Friday, June 22, 2012
In This Issue
Announcements:
- 5 Websites/Apps That Are "New Place For New People"
- Pinterest-ing tips to make your church a curator of "cool"
Reminders
- Register Your Child for Summer Camp!
- Bread For The World "Offering of Letters" Workshop
- DVDs of Main Annual Conference Services Available for Purchase
- 2012 Journal Order Forms Available for Downloading
Drew Theological School Offerings:
- Summer Music Institute
- 2012-13 Classes Without Quizzes
- 2012-13 Seminary Saturdays
Announcements
 5 Websites/Apps That Are "New Place For New People"
*By Wil Ranney, Reprinted with permission of www.umcom.org
Have you ever considered the Internet a place where the people are? Did you know that the average Internet user spends 2.5 hours a day online? For many people, half of that time is spent on a mobile device. This means that no matter where a person is physically, he or she can still be at a place online. Furthermore, newer, more sophisticated online tools are giving more substance to the time we spend online. All of this is good news for doing ministry there. Thus, here are five sites (new places) where people of faith can reach out to others in their community (new people).
Read the full article here
 Pinterest-ing tips to make your church a curator of "cool"
*Reprinted with permission of www.umcom.org
Pinterest is the fastest-growing social media tool today, amassing more than 10.5 million users as of late February, 2012. It has the same amount of referral traffic as Twitter does (AllTwitter). Furthermore, users spend more than an hour on Pinterest versus a half hour for Twitter (AllTwitter). Pinterest has already redefined the act of “pinning” in the lexicon. Pinterest appears to be the big social media phenomenon of 2012.
What is Pinterest?
At its core, Pinterest is a free bookmarking social media site. Think of Pinterest as an Internet bulletin board. The unique quality of Pinterest is that it is very well organized and has a visual pin board type layout. As well, Pinterest requires minimal writing and time to set up and use. So, now you might ask:
How can MY church use Pinterest in ministry?
Pinterest is about promoting excellent information on the web. Therefore, most pins should not be self-promoting. Pins should be carefully chosen third-party pages geared for church leaders, congregants and community members. Though you can promote some of your own “best-of” events and happenings, these should not be the main focus.
To gain credibility from users, provide a diverse array of topics, engage other tasteful pinners and re-pin their findings.
Click here to get some ideas to get you started.
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Reminders
Register Your Child For Summer Camp!
Openings are still available for Summer Camp at both Pinelands Center and Aldersgate. Registration is EASY! You can register online using a credit card, download a paper registration form, or a campership application at www.gnjumc.org/camps. You can also call the Pinelands Center, (609) 893-3354, and they will mail you as many brochures and forms as you would like for both camps.
Bread for the World: New Jersey “Offering of Letters” Workshop
Saturday, September 8, 2012, 9 AM – 12:30 PM
9 AM Registration, Refreshments, Resource Tables, Networking
9:30 AM Program
Where: Catholic Charities – Diocese of Trenton
383 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08618
(convenient parking lot in back of the building – room on 2nd floor)
Who - Both Lay & Clergy church leaders interested in helping people who face hunger
Purpose - To enable leaders to lead Bread for the World “Offerings of Letters” to their members of Congress on behalf of people who face hunger. After the training, people are encouraged to lead Offerings of Letters in their churches, Sunday schools, youth groups, church organizations, meetings, college campuses, CROP Walks, dinners, picnics, confirmation classes, Bible studies, women’s or men’s groups, etc.
Sponsors (as of May 2012):
Presbytery of Monmouth
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton
Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministries of NJ
Trinity United Methodist Church, Highland Park, NJ
Sponsorship simply means the sponsor has pledged to invite people to attend.
Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. By changing policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, we provide help and opportunity far beyond the communities where we live. Bread for the World is a 501(c)4 organization.
Christian churches around the country have partnered with Bread for the World, including the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Donations may be made through UMCOR Advance #982325, visit online at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/hunger/action/
Bread for the World
425 3rd Street SW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20024
(800) 82-BREAD and/or www.bread.org
DVDs of Main Services Available for Purchase
2012 Journal Order Form Available on Conference Website
Drew Theological School Offerings
Summer Music Institute
Mark Your Calendars...
Drew Theological School
Summer Music Institute 2012
Thursday & Friday, July 26 - 27, 2012
Mark your calendars for this exciting two-day institute
specially designed for church musicians and worship leaders!
Keynote Speaker: Mark Miller
Director of Music and Assistant Professor of Church Music, Drew Theological School
You're Invited to...a Praise Party!!
What if our invitations to worship in our local church sounded like this one, inviting everyone to a praise party? Would people come expecting to sit quietly in their pews and sing softly out of hardbound hymnals and pray with hands folded and heads bowed. Or would they come ready to shout, laugh, dance, cry-and sing with mouths wide open and voices raised in a community roused by joyful choirs and worship leaders? This year's Summer Music Institute will feature engaging and exciting techniques of song leading, liturgical design and aesthetics that renew our passion for worship. Worship that is focused on a Holy Spirit-filled, Justice-driven liturgy, Our hope is that the worship at SMI will create and model for its participants an intentionally diverse community passionately welcoming all people.
