Regional Day of Learning Visits PUMC (2/11/18)

Posted by on Feb 20, 2018 in EventReport, Training, UMC Shared Ministries | 0 comments

Sunday 2/11/18 was a busy day at PUMC.  It began with our 9:30 worship service and continued with our usual 11:00 AM service.  Normally, for most of us, the day ends there.  We go home, eat lunch, take a nap.  The youth come back in the evening, but most of us are done for the day.  

But on this special day, many of us “did church” all day.  Those of us in Pitman were able to hang out in our own building, but may others from all over the southern part of the state drove to PUMC through the rain to spend the afternoon at the Southern Region Day of Learning.  About 200 people attended the worship and workshops, and around 100 stuck around for the pizza dinner that was offered afterwards.

 

What is a Day (or “Afternoon”) of Learning?

 

Workshops

Just about every classroom space was used as groups ranging from 10 to 30 gathered to learn from “experts” and (perhaps more importantly), from each other.   The afternoon was organized around two series of 10 workshops; each attendee could participate in two different workshops.

Here’s a sampling of a few workshops…

Next Generation Disciples

Eric Drew (our Conference’s Worship Leader)  provided some powerful insights into the needs of the “Next Generation.”  Eric (who could be classified as a “Millennial”), shared his story of how he grew up in the church.  Unlike most young adults who drift away from church as they spread their wings, Eric identifies himself as an “anomaly” who never left the church.  As he reflects back, he stayed with the church because someone engaged him at key points in his life.  Someone formed an honest relationship with him and invited him to become involved in a meaningful way.

He challenged us to do offer the same opportunities that were offered to him as he grew up:  Develop relationships with students, Loosen our grip on how worship “must be done”, and Set people up for successful involvement.  Try new things- youth won’t “break the church.”  And, keep Jesus central in all you do.  Most “Next Generation” people  aren’t superficial; they want to dive deeper to know the real Jesus.  They don’t want “Jesus Lite” or “Church Lite.”

Small Groups

Heather Mandala, the Director of Small Groups Ministry Hope Church, lead a workshop that challenged our concept of “small groups”  and of “learning” or “Bible Study” in the church.   She reminded us that Jesus was in a Small Group of about 12 core people. She then challenged us by asking our definitions of a small group: 

  • Are we are a church WITH small groups
  • or a church OF small groups.

Also, who are the current leaders of our groups and who has the potential to lead different groups?

She also challenged us to increase our group leadership by 10%; create one “out of the box” small group; and asked what we think it takes to increase our group attendance. New small groups should address current needs of, for instance, young parents’ needs; those who have busy lives and can only commit to occasional meetings; elderly who can’t get out but would love to have a group come to them, etc. A general consensus emerged where we need to create groups that address topics, talents and current issues – and it is OK when small groups address specific needs and don’t continue indefinitely. Short-term groups are more desirable to newcomers (who don’t always want to commit long-term) and they often branch out into other small groups which is something to celebrate.

Her last topic was how to effectively deal with difficult personalities without alienating people. She spelled out the personalities who tend to occasionally get the group offtrack and the diplomatic approaches we can take to get the group back on track. 

We all left feeling empowered to re-think the power of small groups and how our churches can reach out to those who have a lot to share with others … especially if they don’t actually attend our church. It is about meeting the needs in our community … if they happen to attend worship, it’s great! If they start their own group, it’s great! Meeting the needs of others is what Jesus was all about!

Telling Your Church's Story

Josh Kinney, the Editorial Manager of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, reminded us that each of us has a story.  Every Christian strives to know Jesus.  We want to become like Him by “growing into His likeness”, but in order to do that, we need to know what He “looks like.”  We all have a piece of the picture.  None of us knows Jesus’ physical appearance, but through each of our individual relationships we each have knowledge of part of His character.  Since we are each holding on to a piece of the story, we are each responsible for sharing it with the rest of the community.  Like the parable of the Blind Man Touching the Elephant, the piece we have isn’t the whole.  We have a story to tell, and there’s an audience needing to hear it.

Our stories come in the form of testimonies.  We need to share life experiences, biblical insights, music that moved us, prayers that touched us, or sermons that challenged us.  Each of us has stories of mentors or church history.  We can all tell of small groups and of friends who stood by our side through difficult times.  Each of these stories represent a piece of Christ.

