http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_top.aspnothing provideden-usTue, 9 Feb 2010 10:00:00 ESTTue, 9 Feb 2010 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=636http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=636The Celebration contemporary worship service at Jasper First UMC features a segment called ldquo;The Hands of Christ.quot; During this time, pastor Tex Ergle highlights some ways members can be involved in the mission work of the church and therefore be the hands and feet of Christ as they live their lives. One Sunday school class decided to take quot;Hands of Christquot; seriously. At Christmas members of this class heard about some children in west Jasper who wouldnrsquo;t be receiving any ChMon, 8 Feb 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=634http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=634The Community Garden of Birminghamrsquo;s Community Church Without Walls is based on the firm belief that the way to a communityrsquo;s heart is through its stomach. The garden, now ready to begin its third growing season, is realizing its vision to revitalize Birminghamrsquo;s West End community through the growing and sharing of naturally-grown produce. Rev. R.G. Lyons, pastor of Community Church Without Walls, invites United Methodists in the North Alabama Conference to celebrate the successFri, 5 Feb 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=635http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=635On Saturday January 23, 2010, churches from the Mountain Lakes District gathered at Guntersville First United Methodist Church for a special focus seminar. Participants learned about the ldquo;Every Member In Ministryrdquo; program from special guest speaker Rev. John Ed Mathison. Rev. Mathison retired in June 2008, after 36 years as senior minister of Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Ala., where under his leadership the church grew from 400 members to more than 8,800. RevWed, 3 Feb 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=633http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=633Bishop Will Willimon announces changes in the Cabinet for the coming year. These changes are a part of The North Alabama Conference continuing to organize itself around its ministry priorities to work toward growth of the Kingdom of God and increased fruitfulness. Rev. Dale Cohen will become the District Superintendent of the Northeast District in June and transition out of his role as Director of Connectional Ministries. He will specifically work with the Northeast District leadership in develMon, 1 Feb 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=632http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=632ldquo;Hannah UMC near Gordo, AL has done something rather noteworthy,rdquo; says pastor Joe Acker. ldquo;For the second year this small membership church has made a significant contribution to missions.rdquo; Last year the congregationrsquo;s special Christmas offering was sent to Uganda to support work with refugees in the Kaibermaido district. This year the Christmas offering went to Latvia to provide vitamins for elderly people who are ministered to by the 13 Methodist congregations in LatviSat, 30 Jan 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=631http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=631Financial Faithfulness in North Alabama When the earthquake hit Haiti this month, the United Methodist Church was ready to step up to the challenge. Three of our lead missionaries in Haiti, leading Methodist sponsored development and aid projects, died in the earthquake. Six Volunteers in Mission teams were working in the country at the time. Within hours we began shipping supplies from our big mission warehouse in Decatur. Within a week, North Alabama Conference members had given thousands of Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=628http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=628Two conference priorities come together in the strategic decision to bring Campus Ministries under the supervision of Director of Congregational Development and New Church Superintendent Tommy Gray. Bishop Willimon says, ldquo;I enjoyed twenty years in campus ministry. God is doing some amazing things among our students. I want to do all that we can to be sure that we are responding to the challenge. One of our Conference Priorities is reaching a new generation and our campus ministry units areTue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=630http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=630On January 23- 24, 2010, North Alabama United Methodists gathered in Birmingham for the Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century (SBC21) Annual Event. The focus of the 2010 event was Effective Leadership. Guest speakers and workshop leaders included leading United Methodist pastors from throughout the United States. Conference Director of Ethnic and Multicultural Ministries Dr. Thomas Muhomba says, ldquo;This yearrsquo;s event was great. I loved it. The speakers were outstanding and Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=629http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=629Bishop William H. Willimon announced that he is adding Rev. Lori Carden to the Extended Cabinet. Rev. Carden is the Connectional Ministries Coordinator for Natural Church Development (NCD) and also serves as a consultant to Rev. Bill Gandy in the Mountain Lakes District. Willimon says, ldquo;Recognizing the way that NCD is changing the way we work, the way we evaluate the performance of pastors, and the way we invigorate churches, I wanted Lori working even more closely with the Cabinet. She haThu, 21 Jan 2010 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=627http://www.northalabamaumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=627Rev. Bob Murray has served as Executive Director of Sumatanga Camp and Conference Center for two years. This week he has announced that he will resign that position to return to local church pastoral ministry. Rev. Murray says: For nearly 60 years Camp Sumatanga has been a place where many of our spiritual experiences have taken place. I have been aware of the presence of God on this Holy Ground throughout my faith journey. For the past two years I have been blessed to serve Sumatanga as ExeWed, 20 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST