What Draws People to Your Church?

July 2014 $2$2 What draws people to your church? 2014 - 2015 Appointments on pages 13-23 Vol. 182• July 2014 • No. 7 Connecting with the Virginia Advocate The official magazine of the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church FROM THE EDITOR P.O. Box 5606, Glen Allen, VA 23058 Phone: 1-800-768-6040 or You’ve seen the numbers...The United Methodist Church in the 804-521-1100 United States continues to see its membership numbers fall. And yet Fax: 804-521-1174 E-mail: [email protected] there are churches out there that continue to grow, grow, grow… Website: www.vaumc.org Hmmmm. What do they have that we don’t have? Detailed guidelines for the following Well, if you’re a tiny church (like mine) and they’re a big church, available upon request. that list may be a long and depressing one. But there are principles Subscriptions that even the smallest churches can apply to make them more at- Print subscriptions are $15/one year; $25/ tractive. Here’s a sample: two years; $36/three years. Special bulk rate for five or more copies going to a single Curb appeal: No one wants to live in a house that’s falling down, address is $12 each for one year. Subscrip- Neill Caldwell with a yard that may harbor Jimmy Hoffa. Same thing goes for your tions are $20/year for both printed copy and Editor online access. For online only, cost is $10/ church. A small investment in paying a teenager to mow the grass year. Subscribe online at www.vaumc.org, could go a long way in making your space more attractive to that under “Resources>Publications.” family that moved in down the street. Deadlines Welcoming spirit: The vast majority of our congregations consid- The Advocate is published once a month. er themselves friendly. And they are, to one another. But to a visitor The deadline to submit news and ad copy for the August 2014 issue is July 1. For more (I actually like the term “guest” better), that can be a different story. information on future deadlines, contact the We all need to do a better job in welcoming the stranger, no matter Advocate office or visit the website. how strange they look (or smell). Make a guest feel like part of the Advertising/Tributes family and he or she will come back. This includes having up-to-date Rates for advertising and tributes are avail- signs and ushers/greeters who are actually good at those jobs. able upon request. Problems Outward focus: Ask United Methodists to join hands and form Local Church News a circle and they will do it the old “Ring-Around-the-Rosie” way, the Items should be typed (preferably sent via e-mail) or printed legibly, no more than 100 solved* same way we circle up to say grace. But Leonard Sweet, author, futur- words, and of conference-wide interest. Com- ist and United Methodist clergy, says we church folks ought to flip plete names of individuals, churches and districts should be included. Because of space limitations, around and face the other way, grasping hands with our backs to one the Local Church section prohibits news items another and facing outward. Yes, it’s unfamiliar and uncomfortable, related to church members’ birthdays (of less than 100 years), wedding anniversaries, but it’s what the church should be about. We need to have ministries receptions for moving and/or retiring pastors, that make a difference in the community, beyond the walls of the photos of traditional Chrismon trees or Easter church. Look around, find a need and fill it. This is where the “trans- trees/crosses, and any item over two months old. Color photos are encouraged. Photos formation of the world” part comes in. returned only if submitted with a stamped, Remove barriers: These can be physical – lack of handicapped self-addressed envelope. Photos included on a space available basis. The editor reserves access, for example – or emotional, such as resistance to anything the right to edit all copy or refuse publication. new. Letters Worship that means something: Not just going through the mo- Letters to the Editor are printed on a space- tions. available basis. Letters should be limited to While I am no expert, I can’t imagine the 150 words for space reasons. The Advocate Hope for the future: will not print letters addressing a topic beyond Holy Spirit spending much time in a dead or dying church. The Bible two months of the publication of that issue. tells us to have a vision of the great things to come. A positive at- The Advocate editor reserves the right to edit all letters. titude goes a long way. “If you build it, they will come”? Maybe. My little church has no children, but we do have a nursery. We created ©2014 Virginia Advocate