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Special Edition – 2012 Annual Conference News – June 8, 2012

Annual Conference information, agenda posted on Web
The 2012 Virginia Annual Conference session will be held June 22-24 at the Civic Center in Roanoke. Theme of the conference is “You Are the Seeds.” The conference will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, June 22, with separate sessions for laity and clergy. Information about this year’s session, including an agenda, is available on the conference website at www.vaumc.org/ac2012.

Live streaming of Annual Conference on website, Facebook
Live streaming of the 2012 Virginia Annual Conference will be available, beginning at 1 p.m. Friday, June 22, from the Virginia Conference website and from the Virginia Conference Facebook Fan page. The live streaming will show all sessions of the three-day conference, including worship at 11:15 a.m. Sunday, June 24, when Bishop Charlene Kammerer will preach. Local churches may show the live video of the Annual Conference worship service during their Sunday morning worship services and participate by following the liturgy for the service that can be downloaded from the conference website at www.vaumc.org/ac2012.

Contact district office re registration changes
Contact your district office if an alternate will be attending Annual Conference in place of the regular lay member, or if there are any other changes in registration information regarding lay members to 2012 Annual Conference.

Annual Conference offering goal is $200,000 for mission
This year the Annual Conference offering goal is $200,000. Funds will support four projects: the Shade and Fresh Water Project in Brazil; materials and training for theological and biblical education in Mozambique; outreach to young people by the church in Cambodia that is working to become an autonomous Methodist Church in 2016; and Shalom Farms in the Richmond District. For more information and an Annual Conference offering bulletin insert, go to www.vaumc.org/ac2012.

Photos to be taken June 22 for pictorial directory supplement
The Virginia Conference will publish a 2012 supplement to the 2009 Pictorial Directory of the Virginia Conference Ministry. Olan Mills Portrait Studios will have a booth in the Special Events Center at Annual Conference from noon to 6 p.m., Friday, June 22, to take photos of clergy, local pastors, diaconal ministers, certified professionals, those serving as pastoral supply, retired bishops and conference staff who DID NOT have a picture taken in 2009, 2010 or 2011, including those newly commissioned. If your picture is already in the 2009 directory or the 2010 or 2011 supplement, it is NOT necessary for a new photo to be taken. For more information, contact Linda Rhodes, director of Communications, at LindaRhodes@vaumc.org, (804) 521-1111 or 1-800-768-6040, ext. 111.

Childcare offered during Annual Conference
Childcare during Annual Conference will be available at Greene Memorial UMC, 402 Second Street SW, Roanoke, located one mile from the Roanoke Civic Center. Childcare will be available Friday: 12 p.m.-5 p.m. ($30); Saturday: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. ($40) and 7 pm.-10 p.m. ($5 for first child, $3 for additional); and Sunday: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. ($30). The “Parents’ Place” (not staffed) will also be available on-site in the Special Events Center of the Civic Center. This is a room available for parents to play with, rock and feed children. It will have rocking chairs, cribs, changing tables, play mats, some toys, a TV and DVD player. Deadline to register for childcare is Friday, June 15. Online registration is no longer available. You must mail in form. For form and more information, go to www.vaumc.org/ac2012.

Banquets scheduled for all three days of Annual Conference
A number of special banquets (breakfasts, luncheons and dinners) will be held during all three days of Annual Conference, including banquets for Laity, Clergy Women, Clergy Spouses’, Young Adult Ministry, Christian Educators, Russia Initiative, Mission and Justice, United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, a variety of seminary alumni and many more. The complete Annual Conference banquet schedule is available on the conference website at www.vaumc.org/ac2012

Annual Conference members urged to bring ‘4 Cans 4 Conference’
Each clergy and lay member of Annual Conference is encouraged to bring ‘4 Cans 4 Conference,’ canned goods or boxed dry foods for the Southwestern Virginia (SW-VA) Food Bank in Roanoke. Requested are: one can of vegetables or fruit, one can of meat or fish, one can of soup or stew and one can with a pop-top. In addition, there is a need for cereal (hot, cold, or instant), peanut butter and jelly, cooking oils, dry preparation aids (like Hamburger Helper, pasta, etc.), flour, sauces, etc. As you are able, bring your cans in recyclable grocery bags, rather than plastic bags. Do not bring home-canned items, out-of-date cans, glass jars, damaged cans, fresh fruits/veggies, or already-opened or partially used supplies. For more information, contact the Rev. Jim Earley, revsrus@comcast.net, or at Walker Chapel UMC in Arlington, (703) 538-5200.

Kits for UMCOR to be collected at Annual Conference
Various types of Relief Supply Kits will be collected at the 2012 Virginia Annual Conference session. Kit collection is being conducted to replenish the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) supply. Local churches are encouraged to collect items for any of the most requested UMCOR kits — Health Kits, School Kits, Baby/Layette Kits and Birthing Kits — and bring them to Annual Conference. Click here for kit content instructions. In addition, UMCOR has issued a special call for more cleaning buckets (formerly known as flood buckets). Click here for information about assembling cleaning buckets. Kits should be taken to the two tractor-trailers at the far end of the Roanoke Civic Center Parking lot A, near the intersection of Williamson Road and Orange Ave. (across from the Sheetz Gas Station). Kits will be received 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Friday, June 22, and 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 23.

