Here is the latest news from the Johnson City District.
A Word From Walter
Dear Friends of the Johnson City District,
I have been thinking a lot about our connection lately. We are part of a connectional system and we can either apologize for it or we can embrace it. There are some who brush against the idea of being beholden to "The Conference" or "The District". Some might look at our connectional system and wonder why we contribute to bodies outside of our local church.
In my role as your District Superintendent, I am constantly impressed by the resources we have available to us. We have people who handle our pension and health plans for us. We don't have to navigate through that labyrinth alone. We have servants who run camps on our behalf and serve as campus ministers. Our District Day of Discipleship brought resources to our area, and our local churches did not have to pay a cent for this expertise.
We have missionaries serving all over the world on our behalf. We are able to send our children to RezKids, our youth to Resurrection, and our young adults to Divine Rhythm. If one of our pastors moves to a new church, there is another pastor or layperson who will fill their pulpit the next Sunday. If a pastor and congregation do not seem to be a good fit together, we have a tried and true procedure set up to address the issue.
One of the ways I've seen our connection in action occurred at Resurrection a few weeks ago. Instead of voting for a person or a youth group to represent the Johnson City District, our district leadership agreed that any young person who wanted to be part of our presentation could have a part. 10 churches in the Johnson City District had young people who practiced for several weeks together. Instead of any one person or group receiving recognition, we charted another course. We proudly proclaimed that we are all in this together.
I am grateful to be a United Methodist. I have been blessed to know that there were people invested in the success of my ministry regardless of whether they attended my church or not. I am proud to be in covenant with you.
God Bless,
Walter Weikel
Johnson City District Youth perform the song "White Flag" during Resurrection 2013.
Speaking of Resurrection...
Johnson City District Youth Wave White Flag in Gatlinburg
Last fall, Johnson City District Youth decided to take a different approach to the district's talent offering at Resurrection. Historically, groups and individuals have competed during the Festival of Gifts and Talents for the opportunity to represent the district during this annual gathering of youth.
For Resurrection 2013, the youth worked together to present Chris Tomlin's song White Flag. Ten district churches were represented on stage by singers, liturgical dancers, actors and musicians. In addition, all youth from the Johnson City District, scattered throughout the auditorium, participated during the song by waving white flags.
To view a video of our youth's talent offering, click here.
Lay Servant Training
The Johnson City District is planning a Lay Servant (formerly Lay Speaker) Training event on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9 at Cherokee UMC. Adam Love will lead the basic course; Amy Yeary Holmes will lead Lay Servants Tell Stories, Betty Barton will lead Lay Servants in Mission, and Bishop Richard Looney will lead Lay Servants Preach.
Members of Fairhaven UMC depict the crucifixion during their 2012 Holy Week reenactment.
Holy Week Reenactment
On Good Friday, March 29, at 6:30 pm Fairhaven UMC will hold their annual Holy Week Reenactment on the front lawn of the church. It will include six scenes from the last supper to the tomb. Each scene is explained by a tour guide. Parking is in the rear of the church. A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, March 30 at 6:30 pm.
Fairhaven UMC is located at 3131 W Walnut St, Johnson City.
Buffalo Mountain Camp is blessed by your ongoing support and love. Since the August flood, Camp leaders have addressed many challenges and made important decisions about the Camp's future. Now, after careful consideration of the work done by engineers, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and expert property developers, the Board of Directors is excited that Camp property remains safe and viable! Although Camp lost some buildings to the flood, the Board has determined that camp will continue its powerful ministry for children, youth and young adults.
Buffalo Mountain Camp also shares that a residential summer camp will take place in 2013! Camp has changed the lives of countless young campers over the years and will continue sharing the love of Christ with 100's of children once again this summer. Because some cabins are lost and dining facilities are limited, summer camp will be different in 2013. But rest assured, Buffalo Mountain Camp will provide the same fun, safe, and Christ-centered experience as always.
