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Conference Advance Specials 2005-2008

 What Are Conference Advance Specials (CAS)?
     These are projects that have been identified as important to our goal of making disciples for Jesus Christ.  Most involve helping our neighbors down the street; some our neighbors across the sea.  Each group has been granted permission to appeal to the churches of our Conference for support one month each year.

Conference Advance Special Sunday – 1st Sunday of Lent
     To raise awareness of the Conference Advance Specials (CAS), the first Sunday of Lent will be designated Conference Advance Specials Sunday. The offering taken that day will be divided among a selected subset of all the approved CAS. Designation of the offering and promotion of CAS Sunday will be the responsibility of the Conference Missions Resource person, assisted by the Enabling Ministries Resource Team.  The purpose of this Sunday is two-fold. Most importantly it is to raise awareness of mission/ministry projects deemed vital by our Annual Conference. During the first two years of having CAS’s, few churches took offerings. Second, we understand asking for 12 special offerings can become overwhelming when added to the six Special Sundays and other appeals. All churches will be encouraged to at least take this one offering to support the selected subset of CAS.  Each CAS is listed by name, annual funding goal, and month for offering.

Deaf Ministries (CAS-12  Deaf Mm) - $5,000 January
     The funding for our missionary working to raise the awareness of the needs of our deaf/hard-of-hearing members ended in April of 2004.  This appeal will allow Jill Jicha to continue her work part-time on this need, which grows as our church membership ages.

Neighborhood House-Wilmington (CAS-4 Nhouse) - $20,000 March
     Neighborhood House operates on a foundation of Christian principles and has two primary goals:
  1. Assist and guide people with finding their own paths of awareness, self-sufficiency, productivity, hopefulness, and success.
  2.  Provide leadership, support, and advocacy for a comprehensive approach to community, economic, and leadership development.

Native American Ministries (CAS-11 NAM) - $10,000 April
     We have two missionaries currently funded by the Global Board. They are working on building a better understanding between the greater UMC and its 20,000 Native American members. This CAS will help them continue their work after GBGM funding ends in early 2005.

BOOM Scholarship Fund (CAS-9 BOOM) - $25,000 May
     Each year, 30-40 of our pastors are in seminary or taking classes under the Course of Study program.   Annual costs range from $5,000 to $20,000, all to be paid on salaries that start at under $20,000 per year.   If we want talented, spirit-filled pastors, we need to help raise the educational funds they need.  This effort is to both raise awareness of this need and provide some educational funding support for our student pastors.

Salisbury Urban Ministries (CAS-3 SUM) - $20,000 June
     The mission of Salisbury Urban Ministries is to develop and coordinate the programs that serve and minister to the needs of Salisbury’s materially impoverished. We will increase awareness of these needs through our congregations and provide avenues for reacting. We will promote the concern for racial understanding and appreciation. We will accomplish this through a unified collaboration of churches, involvement of laity, the use of unique gifts of each congregation, and the sharing of resources.
                                                                                                                                                                   Volunteers-In-Mission Scholarship Fund (CAS-1 VIM) - $2,500 July
Central Congo Partnership (CAS-7 Congo) - $35,000 July
     Getting personally involved in a mission trip beyond the Conference has proven to be an eye and heart opening experience for those who have had such an opportunity. But even the lowest cost trips can run up to $500 for a week. Your gifts to this CAS will help your fellow United Methodists of more limited financial means partake in these life-changing trips.
     Adopted as a new mission partnership, the Bishop Weaver Central Congo Partnership will raise funds to maintain the school and orphanage we built under the Hope for the Children of Africa Appeal. Additional funding will be used to pay salaries and purchase vital supplies. Up to 10% of the funds raised can be set aside to help send members to the Congo to support the work being done or to bring Congolese here to enrich our partnership experience.

Disaster Relief (CAS-10 Disasters) - $50,000 August
      Hurricane Isabel established a pressing need for us to reach out and help our fellow churches and members recover from this disaster.  Having a pool of funds to draw upon will allow for faster response in the future.  Funds can be also be used to support UMCOR disaster appeals.

Howard Bailey Life Enrichment Program (CAS-6 HBLEF) - $10,000 September
     The organizational mission of Howard Bailey LEP is to help people re-affirm and reclaim their own sense of identity and teach positive relational skills and demonstrate/model responsible adult behavior.   Our targeted audience consists of boys and girls, grades 5-6-7-8 for the current school year. Our leadership team is made up of senior high school students who received special training for this program.

Barratt’s Chapel and Museum (CAS-2 Barratt’s) - $10,000 October
     Barratt’s Chapel is an historical landmark of the United Methodist Church. Visitors can see and learn the stories and traditions of American Methodism. Through the museum persons are able to see many of the materials and records used by our forbearers. Historical archives and library services are available to visitors.

Africa University Scholarship (CAS-8 Line 60.9) - $25,000 November
      Adopted at the 2003 AC meeting, this effort is to endow a scholarship at Africa University designated for a student from the Central Congo Area. Training the future leaders of Africa in Africa is the central mission of Africa University. This effort will provide teachers and nurses to our Congo Partnership efforts. The 2nd Sunday in November is designated Africa University Sunday.

Congregational Development Corporation (CAS-5 CDC) - $25,000 December
     The Congregational development Corporation (CDC) processes grants and loans to newly formed churches and existing churches to improve and extend the United Methodist ministry through the construction of new churches and repairs and renovations to existing churches.  With the Conference goal of starting twenty new churches in the next five years, we need extra support.  The Conference budget supplies about $70,000 per year, a drop in the bucket for what it takes to start twenty new churches and help existing churches with repairs and new ministry outreach programs.

     These requests total almost $240,000 annually, a large amount based on past giving patterns within this Conference BUT well within the ability of our members to give.  Our low support in the past is not due to lack of funds but a lack of willingness to ask.  A mere 5¢ per week per member would raise what these Conference Advance Specials ask, AND 75% stays within the bounds of our Annual Conference, bringing Christ to our members, friends, and neighbors in many ways.