5 Florida United Methodist Review Online

Disciple training goes to Orlando

Pastors and members of Disciple Bible study groups who plan to teach a group are invited to attend a Disciple training event Aug. 23-25 in Orlando.

Disciple is a 34-week Bible study that moves students through the Bible with the goal of inspiring and transforming people into better Christian disciples. The study also includes group discussion and video presentations.

The training prepares future Disciple leaders to teach the course, but also offers an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with other persons from across the conference.

Each church receives 12 study manuals, four adult study tapes and a youth supplemental tape. Each participant receives a study manual and teaching helps.

The cost is $750 for the first person and $300 for each additional registration from the same church. For more information, contact Cokesbury Seminars at 1-800-672-1789 or 1-800-251-8591 or visit the Web site at http://www.umph.org/disciple.

Laity invited to discover God's call

Laity interested in discerning their spiritual gifts and God’s call to ministry in their life are invited to attend the “Discover God’s Call” retreat Oct. 26-28 at Lake Yale Baptist Assembly in Eustis, Fla.

The retreat is a ministry of the Foundation for Evangelism of the United Methodist Church. It includes guest speakers, small groups, solitude and worship.

A vital part of the retreat is the pre-retreat Bible study, which begins Oct. 1. The 30-minute daily study uses scripture and a workbook for personal response to help participants prepare for the weekend.

The cost is $160 for first-time participants, and partial scholarships are available. The registration deadline is Sept. 21. For more information, contact the Foundation for Evangelism at 828-645-0470 or DGodsCall@juno.com or Janet Miles, retreat registrar, at 828-452-2823.

Conference empowers laity for ministry

Pastors and laity interested in empowering their church for ministry are invited to “Every Member in Ministry” conference Aug. 3-5 at Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

The three-day conference is designed to teach church leaders how to help members discover their spiritual gifts, train and equip them to utilize those gifts, and turn them loose to do their ministry.

More than 60 workshops include children’s ministry, Christian counseling, community ministry, communications, music ministry, discipleship, evangelism, internet, praise and worship, and church staff. Volunteers and staff from the 7,000-member Frazer Memorial church will also be available to talk with participants.

The cost for the conference is $130 per person or $100 per person for groups of 10 or more. For more information, contact Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church at 334-272-8622 or visit http://frazerumc.org.

Adults take a hike

Adults who enjoy the outdoors and spending time with other active Christian adults are invited to participate in the 24th Annual Florida Conference Adult Trail Hike Oct. 15-21.

Hikers will depart from the Warren W. Willis Youth Camp in Leesburg at 8 p.m. Oct. 15 for a hiking location in North Georgia. Though good health is a must, attitude is more important than physical fitness for a successful hike.

The cost is $100 per person. For more information, contact Mary Ann or Gene Cantwell at 352-394-2506 or macantwell@juno.com.

Miami college offers non-profit training

The new “Non-Profit Management Program” at the Miami-Dade Community College Wolfson Campus is offering a conference for managers of non-profit organizations Aug. 17, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The conference emphasizes capacity building and tools of effective non-profits. It will feature national and local speakers, presenters and workshop instructors, including David Harris of the MacArthur Foundation.

The conference is presented in cooperation with Florida Association for Non-Profit Organizations, United Way, Salvation Army, Haitian American Foundation, Miami Urban Ministries and others.

For more information, contact Carol Hoffman-Guzman, conference coordinator, at guzhoff@bellsouth.net . Please include your name, organization, address, and phone and fax numbers in your communication.

Cokesbury opens new store with savings

Cokesbury is celebrating the opening of its new Orlando store July 23 by offering a 25 percent discount on in-store merchandise during the grand opening week July 23-28. Bishop Timothy Whitaker will preside over the store’s dedication service July 24 at 10 a.m.

The store is located at 4900 E. Colonial Drive in the Herndon Village Shoppes. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, there will be daily specials and several authors signing their books.

For information call 407-228-8052.

Short Bites

The Florida Conference’s Lay Speaking Ministries’ 5th Annual Training Event “2001 A Jesus Odyssey” is Aug. 10-12 at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg. For more information contact Lee Ann Day at 1-800-452-4203 or soulsing@aol.com.