Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30 –5:00 Phone 276-628-4421 / Fax 276-628-2947 Email-abdist@holston.org www.abingdondistrictumc.org

Resident Bishop: Mary Virginia Taylor District Superintendent: Rev. Sandra Johnson

Administrative Assistant: Cindy Fleenor

Abingdon Advocate

In this Edition:

1. Mission Opportunities

2. Convocation 2017

3. Resurrection 2017

4. Divine Rhythm 2017

5. RezKidz 2017

6. Health Kits 2017

7. Clergy Spouses Retreat

8. Annual Conference 2017

9. South Sudan Partnership with the Abingdon District

Abingdon District -

WEBSITE !!!

You can access District information by visiting our website at:

abingdondistrictumc.org

Check it out!

Please remember the Abingdon District partnership with the

children of South Sudan .

Each church is asked to send $250.00 to support this effort.

Make checks payable to:

Holston Conference P.O. Box 850 Alcoa, TN 37701

January / February

2017

Local Church Building Destroyed by Fire……...

The Bascom United Methodist Church building was completed consumed by a fire on De-cember 19th, 2016. It appears the fire began in the roof area, however the cause is yet to be determined.

No lives lost, but lives impacted.

Six of us gathered in the glow of the fire, held hands, and prayed. We gave thanks for safe-ty, for the first responders, for the spiritual beacon of light Bascom UMC provided to the surrounding community. We are also thankful for the connectional relationship of Bascom UMC with/to her sister churches Willis Chapel and Cleveland UMC’s.

The members of Bascom will worship with Willis Chapel –for now.

Please keep the membership and pastor Daniel Garrett in your prayers

Rev. Sandra Johnson

District Superintendent

Prayer for the New Year………

“Almighty God, look upon my life and cause all darkness and doubt to vanish beneath your gaze. Look upon my ministry and banish all barriers to effectiveness and faithfulness. Fill my life and ministry with your Holy Spirit to the end that I may this day be led into paths of

fruitful service. Through Jesus Christ. Amen”

A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants—

Reuben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck (1995 Upper Room)

Page 2

HEALTH KITS for 2017 Abingdon – Goal 400 For Liberia

Pack these items in a 2-gallon Zip-Loc bag:

1 hand towel

1 washcloth

2 toothbrushes

2 tubes toothpaste (6.4. oz. or less)

1 bottle shampoo (15 oz. or less)

1 Cocoa Butter lotion (11 oz. or less)

1 deodorant (4 oz. or less) roll-on or spray

1 small spray perfume/cologne/body mist (4 oz. or less)

Pack these separately in sandwich-size Zip-Loc bag:

1 tube antibiotic ointment (1 oz.)

1 bottle Tylenol/acetaminophen (24 ct.)

Kits will be picked up before Annual Conference 2017 at a location to be announced at a later date.

Include $5.00 per kit. Do not place money inside the kits.

Churches should write one check for total number of kits payable to “Abingdon District.”.

Start Collecting Today! Feel free to copy, distribute , and use as a bulletin insert

CLERGY MEETING REMINDER:

Mark your Calendars!

Due to the January 2017 Clergy meeting being delayed, this year we will meet in February . Plan to meet on Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

Location to be announced soon

We are excited to announce that online registration is

now open for Convocation 2017. Please see the

schedule and registration information by visiting

www.holston.org . Also, you can now make your hotel

reservation at Music Road Resort in Pigeon Forge.

"The Good Sermon Conference" (formerly Lectionarypalooza). This year we are bringing in Dr. Tom Long from Emory University to help us prepare our Lenten sermons. His topic (entitled "Mortality in Lent") is based on his latest book "The Good Funeral". The event will be held at Gray United Methodist Church on January 26th from 9:30am till 2:30pm. Lunch is included in the 45$ cost. One can register by sending a check to Gray United Methodist Church, 2108 Oak Street, Gray TN 37615 with "The Good Sermon Conference" in the note section. For more information, like "The Good Sermon Conference" on facebook.

CEU 0.4 credit will be offered.

Annual Conference 2017AC.Holston.org

Annual Conference will be June 11-14, 2017 (Sunday - Wednesday) at Lake Junaluska, NC

Look for 2017 On Line Registration and other details coming soon.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2017

The following persons were elected at Dis-trict Charge Conference September 19th 2016 by a ballot vote to serve the Abing-don District as At-Large Members to Annu-al Conference 2017:

Millie Saunders

Tom Taylor

Lynn Johnson

Dan Gill

Marsha Rasnake

Cindy Fleenor

Glenda Maine

Greg Herrell

Chase Crickenberger

Linda Stone

Robert Van de Vuurst

Tawana Teague

Alex Sprinkle

Mark Asbury

Shawn Grigsby

Alternates elected:

Heda Quillin

Jacob Countiss

Claudine Roberts

Marva Wheeler

Other persons representing Abingdon Dis-trict:

Prue Oxendine – UMW President

Sue Tilson – District Lay Leader

TBA -Young Adult Representative

Andrew Wilson –CCYM Representative

Moises Martinez –Campus Ministry Rep.

