By the time you read this

newsletter I’ll be sitting in

Austin, having breakfast, and

drinking… drinking a cup of

coffee! I know, that should-

n’t seem like such a big deal –

but it is.

For the past 21 days

(since Epiphany Sunday) a

colleague and I have been

practicing what we preach by

utilizing the Daniel Fast. I’ve

fasted before in many ways

and on many occasions. I’ve

even done a complete fast

from anything but water for

three days. I highly recom-

mend the Daniel Fast.

Here it is in a nutshell:

No sugar. No dairy including

eggs, cheese, butter, etc. No

meats: fish, chicken, beef, etc.

No wheat. No preservatives,

colorings, additives. Nothing

made with any components

of the previous ingredients.

Nothing to drink but water

and whole fruit juice. What’s

left? Fruits, vegetables, and

whole grains other than

wheat. That all was okay –

but no coffee? No Coffee?!!

(No teas either just in case

you are thinking “herbal!”)

And lots of staying at home

and not going out to eat! (I

did break-fast when I went

out for three different lunch-

es. I stayed to the menu, but

not so sure about the

preservatives and additives.)

Why? Why would one

fast? First of all, as United

Methodist clergy we vow

that we will practice fasting

and teach it. And second,

because it is a spiritual

discipline. (Maybe those are

in reverse order.) As we

hunger for… coffee… we

have the opportunity to fill

ourselves with God in a way

that we were not doing.

When we read scripture to

fill our hunger we have the

opportunity to hear it with

empty ears.

The reason I chose to fast

in this way at this time was

get reoriented and to have

the opportunity to at least

symbolically stand in solidari-

ty with those who do not

have the luxury of eating

meat, eggs, or cheese for

protein. In a way I think that

CHECK OUT!

part backfired on me as I

looked at the “organic” foods

that are available and the cost

(just think $3.19 for a can of

beans). Which then causes

me to think about how family

economics drives nutrition

and healthy eating. I’ve also

had the opportunity to pray

for children who can’t think

clearly and who are lethargic

because they have not eaten

an adequate breakfast, for

mothers who forage for food

that is economic and healthy,

for men and women strug-

gling to make ends meet and

thus never have any meat.

Now what? The fast is

over. Yes! And I think the

program will stick with me. I

may add one cup (only one!?)

of coffee each morning. Gen-

erally speaking I may have

found a new grounding in

simplicity. I suspect during

Lent the coffee may go away

again (oh no!) as I continue

to see what God has in store.

It is an honor and blessing

to be with you all!

Shalom in Christ,

Ginger

The EZRA Data Man-

agement tool is ready

for your “Church

Checkout” data. Just as

we did in 2012, the Central

Texas Conference (CTC) is

employing the EZRA statis-

tical reporting system from

the General Council of Fi-

nance and Administration

(GCFA) to do the end of

year “checkouts.” The

deadline to enter your

2012 statistical data is

Jan. 31. You may access

the EZRA tool before by

going to ezra.gcfa.org. For

first-time login instructions,

general help guides and/or

tech support information,

visit:

ctcumc.org/checkout2013.

North District

News

From the Spice Cabinet... January 28, 2013

LISTEN UP!

Congratulations to

Marlene Richardson of

Crowley, First UMC.

Marlene is the first

Certified Lay Minister

of the North District

and perhaps of the

CTC!

North Distr ict ,

Central Texas

Annual Conference,

United Methodist

Church

Attention Pastors!

On Friday, February 8th

we will join together for

dinner, a time of fellow-

ship, and a little bit of

learning on the side.

Please participate! We

need all of you there to

make it work. Dinner is

catered by Chef Alan

Lutes; served at Universi-

ty UMC around 6:30 p.m.

Child care is available and

you may dress as you like

- for candlelight supper or

in jeans! Spouses are

encouraged to come.

There will be a table for

them to learn more about

the spouses organization

with JoLynn Lowry and

Todd Evers! This is our

one district dinner for the

year! Please come! RSVP:

ctcNorthDistrict.org

the North District by 4:00

p.m. This is a non-negotiable

deadline. All transcripts,

responses to questions, men-

tor meetings, letter from

your mentor,

psychological exam, Oxford

background

check, charge

conference

approval, letter from your

SPRC, and any other discipli-

nary requirements must be in

your file. Please do not delay!

