The Latest Edition of E-News - New SouthPark Church, 2021 Winter Leadership Training, Introducing Check Inz App

December 17, 2020

E-News - December 16, 2020

E-News is an email newsletter sent out by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It contains important news, stories, and events from around our conference. Submit articles for the next e-news. Submit events.


NEWS

SouthPark Church Unveils New Home
Seven years after embarking on a journey to share God’s love in a bold, new way, Sharon United Methodist Church has reached its destination. With a new name – SouthPark Church – and a new home amid apartments, businesses and even a hotel...
UMC Bishops call for optimism and hope in 2021
Despite the trials and tribulations of 2020 brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, bishops in The United Methodist Church are calling on United Methodists and other people of faith to be optimistic about 2021 and to trust that God will make things better ...

WNCC Christmas Service
On the Sunday after Christmas, the Western NC Conference will offer a conference-wide virtual worship with a homily from the Bishop, music and liturgy from pastors and churches around our conference. Clergy and worship leaders, take a much-needed break after the Advent season and worship with friends around the conference. 

The video files will be available for download by Tuesday, December 22 through Dropbox and Vimeo and for viewing on our website and YouTube.

 

Check Inz: A New "Contact Free" Check-in App from the Western NC Conference

COVID-19 brought many new challenges, including checking in worship attenders for safety and contract-tracing protocols. In order to help you streamline this process - as well to keep it paperless and contact-free - the Western NC Conference is pleased to introduce Check Inz, a safe way to check people into your location or event that is easy, secure, and socially distanced approved!
Sign up now to join the BETA group or to be the first to know when the app is ready for full release in mid-January.
For additional questions, contact Chris Hampton, director of web and database administration, at champton@wnccumc.org.

Means of Grace: 2020, A Year in Review with Our Hosts

In this episode, our host panel takes look back at 2020. Melissa, Jesse, Luke, Kim, Caroline and Brian share their favorite moments, challenges they faced and what they’re looking forward to for 2021. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Means of Grace team. We will be back with new episodes on January 5, 2021.

Full Schedule Announced for the Winter Leadership Training Webinar Series! 

Like most events during the pandemic, our District Winter Leadership Training Events will look a little different for 2021. Rather than hosting in-person events in each district, we will offer a series of Conference-wide training webinars during the week of January 10-14 to resource and equip all areas of your Church leadership.

Jason Moore of Midnight Oil Productions will lead the keynote webinar to launch the series on “Telling the Old Story in a New Time.” Other topics will include: Financial Faithfulness in Uncertain Times, The Ministry of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, Evangelism During A Pandemic, Leadership During a Pandemic for Church Councils, Racial Equity and Justice, Courageous Conversations, and much more.

Virtually Connect with the Randalls, Global Ministries Missionaries

Rev. Courtney and Rev. Dan Randall are UM elders serving as Global Ministries missionaries, yet COVID restrictions in the Holy Land have delayed their departure. They are living in Charlotte while they wait for their visas, and they would like to virtually connect with congregations in the Western North Carolina Conference.

Campus Ministry at UNC Charlotte
The United Methodist Church is present and active at UNC Charlotte through Niner United. Supporting Niner United helps these students connect with one another and God. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

 
Project AGAPE Update from Nara Melkonyan, Director
Nara Melkonyan, Director of Project Agape, gives an update on the impact of the Armenian-Azerbaijan war on Project AGAPE's ministries.
 
 
HIRING: Conference Director of Equity and Justice Ministries
The Western North Carolina Conference is seeking a Conference Director of Equity and Justice Ministries (CDEJM) to direct our strategic efforts in diversity, equity, belonging, and advocacy and to help implement these practices in all areas of Conference and local church ministry.
 
 
Means of Grace: The Methodist Home for Children’s Bruce Stanley
In this episode, Caroline Wood talks with Rev. Bruce Stanley, President and CEO of the Methodist Home for Children. The MHFC believes that every child deserves a chance. They provide safe, stable homes where children can thrive and live to their full, God-given potential. While not always traditional, an MHC home is where child and family are equipped to succeed.
 
 
Treasury Services announces new Online Payments Portal for 2021
Treasury Services is pleased to announce a new avenue for making Apportionment and Benefits payments via electronic payments. This new feature will be available in early 2021. To get started, however, we need to set up the payers.
 
 

 

UPCOMING WEBINARS & EVENTS:

Webinar: Ways to Start and Improve Small Group Ministry
Tuesday, January 12, 12 p.m.

During the last ten months, small groups have had to adapt. Some small groups started meeting through videoconference, some found ways to meet through physical distancing, and sadly, some stopped meeting altogether. What some churches have found during this time is that even following the COVID-19 crisis, there will be an ongoing need for the use of online small groups. The question is how do we do online small group ministry well? Join the panel of Scott Hughes, Angela Schaffner, and Allen White as they discuss ways to start and improve online small group ministry.

2021 WNCC Martin Luther King, Jr Commemoration 
Saturday, January 16, 10 a.m. 
The WNC Black Methodists for Church Renewal, the Justice & Reconciliation Team and the Commission for Religion and Race have set the 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Service. The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Joseph Daniels, the Senior Pastor of Emory Fellowship United Methodist Church, Washington DC.
Journey Inward - The Big Silence Retreat
January 17-20, 2021

We are all on a spiritual journey in this life, but so much of our journey is spent outside of ourselves. How often do you get away from the distractions of this world to find a holy place within? When was the last time you just hung out with God with no expectations whatsoever? Maybe it’s time for you to journey inward at The Big Silence Retreat. Start the New Year with a different kind of experience.

 

Eating Together Faithfully Online Introductory Training
Friday, January 22, 12 p.m.

The team at Life Around the Table joyfully invites you to join our next Eating Together Faithfully (ETF) Online Introductory Training on Friday, January 22nd!

Director of Communications: Melissa McGill

Communications Ministry Assistant: Aimee Yeager

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