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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
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Reflections on 9/11 on the 20 Year Anniversary, Written by Rev. Steve Autrey
"Twenty years ago I was attending an Order of Elders retreat at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. Close to two hundred of my fellow clergy in the Western North Carolina Conference and I were enjoying a great fall morning in the mountains when word started circulating that something significant was happening in New York and Washington, DC. This was the era before smartphones, and Kanuga was a land with only one ancient TV located in the main hall, far away from conference rooms and lodging; still the word began to spread. Eventually, the retreat was stopped, and we all gathered in that main hall to watch history play out in grainy analog color..." |
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2021 Project Agape Christmas Boxes
Fall 2021 collections for Project AGAPE will be held from Monday, September 27th through Friday, October 1st. Learn more about items needed, packing instructions, and drop-off locations. You can bring Christmas joy to a child in Armenia this year! |
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Means of Grace: Celebrating Partnership with the Catawba Valley District
The Catawba Valley District is experimenting with new church partnerships. What looks like an old model is being made new through shared leadership and resources. In this week's episode of the Means of Grace podcast, we talk to leaders of five churches that are joining in two partnerships and highlight the value of the connection.
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UPCOMING WEBINARS & EVENTS:
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Rural Faith Communities: Connecting in a Crisis Live Webinars
Next conversation “Talking Rural Clergy Mental Health”
Thursday, Sept 16, 2 p.m.
"...Let’s work together. Let’s not recreate the wheel. Let’s share what’s working. Let’s be honest when it’s not working." Join the Rural Faith Communities team for live Peer Network conversations around COVID-19, clergy mental health, and rural digital inclusion.
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Finding God in our Neighbor Webinars
Thursday, September 16, 10 a.m.
How can your church see its community as co-creators of ministry? On Thursday, September 16, 2020, De’Amon Harges, Mike Mather, and Seana Murphy transformed their church and their Indianapolis neighborhood by looking for their neighbors’ assets instead of only seeing their needs. They will share their stories and give you practical tips on how to transform your church's outreach to the community. |
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Learn more about WNCC Creation Care and Justice in the WNCC
Tuesdays in September, 12-1 p.m.
All clergy members in the WNCC are invited to join in a conversation with Rev. Jonathan Brake, an ordained elder serving Mount Pleasant UMC (Sherrills Ford), and Kim Richmond, a lay member and organizer of Creation Care Ministry at Maple Springs UMC (Winston Salem), as they discuss The Mission of Creation Care and Creation Justice in the WNCC. These conversations will take place via Zoom on three consecutive Tuesdays during the Season of Creation – September 14th, 21st, and 28th – from noon to 1pm, so bring your lunch and eat, relax and listen, then share comments and questions after each presentation. |
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Eating Together Faithfully Training Retreat
Friday-Sunday, October 1-3, 2021
Join other community and church leaders to learn how to use the Eating Together Faithfully Framework to facilitate conversations in your community about what it looks like to eat with God’s intentions for all creation in mind. Participants will experience and explore the ETF program together and be equipped to begin to lead ETF small groups in their congregations. We are excited to safely host this in-person retreat at the beautiful and peaceful Chestnut Ridge Camp & Retreat Center in Efland, NC. |
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Transforming Minds: The Role of the Church in Mental Illness
Sunday, October 3, 7 p.m.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a very detrimental effect on mental health, such as significant increases in mental health symptoms, difficulty accessing treatment, increased risk for mental illness symptoms post-COVID in persons without prior mental health disorders, and poorer outcomes for those with mental illness. The COVID-19 pandemic has also raised awareness of disparities in the health care system. Faced with this sobering situation, how can the church help those who are affected by mental illness? What do persons affected by mental illness need from a faith community? Can the church actually do harm to persons with mental illness? These are some of the many topics that will be discussed during this important and timely event. |
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Register for Upcoming Innovator's Buzz Session
Monday, October 4, 12 p.m.
Here's a little invitation for you: can you join us for a little while on October 4 by Zoom? A Buzz Session is a gathering where Christian innovators (typically from WNCC churches, though not always!) talk about the project they're working on, and then have give-and-take of ideas and suggestions for next steps of development from the folks on the call. |
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