Farmville District United Methodist Church NewsletterFarmville District United Methodist Church NewsletterFarmville District United Methodist Church NewsletterFarmville District United Methodist Church Newsletter

July-

August

2011

Greetings Sisters & Brothers, As I write this letter it is June 3rd, so our move has not yet happened. I spoke with the movers this morning. Our moving date is set for Friday, June 24th. Where do I begin? Our transition began on February 21st when I received a phone call from Bishop Kammerer inviting me to join her cabinet. I was honored and humbled. After some discussion she told me that she wanted to appoint me to the Farmville District. She gave Susan and I twenty-four hours to be in prayer and discernment regarding her invitation. I will admit I did not sleep much that night. The next day I called Bishop Kammerer to confirm we would love to serve the Farmville District. As I look back, time has quickly passed. I have attended two cabinet meetings and within a couple of weeks I will attend a cabinet meeting at the beginning of Annual Conference. By the time you read this we will be in Farmville. I would like to introduce my family. Susan and I will be married 25 years on August 15th. She has always supported me in my ministry. She looks forward to being in ministry with me on the district. Our daughter, Emily, will be 21 years old on October 2. She lives in Suffolk and works for Hampton Roads Helicopters based at Hampton Roads Airport in Chesapeake and attends Tidewater Community College. Our son, Trey, will be 18 years old on April 26th. He will graduate from Kings Fork High School on August 4th. He will stay with his sister in Suffolk until August 4th. He will come to Farmville for a couple of months as he waits to enter the Air Force in the fall. Oh, I almost forgot, we have a dog named Sparky. He is 16 years old. The district is also in the midst of transition. Some of our churches and pastors are not only in transition, but the Farmville District is as well. We will receive 18 new churches and 10 pastors from Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties. We will have 14 churches with new pastors. On July 1 we will officially become the new Farmville District! My plans are to visit churches and pastors, meet with our retired pastors, and worship at different congregations on Sundays. Susan and I look forward to being in ministry with you! In closing, we would like to thank Jim and Judy for their generous hospitality. They are truly servants of God. It is an honor for us to follow in their footsteps. We look forward to seeing you on August 14th at Farmville UMC celebrating our new district, stewards meeting and district conference! Blessings,

Bob

You are cordially invited to attend

A SERVICE OF WELCOME

For

The Reverend Robert J. Parks, Jr. Superintendent, Farmville District

The United Methodist Church

Virginia Annual Conference

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Three o’clock in the afternoon

Service of Welcome

Farmville United Methodist Church

Corner of High and Randolph Streets

Farmville, Virginia

We will gather in the Sanctuary for the service and in the

Social Hall for a time of fellowship and refreshments

immediately after the service.

CHARGE CHURCH DISTRICT

• Annual Conference Delegate

• Lay Leader

• District Steward

• 3 Members At Large (one of whom shall

be a Youth elected at charge

conference)

• Chairpersons of Church Council

• Lay Leader

• Church School Superintendent

• Pres, UMW, UMM

• Chairperson, Common Table

• Finance Members ● Trustees ● Treasurer

• Lay Leader ● Associate Lay Leaders

• Pres, UMM, UMW, UMYF

• Children’s Coordinator

• Other District Coordinators

• 5 Youth Members (elected by District youth

council and five young adult members elected

by Council of Ministries)

MEMBERSHIP: All ordained and commissioned clergy, licensed Local pastors, lay supply pastors, certified lay ministers, diaconal ministers, and deaconesses and home missioners related to this district, plus……..

You will not want to miss this exciting event at the Farmville UMC on August 14 at 3:00PM. 1. We will welcome our new D.S. Rev. Robert J. Parks, Jr. and wife Susan and their family to the Farmville District. 2. We will welcome our new churches laity and clergy to this District—they include: Brodnax (Bethany, Brodnax) -Bert Duckwall LaCrosse-Sardis (LaCrosse, Sardis) -Giani Manieri Lakeland (Kingswood, Rehoboth) -Mike Day Lawrenceville -Seonyoung Kim North Brunswick (Antioch, Lebanon, Rocky Run) -John Fair Prospect -Ken Thrasher Providence-Trinity

-Mike Johnson South Brunswick (Olive Branch, Rock) -Liz Buxton South Hill -Laney Spigener

West Brunswick (Bethel, Macedonia) -Carol Mann 3. We will hold our DISTRICT STEWARD’S Meeting. 4. We will have our DISTRICT CONFERENCE.

