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District
Office News Update
Don't forget, District Conference
is Sunday, May 18th at 4:00 p.m. at FUMC
Mission. You should be receiving your
pre-conference packet soon so be sure to
bring it with you.
 2008
Summer Camps
Adventure Camp
for those going
into Grades 4-6
Faith Camp
for those going
into Grades 7-12
More information here
Registration form here
Deadline for
receiving registrations is
June 13, 2008
Subject: McAllen District Breakfast
It's time once again to make your
reservations for the McAllen District
Breakfast at Annual Conference. I have
attached the form for making reservations.
Please be sure that each pastor and each
delegate completes a form and mails a check
for $8 made payable to the McAllen District
and received no later than May 15th.
We are told that walk-ins to the breakfast
will be charged $12.00 so please be sure to
make your reservation in advance.
We look forward to seeing all of you there.
If you have a delegate that does not have
email access, please copy the form and pass
it along to them.
A Message from Jason A. Teague, Dean of the
2008 5th and 6th grade Conference Summer
Camp at Mount Wesley:
As you may know, I am serving again as
Dean of the 2008 5th and 6th grade
Conference Summer Camp at Mount Wesley, and
I am still in need of some good counselors.
The camp theme is Peace Talks. Please be
advised that if you are sending a large
number of campers from your church, you also
should send some camp staff. We need adult
counselors who can stay in rooms with the
campers, as well as serve as discussion and
activity leaders during the day. read
more...
A
message from Fernando A. Garza about “Christ
Today for Tomorrow”
Subject: Summer Camp
Scholarships
The district office has received five
scholarship coupons in the amount of $75.00 each
for use for the conference camps this summer at
Mt. Wesley and HEB Foundation Camp. If you know
a youth that needs assistance in order to attend
one of the following camps, please let us know.
The camp dates are as follows:
JAM Camp June 29 thru July 3 Grades 6 thru 8 Mt.
Wesley
Jr. High River Camp July 13 thru 17 Grades 6
thru 8 HEB-
Linnets Wings
Sr. High River Camp July 13 thru 17 Grades 9
thru 12 HEB - Comanche Outpost
Quest Camp July 20 thru 24 Grades 9 thru 12 Mt.
Wesley
 On Tuesday, March 11, “Willie”
Berman was commissioned as a United Methodist
General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM)
Missionary. He has been appointed as the
Mexican Methodist Border Mission Coordinator and
will serve the Methodist Church of Mexico in the
border region while based in Reynosa, Mexico.
Willie is a Mexican citizen and will serve as an
“in-country missionary.” read
more...
From: Donald Lantz <dlantz@swbell.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 2:56:06 PM
Subject: Lay Speaker registration
To all pastors in the McAllen District:
There will be a Basic Lay Speaker training class
offered this June at Wesley UMC in Harlingen.
I am asking that you prayerfully consider those
in your congregation who might make a good Lay
Speaker. Keep in mind, that Lay Speaking is more
than pulpit fill. Lay Speakers are trained in
teaching, visitation, and leadership. In fact,
almost any form of communicating the Word falls
under Lay Speaking.
There are a few people in each congregation who
qualify. In fact, the Discipline does say that
your Lay Leader should be a Lay Speaker. So if
your Lay Leader is not already a Lay Speaker,
please discuss this training with him or her.
Click here for the registration form
If you have any questions or concerns, please
email me at dlantz@swbell.net or call me at
(956) 423-8319.
From Mary Catherine
Edwards - Subject: Choir Rally
Calling all Churches of the McAllen
District.. As host of the SWTX Conference
Youth Choir Rally, we would like to extend
an invitation for you to help the committee
with some details. We need door prizes that
could consist of anything from a box of
candy or lollipops to a travel mug or
t-shirt or gift certificates, or ??. We will
have groups from the valley, San Antonio
area, San Angelo, Houston, Kerrville, and
other districts (hopefully). If there is
anyone who would like to donate bottles of
water or 3 liter bottles of soda, that would
also be appreciated. Thank you for your
cooperation and for your support of the
Conference event in our area.
PICTURES!
PHOTOS! MOVIES!
Kingsville
& McAllen Laity Banquets and Communications
Seminar
Beginning in May 2008,
Trinity United Methodist Church is
becoming a host site for
Angel Food Ministries.