Moving forward in 2013 and beyond, there are so many new opportunities for Buffalo Mountain Camp. Camp needs the support of our churches and friends to ensure that this ministry continues to be the best it can be. So, we invite all of our churches and friends to walk with us on this journey. While the flood brought some heartaches and challenges, we are inspired by Isaiah 43:18-19: "Do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing." Thank you for your support and prayers. Camp will continue to let you know how you can help, for together, we will ensure that Buffalo Mountain Camp claims this exciting promise.
One of the outreach ministries of ESUMC Prague is their Mothering Center/English Club where Czech mothers and children gather for fun and English instruction. We incorporate activities such as baking in the new kitchen, games, reading, music and movement, and nature walks on the church property. Our units of study include religious themes, pets, art, family, zoo animals, things in the sky, etc.
We are currently building a lending library of books that the mothers and children can check out. You can help us expand our selection! Michelle has created a "wish-list" on Amazon of books that we would like to add to our library. You are invited to view this list and purchase books either from Amazon or your local bookstore. Deliver these books to the district office, or have them shipped there. Mission teams will carry them to Prague for our library.
Your conference staff are very excited to let you know about new on-line registration procedures for Holston's 2013 Annual Conference.
Gone are the days of the registration cards! Beginning Tuesday, March 12, all Annual Conference members (clergy, lay, and at-large) will register for Annual Conference on-line. This easy new process will not only allow the Annual Conference member to register on-line but they will also be able to:
Order the Book of Reports by credit card or check or print the downloadable version
Register their children for childcare
Make a reservation for the Missions Celebration dinner
Sign up for the Fun Run event to benefit Imagine No Malaria and
View the Annual Conference schedule or the Special Events schedule other Annual Conference related information!
Annual Conference members who do not use a computer or have internet access are encouraged to call Betty or Amber at the District Office between March 12 and June 3 for assistance in registering. We will collect the required information from you and register you online.
Housing reservations will be handled the same as in years past. The annual call-in day for housing on the grounds will be March 12, beginning at 8:00 a.m. You may also make your housing reservations online beginning March 12.
All Annual Conference members should have received a mailing last week with further information about online registration and housing reservations. If you have not received your letter, please contact the District Office.
2013 Hands-On Mission Project
Johnson City District's Hands-On Mission Project for 2013 Annual Conference is Food Buckets for Liberia. Our district has a proud history of surpassing the goals set each year by the Annual Conference. This year we are challenged to assemble 250 food buckets.
To date, 35 churches in the Johnson City District have given to Imagine No Malaria. The district has raised $55,639, saving 5,563 lives!
Overall, Holston Conference has raised $311,550 toward our goal of $1 million.
The Holston Conference Foundation will match gifts of $1,000 or more from individuals towards the Imagine No Malaria campaign. The Foundation's total matching fund is $50k. Once the $50k goal is reached the match is concluded. To participate in the matching grant, send a copy of your check to the Foundation or directly submit checks to the Foundation office at PO Box 900, Alcoa, TN 37701. For more information on this matching grant, contact the Foundation at 865-690-8124.
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Taking the Plunge
DS Walter Weikel plunges into Lake Junaluska.
This week during Ministers' Convocation at Lake Junaluska, several Holston Clergy and Imagine No Malaria Coordinator LeRae Collins pledged to take a plunge in the icy waters of Lake Junaluska if their fellow clergy saved 500 lives by donating $5,000 to Imagine No Malaria.
This morning, 11 brave souls, including our own District Superintendent Walter Weikel, fulfilled that promise with brief, chilly dip in the lake.
Friday, March 15 5:30 - 7:00 pm (or until the food is gone) Sulphur Springs UMC Cost is a donation
Make plans to join us for a delicious meal and support the work of the Community Help Center. The Center, like many other outreach ministries in our area, has received a greater number of requests for assistance in the last two months than any period since we were organized. Your participation in this event will help us to better serve the needs of Rural Washington County.
