Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church "GP Connect for Wednesday, 24 September 2014

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Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church "GP Connect for Wednesday, 24 September 2014

In this edition of GPconnect:

A letter from Bishop Scott Jones

GP Connecting Council to consider clergy benefits plan Oct. 3-4

Dear sisters and brothers,
United Methodists have always placed a high value on the physical health of all people. We have founded hospitals and advocated for policies that take care of people’s needs. This has included providing health insurance for our pastors and conference staff. The changing environment of health care in the United States and the increasing age of our clergy have brought significant challenges to Great Plains Conference health insurance program.
Normally, the Pensions and Health Benefits Team negotiates the best possible rates which are then approved by the Connecting Council at its fall meeting.  Increasing health care claims in 2014 have made the best possible rate recommendation very expensive. The Team is proposing a doubling of deductibles and a 21 percent increase in the cost paid by local churches. The announcement of this proposal has caused a lot of concern in many places.
The 72 members of the Connecting Council will meet Oct. 3-4. They will review all of the options considered by the Pensions and Health Benefits Team. In addition, the Council will consider ending our conference health plan by action of the annual conference. Instead, the annual conference would adopt a conference policy that local churches would provide a medical supplement to all pastors serving ¾ or full-time. If this option is chosen, local church pastors would be given a sum of money and assisted in purchasing their own insurance either through independent providers or the federal exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. Conference staff must be covered by a conference health plan as well as any church with 50 or more full time equivalent employees, as required by law.
If the Connecting Council recommends continuing our plan and sets the new rates, a webcast will explain the decision on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m., CDT. You can watch by clicking on www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream. Questions can be emailed to info@greatplainsumc.org and presenters will answer as many as they can.
If the Connecting Council recommends ending our conference health plan for local church pastors, this would require a vote by the annual conference. The vote would be explained in a webcast on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m., CDT. You can watch by clicking on www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream. Questions can be emailed to info@greatplainsumc.org and presenters will answer as many as they can. The ballot would be sent to all lay and clergy members of the annual conference. Members for whom we have an email address would receive the information by email with instructions for electronic voting. The link for voting would go to clergy using their greatplainsumc.org email. For lay members for whom we do not have an email address, a printed ballot will be sent by U.S. mail. All ballots would be counted by 3 p.m., CDT, on Monday, Oct. 20.
In the case of a ballot, it will include an option asking me to call a special session of annual conference on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Saint Mark’s UMC, in Lincoln, at 10 a.m., CDT. If 20 percent of those voting make that request, I will declare the ballot invalid and call the special session. That special session will deal only with the health insurance plan.
Health is a spiritual issue and we want to care for the clergy and staff who serve in our conference. These are difficult decisions and many companies and organizations in America are facing similar problems. Let’s work this out together.
Grace and peace,
Scott J. Jones

Difficult conversations workshops

Director of Congregational Excellence Evelyn Fisher is conducting district workshops intended to offer how-to information for creating constructive conversations around divisive issues. The workshop will be webcast Oct. 15, from 9 a.m. to noon, from the Kansas City District. The workshops are intended for clergy, however anyone would benefit from the subject matter.
Dates and locations:
Topics include:
  • How to normalize conflict — giving permission for healthy disagreement
  • Being clear about your purpose and desired outcome
  • Providing structure to lower anxiety and give a sense of safety
  • The role of facilitator — who is the best person?
  • Setting ground rules
  • Dealing with difficult people
Questions may be directed to your district superintendent or to Evelyn Fisher at efisher@greatplainsumc.org or 316-684-0266. Find the live webcast Oct. 15, at greatplainsumc.org/livestream.