Send cash for kits directly to conference treasurer
If you prefer to contribute cash to enable United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to purchase relief kits, you can contribute $12 for each health kit, $11 for each school kit, $35 for a baby/layette kit, $8 for a birthing kit, and $55 for a cleaning bucket. In addition, UMCOR asks for $1 per kit ($1.50 for cleaning buckets) to cover processing and shipping and $1 for toothpaste for each health kit. Please do NOT bring checks to Annual Conference. ALL checks (for processing and shipping, for toothpaste and in lieu of providing kits) should be made payable to “Virginia Conference UMC,” earmarked for “kits” and mailed to Treasurer, Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 5605, Glen Allen, VA 23058 any time prior to Annual Conference, and no later than Aug. 31.

Volunteers needed to collect kits at Annual Conference
More volunteers are needed for this year’s “Kits for Conference” collection at Annual Conference. You can help (1) write information on a clipboard; (2) sort kits; (3) seal boxes; or (4) load boxes onto the tractor-trailers. Kit collection will take place Friday, June 22, from 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 23, 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If you can volunteer to help, e-mail the Rev. Louis Strickler at pastorlouis@woodlawnumc.org or call the Woodlawn Church office, (540) 774-8126, or his cell phone, (540) 797-7608, to indicate what time you would be available.

Potato Drop to be at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, June 23
The Virginia Conference Board of Global Ministries and the Society of St. Andrew are co-sponsoring a Potato Drop at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, June 23, in Parking Lot A of the Roanoke Civic Center (northeast corner of the parking lot facing Orange Ave. and Sheetz). Volunteers are needed to help bag and load more than 20 tons of donated potatoes to be picked up by regional food banks, church pantries, soup kitchens and other local feeding agencies. Bagging is expected to be completed before 7:30 a.m.

‘Holy Rollers’ bike to Annual Conference to benefit offering
The “Holy Rollers” is a group of clergy and laity who each year ride bicycles to Annual Conference to draw attention to and encourage generous contributions to the Annual Conference offering. This year they will ride from Mount Moriah UMC, Charlottesville, to Eagle Eyrie Conference Center, Lynchburg, on Wednesday, June 20; from Lynchburg to Bonsack UMC, Roanoke, on Thursday, June 21; and from Bonsack UMC to the Roanoke Civic Center for Annual Conference on Friday, June 22. To join the group, click here for more information, or contact Ray Stearns at (757) 871-1243 (c) or (757) 380-7678 (w), or e-mail sterno49@hotmail.com.

Volunteer video camera operators needed
The Virginia Conference Communications Board seeks volunteers to work the video cameras during Annual Conference. All camera operators must attend a training session on Friday morning, June 22, and will work in shifts throughout the conference sessions. If you have a desire to serve in this fun way, contact Betsey Davis at betseydavis@me.com.

Volunteers needed for computer-assisted note taking
Individuals are needed who can offer their time and talent in communicating the spoken word to persons who need computer-assisted note taking during Annual Conference. Assistance is needed to type text of reports, worship and music using Microsoft Word, at times as the speaker is presenting. Good typing speed and accuracy is a must. Individuals are needed for all sessions for shifts of one hour or longer. For more information, contact Martha Stokes, Director of Inclusivity and Lay Leadership Excellence, at 1-800-768-6040, ext. 154, or (804) 521-1154, or by e-mail to marthastokes@vaumc.org.

Virtual promotional packet offered online
In an effort to be good stewards of the environment and financial resources of the conference, the Annual Conference packet again is in a virtual format and is now available on the Virginia Conference website at www.vaumc.org/ac2012.

Redesigned July Advocate will list all clergy appointments
The newly redesigned July issue of the Virginia United Methodist Advocate monthly news magazine will be distributed to all members of Annual Conference on Sunday, June 24, during the “fixing” of clergy appointments by Bishop Kammerer and the Cabinet. The issue includes a listing of all clergy appointments by district and area. In addition, the July Advocate includes a tribute to Bishop Kammerer, who is retiring after completing eight years as episcopal leader of the Virginia Conference. The magazine distributed at Annual Conference will be the first issue with the new, easier-to-read design, fresh layout and re-arrangement of its many features in order to enhance your reading experience. To subscribe to the Advocate, call (804) 521-1110 or 1-800-768-6040, ext. 110; e-mail Advocate@vaumc.org; or click here.

Why do we sing the same hymn every year?
Do you know why we always sing “And Are We Yet Alive” to open the Annual Conference session? Click here for the answer.

For in-depth news and features about United Methodist mission and ministry, subscribe to the Virginia United Methodist Advocate, the Virginia Conference’s award-winning monthly newsmagazine — now available in both print and digital formats. Click here to subscribe. Or call Peggy Cribbs at 1-800-768-6040, ext. 110, or (804) 521-1110. Or e-mail Advocate@vaumc.org.

 

 

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