Report of the Council on Ministries for the Charge Conference

We have had another busy and exciting year at Friendship United Methodist Church. The Council on Ministries began the year with a Planning Retreat. This was held at the Breckenridge’s cabin at Kirkland Creek. We again thank them for the use of their beautiful location.

Our evangelism programs continued successfully with local advertising daily on WGMK-FM radio and weekly newspaper ads in the Donalsonville News. We used materials from the Igniting Ministries campaign with local modifications. This was our second year of advertising and it seems to have been noticed throughout the community. We received an Igniting Ministries grant from the District office and used the funds to replace the signs on the major roadways entering Donalsonville. We continued for a second year our “Muggers” campaign. Every first-time visitor to our church is visited at home and is presented with a coffee mug imprinted with our church logo and the Igniting Ministries logo and filled with brochures describing our various areas of ministry. We continue to receive positive feedback from all of these programs.

Friendship UMC was for the second year straight recognized as a “Welcoming Congregation”. This recognition is given after documenting all that we do to welcome visitors. Again, we were among only a few churches in our conference to receive this recognition. This is a recognition that we could have received every year if it had been available. We didn’t have to do anything that we have not always done. For this effort and all the evangelism work we have to give thanks to Jean Trice for her dedication as Evangelism Chairperson.

September marked the one year anniversary of our Way C.O.O.L. Sunday School program. During the summer of 2004 we totally remodeled the upstairs of our Sunday School Building and changed from standard Sunday School curriculum to a rotation model curriculum for our children three years old through the eighth grade. After one year we have had a 20% increase in attendance for children’s Sunday School.

We produced and presented a Passion Play with many members and the choir participating. Two performances were offered to large crowds during Holy Week. Others activities around Easter included an egg hunt for the children at the Reese’s home, a community Sunrise Service, and our second annual “Resurrection” fish-fry on the Sunday following Easter.

We had a weekend Vacation Bible School with 35 children participating. The pastor conducted a confirmation class with 8 participants. Several of these attended a Confirmation Retreat at Epworth-by-the-Sea.

Friendship UMC again had a team participate in the local Relay for Life event. We have had a team every year since this began locally. Our team this year raised over $5000 for the American Cancer Society.

Many of our youth participated in conference sponsored camps and mission projects. The tuition for these and for the Confirmation Retreat was paid for by the United Methodist Men. The men held their second annual Men’s Bake Sale and raised over $3000 which is 100% dedicated for youth activities.

Like I said at the beginning: this has been a very busy and exciting year. I have tried to remember all of our Ministry activities. For those I have forgotten, please forgive me.