Florida United Methodist Review Online

Orlando event teaches basics of church health

     Nearly 400 people from throughout the Florida Conference met at First United Methodist Church in Orlando Jan. 11 to learn what makes a church healthy and how their churches can begin the process of diagnosis and transformation.
     The event was an introduction to Natural Church Development (NCD), a church health process developed by German theologian and researcher Christian Schwartz. It was sponsored by the Orlando District Healthy Churches Initiative. The Rev. David Wexler, a staff member at Willowcreek Community Church in Chicago and publisher of the NCD material in the United States, taught the event.
     Through the NCD process churches take a survey that grades their church in each of eight quality characteristics. The goal is to identify the characteristic with the lowest score, then work to raise the health in that area. "Focus on raising the one minimum characteristic," Wexler said. "Even if you don't do the survey, just focus on one thing. Do something."
     Wexler said this kind of change in the life of a congregation is not easy. "There's always a price to pay-emotional, time. What are you willing to endure to see the vision become a reality?".   Full Story

Strong December giving lessens crisis

     Connectional giving by local churches during December was better than it has been during the same month in the past several years, according to Dr. Randy Casey-Rutland, Florida Conference treasurer.
"… we're not out of the woods yet, but the crisis was not as profound as it might have been," he said.
     The conference received 85.21 percent of its Fair Share Apportionments in 2002, compared to 85.94 percent in 2001. That represents $14.79 million received in 2002, nearly $170,000 more than last year. The 2002 budget, however, was almost $350,000 more than in 2001.
     Casey-Rutland said the conference's financial situation is better than it could have been, but it is too early to make a complete diagnosis. "Apportionments are one, but not the only, factor that goes into determining our conference's fiscal health," he said. "We now have to wait and see how the other components come in until we can get a clear picture of where we stand."   Full Story

Mission of new Miami church is diversity

     An intentionally diverse Miami congregation recently celebrated its worship kickoff and is quickly moving toward an official Palm Sunday launch.
     Since June 2002 Christ's Community United Methodist Church in Miami, led by the Rev. Jacques Pierre, a native of Haiti, has built a core group consisting of Anglos, African-Americans, Haitians, Africans, Hispanics and individuals of various Caribbean origins. A total of 165 people attended the church's Jan. 12 kickoff celebration, most of them from other churches in the area.
     Pierre's goal has been to assemble an ethnically diverse congregation, hoping to set forth a model for other churches in the conference. Full Story

Florida church continues building bridges in Cuba

     As Florida Conference churches continue to build relationships with sister congregations in Cuba, Ft. Lauderdale's Christ Church United Methodist is perfecting the art of learning how to live in one another's worlds.
Ever since one of the church's associate pastors and several lay members traveled to the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio in December 1999, Christ Church has continued to take supplies to its sister church, Iglesia Metodista Maranatha, and allow its pastor to spend quality time in Ft. Lauderdale.
     Christ Church member Blanca Hermida, a native of Cuba, was part of the church's inaugural 1999 trip. Although she has not returned to her native land since then, she says the true way to build bridges with Cuba is through Christ. "Christ is really working in our hearts and their hearts. That's the true solution to this whole confusion with South Floridians and Cuba." Full Story

Mission work continues despite board cutbacks

      Recent financial cutbacks at the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) have not dampened the missionary spirit of the United Methodist Church, according to the Rev. Dr. Larry Rankin, director of the Florida Conference Council on Ministries' Missions office. He hopes negative perceptions resulting from announced cutbacks will not cause people to lose faith in the denomination's missionary agenda.
     "The greatest witness to the strength of our mission ministry is the fact that the United Methodist Church is growing faster in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe than in the United States," Rankin said. "If churches perceive the cutbacks negatively and decide to withhold World Service funds, all of us will be hurt. There will be fewer missionaries and fewer dollars to support the growing missions around the world."
     In November, GBGM announced it would reduce the number of mission personnel it employs, which, at that time, totaled 2,151 people serving in 74 nations.   Full Story

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