By J.A. Buchholz

LAKELAND — The Bishop’s Confirmation Convocation and Mature Years Retreat have been phased out for 2004, but the Florida Conference Council on Ministries (CCOM) may restore the once-popular events in coming years as needed.

Carol Sue Hutchinson, director of the CCOM’s Discipleship and Church and Society ministries, said the Confirmation Convocation had a long history of rallying as many 900 confirmands to meet with the Florida Conference’s bishop, but attendance has been declining in recent years.

She said while the original purpose was to bring confirmands together to learn about the larger church and meet with others going through the confirmation process, there wasn’t a group of people from the ministry willing to plan and implement the event. It also was not self-sufficient.

“The last time we did it in 2003 attendance was 180,” Hutchinson said. “It was very popular, but times change. We are looking for some new ways to help churches with confirmation.”

The CCOM is also phasing out the Mature Years Retreat, which will not take place in 2004.

After 55 years the event experienced organizational and cost issues similar to those experienced by the Confirmation Convocation, Hutchinson said.

“This has been very, very popular, with as many as three retreats in one year,” she said. “They were all well attended. Times change and people have a lot more options. We are looking to do an older ministry task force or summit to learn all it can be.”

The task force on older adult ministries will examine new ways to meet the needs of older adults in the conference and resource local congregations in older adult ministries.

Hutchinson said older adult ministries require more than updating youth ministry models. She said older adult ministry could be so much more if education and resources are available.

“I think older adult ministry is going to go in a real positive, yet totally different, direction,” Hutchinson said.

There is another option for people who want to attend an older adult retreat, according to Ernie Baumgardner, a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Winter Haven. He has been attending his church’s older adults retreat for more than five years. He said he didn’t know the conference had a Mature Years retreat.

This year the church is having its older adult retreat Feb. 17 and 18 at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg. It is open any United Methodist senior.

The Rev. Tom Price will be the guest speaker. The cost is $132 per couple or $75 for singles. For more information call Baumgardner at 863-324-5960.