2023 Lay Servant Ministries & Certified Lay Ministry
Check out the
dates & registration for the 2023 classes.
Clergy Mental Health Retreat - May 18
In a season of high anxiety, we realize that those called to meet the needs of others are in need themselves. To help address the needs of our clergy, the South Georgia Conference Clergy Mental Health Task Force is putting together a series of retreats to support clergy in their mental health. The first retreat, Anxiety: Enemy or Ally, is set for May 18 from 10am-4pm at
Wesley Gardens in Savannah, Ga. Led by Jason Mehl and Christian Swails, this one-day retreat will focus on what anxiety is and is not, how to work through anxiety, and how to speak to fear. The cost for this event is $20 (lunch is included). To register, click here:
https://sgaumc-reg.brtapp.com/ANXIETYEnemyorAlly. Please note: this retreat will be capped at 30 participants. Additional clergy retreats are being planned for the Fall.
Called Annual Conference Session – May 21
A special called session of the annual conference has been set for Sunday, May 21, 2023. The meeting will begin at 4 pm using the Zoom Webinar platform in conjunction with an online voting system. The sole purpose of the special called session of the Annual Conference is to complete the process of ratifying the current requests for disaffiliation of local churches who have met the requirements outlined in ¶2553 of the Book of Discipline and who have met the published South Georgia Conference deadlines.
Click here for more information.
Annual Conference Session – June 4-6
The 2023 South Georgia Annual Conference session will be held Sunday, June 4, 2023, through Tuesday, June 6, 2023. The conference theme will be:
When They Prayed, based on Act 4:31.
Click here for full Annual Conference details.
SUMMER CAMP!!
Camp Connect, the camping ministry of the South Georgia Conference, gives children and youth from rising 4th grade through rising seniors in high school the opportunity to spend a week away from normal everyday life in the beauty of God’s creation. Diving into scripture and sharing life stories will show campers they are created in God’s image and for a purpose.
Five camps are scheduled for the summer; one week for high school students; two weeks for middle school students and two weeks for elementary students. Held at Epworth By The Sea on St. Simons Island, the week-long camps run from June 12 through July 21. Our prayer is that every camper will have the opportunity to encounter Christ in a powerful, life-changing way during their week at camp! For more information, visit
www.campconnectumc.org.
2023 United Women in Faith Mission u – July 14-16
Each year, United Women in Faith members and friends prepare for faithful living and action by engaging in transformative educational experiences at its annual Mission u retreat. This year’s retreat is set for July 14-16, 2023, at Epworth By The Sea on St. Simons Island. Mission u is centered around curricula designed to motivate, inform, and enrich the UWF’s commitment to global ministry. Click here to register and learn more.
2023 Georgia Pastors School – July 17-20
Georgia Pastors School is set for July 17-20, 2023, at Epworth by the Sea on St. Simons Island. This spiritual formation event for pastors will feature Rev. Juanita Rasmus, co-pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, TX, and Johnny Sears from The Upper Room as this year’s teachers. To register and for more information, visit
www.georgiapastorsschool.org.
Lay Planter’s Training - Fall 2023
Here in South Georgia, we are seizing the opportunity to start new things for new people in new places. We are seeing a resurgence of grassroots efforts among our laity to dive deeply into disciple-making using new models for church planting like home churches, fresh expressions and more. Can you imagine what it will be like in a few years when laity across the conference will be engaged in leading discipleship efforts across the conference? These discipleship groups and home churches will be able to meet in all kinds of places, made up of all kinds of people. Coming up on July 22, we will have an informational zoom session to find out more about an online Lay Planter’s Course we will be offering this Fall to interested laity. Coming to the meeting doesn’t commit you to the course; it’s an opportunity to hear more about it.
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