The United Methodist Church will celebrate Heritage Sunday 2001 April 29.

Heritage Sunday is the annual celebration of the Methodist Church uniting with the Evangelical United Brethren Church on April 23, 1968 to create the United Methodist Church.

"Heritage Sunday calls the church to remember the past and to commit itself to the continuing call of God," said Nell Thrift, conference archivist.

This year’s theme is "The World is My Parish: Europe," part of a four-year cycle selected by the General Commission on Archives and History to remind United Methodists that they are part of a community of Christian disciples that reaches around the world.

Churches may obtain an order of worship for Heritage Sunday from the Florida Conference Commission on Archives and History. For more information, contact Thrift at 863-688-9276.

Dozens of bands, rides await youth at event

Orlando’s Wet ‘n Wild water park and the Osceola Fairgrounds in Kissimmee are the sites of a weekend Christian music festival April 27-29. The event is designed to inspire Florida Conference youth and reach unchurched youth, according to Mike Standifer, director of the conference’s Youth Ministry office.

"Uproar: a modern music gathering" is a three-day festival featuring more than 35 contemporary Christian bands and displays offering products and information.

The featured speaker is Jay Bakker, the son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Bakker is the founder of Revolution, a ministry to young people in Atlanta. His focus is on pierced, tattooed, smoking and drinking kids, the kind he says most churches overlook.

Tickets are $21 for the concerts only and $36.75 for the concerts and one-day admission to Wet ‘n Wild when purchased prior to April 25. Tickets purchased at the event are $26 for the concerts and $42 for both attractions. For more information, contact Standifer at 1-800-282-8011, extension 139, or MStandifer@flumc.org.

Volunteer organizations offer cultural sensitivity training

The Brevard County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) is offering two workshops dealing with diversity during disaster response. Titled "One Goal — Different Talents," they are April 6 at Solar Energy Center on the Brevard Community College campus in Cocoa and April 7 at First Presbyterian Church of Palm Bay in Palm Bay. They are open to anyone interested in disaster response.

The seminars teach disaster response workers to recognize cultural differences that hinder effective communication and how to respond to them in a positive way.

Presenters include Bill Rhan, disaster coordinator for the Florida Conference; Jan Bryant, executive director of the Brevard County Chapter of the American Red Cross; and Chief Petty Officer Andrew Marshall and Lieutenant Juan Mercado from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute at Patrick Air Force Base.

For more information, contact the Rev. David Harris, pastor of Mims United Methodist Church and Brevard County VOAD chairman, at 321-267-6202 or drevh@usa.net.

SpiritWorks offers labyrinth facilitation training

Dozens of clergy, doctors, artists and others have been trained to lead people in using the prayer labyrinth in a variety of settings — retreats, churches, schools, hospitals, kids-at-risk programs, prisons, corporate offices, community parks, women’s spirituality groups and others.

SpiritWorks is offering clergy and laity training on introducing people to the labyrinth at the Labyrinth Facilitator Training April 23-25 at St. Michael’s Labyrinth at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg.

"The labyrinth is a spiritual tool that has many applications in various settings," said the Rev. Patricia Brown, director of SpiritWorks. "It reduces stress, quiets the mind, and opens the heart. It is a walking meditation…and a blueprint where heart meets Spirit."

Participants will explore models for presenting the labyrinth; its history, placement, geometry and different uses; and how to work with people and their experiences before, during and after the walk.

The cost is $350 and includes lunch both days, instruction, materials, six-month follow-up for completion and membership in the Facilitator’s Network. Scholarships are available.

For more information, contact Brown at pdbrown@spiritworks.org   or 407-657-2672.

Short Bites

  Third and fourth graders who have never been to camp are invited to attend "Kids’ Stuff" Children’s Camp Orientation May 5-6 at the Warren W. Willis Camp in Leesburg. The orientation acquaints children and their parents with the summer camp program through a 24-hour camping experience. The cost is $40 per person. Register by April 18. Contact Mike Standifer or Kym Langston in the Camp Ministry office at 1-800-282-8011, extension 139, or MStandifer@flumc.org   or KLangston@flumc.org.?