|
|
|
Gulf Central District |
June / July 2009
Newsletter
|
|
 |
Greetings! 
I
think it is fitting that we celebrate Pentecost and then go to Annual
Conference with its theme "Cherishing the Creation". The Spirit
of Pentecost is no Gnostic, world denying, anti-material world
spirit. This is the Holy Spirit of the living God who is
imaged as a descending dove (humble, peace bringing presence), fire
(holy presence, empowering), and wind (life-giving breath of God)-
earthy images from the creation that God so loves...and wants us to
love.
Perhaps
the place to start loving creation is through what Barbara Brown Taylor
in An Alter in the World: A Geography of Faith calls "the practice of
paying attention", of learning to have a sense of reverence and awe
before God's creation. As Shug says in Alice Walker's The Color
Purple, "I think it ticks God off if you walk by the color purple in a
field somewhere and don't notice it." Mechtild of Magdeburg put
it this way, "the day of my spiritual awakening was the day I saw- and
knew I saw- all things in God and God in all things."
As
we celebrate God's spiritual, earthy and bodily presence through
Pentecost, may we learn to pay attention to God's spiritual presence in
creation, including God's presence in our neighbor. May we learn
to honor, revere, and love, i.e. cherish, God's creation. And,
may we come to know that cherishing creation through acts of mercy,
justice, peace making, and environmental activism is every bit as
important to the spiritual life as prayer and praise.
 Shalom,
John
John R. Powers
District Superintendent |
|
June Birthdays
1 - Todd Stube
1 - Giovanni Palacios
2 - Nan Hubbell
7 - Dan Campbell
9 - Martha Peavey
9 - Doug Zipperer
16 - Marie Hay
19 - Gary Clark
21 - Lawrence Barriner
26 - Debbie Allen
26 - Lois Rogers-Watson
27 - Mary Ekers
27 - David Miller
27 - John Powers
29 - Eric McCrea
29 - Tim Machtel
|
|
June Anniversaries |
|
July 10 -
Gabe & Paul Wright
July 13 - Chuck & Kayla Engelhardt
July 13 -
Wayne & Carolyn Rose Vaughan
July 15 -
David & Susan Gill
July 28 -
Catherine & Steve Price
| |
Joys & Concerns:
Please continue to pray for Dwight McQueen and Fred Bonsteel.
Please pray for Donna Ratzlaff & James Mitchell
Congratulations to:
Rev.
Anne Butcher (Hope UMC Trinity) and her husband Dave. Their
daughter Jessica Raysin (and her husband Joshua) delivered a healthy
baby girl Rhyliegh Anne, April 11, 2009 (4th grandchild).
Maggie & Grant
Corrigan (District office). Their daughter Jessica (and her
husband David) delivered a healthy baby girl Katelyn Trinity, May 7,
2009 (4th grandchild). |
Appointments:
Retiring - Sharon Patch and James Morgan, Donna Ratzlaff
Faith, Hudson - Howard Grimmenga & wife Nancy
First Brooksville - Jeffrey Ice & wife Laura, children Ian, Danielle, Lindsey
First Clearwater - Scott Baker & wife Florence
First New Port Richey - Betty Batey
Keystone, Odessa - Tim Haas & wife Phyllis
Skycrest - Michael Pestel & wife Katie
Sylvan Abbey - John Beasley & wife Martha
Union Street - Nancy Mayeaux & husband John
Anona - Katie Pestel & husband Michael
Gulfside Regional Hospice - Steven Coss
Joining Hands Community Ministry - Dan Campbell
Harvey Alequin - Youth Ministry - Vino Nuevo - South Central District
Daryl Allen - Druid Hills - North Central District
Debbie Allen - Belleview - North Central District
Fred Ball - Memorial, Lake Placid - South West District
Kelly Greenawald - Hernando - North Central District |
|
|
|
|
July Birthdays
1 - Cheryl Knight
3 - Robert Roseberry
3 - Debbie Machtel
4 - Jackie Walker
6 - Patti Martin
10 - Megan Dorsey
15 - James Mitchell
16 - Anne Butcher
17 - Gary Eldred
17 - Don Ringland
20 - Grant Corrigan
20 - Terri Ebert
21 - Donna Ratzlaff
27 - Mason Dorsey
27 - Heather Kirk |
| July Anniversaries |
|
July 2 -
Bob & Jackie Wooten
July 10 -
Daryl & Debbie Allen
July 10 -
Rich & Robin Hager
July 15 -
Chris & Katia McNeill
July 15 -
Joe & Jackie Walker
July 25 -
Sallie & John Vandervort | |
|
|
  Please Join Us! Our
United Methodist Cooperative Ministries Community will gather for a
reception to honor UMCM Executive Director Donna Ratzlaff on the
occasion of her retirement.
Sunday, June 7, 2009 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Anona United Methodist Church
13233 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, FL
In
lieu of gifts and in honor of the occasion, contributions may be made
to The Donna C. Ratzlaff Endowment Fund. Contributions made out to UMCM
may be mailed to: Doris Campbell, 1219 Norwood Avenue, Clearwater, FL
33756 or brought to the reception.
|
 Growing Generous Givers:
One Congregation's Story
In
June 1997, my wife, Catherine, and I were appointed to co-pastor a new
church start in Bradenton, Florida. On Easter Sunday 1998, Harvest
United Methodist was born. From its beginnings, a consistent pattern of
generous response and bold faith has characterized each financial
opportunity or challenge the congregation has faced. By
June 2000, Harvest was financially self-supporting. In 2002, the
congregation began participating fully in connectional giving and has
paid 100 percent of its denominational apportionments every year since.