This is a picture of one of El Mesias UMC
Laredo’s home bible study groups.
On Friday, 3/21, there were 45 people in
attendance at the home group.----Click
on Photo to enlarge
Subject: HEB Camp dates
available
Hey friends
Just wanted to
let you know that if you are
interested, HEB Foundation Camp
has 3 sites open during the week
of June 15-19, 08.
Comanche Outpost (65 max),
Linnets Wings (80 max) and
Windsong (40 max) are all
available but won't remain so
for long.
If you are
interested you can email Lyn
DeVille at ldeville@hebuttcamp.org.
You will need to go online to
www.hebuttfoundationcamp.org
and complete an application as
well. Also, you need proof of
insurance (which is easy if you
are in the Southwest Texas
Conference. Linda Harrison in my
office can help you with that -
her email is leh@umcswtx.org.)
Finally, they
require you bring your own
nurse, cook your own food, and
have a certified lifeguard.
Besides that, there is no cost
and the camp sites are great!
Let me know if
there is anything I can do for
you!
Blessings
Rusty Freeman
Dir of Youth, SWTC
Subject: Men's Ministry Sunday worship
services
Rev. David
Adams
General
Secretary
General
Commission on United Methodist Men
PO Box 340006,
Nashville, TN 37203-0006
(615)
340-7145 FAX (615) 340-1770
P.S.
These
documents are also on the GCUMM website if
you are unable to open these attachments:
www.gcumm.org
A New
Church Based Counseling Brochure to download
to your computer
I am searching for a copy of a video called
"A Tale of Two Churches."
Would you please
send out an email asking the other pastors
in our district if they have a copy that I
can borrow? I would appreciate your
assistance with this.
Grace and peace,
Laura Brewster -
FUMC, Edinburg
From: Larry Howard <larryhowardds@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: info for Accom and conference
communications
All,
You have already
received a request for pictures to adorn the
back wall of the convention center at annual
conference.
Now I am asking
you on behalf of the conference
communications office to send any brief
video clips that you have of your church
doing community outreach to Randy Mahoney
at rmahoney@umcswtx.org.
Community outreach for this appeal means
church activities out in the community, not
activities at your church where the
community comes in.
Also, Carol
Loeb, the Annual Conference Council on
Ministries Chair wants churches to send her
written examples of ministries that meet one
or more of the four initiatives that the
conference approved at last annual
conference.
Larry Howard
My
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
To order all needed materials for the Capital
Campaign from the Conference Office you must
follow this instruction:
Go to www.thetransformedchurch.org
Click on "Capital Campaign" in the brown bar
across the top of the page
Click on "Campaign Resource Materials"
On that page you will see the different
materials listed.
Click on "Resource Materials Order Form" and
print it out.
Fill it out and send it to the address on the
form.
The form can be faxed to 210-408-4515.
Joe Vasquez from Weslaco and myself from McAllen
are willing to help if you need it. Both of us
are members of the Congregational Phase
Committee. My telephone number is 956-687-2838.
Email is fgarza10@rgv.rr.com. Joe's telephone
number is 956-969-2294 and email is ildav@rgv.rr.com
.
Please give me a call if you need additional
information or Joe Vasquez at First Church
Weslaco.
Blessing,
Fernando A. Garza
Churches
save money with energy efficient measures -
article from Interpretur Magazine
This year's
theme for
summer camp at Mt. Wesley
is "Peace Talks". The dates are as follows:
3rd and 4th
grades - June 15 thru 18 Registration
deadline: May 30th
5th and 6th
grades - June 22 thru 26 Registration
deadline: June 6th
To date I have
not received any scholarships from the
conference office but I will let you know
when those become available.
There is also
another camp this summer for 4th,5th & 6th
grades, called "M.A.D. (Music-Art-Drama)CAMP
2008 Treasures in the Field, to be held July
29 thur Aug. 2 at Mt. Wesley. Our own Rev.
Ron Welborn, FUMC La Feria, is the Dean.
Registration deadline for this camp is July
14.
If you have not
received flyers and registration forms for
all 3 camps, please let me know and I will
send them to you.
