Native American Ministries Sunday 
How the Offering Impacts our Conference?
by Rev. Raquel Mull, Director of the Four Corners Native American Ministry
 
     Four Corners Native American Ministry (FCNAM), located on the Navajo reservation, benefits from the generosity of New Mexico United Methodists when they contribute to Native American Ministries Sunday.  Covenant Education Center (CEC), a program of FCNAM, recently received $1000.00 from the funds donated.  CEC is expanding their student base and needed to upgrade the infant room.  With your help, they were able to get cribs, high chairs, changing table pads, bottle warmers, diaper pails and toys!  A well-stocked nursery for the infants in their care because YOU care.
          In the past, FCNAM was able to take some interested persons to Annual Conference - where three of the participants answered the call to ministry.  This year, I will be preaching at a couple of churches in the Albuquerque District to raise awareness of what the funds are used for.  Just a reminder, of the funds collected in the New Mexico Annual Conference, half stays in the Annual Conference to be used for Native ministries, 25% goes to scholarships through General Board of Education and Ministry and the last 25% for urban initiatives.  I am encouraging all of our 15 churches to consider applying for funds to enable their congregations to grow, spiritually and physically.  We recently had a training focusing on confirmation and church membership so I am hopeful some will apply for the resources available through Cokesbury for confirmation classes.
          Again, my thanks for your concern and interest in your Navajo brothers and sisters in Christ who live on the Navajo reservation and please, keep giving and praying for our ministry.  If you would like a speaker to address your church, UMW or mission group, please contact the FCNAM office at 505.368.4402.   

Ransomware alert issued by US and Canada following recent attacks
article issued on April 4, 2016 - by Lisa Vaas 
 
Every week seems to bring news of another case of ransomware.  It's nasty stuff.  Nasty enough that
the US and Canada on Thursday issued a rare joint cyber alert about the recent surge in ransomware attacks, in which data is encrypted and crooks demand payment for it to be unlocked.
In addition to backing up all your important information on an external drive or server, our website consultant offered a few precautions.  If you feel that you should open an attachment but do not know the sender, open it on your mobile device.  Your iPhone is less likely to become infected.  DO NOT open any zip files that you are not expecting to receive, even if you recognize the sender. It seems like a lot of extra work but it pays to be vigilant.  The new Conference website is attacked by international web-bots at least once per day.  We are well protected but fending off attacks affects our website speed - quite the cyber-battle. To address that issue, we are adding a plug-in to hide our log-in page from bad guys.  If you have any questions about online security, please contact Alli Costello, Communications Director at alli@nmconfum.com or 505-255-8786, ext. 111. 

Landsun Homes Mother's Day Offering
GIVE GRACE and HOPE this MOTHER'S DAY
 
We are beginning our annual journey towards the Mother's Day Offering which benefits older adults who live at Landsun Homes. Serving older adults of all income levels, Landsun Homes provides services in a resident centered continuing care retirement community.
With longer life spans and escalating healthcare costs, older adults often outlive their resources. The Board of Directors of Landsun Homes realized the breadth of this problem decades ago, resulting in the creation of the Landsun Homes Caring Hands Fund.  Offering brochures and envelopes will be sent to churches soon.   

 


The Pre-Conference Journal is up in 2 sections: The actual Pre-Conference Journal material and the Conference Structure, Procedures & Policies. 
Click here for the Pre-Conference page
  


Pre-Conference Meetings have been scheduled all over the Conference starting this coming Saturday, April 16th.  Please see the schedule below. 
Why attend? 
  • Representatives of our General & Jurisdictional Conference delegations will be in attendance, discussing the hot topics they will need to vote on in May & July. 
  • Health insurance changes
  • Early Bird Workshops
  • Address anything in the Pre-Conference Journal
  • Annual Conference plans in general.
Click here for the Pre-Conference page
  
GC2016 60 Days Prayer - Wednesday April 27th 
 

Resources Churches can you to Advertise Annual Conference 2016
Copy, paste or print any of these graphics for your newsletter or bulletin!


 

 

Get your Spirit in Shape: Sacred Spaces Podcast

Communications Corner - Font-tastic!
by Alli Costello, Conference Communications Director
     I have had the opportunity to look at a fair number of church newsletters and I have to admit that my prevailing response is along the lines of "MY EYES!!!!" The content is usually very appropriate for the audience but in an effort to grab attention to various announcements and events, churches use every color, size, capitals, underline, italics, bold and font imaginable and it only serves to make it harder for the reader's brain to absorb. You do not want your reader to feel visually confused or at worst, assaulted. 
     My recommendation is if you have a font style that you use on most of your documents and on your website, get a set of fonts that match pretty well. For example, our new website primarily uses 3 font sets (Antonio, Carlos & Franklin Gothic) and only 3 main colors. Get those font styles and the color codes and make them known to your office staff and volunteers - anyone who touches church communications. It is a lot easier on the eye to move through information if you have cohesion.  Use capitals, bold, underline and italics sparingly and trust that your reader will make it through the document.  Our rule of thumb in the Conference Office is for your most important announcements/events, plan months ahead and provide information in different ways, at different times, in different places and in that way, you confidently get your message heard (Think Geiko ads).
     Each month, we will be offering other tips & suggestions for church communications improvements.  Next month we will address images.  Questions:  alli@nmconfum.com or 505-255-8786, ext. 111. 

UPCOMING EVENTS & IMPORTANT DATES 
>April 15-17
>April 16
>April 16
>April 17
>April 23
>April 23
>April 24
>April 27
>April 30  
>May 10-20
>May 21-22 
>June 1 
>June 2 - 4
<July 13-16 
SWIFT Young Adult Spring Work Camp
Odessa Pre-Conference Meeting 
Roswell Pre-Conference Meeting 
Clovis Pre-Conference Meeting 
El Paso Pre-Conference Meeting 
ABQ Pre-Conference Meeting 
Farmington Pre-Conference Meeting
NMAC Prayer Vigil 
Lay Servant Training
General Conference
Lay Servant School  
Early Bird Workshops 
NM Annual Conference
SCJ Conference
Sacramento
First UMC-Odessa 
First UMC-Roswell 
First UMC-Clovis 
St. Luke's UMC-El Paso 
St. Stephen's UMC-ABQ 
First UMC-Farmington  

Center St. UMC, Tucumcari
Portland, OR
FUMC-Belen 
Roswell, NM 
Roswell, NM
Wichita, KS
 

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.