February, 2023
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Dear South East District Friends:
This article comes at an opportune time for me to use it to highlight some significant upcoming events in the life of our district and conference. Please indulge me as I do so. I do not want you to miss a beat!
First and imminently important is the Super Bowl on February 12. My Kansas City Chiefs made it once again to the big game! Won’t you join me in rooting for them?
Ok, that was a digression from the most important things happening around the district and conference. Here we go:
Last weekend was Bishop Tom Berlin’s installation service in Lakeland, FL. It was a celebratory time of fellowship and worship. He offered a message of hope and love and challenged our churches to be a place where those who feel far from the gift of love can feel it through our witness. To view photos from the installation service, click here: https://www.flumc.org/bishop-berlins-installation-service
Bishop Berlin will be in the South East District on February 22-23 and we look forward to welcoming him with a tour of our beautiful district.
On March 4 we will have two important events and I hope you will plan to attend and invite others in your church to do so. The first is our District Training Event, this year focusing on the important topic of eliminating racism. There will be keynote speakers and workshops to assist us in going deeper. The second is our third annual District Youth Event in the evening where we hope to gather teens from all of our churches around the same theme. Whether your church has two teens or twenty, please plan to bring them to this fun time of worship and learning with other young people in our district. Detailed information about both of these events is listed below and we could use volunteers for both. Please contact the district office if you are willing to assist.
Thank you for all that you do to encourage and uplift your congregations and communities. I will look forward to seeing you all very soon in one of these upcoming events.
Grace and peace,
Cynthia D. Weems
Thursday, February 23, 2023
10:00 am- Lunch
Hollywood Hills UMC, Hollywood
We will gather at 10:00 a.m. for coffee and fellowship. The meeting will begin at 10:30 in the sanctuary followed by lunch at noon.
Looking forward to seeing you all!
Please share these training opportunities with your church leaders. Click HERE for the flyer. Click HERE for the webpage with description of sessions. Each session will start on time and last no more than one hour. The Zoom link will be emailed to you the day before the session.
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Year-End Statistics - Due February 3
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2022 Statistical Reports are due by 5:00pm Friday, February 3, 2023. The Statistics Reporting system is open now. Click HERE for the Year-End Statistics Instructions website as you being to prepare for reporting. GCFA is using a new system this year. It will look different!
For a better experience: Submit the Year-End Report as early as possible. Getting started early ensures you will have plenty of time to address issues and or questions that may arise.
Workers Compensation Payroll Audit - February 1 - 21
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Workers Compensation Payroll Audit is to be completed online annually. Report actual payroll for calendar year 2022. Must be completed between February 1 and February 21, 2023. In order to comply with State of Florida requirements related to workers’ compensation coverage, we ask that you complete the brief online payroll survey. Please review your payroll records (941’s etc.) for the calendar year 2022 and complete the form as accurately as possible. Please note that your responses will not affect your workers’ compensation insurance costs for 2023 as this updated information is simply required to comply with State of Florida regulations.
March 31st Reports
The following reports are due to the District Office by March 31. Please send one email with all of your March 31 reports to Norma Sayago flumc-se@flumc.org. Do not mail hard copies. If you have made revisions to any of your policies, please send the entire document.
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| Report | Committee Responsible |
| Financial Controls, Policies, & Procedures | Finance |
| Document Retention Policy | Finance |
| Clergy Employee Conduct Policy | SPRC |
| Adoption of Employee Conduct Policy | SPRC |
| Annual Parsonage Report | Trustees |
| Child Youth Protection Policy | SPRC |
The church needs to have a Local Church Employee form signed by each employee and kept in their personnel file. This does not get sent to the District Office.
You can find instructions and other pertinent information by reviewing the Calendar of Reports.
The Fund Balance report is submitted online by Finance. The form is located in your Church Dashboard. Do not send a hard copy to the District Office.
Church Dashboard - 2023 Leadership, Worship Times, Social Media Links
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Please ensure your 2023 church leaders are entered in your Church Dashboard, so that they can receive information from the District and Conference pertinent to their positions. Click HERE for tutorials. Please also make sure that your worship times and social media links are correct in the dashboard. Click HERE for a tutorial (about 2 minutes) on how to enter your links!
Remember to update this throughout the year, as you have key staff or leadership changes!!
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FUMCH is having Day on Campus on March 25 and we are invited!
Come and learn the latest news about our ministry and the impact your support is making on young lives. You’ll be able to tour the campus, attend special programming and performances featuring our youth, and enjoy a free picnic lunch. Please promote the event in your church. Parking is limited, so carpooling is suggested. Here is the link to their page. JOIN US FOR A DAY ON CAMPUS - 2023 | Florida United Methodist (fumch.org)
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June 8-10, 2023
Florida Southern College
111 Lake Hollingsworth Drive
Lakeland, FL 33801
If you are interested in becoming a South East District at-large Lay Member to Annual Conference in 2023, please contact me at flumc-se@flumc.org before March 1.
Be ready! Youth 2023 is happening next July in Daytona Beach. For more information, please go to the link below or contact Rev. Kathy Nolasco at knolasco@plantationumc.org
https://www.umcyoungpeople.org/youth2023
Churches should begin using the 2023 W-4 form immediately. Click HERE for the new W-4.
We are still using the I-9 with an expiration date of 10/31/2022 until further notice. A new version has not been published.
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IR-2022-234, December 29, 2022
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2023 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.
Beginning on January 1, 2023, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
- 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up 3 cents from the midyear increase setting the rate for the second half of 2022.
- 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces, consistent with the increased midyear rate set for the second half of 2022.
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations; the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2022.
Click HERE to continue reading.
Missional Vital Signs (MVS) for the local church was updated April 2022. It important to remember that these numbers represent people and the vitality of the local church. They are indicators of the behaviors that produce them, and this tool can be used to discern the health of the church – what works, what does not, where should we make changes, and most importantly, how can we bring more disciples to Christ? The local church should continuously be aware of their MVS’s so that they may evaluate and make adjustments. Healthy churches are aware of their stats and can quickly adapt.
This information is gathered weekly and may be reported weekly or monthly through the church dashboard online by the “MVS Reporter” designated by the church and updated in the church dashboard. There is now the ability to enter missing data over the previous two years.
If your church receives funding (equitable compensation) that is contingent on turning in your data by the 10th of the month.
Please click here for a helpful video overview and guide sheet of the New MVS Weekly Reporting site.
Other resources:
Explanation of MVS’s
MVS data gathering sheet (PDF)
MVS Weekly Reporting Guide Sheet (PDF)
Tracking Online Video Views (PDF)
| February 20 | President's Day |
| April 7 | Good Friday |
| May 29 | Memorial Day |
| June 19 | Juneteenth Independence Day |
| July 4 | Independence Day |
| September 4 | Labor Day |
| November 10 | Veteran's Day observed |
| November 23 | Thanksgiving Day |
| November 24 | Thanksgiving holiday |
| December 25 | Christmas |
| December 26 | Christmas holiday |
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