2023 Church Conference

Church Conferences are annual meetings with church leaders and their district superintendent or a presiding elder to review the business and mission of the local church. Each conference will review the previous year of ministry, complete essential church business, and affirm goals for the coming year.

“The Charge Conference shall be the connecting link between the local church and the general church (¶ 247)… The primary responsibilities of the Charge Conference in the annual meeting shall be to review and evaluate the total mission and ministry of the church, receive reports, and adopt objectives and goals recommended by the church council that are in keeping with the objectives of the United Methodist Church (¶ 247.3).”

We foster collaboration by holding conferences in regional groups when possible to push us beyond our own boundaries to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

This year, we’re excited to announce changes that will make reporting easier and more efficient for all involved. We’ve streamlined the process, with rolling open and due dates for various reports. We hope these changes will help you focus more on your ministry and less on paperwork.

Completing the paperwork and submitting it on time is a precursor to a fruitful church conference. Starting early will make the task easier.  

The due dates for the reports have changed. Deadlines vary by report. However, all churches have the same due dates. It is the pastor’s responsibility to ensure that all paperwork is completed fully and submitted by the deadline for each report. Check the Paperwork Checklist for each report’s due date. Please contact your Regional Administrator well in advance if you have any questions.  

All reports are submitted in Arena this year. Reports are no longer emailed to the Regional Administrator. All reports are either completed in Arena or uploaded into Arena. Please check the Paperwork Checklist for specific instructions.  

Arena is the online reporting database where reports are submitted by clergy and church leaders. Different leadership roles grant access to different reports depending on the report you are responsible for completing. Accessing Arena requires a username and password that is specific to each individual logging in (there is no generic church login anymore).  If you need assistance logging into Arena or accessing the reports, please contact arenasupport@gnjumc.org.

To access Arena, please click here.

• All appointed pastors 
• Church Council Chairs  
• Trustees Presidents 
• SPRC Chairs 
• Lay Leaders 
• Treasurers
• Finance Chairs  
• Church Administrators/Secretaries 

We understand not all of these positions mentioned above have reporting responsibilities, but we have provided access to these individuals as church duties are often shared by multiple people. Please check your spam or junk folder if you do not see the email. If cannot remember your password at any time during the year, follow the prompts in Arena to reset your login.  

2023 Church Conference Agenda

All completed church conference reports are available for printing and downloading in Arena. For your church conference, only certain reports need to be printed. Please bring enough copies of the reports for your members attending the conference and one additional copy for the presiding elder.

The reports that need to be printed for the church conference are:

• Summarized Church Conference Report
• Directory of Officials
• Report of Pastor
• Clergy Compensation Report(s)
• Previous Year Church Conference Minutes
• Special Charge/Church Conference Minutes

To watch a video with instructions for printing your reports, please click here https://www.loom.com/share/daffcc88153049279beee18f40e06907.

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on our church conference reports and materials. We appreciate your input as we strive to improve and simplify these tools for our congregations.  

While we have had many eyes and revisions on these forms, we understand that as with any significant project, there may be mistakes or areas for improvement. Your helpful, actionable feedback will assist us in identifying and addressing any issues that arise. 

We kindly request that feedback be provided in a constructive and respectful manner. 

Again, thank you for your feedback and leadership.