5. This will be followed by a RECEPTION/FELLOWSHIP TIME with light refreshments.

3

FARMVILLE DISTRICT PASTOR APPOINTMENT CHANGES 2011-12

NORTH AMELIA CHARGE: Mike and Betsey Davis will be leaving the North Amelia Charge to serve Journey United Methodist Church, A Missional Faith Community in Amelia County, Farmville District. We welcome June Carpenter to the North Amelia Charge from Trinity Church, Altavista. UNION CHURCH: Maxine Crenshaw will be leaving Union Church to serve Amissville Church, Charlottesville District. Mary and Cecil Tharpe will be moving to Union Church from East Halifax Charge. JAMES RIVER CHARGE: Robert and Sally Ford will be leaving the James River Charge to serve Concord Church, Danville District. We welcome Brant and Barbara Hays to the James River Charge from Colonial Beach Church, Ashland District. PAMPLIN CHARGE: Robert Green will be leaving the Pamplin Charge to serve Oakland Church, Danville District. We welcome Herndon and Kim Jeffreys, and their daughters, Hannah and Noie,

to the Pamplin Charge from Brookneal Church, Lynchburg District. We also welcome Adam Hall to the Pamplin Charge as associate pastor. NEW HOPE-SOUTHALL MEMORIAL CHARGE: Bill and Jennifer Greer, and their children,

Virginia, Maggie, Bekah, and David, will be leaving New Hope-Southall Memorial Charge to serve Mt. Hermon Church, Lynchburg District. We welcome Allen and Connie Murphy to New Hope – Southall Memorial Charge from Mount Hermon Church, Lynchburg District. OAKWOOD: Chuck and Sarah Cole, with their children, Charlie, Daniel, and Lily Mae, will be leaving Oakwood Church to serve the Pleasant Valley-South Covington Charge, Staunton District. We welcome Kang Uk and Jiji Lee, and their daughter Sarang to Oakwood Church from Enon Church on the Ashland District. SOUTH HALIFAX CHARGE: Hugh and Sharon Harris will be leaving South Halifax Charge to retire on the Richmond District. We welcome Joe D. Trickey, Jr. to the South Halifax Charge. NOTTOWAY-LUNENBURG CHARGE: Don and Bonnie Jamison will be leaving the Nottoway-Lunenburg Charge to serve Grace Church, Eastern Shore District. We welcome Martha Spigener, and her daughter, Hattie, to the Nottoway – Lunenburg Charge. MCKENDREE-ASBURY CHARGE: Brian and Jeaux Simmons will be leaving the McKendree-Asbury Charge to serve the Brookneal Church, Lynchburg District. Jeaux will continue to serve in Extension Ministry as Volunteer Coordinator and Hospice Chaplain at Halifax Regional Hospital. Pat Neilsen will be leaving the Pamplin Charge as Associate to serve the McKendree-Asbury Charge, Farmville District Josh Davis, a member of Keysville UMC to be licensed at conference, will be serving Mt. Zion Church on the Staunton District and attending Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Josh and Amber Warren will be married in August. Jim and Judy Tongue will be leaving the Farmville District to serve Bridgewater Church on the Harrisonburg District. CELEBRATIONS OF MINISTRY AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE:

Don Jamison and Rich Meiser were ordained Elders at Annual Conference this June. Mike Davis became an Associate Member, and Josh Davis and Larry Lehman were licensed as local pastors.

4

Journey UMC: A Missional Faith

Community This faith journey began in Fall 2008 when the North

Amelia Charge launched into a study of Bishop Schnase’s Five Practices for Fruitful Congregations. During the discussion of risk-taking mission, the group caught on fire with the Holy Spirit and launched a thrift store just months later. The tiny store soon outgrew the outpouring of support from the local community and moved into its larger current location on Route 360 in Amelia County. The mission of the Amelia Thrift Store is to: recycle usable products, provide affordable products, and use the proceeds for needs in our community. This local community outreach has done more than that. The mission work has changed peoples’ lives, both of the church members and the unchurched. Each day begins with prayer and although church members started the mission, today over half of the volunteers are not members of the UM church. Members of the community come to the store for more than just shopping. They come for compassion and the caring ear of those who work there. The store dedicated space for a “learning center” to expand its missions to include an afterschool mentoring program and classes, including financial counseling. It soon became apparent that the only thing this faith community lacked was regular worship. A group of church members, having participated in The Five Talent Academy, felt the call to plant a new faith community founded in mission. The Holy Spirit has opened up more space in the same building to begin and Pastor Mike Davis was selected as the church planter. The group envisions a future regional church of 500 in Amelia County near the eastern county line on Route 360. Together in their journey with God, they have witnessed miracles and they expect more in the future.

