Dear Bishop

Altar calls? At conference? Do you have any idea how uncomfortable altar calls are for some people? For a person? For me?

Do you even care?

Altar calls are very "baptist" in my perceiving mind and thinking. We are United Methodists! My only experience with altar calls has been at my mammaw's southern baptist church in New Mexico; Temple Baptist Church specifically, where Reverend Penrod would reward members for inviting friends to church. Where Reverend Penrod would call the adults to come put their house in order all while his own house was fraudulent and unscrupulous. 

Sunday School was a joke. Rewards for bringing your friends. I didn't have friends I could, or would, ever invite to that church. I received no prizes. But some brought many friends. A few earned themselves a shiny new television set. That was what Sunday School was, a means of earned grace - favour in the eyes of the pastor. Works above faith, because as we all know "faith without works is dead". Right?

And church was no better. Fire and brimstone for the sinner spouted from a preacher who beat his wife, embezzled funds, and displaced deacons right and left. Then came the altar call. I heard the murmurs, the talk; I was 8 years old, why was I not going forward and "accepting Christ"? 2 reasons you old ladies: 1) Christ doesn't need my acceptance, and 2) I hear the words of judgement you spit out about everyone who goes to the altar for prayer, for confession, for a clean heart and a clean slate. Music playing Just As I Am does not drown out your whispered, critical words. So what if he had an affair, if she goes to the bar after dark, that they like to "swing". Let God judge the sinner, YOU tend to YOU!

I would never subject myself to that...gossip. Ever. And yet - 

and yet, 

i did. 

Before my 17th birthday, before my parents were to remarry, each other. Strange yes, I know. As soon as my mother announced her intentions I found my way into the little sanctuary of Hacienda Baptist Church. An there, before God and people I barely knew, I confessed my need for Jesus Christ. But it was a fluke thing that did not ever stick, or was never real...don't know which. I am never assured I have opened the door to the ever knocking Jesus. I lack the ability to trust. And because I trust nothing I feel no assurance, and that is terrifying. So I work. I “serve”. Because after all, 

"faith without works is dead".

I am not comfortable with altar calls. Church is very abusive to some people. To one person. To me.

Thank you for listening to my rant, Bishop. 

meMonica

through her years

myShelby turns 21!

Away We Go to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

http://voice.adobe.com/v/WCEvgVqK4Xo

Hope Into Confidence

Today I shared a meal with Pastor Gay Brown Hall, our newly appointed minster charged with shepherding our congregation. It was a delightful meal and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know more about her; we shared stories, we laughed, and yes, I cried...I'm way too sensitive at timepinknow. The reason I share all of this with you is because of the confidence that I am filled with after we parted ways. 

I have always had hope in the ongoing ministries within St. Mark's. 

I have always held hope for new and continued missions from St. Mark's.

I have always maintained hope of a bright and sustaining future for St. Mark's.

How have I managed to hold this hope? Because of who St. Mark's is. Beyond the buildings and the walls, the altar and the cross, the organ and the paraments. It is you, me, we the people. We who are so welcoming, we who love and share our lives so completely with each, we who are one family in God through Christ Jesus.

This afternoon my hope has been turned into confidence.

I am confident that the ministries of St. Mark's will be ordered as God has need.

I am confident that our outreach and missions here at St. Mark's will have a significant impact upon our local and surrounding communities.

I am confident that God has a plan for St. Mark's that will carry us now and into the future.

I have this confidence because of the assurance I felt from my conversation with Pastor Gay. I am assured that she will work with us and am confident that we will work with her. Together we will discern and vision God's design and path for us. Together we will develop programs and ministries to accomplish great things for God's glory. Ministry with. That is a great feeling that moves me from hope to confidence. I pray that your hope is moved to confidence as well as together, Pastor Gay, your ministry leaders, and you all, work into God's vision for St. Mark's.

Conference, Day Three

Annual Conference

Teaching Study

Welcome Rev. Cooler

The social embodiment of renewal; Trinitarian ecclesiology 

Wesley has a Trinitarian understanding of the faith

Wesley's Trinitarian vision of the church

Wesley's Trinitarian understanding of the church in his sermon, "Of the Church"

A deeper, profounder, more robust understanding of the church (Ephesians)

Who properly are the church of God and what is the meaning of the term (church)?

