Clay Smith, Executive Director of Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville, N.C. spent a wonderful day with the Somerset First UMC and the Corbin District on Saturday, March 5. He led in an informing and inspiring workshop on "Visioning and Planning" in the local church.
The Council on Ministries from the host church dealt with their "Right Stuff," what the Somerset First UMC is doing well in the context of their local community with a clear focus on their 5 priorities and target statements in these areas that are able to be completed and measured by a certain date.
Bernard Shelton of the Somerset UMC is the Director of the Lay Speakers School, and his key helpers are Debbie Long also of the Somerset UMC, and Pat Colwell of the Macedonia UMC.
The Mission of the Church (any and all local churches in any and all denominations) is the same: to make disciples of Jesus Christ, but the Vision of the local church is how to do that in a unique, creative, and effective way in their own community and context. We make disciples of Jesus Christ through the "5 Missional Paths," the "5 Purposes of God," which we call FLOWS (Fellowship, Learning, Outreach, Worship, Service).
Special thanks to the Somerset First UMC for hosting the event and beginning with a continental breakfast and a fellowship lunch. Clay Smith greatly appreciated the hospitality of the host church and the district, as he began the day by receiving one of the "wooden crosses" made by Rev. Earnest Mann of the Wayne County Cluster in the Corbin District.
The other churches represented from across the Corbin District (Harlan, Burnside, Macedonia/Twin Branch, Benham/Cumberland, Middleburg, Sardis Chapel, Mt. Zion/Shady Grove, Liberty, Science Hill) by observing and participating, can now do their own "Visioning and Planning" Workshop.