Josh challenged us with some personal, thought provoking questions:

  1. Why was I called to the church where I serve.  Why did I accept the call?
  2. Where is my ministry headed?
  3. What is MY picture of Jesus?

As a member of a church, we need to discover our answers to those questions.  As a body of believers, we need to share those stories and learn from each other.  As church leaders, we must provide avenues where our stories can be told and heard: through worship services, small groups, or publications.  One attendee described how her church presented their history through drama.  Others spoke of being challenged during the worship service to describe “where have you seen Christ this week?”   Testimonies like these could be told through videos or in small groups specifically designed around testimonies.

Josh shared several resources that he has found helpful the discovery of his part of the Story.  Two of these resources are online:  a website called Humans in New York, and a  podcast called  The Moth.  The stories that these websites tell aren’t necessarily stories about Christ, but they’re stories about life.  They tell stories about real people and can help us see ourselves.  In the book  “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”, author Donald Miller testifies about the story he was living and how he purposely strove to become the story he WANTED to be living.   

We should adapt examples of people’s stories as a way to share our own stories so that everyone can see the larger picture. 

 

The above are just a few of the workshops that were offered (the ones attended by our website team). 

For summaries of all of the workshops, scroll down to the end of this post and click on the “Announcement Post” drop down bar.

 

Worship, Food, and Fellowship

The afternoon began (as did the morning) in a time of worship.  Members of the Haddonfield UMC Worship Team helped lead the music. 

Rev. Chris Heckert shares his guitar skills during the time of worship

One interesting PUMC connection with Haddonfield is that their guitarist, Chris Heckert, was our Associate Pastor back in the beginning of our “Tabernacling Days (when we met in a downtown storefront after fire destroyed our historic building in 2003).  Pastor Chris is now the Senior Pastor in Haddonfield, and he occasionally lends his guitar and bass skills to the Worship Team.

Rev. Myrna Bethke (the District Superintendent for the Gateway South District) gave a message during the worship service. She spoke of a missions trip she had taken to Afghanistan.  To reach Afghanistan, she had to fly through Dubai.  Before leaving, she had some serious concerns about the airport in Dubai, even entertaining thoughts of turning around and coming home during her connection in London.  But she continued on, and then felt a bit silly when she discovered how modern, large, and safe the Dubai airport actually was. 

God surrounds us and guides us, and there is no reason to fear when we are obeying Him.  When we focus on the mission that the Spirit is leading us on, we’ll forget about our fears, and God will empower us to minister to the people He sends us to.

After the workshops, the evening began as it typically does with good Methodists: Food!  The conference provided 39 pizzas (along with lots of salad and garlic knots).   About 100 of the day’s attendees sat down for some fellowship; pizza always has a way of bringing people together!  As we gathered around the tables to share in pizza and to make new friends, we shared in our reactions to the day. 

=   =   =   =   =   =   =

Here are a few photos of our afternoon together…

 

What’s the Southern Region???

Pitman UMC is a member of the United Methodist Church’s  Greater New Jersey Annual Conference (which comprises all of New Jersey plus a few areas in New York and Pennsylvania).   The Conference is divided into nine districts (each district averages around 60 churches each).  In addition to that, the Conference is organized into three regions (Southern, Central, and Northern), each of which consists of 3 districts.

We’re in the Delaware Bay District. The Southern Region consists of our district (which is located in the southwest corner of the state), the Cape Atlantic District (the southestern part of the state), and the Gateway South District (our northern neighbor).

Each district is lead by a clergy District Superintendent (and assisted by a District Lay Leader).  All three District Superintendents in the Southern Region participated in the Day of Learning.

 

For more information, here’s the post that announced this year’s Day of Learning…

Announcement Post

In the business world you always hear terms like “Best in Class”…  “Best Practices”… “Networking.”   In the “business” of sharing God’s love and redemption with the world, the church needs the same  tools. Local churches in the United

Eric Drew, Conference Worship Leader

Methodist Church are not alone; we too have opportunities to “network” and to share “best practices.” 

The Greater New  Jersey Annual Conference (of which PUMC is a part) has set up a series of “Regional Days of Learning” to help us to “network”  (or we  might call  it “fellowship”) with other Methodists in our  area.  The Days of Learning consist of worship, workshops, and (of course), food.  The workshops are geared to lay leadership issues; everything from Building Care to Designing Worship music is addressed.  They are led by experts in the field and attended by others  who are  dealing with the same issues.  And so, the workshops give us a chance to learn from “experts” and to glean information from other church leaders.

