Pray without Ceasing for Mary Hatter

An urgent message from Pres. Jackie Robinson:

Our beloved Mary Hatter and her family need our prayers in a mighty way. Sis. Mischa has just sent an e-mail that she is on a respirator and that she is not doing well. Paul tells us to pray for one another and to pray without ceasing. As you go about your day today, when you take a moment to sip some water or a cup of coffee, lift up Mary Hatter. As you stand in line waiting to handle business, lift up Mary Hatter. As you prepare to pick up the phone to make a call, lift up Mary Hatter. Instead of spending 30 minutes watching a television show, take that time and pray for Mary Hatter and the Hatter family. Call others and ask them to pray with you. We know the prayers of the righteous availeth much. Pray in the Spirit....whatever your Spirit leads you to pray for Mary, Pastor Hatter, her children and grandchildren - but pray without ceasing today for Sis. Hatter.

Reminder: 4th District Planning Meeting

The Bishop's 4th District Planning Meeting will be October 23 - 25, 2008 in Rosemont, IL. See the attached flyer.

(You can click on it to print it out.)

Battle Creek Area Meeting Postponed

The Battle Creek Area Meeting scheduled for Sunday, October 12, 2008 has been postponed per Conference president, Sis. Jacqueline Robinson. The meeting will be rescheduled at a later date. Please watch for upcoming details.

12 Hours in the Throne Room

The Flint Area WMS, as well as all other Areas throughout the 4th Episcopal District, will come together for an Area-wide Prayer Vigil. The date will be determined, but the time is set from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Each church is asked to consecrate 3 hours, and every Local, Area, and District officer, 12 hours.

The schedule for the vigil:

6:00 a.m. - The Hour of Doxology: Believers in Praise

7:00 a.m. - The Hour of Repentance: Believers return to God; for personal sin, for sins of the church, for sins of the nation.

8:00 a.m. - Prayers for the Church: Local, denominational, the persecuted church, Bishops, Pastors, leaders

9:00 a.m. - Hymns of Prayer: Led by Ministers of Music

10:00 a.m. - Teaching on Psalms of Prayer

11:00 a.m. - Teaching on the Lord's Prayer

Noon - Holy Communion: Presiding Elders

1:00 p.m. - Altar Call for the Sick: Women in Ministry

2:00 p.m. - Blessing of Children: (birth to 17 years): Local Pastors

3:00 p.m. - Teaching on Spiritual Warfare

4:00 p.m. - Prayer for the Nations

5:00 p.m. - 100 Men in Prayer

More information will be available at the 4th District Planning meeting in Rosemont, IL, October 23-25, 2008.

We Can Do All Things through Christ...

The 4th Episcopal District Women's Missionary Society, led by Rev. Dr. Cecelia Bryant, will strive to reach the following goals this conference year:

I. At the Women's Global Prayer Convocation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada - August 2009 (more info to come):

• 1000 U.S. registrants
• 500 Canadian registrants

II. Short-term Mission initiatives - 12 to 15 days in:

• India
• Haiti
• Liberia

III. Global Focus: Sudan

IV. District Focus: Pembroke, Illinois - Each Conference will send at least one team for 5 days.

V. Development: Church planting in Canada

VI. Eco-initiatives:

• 1000 trees
• 100 wells
• Urban gardens

VII. Mission Vision:

• 4 schools
• 4 clinics

More information will be available at the 4th District Planning Meeting in Rosemont, IL, October 23-25, 2008.

YPD Winter Leadership Training Institute

September 27, 2008

To: Pastors
Members/Officers of the Young People’s and Children’s Division
Members/Officers of the Women’s Missionary Society

Re: WINTER MEETING, Saturday, December 6, 2008
CRUSADE FOR CHRIST, Sunday, December 7, 2008, 4:00 p.m.

The Young People’s and Children’s Division, Michigan Conference will have their Winter Meeting, Saturday, December 6,2008, at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 535 Cathay, Saginaw, Michigan. On Sunday, December 7, 2008, 4:00 p.m., we will have our December Crusade for Christ, at Bethel, Saginaw.

Registration for the Winter Meeting is $ 30.00, which includes lunch, (see registration blank in this post). We are trying to be travel conscience and have arranged for overnight accommodations with the Hampton Inn, Saginaw. Rooms are available for $ 79.00 and include breakfast Sunday morning. You may contact the hotel directly at (989) 792-7666. Please reference Young People’s Division. The deadline for group rate is November 21, 2008.