In Wesley's quote, notice how he defines the church in the same Trinitarian vision.

We become God's tabernacle of God here on earth. The church is not simply a means to another end. The church is an end in itself.

John 1 deals with the whole church, the happy and holy communion which the faithful has with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The life I live I live in the Son of God and then it is when happiness begins. God is love and whoever dwells in God dwells in love and love in Him.

The love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is as wide as an ocean.

Walk down the street of any city in our culture and look at their faces. Are they finding happiness and feeling fulfilled? The answer is because they do not dwell in the love of God.

The more Christians are filled with the triune life of God, the more tenderly they will be concerned with the life of the downcast and down trodden and seek to help them. 

Where are we most likely to encounter the triune God? In community! 

Do no harm. Do good. Live in grace.

(This study teacher is so over my head that my notes are incomplete and almost incomprehensible. I will not be able to retrieve the words that he is trying to teach let alone share them with others. He uses a LOT of Wesley quotes which are archaic and difficult to understand. I am giving up trying to take snippets of notes that make no sense and I am almost giving up on even listening to him! I'm not sure I understand how any of this is about renewal...)

 Need small group connections. In the NT there are two forms of gatherings, large group worship and small group. Jesus taught the crowds but he travelled with, communed with, ate with, prayed with the twelve. In Acts, the crowds gathered on the temple grounds but they broke bread together in small groups in homes. It is in small groups where we are loved, held accountable, uplifted.

We need a deeper, profounder, more radical understanding of renewal. We must have a Trinitarian understanding of God and we must have small group discipleship.

How much connexion do we really have in our churches? 

Morning Session

Welcome

Witness of two churches, Basic Church on Staunton District and Westover UMChurch in Charlottesville District w/Video

Westover had 8-10 persons when Rev. Norma Dean arrived 10 years ago. They began having Thursday prayer meetings with sometimes only two people but they prayer. They needed a wheel chair ramp which, through God, was poured that week for only $200. Begun a Wednesday service now that is outside when the weather is nice. Planning a 3,000 ft addition. Unbelievable things have been happening because of their love for Jesus and each other.

Basic UMChurch, Rev. Don Gibson describes Basic 10 years ago as a typical UMC and they began a Spanish Ministry. Bringing together of cultures. Bridge building events where both the Anglo and Latino congregations come together in joint community for meals, worship. (Sermonish language of all the things being done at Basic, which are many and amazing!)

Report of the minutes committee. Minutes of Saturday are in order. Two motions, one for minutes reviewed and one for minutes to be reviewed on July 7. Both motions approved.

Elect Mark Brown as Director of Connectional Ministries. Approved with standing ovation.

Conference offering $145,000 collected yesterday. All this offering goes outside of the conference. Collected $11,000 for No More Malaria yesterday which will save 1,100 lives. 4 Cans 4 Conference is 8,500 pounds. 41,218 kits collected.

Report of the statistician, pg 112 and report of the treasurer, pg 113-116. Housekeeping matter - Shiloh sold by Staunton District. Motion to give monies to the district board of missions. Approved.

UM Foundation, pg. 95

CF&A Report, pg. 117-126 Motion to approve sections one through six. Approved Section seven requires no vote.

Resolutions: Motion that after resolution presentations that discussions be limited to two for, two against, two minutes each. Approved

Resolution 2. Motion to suspend rule because maker is not a member of conference. Approved. According to Parliamentarian Procedure, Conference Boards must speak first must speak first. BoCS: We understand the intent of the resolution but believe that the Board of Pensions should have a voice in this resolution and at the appropriate time will refer the resolution back to BoCS. BoP: refer this resolution to BoCS and BoP for refinement. Both BoCS and BoP recommends non-concurrence of this resolution at this time and hope that Miss Layton will be willing to work with both Boards to refine the resolution. 2 oppose and speak against the resolution. 2 support and speak for the resolution. Motion by BoCS to refer the resolution to BoCS and BoP. Motion approved

Resolution 3. The resolution committee votes concurrence. 2 support and speak for the resolution. 2 oppose this resolution and speak against this resolution. Amendment. Not carried. Resolution 3 carries.

Personal Privilege: 2,361,590 meals packaged over the last year by the Virginia Conference.