The Southern Region  of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference covers the southern third of our state…”from Bay to shining Sea…”  Somewhere around 150 churches are part of the Southern Region.  We are blessed with a facility that can accommodate that many people, and so we are able to host this event in our building.

So, circle the date:

Southern Region Day of Learning:  Sunday February 11, 2018 (1:45 PM)

 

The Day of Learning is held on a Sunday afternoon.  We’ll start out with “Session A”, take a quick break, and then move right into “Session B”. 

An optional dinner will be provided afterwards.

What’s the Southern Region???

Pitman UMC is a member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference (which comprises all of New Jersey plus a few areas in New York and Pennsylvania).   The Conference is divided into nine districts (each district averages around 60 churches each).  In addition to that, the Conference is organized into three regions (Southern, Central, and Northern), each of which consists of 3 districts.

We’re in the Delaware Bay district. The Southern Region consists of our district (which is located in the southwest corner of the state), the Cape Atlantic district (the southestern part of the state), and the Gateway South district (our northern neighbor).

 

Schedule and Workshops

The Day of Learning is a series of workshops, worship/fellowship, and even dinner (if you want).  You pick one workshop from Session A and another from Session B.  All workshops are completed within a session, and most of them are repeated during the second session. 

Here’s the afternoon’s schedule:

  1:45 – 2:15 PM Sign in and Welcome
  2:00 – 2:45 PM Worship
  3:00 – 4:15 PM Session A Workshops
  4:15 – 4:30 PM Break
  4:30 – 5:45 PM Session B Workshops
  6:00 – ???   PM Dinner (optional- Advanced registration required)

 

Workshops

All of the workshops are completed during one session.  So, pick one workshop from Session A and another one from Session B.  Or, if you only want to stay for part of the day, pick only one workshop.  The following summary of the available workshops has been copied from the Greater NJ Annual Conference website.  Check the GNJAC site for updates and registration information.

= = =  Session A (2:00 PM) = = =

Lead Like Wesley (Rev. Brian Roberts, Southern Region DS)

Leadership Lessons that will equip you to transform lives grow disciples and engage your community. Based on the book “Lead Like Wesley”

Conflict Resolution | Nicola Mulligan, Executive Assistant to the Bishop

 

Worship With Next Gen Disciples | Eric Drew, GNJ Director of Worship

Research has shown that as many as 1 in 2 young people have written and recorded their own song. Next generations of disciples are incredibly creative. However, engaging them in worship services and worship planning continues to be a challenge. How can you engage next generation disciples to add energy and freshness to worship? Come to find out more.

 

 

Small Groups | Heather Mandala, Director of Small Groups Ministry Hope Church

Small Groups are an important factor in the life of a healthy church. This workshop will help you set a vision and plan to grow your small group ministry. Heather oversees a Small Group program with over 500 different participants. She is passionate about small groups and has a wealth of information to share.

 

Creative Sermon Series | Rev. Glenn Conaway, Southern Region DS

Looking at creative ways that can spark interest for both new millennials’ and seasoned attenders that will get them thinking about the Christian Faith.

 

Stewardship is More Than Fundraising | Brian Mickle, UM Stewardship Foundation

In this workshop, we will explore ways to initiate electronic giving, and year round stewardship planning, helping your congregation understand the importance of “generosity” and not just fundraising.

 

Tell Your Church’s Story | Josh Kinney, GNJ Editorial Manager

Your church has a story. From the people who make up the congregation to the impact your church has on its community, there’s a story to be told and an audience needing to hear it.

 

Facility Care | Alex Mayer, GNJ Property Manager

Effective trustees will function as Christian stewards of property God has entrusted to the congregation. This workshop will help guide trustees through the many details of caring for your church physical properties.

 

Team Building | Chris Heckert, Haddonfield UMC, Senior Pastor

Re-imagining how we communicate, organize, and lead ministry teams in a changing landscape

Church is a Team Sport | Jeff Bills, Hope UMC, Senior Pastor

Every church has a staff. Some have paid staff – all have volunteer staff. The key leadership challenge is to have the church staff working in a coordinated way that is aligned with the church’s vision and values. This vitally important process requires church wide support beginning with the pastor and Staff Parish Relations committees.

