FREE! Workshops for Local Churches and United Methodist Ministries

FREE! Workshops for Local Churches and United Methodist Ministries

A webinar is a free one (1) hour seminar that is hosted through the internet with leadership being offered at the same time via the telephone. All webinars are the first Thursday of the month from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (Central Time).

If you would like to participate in any of the upcoming webinars, contact the PACT Service Center at 1-877-UMC-PACT.

2009 PACT Webinars for United Methodist Churches

February 5

Checks & Balances – Minimizing Fidelity Loss

March 5

Vehicle Safety / Background Checks / Drivers

April 2

Safe Sanctuaries and Completing a Thorough Background Screen

May 7

Safe Sanctuaries – Operation Procedures and VBS Staffing

June 4

Cyber Safety – What you really Need to Know to Protect Others

July 9

Handling the Media in a Crisis / Crisis Management

August 6

United Methodist Forms & Resources- A Discussion to Guide You to the Appropriate Forms & Resources You May Need

Sept. 3

Day Care Safety – for Your Employees and Children

Oct. 1

Real Property Management – Preparing for the Cold Weather Season

Nov. 5

Social Services Ministry – Best Practices and Helpful Tips for Protecting Your Ministries

Dec. 3

Church in Community – Outside Parties and the Use of Church Facilities

(Please note: These workshops are offered to all United Methodist churches regardless of your affiliation and participation within the MS conference-wide PACT insurance program)

Numbers Matter!

We are at the time when statistical reports are due. They are time consuming and often the temptation is to copy last years or to give a “ministerial estimate”. Resist the temptation! These numbers are a great tool for you and your congregation to track your progress in the MP3 vision. If you want more people you need to truly know how many you have. Take time to work on these numbers then share how you have done with your leaders. Sometimes it hurts to see it in black and white. Sometimes that pain can motivate us to action.

If this process is too overwhelming, call a friend or contact the District statistician. They will help you. These numbers can help us all set our sites on a new day when we set concrete goals for our worship and professions of faith, just like we set financial goals in our budgets. As a conference we are setting a goal to turn the membership loss around in the next four years. Numbers matter, but only if they are accurate. Accounting for people is part of our pastoral duty and faith community covenant. You are a number too…don’t you want to be counted? Ok, its not glamorous, but we do it anyway. If your statistics come out showing growth, let us know. If they don’t and you want help trying to make a next step, call us. We’ll find you some help.

We are getting stories of discipleship. They are great. If you have a story send it to us. The Spirit is at work! Get busy counting.

Live Loved,

Steve

Do You Know the 2009 Legislative Issues?

2009 Legislative Session begins tomorrow!

In partnership with faithful people all across our state, Congregations for Children is working tirelessly for the children of Mississippi!

This year our legislative focus includes:

Education

• Full funding of MAEP (Mississippi Adequate Education Program)
• Adequate and appropriate funding for the Pilot Pre-Kindergarten programs across our state
• Adequate funding and resources for at-risk children and their families
  

Childcare

• Utilization of excess TANF funds to be directed toward childcare facilities throughout our state
• Development and funding of grant programs to supplement childcare for families living in poverty
  

Foster Care

• Monitor compliance with Olivia Y. vs. Barbour lawsuit settlement
• Partner with DHS in encouraging and training foster parents
  

Healthcare

• Removal of face-to-face recertification requirements from Medicaid and SCHIP

Juvenile Justice

• Development of community-based sanctions for the rehabilitation of delinquent youth

Fair Taxation

• Increase cigarette tax to fund children’s healthcare

Immigration Issues facing children

Let us covenant to pray for our representatives as they wrestle with, discern and make decisions that affect all of us.

Let us advocate for and be in conversation with our representatives on behalf of all God’s children in Mississippi.

Getting Started in 2009 with Mission & Outreach

I was talking with Steve last Friday about our goals for this year and we agreed that whatever we do this year it needs to be quantifiable and measurable and so with missions and outreach the first thing to do is to get started today, right now so that at the end of the year we will have something that we can point to and say “this is what we did this year!”

Does your church want to be more active in missions and outreach? Then let’s do it by the numbers …

1) Find the need(s). Find the people and the resources to meet the need(s) and you will be well on your way. What has your church done in the past … What worked … What didn’t. What is God telling you that needs to be done?

2) Select a leader. Chances are that no matter how big or small your church is there is someone (perhaps many “someones,” but you only need one) who can organize, direct, motivate, support and guide the work of other church members in this endeavor. This person does not need to be the pastor.

3) You need to allocate time to doing this ministry even if you have to give up some other less important time commitment (and you probably will have to). All involved in missions and outreach need to realize that this is a God instituted and led ministry which needs to be given the proper time and attention.

4) Praying/Planning, Giving and Doing. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be active in your midst helping you locate the need, the leader, the people and the resources needed to get your mission and outreach ministry active; and that in the act of obedience to do mission God will give you the faith and confidence needed as well as the time necessary . And when you give, remember, you are giving not only of your treasure, but of your time and talents. When you put it all together and you go out and do the ministry that God charged you to do you will be a blessing as well as being blessed!

