Task force begins forming plan for urban ministry How are we going to be the church in the city today?” was the question the 26 Inner City Initiative Planning Retreat participants were attempting to answer during their two-day meeting in Lakeland last month.     “We shared ideas and talked about the obstacles that get in the way of doing ministry in the city. We looked at: what does that mean for us and how can we design and support ministries that take into account the realities and the opportunities?” said retreat chairman, Clarke Campbell-Evans. Full Story

Russians, Americans find common ground in religious experience

When members of St. James United Methodist Church in Palatka decided three years ago to start a contemporary worship service, they weren't sure what direction they would head, so they started attending seminars and workshops on church growth and contemporary worship.     But it wasn't until they experienced a contemporary worship service and workshop led by Mike Wycuff, minister of music and celebration at the United Methodist Pine Ridge Fellowship in Deltona, that they got excited about the potential for the new service.     "The workshop made for a very exciting day," St. James' pastor, the Rev. Hardy Sandlin, said. "It served as a catalyst to really get moving." Full Story

Russians surprised by American religious life Elvira Nekrasova, an English teacher from Kursk, Russia said she was surprised to discover the depth of commitment Americans have to their religious life, while Farit Gandalipov, a chemist and trade union leader from Ufa, Russia, said he was surprised at the variety of religious experiences in the United States. Gandalipov, who is Muslim, had thought that Islam only existed in the Middle East and Russia.  Full Story

Family camp prepares United Methodists for millennium For 16 years, Hispanic families from across the Florida Conference have gathered for a weekend of camping over Labor Day to celebrate their faith and heritage and learn ways to reach out in their communities. This year, with a focus on the new millennium and increased attendance among youth and young adults, the “Campamento de Familias,” or Family Camp, gave Florida Conference Hispanic leaders reasons to be optimistic about the future.     Full Story

Joint service highlights opening of Asbury Seminary’s Florida campus “The joint convocation between the two campuses is a visible witness to a new day in theological education,” said Maxie D. Dunnam, president of Asbury Theological Seminary at the opening of the school’s new Florida campus in southeastern Orlando. The convocation took place in Kentucky and Florida simultaneously through the use of two-way audio-video technology.    Full Story

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Campers
Benefit
from Pioneer
experience

Opportunities
Young adults invited to beach gathering
   
Bishop invites churches to 'excellent ' event
   
Preschool association offers fall conference
   
Seminar addresses discipleship in the millennium
   
Conference focuses on older adults

Epworth Village announces annual meeting
   
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