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Rev. Peggy Paige, Superintendent of the Port Huron District, was a delegate to the recent  General Conference of the United Methodist Church. Following are some of the highlights as printed in the Port Huron district newsletter.

• Budget for 2009-2012 was set at $642 million – a 4.8% increase with four main areas of focus:
• Developing principled Christian Leaders.
• Creating new congregations and renewing existing ones.
• Ministries with the poor.
• Improving global health.
• A Hymnal Revision Committee will bring a proposed hymnal to the 2012 General Conference.
• General Conference upheld the status quo on sexuality issues retaining its stance that homosexual practice is “incompatible with Christian teaching” while affirming that all people are “individuals of sacred worth created in the image of God.
• The Book of Discipline also remained unchanged regarding pastoral authority over church membership.

Clergy issues:

• Mandatory retirement age for clergy was raised from 70 to 72.
• Clergy may retire after 30 years of service rather than 35.
• Bishops may grant sacramental authority to a deacon if an elder is not present. Study around the ordering of ministry was continued.

Since writing my last article, some rather significant events have taken place:

• I became a grandpa! As most of you know, Noah was born on February 11, and after quite a scare because of a seizure, he is home and growing like a weed. I am thankful for medical knowledge, but I am deeply grateful for so many of you who prayed, and for our God Who heals. There is a connection within the United Methodist Church, especially when it comes to prayer!
• Many of us gathered in Escanaba on March 1 for ES2, when over 3,000 United Methodists gathered in 13 districts across the state to hear inspired preaching and attend workshops on Stewardship and Evangelism. Bishop Keaton was at every district…. by DVD!
• We celebrated Easter in all of our churches on March 23. Yet, for Christians, every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus!
• It was decided on April 5 that the United Methodists in Michigan would not become the Great Lakes Conference, but would remain as two: Detroit and West Michigan.

All of us have significant events taking place in our lives. Some of these events bring blessing, while others bring fear; some events bring inspiration, while others bring yawns; some events bring a smile, while others bring disappointment.

Yet, in all of the events of our lives, significant or routine, God is with us!

God desires that we make every day count:

• Whether it is Easter, or “just” another Sunday, let us praise our Risen Lord;
• Whether or not the bishop calls us together for a day on stewardship and evangelism, let us be faithful in giving and witnessing;
• Whether or not it is an emergency, let us pray for one another;
• And, whether we are one conference or two, let us always focus on making disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world!

Let us help people know Christ personally, in order to grow in Him, so they can serve Him for life!

Some days may seem better than others, yet, they are all opportunities to make a difference for Jesus Christ!

As I stand in the check-out lines of various “marts” and grocery stores, I become amused while reading some of the headlines of the many magazines that are displayed next to the gum, candy bars and travel toothbrushes. Some of the headlines assert that Jesus was an alien who was taken away in a UFO. Others expose the “untold” details about the latest romantic scandals involving celebrities. Still others declare that their special diet will easily cause you to lost 30 pounds by Christmas!

This thought occurred to me today:  who would we like to see attending worship in our church by this Christmas who is not there now?

For some of us, personally inviting someone to attend worship with us is about as easy as losing 30 pounds. But the results of both can be wonderful!

Here is the September challenge:  prayerfully think of someone in your realm of family, friends and neighbors, and then personally invite them to sit with you in worship on a particular Sunday. Offer to pick them up  Offer to take them out to dinner after worship. Make it a special day!

Who knows?  Maybe by Christmas, they will be active members in your church!

You may become weary of hearing it from me, but I will continue to urge every person in every congregation in the Marquette District to invite… INVITE… INVITE!

It is November. It is a month of voting, hunting, shoveling (not much, hopefully), and most of all – giving thanks. At one of the Church Conferences I led yesterday, the person leading devotions had us sing:  “Count Your Blessings.”

So often in our lives, we fall into the habit of focusing upon what we lack and dwelling upon the negative, rather than giving thanks to God for all of the blessings God and others have provided. So often in our congregations, we fall into the habit of focusing on what we lack, rather than looking on whom we have and what we have. We have each other! But more than that, we have a Savior!!

As an individual, or maybe even a congregation, why don’t we verbalize the words from the chorus to the song I experienced yesterday:  

Count your blessings,

Name them one by one.

Count your many blessings,

See what God has done.

If we fall into the habit of counting our blessings, I believe that our outlook on personal and congregational life will drastically improve!

I dare you to prove me wrong by trying it out!!