New Places for New People - What's Working?
One Matters Award Recipient, St. Paul's UMC-Socorro 
Free Socorro Food Bank 
 
     Making every visitor feel welcome and at home is the goal of St. Paul's. To make sure that we don't get complacent, the congregation is periodically reminded how essential this is. The pastor greets each visitor and tries to remember their first name so that the next time they visit he can address them by name. A pie is given to each first-time visitor.
     St. Paul's is located across the street from New Mexico Tech and considers outreach to the college one of our primary ministries. Each year we hold an outdoor service on the campus on the first weekend following the start of the fall semester. Students are invited to great music and a picnic. In addition, we participate in Tech's Community Day each semester where the students learn about all the activities around Socorro. We provide donuts and information on our Saturday night College Fellowship where we provide a free home-cooked meal to the students. This outreach is so essential to St. Paul's that we are creating a position for a Director of College Ministry to be a presence on the campus.
     We also periodically have cookouts on the church lawn with music by our Jam Session group. The s'more's have been a great hit with the children. One family who recently moved to Socorro happened to come by and stop at one of our cookouts. Both parents and their five children are now very active in our church.
     One of the main reasons for the growth at St. Paul's has been its outreach in missions to the surrounding communities. We are actively involved in the local food pantry and the local homeless shelter. In addition, we are partnering with Community UMC in Ruidoso on the Santa Elena Mission. For the first time, the church is sending 12 youth on a mission trip to California. The point is that people come to a church where they can get involved in helping others and we make a concerted effort to involve everybody in some program or service ministry. As an example, we just completed Vacation Bible School; of the 18 adult volunteers, 15 are new to the church in the last four years.  Submitted by Pastor Reuben Thomas 

Rebekah Simon-Peter shares the Platinum Rule
with the Four Corners Native American Ministry Team
 
Through The Platinum Rule for Thriving Congregations workshop, I became more knowledgeable about people and behavior.  As a church leader, or anyone actually, Rebekah's program will help you to be more productive, both physically and spiritually.
- Pastor Cecil Lewis, Jr.  United Methodist Church Window Rock, Arizona

I learned more about what kind of person I really am.  There is a different person in you,  
waiting to be known!
- Evelyn Vandever, Fort Defiance, Arizona

Very helpful!  I learned more about myself and how to work with others unlike me, including how to interact with them more effectively.  Highly recommended Rebekah's workshops!
- Rev. Raquel Mull, Director, Four Corners Native American Ministry

Explore Calling 2017
 
Do you know of a young person aged 18-26 who has a unique calling to serve God?
The NM Conference has scholarships to send them to the Explore Calling gathering on November 3-5, 2017 in Portland, OR.

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE 2017
SEPTEMBER 27-29, 2017
THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION IN LEAWOOD, KS 

Click here for all the info

New UMC Handbook is Now Available

Click here
  

Upcoming Events

July
July 9-14 - Music on the Mountain - (grades 7 - grad) - Sacramento
July 10-14 - Promise Seekers Camp (grades 4-6) - Sacramento
July 31-Aug. 4 - Camp Sunshine - Sacramento
August
Aug 11-12 - Lay Servant School - FUMC-ABQ
August 18-19 - Lay Servant School - St. Paul's UMC-El Paso
September
Sept.8-9 - CLM Training - Asbury-Odessa
Sept. 22-23 - CLM Training - University-Las Cruces
October
Oct. 1-4 - Fall Clergy Retreat - Sacramento
Oct. 13-14 - Annual NM Conference UMW Meeting - FUMC-Odessa
Oct. 14-15 - CLM Training - Asbury-Odessa
Oct. 14-15 - CLM Training - University-Las Cruces
November
Nov. 7 - Be Strong & of Good Courage Workshop - FUMC-Roswell 
Nov. 10-11- CLM Training - Asbury-Odessa
Nov. 10-11 - CLM Training - University-Las Cruces 
 
Fall Itineration Schedule
Sept 16 - Roswell, First UMC 2:00 pm
Sept 23 - Tucumcari, Center Street 3:00 pm
Oct 14 - Odessa First UMC 10:00 am (Central Time)
Oct 21 - Farmington, First UMC 10:00 am
Oct 22 - Albuquerque, St. John's 2:00 pm
Nov 18 - El Paso, Trinity-First 2:00 pm  
 
 
Click here for the Conference Calendar

Classifieds
Conference Calendar
UMC website
 


RELEVANT, PASSIONATE, AND LIFE-CHANGING CHURCHES

New Mexico Annual Conference  

11816 Lomas Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87112

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Receptionist Hours: 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

(800) 678-8786 toll free; (505) 255-8786; (505) 265-6184 fax

 Click here to view our staff listing  

 

 

Please send photos, articles, events, etc. to Alli Costello, Communications Director at alli@nmconfum.com.  Send classified ads to frontdesk@nmconfum.com.