One of the conferences we United Methodists observe each and every year is called Annual Conference.    In the Western North Carolina Conference we are probably a bit spoiled since our Annual Conference is held at beautiful and scenic Lake Junaluska Assembly, near Waynesville, NC.

For twenty-seven years now this has been an annual trek for me, to travel to Lake Junaluska and participate in the Annual Conference.   Annual Conference consists of: Legislative and business sessions;  Presentation of programs and ministries in and through the WNC Conference;  and, Services of Worship and Praise.   It is inspiring and impressive, for example, to see and hear over 3,000 delegates gathered together to sing the songs of the faith in Stuart Auditorium!   It is icing on the cake to look out the windows of Stuart and soak in God's incredibly beautiful creation - - Lake Junaluska and the Blue Ridge Mountains! 

A United Methodist bishop presides at each of the Annual Conferences.  This year we welcomed our new episcopal leader -  Rev. Larry Goodpaster.   Bishop Goodpaster challenged us as Western North Carolina United Methodists to raise the bar for Jesus as we seek to live out our Conference vision, "Follow Jesus, Make Disciples, Transform the world."

Using three (3) as a reminder symbol, he is casting the vision for:

- 300,000 members in WNC United Methodist Churches, up from the present 293,000.

-30,000 increase in average worship attendance.

-3,000 Volunteer in Mission teams going into all the world from WNCC congregations.

-300 remissioned churches.

-30 new faith communities.

-All in 3 years (by Dec. 31, 2012).

I pray that our Conference will rise and rally to meet this challenge.   And, I pray that Oak Ridge UMC will take part in helping to meet these ministry and mission goals in Jesus' name!

It will require a new perspective for many of us in local churches to enable this vision to be fulfilled.    And, yet, it is a first-century perspective, of which Jesus calls us to, which is "Go into all the world and make disciples...."   Too many churches for too long have maintained the posture and attitude which says, or implies:   "Come and worship and fellowship with us if you want to.  But, if you come, remember, we write the rules and you do things our way."    These are the kind of churches that repeat the "Seven last words of the dying church" - -   "We have never done it that way!"   And, of course, the result is a dying congregation.

Instead, the Good News of Jesus Christ calls us, implores us, to reach out to people where they are.   To rub shoulders with those in our community and world.   To show them the love of Jesus Christ by how we treat them and relate to them.    And, to try new methods while never changing the Gospel message.   To experiment with new styles, while never compromising the basic substance of the Good News.

This includes looking at old things in new ways.   Bishop Goodpaster shared with us in a sermon at Conference an illustration that  looks at an old picture in a new way.  I found it inspiring and instructional.  I hope you do as well.    He mentioned that many of our churches have that picture of Jesus Christ holding a latern and knocking on a door.    If you have looked carefully you wil see there is no exterior doorknob.    For years this has been interpreted as Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts/life and he will not come in until we willingly open the door to allow him entry  (Of course this still applies and preaches!).   But, perhaps we would consider that in the life of our local churches, Jesus is knocking on the door of our church.   And, he is saying "Come out!"     "Come out of your church into the world for there is a world that is dying to hear and experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ."