The NM Conference Office will be closed Thursday, November 22nd and Friday, November 23rd for Thanksgiving. We hope you enjoy your time of rest and contemplation of all the good things God has bestowed upon us. The ability to serve you all is certainly among our blessings.

Approximately, 120 youth met at Sacramento for a time of work, community-building, play and worship. They were able to enjoy the new welcome center. Well done, youth and sponsors!

The Holiday Season is fast approaching! With it comes the opportunity to practice actions that support the Resolution passed at this year’s Annual Conference. The Resolution reads:

 

That all Churches in the New Mexico Conference and their members shall be encouraged to reduce or eliminate the use of single-use plastics such as bottled water, grocery bags, straws and eating utensils.

 

There are many ways to support this Resolution in your Church and home. Listed below are some of the many actions we can practice as our part in conserving and preserving God’s gift of creation. 

Click here for the suggestions

Please submit your December tithes to Griselda Sandoval, Conference Treasurer by January 9th. Questions? 505-255-8786, ext. 103.

Todd Salzwedel’s Journey to Ministry and Participation in the Entrepreneurial Pastors Group (Part 1) from TMF.

Rev. Todd Salzwedel, Senior Pastor at FUMC Odessa, came to ministry via economics and fights. It is an unusual combination to say the least, but, for Todd, it was exactly the combination of experiences he needed to be a more effective pastor.

Growing up, Todd’s mom was the spiritual leader of their home. She was passionate about church and was involved as much as possible in the life of their home congregation. During an unfortunate accident, she fell and 12% of her brain died as a result. His mother was no longer able to go to church or lead the way she was accustomed. Todd was only nine. It was a life shattering event that made him question why God would allow something like this to happen? 

As he grew older, he was a self-described angry child, who disassociated himself from church until he was a teenager. As a teen, suddenly, he was being asked to lead the youth group, even though he had never really been a participant. He took on the challenge but was surprised when adults began encouraging him to think about ministry.

Click for the full article

By Andrew Ponder Williams

One of the most consistent presumptions that I encounter when I work with United Methodist congregations of all sizes is that millennials don’t like The United Methodist Church. I believe a deep fear that our local churches don’t have anything to offer my generation is really behind these comments.

The truth is millennials desire and are actively seeking intergenerational and welcoming com-munities of faith. I know firsthand — through experiencing ministries across our connection — that United Methodist congregations have a lot to offer younger people.

Click for the full article