Please contact your Area Director, Michael Cousin, YPD president, or myself if additional information is needed.

Growing, Glowing and Going for Christ,

Sis. Rosita Brockington, Director
Bro. Michael Cousin, President
Young People’s and Children’s Division

Tentative Schedule:

Saturday, December 6, 2008
10:00 a.m. - Gathering and registration

10:30 a.m. - Devotional Service

11:00 a.m. - Area Diaspora Leaders reports

Missiona and travel directives

1:00 p.m. - Lunch

2:00 p.m. - Workshops

4:00 p.m. - Winter Executive meeting

6:00 p.m. - Adjourn

Sunday, December 7, 2008
10:45 a.m. - Morning Worship @ Bethel - Saginaw
1:30 p.m. - Dinner (a local restaurant will be selected)
4:00 p.m. - Crusade for Christ

YPD's First Crusade for Christ of the Conference Year

The Michigan Conference Young People's and Children's Division invites you to it's first Crusade for Christ of the Conference year. Bro. Stephen Brumfield, former president of the Michigan Conference YPD, will bring the dynamic message.

Date: Sunday, October 12, 2008

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Location: St. Stephen AME Church - Detroit, MI

YPD Events

Sis. Rosita Brockington, Michigan Conference Young People's and Children's Division Director, has confirmed the following dates for the 2008-2009 conference year:

09.27.08 - Conference YPD Officers' Retreat (Greenfield Inn)

10.04.08 - Election of Central Detroit Area YPD Officers (St. Stephen- Detroit @ 1:00 p.m.)

10.11.08 - Election of Flint Area YPD Officers (Quinn Chapel - Flint @ 12 noon)

10.12.08 - Crusade for Christ (St. Stephen - Detroit @ 4:00 p.m.)

10.18.08 - Election of Ann Arbor Area YPD Officers (Campbell Chapel - Whittaker @2:00 p.m.)

10.19.08 - Election of Niles Area YPD Officers (Union Memorial - Benton Harbor @ 3:00 p.m.)

12.06.08 - Conference Leadership Training Institute (thru 12.07.08, Bethel - Saginaw - $30 registration includes lunch)

12.07.08 - Crusade for Christ (Bethel - Saginaw @ 4:00 p.m.)

05.16.08 - Spring Leadership Training Institute and Self-Denial Banquet (thru 05.17.08, Mt. Zion - Battle Creek)

05.17.08 - Crusade for Christ (Mt. Zion - Battle Creek)

Stay posted for additional Crusades for Christ dates.

Prayer List

Mr. Arnold Clarington was memorialized on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at Greater Quinn AMEC in Detroit. Mr. Clarington was the son of the late Rev. Issac Clarington and Mother Louise Clarington and the brother of Rev. Vivian Clarington.

Mr. Ephraim Curry passed last week in Royal Oak, MI. Mr. Curry was the gradfather of Rev. Gerald Cardwell, pastor of St. John in River Rouge.

We pray for peace and comfort of the families.

Dinner Social Hosted by Newman AME Church

The Men's and Women's Day committees of Newman AME Church in Pontiac invite you to a Dinner Social on October 10, 2008. It will be a fun-filled evening of fellowship and dancing.

Please contact Sis. Valerie Bates for more information at (248) 377-0499 or tboogem@comcast.net. Checks made out to Newman AME Church are due by Sunday, October 5, 2008. Thank you so much for your thoughtful participation.

Area Global Mission Responsibilities

Each area in the Michigan Conference (and throughout the 4th District) have taken on the responsibility for developing and generating resources - both financial and in-kind - for their chosen mission opportunity. Michigan Conference Areas have chosen to work with the following organizations:

- Flint Area: My Sister's Keeper (Mission Work in Sudan)

- Central Detroit Area: Doctors Without Borders

- Ann Arbor Area: Development of AME India

- Battle Creek Area: Health Care for Haiti

- Niles Area: The Green Belt Movement (ecology) Kenya

We will have opportunities for education on the Sudan, the war in Darfur, and how our efforts in local communities can help women and children in the region. See the left sidebar of this blog for news on the Sudan.

