This Sunday after worship, Stephanie, Addie and I, as well as Alli and Tim Wall, Wendy Doty, and Jodi Atkinson will be travelling to represent Pittman Park and our District at the 2023 Session of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Tifton, Georgia. The purpose of the Annual Conference Session is to commission, ordain, and deploy pastors, to approve a budget and business items central to our mission of “Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” and to gather clergy and laity together for fellowship, education, and inspiration.

The theme of this year’s Annual Conference Session is “When They Prayed,” based on Acts 4:31, which says: “And when they had prayed, the place in which they gathered together was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” My hope is that our time spent in prayer would lead us to speak the word of God with boldness as well. By spending time with God, that we would gain a new confidence in God’s saving work in us and transforming work through us.

Each day of the Annual Conference Session, we will have a specific focus on prayer:

Sunday: When they prayed like Naomi
When we pray blessings on others, God redeems—Ruth 1:8

Monday: When they prayed like Nehemiah
When we acknowledge our shortcomings, God rebuilds—Nehemiah 1:5

Tuesday Morning: When they prayed like Mary
When we rejoice and give thanks, God reveals—Luke 1:46-56

Tuesday Afternoon: When they prayed like Peter
When we pray boldly, God revives—Acts 9:40

I hope that you will join us in a spirit of prayer for the work of the Annual Conference, and I invite you to spend each day meditating on these scriptures and praying for our church and our work together with churches across South Georgia to advance the Gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ who transform the world.

If you would like more information on the South Georgia Annual Conference, to read the Book of Recommendations and Reports, or to watch the Annual Conference live stream, click here.

One last thing (this is exciting!!)…

During Annual Conference, Pittman Park United Methodist Church will be recognized for having the largest net gain in membership in 2022 and for having the largest number of professions of faith! Thank you for staying focused and for helping us Make Disciples and Transform the World right here in Statesboro! I can’t wait to see how God will continue to grow and stretch us into the future!

God bless,
Jonathan Smith
For Jesus. For People. For Community.