10 Things I Learned at Annual Conference - stimulating title I know

Well folks,
I went to my first BIG meeting of the Methodists. Yes, my first Southwest Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church! This is where all the Methodists in our conference come together to worship, hash things out, update each other on what’s going on in the global church, and look for ideas to improve our own church homes. It wasn’t as bad as I was led to believe! I’d heard tales of food poisoning, jelly fish and endless meetings, but only experienced one of those. Corpus Christi was beautiful, had a constant breeze and the people were so friendly. So here is my top 10 list of things I learned at my first Annual Conference

#10 Our conference is going to spend the next 6 months raising money for Nothing but Nets. This is our first big push working together to further one of our stated goals “Stamping out the killer disease of poverty by improving health globally.” We can end Malaria if we pull together and help developing nations. We will be starting in Sierra Leone, but that is just the beginning…

#9 Eating a delicious, greasy, fried hamburger and fries at Hurbs might sound like a good idea. It’s not.

#8 Our new Bishop is really funny and seems like a guy you’d want to hang out with. Plus he moved the meetings right along. Good job Bishop Dorff.

#7 As in the rest of society, the churches for the most part, were divided by race. I hate that. How do we fix that?

#6 I’m bringing fruit for the FUMC Austin table next time. Sitting for hours with a big fat bowl of candy in front of you does not make you feel sleek when you go down to the pool later in the day after all the meetings.

#5 Methodists really do like to sing. I love that. And it wasn’t all songs from 1782. We can rock the house!

#4 It was great to see people who disagreed on matters of polity do so with respect and cordiality. Thank you to all who expressed their views in that manner. I wish we could be like that all the time.

#3 If you see jelly fish on the beach why would you get into the water? There is no good reason unless you are just into pain. I am not into pain. I really wish I hadn’t gotten into the water.

#2 This church is very lucky to have Beverly Silas representing us. She serves on the Board of Church and Society. She knows the in’s and out’s of all the policy, people and places that are discussed. Go talk to Beverly if you have questions about the church. She’ll know the answer.

#1 NEVER let your husband exit the house for a long car trip with a RUSH CD hidden on his person. It was bad enough in the early 1980’s but to listen to it now is pure torture.