Living the Connection: The Continuing United Methodist Church

...And a Happy New Year!

posted on January 27

....And a Happy New Year!

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; 
shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
                                                                                                -Isaiah 43:19
 
All of us in the Northern Piedmont District Office wish you a very happy and healthy 2023. As we are moving into this new year, I thought you might enjoy some great news:
 
We are celebrating with 5 churches in our District who have received Missional Engagement Grants in the winter cycle. Missional Engagement Grants are designed to help churches reach out into their specific communities:

  • Celia Phelps UMC – Mobile Food Ministry
  • Glenwood Campus of Christ UMC – New Partnership with Habitat for Humanity
  • Guilford College UMC – Good News Breakfast for Women
  • Northwood Community Center of Covenant Church UM -
  • Spray UMC – With Our Neighbor Food Ministry

We also celebrate with these churches, who received Church Vitality Grants in the same cycle. They are designed to bolster discipleship practices and bring the church alive for the coming generations:

  • Mount Pleasant (Kimesville) - Tuesday Night Contemporary Worship Service
  • Mount Hermon (Madison) - Music for the Soul

All of this (and much more) is made possible by your faithful apportionment giving. We celebrate the faithfulness of Northern Piedmont, whose churches paid 99.54% of their district giving and 99.05% of their conference giving. Of the 7 churches who were unable to meet their goals, 3 of them closed during the year, at their own request. Again, we thank you for your connection. It makes good and God things happen here and all over the world. Watch your inboxes for news about the spring cycle of both of these district grant programs. See here the list of Northern Piedmont churches who gave 100% of their 2022 District and Conference Apportionments.

We are pleased that Bishop Carter will make a visit to our district on February 5-6. Here are some highlights of his visit:

February 5:

  • Sunday Morning - Preaching in the District
  • Sunday Afternoon - Meeting with our African American, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino Clergy at Collins Grove UMC
  • Sunday Evening - Dinner with Clergy serving Cross-Cultural Appointments

February 6:

  • Monday Morning - Meeting with our Northern Piedmont Clergy Women
  • Monday Afternoon - Lunch with Clergy Couples
  • Monday Afternoon - Tea with Campus Ministers

Additionally, all laity and clergy are invited to gather with the laity and clergy of the Yadkin Valley District at St. Paul (Winston-Salem) UMC on Sunday, February 12th, at 2:00pm. St. Paul UMC is located at 2400 Dellabrook Road, in Winston-Salem.

And, we hope to see you this evening for the conclusion of the Virtual 2023 Winter Leadership Training event that has been happening this week. Bishop Ken Carter's keynote message will happen at 6:00pm via Zoom. You can get to that by going to the 2023 Winter Leadership Training page on our website, and scrolling down to the schedule for Thursday, January 26th. About 5:30pm, the link to the session with Bishop Carter will become visible. Just click that link to join! You do not have to be registered. All of the recordings for the sessions this week will be available soon on that same page!

Again, we wish you many blessings as we open this new year of life and ministry.
 
Looking Forward,
 
Rev. Bev Coppley
District Superintendent

...And a Happy New Year