= = =  Session B (4:30 PM) = = =

Lead Like Wesley | Rev. Brian Roberts, Southern Region DS Leadership

Lessons that will equip you to transform lives grow disciples and engage your community. Based on the book “Lead Like Wesley.”

 

Pastoral Evaluation Process | Nicola Mulligan, Executive Assistant to the Bishop

Worship With Next Gen Disciples | Eric Drew, GNJ Director of Worship Research has shown that as many as 1 in 2 young people have written and recorded their own song. Next generations of disciples are incredibly creative. However, engaging them in worship services and worship planning continues to be a challenge. How can you engage next generation disciples to add energy and freshness to worship? Come to find out more.

 

Worship With Next Gen Disciples | Eric Drew, GNJ Director of Worship

Research has shown that as many as 1 in 2 young people have written and recorded their own song. Next generations of disciples are incredibly creative. However, engaging them in worship services and worship planning continues to be a challenge. How can you engage next generation disciples to add energy and freshness to worship? Come to find out more.

 

Small Churches: Claim Your Future | Rev. Gina Yeske, GNJ Director of Small Groups Ministry

Too often the urgent day-to-day matters in a small church consume the energy of both the pastor and the laity, there is nothing left to plan for the future. You will receive tools to help small church leaders begin to evaluate how their church is prepared to move into the future. This would be a good starting point for any small church considering Team Vital. Based on materials from Discipleship Ministries. Creative Sermon Series | Rev. Glenn Conaway, Southern Region DS Looking at creative ways that can spark interest for both new millennials’ and seasoned attenders that will get them thinking about the Christian Faith.

 

Creative Sermon Series | Rev. Glenn Conaway, Southern Region DS

Looking at creative ways that can spark interest for both new millennials’ and seasoned attenders that will get them thinking about the Christian Faith.

 

New Year, New Roles! | Brian Mickle, Director of Development, UM Stewardship Foundation

New to the role of being part of the finance team?” We will dig deep into the roles of the members of the Finance Committee and the role of the pastor in congregational finances. We will survey several areas of the ministry of the Finance Committee: Financial Direction, Annual Funding Campaign, Developing the Annual Budget, Financial Communications, Financial Reports, Safeguards for Church Funds, Annual Audit, and Planned Giving. Please bring with you a copy of the church’s 2018 budget and information about the 2017 Stewardship campaign if available.

 

Tell Your Church’s Story | Josh Kinney, GNJ Editorial Manager

Your church has a story. From the people who make up the congregation to the impact your church has on its community, there’s a story to be told and an audience needing to hear it.

 

Beyond Buildings, Fiduciary Responsibility of a Trustee | Lynn Caterson, GNJ Chancellor and Chair, Absecon UMC Board of Trustees

This workshop will instruct trustees in matters beyond supervising and maintaining the church’s physical property. They are also responsible for all gifts to the congregation and all legal requirements related to the local church.

 

Safe Sanctuaries | Debbie Barnett, Regional Safe Sanctuaries

This workshop will cover the development and how to maintain Safe Sanctuary policies.

 

Out of the Box | Tom Stark, Good Shepherd UMC, Senior Pastor

Listening to the congregation and community to develop high impact ministry.

 

 

Sign Me up!

The Day consists of 4 parts:  Worship, Session A, Session B, and Dinner.  You don’t have to stick around for all four parts.  Pick one or two workshops (one from each session), sign up for the dinner if you want, or head home early if you don’t have the time.  You can participate in any part of the Day…

Regardless of how many parts of the day you participate in, registration is $10.  This includes all materials (and the dinner if you’re so inclined).  Here are the details:

  • Cost:   $10.00
  • Registration Deadline:  Thursday February 8, 2018 (Pre-registration is required.  No walk-ons will be admitted)
  • Date:  Sunday, February 11
  • Time:  Begins 1:45 PM
  • Location:  Pitman United Methodist Church (Directions)

To register, fill out the form that’s on the Greater NJ Annual Conference website.  This button will take you there:   Registration  

 

Here’s a report about last year’s Regional Day of Learning…

PUMC Hosts Regional Day of Learning (2/12/17)

 

 

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To learn more about our connection with the United Methodist Church, Click  this button:  United Methodist Church  

 

 

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