May 1, 2017
Dear Clergy / Lay Member to Annual Conference,
The 2017 Book of Recommendations and Reports (BOR) for the South Georgia Annual Conference is now available.
Business items for the 2017 Annual Conference session are contained in the BOR. Inside the BOR you'll find a complete conference agenda, helpful annual conference information, detailed reports from conference ministries, resolutions, proposed constitutional amendments, pension and benefits recommendations, conference budgets, and much more. One of the purposes of the BOR is to allow you to read the amendments, resolutions, recommendations and reports before you come to conference. A good delegate is a prepared delegate.
As it's always been, the BOR will be an invaluable resource prior to and throughout the Annual Conference session. The BOR is now available for download as a PDF file at no cost in its entirety or in sections. You can also purchase it for $5 (plus tax and shipping) as a professionally bound book here, through lulu.com*.
The Book of Recommendations and Reports will not be mailed nor will printed copies be available at the Annual Conference session. If you prefer a printed copy versus a digital download, you must print it at church, at home, or purchase it here.
Please continue to visit www.sgaumc.org/annualconference often as we approach annual conference. Some reports that did not make the BOR publication deadline will only be available on the website. These reports will be important to have during the Annual Conference session.
Prior to arriving on Jekyll Island please download onto your digital device or print all the materials you want to have with you during the Annual Conference session.
If you are a clergy person reading this email, please make sure your charge-wide lay member to Annual Conference has this information. In the same respect, if you are the lay member to Annual Conference, please ensure that your pastor(s) has seen this information. Since no materials will be mailed we are trying to spread the word in as many ways as possible.
We look forward to welcoming you to Jekyll Island in just a few weeks!
Dr. Jay Harris
Conference Secretary
jharris@sgaumc.com
*The Conference is using www.Lulu.com, an online print-on-demand publishing company, to print the 2017 Book of Recommendations and Reports. Orders will be made and processed via their secure website and shipped directly from their facility.
2017 Annual Conference Details
OVERFLOW
Dr. Lovett H. Weems, co-author of the book “OVERFLOW: Increase Worship Attendance & Bear More Fruit,” will teach three sessions during our conference that will provide practical steps for planning, implementing, and evaluating worship that can produce greater fruitfulness. To fully prepare for the 2017 Annual Conference session; engage in Dr. Weems’ teaching; and be a more alive, fruitful conference, Bishop Lawson Bryan is encouraging all South Georgia United Methodists to read OVERFLOW: Increase Worship Attendance & Bear More Fruit. He is also encouraging pastors and laity to gather together in small groups and work through nine applications he prepared to guide the study of “Overflow.”
Special Offering - South Georgia Conference Disaster Response
The 2017 Annual Conference Special Offering will go to the South Georgia Conference Disaster Response fund to build our capacity to respond to disasters now and in the future. Every congregation is encouraged to collect an offering prior to Annual Conference. It will then be presented during the Opening Worship service. A bulletin insert and video are available to help you promote this offering.
Tuesday Night Beach Party
Come join the fun! On Tuesday evening, June 6, you are invited to a Beach Party at Great Dunes Beach from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Great Dunes is adjacent to the Convention Center. There will be fellowship, food and games galore, with live music provided by saxophone extraordinaire and Brunswick native Michael Hulett. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be served to those who have pre-purchased a meal ticket. Meal tickets will be available at the information table upon arrival at Annual Conference. All are encouraged and welcome to attend. You don’t want to miss it!
Mission Outreach Emphasis
Agencies within the bounds of our Annual Conference are changing lives as they reflect the ways they are Alive Together in Christ. They are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ as they help to meet the most basic of needs. We are grateful for their work and want to show our gratitude. Each of the agencies listed below will have a collection box in the lobby. They have selected items that will help them in their day-to-day operation. So choose one or choose several, and let’s help fill up their boxes!
- Magnolia Manor: Jigsaw/Word Search puzzles, hardback books, $10 Walmart gift cards, Kleenex
- Methodist Home: Personal hygiene items (soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste)
- Open Door: Travel size personal hygiene items and small journals
- Vashti: Bath linens (towels & washcloths)
- Wesley Community Centers: baby wipes, diapers/pull-ups (any size), latex-free gloves
- Wesley Glen: Dove body wash, Aveeno or Eucerin lotions, adult wipes, regular size boxes of Kleenex packet/pocket size boxes of Kleenex
Annual Conference Overview Webinar | Tuesday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m.
The Annual Conference Session can be daunting for those attending for the very first time. What’s the Book of Recommendations and how do I use it? How do I prepare? Will I have to vote on anything? What do I need to report back to my local church? This webinar led by Dr. Jay Harris, Conference Secretary, will help you navigate the 2017 Annual Conference Session and assist you in making the most of your role as a delegate. To register for the free webinar and to view documents that will be used during our Annual Conference Session, visit www.sgaumc.org/annualconference.
Meeting Details & Logistics
Schedule
The 2017 Annual Conference Session will begin with an Opening Worship Service on Sunday evening, June 4, at 7:00 p.m. Conference will conclude with the Sending Forth Service on Wednesday, June 7. Below is a tentative schedule of events.