All Things New – The Virginia Conference: Fruitful

and Multiplying is an invitation to respond in new ways to share the good news of Jesus Christ. At this year’s annual conference, the first conference appointed new faith community in 70 years on the Farmville District will begin. Stories about new faith communities in the Virginia Conference are also available on the conference Web site at www.vaumc.org/ATNFaithStories. On June 12, an invitation was extended across the Virginia Conference for persons/churches to support the growing ministry of new faith communities through pledges or gifts. For more information on how your church or you can be supportive of these new faith

communities, contact Marc Brown at

MarcBrown@vaumc.org.

Dear Farmville District Pastors and Leaders: (written 6/20/11) Judy and I are deeply grateful for the years we have had together serving Christ with you on the Farmville District. Thank you all so much for the wonderful Farewell Celebration at VUMAC’s Gables last Sunday. We were overwhelmed by your generosity in making the $4,000 gift to Blackstone: VUMAC in our honor. What a joy! We will be moving to Bridgewater this week, and your new District Superintendent, Bob Parks and his wife Susan, will be moving in this Friday. The email for the new DS will remain the same: FarmvilleDS@vaumc.org. My email will change to my new appointment: JimTongue@BridgewaterUMC.com. After tomorrow I will probably not have an opportunity to reply to your emails until next week at the earliest.

Thank you for all you are doing to serve Christ through your congregations! May God bless and keep you always!

Faithfully, Jim

5

Summer is here and it is time for another youth mission camp. Every year the Farmville District youth get together for a week full of worship, prayer, and service to our Lord. Mission camp 2011 is July 10th-15th at VUMAC in Blackstone Virginia. This is a great opportunity for youth and adults to grow in their faith and with each other. Camp is always a great time for everyone who comes. We will be gleaning, painting, building, and gardening during the day at different sites around the district. In the evening, we will be worshiping, dancing, playing games, and fellowshipping with Camp Rainbow. Our district churches will be supplying wonderful evening meals. Mission camp is open to rising 7th through 12th graders. Adults are also welcome to work beside our youth during this week of Christian action. Additional information and registration forms may be obtained at farmvilleDCYM.org or by contacting Marilyn Davis at the numbers listed below. There are a few things that our churches can do to help. You will find a wish list below and volunteers are needed to supervise work sites and/or provide transportation. Five churches are needed to prepare meals (on site) for dinner/supper. Please pray for this year’s missionaries.

For questions or additional information contact: Marilyn Davis at (434) 392-2011 office 434-390-0401 cell or fdumy@yahoo.com Web site: Updated forms may be downloaded from www.farmvilleDCYM.org Please send donations to:

Farmville District Mission Camp, C/o Marilyn Davis 12329 County Line Rd., Keysville VA 23047, Memo: Mission Camp 11 Wish List for Mission Camp: Granola Bars, cookies or treats, fruits of all kinds, peanut butter & jelly (small jars are better for both), individually packaged snacks, cereal or breakfast foods. _______________________________________________________

2011 ANNUAL

CONFERENCE

KITS COLLECTED

Health Kits 24, 474

School Kits 14,122

Layette Kits 3,474

Sewing Kits 566 Bedding Packs 41

Cleaning Buckets 700

Birthing Kits 4,835

TOTAL 48,212 KITS

9,200 POUNDS OF FOOD WAS DONATED FOR FOOD BANK IN ROANOKE.

CONFERENCE OFFERING:

$167,345 WAS COLLECTED ON THE INITIAL OFFERING WITH MORE TO BE RECEIVED.

Farmville District

General/Jurisdictional Delegates:

Susie Wolf was elected to attend 2012 General Conference.

Carol Sanger was elected as an alternate to the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. _______________________

Bill Schall presents to Jim Tongue a Life Time United Methodist Men Certificate at the Farmville District UMM Annual Dinner

Visit the Farmville

District Website

www.umcfarmville.org

Post your church

events on the “local church forum”.