Recess before worship service

(I went out here to sit at the York River District table where cushions were being sold. I live steamed the worship service...kind of odd because it was almost five minutes behind what I could here going on in the ballroom. It was amazing to watch and Nancy Yarborough, York River District UMWomen President, was very grateful that I relieved her so she could go in and participate in worship.)

Conference, Day Two

Annual Conference 2014

Teaching Study

Singing our Faith led by the house band which is from Ebenezer UMC in Fredericksburg

Dr. Elmer Coyler

Renewal is not a program: the triune God of the gospel is the primary author of renewal

Basis of renewal

45 year struggle of decline

2011 loss of 72,000, 2012 lost over 80,000 and in 2013 over 90,000

Financial crisis

Cutting staff and programming

We are fairing better in Virginia

Malaise and fear

Conflict and dispensation into warring factions

Do we have real unity?

"Schism means an alien affection for our brother...it is a grievous breach of the law of love..the greater the love, the stricter the union...if you are a living member, take are how you care for the body of Christ by separating from your brother." John Wesley

The deeper issue of "connexion"

Connection alums in the UM Handbook

Connexion in Wesley and early Methodism

Koininea - in Christ we are adopted children of God

Crucial to the church...the essence of the church

The reality...the relationships; person constituting

The institutional forms were not the thing, they were where relationships were built and renewed

Renewal is NOT a program

A winsome fellowship of love connected through Christ Jesus

They will know you are disciples if you love one another

Not first and foremost something we do, it is something the triune God does and has been doing for a very long time

Connexion was not a program, it was a way of life

Found their being in union with God and one another

Acts of renewal

Pray - John 15:1-8

Spiritual renewal - how we behave, what we do

Theological renewal - how we envision God

Alternative was of being and doing church

Trinitarian God that undergirds and is not finished with us yet.

"The UMC is a sleeping giant, oh that God will awake her someday." Billy Graham

Morning Session

Song, Spirit of the Living God

Prayer

Minutes Committee - motion to accept yesterday's minutes. Approved

Laity address by Warren Harper

Lord, renew us with your spirit

At least 21 boards, committees, and task force that I attend on your behalf

Opportunity to use technology to connect with our conference churches

Construction ministries

Use VUMAC if your church has an activity

Connectional ministries

Healthy churches - healthy church initiative

Reflection on mission of the church where 1200 churches have their own vision and mission statement and of course the conference

From the book of discipline - the mission of the church is to "..." (Using the thesaurus to further define the mission) and further reading from paragraph 125; the mission of the church is to make disciples

What's good? What's going well? What's good about this? What can we do better?

Bishop Shinaesy's focus of the church; the goal is to have a focusing (fluid) congregation not a focused one (narrow)

Keep both eyes open for a fuller visual picture, if we close one eye we might just miss the most obvious moment/movement or we may just get tired and let somebody else worry about it

Prayer convocation, May 25th we were to pray for church revival and renewal

We expect of each other that our work is tri-centered, we work for Christ and that it leads to Christ

Lyrics quoted from the Gift of Love

Prayer, Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan tradition

Equitable Compensations Report, pg 47. All three recommendations approved

Initial CF&A report, pg 113-116. Relatively good financial year. 3 out of four churches paid 100%. Special shout-out to York and Arlington Districts (yay!) action will be taken tomorrow.

Board of pensions, pg. 101-112 w/video. 6 recommendations, all approved

All Things New, pg. 50. More than 90 people in 7 work teams on vital congregations; discipleship circles-must be willing to share our successes and failures...increased spiritual vitality is a number one priority yet we fail to pray out loud, fail to share our faith stories, fail to practice discipleship. Video on YouTube and web-site after conference. www.vaumc.org/discipleshipcircles Prayer

Introduction of Higher Education President of UM owned Colleges (6 of them) w/Video. Pray for our students.

Global ministries recognizes our conference for the highest designated amount of giving, highest amount of missionary support 2013. $1,160,000 to UMCOR and $2.5 million to the Advance

Worship

Litany

Prayer

Song, For Everyone Born

Prayer of Illumination, responsively

Scripture, 2 Cor. 4:7-12

Message, Bishop Hayes Oklahoma Conference

Celebrate missions today and missionaries

We are trying to say more with less words, example is "really?" and "whatever..."

