When a hurricane threatens the Florida coastline, the people who leave are called evacuees. When people in other countries are forced to leave their homes because of political terrorism, war, disease or disaster, they are called refugees. Many of them head to Florida.

The Florida Conference Committee on Refugee Ministry provides a variety of services to the more than 150,000 refugees fleeing to Florida. It teaches mothers and fathers how they can be better parents using the rules of our society, helps families find jobs, provides clothes and shelter, guides families through immigration services, and provides translations for medical services.

The committee receives its funding from local church offerings and from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). With pressures from Kosovo and disasters in Turkey and other places, UMCOR funds for Florida’s refugee ministries had to be reconsidered.

Feb. 20 is Refugee Sunday, and participation by local churches is crucial to its success.

Bulletin inserts and offering envelopes to publicize the offering are available through the Conference Council on Ministries’ Missions office. To order materials, contact Judy Flanagan at 1-800-282-8011, extension 132, or JFlanagan@flumc.org.   For more information on Refugee Sunday or the Refugee Ministry, contact the Rev. Brice Harris, the committee’s chairman, at First United Methodist Church, Pompano Beach, 954-943-0404 or fumcpb@aol.com.

Seminar says reach Millennials now

After two years of extensive research, the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) and the United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH) have concluded that churches should not wait to reach the Millennial Generation—people born between 1982 and 1999.

"Now is the Time!" is a three-day seminar by GBOD and UMPH to prepare teams of laity and clergy to minister to one of the largest and most diverse generations in American history. One of the six national seminars will be Feb. 24-26 at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando.

GBOD’s Craig Miller and MaryJane Norton are plenary speakers. Miller is director of New Congregational Development and a specialist in Generational Studies. Norton is director of Family Ministries.

Registration is $125 per person. Churches with three or more people at the same seminar pay $99 per person. For more information and an on-line registration form, go to http://www.gbod.org/evangelism/events/now_is_the_time   or contact Deborah J. Carvin, the event’s registrar, at 1-877-899-2780, extension 7051, or DCarvin@gbod.org.