Begin with the end in mind and at the end of this year you and your church can look back on 2009 and hear Jesus say 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance' and ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Does your local church cluster have a training coming up? If so I will be glad to come, let me know! Jorge

MP3

The MP3 initiative is our way of saying we want more people, more young people, and more diverse people. Our goal is to make all kinds of disciples. Next week we will begin our movement. To see if we are growing we have to see where we are. We are sorting through our statistical reports and trying to get a handle on this. We will share the district wide numbers and some of the outstanding churches that are making disciples. We invite you to share your stories of MP3. It is time to stop talking and start doing. So to help we will also share some best practices. So where do we begin?

The starting place for evangelism…disciple making is really simple. To tell a story, you have to have a story. To lead people to Christ we must have a life-changing relationship with Jesus. How is your faith story? How is God working in and on you? Those questions are the starting place. True evangelism is centered in a vibrant and growing personal and community faith. People come to Christ because they see Christ changing real people who care about them. A living faith is driven by the spiritual presence of God in us. The Holy Spirit is the orchestrator of the most effective faith sharing. And relationship is the primary language of evangelism.

In short…faith takes people and time. It takes trust and authenticity. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to save anyone or be good enough to “saint” folks into the Kingdom. The truth is we love them there…but we love because Christ first loved us. Are you ready for MP3? Do you want it? How bad? Ok…do something about it. Talk about it in your congregations, in your families, in your own life…yea, talk to yourself about it. It is time! Now! Here we go…MP3. We are counting…because numbers matter…they represent people…children of God. They are searching for something real…you can help them find it. Next week we’ll begin to share simple details to help and we invite you to share yours with us. This is why we are here! Someone shared it with us and we changed,

I cannot wait to see what happens next, I really sense a change coming…MP3 is already beginning…you’ll see!

Live loved,
Steve

What's Your Mission?

UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission)

I had the opportunity to meet some of the district UMVIM representatives at the meeting held Saturday, Dec.13 at St. Matthew’s UMC in Madison. It was a time of sharing, learning and planning … One thing became obviously clear and that is that this world is becoming increasingly complicated, but thank goodness we have people in places who are always ready to help. At this meeting I met D.J. Walker of Travel Pro of Mississippi who is very adept at helping Mississippi volunteer teams traveling overseas; she mentioned the ever changing nature of immigration requirements from all countries throughout the world as well as the ever changing requirements of the Homeland Security at airports as well as the new baggage and other restrictions created by the airlines themselves.

Robert Sharp of Disaster Response reported that to date there have been over 155,000 volunteers come work with the Mississippi UMCOR Disaster Response group down on the Coast; Robert coordinates the work and the logistics of the three camps and warehouses located there as well as the work of the volunteers; did you know that Pennsylvania is the leading state, followed by Indiana, sending volunteers for hurricane recovery. If you would like to partner on building a home call the Disaster Response Team at 866-435-7091 or email (whole house sponsorships are $51,000 – the house is built on the hurricane impacted lot). If you would like to make a donation of any amount please make your check payable to Mississippi United Methodist Disaster Response, Inc., and forward to 1400 Leggett Drive, Biloxi, MS 39530. If you would like a copy of he volunteer recruitment package which contains a four-minute DVD and PowerPoint presentation, posters, broadcast and print advertising materials, please call them at the same number.

Foreign Missions, anyone?
If you or your church are interested in taking volunteer teams in mission you may want to contact the following individuals who can provide you all kinds of information about doing Methodist mission at the particular countries listed by their names …

o For Nicaragua Covenant: David Newton
o For Russian Initiative: Danny Dabbs
o For Mexico missions: Rayford Woodrick
o For Beans and Rice missions (Costa Rica) Marie & Fred Curry
o For Chabadza Covenant to Zimbabwe: Michelle Shrader
o For Liberia, Africa: Nelda Thomas

Please be aware that David Newton listed as the Nicaragua contact is also the Mississippi Conference UMVIM Coordinator and he can give you additional advice about insurance through the United Methodist Church; even if you and your team already have insurance you may want to call him anyway to let him know you are going and he can find prayer partners to pray for your team while they are out of the country.

If you have any questions please call me.

Merry Christmas!!!

Jorge.

Joy Down In My Heart

Have you sung the song “Joy to the world the Lord is come” this season? What about the children’s classic, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”? In Luke 2:10 we read “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.”

This week our Advent focus is Joy. It is a word that we hear and use a lot during the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Stop and think for a moment. What is joy? How do you define this word to your congregation, your family, and your neighbors? Where, in your own life, do you derive your joy? Does your joy come from a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, a Christmas bonus check that arrives unexpectedly, or a gift that sits underneath the tree with your name on it?

Or, does your joy come from somewhere deep in your heart and soul? The eternal joy of the Lord is the gift of faith that we experience each and every moment of our lives when we claim for ourselves Jesus Christ as our Savior. The joy of our Lord is not external and temporal. It cannot be measured by our bank accounts, the size of our homes, or even the number of gifts we receive and share this year. The joy of the Lord is internal and eternal!

The 2008 Family Advent Calendar leads us through the last days of Advent with some creative devotions and activities around the word “joy”. I would recommend these to you and to your family. This week as you prepare for the final days in Advent, Christmas Eve Services, and Christmas day celebrations how will you proclaim the true joy of the Lord that the angel first shared with the shepherds long ago?

Enjoy these days of anticipation, excitement, and waiting!
For the joy of the Lord is ours!

Merry Christmas!
Rev. Michelle Foster