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Truly a year changes
Summary of the lay leader's address
Ike Williams, conference lay leader, said, "New Beginnings.. This has been truly a year of news beginning in many positions, including a new bishop."
New Beginnings is about change. And change is hard.
He showed the members a steering wheel from a car. He said the steering wheel by itself is not very useful. A car without a steering wheel makes the car inoperable. All the parts of a car are needed or they would not be on the car.
This is true for the church as well. We are the parts, and we must work together.
In Romans 12, we read that Paul said we worship God through our bodies which we give to God. Worship does not end when we leave church. God's sanctuary is everywhere.
To the clergy, I say you can't do God's work alone. Like laity, you are skilled in many ways. To the laity I say, you can't do God's work alone. Like the clergy, you are skilled in many ways. We must work together.
In South Indiana, we have more than 600 clergy and more than 110,000 members.
In the early days of Indiana, many clergy were circuit riders. Laity would not see their pastors for weeks, so the laity needed to run the churches.
Clergy and laity must work together in equal partnership. We must all proclaim God's word as well. As laity, we outnumber the clergy and can be in far more places than the clergy. Therefore, we can spread God's word to more places.
John Wesley asked us all to do all we can do, not as clergy or laity, but together. We must be willing to use our God given skills.
Our gifts come from God, and we can all use our skills in bringing people to church. Many don't see the relevance of the church today.
Paul took the message to people who believed in gods and were not interested in Paul's God, but he was persistent and didn't give up. He was beaten and run out of town, but he never gave up.
This might mean young people might not like our church. We may need to change and provide new services for today's young person. They may not pay attention to apportionments, but they are willing to give to missions or volunteer for a mission trip.
We must work together as partners. Laity, care for your clergy, even when they may not be the best of clergy. Clergy, care for your laity even when they aren't the perfect congregation. We all work together to bring the Gospel to all people.
Courtesies
Bill Cross of Cokesbury gave $13,774 to the conference from the United Methodist Publishing House for pensions. The conference gave half of it to the Central Conferences Pension Fund.
Conference awards historians, small membership churches and banner artist
Historian of the Year
Virginia Mider, 89, of North United Methodist Church in Indianapolis was named as Historian of the Year. Lela Russell accepted the award on her behalf.
Small Membership Church Award to Petersville UMC
Petersville United Methodist Church, founded in 1867, in the Columbus District, was named Small Membership Church of the Year. Pastor Don Bradley accepted the award. Petersville has an average attendance of 60 worshippers and has less than 120 members. However, they are active, pay 100 percent of apportionments, have both UMW and UMM groups and are active in Bible studies, Advent studies, Lenten studies and have completed the Purpose Drive Church program.
Higher Education Scholarship
Samantha Pieper received the United Methodist Higher Education and Ministry Scholarship.
Apportionments
Judi Purvis announced through a PowerPoint presentation those churches that gave 100 percent of their apportionments.
Annual Conference Banner
Jan Clayton of Aldersgate UMC of Evansville was thanked for designing the annual conference banner. It depicted a butterfly (sign of new beginnings) on the chalice given to Francis Asbury by John Wesley. Wheat and grapes, symbols of communion, are also part of the design.
She said the preliminary design came to her quickly, but it took her several hours to perfect it. The chalice design she found by "Google-ing" on the Internet for chalice. Below the chalice area the words, "New Beginnings," the conference theme.
Petitions, amendments and budgets approved on Saturday
The annual conference approved these petitions:
Global AIDS petition, for global AIDS awareness was approved. It encourages congregations to give to global AIDS and call to awareness of the AIDS pandemic during a global AIDS Sunday at the church's choice.
A Petition on Abortion, calls on members of the conference to prayerfully reflect on whether agencies of our church should continue their membership in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. The conference will assign this petition to the appropriate board or agency to activate. Adopted.
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June 8-10, 2006 are the dates of the next South Indiana Conference session. |
A Petition on Abortion, asked members to enter into dialogue with Christ-centered ministries that provide counseling for women and men who experience pain because of a past abortion and to prayerfully consider how they may serve such ministries with our moral, spiritual and material support.
COUNCIL ON FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Lloyd Tucker, CF&A chair reported the conference approved:
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$12.2 million apportionment budget for 2006
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$9.7 million expenditure budget for 2006, which is a $1.2 million decrease over the 2005 budget
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Congregation are encouraged to promote tithing.
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CFA will bring to the 2006 annual conference a proposal to replace apportionment system for a local church tithing system to support the annual conference ministries. (40 percent of our congregations do not give 100 percent of their apportionments.) CFA must still provide a way for the conference to pay the General Conference apportionments.
'O Christ of New Beginnings' wraps up annual conference
After the appointments were read and finalized, the trumpet sounded.
The trumpet was part of the annual conference's official hymn, which debuted Saturday morning. "O Christ of New Beginnings" was composed by Jill Burleson, music director of Avon UMC and a doctoral student in choral conducting/music at Ball State University.
Burleson composed the hymn after hearing of the conference's call for a hymn with the theme "New Beginnings."
"The topic was very interesting to me," she said. "I've had numerous new beginnings on my journey. It was close to my heart."
The hymn is based on 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
Burleson said, "The hope to start each day new is amazing. That Scripture inspired the lyrics."
Burleson normally spends time arranging and conducting music, but has taken up writing lyrics more recently, ranging from a piece on the tsunami to Avon UMC's Christmas cantata. "I'm feeling a call to a lot more writing than conducting. I've been so immersed. It has been a tremendous year of growth," she said.
For churches interested in obtaining a copy of the lyrics and music, please contact Jill at jlburleson@bsu.edu. -MO
Stanza 1:
O Christ of New Beginnings, I come to you today.
Renew my inner being by your spirit each new day.
A new creation I can be because your love has reached to me.
The old is past, all things are new, O Christ of New Beginnings!
Refrain:
O Christ of New Beginnings, I come to you today. Restore my heart to trust in you if I should go astray. Allow my soul to grow in faith and trust in your unchanging grace. The old is past, all things are new, O Christ of New Beginnings.
Stanza 2:
O Christ of New Beginnings, I come to
you today.
Guard ev'ry step along my path and keep me in your way.
O clear my vision let me see how wide and deep your love for me!
The old is past, all things are new, O Christ of New Beginnings!
"O Christ of New Beginnings" words and music by Jill Burleson, copyright Jill Burleson. Used by permission.