Released and Restored celebrates first anniversary of Safe Haven program 

The Safe Haven ministry is celebrating its first anniversary. It has served more than 119 individuals in that time, with an average of 12 people each week.
Join in the celebration and watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers take on Michigan State, on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the New Visions UMC location at St. James on 11th and Lake Streets, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The celebration is scheduled from 4 p.m. until the end of the game when a potluck will be shared by all.
For more information contact Ruth Karlsson at 402-806-0565.
For nearly 10 years, Released and Restored has been bringing the love, mercy, and grace of Christ into the Nebraska prison system. The Safe Haven program is a significant example of a local church partnering with an extension ministry in order to reach and serve those on the margins of society.
Released and Restored offers programs in six of Nebraska’s 10 prisons. These programs prepare women and men for their productive, moral, ethical and legal release and return to our local neighborhoods and communities. 
The Safe Haven program is a weekly opportunity for women and men, who are focused on maintaining their freedom and sobriety, to engage in a time of fun, fellowship and encouragement.
Released and Restored is Advance 713, and is supported in part by congregations through the Mission Agency Support one percent asking.

Special Sundays reminder

When we give from the heart, we receive unexpected blessings — especially the joy of making a difference in someone’s life. The United Methodist Church has six annual offerings to share beyond our regular gifts through churchwide Special Sundays. While you can designate any Sunday to take these offerings, the suggested date for World Communion Sunday is Oct. 5. 

World Communion Sunday – Oct. 5

The World Communion Sunday offering funds racial-ethnic World Communion scholarships, with at least one-half of the annual amount reserved for ministries beyond the United States. Donations also provide for U.S. ethnic scholarship and ethnic in-service training programs.
To learn more about World Communion Sunday – and to order your envelopes – click here. United Methodist Communications has also created a complete social media toolbox that you and your team can use on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest accounts. Simply copy, paste and post.

Order your Great Plains business cards today

If you need additional Great Plains United Methodists branded cards or if you are in need of updated cards, contact Roxie Delisi at rdelisi@greatplainsumc.org. Please provide the information you would like on your card, including church or agency affiliation, address, phone numbers, fax, email, website, etc.
The Great Plains logo treatment retains the fonts from the Kansas Area and the watermark from the Nebraska logotypes and stationery treatments. The cost is approximately $35 or less for 500 cards, depending on the number of people who choose to purchase cards. Click here to see a sample card.

Wingfield to lead GBHEM Division of Ordained Ministry 

The Rev. Myron Wingfield has been named associate general secretary for the General Board of Higher Education’s Division of Ordained Ministry beginning Sept. 29, 2014.
Wingfield came to General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) in January 2013, as the assistant general secretary for clergy life in the division of ordained ministry and has been serving as the interim associate general secretary for the division since March 2014. Prior to his appointment at GBHEM, Wingfield served as superintendent in the San Diego District in the California-Pacific Annual Conference for seven years.
“We are delighted to welcome the Rev. Myron Wingfield as the associate general secretary of the Division of Ordained Ministry at GBHEM. Myron's experience as pastor and district superintendent is a wonderful preparation for this role. Myron's combination of maturity and pastoral intelligence is a great gift to us, and we look forward to a fruitful partnership with him,” said the Rev. Dr. Kim Cape, general secretary of GBHEM.
An ordained elder in the California-Pacific Annual Conference, Wingfield has more than 24 years of experience as an ordained minister. For nine years, he held leadership roles on the Cal-Pac Board of Ordained Ministry and was instrumental in leading the San Diego District in the formation and implementation of seven mission areas for the collaboration of clergy and congregations in mission and ministry.
Wingfield received his Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology and a B.A. in religion from Emory and Henry College.

Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation launches Facebook page

The Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation announces the launch of its Facebook page. The goal is to reach more Kansas United Methodist individuals, churches and agencies of the Great Plains Annual Conference through social media so that the foundation can provide resources on sustaining the United Methodist witness. Stay up to date with what resources the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation offers such as; educational tips on planned giving, church loans, stewardship seminars, news, upcoming events, training opportunities, as well as trends relevant to you as a United Methodist.

ReThinking Welcome seminar to be held in Oklahoma City

World Methodist Evangelism Institute of the World Methodist Council and Emory University is offering a one-day ReThinking Welcome seminar at the Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. United Methodist and Wesleyan clergy and lay leaders are invited to attend.
Reach the community. Help your congregation to face outward. This training will expose leaders to new thinking and practice of evangelism and mission in the Methodist/Wesleyan movement in North America.
Registration cost is $70 per person and covers registration, lunch and snacks, text books and several resources from the Methodist/Wesleyan traditions to take home. Special $50 registration fee per person for local congregations sending five or more persons. All are welcomed to register. Special rate for seminary students. Register now at www.wmei.ws or contact Dr. Winston Worrell at wmeinst@emory.edu or 404-727-6344 with questions.
See brochure for more details.

