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Financial stress challenges church staff, ministries
Most of the churches that responded to a recent e-mail survey about their finances reported this year has been as good as or better than previous years. Despite that, most said the current economy has caused them to take steps to be more fiscally responsible. The most common result of efforts to meet the financial situation head on has been reductions in staff, ministry or both. There is also fear of starting new ministries. Some said the cuts they've made are causing serious concerns about their churches' future.
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No Need Too Great or Small
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| PORT TAMPA - Children are regular visitors at Port Tampa United Methodist
Church's food pantry. Chris Garcia remembers one of the first children the
pantry served. The girl received a single-serving box of children's cereal.
"When she opened it, her little hands were shaking," Garcia said. "She was
hungry and she'd never had that kind of...kids' cereal."
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Photo by Chris Garcia
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New Church director hopes to start movement
The Rev. Mont Duncan, director of the Florida Conference's Office of New Church Development, said that if the United Methodist Church in Florida is going to reach the people in its culture, 3 percent of the Florida Conference's churches need to be new church starts. Recently, about 1 percent of the conference's churches have been new churches or missions.
Duncan saw that principle in practice during an Oct. 23-31 trip to Manila, Philippines. The trip was sponsored by the General Board of Global Ministries and intended to give a team of four annual conference new church development directors an opportunity to study the model the Manila District has been using for about 20 years.
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Church follows God to expand pantry
For more than 15 years, Port Tampa United Methodist Church has had a small food pantry. For most of that time it was located in a small locked room, contained food that was old or unwanted and helped church members who were facing a personal crisis or time of need.
Today, the food pantry has moved to a more public spot in the church's fellowship hall, is always full of quality food and is helping nearly 100 people a month from across the Port Tampa area. Recipients also receive prayer with their food, so they know they have visited a church and not simply a food bank, according to Chris Garcia, the church's secretary.
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Fund raiser is first for church, school
A Webster United Methodist Church has raised $3,000 in the past six months and donated all of it to a local elementary and middle school to help teachers and guidance counselors meet the needs of some of the area's poorest children.
This ministry is the first time the church, which averages 35 in worship during the summer and 80 in the winter, has provided direct ministry to its community, according to JoAnne Morgan, a church member. It is also the first time the teachers at the two schools have had a fund with which they can help their students.
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| Committee works to make Standing Rules better
The Florida Conference's Standing Rules do not include a clear definition of the responsibilities of the Standing Rules Committee, according to the Rev. Sue Haupert-Johnson, the committee's chairwoman. That's one reason the Standing Rules Committee met Nov. 4 to begin the process of improving the conference's Standing Rules and making them more user-friendly.
The Standing Rules "set up the structure and the purpose of the conference…beyond what's in the Book of Discipline," Haupert-Johnson said. They are published in the Journal each year and describe the purpose, responsibility and makeup of conference committees.
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| Credit Union searches for next president
After 31 years of service to the Florida United Methodist Credit Union, Joan Beierle, president and chief executive officer, plans to retire by the end of 2003, and the credit union has started its search for her replacement.
Beierle became the first full-time president of the non-profit financial institution when it was one year old and held about $100,000 in total assets. Today, the credit union holds $6.3 million in assets and offers a wide array of services, including checking accounts, credit cards and a variety of loans.
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