Subject: An Update From Our Discernment Team

 

Greetings in Christ’s Name!
 
The Discernment Team has been working through the summer and would like to share our progress along with ways every member of the congregation can be involved in the process.

PRAYER:

All are encouraged to pray daily for the life of the church. For those interested in a deeper form of prayer involvement, please join our prayer team that is specifically praying through this process. Contact Jill Kimbrough at jillkimbrough@bellsouth.net to join the Discernment Prayer Team. We will have our first prayer service on August 10 in the Chapel at 6:00 pm. We will also have monthly times for prayer and fasting. We encourage fasting beginning Tuesday at sundown until we break our fast together at 5:00 pm in the Chapel on September 14, October 12 and November 9.

 

RESOURCE LIBRARY:

Over the past months, the Discernment Team has been gathering, reading and studying over sixty articles, letters and videos that relate to issues surrounding the United Methodist Church. The link to all of these is now on our website as a resource library available to all members. 

FAQs:

The Discernment Team has assembled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and answers. We will update this list as needed. 

INFORMATION SESSIONS: 

The purpose of these sessions is for the Discernment Team to share information with the congregation related to the current legal option to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church before the end of 2022. The Discernment Team will present facts they have collected to this point. The team will present the same information in all three meetings in order for church members to have a variety of opportunities to attend when convenient. The first session will be recorded for distribution to members not able to attend. Sunday school classes and small groups may also use the video.

 
Information Sessions will be held:
Sunday, August 28 at 6:00 pm in Tyson Hall
Wednesday, September 7 at 6:00 in Tyson Hall
Sunday, September 11 at 9:45 am in Tyson Hall
 
LISTENING SESSIONS:
The purpose of these sessions is for church members to have an opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions with the Discernment Team in person. Church members wishing to speak may sign-up using this link:

If time allows, additional members may sign-up to speak at each meeting. Each speaker will be given 3 minutes at the microphone in order to allow as many speakers as possible over the two sessions. These sessions will not be recorded for distribution.
 
Listening Sessions will be held:
            Sunday, September 18 at 6:00 pm in the Chapel
            Wednesday, September 28 at 6:00 pm in Tyson Hall
 
For those church members wishing to share in writing, all are welcome to use the email address designated for this process at discernment@vhumc.org anytime. 
 
CONTACT US:

We encourage all members to share your thoughts, comments, questions, opinions at discernment@vhumc.org. Questions received will help guide the team in preparing for the presentation during the Informational Sessions.
 
The goal is for the Discernment Team to have a recommendation by October 2022. That recommendation will be presented to the Church Council. If the recommendation is to disaffiliate from the UMC and the Church Council votes in favor of the recommendation, a church conference will be held in order for the entire church membership to vote. The church membership will have the final say regarding disaffiliation from the UMC.

 

For more information, please visit the discernment webpage by clicking the button below. 

In Christ,
 
The VHUMC Discernment Team
 
Becky Crum, Chair
Coker Barton
Stephen Christie
Harry Dinken 
Anna Gualano
Jim Harper
William Hocutt
Kristen Honeycutt
Brad Kimbrough
Kym Prewitt 
Roger Steur 
Mary Beth Templin 

 

{church}  |  2061 Kentucky Avenue, Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35216  |  {ChurchPhone}

Vestavia Hills UMC exists to provide a community where everyone can experience a Christ-Centered Life of Purpose.

 

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