Former Kansas East churches eligible for free seminar on Oct. 17

Former Kansas East congregations insured with group property/liability insurance through Schifman Remley Associates are eligible to take part in a workshop called “Response to a Violent Intruder” offered by Philadelphia Insurance Companies. This “what to do about an active shooter” session will be led by the ALICE Training Institute; part of Homeland Security. How to deal with an active shooter is getting to be an issue for schools, public buildings and churches. Congregations do not need a policy number to sign up.

The Traveling Dolls exhibit to be in Lincoln, Oct. 5

The Traveling Dolls will be at Calvary UMC, 1610 S 11th St., Lincoln, NE., on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 3 p.m.
The Traveling Dolls is a very large collection of “restored” dolls. While serving in mission in the Red Bird Missionary Conference, Ruth A. Wiertzema became the “Doll Doctor” for donated dolls that need some TLC before they could be placed on the shelves of the mission thrift store. Through the years, Ruth purchased some of the dolls.
Over 75 of the collection now travel to many places where they facilitate the mission story, and, create awareness of the hidden beauty to be discovered all around us.
Wiertzema has served more than 35 years in mission in The Red Bird Missionary Conference. The Red Bird Missionary Conference
View flier for more information

Epworth Village to host Heart of the Matter 2014

Epworth Village has a lot to be thankful for: positive changes for children and families, the refreshing change of season, dedicated volunteers and employees and a mission lifted in prayer and full of promise. Epworth Village invites all to be part in their 125th anniversary by attending the Heart of the Matter fundraising event, Let the Sun Shine In.
Let the Sun Shine In will be held on Oct. 23, at First UMC in York, Nebraska. Doors open at 5 p.m., with dinner catered by Chance’s R Restaurant served at 6:15 p.m.
Sponsor a table, invite friends and join Epworth Village for an inspirational evening including fellowship, a live auction and a celebration of the Epworth Village legacy.
Live auction items includes a get-a-way to Copper Mountain, Colorado; Husker football, volleyball and basketball tickets; a tour of the Lincoln airport and a luggage package; a York stay-cation; handmade quilts and more.
Tables for eight are available for $320, just $40 per person. Half tables are available at $160 and single tickets are $40.
For further information contact Marcia Schlegelmilch at mschlegelmilch@epworthvillage.org or at 402-362-3353, ext. 1144.

Perkins School of Theology hosts information sessions Sept. 25 and Oct. 3, 2014

Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University will host two Inside Perkins events for prospective degree and non-degree students, Sept. 25 and Oct. 3, 2014, at Perkins School of Theology, 5915 Bishop Boulevard, Dallas, Texas. Inside Perkins offers the opportunity for prospective students to meet faculty, interact with current students, and learn about admissions and financial aid.
Each of the upcoming Inside Perkins events begins at 8 a.m. with registration and continental breakfast, and concludes by 4 p.m. “These Inside Perkins events offer excellent opportunities to introduce interested persons to the riches of theological education in a university setting,” says Tracy Anne Allred, director of Student Services at Perkins School of Theology.
Inside Perkins is free and open to the public, and includes lunch meals for prospective student attendees and their guests. Requests for reservations should be directed to theology@smu.edu.
The deadline for submission of spring 2015 applications for admission to Perkins School of Theology is November 1. Prospective students can find additional information at www.smu.edu/perkins/admissions or apply online at www.smu.edu/apply2perkins.
For more information about Inside Perkins or spring 2015 admission applications, contact Herbert Coleman, hcoleman@smu.edu, 214-768-2139.

