Pastors Get a Head Start for a Right Start

Pastors from across the Rio Texas Annual Conference gathered this week at Coker United Methodist Church in San Antonio for the first annual Right Start event. Pastors who are moving to new appointments in July were invited to the two-day workshop designed to help prepare them for leaving one appointment and beginning a new one.

The event opened with worship and included talks from district superintendents, conference staff, and other conference leaders. Pastors gained information and insight through talks on leaving congregations well, starting well at new congregations, and caring for one’s self and family during transition. Participants also had the opportunity to meet in affinity groups with pastors facing similar transitions.

Laura Merrill, Executive Director of the Mission Vitality Center, was involved in the planning for the event. "This time together was a gift," she said. "As pastors in itinerant ministry, it's important for us to draw wisdom and comfort from each other. I hope our sharing at Right Start will encourage and build up this body for fruitfulness in our communities."

The event concluded with reflections from Robert Schnase, Bishop of the Rio Texas Conference and a time of worship and Holy Communion. 

Mommy Station at Annual Conference 2017

The 2017 Rio Texas Annual Conference Hospitality Team is proud to announce that our June session will be baby friendly! We are still offering great child care at First UMC, Corpus, but sometimes very little ones do better closer to family. Babies are cute, portable and unlikely to run away, making them perfect attendees during plenary sessions. To make things more comfortable for Rio Texas babies and the moms, dads, and others caring for them, the Hospitality Team is planning a couple of upgrades. 

One is the addition of rocking chairs in the back of the plenary hall. We may have to post bouncers to make sure the chairs do not become napping spots for big people, but hopefully this will be a spot where little ones can be comforted and encouraged to chill out.

A second change is an upgrade to the station provided last year in a separate room for nursing moms. This year the Mommy Station will be located in the plenary hall itself, to allow for more convenience and the ability for moms to still hear the action. The station will include comfortable seating, a microwave and refrigerator. 

Sometimes babies have just had it with conference and need to take a walk outside. (Don't we all?) But while they're in session, we want to make their presence as easy as possible. Your Hospitality Team looks forward to greeting both babies and attendees of all ages on June 7 in Corpus Christi!

Clergy Needed for 2017 Annual Conference Clergy Choir

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Conference introduces VIM Coordinator

Frank Rojas is the new VIM Coordinator for the Conference

The Office of Outreach Vitality, Mission Vitality Center of the Rio Texas Annual Conference is excited to announce and welcomes the service of Frank Rojas as the Rio Texas Conference Volunteer-In-Mission (VIM) Coordinator. Frank is a long-time active member of Bethany UMC, Austin. He has directed United Methodist Army Youth mission teams as well as VIM trips to Cuba. Frank brings to this work a heart and passion for missions, social justice, and great interest in the organizational development of Volunteer-In-Mission ministry in the conference. 

A volunteer position, the VIM Coordinator serves as a focal point for equipping disciples in growing in relationships and partnerships with communities around the world; growing partnerships between UMC and agencies that are active in local communities; and aiding church teams grow “In Mission Together” (50/50) events that leverage assets in local communities and bless all involved by developing strong collaborative partnerships. The vision is that missions are directly linked to each member’s calling and their discipleship walk with God. This work will be carried out by the conference VIM committee composed of VIM coordinators from each district. 

To learn more about the In Mission Together process, see:http://www.umcmission.org/Get-Involved/Partnerships/In-Mission-Together. 

Frank Rojas can be reached at frank6591@gmail.com / 512.422.0210. 

Texas Conference Representatives meet with El Valle District

The El Valle District recently hosted representatives from six Texas Annual Conference United Methodist churches, their Conference Center, and Center for Missional Excellence.  They came to the Texas/Mexico border to meet with representatives from the El Valle District and the Mexican Methodist Church as part of a new TAC Border Partnership Initiative. 

The March 30-April 1 trip is part of a new mission initiative birthed through the TAC Center for Missional Excellence, the El Valle District and General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) Missionary Willie Berman.  The partnership is based on the 50/50 “In Mission Together” program conceived by Global Ministries.  The goal of the partnership is to begin from an asset-based approach rather than a needs-based approach.  Instead of looking to a mission field and asking “what does that community need?”, the partnership asks, “what do I have to share with that community, and what do they have to share with me?” 

In years past, the temptation in mission engagement was to go somewhere and do something FOR someone else.  Now, we are moving to a model of being in ministry WITH another community. 

The 50/50 model looks at both partners as equals and allows both communities to share their gifts and graces together for the Kingdom of God.  Using 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 as a guide, partner churches share their unique talents and callings for ministry.  Ideas for partnerships discussed during this trip were: shared discipleship and training sessions, shared worship experiences, a shared youth camp experience, and assistance with construction of sanctuaries, education buildings, and parsonages.

Churches represented from the Texas Annual Conference included Kirbyville UMC; Faith UMC, Orange; FUMC, Livingston; FUMC, Conroe; FUMC, Humble; and Christ Church UMC, Sugar Land.  Representatives from the Center for Missional Excellence and Lakeview Methodist Conference Center were also in attendance to explore conference-wide partnership possibilities. 

Those from the El Valle District taking part in the visit were Rev. Cindy Layton from El Mesias UMC; Pastor Juanita Martinez from Nueva Vida UMC, Las Milpas and El Paraiso Mission Church; Rev. Amelia Beasley and Cindy Johnson from El Buen Pastor UMC, Brownsville; Rev. J.J. Wicke of First UMC, Weslaco; Roland Pecin, and Susan Hellums the EVD Border Area Mission Coordinator.  Also participating from the Methodist Church of Mexico were Guillermo “Willie” Berman, GBGM Missionary and others, including Pbro. Raul Garcia de Ochoa and Pbro. David Medrano.

Article adapted from TAC article                     

This article was written by Abel Vega, Director of Outreach Vitality, Mission Vitality Center, Rio Texas Conference, United Methodist Church