GP Connect – News & Announcements - Great Plains Annual
Conference Episcopal Area – Thursday, 9 January 2014
Want to submit a letter to the editor? Email Kathryn Witte at
kwitte@greatplainsumc.org.
In this edition of GPconnect:
Announcing "GPconnect"
Great Plains website launches
The OneEvent — a success
Celebrate the Great Plains United Methodist Conference
Human Trafficking Awareness Day Jan. 11
Conference announces new media/video producer
Conference commits to supporting 22 mission agencies
Kansas, Nebraska locations offer ways to advocate in faith
Boy Scouts to experience homelessness for a night
Prairie Rivers District to offer Lay Servant training
Tex Sample session to be held in Wichita, Kan., Jan 18-18
Leadership event to be Feb. 28-March 1
Epworth Village update
Great Plains UMMen update
NUMB 2014 route announced
Murdock UMC DVD reaches those unable to attend service
Save the Date: SCJ Disaster Response Academy 2014
Spiritual Giving enewsletter
Announcing "GPconnect"
"GPconnect" is the new weekly email blast for the
Great Plains United Methodist Conference. The goal is to take best practices
from Kansas East's "Communique," Kansas West's "Connection"
and Nebraska's "UMconnect" to create a weekly communication that is
useful in helping equip local churches to do ministry and to foster greater
connection.
News releases, event submissions, story ideas and your own
authored stories can be submitted by using the online submission forms (see
links in this email blast to the right). This is the best way to get your news
in the blast.
We plan to use our missional priorities to help categorize the
news and information provided in "GPconnect." As always, we welcome
your feedback. We also encourage you to encourage others to subscribe.
Especially those in our churches who hold leadership roles (lay leader, lay
member to annual conference, administrative board, etc.). We like to say,
"try it out by subscribing, if you determine it's too much information for
your weekly consumption, you can unsubscribe."
Again, welcome to "GPconnect." The connection will
grow stronger as we share news and information from all across the Great Plains
United Methodist Conference.
Please note that you are receiving our inaugural edition on a
Thursday. Our regular publishing day will be Wednesday. Deadline for submission
is noon on Tuesday prior to the Wednesday of publication.
To contribute:
Submit a story or story idea
Submit an event for the conference calendar
Guidelines for working with Communications (or see shorter list
below)
Associated Press style guide short list
Following is an even shorter eblast preparation guidelines list:
Provide your material in an email or Word document typed using
upper and lower case (no all caps).
For fliers and attachments, provide a short headline and
paragraph/synopsis/promotion of what is attached (sort of the who, what, when,
where, why of the topic you are promoting).
Provide photos as jpeg attachments, not inside the email.
Provide filers/forms as PDFs.
To promote subscribing, you might use the introduction above
along with this link gp-email.brtapp.com/subscribe.
Happy reading, contributing and growing the connection.
Great churches. Great leaders. Great disciples. Transformed
world.
Great Plains website launches
The new Great Plains United Methodist Conference website
www.greatplainsumc.org is now live. We continue to transfer and re-categorize
content from the previous sites. Two sites are already redirecting to the new
site and third will be soon. The Great Plains transition site is also gone to
make way for the new site.
If you find a broken link, it may be due to a transfer issue as
some of our source vendors have also been experiencing some down time. Or it
may still be “under construction.”
If you discover a broken link to information you need to have,
please send us the url to the link or the page with the problem to
info@greatplainsumc.org.
Director of Communications Kathryn Witte said, “We are excited
about the new look and feel of the site and are working to have the website
reflect the missional priorities outlined in the Plan of Organization and
reflected in our new structure.”
“We are looking for patience and grace as we continue to
aggregate the former conference content into one, new site,” Witte added.
Videos, webstreams, news and information are all available on
the site. Areas that currently have small amounts or no content will continue
to populate and grow.
Happy browsing!
The OneEvent — a success
The first Great Plains youth event was a success. More than
1,200 youth gathered in Topeka, Kan. this past weekend to celebrate God, learn
leadership skills and rejoice with other youth from around the Great Plains
Conference.
Celebrate the Great Plains United Methodist Conference
As the Kansas East, Kansas West and Nebraska United Methodist
Conferences joined to create one, new, Great Plains United Methodist
Conference, on Jan. 1, let us celebrate in the Litany of Unity in recognition
of new possibilities.