Phrase being used a lot that challenges our faith and undermines our God, "it is what it is"

Prayer

"It is what it is" has become one of the go to expressions of our day. It generally means resignation, hopelessness, and even surrender. Nothing more can be done.

Epidemic of despair and futility in our times and many people have given up or thrown in the towel of hope.

It is at precisely at that point that God is at His best; takes over and takes charge

Story of 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Wales who was mean, strict, "related to Atilla the Hun", "who could walk into an empty room and start a fight." But she taught me that life has margins and we have to stay within the margins.

God works best outside the margins, who gives hope to the hopeless, lifts up the downtrodden, affects the afflicted. Nothing is over with until God has the last word.

Paul Harvey, who is from Oklahoma, story of our limits and God's abilities. 138 years ago Swan's Quarter had no UMC and little hope of improved property prospects so they built on their property that was less than ideal. 1976 a celebration for the completion the church. The next day and fierce storm came in and most of the town had suffered tremendously. Swan's Quarter UMC had been lifted entirely and gently carried down Oyster Creek Road. The members tried to stop the church to no avail. Th church continued on and made it to the center of town and made a sharp right hand town. Members still tried to still it's movement. Then as suddenly as lifted, the church settled upon an empty piece of land in the center of town. The landowner found the minister the next day and presented him with the deed.

We will all face insurmountable odds and circumstances, God will pull out the impossible and make it probable for God will always have the last word.

Paul describes four situations where he could have said "it is what it is". But he never did. Afflicted but not crushed ... (see scripture)

Today we celebrate the UMC of the Virginia Conference, one of the most outstanding conferences (if not the most outstanding) that reaches out to people, making a difference.

Whatever happens to us in this ministry of ours, do not give up, do not surrender, do not throw in the towel; give in to the power of God

Story of communion with little children who had never par taken of communion before. He gave each a piece of the bread dipped in the wine and watched that surreal moment unfold as they, wide eyed, received the bread as he wondered if they understood what it meant to receive the body and the blood. Months later he received a letter from the children asking, "when are you coming back to feed us the food of the God?"

That is what wears to be in the world, Virginia Conference.

Song, Christ Has Broken Down the Wall

Commissioning of the Missionaries-Pat Watkins, Missionary to Caretakers of God's Creation

Prayer

Commissioning Ceremony

Deaconess Commissioning, Laarni BiBay and Anselma Samson both at Resurrection UMC

Definition of Deaconess

Commissioning Ceremony

Prayer

Litany

Offertory with Amazing Grace sung in Korean by Rev. Moon of the York River District, Ghana Rev. Nkrumah of the Alexandria District, Spanish by Rev. Colon of the Arlington District, ASL by Rev. Vaugn, and the conference band.

Prayer for offering, potatoes, 4 cans for Conference, and Kits

Thank you Holy Rollers

Song,Build Your Kingdom

Closing Litany

Retirement Ceremony

Litany

Prayer

Song, Joyful Joyful

Scripture Joel 2:25-32

NT John 15:1-5

Message, Jim Noland

"What a long strange trip it is"..."we're not dead yet"..."Lord, Renew Us in Your Spirit."

What were we like when we were new? When we had energy and enthusiasm and we began to change the world?

When we were new:

As human beings

Adam and Eve stopped listening to God and listened to another voice.

As Christians

Pentecost

Heard the apostles in their own language and assumed they were drunk but it was only 9:00 AM and 3,000 were added that day

Accountability in telling the story - blown out of our comfort zone, where the people were, speaking in their own language but something has happened...

Paul baptized disciples into the power of the Holy Spirit, the only time we hear of rebaptism in the NT

God becomes an idea, not a living vital powerful force that is quite dangerous; the Holy Spirit can be quite dangerous, it calls into places that we do not want to go

When the church is open to that power then something happens

When a God becomes an idea then God becomes what we want

John Wesley had no doubt that the people called Methodists would continue but he was fearful that they would become a dead sect

We're not dead yet, God is NOT through with the people called Methodists and will renew us with fresh spirit

Song, As We Go

Recognition of the retirees

Song, As We Go

Prayer

Song, Trees Of The Fields

Benediction

Teaching Study

Rev. Coyler

Character of each conference is very different, thank you for your hospitality

The triune God and Trinitarian Gospel: The heart of renewal

Renewal always begins with a vision, see new visions and dream new dreams.

