6 Florida United Methodist Review Online

Opportunities

Festival of Light welcomes millennium

Where will you be when this century becomes the new millennium? The Florida Conference Council on Ministries’ Spiritual Formation office is sponsoring the "Festival of Light" New Year’s Eve Millennium Celebration Dec. 31 at the Life Enrichment Center (LEC) in Leesburg.

The event is designed to be a time of spiritual renewal at the beginning of the millennium. In addition to candlelit prayer labyrinth walks, there will be spiritually-centered workshops and lectures, a candlelit path of silence and dinner, a Night of Miracles service with communion, and a breakfast buffet.

The celebration is open to everyone, especially singles. Child care is available.

The cost is $25 per person in advance and $35 at the door, $12.50 for children 6 to 12 years old and free for children 5 years old and younger. There are additional charges for dinner, breakfast, child care and accommodations at the LEC. For more information, contact Margaret Carter in the Spiritual Formation office, at 1-800-282-8011, extension 148, or MCarter@flumc.org or the Rev. Patricia Brown, director of Spiritual Formation at 407-657-2672, or PBrown@spiritworks.org.

Health and wholeness ministers gather in Orlando

Clergy and laity involved or interested in ministries relating to heath and spirituality are invited to attend the 1999 "Tending His Sheep" Health and Wholeness Conference Oct. 16 at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando. The theme for this year’s event is "Increasing Ministry Outreach Through Health and Spirituality."

More than 50 presenters and exhibitors will attend, including representatives from successful congregational care and outreach ministries and community organizations from across the Florida Conference. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about ministries for individuals who are deaf and developmentally or physically disabled, church-sponsored health care centers, mental illness, adult day cares and AIDS.

Dr. Robert Howerton from the General Board of Global Ministries will present the sermon at the day’s worship service.

Contact hours for registered and licensed practical nurses will be offered.

The cost is $25, which includes breakfast and lunch. The deadline for registration is Oct. 1. Hotel rooms in Orlando have been blocked for group rates. For more information, contact Donna Barley at 407-876-6728, or dbarley367@aol.com; Toni Parrish at 941-355-0815, or THPdeaf@aol.com; or June Johns at 407-452-8783.

Short Bites

Florida United Methodist Volunteers in Mission will hold its annual convocation rally Sept. 17-19 at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg. Workshops include team leader training, disaster response and cultural sensitivity. The cost for the event is $75 per person. For more information, contact Louise Lee, registrar, at 941-936-7965.

Don’t Forget…

The 1999 Discipleship Weekend, Sept. 24-26 at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg. It offers 48 workshops and classes in the areas of children, youth, adult, outreach and education ministry; teacher certification; personal nurture; and leadership. The registration deadline is Sept. 10. Contact Carol Sue Hutchinson, the conference’s director of Discipleship Ministries, at 1-800-282-8011, extension 141, or CHutchinson@flumc.org.

The "Adventures in Orlando" Singles Expo, Oct. 1-3 in Orlando. It features worship, workshops, exhibits by vendors, displays by single adult ministries and recreational activities at Orlando area attractions. Accommodations are available at the Caribe Royale Resort Suites. Registration for the full event is $108. For more information, contact Arlene Shannon, Singles Expo Registrar, at 407-876-4991, extension 236, or ashannon@st.lukes.org.