News from Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church

Mississippi United Methodist Annual Conference June 11-13, 2010

Beginning with this issue and those to follow through June 11-13 The Circuit Rider will feature our 2010 Annual Conference. Each issue will feature a Q&A with those planning the event. We start with Hospitality.

Q&A with Brenda McGloster, Project Manager
for the MS Conference

Is there still hotel space available?
Yes hotels are still available but they are going fast. We have worked hard with the selected hotels listed on the conference website to ensure that our attendees experience an enjoyable stay while at annual conference. To find a list of hotels click here.
Where do you need volunteers to help?
A. Guest Service Volunteers: smile, greet guest and keep everyone going in the right direction.
B. Resource Fair Assistants: assist display representative in distributing materials
C. Worship Service Ushers: maintain order during worship services
D. Special Meals Liaison: receive attendee's tickets; assist coordinator at and during event
If you are interest in volunteering you may register at www.mississippi-umc.org or you may call the conference office at 601-354-0515 ext. 14.
Is parking going to be easier this year?
We have partnered with Cline Tours to provide first rate travel service during the annual conference. Our goal is to get attendees from their hotel/motel to the doorsteps of the annual conference, located in the Jackson Convention Center Complex at 105 east Pascagoula Street. Each person wanting to use the shuttle service has to fill out the Park & Ride registration form and turn it in by June 7. Download the form here.
Are there places close to the Convention Center to eat lunch?
Yes we will have food vendor's onsite in the food court as well as local eatery's information at the hospitality station.
Who will be in the display area this year? Is there still space available?
The 2010 Annual Conference Exhibit area will be full of informative and educational booths along with our new "Market Place".

This is an excellent opportunity for any Mississippi Conference mission and service group to present their programs and success stories to the leadership of the Mississippi Conference.

Some of the groups exhibiting during the 2010 Mississippi Annual Conference will be various Wesley Foundation groups from our state colleges, our Mississippi Conference camps and retreats, our senior ministries, our Mississippi Conference children's groups and homes, the Mississippi Foundation, our conference hunger mission programs and groups, our conference ministry support groups and seminaries.

Additionally our Conference treasurer and pension office will be exhibiting on site to aid and assist our membership, along with Medical Benefits, including Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Amazing Pace, as well as our Conference communications and the Methodist Hour.

The General Church and the Southeast Jurisdictional ministries and programs will also be exhibiting, promoting programs such as Lake Junaluski, United Methodist Communications, the Advance programming and the Board of Discipleship. Also joining in the exhibiting areas will be our Conference disaster response group, and UMCOR and UMVIM.

Some of the groups represented in our "Market Place" exhibit area will be Cokesbury, with a large selection of church materials, and church office supply speciality companies and church musical instrument specialist and others. Our "Market Place" exhibit area will be located near the food concession area this year.

Please fill out the Annual Conference exhibition form located with this issue or on the Mississippi conference web site. Or you can email: ac2010@mississippi-umc.org or by phoning toll free: 866-647-7486 ext. 14. Additional exhibition details are listed on the registration form.

The Jackson Convention Complex offers a spacious exhibit area and there is still excellent exhibit space available. But our deadline is approaching quickly. After May 10th we are opening the exhibit display space to other interested Conference approved organizations. So please come and join us during the 2010 Mississippi Annual Conference and promote your Mississippi Conference programming and services during this unique opportunity when we gather together to conference and worship together.
What excites you most about this year's Annual Conference?
The opportunity to work with the representatives of the Annual Conference Hospitality and Arrangements Committee. A special thanks to Lee Burdine - Displays, Elbrist Mason - Park & Ride, Kathleen Smith - Hospitality, Latoya Redd - Meals Consultant and our local churches and volunteers.