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April 2014 Beacon
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Hey Guys!
Well our spring training is over and having it at 3 different sites this year to eliminate those long drives really worked well.
We had 83 attending the Round Tables this year and had some outstanding facilitators for each session.
I was recently in Nashville for the NACP (National Association of Conference Presidents). Quite an event with 33 other Conferences involved. After dinner Thursday evening we engaged in Fellowship, Bonding and ended with Bishop James Swanson leading Worship. Wow what a speaker! If you would like to see notes on his message, just click here. Friday we had meetings all day and 3 Videos about how to help men's groups and bring men to Christ. Saturday... more meetings and after lunch we engaged in Mission projects.
One project was helping bag beans & rice for an elementary school that is attended by children who don't have enough money to buy lunch.
We were also in mission at a Veterans home and distributed Strength for Service to First Responders in the Nashville area.
While there I was proud to accept on behalf of the Conference UMMen a Certificate of Achievement for attaining an increase in Charters for 2013. We tied with North Carolina for 3rd place. The VA Conference UMMen with 313 charters leads ALL Conferences. Way to go and keep up the great work of Chartering to enable the Ministries of the General Commission to keep growing.
Now that the charters are looking better (and we need to keep charters in focus) we need to work on EMS (Every Man's Share).
With 117 EMS members we tied with North Carolina for #1.
We had 949 EMS members in 2012 and have 845 for 2013 which is a loss of 104 in two years, so this is why we need to get to work.
Need to know more about the EMS program?Click the EMS website and get yourself and your brothers on board!
District Break down for EMS Members for 2013:
Alexandria 41
Arlington 4
Charlottesville 6
Danville 0
Elizabeth River 9
Farmville 5
Fredericksburg 4
Harrisonburg 3
James River 0
Lynchburg 2
Richmond 7
Roanoke 3
Staunton 2
Winchester 12
York River 14
Conference 5
Under the guidance of Andrew Kissell, VP-Spiritual Life we are currently working on getting the VAUMM Website back up and running and hopefully in the next few days or weeks you will be able to access all program and Ministry information again with one click.
Check out our work in progress by clicking VAUMM.org
Gentlemen I am very proud to be your President for the United Methodist Men of the Virginia Conference. We were mentioned several times at the conference about what we are doing and how we are doing it.
I will be attending the 225th Anniversary of 1st UMC in Hampton on May 18th... feel free to join with me in Worship on that day of Celebration. You can join me at Annual Conference breakfast at Bethany UMC on Saturday June 21st. Watch for more details in next month's Beacon.
District Presidents and Advocates remember our next Cabinet meeting will be May 3rd at the Conference Center in Glen Allen.
Thank you for your service to God, Family, Church and the UMM.
Blessing to all
Jeff Hall
President
VA Conference UMMen
rjeffhall@verizon.net
757-615-4191
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ROUND TABLES ROUND UP!!
My beloved brothers in CHRIST. I am your humble servant and stand in awe of your talents and hearts for JESUS. Thank you to all facilitators!! Our reports coming in have the usual ideas about content, presentation vs discussion, and overall utility of the spring training event.
We are in the process of compiling feedback to ensure greater success in 2015.
As you all know, the planning and thinking about how to proceed on a project ceases precipitously when the event begins. This iteration of UMMen spring training was no exception. Since our numbers were sort of soft this time, you all commenced to improvise at the different locations. At St Luke's all attendees clustered into one group and ran the roundtables consecutively. At Annandale we split in half and ran sessions 1&2 in the morning then 3&4 in the afternoon covering all. At Charlottesville, the team decided to run as scheduled. Who says men can't be creative and spontaneous? In total WE had 83 men connecting at these events, slightly better numbers than last year. Can anybody say weather? It was a major reason we did not have more.
Our free will offering for Disciple Bible Outreach Ministries netted about $500 in all three locations. Brother Gene Mims thanks you all.
Stay faithful to your men, your calling and or Lord, JESUS CHRIST.
Thinking ahead a little. Next spring and hence, we plan to conduct this event regionally like this year. You are all invited to give suggestions, feedback and engage in dialog by contacting Jim Butts VP-Training .
You remain in our prayers, May GOD continue to bless your endeavors.
Brother Jim
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Notes from Heart Havens
The Play is Indeed the Thing
Recently, the Huguenot Community Players contacted Heart Havens with the idea of donating proceeds from their production of
Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun
playing
March 21 - April 6 at
Huguenot United Methodist Church,
10661 Duryea Dr., Richmond, VA 23235.
Individuals from the Garber-Morris, Tate and Marybeth Graff homes will attend the play. In a sort of "play exchange," members of Huguenot Community
Players will attend the April 16, 8:00pm Henrico Playmakers' performance at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.
Tickets $12.
