July 20, 2023
Events and Opportunities Autura Eason-Williams Day of Lament & Action | July 30 Please plan to attend the Autura Eason-Williams Day of Lament and Action (AEWDLA) on Sunday, July 30, at 4:00 p.m. The AEWDLA is an annual event established by the Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference of the UMC. The event will be hosted both in Nashville at Clark Memorial UMC and in Memphis at Centenary UMC. Learn more! If you plan to attend, please RSVP United Women in Faith | Installation Service of Sally Vonner On Saturday, July 29, at 3:00 p.m. CST, United Women in Faith is installing Sally Vonner as the organization's new General Secretary and CEO. The installation service will be at Lovers Lane UMC in Dallas, TX; the event will also be livestreamed. Learn more and register to attend (in person or online). Native Moccasins Rock Celebrates 21 Years! Please join the TWK Commission on Native American Ministries on August 11-13 at Lake Benson (6200 HWY 100 Bon Aqua TN 37025) for this year's Native Moccasins Rock! This year marks 21 years of this powerful ministry. Brian Larney will serve as this year's guest speaker. Please register by August 4 (late registration: August 8 for meals). Learn more and register! Lake Junaluska Festival of Wisdom & Grace | Aug. 21-24 Held annually, the Festival of Wisdom and Grace invites participants to explore how we flourish as we age and how we navigate transitions, live into our talents and passions, and cultivate our relationship with Christ. The festival features worship, workshops, recreation, entertainment, learning, and plenty of time for fellowship. You will also have time to explore Lake Junaluska and enjoy the gardens and places of meditation, lakeside trails, and more. Learn more. Study Leave for Ministry Professionals Find time to read, reflect, research, or relax with Study Leave for Ministry Professionals. Over five to seven days, participants can immerse themselves in learning and renewal through self-directed study, worship, and prayer on the Duke University campus. Designed for Christian institutional leaders, pastors, program staff, or laity, participants select their topic, and Duke Divinity School provides the resources needed for a relaxing and productive week. This fall, there will be four offerings: September 11-15, September 25-29, October 23-27, and November 6-10. Learn more and register now! Certificate Program | Community Engagement & Ministry Registration is open for a Certificate Program being offered through the Center for Faith and Imagination at Memphis Theological Seminary. This program is ideal for clergy and laity who want to master tools and practices with which to guide their congregations in deeper engagement with their communities. The program runs from September 6 to October 4. Registration is $250. Register now. TWK Anti-Racism Coalition | Discipleship Journey Towards Justice Want to dive deeper into social justice ministry and study? Particularly social justice work intersecting with race? We invite you to join the TWK Anti-Racism Coalition for a year-long Discipleship Journey Towards Justice. Through immersive experiences throughout the conference area, Bias and Intercultural trainings, studies and relationship building, we hope to build a diverse community committed to living out Christ’s call to justice. Everyone is welcome! These sessions will be on Zoom and in person. For more information, email us at: antiracism.coalition@twkumc.org. Sign up now!
Bishop McAlilly's Blog Greater Things Are Yet To Be Done
News and Resources Need a New or Temporary UMC Home? If your church is disaffiliated but you want to Stay UMC, you can join The Vine where you will find an immediate connection with others. Another option is to request that your district office hold your UMC membership temporarily until you find a new church home. If you choose the district option, please send an email or letter to the district specifically requesting to move your UMC membership. This will "park" your membership until you are ready to transfer it elsewhere. (If you are not sure which district to contact, check here - Districts - TWKUMC) UMCOM Launches Social Media Strategy Support Training Revitalize Your Church’s Social Media, a new facilitated course from United Methodist Communications (UMCOM), will help local churches to reconsider social media through a strategic lens. Participants will build a social media plan and discover fresh new ways to engage their audiences while balancing legal and ethical concerns. The four-week training will be held July 31 through August 25, 2023. Registration for the course is available through July 27, 2023. Learn more. Disaster Recovery Volunteers help in Dresden Recently, 11 volunteers from Carlisle, PA helped the TWK Disaster Recovery team with a new project in Dresden, TN! The house is nearly finished; it will be the TWK team's first new completed build there. Overall, the team gave 440 hours worth more than $13,178. View photos of the team at work. ENCORE Ministry Sunday Offering September 10 is ENCORE Ministry Sunday. Offerings taken then, or any other time this year, will support the Bill and Lynn McAlilly Fund for Church Accessibility. For more information, downloadable bulletin inserts, and a short informational video, click here. Renfro Trust Fund Grants Available | Aug. 1 deadline The Renfro Trust Fund awards annual “brick-and-mortar” grants to small rural United Methodist congregations in the Southeastern Jurisdiction. Applications should be submitted to the TWKUMC Global Ministries Team (renfro.grant@twkumc.org) by August 1 for consideration and the final needed signature. Take Action Against The Death Penalty | TWK Church & Society “We oppose the death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes.” (Social Principles ¶164.G). There have been no executions in Kentucky since 2008 and only three since 1976. Unfortunately, the first step toward restarting executions in Kentucky has begun. The Kentucky Department of Corrections is updating its execution protocol and has opened a public comment period that ends July 31. Please consider providing written comments to the Kentucky Department of Corrections. You DO NOT need to be a citizen of Kentucky to provide written comment. Here is an easy way to take action to stop executions from resuming in Kentucky.
Important Dates
July 28 | Help Heal Mental Health
August 21 | BeADisciple Online Certification Classes Begin
August 25-27 | Lake Junaluska's Journey to Joy Women's Retreat
September 29-October 1 | TWK Clergy Spouse Retreat
October 26 | ENCORE Ministry's Building Community w/ Older Adults
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