The UMC Vision was on display at United Methodist annual conference sessions this summer, as communicators across the U.S. brought available resources into focus for attendees.
A UMC Vision “booth in a bag,” provided by United Methodist Communications, was used by 31 annual conferences, giving clergy and laity a reminder that the message to Love Boldly, Lead Courageously, and Serve Joyfully is guiding our denomination in this season.
Overwhelmingly Positive
Many conferences ordered additional items for the display such as a “Love, Serve, Lead” neon sign and backdrop to draw attention to the Vision, and three conferences invested in a full-size UMC Vision booth for maximum visibility.
South Georgia Annual Conference session leaders displayed the Vision table runner on the dais in front of Bishop Robin Dease.
"The Vision was front and center every day of our annual conference," said Kelly Roberson, director of communications and UMCom board member.
The Texas Annual Conference utilized the full Vision booth, as well as bookmarks, printed UMC Handbooks, and more.
"The response to the UMC Vision resources at our annual conference was overwhelmingly positive," said Alisha Bynum, director of communications. "People were genuinely excited that we had the large Vision booth on display. And in addition to the large booth, we also featured both the English and Spanish tabletop versions so attendees could see the full suite of resources available."
The impact didn't end when annual conference adjourned. The Texas Annual Conference took their display on the road to the Rio Texas Annual Conference session, and has since made its English and Spanish tabletop displays available for churches and districts to check out from the conference office for events.
"One of the most meaningful pieces of feedback came from our Hispanic Ministries team," Bynum said. "Having both the booth and the bookmarks available in Spanish communicated that the Vision truly belongs to everyone in our conference."
Order UMC Vision Resources from the UMC Store
Local churches, districts, and United Methodist organizations can order their own UMC Vision booth, along with bookmarks, customizable shirts T-shirts, UMC Handbooks, the neon sign, and more at UMCStore.org, the official store of The United Methodist Church.
Individuals are also welcome to order their own Vision gear, ranging from mugs and shirts to baby onesies and dog bandanas to ornaments and pins.
Sybil Davidson serves as U.S. Annual Conference Lead at United Methodist Communications.