The next year, just over 100 families made financial commitments
enabling the church to construct a facility with ample space for
newcomers. Total congregational giving and the average giving per
worship attendee have increased every year over the life of the church.
Even in the current economic downturn, the congregation, now with 1,100
members, was able to launch a much-needed building expansion in late
2008, and giving for the first quarter 2009 is up from the previous
year. What lies behind this story of generous and faithful giving? I would suggest several contributing
factors: [READ MORE . . .]
Steve Price (sprice@harvest-umc.org) is co-pastor of Harvest United Methodist Church in Bradenton,Florida (www.harvest-umc.org). |
 Don't Forget to Report!
July
1 congregations will be asked to begin reporting data for Intentional
Discipling and Salty Service. For complete information, go to MVS
logo on either www.flumc.org or (www.congregationaltransformation.com).
The
purpose of the MVS is to help congregations stay focused on the five
practices of fruitful congregations and to track an indication of their
effectiveness for each of these practices. |
 The Annual Conference Offering |
 Accounting, Audit & Tax Issues Training |
|
Is Your Church Prepared for Hurricane Season?
If
you already have a Disaster Plan for your church,
congratulations! Please share that plan with the Conference
office by email (DisasterRecovery@flumc.org)
or fax (863-688-7233). A copy should also be sent to the District
office. The Conference office will scan your plan
into our system for safe, offsite storage. In the event of a
disaster, it will be ready for you without worry or concern about where
you stored it. They will also email it back to you on May 14,
2010 so you can do a quick review and update any changes!
If you haven't had time to put a plan together and need assistance, please call 800-282-8011 X 149 or email at DisasterRecovery@flumc.org . They can help and have resources available to assist you. Check out their [website]
for updates on what your Conference Disaster Recovery Ministry is doing
to serve you better! There are training opportunities, volunteer
opportunities, helpful links to other sites and so much more!
Please complete the attached Quick Resource Survey
for your church and email or fax it (863-688-7233) back to the
Conference office in the next week or so. The form asks for some
basic information they can put in their database so that WHEN disaster
comes, they will have a quick snapshot of where we have resources
available to offer assistance. |
 Florida Churches Encouraged to
"Rethink Church"
As
the next step of the "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors." welcoming
and advertising campaign, Rethink Church seeks to redefine the church
experience beyond the church doors and invite people to become engaged
in the world. The campaign aims to spark a global conversation around
the rhetorical question, "What if church were a verb?"
Rethink
Church messages will appear on television, radio, magazines and
billboards. Digital media will be a high priority. The theme will
appear across a range of online and other new media outlets, including
YouTube, iTunes and cell phone text messages.
The advertisements will urge audiences to visit a new Web site that seeks to reframe church as a verb. That Web site is www.10thousanddoors.org.
It will provide visitors with the opportunity to explore church as a
365-day active experience, revealing the paths that lead to and from
Sunday worship - all paths that lead seekers into spiritual interaction
and faith discovery. It will demonstrate how United Methodists are
engaged in the world around us, and invite seekers to participate in
the United Methodist mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for
the transformation of the world.
Churches
in the Florida Conference can participate in "Rethink Church" free, by
utilizing pre-printed door hangers that echo the theme. To order
door hangers, send an e-mail to Caryl Kelley in the Florida Conference
communications office, at ckelley@flumc.org.
Orders will be filled on a first-come, first served basis, and must be
placed in increments of 100 with a maximum order of 500. There is no
charge for shipping and handling. |
|
First Ever Gulf Central District Clergy Retreat
November 12-13, 2009
Come and join us at the Tradewinds of St. Pete Beach
The
cost will be $185 Single accommodation $125 with a roommate.
Please be sure to give your room mate's name when you complete the
registration form.
Our guest Speaker will be: Rev. Dr. James Harnish
Stand-up Comedy by Rev. Dr. Pat Turner-Sharpton
Please register by completing [FORM]
and sending your check to the District office at 1498 Rosery Rd
E., Largo, FL 33770-1656. if you need scholarship assistance please
email John at ds-gc@flumc.org.
This event is being underwritten by the Leadership Council of the Gulf Central District. |
| District
Calendar
of
Events |
Jun 7: Donna Ratzlaff Retirement 2-4p, Anona UMC Jun 10: Pre-Annual Conference Events, Bethune Cookman University, Daytona Beach Jun 11-13: Annual Conference, Bethune Cookman Univ., Daytona Beach Jun 30: Moving Day
Jul 3: Conference & District Offices closed in lieu of Independence Day
Aug 6-7: Leadership Summit, Van Dyke UMC
Sep 3: Clergy Team Meeting, St. Paul's UMC, 10a-2p Sep 7: Conference & District Offices Closed for Labor Day Sep 14-18: Cabinet
Oct 14-15: Cabinet
Oct 24: District United Methodist Women Annual Meeting
**October is Clergy Appreciation Month
Nov 10-11: Cabinet
Nov 12-13: Clergy Retreat at Tradewinds, St. Pete Beach
Nov 26-27: District & Conference offices closed for Thanksgiving
Dec 8-10: Cabinet
Dec 24-Jan 4: District & Conference offices closed for Christmas |
 Don't
forget to go to flumc.org for your invoicing on health insurance,
pension, workman's compensation and property/casualty every
month. Look on the right side of the site for the box that says: |
|
|
