It's HealthQuotient Time!

Every August, those in the HealthFlex insurance program have to go online and fill out the HealthQuotient assessment survey.  If they do not, they will pay $250 extra for individual deductible or $500 extra for the family deductible.  The primary person and the covered spouse must both take the HQ by September 20th to avoid the higher deductible.  

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Thaxton Grant Application Deadline Sept. 15th!

Bishop Bledsoe Celebrates with FUMC-Portales

     A service of gratitude and dedication was led by Bishop Earl Bledsoe on Aug. 6th at First United Methodist Church of Portales, as the congregation celebrated early payoff on the bonds for the sanctuary and fellowship hall constructed in 2002, and first used in August 2003. By paying off its obligations 6 1/2 years early, building project chair David Russell said FUMC Portales saved more than $314,000 in interest.

     The dark-brick facility replaced a much-loved structure that had served the Portales area for decades, but which was in dire need of massive upgrades and renovations. Longtime member and trustee chair Wanda Pettus asked those in attendance to "think of all the people who gave more money than they could afford, and all the people who loved the old building but were willing to give it up." Stewardship committee chair Donny Massey encouraged the congregation to continue its "great commitment of excellent stewardship" and "giving above and beyond" that led to the success of the project.

     In his sermon, Bishop Bledsoe told the congregation that "attitude has a lot do with it," and reminded those in attendance (including several former members no longer living in this area) to "Choose your attitude, follow a God-inspired plan, and enable God-inspired power to work." Bishop Bledsoe was chief celebrant for communion at the close of the service, assisted by District Superintendent Jane Vaughan, Pastor Keith Wilks, and lay leader, Linda Weems.

 

    

Anthony UMC Quilting Ministry's Part in a Community-Wide Program

Submitted by Judy McMillie 

   

      Anthony United Methodist Church's quilting ministry is going strong. Each year members, constituents and friends make and collect quilts and blankets to distribute at Christmastime. AUMC in Anthony, Texas, has been part of the program called Feed Them For a Week for more than ten years.

     A local organization, Community Development Board, contacts the three local school districts where the school counselors select the neediest families in their schools to receive enough food at Christmastime to feed their entire family for the week or ten days while school is in recess during Christmas vacation. Our church adds a blanket or a quilt for each family. Each item we give for distribution has a message on the back: Made especially for you with loving hands and prayerful hearts by your friends at Anthony United Methodist Church 2017.

     An event is held on the final day of school before Christmas vacation. The selected families are invited to pizza lunch with Santa Claus. Photos of the families are taken by a professional photographer and they take home a framed photo of their family. Help is provided to load up the boxes of groceries for them, and help in the delivery is provided, too. Toys for each child are provided by the Marine Corps' Toys For Tots program. The local community college's culinary program makes cupcakes for the recipients and the crew that day. Businesses in the area contribute generously to this program because they understand the need in the community as well as the hard work provided by La Tuna Federal Correctional Facility and other organizations and businesses in the area that care.

     Quilts are displayed on AUMC's pews throughout the year as they are finished by the quilters, and then gathered up and distributed at the Feed Them For a Week event. AUMC's Pastor Tom Anderson and members are pleased to have such a great opportunity to reach out into the community and give in this way.

 

Annual Conference 2018 Planning has Begun!

     The Planning Team for Annual Conference 2018 had their first planning meeting this past weekend.  Among many other things, they developed a working foundation and created teams for each of the main areas of focus.  They also toured the host hotel, the Marriott in ABQ. 
     As per the resolution passed during the 2015 Annual Conference, we will elect delegates to the 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conferences 2 years prior, which is the 2018 Annual Conference.  Given the issues facing our denomination, we will need to elect our best delegates to attend General Conference 2020 in Minneapolis.  In addition, the Jurisdictional Delegates will help select the slate of new Bishops, one of which will serve the NM Conference. 
     Every church is guaranteed at least one lay delegate to AC.  We are required to "equalize" the number of laity and clergy (including our ~100 retired clergy).  Because of this, we need an additional lay person from almost every local church in order to maintain a proper voting balance.  Please be sure to elect one alternate, if not 2 or 3 but note that you may have church members who are already lay members of the Annual Conference by virtue of their office (e.g.,UMW Conf. President).
Some nominee considerations:

• Nominate people who will share what they learned during Annual Conference.
• Nominate people who want to be the "hands and feet" of Christ through Conference mission & service opportunities.
• Nominate young people to learn about how the UMC structure works and contribute fresh ideas. (Bishop scheduled AC a bit later - June 13-15, to enable young people and those with school-aged children to attend.)  

Call Sacramento to get your room reservation: 575.687.3414

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     The BOPHB will provide a new grant opportunity for clergy, clergy spouses and their

dependent children to proactively improve their spiritual, mental and physical

health. Any clergy under full-time appointment may apply to the BOPHB for up to 75%

of their expense, after any insurance or other financial help is taken into consideration.

     Items that may be considered (not limited to) are spiritual direction, coaching, help

with weight loss or addictions, physical fitness training, facilities and equipment.

Requests will be reviewed by the BOPHB sub-committee. If approved, the subcommittee

will decide what percentage of the request will be funded. Disbursements

may be made on a one-time or repeating basis, depending on the nature of the

request.

     Only a limited number of grants are available each year. Three BOPHB

members, elected by the BOPHB, shall constitute the Wellness Fund Review Committee. All grant requests will be strictly confidential.  Only one grant per clergy household will be funded at a time.

     Please submit the application to Cazandra MacDonald at cazmac9910@gmail.com .

  Click for Application

2-4-6-8....HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE?
by Deborah Coble. Director of Communications for the West Virginia Annual Conference

      In my past life, I worked in Broadcast Marketing and Promotions.  I cut my teeth at a local radio station before I even went to college.  I worked for two more radio stations in college and then for a local Fox affiliate/tv station in Atlanta, GA before I got the call to go up to the big show, TBS and later TNT.   

 Everything I learned about story telling and multi-level marketing I learned from groundbreaking communicators - some of the best in the business, my colleagues are now running Television and Network Marketing and Promotions departments from coast to coast.  It was fun, we were cutting edge, and we got to spend a lot of Ted Turner's money.  

     Today even these media outlets have had to change their methods of communicating to their audience.  No longer do people make appointments to watch a particular show (remember how NBC comedies dominated Thursday nights?), no longer do people tune in at an appointed hour to get their news and information from trusted sources.  The internet and handheld communications have changed  everything  about how we tell our stories and how we invite others to share our experiences. 

     In 2003 I was called to ministry, what a change in careers!  When I graduated from seminary, 10 years ago, I left with a passion for sharing the Good News, a focus on living missionally - living and walking among the people of the community I was being sent to serve.  I carted to my new appointment a ton of books and ideas and I was truly excited that part of my pastoral task was to read and think and share ideas with others through well thought out worship experiences and sermons. Homiletics professors challenged us to spend 10-20 hours a week reading and writing our sermon, and I will never forget the admonition from Dr. VanderBroek to spend time studying daily to 'keep up on our Greek'. 

      Now, two appointments later and one year into my work on the staff of an Annual Conference, serving in a denomination that is facing some huge challenges and changes in the next 2 years, I am going out on a limb here to invite every pastor and church to rethink how we communicate the Gospel and our church's stories.

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Charge Conference Season is almost upon us!

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