Did You Know?
That South Point UMC along with other churches throughout the district have covenanted together to support Missionaries Mike and Ariel Collins in Cambodia?
That the Gastonia District in partnership with the Methodist Counseling Center provides specialized counseling services for individual or couples in need? Counselors Mark Larson and Shirley Cress Dudley are both available within our area. For more information call 704-375-5354 or see Ken Curtis.
That in the late 1800's a bill was passed in the state legislature that prevented alcohol to be sold within 2 miles of the South Point United Methodist Church?
Do You Know What A Sacrament Is?
The word "sacrament" is taken from the Latin word sacramentum, which was a Roman soldier's pledge of allegiance. One way to describe a sacrament is God's pledge of allegiance of love and faithfulness to us and our answering pledge of allegiance to God.
The United Methodist Church's Confession of Faith states: "We believe the sacraments, ordained by Christ, are symbols and pledges of the Christian's profession and of God's love toward us. They are means of grace by which God works invisibly in us, quickening (bringing to life), strengthening and confirming our faith in him."
Why do we celebrate them? We celebrate the sacrament not only because Jesus Christ practiced them but also because they are a means by which God communicates his forgiving, renewing, and promising love for each one of us. They are "visible" words of God's love.
The United Methodist Church recognizes two sacraments as ordained by Christ, namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Catholicism and some other Protestant denominations recognize more, such as confirmation, ordination, penance, marriage, and anointing of the sick.
2001 Annual Conference highlights and actions:
 | Honored 30 retired clergy representing 1,010 years of service; (including Rev. Bob Little of FUMC - Belmont) |
| Approved a petition affirming the UMC's opposition to a state lottery and instructed the conference secretary to write leaders of the NC General Assembly to inform them of this action; |
| Approved a petition calling on the NC governor to declare a moratoium on the death penalty and for local church leaders to write the state legislators of this action; |
| Approved a petition instructing the conference secretary to request the Duke University Board of Trustees elected by the conference to present a motion at their next Board meeting calling for the rescinding of permission to allow same sex union ceremonies in the Duke chapel; |
| Authorized the conference Board of Trustees to purchase property near the
Marshall Steam Plant in Catawba County for a Mission Resource Center to
house, pack, and allocate goods for "response" ministry. |
Did You Know?
Christians don't agree about which books should be included in the Bible. There is however, general agreement on the 27 books of the New Testament. Protestants and Roman Catholics disagree about books included in the Old Testament.
Both accept the 39 books of the Hebrew Bible accepted as Scripture by Jews. For Protestants, this is the entire Old Testament. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox churches also include several additional books known as the Apocrypha or deuterocanonical books.
These books were in the Greek and Latin Bibles used by the early Christians, but their status was not fully clarified until the 16th century, when Protestants concluded they were not divinely inspired Scripture and Roman Catholics concluded they were. Many Bibles print these books as a separate section, usually between the Old and New Testaments. Protestants often commend them as helpful reading, but not authoritative Scripture.
Reprinted with permission from Interpreter magazine, January 2000
Did You Know?
There is no single headquarters or central office for the United Methodist Church.
The headquarters for our 14 churchwide agencies are located in Nashville, Tenn.; Dayton, Ohio; New York City, Evanston, Ill.; and Madison, N.J. However, no one of these agencies is responsible for the entire denomination.
In the same way, there is no single person responsible for the denomination. The president of the Council of Bishops serves for one year and only presides over Council of Bishops meetings, not the denomination.
The only group who can speak for "and set laws governing" the entire denomination is the General Conference, which meets in a different city with different delegates every four years.
On a few occasions, groups and individuals have tried to sue the denomination, but have found it a slippery task to put a name or address on that lawsuit.
--The Rev. J. Richard Peck is a free-lance editor and writer in Nashville, Tenn.
From the District Epistle...
Some of you have heard me say it many times, "a church can love an average pastor into being above average." I believe that with every ounce of who I am. Thanks be to God, I've seen it happen again and again! But I also know the reverse statement to be true: "A church can nip at the heels of an above average pastor until she/he is less than average." I believe that too! Sadly, I've seen it happen too many times these last several years.
One of our district pastors sent me a "Did You Know...?" article last month which is worth sharing.
90% of pastors work more than 46 hours per week. I have a pastoral request for our churches. Churches, love your pastor into being the best minister you've ever had! It's worth it for everybody's sake - yours', the church's, the minister's, the minister's family, - even and especially for the Kingdom's sake! God bless you in abundant loving! Jim Trollinger Did You Know There Are?...
80% believe pastoral ministry has affected their families negatively.
33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their families.
75% report a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
90% feel they were inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands.
70% say they have a lower self-image now than when they started.
40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.
70% do not have someone they consider a close friend.
50% have considered leaving the ministry in the last three months.
50% of those who go into full-time service drop out in five years.
94% of clergy families feel the pressures of the pastor's ministry.
66% of church members expect a minister and family to live at a higher moral standard than they do. (Source: PastorCare Network)
| 8,367,630 | Lay Members |
| 43,972 | Clergy members including full-time |
| and part-time local pastors | |
| 35,784 | Local churches |
| 26,166 | Pastoral charges |
| 519 | Districts |
| 66 | Conferences |
| 3,660,275 | Sunday School participants |
| 905,770 | United Methodist Women |
| 249,767 | United Methodist Men |
| 458,125 | United Methodist Youth |
| 165 | Countries where the United Methodist Church is in mission |
| 70 | Hospitals and health-care facilities |
| 13 | Theological Schools |
| 82 | Four year colleges |
| 10 | Universities |
|
Last updated: December 16, 2001 |
