News

Clergy Benefits Academy 2013

CLERGY BENEFITS ACADEMY 2013 November 18-20, 2013 Galloway, NJ 08205 The General Board of Pension & Health Benefits of the United Methodist Church invites active clergy and spouses to attend the Clergy Benefits Academy which will be held at the Stockton Seaview Hotel in Galloway, NJ!  By attending, you will: Learn how to care for your financial, emotional and physical well-being with age-focused coursework Gain knowledge and information necessary to make confident...

GNJ Annual Conference on Social Media

The 2013 GNJ Annual Conference is going green and digital!  Join us on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram and be a part of the action!   Tweet and Instagram your photos using hashtag: #gnjac13 "Follow" and interact with us on Twitter at twitter.com/gnjumc "Like" us and interact with us on Facebook at facebook.com/gnjumc Follow and repost with us on Tumblr at gnjumc.tumblr.com You'll also be able to watch Annual...

United Methodists mourn Bob Edgar

3:00 P.M. ET April 23, 2013 | WASHINGTON (UMNS) The Rev. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist pastor and a “tireless defender of the poor and an advocate for justice,” died unexpectedly April 23 of a heart attack at his home in the Washington area. He was 69. Edgar, who was top executive of Common Cause, is the former top executive of the National Council of Churches and a former six-term member of Congress from Pennsylvania. He was president of United Methodist-related Claremont...

MORE DISTRICT EVENTS

District Committees on Ministry: Orientation to Ministry May 18 @ Haddonfield UMC    Required for all Candidates for Licensed and Ordained Ministry     The Board of Ordained Ministry has scheduled two sessions of the Orientation to Ministry required for all candidates for licensed and ordained ministry.   This common ministry preparation experience is designed to build collegiality and understanding among the different set-apart ministries...

CBS Special: Religion & Spirituality in a Changing Society

If you missed the CBS Special Religion & Spirituality in a Changing Society, featuring interviews with Bishop John Schol and our 2013 Pre-Lenten Gathering Speaker, Lillian Daniel, you can watch it online below. ...

GBGM Staff & Board Members Join A Future with HOPE in Repair Efforts

It was just about noon on Saturday, April 13th when a charter bus pulled up to Grace United Methodist Church in Union Beach, NJ.  Quickly, an eager group of people made their way off of the bus and gathered outside of the church's social hall.  They were greeted with bright yellow t-shirts by Bishop John Schol and staff members of A Future with HOPE, Inc., Greater New Jersey Annual Conference's Sandy recovery organization.  Staff and Board members of the General Board of Global...

Small Employer Health Insurance Tax Credit Extension

If your church has not yet filed for the Small Employer Health Insurance Tax Credit, there is still time!  Let us know of your church’s intention to file for the credit and we will prepare and send the “Application for Extension of Time”(Form 8868) to the IRS on your behalf. This automatic six-month extension will allow our staff to prepare your forms (8941 & 990-T) for submission by the final deadline of August 15, 2013. We must know your intentions by...

Host an HBO movie-watching party to fight malaria on April 20!

Nashville, Tenn.: Throw a party to save lives. That’s the message The United Methodist Church is sharing in preparation for World Malaria Day, April 25. United Methodist advocates for Imagine No Malaria can raise awareness by hosting screening parties of HBO’s new movie, “Mary and Martha,” starring Oscar® winner Hilary Swank and Oscar® nominee Brenda Blethyn. The movie follows the journey of two women who meet in Africa and work to raise awareness...

Youth Learn the Roots of Methodism on Confirmation Retreat

Over 100 youth from around the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference filled the sanctuary of the Historic St. George’s United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 20th for the annual confirmation retreat. The visit to St. George’s adds a unique experience to learning about Methodism. Rev. Alfred T. Day, III, pastor of St. George’s, took the students on a journey through Methodism starting at the very beginning in America. Actors gave life to the story as...

Message from Bishop Schol - April 16, 2013

To a people called United Methodist. Grace and peace in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. October 29 -- December 14 -- April 15. New Jersey/New York -- Sandy Hook -- Boston. Superstorm -- Shootings -- Bombing One could add other dates, sites and events to these where fear, death and destruction changed lives, landscapes and the way we think about our times. I call upon each of us to pray for the victims and their families who suffered death and injury at the Boston Marathon....

