May 2008
Abilene District News
Abilene District Office Northwest
Texas Conference United Methodist
Church
Mailing Address:
Email: adnwtc.ds@nts-online.net
(Ava) Ph.
325-675-6672 FAX
325-675-6673
adnwtc.sec@nts-online.net
(Carol) District Website: www.nwtx-abilene.org
*Note: The District Newsletter is being sent to you because
of your affiliation with the District Office,
NOTES FROM AVA:
Boxes, boxes everywhere. We can’t walk through the house at night without turning on a light. The normal pathways are filled with BOXES. For my spouse, this will be his 62nd move. (His family worked with seismograph crews for years.) Boxes and moving are not a big deal to him.
Boxes can be helpful or they can be hurtful. Early in the incubator process (4 years ago) we were required to read “Leadership and Self-Deception” published by the Arbinger Institute. Wow, was that a challenge, because I had to admit that I put people into boxes. I made assumptions, judged them and packed them into my boxes of “just too unreasonable to even consider a conversation,” “too out of touch to understand reality”, “one of those people” and the list was far longer than that. When I put them in my boxes, I sealed away the possibility of seeing Christ in them. I could not recognize their giftedness or even the grace they often exhibited toward me. My attitude blocked me from receiving blessings through relationships with these people.
As a cabinet and clergy that first year, we had to admit we had summarily put folks in boxes and probably taped them shut. Through that year and subsequent years, we have come to appreciate each other more. We have been more open to work together, to recognize Christ in each other. Getting rid of the boxes has truly opened new possibilities and strengths for our Annual Conference.
In my four years as your Superintendent, often dealing with contentious situations, I’ve discovered that pastors and congregations also put each other in boxes. It is only through confession, prayer and seeking God’s grace and forgiveness that these boxes are ever removed. Sadly, this doesn’t often happen and pastors and congregations decide to go their separate ways.
My prayer for you and for myself is that God will continue to reveal our biases and limiting attitudes and free us from BOXES!!
Grace and peace,
Ava
GENERAL CONFERENCE: Please
be in prayer for General Conference.
Since the site for this Conference is nearby (
Abilene
District will meet for its annual District Conference at Aldersgate UMC,
Sunday, May 18, at
We will begin our time with worship and Communion; conduct our business; gain information about Annual Conference and if time permits, I’ll offer highlights of General Conference decisions. We’ll close with a time for fellowship.
I look forward to our time of worship and decision making together. You have been so faithful these four years and I welcome the chance to express my gratitude and share in the Lord’s Table with you one more time.
The table won’t be complete if you are not there!
DEPLOY
VIM Reports: Did your church work as a mission team this year? Would you be willing to share a report of that work with Jimmy Swaim, our new Conference VIM Coordinator? Send your information to NWTX_VIM@sbcglobal.net. (There’s an underline between NWTX and VIM which doesn’t show up, in case you’ve tried and the mail came back.) Sharing your story inspires others to consider how they could be involved in missions. Please take the time to tell your stories.
BUILD, RENEW, REJOICE CAMPAIGN RESULTS TO BE PUBLISHED: In order to recognize the efforts of
churches, pastors, and lay leaders, the campaign team will publish a special
edition conference paper for distribution at Annual Conference,
If you have questions, or would like to complete you pledge card, please contact Clark Williams or Kaylee, 806-792-1133, or email buildrenewrejoice@gmail.com.
VIM Team to
Bus Available For Transportation to Annual
Conference:
Clyde First UMC will be taking their bus to Conference in Glorieta this
year. We have ten additional seats available which we would like to
share. The costs would be shared on a per capita basis. If we are
able to fill the bus completely, the costs would be $50.00 per person.
Our intention right now is to leave EARLY Sunday morning, June 1st,(like
NUTURE
Methodist Food Pantry Report from Jean Butler:
She came in very slowly suffering
from arthritis and needing knee surgery, but other medical issues postponed the
surgery. I don’t know how she made it
in, but we will try to take food to her next month. She is but one of the
disabled that you are helping with your contributions to the food pantries. There are so many. The majority of our families only come when
they are desperate, so we don’t see them every month. Thank you for being a
part of our service. We helped 139
families with 378 individuals in March.