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Help the Center Meet the Feinstein Challenge
Dear Friends and Supporters of the Community Help Center
For the past several years the Community Help Center has been involved with the Feinstein Foundation that supports the charitable organizations fighting hunger in our area. During the month of March and April we will be receiving donations in the form of food items and monetary gifts (valued at $1.00 per pound) designated to the Feinstein Challenge. At the end of the campaign, the Community Help Center could be eligible for receiving a portion of the $1 Million grant that will be shared across the country.
Please share this with your congregation, organization, friends and family and help us meet a higher goal this year that will enable us to serve the needs of those families in the communities of rural Washington County.
Sincerely,
Jim Dotson
Family Service Manager
Jeanette Reynolds Scholarship
Any Holston Conference student considering ministry in the United Methodist Church is eligible to apply for the Jeanette Reynolds Scholarship for 2013. The scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $1,000-3,000 annually to at least one student, or will be divided between two students. Checks will be issued directly to educational institutions.
The Rock Fellowship needs 100 folding chairs and six round tables. If you have some that you would like to donate, please contact Randy Hensley by email or at 434-2031.
Kingrea Publishes Devotional Book
Twelve-week devotional on the book of Acts calls for a return to God's original design for the church
Why is the church today so different from the church we see in the book of Acts?
How did the early church do so much with so little, and we do so little with so much?
How did the early Christian movement that changed the world become a religious institution that looks just like the world?
Answers to these questions can be found in the new book Carrying On the Mission Of Jesus by Holston Conference pastor J. Todd Kingrea.
The New Testament paints a compelling, exciting, dangerous picture of the church as God designed it to be. But if we are brutally honest, today's church is rarely compelling, exciting, or dangerous!
This 148-page devotional is designed for individual or group study. Over the course of twelve weeks, readers will work their way through the entire book of Acts. They will rediscover God's true design and purpose for the church-and will be challenged to consider how the model of church we have been using for 1,800 years is the wrong one.
The continued irrelevance of the church in our society, the demise of Christendom, ongoing membership losses across all denominations, overworked clergy, and apathetic laity all point to a deep-seated issue in the church. It is not a lack of resources or opportunities; it is a famine of Holy Spirit power, prayer, missional motivation, and clear purpose that imperils the 21st century church.
Carrying On the Mission Of Jesus is available for pre-order from Conquest Publishers for $13.95, and will be released on April 1, 2013. An e-book edition is available now at Kindle for $6.99.
Author J. Todd Kingrea is currently serving his fourth year as the pastor of Unicoi United Methodist Church in Unicoi, Tennessee, in the Johnson City District. He has also served as pastor of Wesley Memorial UMC in Etowah, Tennessee, and as youth pastor and associate pastor at Wesley Memorial UMC in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Todd has successfully helped two churches transition into stronger, healthier, more missional congregations. He is available to speak to groups about the dynamics of such transitions, as well as on the subjects of the early church and leadership.
Job Openings
Children's Ministry
Director of Children's Discipleship Ministries, part time, Cherokee United Methodist Church.
For a job description and application contact Kathryn Wilhoit, SPR Chair.
Director, Annual Conference Relationships - General Board of Discipleship
The deadline for receiving applications is February 28, 2013.
Individuals wishing to apply should send his or her cover letter, resume, completed GBOD application and appendix questions by email or via fax at 615-340-7565 by the above listed deadline. If anyone wishes to make inquiries or if we can be of any assistance, you may call the GBOD Office of Human Resources at 615-340-7107 or 615-340-7108.
The General Board of Discipleship is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action EmployerM/F/D/V EOE.
Waste Reduction: Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV
for 3 hours. Save energy and resources by recycling your glass, aluminum, plastic and paper. Check your city's recycling guide to find out what materials are
recyclable in your area, and whether or not your recyclables should be separated or
co-mingled.
Holston Creation Care is offering three $75 scholarships to laity who attend the Caring for Creation Conference at Lake Junaluska April 4-7. Email Gaye King for an application. Deadline is March 15.
A Word From Walter 
Kingrea Publishes Devotional Book 