During the Uniting Conference held in Salina, Kan., Aug. 22-24,
annual conference members were invited to take one red votive candle to be used
with the reading of the Litany of Unity.
This Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, is the date selected for this
collective celebration of the Great Plains United Methodist Conference. Our
vision is for all churches to take part in this litany on the same day.
Go to www.greatplainsumc.org/greatplainssunday for worship tips,
a copy of the Litany of Unity, PowerPoint slides and bulletin insert.
Continue to celebrate the day with a potluck, mission outreach
project or other activity to mark the beginning of your congregation's role in
the new Great Plains Conference.
Send photos of your church's celebration to
info@greatplainsumc.org with the Great Plains Sunday as the subject.
Human Trafficking Awareness Day Jan. 11
Editor's Note: The following was written by Esther Hay,
president of the Great Plains United Methodist Women.
As we approach the 2014 National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
on Jan. 11, United Methodist Women are again springing into action. Two circles
of United Methodist Women in the Greater Kansas City area have teamed together
and scheduled an “Intercept Human Trafficking” event. We invite all United
Methodists, especially United Methodist Women from throughout the Great Plains
and Missouri Conferences, to consider how we can respond to this worldwide
criminal activity that also has local implications. If you cannot attend the
Kansas City event in person, I invite you to join me in prayerfully considering
how we as people of faith can individually and collectively respond to
Intercept Human Trafficking. Information and fliers about the Kansas City event
are below.
Conference announces new media/video producer
Jeremy Wurst started Jan. 6, as the new media/video producer for
the Great Plains Conference. Wurst previously worked at the University of
Nebraska – Lincoln’s Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, where he
helped with video and audio preparation. He received his bachelor of arts
degree in classics and religious studies from the University of Nebraska -
Lincoln.
"Jeremy is an exciting addition to the communications
staff,” said Kathryn Witte, director of communications. “He will lend great
energy and new ideas around how to employ video and new applications for social
media, our website and our events.
Conference commits to supporting 22 mission agencies
At the Uniting Conference in August, delegates approved the
support of 22 mission agencies through the 1 percent of funds local churches
will submit to the conference treasurer’s office in addition to the 10 percent
Mission Shares. These mission agencies show God’s love for all of God’s people,
they extend the outreach of local churches, help connect them to their
communities and the needs of the world, offer opportunities to address both
immediate and systemic needs and help develop leaders. These are separately
incorporated institutions active in a wide variety of ministries. They include
colleges/universities, health and welfare institutions, ministries with the
poor, ecumenical/interchurch organizations and a retreat center.
Local churches are encouraged to submit Mission Shares and the 1
percent of funds regularly throughout the year and not wait until the end of
the year. The mission agencies will receive a monthly check from the conference
treasurer only in the amount of funding received in the prior month (percentage
wise regarding to the approved budget).
Institutions are challenged by not knowing how much money to expect each
month and yet having to budget salaries and program activities with these
funds.
Different mission agencies will be featured in GPconnect
throughout the year. Most of these mission agencies are also eager to visit
churches and share about their ministry.
Feel free to contact them directly.
Kansas, Nebraska locations offer ways to advocate in faith
Sunday and Monday, Feb. 9 and 10 at First UMC in Topeka, Kan.
United Methodists are invited to join other Christians for the
Legislative Event for Advocacy in Faith (LEAF) which focuses on immigration
this year. It will start with worship, a guest speaker and workshop Sunday
evening. Monday morning will begin with a continental breakfast, followed by
worship, guest speaker, legislative update, boxed lunch and the opportunity to
attend two different workshops. One of the workshops will be held by Bishop
Scott Jones, where he will discuss the United Methodist Church's official
stance on immigration issues.
You can attend one or both days - please invite others. Early
registration is $25 with a deadline of Jan. 15, 2014. Price after Jan. 15, will
be $30.
Saturday, Feb. 8, at Christ UMC in Lincoln, Neb.
On Saturday, Feb. 8, United Methodists are invited to join other
Christians for the Ecumenical Legislative Briefing Day “Working for Justice” at
Christ UMC in Lincoln, Neb. A wide variety of workshops will be offered including
environmental stewardship, children’s issues, human trafficking, alternative
sentencing, immigration, poverty and how best to advocate. Several students
will be part of the leadership again. The closing address will feature Emiliano
Lerda, executive director of Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska, who will
discuss “Sowing the Seeds of Justice.”
