Pastors and laity who want to learn how to make their church vital in changing times are invited to attend the Vital Churches retreat Sept. 1-2 at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg.

Terry Cook, assistant to the pastor, and Sam Davis, Minister of Discipleship, both at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, West Palm Beach, will provide leadership for the retreat. Cook will teach a class on developing a ministry and mission plan. Davis will discuss ways churches can get to know their communities.

Two sessions titled "It Worked For Us" will be presented by Dr. Jack Stephenson, pastor of Anona United Methodist Church in Largo, and George Hatmaker, part-time supply pastor of Opa Locka United Methodist Church in Miami.

Beginning July 31, the Florida United Methodist Men (UMM) will begin taking reservations for the 2000 Couples Retreats at the Life Enrichment Center (LEC) in Leesburg.

The dates for the five adult spiritual retreats are March 3-5, March 17-19, March 31-April 2, April 7-9 and April 28-30. Interpreters for attendees who are hearing impaired will be available for the March 31-April 2 weekend.

The theme for the retreats is "Jesus is the Answer." Leaders include Dr. Arnold Prater, Dr. Evelyn Laycock, Dr. Tim Daley, John Riley, Dr. James Buskirk and clergy from across the Florida Conference. The quartet Witness from Killearn United Methodist Church in Tallahassee will be among the musical guests.

Churches and youth groups looking for a short-term, local mission project are invited to Gainesville to help prepare flood buckets for shipment to the United Methodist Committee on Relief depot in Baldwin, La.

The tremendous offering of flood bucket materials at the Dare to Share Jesus 1999 Florida Annual Conference Event has created a need for people to sort and pack the cleaning supplies.

Larry Rankin, the Florida Conference Council on Ministries’ director of Missions Ministries, said several youth teams visited the High Springs Disaster Response Depot north of Gainesville to sort and pack half the materials, but two teams of 10-12 people each are needed to finish the job.

Women throughout the Florida Conference are invited to rest, meditate and renew their spirits at the Florida Conference United Methodist Women’s (UMW) Spiritual Retreat Sept. 10-12 at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg. The theme for this year’s event is "Joy of God’s Spirit."

Sue Owens, chairwoman of Membership Nurture and Outreach for the South Carolina Conference UMW, will lead the retreat. Owens teaches physical education and health to 7th through 9th graders in Spartanburg, S.C., and has written three devotional books, including "Hominies and Grits."