TEAM FLOWS in Cluster Groups

Exciting "God Things" have been planned and are happening in United Methodist Churches all over the Corbin District. God bless Bishop King and D.S. Terry Faris in providing outstanding leadership for more direct programming and financial resources focused on the needs of our local church congregations. Didn't we all feel the excitement, the enthusiasm and the presence of God during the "Bishop's Hour" in Corbin? From there we had our cluster group planning sessions and we are presently implementing the plans with our "FLOWS" weekends. The cluster group is a great idea because it promotes more connectivity between members in the different churches and makes it possible for our D.S. to minister to our needs directly. Brother Terry, thank you for the time and commitment you have made for your churches.

Congratulations to the Harlan and Corbin cluster groups for their well attended and successful "FLOWS" weekends. I trust we will have many more successes across the District.

Our goal is that we all will have a joyful, enthusiastic and closer walk with God during the "FLOWS" weekend as we learn how to be more effective in fulfilling our five Missional Paths - Fellowship, Learning, Outreach, Worship and Service (FLOWS). However we will each be challenged to build on the momentum once the weekend is over. This will be an opportune time to begin anew to grow our churches in all five areas and to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

One way to help keep the momentum growing, is to empower each other through emphasis on effective teamwork. Effective teamwork requires a good understanding of how people work best together. I want to share some favorite time proven teamwork principles that will help empower us to become more effective teams.

• People need one another, derive identity from one another and benefit from working together.
• A "family" of people who care about and for one another and share a sense of vision and mission can be highly productive.
• Leaders must not only do the right things, they must do things in the right way. How Christians work together is extremely significant.
• Each person has a talent that in some way will benefit the team.
• Training and equipping members as needed is imperative.
• Decisions derived from team participation and consensus will result in team ownership more rapidly than unilateral decisions.
• People can work well together even when they have differences of opinions. They can agree to disagree agreeably.
• Open, loving confrontation is always preferable to hidden agendas and bottled up frustrations.
• Forgiveness is the oil and grease of interpersonal relations.
• Teams need good followers just as much as they need good leaders.
• Recognition for jobs well done builds enthusiasm and confidence.
• Always remember: Together Each Accomplishes More (TEAM).

Fellow United Methodists let us step up and accept the challenge to reject falling back into our regular routines after the "FLOWS" weekend. Together let's keep the enthusiasm going to fulfill the mission of our churches. As United Methodists working together for God and with God we have a divine partnership that is the true essence of Christian teamwork that will make all the difference! "But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33).

God Bless You,
Mike Radford,
District Lay Leader

P.S. Congratulations to the web site team for developing a great UMC web site for the Corbin District.

Congratulations to the United Methodists Men for their recent successful District meeting at Monticello UMC.

Mike and Gale Radford

Footnote from Terry Faris, Corbin D.S.:

Not only is Mike Radford our excellent Corbin District Lay Leader; he is also the Lay Leader of his home church, Monticello UMC in Wayne County. He and his wife, Gale, are vital, growing, and loving servants in their home church, where she is the President of United Methodist Women. They were a vital part of our Wayne County Cluster 'FLOWS' Weekend, and will continue their leadership ministry in the Wayne County Cluster. In the photo, they are standing in front of the new sign for the Monticello UMC. This sign is in loving memory of the late Mr. Frank Taylor, who served as the Head Usher of the Monticello UMC. Frank's love and light for Jesus still shines!