and ministry. As of March, BEAT has granted nearly $3 ...

2/22/2023

VIEW PHOTO ALBUM This week a new journey began in the North Georgia Conference with The Harbor UMC, the Conference's first online-only new church start. An Ash Wednesday Service marked the beginning of a three-phase launch plan. "We are beginning by establishing an online presence," said Rev. Jessica Blackwood of the design team. "This phase is the equivalent of knocking on doors. We are letting people know who we are, what we’re about, how to contact us, and where to find us." The design ...

2/12/2023

Join United Methodists around the world in prayer for the people of Turkey and Syria who have experienced two devastating earthquakes. News reports are assessing the impact as the worst to hit the area in a century. UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) has issued an initial solidarity grant to longstanding humanitarian partner International Blue Crescent, working in both countries. UMCOR's support will provide tents, heaters, blankets, clothes, ready-to-eat meals, and first aid kits.  ...

12/20/2022

In 2022, Christmas week includes both the longest night of the year and some of the coldest nights in many years, with highs expected to be below freezing. United Methodist churches across our Conference are opening their doors for those without a place to stay warm. United Methodist churches opening as overnight shelters this week (and this season) include: Brookhaven UMC Central UMC Conyers First UMC Decatur First UMC Douglasville UMC Due West UMC Ellijay First UMC Rome First UMC Tucker First...

12/19/2022

By Rev. Stacey Rushing The North Georgia Housing and Homeless Council is excited to celebrate its 2022 Operational Grant Recipients! We appreciate the work of the Housing and Homeless Council members who reviewed applications, visited applicants, and prayerfully discussed how to best award funds to help the Church serve neighbors in need. We were so inspired by churches of all sizes in communities across the North Georgia Conference who are finding meaningful ways to address poverty and ...

11/9/2022

NOMADS serving at Murphy-Harpst in Cedartown. By Sybil Davidson NOMADS have been “on the road” in service for 35 years and there’s room for more to join their numbers. This mission outreach group completes approximately 150 projects for United Methodist ministry partners each year across the United States. Participants must have an RV (recreational vehicle), an adventurous spirit, and a heart for Christian service work. NOMADS are predominantly retirees, and a mix of couples and singles. “...

7/7/2022

Dear Ms. Childs, I write with gratitude to you and trustees for your steadfast support of The Emory Eye Center's Pediatric Ophthalmology Program. Your investment will have a lasting impact on our patients and their families, allowing ophthalmologists and Eye Center specialists to provide compassionate, collaborative care for the diagnosis and treatment of children's vision programs.  Thank you again for your generosity. Sincerely, Gregory L Fenves President, Emory University   Julie Childs, ...

5/4/2022

With funding already provided, the greatest need from North Georgia Conference congregations and individuals is for prayer. The North Georgia Conference has enjoyed partnering with Zoe Empowers, Kenya for many years. This incredibly transformational ministry empowers orphaned and vulnerable children to become entrepreneurs who are socially, economically, and spiritually strong. Zoe understands that addressing multiple barriers simultaneously is the only way to overcome extreme poverty.  We ...

4/14/2022

By Rev. David Blackwood I have been appointed to Bremen First UMC since July of 2021. Bremen, a small town of about 7,000 people, is seeing growth as the Atlanta suburbs move west and Carrollton expands north. We know from MissionInsite that the majority of people moving to Bremen are young families drawn to the area for the school system and housing. The church is working to welcome these new families to our community and to help them find a place of community and connection.   KidQuest gives ...

3/22/2022

March 28 Update: To date, Smith has raised more than $3,500! When 9-year-old Senoia UMC member Smith heard about the crisis in Ukraine he wanted to do something to help. Today, with a kitchen (and family) covered in flour, he's sold nearly 50 pound cakes to raise funds to support the humanitarian work of UMCOR.  "Smith is the youngest of our four sons," said Smith's mom, Emily Wilson. "We have had many dinner discussions about the horror that is taking place in Ukraine. Our pastor [Rev. Ashley...

3/10/2022

This winter Grace UMC in Covington has opened its doors as the local warming center location and will continue the outreach through the end of March. In partnership with the City of Covington, nine churches in the area are assisting with this project, including Covington First UMC.   The warming center operates 7 days a week from 5 pm through 8 am for people who need a warm place to sleep. The Rev. Dr. Robert Crawford, pastor of Grace, shared that guests are served dinner, breakfast, and given a...