6

May Edisto Trip

The week of May 14-21 found eleven district members from six different churches traveling to Ridgeville, South Carolina, to work with the Edisto Indians. Once again it was a very rewarding experience. We arrived late Saturday in time to attend the last day of the Edisto PowWow. On Sunday morning we attended Homecoming services at Trinity UMC, in whose parsonage we are staying, and were their guests for lunch. That evening they started their revival services, and the team attended those until they ended Wednesday evening. In addition, we actually put in days of hard work. The team was able to tear out water damaged floors in two kitchens, install new floors and floor coverings, as well as new kitchen cabinets in one of those. A new set of porch steps was installed, and rotten siding was removed and replaced on the exterior of a house. At the old community center, the electrical panel box was overhauled. Our electrical team also installed a new panel box and meter base in a house being rehabilitated. We also jacked up the center supporting beam in the crawl space and installed new piers and jacks to stabilize it. One last task was to replace “life-time” screen doors on the dining room and kitchen at the old community center. We found out the life-time amounted to about three years. We replaced them with quality storm doors which will keep out the elements and insects. The team spent over $2,800.00 on materials for this trip. The work done would have cost the Edistos over $10,000.00 if they had contracted it out. To be honest, the work would never have been done as the people we worked for barely have enough money to meet daily needs. We thank all of our donors who do so much to keep this ministry going. We also encourage any and all to consider making a trip with us. If that is not possible for you, please prayerfully consider financially supporting us. Donations should be made out to “Friends of the Edisto” and mailed to Gary Lied, 291 Chappell Rd., Keysville, VA 23947. With your continued help, we will carry out UMVIM’s motto, “Christian Love In Action.”

L-R: David Fisher, Bonnie Williams, Max Whitlock,

Ollie Wright, Paul & Rose Kasitch, Sue Mayo, Wes

Krause, Mike Teixiera, Gary Lied, Martha Reed

INVITING ALL YOUTH IN

VIRGINIA TO COME

“TOGETHER AT THE

TABLE”

School of Christian Mission July 22- 24, 2011

July 25 - 28, 2011

(VUMAC) in Blackstone

The School of Christian Mission

offers an exciting opportunity for

young people to come alive to

mission by participating in a

weekend or weeklong

“school”. Young people learn

about what United Methodists

are doing around the world to

alleviate suffering and to spread

the good news of Jesus Christ.

They participate in hands-on

mission projects, ranging from

gleaning to working in a

battered women’s shelter. The

youth portion of the School will

focus on Forgiveness and

Reconciliation. Fees: Week

($197), Weekend ($155).

Scholarships are available from

Farmville District UMW and VA

Conference UMW. Youth are

encouraged to contact Sue

Mayo, bnsmayo@yahoo.com for

registration forms or information

on scholarships. REGISTRATION

DEADLINE IS JULY 10, 2011. If

you want to learn more about

the School of Christian Mission

and youth programming please

visit www.vaumc.org/youth.

7

CHURCH EVENTS

1, Yard sale to benefit Haiti Mission Team July 2 in our basement. Items for the sale can be donated to the Wesley Foundation Basement!! Spread the word!! 2. Pixar Movie Event Study!. Going on now but continues through July! 3. Sunday School on Saturdays!! The 2nd Saturday of each month at 9:30AM Nancy Haga teaches Sunday School at Brookview!! All Brookview & apartment residents are welcome. 4. Young Adult Bible Study (YABS) for all folks in their 20's & 30's!! Thursdays at 7PM in our youth room. Every other week we are doing the Adam Hamilton book "When Christians Get It Wrong”. On the opposite week we do a mission activity! 5. Fusion Gathering (youth group) meets every Sunday at 7PM - all community youth are welcome. 6. Friendship Club - Our Sunday School class for special needs friends- meets the 1st & 3rd Sundays at 3:30 in our fellowship room! We will not meet in July but will return to our regular schedule in August! Join us! 7. Christmas in July! Join us on July 21 for our annual ice cream social and shoebox wrapping party to begin the Operation Christmas Child Mission

Season! 7PM in the social hall!!

There are lots of gleaning opportunities in Southside Virginia. Contact: Martha Reed at MARTHA.REED@SOUTHSIDE.EDU or call 434-294-3002 to be contacted when gleaning

opportunities are available.

United Methodist Men mark your calendars NOW!