Church, school, community partnership

Youth center opens in Ellsworth, Kansas

The “Ellsworth County Independent/Reporter” ran a comprehensive news story on Sept. 18, reporting on the opening of a new youth center. The Ellsworth United Methodist Church worked with the Mosaic organization to open this new center on Sept. 10. It is one example of  the kind of community partnership promoted through the Education Caravan. The caravan events will be in three Nebraska locations next week.
http://gp-email.brtapp.com/files/gpconnect/09.24.14/ed_09.24.14_ellsworthkansaspartnershipmakesnews.pdf
Read about other churches in the news across the Great Plains Conference from our clip service.

Bilateral dialogue between Moravian Church Northern and Southern Provinces and the United Methodist Church 

Representatives of the Moravian Church and The United Methodist Church met Sept. 11-13, 2014, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the fourth session of the dialogue. The purpose of the meeting was to draft a joint statement declaring and affirming a full communion relationship between the two churches.
Previously, the dialogue had explored questions relating to the history, doctrine, polity and church life in the Northern and Southern Provinces of the Moravian Church and The United Methodist Church. The dialogue committee found no church-dividing issues. Moreover, it concluded that in accordance with the definitions used by each church to define a full communion relationship, one already exists.
The Dialogue Committee finished its work on a statement, with recommendations to their respective churches, and will soon transmit these documents to the appropriate authorities in the Moravian Church (Northern and Southern Provinces) and The United Methodist Church. Upon receipt of the statement it is hoped that necessary approval will be given to recommendations and that a declaration and affirmation of a full communion relationship will be adopted by the Moravian Provincial Synods and the United Methodist General Conference.
The dialogue is co-chaired by Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar, of The United Methodist Church the Rev. Gary Harke of the Moravian Church.
Other members of the team include Prof. Dr. Ulrike Schuler and the Rev. Dr. Robert Williams representing The United Methodist Church, and the Rev. Dr. M. Lynnette Delbridge and the Rt. Rev. Christian Giesler representing the Moravian Church (Northern and Southern Provinces). The committee has received staff assistance from Dr. Glen Alton Messer, II from the Office of Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church.
The participants began each session with devotions and finished with the celebration of the Eucharist. 

Blue River District Youth event save the date 

Save the date for the Blue River District Youth ice skating event on Jan. 25, 2015.
Blue River District Youth will have an ice skating event at Eugene T Mahoney State Park, near Ashland, Nebraska, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Youth in grades six to 12 are invited. Cost is $5 per youth and covers ice skating, skates and indoor activity center.

Newsletter Links

Wesleyan Live announces fall series begins Oct. 20

A great sermon I never get to preach

Join Wesleyan Live for a 5-week webcast series of sermons given by well-received clergy in the Great Plains Conference. On consecutive Mondays beginning Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. and ending on Monday, Nov. 15, see how the best of the best preach a message, engage their listeners and offer powerful interpretations of scripture. A major portion of the hour will be given to feedback from the class.
Hear great preaching with the opportunity to dialog about preaching today and the ideas, style, theology and approach of each individual preacher.  The schedule of preachers will be announced next week.
For clergy enrolled in the current "Great Preaching for the Great Plains" class sponsored by the Clergy Excellence Team, Wesleyan Live can be an additional laboratory on preaching.
A live audience will gather in the Lincoln Conference Center, others are encouraged to form viewing groups or watch the webcast from home at www.greatplainsumc.org/wesleyanlive.
For the question/answer period will follow the sermon, questions can be sent to the Rev. Mel Luetchens at mluetche@nebrwesleyan.edu.
Cost of the class is $40, $20 for retirees and students. Register online by Oct. 15.

Youth canvass neighborhoods to collected canned goods

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the sixth and seventh grade members of Kearney First UMC’s Faith Formation group held a food gathering in area neighborhoods. Forty-six youth and seven sponsors covered streets located close to the church as a service project held during meeting time. More than four carts of canned goods and other non-perishables were gathered during this time to be donated to the East Lawn Food Pantry. The donated food allows the pantry administration to spend their budget on other needed food items from Mid-Nebraska Food Bank.

