A beginner's guide to General Conference

 

The United Methodist Church has no pope.

But it does have a General Conference — the only body that can set official policy and speak for the international denomination.

General Conference brings together lay and clergy delegates from four continents whose decisions will affect how millions of United Methodists do church for years to come.

Think of the two-week gathering as a combination of a United Nations General Assembly, a U.S. congressional session, and a time of rousing Christian worship.

The coming General Conference, now scheduled for April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina, comes at a particularly momentous time.

General Conference typically gathers every four years. But because of the COVID pandemic, the assembly could not meet in 2020. That means the last regular session was in May 2016 — nearly eight years ago.

In the interim, the denomination has seen a quarter of its U.S. churches depart under a disaffiliation policy that began in 2019 and expired at the end of 2023.

What comes next for the international denomination will be largely up to General Conference itself.

Read more at this link.

This week @ St. Paul's UMC

 Monday: 

9:00 AM, Office Hours

Tuesday:

9:00 AM, Office Hours

Wednesday:

9:00 AM, Office Hours

9:00 AM, Wednesday Weeders 

10:00 AM, Zoom Fellowship

7:30 PM, Choir practice

Thursday:

9:00 AM, Office Hours 

Friday:

10:00 AM, Sew What @ Myrle Myers

Saturday:   

6:00 AM, BBKC Prayer Time

9:00 AM, Yoga class  

Fourth Sunday of Easter

8:30 AM, Bells

8:45 AM, Adult class

10:15 AM, Worship 

11:15 AM, Fellowship 

12:30 PM, BBKC

4:30 PM, Pastor Charles @ Fraiser Meadows

Scripture lessons for April 21

"Lamb of God"
(icon written by Pastor Charles)

As April crosses the mid-point, we turn our attention to lessons from 1 John 3:16-24 and John 10:11-18.

April 14 @ St. Paul's UMC: Prayers

 

Joys:

+    Belinda Alkula is thankful for the wonderful church family breakfast yesterday.  

+   We welcome to our fellowship John & Margaret McIntosh.

+   We celebrate this week's birthday: John Courier and Larry Esposito

+ We give thanks for those participating today: Amy Abshire (liturgist), Belinda Alkula (videographer), Steve Bainbridge (greeter), Tim Cook (class), Etta Levitt (Zoom usher), Kathy Lloyd (Zoom host), Hyeji Miranda (piano), Suzanne Polacek (bells), Ron Revier (choir), and Fellowship Team (fellowship).

Concerns:

+   Angela Baker asks for continued prayers for George as he continues to heal.        

+   Joan Cooper asks for prayer for Diane and Terri as they deal with health concerns.  

+   Pastor Charles lifts up the delegates traveling to General Conference.

+   We remember Braden and all service people wherever they are serving.  

+   We pray for peace in a world where violence is too often the first resort.

April 14 @ St. Paul's UMC: Announcements

+Do you like weeds? Want to help keep our church grounds looking its best? Then come out each Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM and join the fun of the Wednesday Weeders. See Suzanne Polacek for details.

+Sew What will meet on Friday, April 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Myrle Myers’s home. Please R.S.V.P. by April 16 to Myrle via text, phone call, or email. Folks are encouraged to bring their own lunches / preferred drinks. Some drinks will be provided. Sew What is for those who love to sew, knit, crochet, embroider, etc., and/or enjoy visiting with one another.

+During the coming weeks, please pray for our delegates to The UMC General Conference (April 23 - May 3) and/or lift up your thoughts of hope and love for our connection.

April 14 @ St. Paul's UMC: Worship

Our newest members

Heyji offers the postlude

It's Celebration Sunday!

Third Sunday of Easter

(link to today's worship)

Today’s Meditation Verse: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are!” —1 John 3:1a

Welcome...Pastor Charles

Prelude...Hyeji Miranda / “Be Thou My Vision,” arranged by K.L. Phillips

*Call to Worship (inspired by John 3:14-21 and Ephesians 2:1-10)...Amy Abshire

God so loved the world as to give the Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Let those who know they are redeemed celebrate it! Those who have been reclaimed from deep trouble! Though we were as good as dead, God made us alive with the grace of Christ through whom we are rescued and healed. O give thanks to God for such unswerving love, for such wonderful deeds for the children of earth.      —Bruce Prewer, www.bruceprewer.com

*Hymn...“Christ is Alive” (UMH #318)

Witnesses (based on Luke 24:36-48, John 20:19-31)...Amy Abshire

How do we find the faith to believe the story of Easter, Jesus? How do we grasp its truth? We can only accept it; refusing to reduce it to scientific debate or historical literalism, kneeling with humility and awe beside the blood-stained cross and the empty grave; For then, we are Your witnesses.

How do we understand the mystery of Your death and life, Jesus? How do we explain it? We can only live it; allowing it to permeate every grain of this sand that forms us, every thought, every priority, every act and every interaction; For then we are Your witnesses, and You deserve nothing less from us. Amen.

—© John van de Laar, on Sacredise

Gospel Lesson: Luke 24:36b-48...Amy Abshire

Choral Anthem...“Now Thank We All” by Johann Sebastian Bach, arranged by Thomas Hoekstra

Community prayer requests, concerns, and celebrations

Reception of new members... John & Margaret McIntosh

Pastoral Prayer / The Lord’s Prayer...Pastor Charles

Epistle Lesson: 1 John 3:1-7...Pastor Charles

This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Sermon...Pastor Charles / “How to avoid deception”

*Hymn...“Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain” (UMH #315)

*Words for the Journey...Pastor Charles

Postlude...Hyeji Miranda / “Jesus Loves Me,” arranged by Minjung Kim

April's breakfast fellowship

The conversation was rich this morning as the church family breakfast gathering took place at Le Peep! Thanks to everyone who came out on this beautiful spring day!.