:: Gleanings

 
Thirst

Another morning and I wake with thirst for the goodness I do not have. 
I walk out to the pond and all the way God has given us such beautiful lessons.  Oh, Lord, I was never a quick scholar but sulked and hunched over my books past the hour and the bell; grant me, in your mercy, a little more time.  Love for the earth and love for you are having such a long conversation in my heart.  Who knows what will finally happen or where I will be sent, yet already I have given a great many things away, expecting to be told to pack nothing, except the prayers which, with this thirst, I am slowly learning.
Mid-Lent, I give thanks for encounters with the scripture. These occasions make me keenly aware of the gift of "a little more time," another Lent to draw deep from the wellspring of God's love.
 
"Take nothing for the journey," Jesus says, awakening me to goodness I do not know, to a thirst for faithfulness in bearing this word in my life. The long conversation continues in my soul today. 
 
This Lent, I will notice more my own thirst.  I will pause before every drink of water and give thanks for it.
 
This Lent, I will give thanks as I exercise for 40 minutes every morning.
 
This Lent, I will lighten up and give 40 things away.  Maybe 40 books. Maybe 40 things from the shelves, the garage, the closet.
 
Simple things, these actions, but part of the long conversation in my soul.
 
May you be blessed in your Lenten journey this day.

Hope Morgan Ward

:: Knock on 9

 
Mississippi City UMC Decides to "Knock on Nine"

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
 
On Sep. 30, 2009, several members of our congregation gathered to engage in conversation about the mission and ministry of our church. Imagining a world in which all resources flowed superabundantly, we listed our dreams and began to pray that God would enable them to be realized. By the end of our time together, we had named eight areas of concern: community, connections, facilities, missions, outreach, partnerships, spiritual formation and worship.

Then, on Feb. 3, 2010, with the help of charette facilitator, Ronn Lansky, members of the congregation gathered again to take the next faithful step towards making our dreams a reality. It was during this time together that the group isolated one area for which all of our hearts beat collectively -- outreach.

As we strive to do our part in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, Mississippi City UMC has decided to accept the bishop's challenge to "knock on nine." Rather than literally knock on nine doors, Mississippi City is determined to "knock" on 248. Putting a spin on the original idea, our church has designed a door hanger that will be left on the doors of homes in multiple neighborhoods surrounding the church. These door hangers include a picture of the church on the front, along with opportunities for worship on Sunday mornings and other days throughout the week. On the back of the door hanger, people will find a list of the worship experiences that have been planned for Holy Week, culminating with our Easter Sunrise Service which will be held on the beach at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, April 4. Seekers may also choose to attend the regular morning worship service later that morning at 10 a.m.

All of us are super excited about the move of God that has inspired us to develop this plan of action and are looking forward to the many praise reports that will result from this very special time of ministry throughout our community. If you are interested in joining a team of knockers one weekend during the Lenten season, contact Gini in the office at 228.896.7626.

:: Help Haiti and Chile

 
The Mississippi Conference was so generous in preparing Health Kits for Haiti last month.  More than 7500 were delivered to Sager Brown.  Now, the need is for School Kits, Birthing Kits, and Layette Kits for the children of Haiti and Chile.  If you can imagine giving birth or caring for an infant in makeshift camps or even in shelters, the need for Birthing and Layette Kits becomes obvious.  For older children, school has been disrupted and classes are now being held outdoors or in whatever shelter can be found.  School supplies are a high priority for establishing some sense of normalcy in the children's lives.

Rev. Wayne Napier and Rev. Darrell Sanderson will be picking up the kits at Collection Points throughout the state on Monday, March 22.  Collection Points along Hwy. 45, I-55, and I-59 are currently being finalized and will be announced well in advance of the pick-up date.
As the kits are prepared, please be sure to include at least $1 per kit for shipping costs.  As the kits are collected at individual churches, please remove the money from the bags and write one check to UMCOR Sager Brown.  The check should be included with the kits when they are delivered to the Collection Points. 

Jesus had a special place in his heart for children.  He admonished his followers to care for the widows and orphans.  In this Lenten Season, may we open our hearts to mothers and children, many of who have become widows and orphans as a result of these recent disasters, and who are living in very difficult circumstances.  

For more information contact the Conference Kit Ministry Coordinators, Brenda and Rex Hiatt (bhiatt@comcast.net ) or go to umcor.org.

