East District of The United Methodist Church

Summer of Family Fun!

Pastors and Leaders!

Our empowering and exciting 2013 Annual Conference has us ready to transform our communities this summer. Whether your attendance slows down or picks up during the summer, the NTC Communication’s Team has a vehicle to help broadcast your summer family events to the community all summer long. It is entitled Summer of Family Fun.

Last summer we introduced the Bishop's Family Fun Day. It was a summer event developed to bring families together from all across the conference to meet the Bishop at a family friendly location. The event was a huge success. We want to repeat that success and reach even more people. This campaign is a nontraditional approach to reaching the mission field year round.

We have created a website for you to input your events, and we will help you promote them. We have secured advertising and built social media pages (Facebook, Pinterest and others) that we will use to deliver event information to North Texans. Our effort should not be your sole form of advertising, but consider it some additional help.

Best of all, it's FREE!

To enter your church events, email us at the link below to receive instructions for inputting your event information. Our goal is to create a Conference-wide calendar of events that individuals and families in your area can attend.

Who is the target?

Families, women, men, singles, elementary age children, teens, young couple w/ and w/o kids, and seniors

How long will it run?

June - August, and in September we will host a Conference-wide family event

Where do you enter your information?

Email us to enter events:

Email us for instructions on entering your events!!

View Summer Fun Church Event Listings:

http://summer.northtexasumc.org

Our advertising campaign kicks off soon, add your events today!

Empowering Teen Leadership Conference

I am Priceless!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Time: 8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Cost: FREE!

Location: Collin College - Spring Creek Campus
2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway
Plano, TX 75074
Conference Center A & B

Register Online Conference Flyer

Registration Ends Soon!

Early Bird Registrants will be eligible to win BEATS by Dr. Dre Earphones!

Registration ends July 21, 2013 for the 9th Annual Teen Leadership Purpose and Destiny Conference. Registration is required and space is limited. The conference theme is “I Am Priceless!” focusing on empowering youth to be the best they can be. The conference is free and lunch will be provided.

The conference offers workshops with solutions for issues that many of today’s teens face. Those topics include: Career & college preparation tips, goal setting, money management, character building, peer pressure solutions, navigating social media and a powerful panel discussion on dating - empowering teens to end domestic violence and eliminate bullying.

This Conference prepares teens for the future as they actively engage in workshops. Teens walk away with tools that build their self-esteem and provides a path to set goals for a brighter future. Registrations received by July 21, 2013 are entered into a drawing for Dr. Dre earphones.

Register Online Conference Flyer

The Conference is presented by Training for Excellence, established in 2001 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that provides professional life skills, job readiness, and leadership development programs. The programs are geared to empower the attendees with knowledge to become productive citizens, to improve their economic status and to make life better for themselves and their families.

Event Sponsors:

North Texas Conference UMC
Center For Leadership Development
Market Research Dallas
Papa John’s Pizza
Becky’s Wish Foundation among others

By the Leadership Team of the North Texas Clergywomen

On Monday of Annual Conference, you may see some North Texas Clergywomen wearing red shoes and wonder why we are making such a bold choice in footwear.

These shoes represent our commitment to the covenant relationship that we share as clergy. Yes, they are just red shoes, but in some ways they are an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to all that somehow God has woven our lives together and called us to work side-by-side in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Considering the diversity that exists among the clergy and churches of this conference, the fact that this covenant exists at all is indeed a small miracle.

We must admit that some of the clergywomen thought twice about wearing red shoes. First of all, many of us did not own red shoes when this idea was proposed. Second, some of us wondered if this expression of covenant would be misconstrued into something that it was never intended to be.

In spite of these reservations, we have decided to wear our red shoes, because the covenant that we share with God and with each other matters. We experienced this truth early in ministry when clergy from the conference would visit us at seminary and encourage us along the way. We have known this to be true when colleagues have taken the time to help us navigate through the challenging waters of ministry in local church settings and beyond. We have felt the power of this truth during the hard times, knowing that our clergy brothers and sisters were praying for us when we found it hard to pray for ourselves.