If you are interested in an

appointment, please make sure you contact Dr. Ginger

Bassford before February 1st!

If you are interested in

becoming a certified

candidate, April 1st is the

deadline to get your folder

completed. In other words,

prior to April

1st you must have your work

and all

documentation

submitted to

Young Adults have until Feb. 15

to apply for Mission Intern pro-

gram. Young adults may now apply

for the 2013 class of Mission Interns

and US-2s. The deadline to submit

application materials for these

long-term mission assignments

through the United Methodist

General Board of Global Ministries is

Feb. 15. Mission Interns commit to

25 months of service, including 20

months of international service,

followed by two and a half months of

integration and interpretation in their

home country. US-2s will continue to

commit to two years of service in the

United States. Young adults are

encouraged prayerfully to consider

applying for these programs if they:

are between the ages of 20 and

30;

have a bachelor’s degree or

equivalent life experience;

feel called to address the root

causes of injustice;

are open to

new settings and

new perspectives;

want hands-

on experience

living in Christian

community; and

feel called to

serve with, not to

or for others.

Organizations interested in being a

placement site are encouraged to

apply before March 24. For more

information and an application, please

e-mail the young adult mission

service office. Please share this

information with any

young people whom

you think might be

interested.

Click here for program

details or visit the

Global Ministries web-

site.

Deadline for scholarship applications to McMurray University is Feb 1. McMurry University’s Honors Program offers academic scholarships up to full-tuition for four years to outstanding incoming freshmen. The deadline for application is Feb.1, 2013. For more information, e-mail Kim Poligala or call (800) 460-2392. To learn more about the Honors Program at McMurry University, visit mcm.edu/honors

Are You Working on Ministry Certification?

Missionary Intern Program

McMurray Scholarship

If you have questions about

candidacy, please check out

our website:

www.ctcNorthDistrict.org

North Distr ict News

Please don’t keep this a secret!

Let your youth know!

Page 2

Verge 2013

Page 3

*ONLY 1 WEEK LEFT! Early Registration RATE ENDS FEB. 1

Francis Chan, David Platt, Matt Carter, Dr. John Perkins, Alan Hirsch, Michael Frost, Jo Saxton,

Dhati Lewis, Neil Cole, Hugh Halter, Mike Breen, Aaron Ivey, Propaganda, & many more! *After FEB. 1st the pricing goes up so REGISTER NOW to take advantage of this price! $129 \ Group Price $159 \ Individual Price

Pre-Conference Intensives

a customized learning experience to help you leave with a strategic

plan and tangible next steps

limited to 12 participants

one-on-one interaction with experienced practitioners

$250

The 2013 Perkins School of Theology Ministers Week is Feb. 4-6. The theme for the 2013 Ministers Week is “Hope for a Restless Church: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Leaders.” All lectures will be held in Perkins Chapel or Elizabeth Per-kins Prothro Hall, at Perkins School of Theology on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Ministers Week begins with registration at 1:30 p.m., Feb. 4, and adjourns at 12:30 p.m., Feb. 6, following closing worship in Perkins Chapel. A list-ing of speaker, registration links, pricing, event details and lodging information are available at smu.edu/perkins/mw. For additional information, call 214.768.2251 or e-mail AdvanceMinistry@smu.edu.

Perkins Ministers Week

Brite Ministers Week Monday, February 18 to Thursday, February 21, 2013 University Christian Church On behalf of the students, faculty and staff of Brite and TCU, we invite you to campus for three days of inspiring worship, thought-provoking lectures, enriching workshops and a world-class organ recital. As in years past, we will be graciously hosted by University Christian Church. Salvation and physical wholeness appear to be linked in much of scripture and the church's tradition. This year's conference explores some of the pastoral challenges encountered in relating salvation and healing. How do we address hidden wounds? What does salvation or healing mean for the chronically ill or those who view their impairments as part of who they are and not some-thing to be healed? Rita Brock examines moral injury; Deborah Creamer considers how Christians have talked about disability; Jeremy Schipper examines healing stories from Hebrew scripture in light of disability studies; Anthony Bailey brings his background in parish ministry, community transformation, and pastoral counseling to the Wells Sermons. This event is a gift from Brite and TCU, there is no general registration fee; however, pre-registration is encouraged, as we

anticipate a large attendance. We look forward to seeing you at Ministers Week 2013! http://www.brite.tcu.edu/