At Large Members by Virtue of Delegates to General / Jurisdictional Conference:

Joyce Moore,

Emily Ballard

Carolyn Kidd

RezKidz: A Family Worship Event -January 14-15, 2017 The Connexion—Seveirville, TN For more information and to register for this event visit: www.holston.org “events”

Plasterco Scholarships

Applications and information for this scholarship are available in the District Office or you can get the application on line at : www.abingdondistrictumc.org.

Call: 276-628-4421

JANUARY 20-22 LECONTE CENTER, Pigeon Forge, TN

Resurrection is an awesome annual event of worship and spiritual growth for youth and youth

mentors. Each year over 12,000 come together in Pigeon Forge, TN, to celebrate the God of The Resurrection. Through inspirational words and music led by nationally-known speakers and musicians, young people encounter the Lord in new and deeper ways.

Speaker: Mick Veach Worship Led by Rend Collective

The regular registration price is $40 per person.

Register online today at etouches.com/resurrection17 or download the registration form and register by mail. The regular registration price is good until December 31, 2016. After that date, you must register at the door for $50 per person.

D i v i n e R h y t h m 2 0 1 7 January 27-29 Mills Auditorium, Gatlinburg, TN

Register by December 31 for the Regular Registration Rate of $40/person After December 31 Registration is $55/person Join us for a weekend retreat where young adults come away to worship, fellowship and serve.

Visit: www.holston.org “events” to register

Holston Conference 44th Annual Ministers' Spouses Retreat

March 9-11, 2017

Oak Tree Lodge 1620 Parkway Sevierville, TN

For brochure or to register online visit-

ClergySpouses.holston.org

For more information, contact Lori Sluder at:

LoriSluder@holston.org

Abingdon District Office PO. Box 263 Abingdon, Virginia 24210

Contact Information: abdist@holston.org

BUILDERS CLUB

Dear Friends in Christ,

Over the years, members of the Builders Club have made it possible for the Holston Conference to reach out and develop many new ministry opportunities. We invite you to become a member through your contribution and join in this valuable ministry. One of our primary areas of focus is new places for new people. This year we have leased a church facility in Sevierville known as The Connexion. We have one of the strongest Hispanic congregations in our denomination meeting there. As I write this, El Ministerio del Espiritu Santo, led by Rev. Susana Lopez, is offering shelter to some of the folks who have been displaced by the wildfires that have ravaged the Smoky Mountains. Your support of the Builders Club has helped to make this happen. As you decide the gifts you will make at the end of this year, I would invite you to make a gift to the Builders Club. Your generosity will determine the scope of our ministry projects in 2017.

You may send it to: The Builders Club Holston Conference P.O. Box 850 Alcoa, TN 37701-0850

Your gifts will make a difference in the lives of people. One of the best examples is Shades of Grace UMC in Kingsport. It is a life-saving station and it is made possible by your support of the Builders Club. If you have any questions or would like more information about any of our projects, please don't hesitate to call me on my cell phone, 865-335-9981. It is my prayer that during this season of Advent, the peace, joy, hope, and love that Jesus has brought into our world will be yours both now and in the New Year!

Yours and His,

Rusty Taylor

Pleasant View UMC—

Pleasant View UMC of Abingdon, VA recently donated 46 backpacks and delivered them to Alcoa as a way of saying “we care and want to help” (for children in crisis due to

recent wildfires in Sevier County)

Pictured left to right: Rev. Mike Sluder, Director of Connectional Ministries and Rev. Charles

Pastors:

Here is the archived January CEU News link :

https://www.robly.com/archive?id=3dc3a234e40f835954d856f9ce510740

Sue Weber—Wesley Leadership Institute/

Congregational Development/Clergy Concerns Holston Conference - UMC

sueweber@holston.org 865-293-4135

Abingdon District Mission Opportunities

Abingdon District Partnership with Children of South Sudan— $250.00 per church (any amount is appreciated)

Please continue to show your love and commitment to the children of the Greenland Home Orphanage that were recently displaced .

Your ongoing support helps put broken lives back together.

Mail checks to Holston Conference P.O. Box 850 Alcoa, TN 37701

Please include #537 on the memo line of your check - Thank YOU!