Please invite others. Register by Jan. 25, for $20 – tickets at
the door will be $25.
Boy Scouts to experience homelessness for a night
Boy Scout Troop sponsored by Leavenworth UMC will participate in
Homeless Night Awareness Experience
On Friday, Jan. 17, members of Boy Scout Troop 173, sponsored by
First UMC in Leavenworth, Kan., will participate in a Troop-wide “sleep-out.” A
partnership with Synergy Services, the event’s focus is to raise awareness of
youth homelessness as well as collecting donations of funds, toiletries,
clothing and canned food to provide shelter, counseling and support services to
vulnerable and homeless youth in Kansas City. Other youth groups, Scouts or
anyone wishing to participate, are more than welcome to stop by after 6 p.m. on
Jan. 17, at First UMC, 422 Chestnut in Leavenworth, to join their Troop in this
Homeless Night Awareness Experience.
For more information please contact Sara Eckinger at
816-505-4834 or SECKINGER@SynergyServices.org or by visiting
www.onehomelessnight.kintera.org.
Prairie Rivers District to offer Lay Servant training
There will be four different Lay Servant training sessions held
in 2014 in the Prairie Rivers District. Basic and advance courses will be
offered throughout the year in various locations.
Basic and Advanced — Jan. 31-Feb. 1, in Columbus, Neb.
Advanced — March 21-22, in Grand Island, Neb.
Advanced — April 5 and April 6, in Palmer, Neb.
Basic and Advanced — Sept. 12-13, location TBD
To view more details on the courses, view the poster here.
Registration deadline for the Columbus course is Jan. 17. If you have any
questions, please contact Jeanie Leeper, Prairie Rivers District director of
Lay Servant Ministries at 308-894-5275 or leeps4christ@gmail.com. You can also
contact your leadership team at the Columbus UMC: Dusty Sprague at
dsprague@greatplainsumc.org or Murry Johnston at mjohnston@greatplainsumc.org.
Tex Sample session to be held in Wichita, Kan., Jan 18-18
The Rev. Dr. Tex Sample will be offering a session titled
“Christian Justice for the Common Good” in Witicha, Kan., on Jan. 18-19. While
working from a distinctively Christian view of justice, this session addresses
the question of how the church can work with people of other faith traditions
and of no faith tradition in seeking a justice of the common good. Attention is
specifically given to the common good as a discovery, as a process that works
down on the ground with people in their everyday lives.
Leadership event to be Feb. 28-March 1
“Dawn of the unDead: Return of the Living Church” is the name
for the Elkhorn Valley District fall leadership event.
What makes a congregation irresistible to adults under 40? How
do we build relationships and engage the Latino residents in our communities
with Christ?
These questions are being asked by congregations across the
Great Plains Conference. Join Pastor Rob Schmutz and Corey Godbey, our Hispanic
ministries director, as they give us a vision of what it might mean for us to
be alive, engaging congregations for those we are not currently reaching.
The invitation is open to everyone to attend. Early registration
ends Jan. 13. See the brochure and spread the word.
Epworth Village update
Located in York and Grand Island, Neb., Epworth Village, Inc.
focuses on family-centered treatment for male children ages 7 to 18 and their
families who are dealing with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. The
agency serves more than 1,000 people a month. Epworth Village is a member of
the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.
Great Plains UMMen update
Save the date for the first Great Plains UMMen retreat on Feb.
28, 2014. The retreat will be held at Camp Fontanelle, near Nickerson, Neb., on
Feb. 28 - March 2.
Scholarship Dinner invitation
United Methodist Mens 100 club wants to invite you to their 25th
anniversary scholarship dinner and auction at Saint Paul United Methodist
Church, 1144 M St., Lincoln Neb., on Wednesday, June 11, at 5 p.m.
We will be recognizing each of five United Methodist men and/or
women who have decided to enter full-time Christian service with a $1000
scholarship. The United Methodist Men hope you will join them for this dinner
and auction. This annual report gives everyone who wishes to endorse our
ministry with their financial gifts. The goal is to attract 15 corporate or
individual sponsors with a gift of $1000.
Corporate tables are available for $500 each. All Great Plains
United Methodist youth are invited to join. Your gift of $25 would enable us to
underwrite one or two meals.