USPS 660-740 ISSN 0891-5598 it a few years ago – in fact the older adults gave up their Sunday Published monthly by Virginia United Meth- school space to make it happen – in hopes that when children do odist Communications, Inc., an agency of the Virginia Annual Conference of The United come, and there is a need for a nursery, we have a bright and warm Methodist Church. Periodical postage paid at one waiting. Glen Allen, Va., and at additional mailing offices. The Virginia United Methodist Advocate is owned by Virginia United Methodist Com- *Not guaranteed in all states. munications, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to Virginia United Methodist Advocate, P.O. Box 5606, Glen Allen, VA 23058. Editorial and business offices are located at 10330 Staples Mill Rd., Glen Allen, Va. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. 2 VIRGINIA ADVOCATE | JULY 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTIONS SPECIAL SECTION 4-6 Commentary 13-23 2014 Clergy Appointments 7-11, Virginia 34-37 FEATURE 24-30 VAUMC churches share success stories 31-33 Nation & World 38 Equipping for Ministry NEWS 40-41 Local Church News 7 Vietnam is ripe for progress on human rights 42-43 Living the Word 8 Q & A with Denise Honeycutt from UMCOR 44 Clergy & Diaconal 31 Roanoke church created a prayer retreat for district 32 Church art exhibit focuses on transformation 46 From the Bishop 33 Same-gender debate rekindles schism talk 47 One Last Word 36 Work team in Haiti hits “The Wall” Above: The Blessing of the Animals service at Mt. Olivet UMC The Virginia Advocate Staff Linda S. Rhodes | Virginia Conference Director of Communications Neill M. Caldwell | Editor Cathryn Huff | Graphic Designer Pam Culler | Administrative Secretary Board of Directors of Virginia United Methodist Communications, Inc.: Bill McClung, chair. The Virginia United Scan this code to go Methodist Advocate uses the services of United Methodist Communications and United Methodist News Ser- to the vice. The reporting of news regarding any person or event, or the placement of any advertisement within these conference website: pages, does not constitute endorsement by the Virginia Advocate or any entity of The United Methodist Church. www.vaumc.org Opinions of writers are solely those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication. VIRGINIA ADVOCATE | JULY 2014 3 COMMENTARY Ordained Ministry deter- ing only one suggestion on A plea for unity within The mines a candidate’s readi- the evaluation at the end ness for ministry. I suppose of the event: “Don’t leave United Methodist Church I was not in the right frame Blackstone,” I wrote, “it is of mind to appreciate what, a good place.” This dash of By Peter Surran in my view, was simply an sentiment had been precipi- old building with memories tated by comments by one I ask… that they may all be of a glorious past prevent- of the event leaders. When one… so that the world may ing cradle-Methodists from introducing the evaluation, believe that you have sent seeing the peeling paint and he directed us to move past me. - John 17:20-21 smelling the mold. any suggestions we would I have taken several trips like to make about a change or those who were to Blackstone since, and of venue. “It’s Blackstone,” raised Methodist in each time I have felt my he said, “We get it.” Virginia, the Black- attitude toward the place On the drive home, F softening. Even so, I was not though, I began wondering stone Conference and Re- treat Center has a nostalgic prepared for the emotion if my nostalgia might have quality, as it has often been that began seeping into my more to do with comments the site of youth retreats consciousness on the most I heard at the beginning of through the years. recent visit: downright af- the retreat and less to do I was not raised Method- fection. Perhaps it was the with those I heard at the ist, and my first impression ideal weather conditions we end. The first conversation of Blackstone was formed experienced; it was warm I stumbled upon as I arrived under stressful circum- and bright, and the Knock- on the campus was about stances. I am a provisional out roses that line the path the “impending split” in The deacon, and I first stepped to the main entrance had United Methodist Church foot in the building the day just begun to bloom. over the issue of homosexu- before provisional inter- Whatever the cause, I ality. views, where the Board of surprised myself by writ- Certainly, this topic has gained some heat recently, and bloggers and other writers have spilled lots of ink debating the pros and cons of a schism.

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