Look at Alice FUMC's
wonderful display of their church windows
From: Dr. Don
Nations, DNA Coaching
Dear friends,
After some
conversations with local churches it appears that the newest DNA Coaching
resource, Worship Wows, Volume 1, has not made it to all of the churches in
the transformation process. I am sending it again in case my earlier email
did not make it to you. I know that the Internet sometimes “glitches”
and email doesn’t make it to the intended destination.
It would be great if
all of you who are district superintendents could make sure that the
document finds its way to the churches in the transformation process. I
am asking that all of the churches consider sending me an email containing
one or two creative things they have done in worship so that we can assemble
them and send out another worship resource. Thank you for your
assistance.
God’s peace,
Don
Dr. Don Nations
DNA Coaching
www.dnacoaching.com
don@dnacoaching.com
A message from:
Jason A.
Teague, Pastor
First United Methodist Church of GoliadDear Southwest Texas
Conference district offices
Although I started earlier this year than last, I still need some
qualified counselors for the 5th and 6th grade Summer Camp for which I
am the dean. For counselors and staff, the camp runs from Saturday,
June 21st through Thursday the 26th. We will probably also be having a
training session sometime between now and camp, but we're still working
on that.
Could you please pass my request for counselors on to your district
pastors and church staff? I'm hoping there are some great laypeople (or
clergy for that matter) that they can recommend to me. I greatly
appreciate your help with this important effort. Camp is a great way
for young people to deepen their commitment to Christ at this crucial
age and to begin considering where God may be calling them. Many
a clergyperson (me included) can point to important formative
experiences at Christian camps that helped to guide them in their
spiritual journeys.
May God bless you, your ministries, and your families.
In Christ's love and service,
Jason A. Teague, Pastor
First United Methodist Church of Goliad
PO Box 1223 - 134 W. Pearl St.
Goliad, TX 77963-1223
Office: (361) 645-2546
Home: (361) 645-3914
Mobile: (361) 652-2982
revteague@sbcglobal.net
Greetings
McAllen District!
I am on the Hispanic Task Force Commission
for the conference. During the Bishop's
Convocation we will be meeting to get ready
for our annual conference report. It is my
job to report on what is happening in the
McAllen District in the area of
Hispanic/Latino ministry. Please forward me
a small blurb on what is happening, how you
are intentionally or unintentionally
reaching the Hispanic/Latino population.
Please remember that this does not
necessarily mean Spanish-speaking. Maybe
you are able to reach 2nd, 3rd and 4th
generation Hispanics with a new service that
you are providing or maybe through the
traditional service. Your assistance is
greatly appreciated.
Respectfully Submitted,
Rev. Daniel C. Longoria
Co-pastor First United Methodist Church of
San Benito
We celebrate the ministry of
our newly formed praise band-- we now have about
20 people participating in this ministry and
they have already played for several services.
We are seeking used guitars in playable
condition, and I was hoping to send word out to
all the churches in the district-- if there are
any folks out there who have a guitar they
aren't using they would like to donate, we would
be grateful
thanks--
Pastor Janna Hawes
Raymondville FUMC
First United Methdist of La Feria is seeking
guitarists and/or a pianist comfortable with
blended and praise worship to help lead the
contemporary/praise worship service on Sundays
at 11 a.m. Please contact Pastor Ron Welborn,
956-797-1393
We already have lots of additions to the 2008
calendar. Please take a moment to update your
calendar so you and your congregation(s) won't
miss all the great things coming up in 2008.
District Conference has now been set for this
year. We will meet Sunday, May 18th at 4:00 p.m.
at FUMC Mission.
Keep in mind recently elected new Lay Members to
Annual Conference do not take office until June
1, 2008. Those that attended Annual Conference
last June 2007, are still the representatives
for the District Annual Conference on May 18th.
If there are any corrections or additions to the
district calendar, please let me know.
A MESSAGE FROM LARRY TO:
All pastors,
At the last Pastors and Professionals Meeting
where Joe Vasquez described the upcoming Capital
Campaign for New Church Starts, Jenna Heart
asked a question for which Joe and I had no
clear answer. So, in response to that concern,
Mike Lowry has sent out the following outline to
clarify the process for conducting the campaign
in the local church, keeping up with the giving
records and pledge cards, and sending in the
receipts from the campaign to the conference
office.
OUTLINE OF PLEDGE RESPONSE FOR LOCAL
CONGREGATIONS
Thanks for your patience and
interest in this important emphasis of our
ministry together.
Larry Howard
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