Confirmation Retreat 2010 celebrates membership vows as "Five to Thrive" - Make Up weekend now scheduled

A weekend of snow and icy weather didn’t stop more than 166 participants from gathering at Camp Sumatanga for the North Alabama Conference Confirmation Retreat 2010 on January 29-30. This annual event helps local churches as they prepare students for church membership. The theme for the 2010 retreat was “Five to Thrive,” which is a reflection on the five vows of membership and the commitment that we are making to place Christ as Lord of our lives. North Alabama Conference...

North Alabama looks to future of youth ministry with Conference youth ministry assessment

To better live out the North Alabama Conference priority of Empowering a New Generation, the North Alabama Conference Office of Connectional Ministries contracted with Youth Ministry Architects to do an assessment of North Alabama Conference youth ministry as well as provide recommendations and a suggested timeline for the future of conference initiatives in youth ministry in North Alabama. On March 8-9, 2010, Mark DeVries (who was one of the featured speakers at Annual Conference 2009) and...

Conference Adult Ministry Team celebrates successful small groups event

Last month the North Alabama Conference Adult Discipleship Team sponsored the training event Successful Small Groups featuring Debi Nixon of Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Bishop Willimon celebrated this important training opportunity as well as the importance of small groups in his weekly message on Feb. 8, 2010.  Click here to read the article Growing the Church, One Small Group at a Time. North Alabama Conference Coordinator for Children and Adult Ministries Rev....

UMCOR celebrates 70 Years of Hope in 2010

by Melissa Hinnen, Director of Communications for UMCOR, General Board of Global Ministries What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? —Micah 6:8 (NRSV) For 70 years the people of The United Methodist Church have put the spirit of Micah 6:8 into action through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). By hosting sojourners, assembling school kits for children around the world, buying fair-trade coffee to ensure...

Vernon UMC reaches out with spirit of Conference priority of new congregations

Vernon First UMC is blazing new trails in Lamar County of the Southwest District. Vernon First UMC voted to move forward in starting a satellite church offering Spanish worship to West Alabama. This vote rose out of the SPRC meeting in September of 2009 during which leaders were responding to a question regarding of one of the North Alabama Conference core priorities: “What are you doing to start a new congregation?” Pastor Tim Bailey says, “In answering that question one of...

Hopewell UMC begins new ministry to empower a new generation

Submitted by Debbie Williams, member of Hopewell UMC Ever wonder why God puts you in the places He does? During a break at the 2008 North Alabama Annual Conference two members of Hopewell UMC found themselves sharing a bench in the lobby with two lay members from Hanceville UMC. That brief conversation, a time of prayerful waiting, the stirring of the Holy Spirit, and the obedience of our laity to the call of God have resulted in a new children's ministry at Hopewell UMC in Valley,...

Trustees Chair offers Camp Sumatanga update

Camp Sumatanga Update While Camp Sumatanga had its challenges last year, as did many organizations during the recession, thanks to the members of the North Alabama Conference, Camp finished 2009 on a strong note. When Bob Murray reported at 2009’s Annual Conference that Camp needed $300,000 to survive past August, you responded with great love and affection for Camp. Indeed, more than $600,000 was donated to Camp during last summer and early fall. And, through an anonymous donation, Camp...

Chile Earthquake: North Alabama Conference missionary and Methodist Bishop in Chile report on damage; UMCOR Sends Aid to Chile

On March 2, 2010 North Alabama Conference Director of Mission and Advocacy Rev. Matt Lacey spoke with John Elmore, GBGM missionary to Chile affiliated with the North Alabama Conference by phone this morning. Here is Matt’s report of that conversation. John and his wife are currently fine. However, the earthquake has caused a children's home in Angol to become uninhabitable and he believes that a new structure will have to be built. No children were hurt in the quake. Currently John is...

North Alabama pastor finds calling in coaching

by Tim Ghianni, United Methodist General Board of Discipleship This article first appeared in Newscope, a weekly e-newsletter for United Methodist leaders, Vol. 38, Issue 4 / January 27, 2010. Morie Adams-Griffin, 34, finds much joy as pastor of Living Waters UMC in Belgrade, Montana. But he knew he needed the kind of help offered at the inaugural Path1 Coaching Forum. He not only attended that three days of training and fellowship, he became what New Church Strategist Gary Shockley calls...

Chile Earthquake Disaster (Updated)

Saturday, Feb 27, 9:00pm UMCOR has now set up a site in order to receive aid. Visit at: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/newsroom/releases/archives2010/earthquakeinchile/ -Matt Saturday, Feb 27, 4:30pm I have received word that John Elmore, a North Alabama Conference affiliated missionary with GBGM is safe at home with his wife. Telephone and internet service is sporadic, and I will gather and share more information when I can. -Matt Rev. Matt Lacey, Director of Mission and...

