Conference News & Views

“God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good.”--- Genesis 1:31

You have heard the suggestions for changing your old light bulbs to the new curly energy-savers, and you may have done so by now. You may have even caulked some windows and added some insulation - all great money and energy saving ideas!

But have you changed your life or lifestyle to help care for God’s creation? Do you have a sustainable faith that is practiced in a sustainable community that honors everything God has made so that it is, indeed, very good? How can your congregation connect spiritual health and creation care that results in action?

On Saturday, November 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Belmont United Methodist Church, youth and adult leaders and pastors from Nashville District congregations will gather to share information with you about how to start a Green Team at your church. In addition we will:
• Explore the characteristics of a personal sustainable faith that leads to a transformation in spiritual values from “belongings” to “belonging.”
• Share ideas on how your congregation can lower its energy usage and save money for other programs and lead your community towards a greener future.
• Learn how to measure your carbon footprint to empower the Biblical mandate that “the truth shall set you free.”

Jim Deming, a local pastor and experienced leader in environmental stewardship, will lead the discussions on connecting faith and values with creation care. He will share how this growing movement within faith communities is changing lives and changing the possibilities for a greener future. Jim will also connect participants with a wealth of resources to get started or to continue down the path of taking responsibility for tending God’s good green earth.

The Green Team at Belmont UMC will add its practical voice on how they have engaged individuals and over 100 families in their congregation on becoming advocates for sustainability. They will lead us step by step through the phases of education, resistance, organization, excitement, building momentum, and action. They will tell us about working with families to learn their carbon footprints, conducting a church energy audit, and saving financial resources with affordable changes.

Finally, Tayst restaurant, Nashville’s only green certified restaurant will be serving lunch. You can access more information about Tayst at http://www.taystrestaurant.com/ . We’ll share ideas and gather our enthusiasm for the next steps. We’ll sit together and talk with folks from congregations who are geographically near and want to work together after the meeting to promote and reinforce creation care for each other and our larger community.

So come prepared to learn how to act on your love of God’s creation in practical and spiritually sustainable ways. Come prepared to be inspired and join the growing movement among people of faith to take care of the earth for the next generations. Come prepared to learn that The Good News Is Green!

For reservations to this event, please reply to ltaylor@tnumc.org or call the Nashville District office at 615-327-3582.

Come Join the Tennessee Conference Committee on Adults/Older Adults for Special Christmas Music, a Wonderful Holiday Lunch (Price $15.00), and an Old Fashioned Carol Sing.

Tuesday, December 1; Thursday, December 3, and Friday, December 4, 2009
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. each day
Registration Deadline is November 25, 2009

Tuesday, December 8; Thursday, December 10; and Friday, December 11, 2009
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. each day
Registration Deadline is December 4, 2009

Please call (615) 329-1177 or 1-800-403-5795 for additional information

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To register fill out the following form and send it to Christmas Lunch at Beersheba, 304 S. Perimter Park Drive, Nashville, TN  37211

Name________________________________ Telephone_____________


Address_______________________________________

City,State,Zip_____________________

Email___________________________

Number Attending__________

I Plan to Attend: (Please Circle One)

Tuesday, Dec 1 -- Thursday, Dec. 3 -- Friday, Dec. 4

Tuesday, Dec. 8 -- Thursday, Dec. 10 -- Friday, Dec. 11

$15.00 per person. Make checks payable to TN Conference, UMC

Many churches are struggling to reach and retain men in their congregations. Man in the Mirror has been helping churches around the country create an intentional process to bring men to the church and help them become devoted disciples of Jesus Christ for over a decade. They are bringing their premier leadership training, the No Man Left Behind Conference, to Nashville, starting Thursday evening, December 3, and concluding Saturday afternoon, December 5.


David Delk, president of Man in the Mirror, will be the primary facilitator of the training conference to be held at the General Board of Discipleship (1908 Grand Avenue).