The covenant that we share as clergy is a gift and, if wearing some red shoes helps to strengthen that covenant, even in a small way, we are willing to do it. And if some of our clergy brothers just happen to break out their red shoes, shirts, or ties on that Monday, we would be tickled pink.

UMCOR Responds to Oklahoma Tornado Relief

In order to quickly and easily support UMCOR's emergency response, please scan the QR code in this post with your smartphone.

You will then be directed to download UMCOR's mobile app where you can read the latest news, make donations, and more.

More Information on UMCOR's Disaster Relief to Oklahoma

IMAGINE Ministry Project

Annual Conference 2013

The ministries of the North Texas Conference IMAGINED new possibilities to share the love of Christ with their community! Here are a few examples with photos!

Annual Conference 2013

North Texas Annual Conference in Photos

2013-14 Appointments announced at Annual Conference

All appointments begin July 1, 2013, click the links below to view the appointments online or to download a pdf of all Conference appointments.

NTC Appointments East District Appointments Download PDF

Bishop appoints Henderson, Gaston and Casad, effective in July

By SHERON C. PATTERSON
Editor

The Rev. Vic Casad
East District

“I was born in Paris, toddled in Roxton and grew up in Greenville. In some sense, it is a return to my roots and to the great heritage the East District bestows upon not only the North Texas Conference, but upon all of Texas Methodism.”

The Rev. Cammy Gaston
Metro District

“I can see so many possibilities for our future. As I look at the names and faces that make up the Metro District, I see faithful people. I pray that I will lead faithfully as well.”

Dr. Ron Henderson
North Central District

“As a superintendent before, I loved being an advocate for pastors, churches and those entering the process of ordained ministry. I embrace this opportunity to serve the church and conference to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

Bishop Michael McKee, episcopal leader of the North Texas Annual Conference, has announced changes to his Appointive Cabinet. Effective July 1, Dr. Ron Henderson will become North Central District superintendent, the Rev. Cammy Gaston will become Metro District superintendent, and the Rev. Vic Casad will become East District superintendent.

“As I made these appointments, two things were vital,” Bishop McKee said. “First of all, I thought it was important to have people who knew the North Texas Conference well. By that, I mean knowing the laity, the clergy, the churches and the mission field. As we look at the three people I appointed, they each have a long record of service in the annual conference. They share that particular gift of knowing the conference, and that’s helpful.

“Secondly, each one of them represents something different and unique,” he said.

Henderson, currently senior pastor of Custer Road UMC in Plano, “has served as a district superintendent before,” the bishop said.

“He is a leader. He has been a delegate to General Conference. He knows the North Texas Conference, he knows the general church, and he knows the structure,” Bishop McKee said. “Ron has been a pastor of large churches and small churches. He is somebody who knows this work, so he brings experience that the team needs.”

Bishop McKee knows Rev. Gaston, director of the Denton Wesley Foundation on the University of North Texas campus, through the Perkins interm program, in which they supervised interns.

She “has been mentoring students through the process for candidacy or ordination. She has worked in our residency program with people who are seeking ordination. She has great skills in networking with young people and mentoring them,” Bishop McKee said.

“I became aware of how effectively she was able to supervise and mentor persons coming through the process. As we look for younger persons for ministry or for people to be involved in the church, Cammy has great experience,” he said.

Casad, senior pastor at Stonebridge UMC in McKinney, “has been pastoring churches in this conference for a number of years. He is a preacher’s kid. He knows the DNA of many of these churches,” Bishop McKee said.

“Vic has unique perspectives. He has a very good analytical mind. He will be able to help us analyze the mission field and how the churches are responding,” the bishop said.

“He will help us look for new strategies and opportunities, particularly in the East District, and other areas as well. He will help us engage in the process of sustaining and creating healthy, vibrant congregations,” he said.