General Conference 2008 Begins This Week
General Conference begins Wednesday, April 23, in Fort Worth, Texas. During the 10-day meeting, www.ngumc..org is your home for news, resources, and information relevant to North Georgia United Methodists. Plus, the North Georgia Communications Office will offer a daily e-mail during the conference. Subscribe today! Just go to www.ngumc.org and choose "General Conference."

Attention Clergy: Introducing NGUMC Mail
The North Georgia Conference is pleased to announce NGUMC Mail. This new service provides a permanent e-mail address to everyone holding clergy status as well as those serving under appointment in the North Georgia Conference. Now, as pastors itinerate into new apointments or move to different positions, there is no need to change or update your contact information. With NGUMC Mail, pastors have a permanent e-mail address that travels with them. The new addresses will be set up one district at a time over the next six weeks. Visit www.ngumc.org for more information and a schedule.

Bishops Love/Mission Offering
Bishop Lindsey Davis and his wife Jennifer Davis have requested that rather than receiving a traditional love offering given to a departing bishop, that instead the offering go to two mission causes. They have chosen for half the offering to go to Venezuela NOW to support the training of pastors in the Methodist Church of Venezuela. The other half will be used to continue ministry to children in the Agalta Valley of Honduras. This will support schools and provide for the basic health and nutritional needs of children. The offering will be presented at Annual Conference in June. Please choose a Sunday in early June to collect the offering in your cogregation. For more and a letter sent to churches, visit www.ngumc.org and choose "Annual Conference 2008" from the drop-down menu "News and Info."

Kim Elected President of Korean-American Caucus of UMC
The Rev. James Kim, senior pastor of Korean Church of Atlanta UMC, will be the new president of the Korean-American caucus of the United Methodist Church. He was elected by the National Association of Korean American United Methodist Churches during their national caucus meeting March 30 - April 3 in Atlanta. Read more in "Latest News" at www.ngumc.org.

April 30 is Deadline for Credit Union Scholarship
The Georgia Florida United Methodist Federal Credit Union is offering three $1,000 college scholarships again this year. One will be awarded to a student in North Georgia, South Georgia and Florida Conferences. Students must be a member or join the Credit Union to be eligible to receive the scholarship. The application is due by April 30 and North Georgia's winner will be announced at Annual Conference in June. Download the application at www.unitedmethodistcu.com. 

Two Bonuses Offered For Wellness Participate in HealthFlex
All participants and covered spouses who have a wellness check up and complete the HQ on line in 2008 will receive a check for $50 from the North GA Conference Board of Pensions & Health Benefits. Also, t he General Board of Pension & Health Benefits (GBOP) is offering a $100 VISA gift card to participants and covered spouses who are in the active plan, and who both take the HQ at www.gbophb.org before June 30. This bonus is not available to Medicare primary insureds.

UMM Will Coordinate Volunteers to Rebuild Cottage at the Children's Home
The United Methodist Children’s Home and the United Methodist Men of the North Georgia Conference announce the construction of the replacement building for Leigh Cottage, which housed young men until it was destroyed by fire in November 2007.  The Children's Home has retained Upon the Rock Construction Company to serve as the General Contractor, and the UMMen have agreed to coordinate volunteers for the rebuilding effort. For more information about this project as well as resource and volunteer needs, go to www.ngcumm.com and follow the links for the UM Children’s Home project.

Wesley Speedway Walk for Others
Wesley Community Centers announces a new way to “give feet to the faith of the church!”  This spring walkers will have a chance to gather for the first ever Wesley Speedway Walk for Others on Saturday, April 26, at 9 a.m. at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. For more information, visit www.wesleycenters.org.

Disaster Response Monster Training Event
All church teams and individuals are invited to a Disaster Information and Training Event hosted by the North Georgia Disaster Response Committee. The event will be at Salem Campground in Covington on May 10. You can expect to:

• See how others have equipped their teams and what types of disasters for which they have prepared
• See what information might be useful to your team
• Learn how your team can serve between disasters
• Re-certify, receive team leader training, chain saw training, or the basic training required
• Get motivated by the speaker, Rev. Jim Cantrell

For more information and to register, visit www.ngdisasterresponse.org.

Hands 2 Honduras Annual Youth Mission Trip
Thanks to the vision of Jennifer Davis (wife of Bishop Lindsey Davis), high school students from across the conference have come to together to share in a multi-cultural experience in Honduras nearly every summer since 1999.  H2H will travel again this year and will work with a village near Rancho El Paraiso to help provide them with new chimneys, repaired roofs, fresh concrete floors, and working latrines.  The youth will also spend time in VBS with the children in the village.  Dates are June 28 - July 5. For more information, visit www.hands2honduras.org.

Youthworker Training: When Grace is the Chaffeur
Join the conversation Saturday, May 3, at Conyers First UMC from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Talk about a holistic model of youth ministry that incorporate the latest research to understand developmental issues as well as address how we form community, what discipleship and evangelism look like with a Wesley approach, and more. Lunch is provided.  Register online at www.umcyouth.org under 'training'.  ADDITIONALLY: The quarterly gathering of the Youthworker Movement Community will be Friday night, May 2, at 8:30 p.m. with lots of fellowship opportunities, sleeping at the church, and concluding with a home-made breakfast on Saturday morning. For more information visit www.umcyouth.org.

Wesley Woods Mother's Day Offering
This Mother’s Day, May 10, is the conference-wide Wesley Woods Mother's Day Offering. Please honor the special women in your life by giving a gift to the Foundation of Wesley Woods in their honor or memory. Your gift will help so many women age with grace and dignity. For more information about the 2008 Wesley Woods Mother’s Day Offering, please contact Charles Hoover at (404) 728-6857.

Action Ministries Night of Champions
Action Ministries presents an all-star evening honoring Action Ministries “champions” Danielle, Lydia and Tammy, and honoring Clark Howard for his philanthropic work. The event, in its second year, will be held at Peachtree Road UMC on May 15 with a silent auction beginning at 6:30 p.m. and dinner and program at 7:30 p.m. Tables of eight are now available for $1,000.  Individual seats are available at $125. Make reservations at www.actionministries.net. If you would like to volunteer, become a sponsor or donor, receive an invitation or have questions, please contact Nancy Hruschka at 404.277.3788 or nancy.hruschka@mindspring.com.

Moving Pastor Retreat
All persons who will be receiving their first full-time appointment as pastor-in-charge, and pastors who are moving to a new appointment, will need to be present at this retreat scheduled for Thursday, May 29, in the Atrium of the Methodist Center at Simpsonwood. For those who are moving to a new appointment the retreat will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. For those who are in their first full-time appointment the retreat will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. We will enjoy being together and learning from each other how to have a good start in this new place of ministry. Lunch will be included. Please RSVP by May 26 to Barbara Waits at 678.533.1367 or bwaits@ngumc.org to help us plan for the day. If you have any questions, contact John Simmons or Barbara Waits.

May Prayer Calendar
The May Prayer Calendar, "Prayers for Growth," is available in a PDF format. Download for individual use or church-wide distribution at www.ngumc.org.

What Do United Methodist Churches Look Like?
(GBOD) Each week on the General Board of Discipleship worship website features a photo of a different United Methodist church building. This Church Photo Gallery may be the largest collection of UM church photos on the web. Visit www.gbod.org to view the Photo Gallery to learn how your church might be included.

News (and Events, Mission Opportunities, and Resources) You Can Use
Churches are welcome (and encouraged) to copy and paste the text included in this newsletter and use it for church bulletins, newsletters or websites. This is truly "news you can use!"