:: Announcements

 
Register Now for
Five Fruitful Practices

The mission of The United Methodist Church is clearly stated as "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."  This is, of course, a wonderful mission statement.  Unfortunately, it is much easier to state a mission than actually embody one. 

In his book "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations," Bishop Robert Schnase has named five core practices by which God uses congregations to create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world: radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity.  Just a quick look at this list reveals that Bishop Schnase has not re-invented the wheel here.  Most United Methodist laity and clergy would agree hospitality, worship, faith development, missions and generosity are essential to making disciples and transforming the world.  These are practices that constitute the Christian faith.  Disciples or churches without hospitality, generosity or service are simply not all that Christian. 
           
The contribution that Bishop Schnase has made in his book is not to present us with something new, but rather to give us the language to clarify and enrich what we should already know.  The great gift of Schnase's work is that it gives congregations a common language with which to communicate.  The conflicts over worship in the last twenty years have shown us with painful clarity that not everyone means the same thing when they speak the word worship.  Likewise, who would doubt that hospitality is crucial for faithful discipleship? Sadly however, as our churches continue to struggle with issues of age, class, race and sexual identity it is clear that hospitality means different things to different people.  And yet what if your church found a common language with which to dream about missions or encourage one another in discipleship? 
           
On April 10,Bishop Schnase will lead an Evangelism Summit at Christ UMC in Jackson.  Participants will share the day with the Bishop as he walks us through the power of these five practices to transform our churches.  This Evangelism Summit will open with registration at 8:45 a.m. with a $15 registration fee.  Bishop Schnase will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude by 3:30 p.m.  Lunch will be provided and 0.5 CEU's are available. 
          
In the introduction to his book, Schnase states, "These practices have taken on a life of their own, and I have been amazed how these simple practices, intensified by strong adjectives, have captured the imagination of church leaders and have pushed them to a higher quality of ministry."  I challenge you to imagine what it would be like if practices such as radical hospitality and extravagant generosity captured the imagination of your church.  Dare we dream that such practices capture the imagination of our entire Conference?  That would be a sight to see!  Speaking of which...I'll be looking for you at this year's Evangelism Summit.  Click here to register. 

The Preacher As Storyteller Conference

Candler School of Theology is hosting a workshop April 19-20, 2010, with Dr. Fred Craddock, acclaimed preacher and storyteller and Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament, Emeritus, and the Rev. Dr. Mike Graves, co-editor of Craddock Stories. This two-day workshop will focus on storytelling from the pulpit. Click here to learn more and register today!

Seashore Assembly Announces Camp Dates

Camp SUMA at Seashore UM Assembly in Biloxi is offering age level camps under the theme:  "Body Builders"  I Corinthians 12:27. The weeklong camp includes skits, games, activities, music, ship island excursion, crafts, swimming, bible study, and camp-outs providing great opportunities for boys and girls to grow socially and spiritually.

All Camp SUMA activities are carefully designed and supervised to make them safe, fun experiences for all campers.  Enthusiastic Christian Counselors focus on sharing God's love for campers of any race, color, ethnic or national origin.

Dates are as follows:   July 1 - 4 Senior High Camp (Grades 10 - 12), registration fee is $95; July 5 - 9 - Junior High Camp (Grades 7-9), registration fee is $195; July 12 - 16 - Older Elementary Camp (Grades 4- 6), registration fee is $195. Older Elementary Camp offers an option of day camp or overnight camp. 

For more information or to register online visit www.seashoreassembly.org.

Proteus 7 Brings Brass to Arts Under the Dome

Under The Dome heats things up with the sizzling seven-member ensemble Proteus 7 on Sunday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m.  The group, consisting mainly of brass instruments with winds and percussion, will serve up a tour de force repertoire of Latin, jazz, classical, and music from Broadway and film.
 
Members of Proteus 7 perform on Broadway, record and compose for film and television, have been nominated for Grammy and Emmy awards, and have played with major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops, and the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras.  The seven dynamic players bring to the stage both the excitement of a big band and the intimacy of a chamber orchestra.  Proteus 7 has recorded four albums for the prestigious Dorian label:  For Your Ears Only, Cha Cha Lounge, BernsteinTribute, and Dracula, The Seduction.
 