Individual dinner tickets are available for $25. You can make
reservations now by emailing Randy Fleming at auctioneer_32@msn.com.
Space is limited to 150 guests, so early reservations are
appreciated.
You will also have an opportunity to make reservations through
the Great Plains Conference Session registration form if you are attending as a
member.
NUMB 2014 route announced
The Nebraska United Methodist Bike Ride for Hunger (NUMB) 2014
will be June 27 through July 2, 2014. “NUMB Route Director Greg Bakewell has
chosen a beautiful part of central Nebraska for NUMB 2014” reported Bill
Ritter, NUMB director. “We will start in Holdrege, Neb., and cross over the
Platte River valley to Cozad. From Cozad we will take off into the hills
traveling north until our stop at Broken Bow. The next day NUMB will follow the
scenic US Highway 2 before heading south to Gibbon. From Gibbon we cross over
the Platte River again on our way back home to Holdrege.”
NUMB 2014 will be the 18th year for this annual charity ride
that benefits world hunger projects. NUMB has distributed over $674,000 for the
hungry of the world. The ride is limited to 150 riders. Registration will open
Jan. 20, 2014.
You can register online at www.numbride.org. For more
information you can contact NUMB director Bill Ritter at
britter@greatplainsumc.org or NUMB registrar/assistant Regina Bergman at
numbride@hotmail.com. Be a part of NUMB 2014 and make a difference for those
who are hungry — ride, donate to a rider or volunteer as a support person. NUMB
would like to thank the United Methodist Churches of Holdrege, Cozad, Broken
Bow and Gibbon for making this ride possible.
Murdock UMC DVD reaches those unable to attend service
Editior’s note: The following was written by Pastor Bob Neben, former
pastor at Murdock UMC.
How do you keep those who do not get to Sunday morning worship
services connected to their church? This is how the United Methodist Church in
Murdock, Neb. does it. They make video of their worship service and then get
copies to shut-ins, elderly members and others unable to worship on Sunday. The
worship DVD also goes to the Louisville Care Center, the Ashland Ox Bow Living
Center, Legacy Estates in Lincoln, Legacy Terrace in Lincoln and to community
members in Murdock. Fourteen people are able to watch the worship video each
week because they get a DVD of the worship service. The Gospel of Jesus Christ
comes to them as they watch the video in their homes.
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Save the Date: SCJ Disaster Response Academy 2014
With a new year, the 2014 Disaster Response Academy presented by
UMCOR and your South Central Jurisdiction has been announced. As no two
disasters are the same, neither should the training events. This year's Academy
will be on Sept.8-11 and will be located in the Canyon Camp Methodist Retreat
west of Oklahoma City.
The change of venue for this year's Academy will present the
opportunity to learn from those who worked the nearby tornado devastation of
2013. The incident will be a little over a year old so, the results from the
various organizations responding will have had time to be evaluated for a
boots-on -the-ground experience.
This year, classes are intending to be scaled to match the level
of your involvement. Be that church, district or a conference scope of
response, you will experience training geared to what you need to know. To
sweeten the package, scholarships will be offered to reduce the expense of
attending this year’s Academy.
Details will be available in a few months.
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Spiritual Giving enewsletter
The United Methodist Church Foundation offers a weekly
enewsletter. Each week, an article is written by Foundation staff on a wide
range of topics. Are you interested in theological and biblical conversations
on stewardship and the work of the Church? Receive current and balanced
summaries about happenings in the political and financial sectors that may
affect your charitable giving and estate planning. Learn the difference between
an annuity and a unitrust so you can have a productive meeting with your
financial advisor or attorney.
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Editorial Policy: The content, news, events and announcement
information distributed in GPconnect is not sponsored or endorsed by the
Nebraska United Methodist Conference unless specifically stated.
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Contact Information:
Episcopal Office: 9440 E Boston Suite 160 Wichita, KS 67207
United States (316)686-0600
Topeka Office: 4201 SW 15th Street PO Box 4187 Topeka, KS 66604
United States (785)272-9111
Wichita Office: 9440 E Boston Suite 110 Wichita, KS 67207 United
States (316)684-0266
Lincoln Office: 3333 Landmark Circle Lincoln, NE 68504-4760 United
States (402)464-5994
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