| Contact: Bishop Gary Mueller
Phone: 501.324.8019 E-mail: bishop@arumc.org |
MARCH 5, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
ALDERSGATE COVENANT ANNOUNCES GATHERING ON MAY 16-17
All United Methodists who desire spiritual revival are invited together for worship and prayer
A gathering of United Methodists for 20 hours of prayer, worship, and watching for a revival of the Holy Spirit is set to take place at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, on May 16-17, 2014. The event is hosted by the Aldersgate Covenant, a diverse group of leaders in the United Methodist Church who first proposed the Church’s mission statement 20 years ago. A desire for spiritual revival in the UMC prompted the upcoming gathering, which the Aldersgate Covenant team has designed to center on worship and prayer. The event is open to all United Methodists. Registration is available through the event website: www.aldersgatecovenant.org.
“The kind of revival we’re talking about is a renewed depth of faith, a closer relationship with Jesus, an openness to be led by the Holy Spirit, and a renewed commitment to God’s mission in the world,” said Bishop Gary Mueller of the Arkansas Conference, who has been a part of the Aldersgate Covenant since its initial meeting in 1994. “It leads to the kind of discipleship that truly engages people and truly brings transformation in lives, communities, and the world.”
When the Aldersgate Covenant first formed, its members shared three goals: to celebrate how the Holy Spirit was at work in the United Methodist Church; to address the loss of membership, resources and confidence in our denomination; and to discern how to engage a world that was increasingly indifferent, even hostile, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The fruit of that initial work was the mission statement approved by the 1996 General Conference (and amended in 2008): “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs.” The Aldersgate Covenant’s emphasis today is to call the Church into a new openness toward the Holy Spirit in the hope that spiritual revival will occur.
Worship, prayer and holy conferencing are the only agenda items at the May 16-17 Gathering of the Aldersgate Covenant. Those who attend will experience invigorating preaching and powerful music on Friday evening. The extended period of worship also will include time for prayer and conversation. On Saturday morning, the gathering will celebrate a Service of Covenant Renewal and conclude with a celebration of Holy Communion. Underlying the gathering will be an attempt to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit for those present, and for the United Methodist connection as a whole.
Preachers for the event include the Rev. Matt Miofsky, Lead Pastor of The Gathering UMC in St. Louis, MO; the Rev. Lisa Yebuah, Pastor of Inviting Ministries at Edenton Street UMC in Raleigh, NC; the Rev. Rob Fuquay, Senior Pastor of St. Luke’s UMC in Indianapolis, IN; and Bishop Violet Fisher, formerly the episcopal leader of the New York West Area of the UMC.
The Aldersgate Covenant is a group of leaders in the United Methodist Church who seek to live into the Church’s mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” A Gathering of the Aldersgate Covenant will take place Friday and Saturday, May 16-17, at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. For more information about this event, visit www.aldersgatecovenant.org.
