Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church
TheCircuitRider February Newsletter
Historic Assembly is Gifted Property Gulfside Assembly, Inc. in
Waveland, Miss. was recently gifted the St. Rock property to aid in serving the community with administrative space to carry out mission and ministry. Gulfside had been renting the old St. Rock United Methodist Church for its business headquarters for a few years since the church’s closing in late 2017. Both St. Rock and Gulfside lost their buildings in the destructive path of Hurricane Katrina
years later and Seashore District trustees decided that St. Rock’s building could be fertile ground for ministry at Gulfside Assembly.
in August 2005. After the hurricane hit, a church from the northern part of the country traveled to the Gulf Coast to rebuild St. Rock. Unfortunately, St. Rock ended up closing
In the segregated Jim Crow Era things were separate, but definitely not equal. African Americans were excluded from accessing public facilities like hotels and public beaches. Bishop Robert Jones, who was the first black leader of the Methodist Episcopal Church, sought out the help [Read More]
Student Ministry Initiative The Mississippi Conference is excited to offer an incredible leadership opportunity for Student Ministry leaders—the Student Ministry Initiative.
Mark your calendars for the following dates: March 11 | April 13 | May 11 – all sessions are from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Click here to register and for more details.
February Pandemic Task Team Update Congregational Care and the Coronavirus
IN THIS ISSUE:
File photo from 2015 SMI Conference.
Vaccine News According to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Walmart is offering vaccines at 31 locations across the state. Click here to schedule receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. You’ll have to create an account if you don’t have one, search by location and then schedule an appointment. You can also click here to view state drivethru sites’ vaccine availability. The state department now has a dedicated line for those who are elderly and without the digital
devices and/or technological knowhow to register online. Call 877.978.6453 and listen for the prompts. We encourage everyone to pursue getting vaccinated. After you receive both shots, it is still necessary to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing. The next pandemic task team meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23. A new update will be released after that meeting.
Easter Outreach Resources Available page 2 | The Mission Continues: Wesley House page 3 | Scholarships Deadlines Approaching page 3 | Save the Dates page 4 | Employment Opportunities page 4
FEBRUARY 2021
We have partnered with Mark DeVries—author of Sustainable Youth Ministry—and the Ministry Architects team to create three virtual training opportunities. These trainings will each be hosted on Zoom. You are invited to be a part of each live session/discussion. For those who cannot participate live, or who would like to review the videos at a later time, the trainings will be posted on the conference social media spaces.
Connection News Methodist Foundation: New Logo, Scholarships Available By Melissa Blakely, Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Over the next few months, you will notice a new look and a new name for the foundation. We are formally becoming the Methodist Foundation of Mississippi. As United Methodists are part of a larger family, we seek to embrace the whole Methodist family within the state of Mississippi. Our new look will help us faithfully serve all churches, individuals and organizations with Methodist heritage in Mississippi. Read more about it here. Additionally, scholarship applications are available online for college and seminary students. Click here to view eligibility and access the applications.
Methodist Rehab: ‘Such a Hard Worker’ By Carey Miller, Health and Research News Service At 60 years old, J. Carmen Arevalo has bounced back relatively quickly from a leg amputation caused by an on-the-job accident. The accident happened in February, when Arevalo was cutting trees for the construction company he worked for. A tree fell from the equipment they were using to transport it, and it landed on him and fractured his left femur bone. Read more about Arevalo’s road to recovery with the Methodist Rehabilitation Center.
Easter Outreach Resources Available Need some ideas for Lent, Holy Week and Easter social media posts? Explore a wide variety of unique, free shareable graphics and download the images that will best speak to your online community. Post them on your church’s social media pages alongside Scripture passages, encouraging words or worship service details. Download here.
COVID Impacts Senior Services Sunday Fund Needs Anthony Thaxton, The Circuit Rider Contributor Through this unusual time of the pandemic, costs have risen due to new protective protocols and changes in staffing and routines. With rising costs, there is more of a need for others to help sustain the mission of this vital ministry. The best way for the Church at large to help our seniors in MSS is to take part in the Sunday Fund, a benevolence offering created to meet the financial burdens of elders who live on one of the 12 senior campuses across Mississippi. [Read More]
Digital Discipleship: Website Development As the pandemic drags on, some churches may just now be considering the long-term impact of an online presence. Below you will find three Website Development Package options offered by United Methodist Communications (UMCom). Choose based on your church’s goals for your website and the time and effort your team will have available for updating and maintaining it moving forward. Click here to learn more.
2 The Circuit Rider Quarterly Newsletter | February 2021
Mississippi Conference News The Mission Continues: Wesley House A report by Executive Director, Rev. David Schultz When COVID-19 became a reality in March of 2020 many questions developed regarding our missions at the Wesley House Community Center. The enrollment in our preschool dropped significantly with many parents or siblings staying at home. Trying to schedule interviews and meetings in our Child Advocacy Center was a challenge. Unfortunately, this also meant that children would be staying home with their abusers. Read more about how Wesley House Community Center continued mission work in the midst of the pandemic
Administry: Freeze Up Precautions In “deep-freeze” conditions, a broken window or an open door in an un-insulated or unheated area can let in enough cold to freeze nearby piping and start a catastrophic chain of events. Any equipment that contains or uses water, produces condensate or depends on pneumatic controls is vulnerable to freezing. Read more about freeze up precautions to take before the next winter storm.