Mother Mary Williams Day at Bethel - Flint

The Rawls Missionary Society of Bethel AME Church in Flint invites you to come and be a part of their first Mother Mary Williams Day.

Mother Mary Williams' life and work in the church and the community will be celebrated. Mother Williams was a founding member of Bethel - Flint.

Theme: A Great Woman of Mission
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2008
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Bethel AME Church, 773 E Gillespie Ave., Flint, MI

Please share in this day with the missionaries of Bethel. They would appreciate your presence and financial support. Donations can be mailed to:

Bethel AME Church
P.O. Box 311043
Flint, MI 48531

Sis. Thelma Towner, Chairperson
Mother Rose Henry, President, Rawls Missionary Society
Rev. Darren K. Penson, Pastor

For questions or more information, you may e-mail or call Karen A. Davis, Area Chairperson, for contact information.

A Message from our New Michigan Conference President

September 30, 2008

Dear Pastors, WMS and Michigan Conference Officers,

Greetings is the Mighty and Magnificent name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is with the Joy and the abundant Love of Jesus that we, the Women’s Missionary Society and Young People’s Division of the AME Church, send this communication of introduction.

On August 19, 2008, the Elections for the Michigan Conference WMS were held. Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant, Supervisor of the 4th Episcopal District, presided. Several new officers were elected on that day. The new President is Jacqueline Mitchell Robinson, a long-time member of St. Matthew AME Church in Detroit where Rev. Gloria J. Clark is Pastor. Jackie has served in the WMS and YPD on the District, Conference, Area and local levels of the WMS and YPD. We thank Almighty God for the return of Rosita Brockington as YPD Director. As many of you know, she is a long-time member of St. Stephen AME in Detroit, where Rev. Michael Cousin is Pastor.

It is with joy that we introduce the new 1st Vice President, Joyce Keys Garrison, First Lady of Vernon Chapel AME in Flint. We are blessed to have Joyce Johnson, First Lady of Bethel AME in Detroit, return as 2nd Vice President. And the 3rd Vice President -- also new -- is Tywanna Johnson, who serves faithfully at Oak Grove AME in Detroit.

The Area Chairpersons appointed for the 2008-09 Conference Year are:
Carolyn Graves (Union Memorial AME) returning as Niles Area Chairperson, Karen Davis (Quinn Chapel AME)returning as Flint Area Chairperson, newly appointed Bonita Cowan-Tucker (Bethel AME), Ann Arbor Area Chairperson; and newly appointed Carol Griffin (Ebenezer AME), Central Detroit Area. The Battle Creek Area Chairperson will be in place on or before Oct. 1.

Our Area Chairpersons are excited and on fire for God! We invite you to check out the Flint Area Blog at http://flintwms.blogspot.com and Battle Creek Area Blog at http://battlecreekwms.blogspot.com, where you can receive current information on District, Conference and Area news.

For the first time ever, the Michigan Conference has an elected Web Master, Diana Psalms, who is a member of Quinn Chapel in Flint. She is overseeing a team that includes Shaunese Cable (Greater Quinn AME in Detroit); they will post the Michigan Conference WMS Blog next week and produce a Website shortly thereafter.

We are excited to serve as the Michigan Conference Branch WMS officers for 2008-09. We ask for your prayers as we seek to serve Almighty God, and to serve Him, and only Him, in a More Excellent Way! We know that God can do all things and that if we submit to His will and His power, we can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us.

A more complete and detailed Roster will be sent to you shortly but we have included contact information for the officers.

To God Be the Glory for the things He has done and for the great things He will do!

In His Service,

Jackie Robinson
President, Michigan Conference Branch WMS

(Sis. Jackie included a list of Michigan Conference officers with this letter; I will forward a roster separately and the contact info will be available at our Flint Area meeting. - K.A.D.)

Flint Area YPD: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

The Flint Area Young People's and Children's Division has joined the fight against breast cancer. We are showing our support and making a difference by walking as a team in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The YPD will gather at 8:30 a.m. at Quinn Chapel AME Church in Flint.

Please join the YPD by offering your prayers, physical support by walking with them, and especially by donating funds. You can see the mission of the Flint Area YPD and donate to the cause at the team page (click on the link). If you prefer not to donate online, there is more information on the page as to where to mail in your donation.

Hope starts with one walker and one dollar at a time. Hope starts with our team. And hope can start with you.