Retired pastor Rev. Woodfin Grove publishes first book at age 91

Retired pastor Rev. Woodfin Grove's book, Logia, came from the press on his ninety-first birthday in late 2009. Entitled, Logia, which comes from the Greek word for "sayings" or "utterances",   the book focuses on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount with the attempt to allow readers to study Jesus’ words then make their “faith and life into an harmonious one.” Recently Rev. Grove told a reporter from The Anniston Star, his approach...

Health and Spirituality: a retreat on spirituality and healing for people who have terminal or chronic illness and their families to be held in March

On the third weekend in March (March 19-21, 2010) the North Alabama Conference will sponsor a retreat on the topic of “Spirituality and Healing” at Camp Sumatanga. Over the past two or three decades the importance of Spirituality has received great attention in healthcare. Everyone knows someone who has a serious diagnosis who gets a cure but never seems to get well. Likewise many persons with a potential terminal illness are not cured, yet they finish their lives as very happy...

North Alabama continues to send relief supplies to Haiti

A 40 foot container packed with disaster relief supplies left Decatur at the end of last week and will arrive in Haiti on March 2. The supplies include items donated by North Alabama United Methodists and others who have heard about the church’s work there and wish to help the people of Haiti. Items include tents, medical supplies, health kits and the fourth water treatment system sent by United Methodists. (This will make the 11th water treatment system sent by people from the North...

New Bethel UMC members and friends celebrate a Black History moment brought to you by Coca-Cola

February is Black History month and here’s a story connecting a Black history moment in the United States to a rural North Alabama United Methodist Church. A one-time member of New Bethel UMC (Mountain Lakes District) was one of the first non-celebrity African-American women to appear in a Coca Cola ad. Here is her story presented by Mr. Harry Butler. The first weekend in May is always the date for the Cowser family homecoming celebration at New Bethel UMC in Ballplay, AL. The annual...

Encounter2010 weekend helps youth embrace fullness of the Trinity

On February 19-21, 2010, youth from across the North Alabama Conference gathered in Florence, Ala., for an intimate weekend at EncounterE3! National speaker and author Steve Case led the youth in talking about embracing the fullness of the Trinity. Worship leaders Lost and Found gave the youth incredible opportunities to come close to God in fun and inspirational ways. Hardy Kimber, a youth from Birmingham, Alabama commented, “Lost and Found was great; they led songs to help us become...

Asbury UMC to host Prayer and Missions conference to equip “full circle” 360º disciples

Asbury United Methodist Church in Madison, Ala., (Northeast District) is hosting a two-day prayer and missions conference on Feb. 26-27, 2010. With more than 50 breakout sessions the event features renowned speakers and cross-cultural workers from all around the world. Keynote speakers are Marilee Pierce Dunker and Leonard Sweet. Marilee Pierce Dunker is the daughter of World Vision founder Bob Pierce. She is an author of four books and has had her own radio talk show. Leonard Sweet is the E....

Invitation to the Oberammergau Passion Play

“Pasty and I would like to invite you to come and join us, and a group of pilgrims from North Alabama for the historic Passion Play in Oberammergau, Austria,” said Bishop Willimon. The Oberammergau Passion Play is a 6-hour musical and dramatic presentation of Holy Week, a one-of-a-kind event in a theater that seats 4700 with an out of doors stage. The group, which at present includes groups from St. Mark’s Birmingham, Vestavia, and Trinity Huntsville congregations, will be...

River City Charity Chili Cookoff to benefit UMRA

On Saturday, February 20 from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., the spicy scent of chili will fill the air under the big tent at Ingalls Harbor in Decatur as Toray presents the second annual River City Charity Chili Cookoff. Teams will compete for “Best Chili in the River City” and patrons will select the “Peoples’ Choice” winner. The public is invited to come out to enjoy the fun, games and prizes, with live music from the band Group6. Children will enjoy a moonwalk, face...

One Great Hour of Sharing is March 14. Materials now available

When the first tremors of the earthquake in Haiti rocked that island nation, UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) staff were already in country, strategizing how United Methodists could help improve the lives of the people there. Their work is a direct result of the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering, which supports the operating expenses of those who bring healing and help in our name. It makes it possible, when United Methodists respond to an emergency like Haiti, to know that 100%...

The Carpenter's Hands ministry repairs homes and builds relationships

A house is considered substandard if it does not provide safe and adequate shelter; endangers the health or safety of a family in its present condition; has one or more critical defects such it does not have operable indoor plumbing; it does not have electricity or has inadequate or unsafe electrical service; it does not have safe or adequate source of heat; it should, but does not, have a kitchen; or it has been declared unfit for the habitation by an agency or unit of government. There are...