Support for Communications Students NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Those interested in pursuing a career in religious communications are encouraged to apply for educational support from United Methodist Communications. The $6,000 Stoody-West Fellowship assists one United Methodist student in post-graduate study, while the Leonard M. Perryman Communications Scholarship for Racial Ethnic Minority Students awards $2,500 for the undergraduate study of religion journalism or mass communications. The deadline to submit applications is March 15. Read press release.
Seashore Mission Sees Changes During the Pandemic By Anthony Thaxton, The Circuit Rider Contributor The Seashore Mission Homeless Day Center is a community of hospitality and healing where there is hope for the hopeless, peace for the weary and resources for all. Unfortunately, during this time of the global pandemic, Seashore Mission is facing some great challenges in their goal to minister through being the hands and feet of Christ. Read more about how Seashore Mission seeks to overcome these barriers and how you can help.
Spiritual Leadership: Free Small Group Resource We are proud to offer the “Anxiety as an Opportunity for Spiritual Growth” small group video resource to clergy and laity who would like to lead these vital conversations in small groups in their local church. We are not alone. God is with us...Emmanuel! Click here to watch the explanation of how this free resource can benefit your congregation. You can contact your district office here and request a license to this study.
February 2021 | The Circuit Rider Quarterly Newsletter 3
SAVE THE DATES Giving Sunday: UMCOR Sunday - March 14 UMCOR Sunday is one of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church. This Sunday calls United Methodists to share the goodness of life with those who hurt. When we give on UMCOR Sunday (formerly One Great Hour of Sharing), we empower The United Methodist Committee on Relief to act as the arms and legs of Christ’s church. Our giving helps the most vulnerable in their darkest days. We believe that all people have God-given worth and dignity — without regard to race, religion or gender. On UMCOR Sunday, we are assisting those impacted by crisis or chronic need.
Licensing School – March 15 - 26 Licensing School is designed to provide the basic educational and formational experience for persons preparing to serve as pastors of congregations. Licensing School students must receive approval as a certified candidate for ministry by their local church charge conference and the district committee on ordained ministry (DCOM) before being admitted. Click here to register.
Palm Sunday and Holy Week – March 28 - April 3
We celebrate the good news that in Christ’s death and resurrection we, and all creation, are continually being made new by God’s love and saving grace. Here you will find more information on this joyous season as well as some creative ideas for encouraging your members to deepen their own spiritual journeys and for reaching out to your community to share this season’s message of love, hope and transformation. LOVE
GENEROSITY
JUSTICE
APPRENTICESHIP
Stay Connected Facebook: • The MS United Methodist Conference https://bit.ly/2lbVpLm • Bishop James E. Swanson, Sr. https://bit.ly/2jAYVPu • MS Conference Youth and Families http://bit.ly/2dHPNYc You Tube: Mississippi United Methodist Conference https://bit.ly/2rpHWD7 Sign up for e-news updates, which includes The Circuit Rider http://bit.ly/opt-in4
The Easter Season is the most joyous and celebrative season of the Christian year.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES As a courtesy to the Mississippi Annual Conference, job announcements from across the United Methodist connection are featured in The Circuit Rider. To submit an employment notice, send an email to news@mississipppi-umc.org. Postings are not guaranteed to appear more than once in Mississippi Conference publications. To read a description of job opening(s) listed below as well as other listing, click here. • • • • •
Choir Director (St. Andrew’s UMC in Amory) Senior Executive Assistant (Lake Junaluska) Director of Youth Ministries (First UMC of Lakeland) Director of Youth and Families (Pulaski Height UMC) Full-time Director of Student Ministries
4 The Circuit Rider Quarterly Newsletter | February 2021
CARES AND CONCERNS As you pause to pray this week, take time to ask for strength, peace and comfort for the families and friends of those listed below who have joined the Church Triumphant: • With great sadness we announce the death of Mr. Jerry Whitt, husband of Rev. Sue Whitt. He passed away January 28, 2021. • Our deepest sympathy and love are extended to the family of our beloved Rev. Rayford Woodrick, who passed away January 26, 2021. • Please keep Rev. Dan Tubby in your thoughts and prayers. His wife, Mrs. Sybil Tubby, passed away Sunday, January 24, 2021. • We extend our love and sympathy to Rev. Paula Milo-Moultrie and family. Her husband, Mr. Edward Moultrie, passed away Saturday, January 23, 2021. • It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Rev. Eddie Ford, who died January 16, 2021. • With heavy hearts we announce that Mrs. Jeanie Brewer—surviving spouse of Rev. Leland Brewer—passed away January 15, 2021. • Your prayers are requested for the family of Rev. Sessions Polk, who died January 12, 2021. • With heavy hearts, we extend our sympathy and love to the family of Rev. Phillip Heidelberg, who died December 29, 2021. We give thanks to God for his witness. • It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Rev. Stirman Williamson, who died December 19, 2020.