April 21, 2022
2022 Fund Balance Reports for 2021
Reminder to Finance Chairs and Pastors: Fund Balance Reports are due in the district office by May 1.

Form: PDF | Word doc
Office hours: April 25-28
There will be no set office hours the week of April 25-28 while Penny Story, Administrative Assistant, is on vacation. If you should need assistance, please contact District Superintendent Nancy Johnston Varden at the office number or her email address located at the bottom of this eNews.
Lay Servant Ministry offerings in the TWK Conference
A Lay Servant is an active, supportive member of a United Methodist congregation who is eager to be in ministry through the church. Lay Servant Ministries offer many options for serving in roles other than the traditional pulpit supply. See the following links for upcoming courses. You may attend classes in any district.

Disaster Case Manager needed - deadline extended to May 6
Our TWK Conference is seeking a Disaster Case Manager (DCM). The DCM position works with individuals and families who are recovering from disasters throughout the geographic area under the TWK Conference’s guidance.

Damage from recent Storms?
Please contact the district office as soon as possible to report any damage to your church and/or community so disaster response crews can be deployed where most needed. See contact information at the bottom of this newsletter.
TWK Annual Conference 2022 | "The River of Life Unites Us"
June 15 - 17, 2022
We are roughly three months away from Annual Conference 2022 to be held in person at Brentwood UMC from Wednesday, June 15 through Friday, June 17. A preliminary schedule and submission guidelines for reports and resolutions is available. The deadline for reports and resolutions is April 18. Our theme this year, "The River of Life Unites Us," is a celebration both of the various rivers that unite us geographically and the life that is collectively ours in Jesus Christ.

DELEGATES: if you did not receive an email from the Conference Office on April 4, please let the district office know. See contact information at the bottom of this newsletter.

Stephen Ministry Training
Stephen Ministry training is a unique opportunity to empower lay people to use their gifts to provide companionship for a person who is hurting. Fulton First and Hickman First are working together to begin a training class in May for people who feel called to be a Stephen Minister.

It's time to register for DayShore Summer Camp
McCracken County:
McCracken County UMCs will be hosting DayShore Summer Camp again! This year's event will be held June 6-10 at Lone Oak UMC. DayShore is a camp that is put on by Lakeshore Camp Counselors. Be sure to register your kiddos so they won't miss out on the fun!

Calloway County:
DayShore Summer Camp is coming to Calloway County June 13-17 at Murray First UMC! This DayShore camp experience will be for rising Kindergarten through rising 8th graders and will run from 7:30 AM-5:30 PM each day. Print off the registration form at the link below and send to Murray First UMC, Attn: Colin Moore, 503 Maple Street, Murray, KY 42071. Register by May 1st for the Early Bird cost of $50 per child. If you have any questions about DayShore at Murray First UMC, contact Colin Moore at 270-753-3812 or kids@murrayfirst.org. 
Our Disaster Response Trailer is going to get an overhaul!
Pictured here is one of the Conference Disaster Response Trailers that, thanks to Bill Carr, got towed to the District Office this week. We are planning on giving the trailer a makeover and update. Thanks to a great idea from Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Robert Craig, we are going to fit the trailer out to be a Site Tool Trailer for our area Recovery efforts. We also plan to get our new logo to adorn the trailer. This will be a great asset as teams begin to come into our area.

All of this is possible because of generous giving from churches in our District and throughout the UMC Connection! Recovery Funds so far have been committed to two area Long Term Recovery Committees (our funds supported a matching grant as well that doubled the impact of the giving) and helped in the Graves County Cluster Building Blitz. Also, as UMCOR Disaster Recovery Counselors start to get on the ground we will be able to support more families and individuals trying to rebuild with your generous giving.

If you have a youth group of young-at-heart group that would like to help with some of the trailer work and set up please contact Nancy or Penny at the District office. We will also need those with tow ability that are willing to take the trailer to needed sites to sign up to be on a call list as groups begin coming to our area.
UPDATE: 2022 Connectional Commitments and Direct Billing payments
Attn: Treasurers -- information concerning online payments and new billing address

Event Reminders
Deadlines
  • Anita Padgett Music Scholarship: apply by April 30 | Details
  • Fund Balance Reports due by May 1
Tornado Relief: how you can help
A list of ways to help can be found on the on the TWK website at
Check Out Our District Links
What's Happening Beyond the District?
What's Happening in our Local Churches?
For more details, click the links in the boxes below.
Need a church address? Click Here
Online Worship Opportunities | Link
How to Submit News

Email submissions to purchasedistrict@twkumc.org by the Thursday prior to the week you would like the information featured.
The mission of the Purchase District is to discover, equip, connect and send lay and clergy leaders to join Christ's transforming, disciple-making work in and for the world.
Purchase District of The United Methodist Church
270-527-8282 | 2285 Jack Treas Road, Kirksey, KY 42054

Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. | Friday-Sunday closed

Purchase District

Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
Your District Staff
Rev. Nancy Johnston Varden
District Superintendent
Penny Story
Administrative Assistant
Unsubscribing from this email will cause all other electronic communications from the district to cease.
District clergy and those in local church leadership positions are urged to not unsubscribe.