STOP whatever you are doing right now. Take a breath and moment to reflect on what you felt on Easter and never forget that wonderful day. If asked, I am sure that each of us could come up with a special word or sentence to describe the glorious feeling and experience of that day. Not only were we celebrating the Resurrection of our RISEN Lord, but also the experience and excitement of coming back together as a church. NEVER forget that feeling and cherish it especially as we continue to go forward out of the darkness of last year into the light of the future. It may not always be perfect or without flaws but with God’s help we are headed towards the light.
Now, many times you will hear me say or see that I use the term the Big Church. For clarification purposes, let me define what I mean. (Please remember that this is only Sue’s term. ) The Big Church consists of the various levels and United Methodist organizations that are above NFUMC.
- Church (NFUMC) ===> District (Southwest District)
- SOUTHWEST DISTRICT consists of Georgia counties of: Butts, Coweta, Fayette, Harris, Heard, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Monroe, Pike, Spalding, Troup and Upson.
- Our current District superintendent is Rev. Susan Landry. The District main office is in Griffin.
- District ===> Conference (North Georgia Conference)
- The North Georgia Conference, located in Atlanta, is compromised of 8 Districts. Within these districts there are almost 800 churches, with more than 1,300 clergy and approximately 340,000 lay members. Our conference is the largest in the United States.
- The Conference is overseen by Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson.
- Conference ===> Jurisdiction (Southeast Jurisdiction)
- States comprising the Southeast Jurisdiction include: Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky.
- Jurisdiction ===> United Methodist Church
- The United Methodist Church has over 12 million members around world. It was formed in 1968 but its heritage goes back to 1700 England.
In future Lay Leader Lines I will focus on these various organizations and explain their structure, role and impact on the United Methodist Church to include NFUMC.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact me.
Sue Berg – Lay Leader NFUMC
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One thing that I found to be in common among all the Big Church organizations that I mentioned in the last Lay Leader Line is the connection that we have from the highest level of the Big Church down to the individual church and member. Many opportunities exist to follow the latest news about the United Methodist Church, learn more about what it means to be a Methodist, and become involved in many initiatives to participate in the spreading of God’s Word and making disciples.
From now on I will include information on some of these opportunities. I truly hope that you will take a moment to check out at least one of these topics. If you would like additional information on a particular subject, let me know.
From the North Georgia Conference:
A special opportunity exists to hear first hand from our Bishop about the future of the church. This Laity Webinar titled will be held on Monday April 19th at 6:30. This presentation will be held on Zoom and is free. Pre-registration is required and you will be sent a link to connect to the Webinar. Registration must be completed by April 16th. Remember, we are part of Southwest District. The registration link is
https://www.ngumc.org/eventdetail/15195715?month=4&year=2021&day=1&display=m
May 9, Mother’s Day – Wesley Woods’ Mothers Day Offering
For more than 46 years, churches of The North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church have received the Mother’s Day Offering for Wesley Woods. This generous support funds financial assistance for meals and housing to residents who have the gift of a long life but may have outlived their resources. In addition, the Mother’s Day Offering also supports on-site chaplains and an innovative wellness program
Final Thought – Link to the Monday Memo
https://mailchi.mp/ngumc/monday-memo-239913?e=e9b63f8d1e
Sue Berg – Lay Leader, NFUMC