VERGE www.vergenetwork.org

Five Star Mission Award Each year at Annual Conference, the

Central Texas Conference recognizes churches who have successfully

ministered in five foundational mission ways . . . 100% connectinal mission giving, a contribution of some

size to a United Methodist missionary, local mission ministry, mission education, and giving to an Advance

giving opportunity. The application for the 2013 awards can be found on the Central Texas Conference

website CLICK HERE The application deadline is April 15. If you have questions about the Five Star

Award, please contact Rev. Dawne Phillips at dawnephillips@ctcumc.org.

Saturday, February 16, 2013 from 9am-7pm @Saginaw UMC Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course by Sandy and Brian Jackson (required for Certification as Local Church Lay Servant) Cost: $15.00 (includes participant's book, coffee/tea, snacks and Subway sandwich lunch) Course led by Pam Phinney, North District Director of Lay Servant Ministries Registration @ 817-271-6372 or pamphinney@hotmail.com Saturday, March 23, 2013 from 9am-7pm @Joshua UMC Advanced Course - Afire with God by Betsy Schwarzen-traub Certification for Certified Lay Servant (prior completion of Basic Course required) Cost: $19.00 (includes participant's book, coffee/tea, snacks and Subway sandwich lunch) Course led by Pam Phinney, North District Director of Lay Servant Ministries Registration @ 817-271-6372 or pamphinney@hotmail.com Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 9am-7pm @Saginaw UMC Advanced Course - Dancing with Words by Ray Buckley Certification for Certified Lay Servant (prior completion of Basic Course required) Cost: $18.00 (includes participant's book, coffee/tea, snacks and Subway sandwich lunch) Course led by Pam Phinney, North District Director of Lay Servant Ministries Registration @ 817-271-6372 or pamphinney@hotmail.com

Please register for classes at least one week before scheduled date if possible so that the participant's book can be sent to you prior to the class. Checks for the classes should made to: North District UMC Call Pam if you are interested in leading a class at your church ... and keep watching the newsletter for additional classes as they are offered.

Five-Star Mission

Lay Servant Ministries Courses

(formerly called Lay Speaking)

Are you engaged in

service to God and to

others?

North Distr ict News

Page 4

Please help get the news out

and connect with others!

Time is running out to take advantage of Glen Lake Camp’s early bird special! Register and pay in full for Summer Camp 2013

before February 1st and receive a $20 Cashcard to use on Glen Lake memorabilia, snacks and crafts!

Registration can be completed online at glenlake.org/summer

Glen Lake Camp

Perkins announces Hispanic-Latino/a Lay Missioner & Pastor/Mentor training. The Perkins School of Theology is offering a bilingual training module for laypersons and their pastor/mentors who wish to participate in Hispanic-Latino/a ministries as a part of the National Plan for Hispanic-Latino/a Ministry. The training is part of the National Plan for Hispanic-Latino/a Ministry of The United Methodist Church and provides participants with the experience of practical curriculum and guidelines for use in the development of ministries with Hispanics-Latinos/as. For information, costs and registrations, visit the SMU Perkins website.

Racial/Ethnic Minority Summer Internship application deadline is Feb. 1. Deadlines have been announced to apply for a 2013 Ethnic Young Adult Social Justice Summer Internships. The summer internship, which runs May 29 - Aug. 3, is for young adults, ages 18-22, and rep-resents the five ethnic minority caucuses of The United Methodist Church: Native Americans, Pacific-Islanders, Hispanic/Latinos, African-Americans and Asian-Americans. Applicants must be full members in The United Methodist Church. The application dead-line for those living in the U.S. is Feb. 1. To read more about the internships, click here. More details and application forms in both

Educational Opportunities - Alban Institute

Daunting organizational issues standing between your congregation and its mission?