Circle the dates of NOV 4-6, 2011! The Rev. Rob Renfroe, pastor of Adult Discipleship at the Woodlands United Methodist Church, TX will be the speaker for the retreat. His theme will be MORE! The retreat topic will be MORE, because there iis more going on in this world than most men know, their mission is more important than they can imagine...and what God desires to do through them is more powerful than they would every dream. Registration info will be in next newsletter.

A TOTAL OF $3400.00 WAS RAISED AT THE ANNUAL UMM REX WOLF GOLF TOURNAMENT! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! The Virginia Conference UMM has a website—www.vacumm.org. They also have email groups, blogs and you can see the latest copy of the UMM Newsletter “The BEACON”. Get acquainted with YOUR website. ________________________________________________________ UMW DATES: Sep 9-Reports due Unit Awards. Sep 23-24-Young Woman’s Event, Leesburg, VA Oct 1—District Day, VUMAC

SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN MISSION

July 22-25 (weekend) July 26-29 (week) ADULT STUDIES: •Coming Out on the Side of Grace: Forgiveness, and Reconciliation •Haiti: Challenges and Hopes

•Joy to the World: Mission & Evangelism

CHILDREN’S STUDY: Krik, Krak—The Story of Haiti

YOUTH: Forgiveness and Reconciliation For registration forms go to www.vaumw.org website or call Sue Mayo, 434-292-5486. Scholarships are available for children and adults. It is also open to men who wish to learn more about what United Methodists are doing around the world to alleviate suffering. Commuters only pay $25 plus the cost of meals you wish to eat. What a deal!!! UMW it is not too late to submit requirements to be a RAINBOW GIVER. For a total donation of $60 you are awarded a beautiful pin and get recognized at the annual District Day.

34th Annual VA Conference

UMMen Spiritual Retreat

November 4—6, 2011

8

STAYING IN TOUCH Farmville District

Virginia Conference The United Methodist Church

301 Fourth Avenue Farmville, Virginia 23901

Phone: 434-392-4687

FAX: 434-392-1060 E-Mail: farmvilledistrict@vaumc.org

Web site: farmvilleumc.org

Charlene Kammerer Area Bishop

Robert J. Parks, Jr. District Superintendent Phyllis Goin Administrative Assistant

Susie Wolf District Lay Leader

Sue Mayo District President, UMW

Bill Schall District President, UMM

Marilyn Davis District Youth Coordinator

Melissa Johnson District Children’s Coordinator

Don Pizzeck Director, Lay Speaking

Sue Mayo Newsletter Editor

The DEADLINE for the

NEXT ISSUE Aug 10 , 2011

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT #89

FARMVILLE, VA 23901

“Staying In Touch”

Editor’s Note

The schedule for submissions

to be included in the 2011

newsletter is as follows:

Aug 10 for Sep-Oct 2011

Oct 10 for Nov-Dec 2011

Nov 20 for Jan-Feb 2012

All articles need to be

submitted as you wish them to

appear. They may be edited

for length and correctness.

Mail to: Sue Mayo, editor,

E-mail: bnsmayo@yahoo.com,

Mail: 521 Walnut Hill Rd, Crewe, VA 23930

Phone: 434-292-5486.

DISTRICT OPPORTUNITIES JULY 4 Office Closed 5 Welcome Picnic, Twin Lakes State Park 5PM 10-15 District Youth Mission Camp, VUMAC 15-17 Camp Loud & Clear 22-25 School of Christian Mission (weekend) 26-29 School of Christian Mission (week) 25 District Committee on Ordained Ministry District Office 9-11AM AUGUST 10 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE 14 District Conference: 3PM, Farmville UMC Welcome Rev. Bob Parks, Jr.

Welcome New Churches to the Farmville District

District Stewards 28 Charge Conferences Start SEPTEMBER 5 Office Closed 24-25 UMW Young Women’s Event, Leesburg

OCTOBER 1 UMW District Day, VUMAC 8 UMVIM Haiti Trip 10 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE NOVEMBER 4-6 UMM Spiritual Life Retreat, VUMAC 20 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

23-25 Office closed

DECEMBER 21-Jan 1 Office Closed JANUARY 2012 6-8 District Youth Retreat, VUMAC 17-19 Pastors’ Convocation, VUMAC 20-22 District Children’s Retreat, VUMAC

22 Leadership Training, VUMAC