JANUARY
Gather end of year information for reporting church statistics. Begin planning for Lent.
FEBRUARY
MARCH
Deadline for EZRA church statistical reports: March 31. Begin planning for Easter.
APRIL
Begin planning for special Sundays: Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Pentecost, Father’s Day
MAY
1st Thursday in May: National Day of Prayer
JUNE
Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference takes place in Peoria, IL
JULY
Clergy vacation renews. Did you use all your vacation days in the previous six months?
AUGUST
Begin planning for fall church conference and distribute church conference reports to lay leaders for input. Begin working on next year’s budget.
SEPTEMBER
Begin planning for Advent and Christmas.
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
THE CHRISTIAN YEAR
RESOURCES
All Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotes “From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church—2016 [are] Copyright © 2016 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.” Please review the page How and Why We Use Quotes.
These blog posts attempt to provide a practical, helpful orientation to pastoral work in the United Methodist church for persons beginning their ministry, particularly laypersons supplying smaller churches. Like all free advice, they are intended to begin a conversation, should be prayed over carefully and thoughtfully applied after thinking them through.