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Register now for the next Laity Forum entitled Building Community - Monday, September 18, 6:30-7:45pm via zoom.
This is the third of 4 forums in 2023 highlighting four stages that can move people from isolation to Christian community:
-Listening
-Loving People
-Building Community
-Exploring Discipleship
This forum is being planned by a team of young adults. You won't want to miss it!
REGISTER
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Webinars: Our Health, Our Changing World
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Just as we cannot separate our bodies from our souls, we cannot separate our lives from the world around us. Recently, a podcaster said, “I’m addicted to breathing.” That’s an addiction we all share. Yet we take for granted how the world around us impacts our health. We tend to silo things, separating issues into their own category and blinding ourselves to the connections between these categories. In terms of health, we separate our physical health, mental health, and the health of our environment, often not grasping the interrelatedness of it all.
Two of our Season of Creation webinars will be addressing this connection between our health and our changing world. Click the link below for more information and to register for the webinars.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER
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Charge Conference Technical Updates for 2023
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It's Charge Conference season again. We've added a Creation Care form, but other than that, the paperwork remains the same. We've made it easy for you, and here are some key points to help. Remember to submit compensation, local church leaders, and the fund balance report through the respective module in Brick River, and charge conference forms through "Submittable Forms" in the Church Dashboard. Contact IT Services at (704) 464-0994 or it@wnccumc.org if you encounter technical issues. For questions about the forms, get in touch with your district.
LEARN MORE
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Means Of Grace: Season of Creation
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In this episode of the Means of Grace podcast, Brian Mateer, Director of Missional Engagement, speaks with Reverend Johnathan Brake, Global Ministries Environmental Sustainabilities Program Manager, and Reverend Jarrod Davis, Creation Ministries Coordinator about the Season of Creation.
LISTEN TO EPISODE
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Is the UMC Really...? Part 7
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With some congregations considering leaving The United Methodist Church or just wondering about its future, Ask The UMC offers a series of questions and answers to help clear up some common misperceptions or misinformation around disaffiliation.
This is part 7: Boy Scout Settlement, What Retired Clergy Do If Their Church Disaffiliates, & Variations in Disaffiliation Processes From Conference to Conference
We address matters related to the Boy Scout settlement, variations in disaffiliation policies from conference to conference, and what retired clergy need to do if the congregation in which they are active disaffiliates.
Questions answered in this article:
Is The UMC Really....?
1. Allowing annual conferences and their boards of trustees to set their own terms for disaffiliation over and above those set forth in Paragraph 2553?
2. No longer providing coverage under the settlement agreement with Boy Scouts of America for UMC congregations that disaffiliate?
3. Requiring retired clergy who hold charge conference membership in churches that vote to request disaffiliation to move their charge conference membership?
PART 7
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Time is running short to apply for an opportunity to pay down your educational and consumer debt through the Clergy Debt Reduction Loan Program.
Please act by Friday (Sept. 15) so that the Foundation may respond by Sept. 30 notifying you if your application was approved and under what terms.
Many clergy have taken on overwhelming debt in preparation to serve and lead the Church. Debt can negatively impact clergy’s ability to provide their very best ministry and adversely affect personal health. The Clergy Debt Reduction Loan Program was created in 2016 in partnership with the Western North Carolina Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits and The Duke Endowment.
Participants save an average of $350 per month by refinancing at the very favorable rate of 1.5 percent. It's not just educational loans. Clergy (and spouses) can also get help with unsecured debt - the student loan maximum is $100,000 and the consumer debt loan maximum is $80,000.
Eligible debts for consolidation will be paid off by the Foundation by the end of October with your first payment on your new loan(s) starting in December.
LEARN MORE & APPLY
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A Celebration Kickoff of the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of Bennett College
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Join Bennett College on October 1st at 3pm for a celebration kicking off the 150th anniversary of the college! The event will take place at the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel on the Bennett College campus. You're encouraged to make a $150 (or any amount) donation in honor of 150 years of excellence in higher education.
LEARN MORE & DONATE
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Did you miss the last edition of E-News?
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Pre-Retirement In-Person Webinar: Retiring Well
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For Clergy 3-5+ years from retirement. October 16-17, 2023 at the Conference Office in Huntersville.
Hear engaging presentations with representatives from Wespath and Treasury Services. Register before September 26th and a personalized, confidential Benefit Projection will be mailed to you. PLUS sign up for a 20-minute individual consultation with a member of the Wespath team during our time together. Spouses are welcomed to join the event and consultation!
Register HERE.
Springhill Suites by Marriott Hotel Accommodations HERE.
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National Voter Registration Day
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National Voter Registration Day returns on September 19, 2023.
Whether you’re new to the world of registering voters or you’re a National Voter Registration Day veteran, everyone can use a little help getting their friends, family, and broader community registered to vote. Click the link below to check out the library of resources and materials for tips on everything from talking face-to-face with potential voters to knowing the laws about voter registration in your state.
VOTER RESOURCES
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DUKE CLERGY HEALTH INITIATIVE
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Discover the Power of Your Voice in Shaping Clergy Well-being!
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For over a decade, 2,800+ devoted United Methodist clergy in NC have made a difference through the Statewide Clergy Health Survey. Your insights fuel vital programs and insights, from stress management to self-care to physical and spiritual well-being. The Duke Clergy Health Initiative invites you to participate in the survey again in 2023! Keep an eye on your conference email for details and let's continue to work together to improve clergy well-being!
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Attend the Fall 2023 Messinger-Williams Community Education Initiative Book Study
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The Messinger-Williams Community Education Initiative is an extension of the Hood Theological Seminary’s new Messinger and Williams Family Chair in Theology and Ethics. There will be courses offered at various times throughout the year. Course topics will vary but will consistently deal with issues of faith, ethics, and community. The courses are open to the general public.
The Fall 2023 Messinger-Williams Community Education Initiative is devoted to a discussion oriented, group study of A Life Worth Living, named after its authors’ highly sought-after Yale undergraduate course. This course will take place October 2-20, 2023.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER
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New Resource for P/SPRCs: “Keeping the Faith: Conversations to Strengthen the Bond Between Pastors & Church Leaders”
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Navigating difficult conversations is essential for healthy churches & pastors. “Keeping the Faith: Conversations to Strengthen the Bond between Pastors & Church Leaders” offers tools to help P/SPRCs and their pastors come together to address what really matters and offers skills needed to live together in healthy community.
LEARN MORE
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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.
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Copyright © 2022 Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, All rights reserved.
Where to find us:
Western North Carolina Conference
13924 Professional Center Dr, Ste 200
Huntersville, NC 28078
Mailing Address:
PO Box 2757
Huntersville, NC 28070
Phone: 704.535.2260
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