Talking to Children After Traumatic Events...And Listening

Here we are again at a place where we need to reassure children that they are safe even when we may not feel safe ourselves. Shock, fear, anxiety, anger, and confusion are normal, so the adults in the lives of our children need to be equipped to respond and act.  Through our baptism, we promise to surround our children “with a community of love and forgiveness.”  We are that community. Talking to Children After Traumatic Events… And Listening:  ...

Safe Sanctuaries Training for The Raritan Valley District

  Location / Address First UMC of Westfield 1 E. Broad Street Westfield, NJ  07090 Directions http://goo.gl/maps/EQLJl The First United Church of Westfield is located at 1 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ. Parking lot access is from Ferris Place, a one-way street one block off Broad Street, accessible from Prospect Street. The map at the right provides a street view of Ferris Place. For GPS enter '130 Ferris Place, Westfield, NJ.' As you enter...

UMCOR Approves Long-Term Recovery Grants

By Linda Unger* Reprinted from www.umcor.org April 12, 2013—The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) board of directors approved more than $8.6 million to be disbursed among annual (regional) conferences grappling with long-term disaster response to tornadoes, floods, and storms of 2011 and the wreckage left by Superstorm Sandy last fall. All of the granted funds come from advances associated with UMCOR’s unit that covers disaster response in the United...

Social Principles Bulletin Inserts Available

Peace with Justice Sunday is May 26th.  In preparation for this Special Sunday, consider using these bulletin inserts focused on the UMC Social Principles.   WASHINGTON, D.C. — The General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) has developed bulletin inserts featuring individual United Methodist Social Principles. The resource, designed to be included in church worship bulletins, can be downloaded for free from the agency’s website.   The inserts highlight positions...

One Day Mission Projects at Pinelands Center

Fast, Cheap and Easy!   This Spring, take your youth group or young adult group away overnight for only $20.00 per person for a work day at The Pinelands Center at Mt Misery.    Arrive early on Saturday morning.  We’ll provide the work projects, all the tools and supplies, lunch, dinner, a campfire after dark, heated cabins with hot showers, and breakfast on Sunday morning.    Your group participates in a one day mission project, painting, repairing,...

Join the Neighborhood Center of Camden for Celebrations and Service

Join friends of the Neighborhood Center for 2 very special events this May as we celebrate 100 years of history & service to the children and families of Camden! 100th Anniversary Celebrations: Celebrate our 100th Anniversary at Tavistock Country Club on Saturday May 11, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. with dinner, music, silent auction and lots of fun. Join us also for our 100th Anniversary Annual Meeting and Luncheon at Haddonfield United Methodist Church at noon on Saturday May 18, 2013...

5 New Ideas from GBOD

Every month GBOD sends you just 5 ways you can better equip Vital Congregations and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Here’s this month’s issue! 1. Discover how congregations successfully dealt with change. Read about the Toward Vitality Research Project, an 18-month study of 158 local churches across the US. The study found three key elements present in congregations undergoing successful change: a pastor unafraid of leading, laity in a ministry partnership with the pastor...

Free Prom Dresses For Girls Affected By Superstorm Sandy at UMC of Red Bank

Pictured: Rev. Ed and Joy Gresick, Amy Applegate, Elaine Dawson, and Sheila Leavitt The Blessed Dress Ministry of Grace UMC in the Western PA Annual Conference has come to New Jersey to help make prom dress dreams come true for girls affected by Superstorm Sandy! Rev. Ed Gresick and his wife Joy drove to NJ with 180 prom dresses to give away to girls affected by Superstorm Sandy on Wednesday. The UMW at UMC of Red Bank is hosting the prom dress giveaway, which will span multiple days...

FEMA/SBA Extends NJ Disaster Assistance To May 1

Release date: MARCH 29, 2013 Release Number: 4086-135 TRENTON, N.J. -- Survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey now have until May 1 to register for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and return Small Business Administration disaster loan applications. People with storm losses in all counties in New Jersey can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov....

Free Online Webinars for Local Church Historians

Heritage Preservation is currently sponsoring free on-line webinar courses, in cooperation with Connection to Collections, that allows a busy local Church historian to brush up or be introduced to various aspects of the archival discipline. Each course is usually offered in a 90 minute segment over a period of two weeks with each week having two meetings. The next open webinar begins May 7 on Caring for Photographic materials (http://www.connectingtocollections.org/courses/about/). The...