Plenary Sessions with Mark Miller: "Spiritual Singing: Rehearsing for Divine Encounter" The SMI plenary sessions will focus on rekindling a passion for worship through congregational & choral singing, and emphasize the embodied experience. 'Spiritual' singing is to be present in the moment. We are not preparing for a performance so much as we are making ourselves available to be moved by the Spirit. We recognize in each other our common humanity, and together we transcend our brokenness to create something profoundly beautiful and joyful.
Questions?: Please contact Nancy VanderVeen, Director of Theological Lifelong Learning, at nvanderveen@drew.edu or 973-408-3084, or visit:drew.edu/theological/lifelong-learning/smi
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REGISTER NOW! 2012-2013 Classes without Quizzes
Classes without Quizzes offers seminarians, clergy, and laity the opportunity to explore vital topics that provide relevant and practical information to assist them in their ministries. Workshops will take place on Friday mornings from 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., and refreshments will be provided. For more information and to register, visit drew.edu/theological/continuing-education/classes-without-quizzes.
Schedule of Presentations for Fall 2012 - Spring 2013:
September 21, 2012
"Church Revitalization: Roadmap to Renewal"
- Rev. Douglas W. Ruffle, PH.D, Coordinator, Congregational Development, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
October 26, 2012
"Dealing with Anger in the Church"
- Rev. Dr. Charles McNeil, Retired UM Clergy, Psychotherapist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Adjunct Professor, Drew Theological School
November 16, 2012
"Youth Ministry and Gen M: A New Way of Being Church?"
- Rev. Tanya Linn Bennett, PhD., Director of the Chapel & Religious Life and University Chaplain, Drew Theological School
February 22, 2013
"Developing Leadership within the Church"
- Rev. Douglas W. Ruffle, PH.D, Coordinator, Congregational Development, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
March 15, 2013
"Learning Forgiveness"
- Rev. Dr. Charles McNeil, Retired UM Clergy, Psychotherapist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Adjunct Professor, Drew Theological School
April 19, 2013
"Church Legal Issues and Snares: What You Need to Know"
- Rev. Dr. Robert E. Costello, Gateway South District Superintendent, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
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REGISTER NOW! 2012 – 2013 Seminary Saturdays
The Seminary Saturdays program at Drew offers churches and individuals the opportunity to gain perspectives beyond the local church. Each Saturday morning session will offer one workshop on a spiritual topic and one on a theological topic. The seminars run from 9:00 a.m. – 12 noon with a continental breakfast from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. For more information and to register, visit drew.edu/theological/lifelong-learning/seminary-saturdays
October 6, 2012
Theological: The Ones Returning: Ruth, Naomi, and Immigration Anxiety in Ancient Israel
Dr. Danna Nolan Fewell, Professor of Hebrew Bible
Spirituality: Spirituality of Waiting
Cynthia Bailey Manns, Spiritual Director and Coordinator of the Spiritual Formation Certification Program
November 3, 2012
Theological: Religion, Violence, and Peace-Making
Rev. Dr. Wesley Ariarajah, Professor of Ecumenical Theology
Spirituality: Speaking about Faith: How to Create and Deliver Inspiring Spiritual Presentations
Diane Carr, Adjunct Instructor of Pastoral Theology
December 1, 2012
Theological: Prison's Collateral-Impact: Ministering to the Children and Family of the Incarcerated
Dr. Elias Ortega-Aponte, Assistant Professor of Afro-Latina/o Religions and Cultural Studies
Spirituality: Christian Sacred Space
Rev. Dr. Jun Yoshimatsu, United Methodist clergy, Scholar in Art & Religious Studies
February 2, 2013
Theological: Many Paths toward One God?: Christian Theology and Religious Pluralism
Dr. Hyo-Dong Lee, Assistant Professor of Theological Philosophy
Spirituality: Spirit and Cosmopolis
Rev. Dr. Sharon Betcher, Professor of Theology, Affiliate, Fellow in Teaching and Research, Vancouver School of Theology
March 2, 2013
Theological: Back to Orals: Bible Talk, Bible Walk
Dr. Althea Spencer-Miller, Assistant Professor of New Testament
Spirituality: Eco-Spirituality
Dr. Laurel Kearns, Associate Professor of the Sociology of Religion and Environmental Studies
April 6, 2013
Theological: What's Trustworthy Leadership: Confidentiality vs. Keeping Secrets
Rev. Dr. Traci West, Professor of Ethics and African American Studies
Spirituality: Children & Spirituality
Sherri Shumate, Adjunct Professor of Christian Education
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