Chris, Joyce, Charles, Alex,
Eddie, Ann, Barry and Carolyn
Special performance Sunday March 30, 2:30 attended by Heart Havens and community. Join us! Each ticket purchased benefits Heart Havens.
Click here or call 804-272-6820 for reservations, details and show times.
Read more Heart Havens news here:
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3rd Annual
Ennis Parrish
Memorial Golf
Tournament
Sponsored by the Fredericksburg District
United MethodistMen
Date:
Friday, May 2, 2014
Time:
8:30am
Shotgun Start
Where: Hobbs Hole Golf Club,
Tappahannock, Virginia
Phone:
804--443--4500
Proceeds from Tournament
will benefit:
Heart Havens
and
District UMM Mission Projects.
Format:
4 Person Captains Choice
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All Hands
Every Monday a group from our church in Virginia Beach lend a hand at St. Paul's UMC in Chesapeake helping at a food pantry that operates four days a week, serving fifty or so of our neighbors each day. As with many labor intensive tasks, many hands make for light work. Each Monday we pick up bread from local bread stores as well as meat, produce and baked goods donated from two nearby grocery chains. We repackage the Items into family portions and hand it to those in need, the destitute, the poor...
Each Wednesday a group of us go to the Hampton Roads Food Bank and purchase canned goods, produce, and meat at a reduced price for distribution out of the food pantry. We load shopping carts, then a truck, then unload into the food pantry at St Paul's. A delightful lady I've only come to know as Marge is always there to help us unload, offer us a snack and a heart-felt thank you. I have become to know some of my own congregation better with this hands-on ministry and many more from St. Paul's.
I genuinely look forward to lending a hand each week. After we repackage food each Monday, but before distribution begins, we always have someone say a prayer and the entire group joins hands- the volunteers and the patrons. There are old and young, men and women, black, white and Hispanic. Poverty and need strikes many, some more unfairly than others. That's why Christians serve, and why we seek to correct or at least mitigate the inequities of our society. We know that we are making a small, but not insignificant difference in these people's lives- and our own.
We are God's hands and feet.
"Hand to man, heart to God" as the Salvation Army motto goes.
This ministry goes beyond food for sustenance, by providing spiritual food and drink for all those served and all those who serve- every hand. At last Monday's blessing I held the hand of an older man to my left- his hand was strong and restless. It was large and I could feel it was dry and rough, chapped and calloused. This was a working man's hand. My mind took me to where he is and where I am- even though we grasped each other's hand, some things still separated us. This was not the hand of a retiree with a pension or that of an office worker. This was not the hand of a man who has never had to worry where his next meal might come from. I held the hand of a man who needed some food. He held the hand of a man who needed some spiritual food, and who needed to understand that God loves all of us regardless of our circumstances. My eyes could see this, but without holding his hand, my soul would not have come to understand this. I did not ask the name of this man, but I know he is my brother. And I thank my Father in heaven for showing me this.
He's got the whole world in His hands!
Andrew Kissell
Vice President-Spiritual Life
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Adult Mission Experience
Is your men's group or church looking for the next step in missions?
All God's Children Camp at one of the United Methodist
Camps building relationships with children who have an
incarcerated parent. The entire church will be involved through mentor recruitment, supply gathering, and monetary gifts. You will be paired with up to three children who you will guide throughout the camp. You will experience boating, crafts, Bible, worship, archery, and much more! Share your faith and have Christ strengthen you!
2014 Camp Dates
*August 5-10 at Occohannock on the Bay (Eastern VA)
*August 12-17 at Westview on the James (Central VA)
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James River Youth-Making Disciples for Christ
The 25th annualYouth Retreat for the James River District was recently held at the Blackstone Assembly and Retreat Center. 290 (that's right, Two-Hundred and Ninety!!) youth and adult leaders heard Clarence Brown relate our lives in Christ to GPS. It was a raucous good time for all. Most importantly several answered the call to the alter rail Saturday night; some recommitting their lives to Christ; some offering their lives to Him for the first time.
Dallas and Laura Hancock (Ocran UMC) are doing a wonderful job leading the group. The maturity of the District Youth Council is impressive. I have to continuously remind myself the oldest is only 18; these young men and women are much more mature than your typical teenager. I give credit to Dallas and Laura, the youth leaders, and their parents.
I was honored to pray with those called to the alter rail Saturday night; this was a first for me. Most of them came for a specific reason. There were some that came down because they could not stay away. Their response to "What is troubling you?" was, "I don't know, I just had to come down here." There is power, God's healing, forgiving power, in an alter rail. We prayed, we invited God in and cast evil out. We were offered the chance to leave our burdens behind. I did and know that most everyone else did as well.
R. Shaun Smith
District President
James River UMMen
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Ministries
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Virginia Conference
United Methodist Men
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