Tackle them this year with the help of experienced Alban consultants. Which of these learning events can help you better focus resources and passion on mission?

Budgeting, Investments, and Financial Leadership in Congregations Leader: Dan Hotchkiss, Alban Senior Consultant and Author February 19-20, 2013, Doubletree Airport Hotel, Nashville, TN

Stepping up to Staffing and Supervision Leader: Susan Beaumont, Alban Senior Consultant and Author March 5-7, 2013, Doubletree Airport Hotel, Nashville, TN OR Same Event October 1-3, 2013, Hilton Gardens Airport Hotel, Phoenix, AZ

Strategic Planning in Congregations Leader: Dan Hotchkiss, Alban Senor Consultant and Author April 16-18, 2013, Doubletree Airport Hotel, Cincinnati, OH

Raising the Roof: The Pastoral-to-Program Size Transition in Congregations Leader: Alban Consultant Sarai Rice July 16-17,2013, Doubletree Airport Hotel, Cincinnati, OH

Inside the Large Congregation Leader: Susan Beaumont, Alban Senior Consultant and Author October 29-31, 2013, Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale, AZ

Educational Opportunities

Page 5

March 12-14/2013—workshop led by Rev, Dr. Leanne Hadley on "Understanding the Spiritual Development and Healing of Children and Teens.” Rev. Dr. Hadley is a nationally recognized leader in this area of faith development.

Christian Educators Fellowship Spring Lunch to be held on Thursday, March 14 from 12:00 noon - 2:00 PM immediately follow-ing the Hadley workshop. The 3-day workshop is open to any Central Texas Conference educators who want to attend only this session at no charge. The topic for the lunch session will be "Ways of Including Children in Worship." For more infor-mation please CLICK HERE.

Educational Opportunities - Keller, First UMC

What are you learning

that is brand new? Are

you being challenged

by a new learning?

How have you grown

in the past month?

The past year?

Director of Youth Ministries

Alliance UMC, a young, active congregation in far north Fort Worth, is seeking a part time Director of Youth Ministries. This position re-quires an energetic, organized person with a passion for youth minis-try to organize and facilitate all facets of ministry with and for youth from 7th grade to 12th grade. This ministry touches the life of the entire congregation including fellowship, worship, discipleship, mis-sion, and evangelism. Thus, the Director of Youth Ministries may be engaged in each of these areas as they relate specifically to youth and their families. If interested, please contact Rev. Jim McClurg at (817)581-1688 or aumc.pastor@att.net.

Group Leaders, it is VITAL that

you register YOURSELF as soon as

possible so you will begin to

receive a weekly report of

everyone from your group who has

signed up. Please download and

print out 8 Steps to Online

Registration (also found on the

front page of the CTCYM web-

site). This guide to online

registration will be helpful to you,

your youth, and their parents, as

CTCYM Individual Registration

opened 01/01/13! If your group is

signed up for CTCYM 2013, your

individual participants may

now go online and register - - it

takes 5 minutes or less! Youth will

need to be registered by their

parent/guardian; adult participants

may of course register themselves.

Go to the CTCYM website to

register: www.ctcym.org

you all complete the registration

process.

Group Registration closed on

01/13/13.

Please do not hesitate to contact

MaDora Ratliff with any questions:

817-877-5222 or

madora@ctcumc.org.

CTCYM Individual Registration

P.O. Box 67

(driving) 1421 Sloan St.

Weatherford, TX 76086

817-599-9541

(fax) 817-599-9547

NorthDistrict@ctcumc.org

Tweet: @NorthDistrict

Equipping and Energizing Local

Congregations

North Distr ict ,

Central Texas

www.ctcNorthDistrict.org

Prayer Concerns

Employment Opportunities

Mary Gean Cope’s (Crowley First UMC) mother - broken hip

Stephen Schmidt (Grace, Copperas Cove) - daughter Samantha is

hospitalized with a blood clot in her lung.

Ken Bergeron

Jim Olney

Reed Justus - Major surgery this past week

Bob and Mary Weathers on the death of her granddaughter

Remember to mark your calendars! April 27th

- Financial workshop with Clif Christopher author, teacher, and expert on helping

churches get fiscally fit! Acton UMC.