The first Empty Bowls Project at
Aldersgate raised money for the hungry in
Another Aldersgate advocate of
helping fight hunger, Cecil Robinson, volunteered at the Food Bank of
Thank you to these churches and
individuals for the following donations:
Aldersgate $1383.37, Caps $128.00, Elmwood West $212.84, Epworth/Grace
$346.49, First Methodist-Abilene $359.11, Hamby $122.75,
Make checks to the AABOM
Food Pantry, and mail to Jean Butler,
Hello fellow workers in the Kingdom,
We are now a little
over one forth through 2008. So far this year I have visited and helped fifty
families and individuals for a total of 139 adults and children. But, now that
April 15th has come and gone I will begin to see many more who are
in need of our help.
In this past quarter I
saw one family of three whose father made good money but because both the
mother and child had health problems that their health insurance would not
cover they did not have the funds to take care of all of their bills. We helped
them with their electric bill. Another family we saw had received a substantial
refund on their taxes and paid off their car and all of their past due bills.
But they still needed help even though they had gotten everything caught up
because their pay checks still would not stretch enough to pay for the basic
needs of a family of four. We helped with their rent.
Even though our clients
work, most still do not make enough to pay for the basic needs of a roof over
their heads, utilities and food. According to one web site I have visited in
the past a living wage for a family of four in
That is why we need you. We need you to pray
and search your heart about what you can do to help those in need in our
community. It is going to take all of us to care for all of our neighbors no
matter whom they are or where they live and work. So, please ask yourself what
you can do to help alleviate the pain, hunger, suffering and needs in our
community.
Giving for the 1st quarter:
Aldersgate UMC $1,540.00 Hamby UMC $416.48
Caps UMC
Epworth UMC 30.00 St. James UMC 240.38
First UMC 277.00 St.
Paul UMC 4,363.80
Wylie UMC 750.00 (all
from congregations, SS classes, UMMs & UMWs)
Conference shared ministries (apportionments) 100% Churches for 2007
from Abilene District include:
Aldersgate, Caps, Southwest Drive, Plum Street, Potosi, Albany,
Aspermont, Baird, Benjamin, Elbert, Fargo, Hamby, Hawley, Jayton,
Knox City, Lueders, Moran, Nolan, Pioneer Memorial,
Roby, Rotan, Sagerton, Throckmorton, Trent, Vera and
2008 and 2009
“Living the Sacred” will be at
EQUIP
Safe Sanctuary was adopted at Annual Conference 2007 and will apply to all
paid and unpaid leaders, whether lay or clergy, who have direct or indirect
contact with all people who participate in any activities or events sponsored
by the Northwest Texas Conference and it’s Districts. Safe Sanctuary requires that each
congregation develop a Safe Sanctuary Policy for their local church by
2008. The Safe Sanctuary Policy
presented at Conference was adopted and is effective as of May 2007. The Safe Sanctuary Team will provide training
for congregations once your local policy is in place. Besides a safety issue, Safe Sanctuary is
also an insurance issue as insurance companies will not provide insurance if
everyone is not trained that works with children within the next three years.
Copies of the policy are available by contacting Rosemary Prumer at the
Conference Office. Training is
available by contacting Doris Stevens stevens@nwtxconf.org Each church should
complete its work on their Safe Sanctuary Policy by the end of 2008. Once complete, please send a copy
to Rosemary Prumer and to the District Office.
SAVE THE
DATE: ACADEMY FOR FAITHFUL MINISTRY,
ROUND-UP 2008, is scheduled for
Blessed to be a Blessing conference
for educators and preachers,
Background Checks If you are not currently running
background checks on your local church workers (all volunteers and paid staff)
you should be. The
Job Openings can be found on the Conference Web site under Quick Link for Classifieds, found on the left side of the page under the search areas.
Summer Youth
Director Needed: First UMC,
Part Time Youth
Minister Needed: Anson
Full Time Youth
Pastor Wanted: First
THANKSGIVING, PRAYER, SYMPATHY, PRAISE,
CONGRATULATIONS
(If you have
additions or deletions to this section of the newsletter, please contact the
District Office)
Congratulations:
Congratulations to First UMC,
Congratulations to Rev. Cyril Stone, retired
Congratulations to Mark and Francie
Pittman on the birth of a grandson, Noah
Andrew Pittman, born
Pray for the following concerns:
Those in the military:
Thomas Parrish, grandson-in-law of Rex, retired pastor, and
Letha Mauldin.
Spc. Bowman Henderson, grandson of Rex
& Letha Mauldin
Maj. Scotty Henderson, son-in-law of Rex
& Letha Mauldin.
Gabriel Keith, grandson of Sandra
Keith, pastor at Baird.
Ryan Sanders, son of John
Sanders, St. James UMC, Navy flight engineer.
Timothy Cross, USAF, C-130 crewmember and son of Laird Cross, associate
pastor at St. Paul UMC.