Ticket price is $10 adults, $7 students. The venue is First UMC, Gulfport.  Tickets will be available at the door or in advance from the church office.  For information, call 228.863.0392 or 228.229.6851, or go to www.fumc-gulfport.org.   

Piney Woods School Offers
Summer Enrichment Camp

Applications are now being taken for the 2010 Summer Enrichment Camp.  Please share the attached application and camp descriptions with family, friends, church members, etc.  If you have any questions about Summer Camp, please direct them Sharon Gill at sgill@pineywoods.org. Ms. Gill is serving as the assistant director of the Summer Camp program.

:: Celebrations

The President is walking, too, for better health!

During his first presidential physical, the President learned that he had borderline high overall cholesterol and  elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol. The doctors prescribed more exercise and better diet. Following his doctors advice, USA Today (http://bit.ly/bXrx3L)
reported Monday, March 1, that "President Obama broke from his motorcade after an education speech this morning, taking the brief walk from the event site back to the White House, via Lafayette Park.

"I want to make sure I'm walking off some of that cholesterol," Obama cracked to reporters, referring to the results of Sunday's physical. "That's a year of campaigning right there." Sad to say, it's relatively rare for a president to get out and stretch his legs like that."


Mississippi's Amazing Pacers have realized the benefits of increased walking for several years even earning the U.S. Surgeon General's Healthy Future Champion Award in late 2008. (Photo right)

:: Cares and Concerns

Mrs. Bettye Dickens passed away Feb. 27, 2010.  She is the mother of Rev. Mattie Gipson, pastor at St. Paul UMC in Hattiesburg.  Mrs. Dickens funeral service will be held Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 3 p.m. at the TOMB Building in Oxford, MS.  The family hours are Friday, March 5th from 6 to 8 p.m.  Please remember the family in your prayers.
 
Helen Williams, wife of Rev. Terry Williams, has been admitted to Crossgates River Oaks Hospital in Brandon.  Ms. Williams has Crohn's Disease and is being treated for a leg wound that will not heal.  Rev. Williams serves the Georgeville Charge.  Please remember Helen and Terry and their children in prayer.

Rev. Jeff Pruett is scheduled for surgery March 5 at 6 a.m. at Oschners Hospital in New Orleans (Jefferson Highway).  Jeff was diagnosed recently with colorectal cancer and has undergone chemo and radiation.  Now that the treatments are completed, the doctors are going to remove the tumor tomorrow.  Members at Poplarville FUMC, Seashore District, have set up a continuous day of prayer for Jeff beginning at 6 a.m. Friday in their sanctuary.  Jeff and his family are very much appreciative and thankful for the prayers and concerns all of you have shown for them during this time.

PEWS FOR SALE - Mount Evergreen UMC in Iuka has 17 pews for sale. Fourteen of the pews are 9 feet 6 inches. Two of the pews are 8 feet; and one pew is 4 feet. The pews are available immediately for $1700. Interested people with questions may contact Robert Armstrong at 662.660.2626 or email armstr1@bellsouth.net.

DIRECTOR - Edwards Street Board of Directors in Hattiesburg is seeking resumes for the newly created position of Director. Requirements for consideration should have a college degree, preferably in social work, experience in management, budget preparation, with strong communication and community relations skills.  The position will pay 30K or higher depending on qualifications. Please send resumes to:  Bill Youngblood, Personnel Committee Chair at youngbloodw@bellsouth.net.
 
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES - Corinth First UMC is seeking a part time Director of Music Ministries. Person will be primarily responsible for coordinating the chancel, youth, children's, handbell choirs, and related aspects of music ministry. Salary is commensurate with education and experience.  For further information, or to send resume, please contact:  Staff-Parish Relations Committee at First United Methodist Church, 901 N. Fillmore St, Corinth, MS 38834. Deadline for receiving applications is March 19, 2010.
 
DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY MINISTRIES - Corinth First UMC is seeking a part time/full-time position in Children and Family Ministries. Person will be primarily responsible for coordinating all aspects of children's and family ministries, including Sunday school classes, Wednesday night programs, and Vacation Bible School.  Salary is commensurate with education and experience. For further information, or to send resume, please contact:  Staff-Parish Relations Committee at First United Methodist Church, 901 N. Fillmore St, Corinth, MS 38834.  Deadline for receiving application is March 19, 2010.