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Around the West District
 

 

Help Wanted:

Part-time Office Assistant.  The position involves 20 hours per week, between Monday and Thursday (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a lunch hour off).  This person will serve as the primary phone receptionist during working hours and will need to possess reasonable computer skills.  Due to the connectional work involved, a United Methodist background will be preferred.  Due to the part-time scope of the Office Assistant, benefits will not be offered for this position.  Please ask interested applicants to contact Debbie Keim at dkeim@txcumc.org, forwarding resumes to her.

District Office Volunteers: Two hours every other month putting labels on newsletters--Contact: Tammy Gilts at tgilts@txcumc.org or 979-696-8962. Thanks!

 

 

DISTRICT CONFERENCE SEPT. 19th

West District pastors and lay leadership are urged to attend the annual District Conference on Sunday, September 19th, at 4:00 p.m.  The Conference this year will take place at the First United Methodist Church in Bryan.  The 2011 West District budget will be reviewed and voted on at this meeting, as well as the Nominating Committee’s report on next year’s district committees.  Our district officers will also be presenting annual reports at this time.  In addition, you will receive an update on the status of the new district office project.

Following the Conference business, the Rev. Joe Fort will hold a brief clergy meeting with our pastors.  During this time our District Lay Leader, Mary Reed, will conduct a session for the laity of the district.  We anticipate the entire agenda to be completed by 5:30 p.m., in time for participants to return to other activities that might be scheduled in their churches the same evening.

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Hub Charge Conference Information 

2010 Hub Charge Conference schedule:                                 Location                                    Paperwork due in District Office

September 26                      Marlin Area Hub                                  at FUMC Marlin                                   Sept 19

October 3                              Normangee Area Hub                        at Grace UMC Hearne                       Sept 26

October 10                            Centerville Area Hub                          at FUMC Madisonville                        Oct 3

October 17                            Rockdale Area Hub                            at Pleasant Retreat                              Oct 10

October 31                            Navasota Area Hub                            at FUMC Navasota                              Oct 24

November 7                          Brenham Area Hub                             at Bellville UMC                                    Oct 31

November 14                       Huntsville Area Hub                             at St. Paul’s Huntsville                        Nov 7

November 21                       BCS Area Hub                                       at FUMC Bryan                                   Nov 14

Instructions:

  • All paperwork is due in the District Office one week prior to your Hub Charge Conference (see bold dates above).  The reports are now available in DOVE.  If you need training or help with the DOVE system, please call the District Office and we will gladly help.
  • The Hub Area designations listed above are geographic.  It is not required to hold the Conference at the church or community in the Hub center.  In fact, we encourage moving the Conferences around.  Please communicate among yourselves right away to decide where you want to hold the Hub Conference, and let us know your decision in the district office.
  • Each Conference is on a Sunday afternoon.  We will start at 4:00 p.m. and try to stick to a 90-minute agenda. 
  • Common agenda items will include the following:  (1) a short worship time at the beginning.  (host church please provide an accompanist for two hymns).  (2) District reports.  (3) “Consent calendar” voting on the following:  nominations, required financial matters, and continuation of lay speakers and ministry candidates.  (4)  A brief “forum” time with the DS.  This will occupy the last 15-20 minutes of the meeting.
  • Almost every Hub last year arranged for a meal to be shared immediately following the Conference.  This is an excellent tradition that promotes fellowship among our people.  It is good for us to break bread together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
  • If your church desires to take a vote on a new candidate for ministry, we will do this in a short session with just your people right after the main meeting adjourns (and before dinner).
  • A final word:  the Charge Conference is a vital connectional meeting.  The votes taken represent your congregations’ official record on leaders, pastor’s salary, apportionments, etc.  Except for our very tiniest churches, it is not acceptable for you to be represented only by the pastor and one or two laypersons.   Plan to have a reasonable representation to honor the Conference’s importance and significance of its votes.