Health Concerns:
Amy Fogelman, 16
yr. old daughter of Thomas Fogelman, Pastor
at Ira.
Bruce Parks, retired
pastor of our Conference.
Wanda Jochetz, wife
of retired pastor, Milton Jochetz of
James Willborn & family, retired member of the Conference.
Wanda Sanders, wife
of John Sanders, St. James UMC,
Marguerite Smith, mother of Wanda Sanders,
Ken Metzger,
retired member of our conference.
Ann Fletcher,
wife of Lyndall Fletcher, member of
the conference, serving in Liberty Hill UMC.
She is also the
mother of Keri Inman, whose husband Kelly
Inman is serving in Lorenzo UMC.
Richard Landrum & family, son of Neely
Landrum, pastor of Spearman UMC.
Hazel Noble, mother of Karilyn Kidwell.
Karilyn is the wife of Bud Kidwell, pastor at Chillicothe/Quanah.
Lucy Hubbard, mother of Gary Hubbard,
pastor at Munday UMC.
Bessie Casey, mother of Charles Casey, pastor
at Blackwell.
Jim Berry, in AZ., brother of Michael
Berry, pastor at Tuscola.
Lillith Ardhuerumly, wife of Ishan
Ardhuerumly, & mother of Namiqa
Shipman, Big Spring DS.
Ishan Ardhuerumly, father of Namiqa Shipman,
Big Spring DS
Richard Bales, pastor, former Big Spring District Superintendent.
Rhonda Wagner, retired
member of our Conference.
Betty Garrett
and family, wife of retired minister, Jim
Garrett.
Mary Louder and
family, wife of retired minister, Gene
Louder.
Weldon McCormick, retired pastor of our Conference.
Jack Dominguez mother. Jack is the Pastor
at Rotan UMC.
Larry Gaumond,
Pastor at O’Donnell/Draw UMC.
Lewis Holland, Retired
Pastor,
Tommy Edwards,
husband of Janet Edwards, Pastor at
Claude UMC.
Alvin Petty,
Pastor of Wesley UMC, Andrews.
Lyndell Fletcher, retired member of our Conference, currently serving
as pastor of Morton, UMC.
Weldon Tucker,
retired pastor.
Glenda Abernethy, mother of Karla Abernethy-Thetford, Area Director of Communications and Editor of
the Northwest Texas Conference Review.
Letha Mauldin,
wife of Rev. Rex Mauldin, pastor at
Trent UMC.
Dean Alexander,
father of Mike Alexander, Big Spring
District Lay Leader, & member of the Conference Leadership Team.
Abigail Huston,
baby daughter of Phillip and Diana
Huston. Phillip is finishing seminary, graduated from
Darren Skinner,
pastor of First UMC,
Sandra Gardner,
pastor at Hawley, Tye.
Maj. Scotty Henderson, son-in law of Rex
and Letha Mauldin. Rex is the pastor
at Trent UMC.
Rev. Jon Foster,
pastor at Post UMC.
Marilyn McMillan & family, wife of Bobby
McMillan, retired member of our Conference.
Karen McClean, wife of John McClean, Pastor of Canyon UMC.
Don Duke,
father of Mary Ann Abbott. Mary Ann is the spouse of Horace Abbott, pastor at Merkel UMC.
Linda Kelley,
wife of Bob Kelley, Anson UMC.
Gene Louder,
retired member of our Conference and his wife, Mary Louder.
Other Concerns:
Our President and Government Officials
Bishop, District Superintendents, Pastors
Our military & their families
Sympathy To:
The family
of Eleanor Mourer
who died on
Marilyn Balleau and family on the death of her father, Rev. John Carpenter who died on
Bob
Kelly and family, pastor of Anson UMC on the death of his sister-in-law Donna Ruth Kelley, on
Bill Couch, pastor
of LakeRidge UMC, Lubbock, and family on the death of
his mother, Bea Couch who died
Sammie Ellis,
pastor of Vega UMC, on the death of her father, Coy Ellis on
Family of Rev. Royce Womack, retired member of
our Conference, who died on
2008
May
7-9
Appointive
Cabinet
15
All Churches 2007 Audits DUE in District Office
18
Abilene District Conference, Aldersgate UMC Sanctuary,
18 Farewell
for Ava Berry,
19
Ava moving
26
Memorial Day-Office Closed
June
3-6
Annual
Conference,
11
Pastor Move Day
16
Bishop’s Week at
July
11-12
Academy For Faithful Ministry,
16-18
South Central
Jurisdiction Conference,
29 AABOM,