Sunday, June 4
3:00 PM Registration Begins
(Sunday registration ends at 6:45 PM prior to the Opening Service)
7:00 PM Opening Worship Service, Bishop James Swanson Preaching
Monday, June 5
7:30 AM Extension Ministry Breakfast
8:00 AM Registration Reopens (8:00 AM – 12:00 noon and 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
9:00 AM Laity Session
9:00 AM Clergy Session
10:30 AM Opening Plenary Session
Board of Ordained Ministry Report
12:00 PM Lunch Break
2:00 PM Afternoon Plenary Session
5:00 PM Dinner Break (Methodist Home Barbecue)
7:00 PM Ordination/Commissioning Service, Bishop Lawson Bryan preaching
8:15 PM Reception for Ordained and Commissioned Ministers
Tuesday, June 6
8:30 AM Limited Retiree Registration until 10:30 AM
9:00 AM Morning Plenary Session
11:00 AM Retiree Recognition
12:00 PM Lunch Break
1:00 PM Gathering for Families of Deceased Clergy
2:00 PM Memorial Service, Bishop Michael Watson preaching
3:30 PM Afternoon Plenary Session
5:00 PM Beach Party
Wednesday, June 7
9:00 AM Morning Plenary Session
11:00 AM Fixing the Appointments/Sending Forth Service
12:00 PM Adjourn
Hotels
For a list of hotel options, please visit www.sgaumc.org/annualconference.
EPIC Childcare & Beach Camp
We are so excited for some new adventures available for children and youth at this year's Annual Conference Session on Jekyll Island. We will be providing childcare for infants all the way up to middle school. It’s going to be EPIC!
Childcare for infants through preschool age children will be available for all worship services and business sessions at Jekyll Island Baptist Church (501 Riverview Drive). We've got lots of fun things planned for our little ones - crafts, games, and lots more! Childcare cost is $5.00 per child/day.
Elementary and middle school age children will be participating in an EPIC Beach Camp hosted by the Camp Connect Leadership Team, under the direction of Suzanne Akins. EPIC Beach Camp will be available for opening worship and business sessions only. Cost for the Beach Camp is $5.00 per child/day with additional opportunities for an excursion for campers. The gathering place for EPIC Beach Camp will be at the Jekyll Island Convention Center.
Pre-registration for all childcare is REQUIRED by May 28 so we know how to plan for crafts, materials, snacks and lunch as well as to ensure our staffing is Safe Sanctuaries compliant. For all the details and to register, visit www.sgaumc.org/childcare or contact Allison Lindsey at allison@sgaumc.com.
Driving and Parking Directions
All conference business and worship services will be held at the Jekyll Island Convention Center. The convention center is located at 75 N. Beachview Drive, Jekyll Island, GA 31527. From U.S. Highway 17, you will turn onto Jekyll via the Jekyll Island Causeway. Once on the island you will stay straight on Ben Fortson Drive until you reach the roundabout. At the roundabout, you will veer right and then circle around to your left and take the third exit onto North Beachview Drive. The convention center will be on your right. The first right into the convention center’s parking lot, which is where the large lighted sign is located, is reserved for use by buses, vans, and handicap parking. Handicap parking will be clearly marked. All other vehicles should enter the parking lot using the next entrance. When approaching the convention center from the north, it is suggested that you enter the parking lot at the first entrance on your left. Jekyll Island’s distinctive “Red Bug” electric buggies and a courtesy tram will assist attendees in getting from their cars to the main doors of the convention center.
Entering onto the Island
In some of our previous venues, we have had parking costs connected to the area around the venue itself or to the hotels in the area. At Jekyll Island, there are no parking fees, but there is a fee to get onto the island. It is $6.00 per 24-hour period. For those who stay on Jekyll and don’t leave the island, it will be a one-time fee. There will be group transportation arrangements made available for those staying off the island. Even if you come on the island each day in your own car, you can time your entrances to conceivably pay only twice, since the $6.00 fee is good for 24 hours.
Banquets
Banquets have been planned by various groups within our Annual Conference. Click here for the list of special events/banquets.
Registration
The registration fee for all pastors and lay members to Annual Conference is $20. Retired clergy not serving a church are exempt from this fee. You will pay when you register at Annual Conference.
Expenses / Per diem
Clergy and lay delegates who represent a local church shall have their expenses (including registration) paid by the local church (this includes retired clergy who are serving a church). Lay delegates who represent an organization and extension ministers shall have their expenses paid by the organization they represent. Retired clergy not under appointment and clergy on disability shall receive a per diem of $65 per day for each day attended. Lay members who do not represent a local church or conference organization shall receive a per diem on the same basis. Retired local pastors who are not serving a church do not retain their clergy status according to the Book of Discipline, and so do not qualify for a per diem.
Change in Lay Member
If there has been a change in the lay member representing your local church/charge, please make sure to pass this information onto the correct person. Please share the change with Meredyth Earnest at meredyth@sgaumc.com or let your district office know.
Questions
For questions regarding the business of Annual Conference, please contact Dr. Jay Harris at jharris@sgaumc.com. For questions regarding local arrangements or any general questions, please contact Bill Allen at billallen4@comcast.net or Kelly Roberson at 912-270-6172 or kelly@sgaumc.com.
