'I Will Pour Out My Spirit on All': Annual Conference 2023 Planning Well Underway
Plans are well underway for the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference session. Bishop Robin Dease will preside over the three-day annual "homecoming" June 1-3 (a Thursday through Saturday) in Athens. The focus will be on our theme, "I will pour out my spirit on all..." based on Joel 2:28. One emphasis will be on intergenerational participation this year.
Preparation
In the spirit of the hymn lyric, "Tune my heart to sing thy grace," Bishop Dease invites all North Georgia United Methodists to pray for the Holy Spirit to pour out on the people, the ministries, and the mission of the North Georgia Conference. There will be several opportunities to prepare our hearts and minds for our Annual Conference including daily prayer prompts beginning May 1. Our youth delegates have already begun preparation! Watch a video from the Youth Delegate Summit at Glisson in January.
Special Offering
Bishop Dease has selected UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) as the recipient of this year's Annual Conference Special Offering. In addition, an offering for the Ministerial Education Fund of the North Georgia Conference will be received at the Service of Ordination.
Hotel Arrangements
Athens area hotels are expecting North Georgia United Methodists and many have courtesy room blocks for our Conference. Find hotel information at https://www.ngumc.org/
Childcare
Childcare for children 6 months through rising kindergarten will be available during Annual Conference 2023, at no cost to member parents and legal guardians. Childcare will be hosted at Athens First UMC. Online pre-registration is required. Registration will go live in May. Questions? Please contact Rev. Blair Boyd Zant, blair.zant@ngumc.net.
Worship
The Annual Conference will be anchored by three worship services. The Service of Remembrance is scheduled for Thursday, June 1, at 2 pm, the Service of Ordination scheduled for Friday, June 2, at 7:30 pm, and the Closing Service of Word and Table on Saturday morning. Preachers will be Rev. Dr. Terry Walton, Bishop Alfred Norris, and Bishop Robin Dease. Additionally, there will be daily devotion as part of the agenda.
Schedule
Planning for the agenda is still in progress, but the general schedule is expected to be:
June 1
10 am - Clergy Executive Session
2 pm - Service of Remembrance
Afternoon - Business Session
June 2
Morning - Business Session
Laity Lunch
Afternoon - Business Session
7:30 pm - Service of Licensing Commissioning and Ordination
June 3
Morning - Business Session
Morning - Service of Word and Table
All sessions, beginning with worship on Thursday, June 1, at 2 p.m., will be available to stream live.
Pre-Conference Briefing
All members of the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference are invited to an online Pre-Conference Briefing on Sunday, May 7, from 3 to 4:30 pm. The briefing will be recorded for those not able to attend live.
For Updates
Find regular updates and information on the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference at www.ngumc.org/AC2023. Additionally, back by popular demand, receive Annual Conference updates delivered straight to your phone! Text "AC2023" to 833-848-9264 to sign up for text updates. (Normal text messaging rates apply. Text "STOP" to opt out.)