Most seminarians have two visions of the church-

Shepherd/sheep method

Pastor as CEO model

Connection, where we come to know the love of God, is not really the ethos of either of these methods of the church. Connection happens inspite of

American Vision of the church, Ministry and God which is not really Trinitarian but instead a doctrine of the ONE God and has played a far more pivotal role.a giant misguided puzzle 

Trinitarian vision of god and salvation in Wesley and early Methodism

Revisionist a different vision of the church, of God, of renewal

Part of the vibrant and transformative movement is rooted in its Trinitarian perspective

The trinity takes us to the very heart of vital Christian faith and life

Til God the Holy Ghost witnesses to God the Father even as He witnesses through God the Son through the Spirit of God.

Gospel and salvation are Trinitarian 

Come to know God the Father through the grace God the Son, Jesus Christ, by way of the Holy Spirit

The living triune God has loved us always and forever

What is renewal anyway? 

Wesley always understands the gospel, he knows the gospel, he reads the gospel in Trinitarian terms

The love of god is shed apart in the Holy Spirit 

God is continually breathing upon her soul

Christian Perfection is also defined in the Trinitarian vision

Afternoon Session

Witness of two churches, Norfolk UMC in Elizabeth River District and The Vine in the Arlington District. Video. 

Pastor Sherry of Norfolk UMC and two lay persons-only God has allowed us to come this far through faith, be the church that God called us to be and be the church God meant us to be. Blessed Assurance. Increase in stewardship around 60% each month; building phase 2; increase in membership about 75%; we never gave up; increase in ministries where some were discontinued, some reworked, and some new. Our story is about leaders and people in the pews willing to take the risk.

Pastor Todd of The Vine UMC planted in a location where a church was closed. That church began looking at renewal and determined that closing to make way for a church planter was the way to go. Desperate situations is sometimes the best time for renewal. 9 people who voted to close their church one week and came the. Next week to see what God would do. People are there from many countries.

Common Table Report, pg. 51-54, 57-58. Video. Holy conferencing related to human sexuality are not in the book but are charged with the conferencing of it,and will keep you informed. Imagine No Malaria. 1 recommendation approved. 1 motion to raise funds to save 100,000 lives with every church taking part. Passes. Video. Bishop's happy dance that spurred spontaneous giving. Text Malaria Va 27722.  Bishop donates $3,000.

60 children enrolled in childcare at Wesley UMC

Election of Officers, pg 54-56. Approved

Shirley Kaufman talks about the fly swatter and Birthday Card for No Malaria. Every minute one life is snuffed out because of Malaria

Recognitions:

Henry Denman Evangelism Award winners, Rev. David M. Birch at Vision of Hope UMC and Mr. David W. Bailey at Trinity UMC James River District and Miss Casey Marie Heinlein at Burke UMC

Site Selection, Doug Geeting,  pg. 87Resolutions, pg 127-135

Prayer

Resolution #1 - the resolution committee does not make a recommendation to this resolution. Makers of the resolution are not delegates of the Conference. Motion to postpone indefinitely due to the fact that the Virginia Conference is beginning conference wide holy conferencing on human sexuality. Discussion. Motion prevails.

Adjournment

 

Face Of A Monster

       My father has the face 

       of a monster. 

<sup>So he grins and smiles 
his smooth 
and dull teeth 
as if to say, Do you see? 
No fangs. 

An upward tug of his lips, 
a flash of good humor, 
and the monster melts away. 
It was a shadow. Don't you see?
This man is charming.

Forget I am a monster 
his smile says. 
It transforms his face, 
it does not change the man.

I have my father's face, 
I do not have his heart. 
Mine bleeds, and so suddenly 
my smile fades and is gone.
All they see is my face,
and what my father gave to me.

There goes a monster. 
Don't go near her, 
there goes a beast. 

I smile and I reap kindness 
from the hands of strangers. 
My smile falls away, 
and my sister does not know me.

You so close to my heart, 
do you not feel it bleed?

But I have the face of a monster, 
and my father gave it to me.</sup>