“This premier men’s ministry training is most effective when a men’s ministry leadership team attends with their pastor,” said Larry Malone, director of men’s ministry for the General Commission on United Methodist Men. “The team will learn how to: (1) connect every ministry effort to one compelling vision (2) maximize current efforts in reaching men before starting new ones and (3) implement a strategy that God will use to change men, and bless marriages, families and communities.

The training event is open to leaders from all denominations.

The Orlando, Fla.-based Man in the Mirror and United Methodist Men have worked together in partnership for over seven years.

The Nashville-based General Commission on United Methodist Men has developed a men’s ministry specialist program for lay leaders who want to help local churches expand their ministries to men. Attendance at a NMLB conference is a requirement for certification as a men’s ministry specialist.

The commission, Man in the Mirror, and the lay-speaking ministries program of the General Board of Discipleship have created a “Learning and Leading Course––Understanding Men’s Ministry,” based on the NMLB training curriculum, and the book of the same name. In 2010, the course will be offered as an advanced lay speaking course.
A brochure for this training is available at http://www.maninthemirror.org/ltc/files/nmlb_brochure.pdf.

A video is available at http://www.maninthemirror.org/ltc/about-nmlb.htm.

Call Man in the Mirror to register (800-929-2536). A special rate of $249 for the materials, five meals and the 2 ½-day training is available to United Methodists.

Since 1986, Patrick Morley and other staff members of Man in the Mirror have helped men become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Through innovative seminars, books by the box, leadership training and Bible study material, Man in the Mirror has impacted the lives of 10 million men since 2000. Their partnership with the United Methodist Church has resulted in equipping thousands of leaders to disciple men.

The Gallatin Shalom Zone will participate again this year in the National Make A Difference Day which will be observed on Saturday, October 24. This year, the Shalom Zone will join millions of people across the country making the world a better place -- one person at a time by offering a variety of ways to participate.

Interested persons can help to make a difference by helping to clean up the Shalom Zone yard, spend an hour delivering teddy bears of “Bear Facts” program to educate a neighbor, or by bringing collected for to donate to the food bank.

“Bear Facts”, is an innovative program developed by Shalom Zone Executive Director PJ Davis, that will deliver hundreds of Teddy Bears and other stuffed animals will be given out to homes in and around the Clearview Community. The stuffed animals will have tags attached, which will provide educational facts to local residents with information about the Union High Community Resource Center. The Union High Resource Center is a 42,000 square foot facility that serves as a one stop social service center and offers a wide variety of programs and services for residents of the entire County. There are more than eleven community service agencies located within the walls located at 600 Small Street in Gallatin.

Another option for being involved with the Shalom Make a Difference Day is to help with cleaning windows inside and out of the Shalom Zone. Outside clean up of the grounds of the Shalom Zone and behind the school in the back field. Volunteers working in this project should bring lawn tools including weed cutters, hedge trimmers and other outdoor tools to be used for the jobs outside.

The Shalom Zone is a past USA Today national finalist and continues each year being involved with the program. Shalom Executive Director, PJ Davis said,”We welcome the entire community to become involved.” “In the Shalom model we believe everyone has talents and welcome them to bring their talents to give back to the community and become active.”

If you cannot participate on Make A Difference Day, individuals, churches, businesses, schools, and college groups can still be involved by collecting food for the Mid Cumberland food pantry, located in the Union Resource Center. Food can be delivered on October 24th during Make A Difference Day. All food will be given to Sumner County residents.

Volunteers are invited to pick which project they would like to be involved with on that Saturday. The three projects will take place from 8:30 to noon October 24, 2009 at the 600 Small Street location in Gallatin.

For additional information about the Shalom Make A Difference Day projects or to assist in other ways, please call the Shalom office at 442-7575.

Contact Information:
Gallatin Shalom Zone/Union High Resource Center
615-442-7575
585-0790 Cell
www.PJD@gallatinshalomzone.org
PJ Davis, Executive Director