Great Plains United Methodists support global maternal and child health

The following was submitted by the Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team.
The United Methodist Resolution “Maternal Health: The Church’s Role” states that “women, who are crying out for not only their own survival but also the survival of their families and communities, deserve access to services and care that empower their personal decision-making.  As a global church, we are called to eradicate systems of oppression and marginalization that inhibit women’s health and well-being.”
At the Great Plains Annual Conference Session in June, the Resolution #6 was adopted to support global maternal and child health through the Healthy Families, Healthy Planet Project (HFHP), a project of the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS). The resolution asks that awareness, education and advocacy are created for the well-being of women, infants and children worldwide in our local churches.
Nancy Brown, member of the Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team, and Courtney Fowler, lay leader of the Great Plains Conference, are among the HFHP ambassadors across the denominational connection.
  • Read an article by Fowler about Stating the Obvious – Sacred Worth of Women and Girls which was published by GBCS in July.

    Stating the obvious

    Sacred worth of women and girls

    by Courtney Fowler
    Women and girls have sacred worth.
    Sometimes it’s necessary to state the obvious.
    Courtney Fowler
    This past June, the United Methodist Great Plains Annual Conference, comprising the states of Kansas and Nebraska, passed the Healthy Families, Healthy Planet (HFHP) resolution that affirms the sacred worth of women and girls and promotes advocacy efforts for greater access to maternal health care.
    At the heart of this resolution is a confirmation of our denomination’s social position regarding the health of women and the use of contraceptives. The United Methodist Church’s Social Principle on this states: “We affirm the right of men and women to have access to comprehensive reproductive health/family planning information and services that will serve as a means to prevent unplanned pregnancies, reduce abortions, and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS” (162.V “Right to Health Care”).

    My ‘religious belief’

    But I simply call it my “religious belief.”
    I found myself thinking this again when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations can have religious beliefs, and that their religious liberty trumps a woman’s ability to easily access contraception. Why are these two events related and why does it matter?
    It affirms in The United Methodist Church that the health of women and girls is important and worthy of our attention and care
    The HFHP resolution matters because it affirms in The United Methodist Church that the health of women and girls is important and worthy of our attention and care. Every two minutes a woman dies in childbirth somewhere in the world. In most cases, access to maternal care would have improved a woman’s odds of fighting infections and hemorrhage.
    In any case, my religious belief, which is formed by The United Methodist Church’s biblical interpretation, compels me to advocate for this woman to have greater access to maternal care for her own and her baby’s sake. Birth control is one of the ways she maintains her health and the health of her family because it allows her to plan her family and the healthy spacing of her children.

    A frightening idea

    The idea that someone can use their “religious belief” to impede a woman’s access to reproductive health care is actually quite frightening to me. All over the world we hear of examples of women and girls who are subject to harmful, dangerous actions rooted in someone’s “religious beliefs.” From child brides to genital mutilation to honor killings, someone’s religious belief has trumped a woman’s basic human right and is used to justify physical harm to her body.
    How long will we excuse beliefs and practices that harm women and girls in the name of religious freedom?
    I know some people will respond by saying: “That’s not the same thing. This is different.”
    How long will we excuse beliefs and practices that harm women and girls in the name of religious freedom?

    A vivid experience

    I spent three years living in Durban, South Africa, during the escalation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Birth control and basic contraception methods such as condoms would have made a huge difference to the millions of people who contracted and died from this disease in that country alone.
    The most vivid experience of my time there was spent in orphanages with babies who lost parents to the devastating disease, and were left alone in the world. The United Nations AIDS Foundation estimates that there were 2.5 million orphans as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa alone.
    To me, that’s an unbelievably sad number of children who might be living a different life if their parents had access to simple reproductive health care. The irony is that in our zeal to restrict abortion from happening in the world, we impede a woman’s access to health care. We end up harming the very group of people we say we want to protect: babies, now left without a mother, without a parent, without anything.
    Out of concern for my own two daughters and their future reproductive health, I am joining the conversation to make sure my own religious beliefs are heard and respected: that women and girls have sacred worth, and that all babies deserve healthy mothers.
    Sometime it’s really, really necessary to state the obvious. In this case, it shouldn’t be, but it is.
    Editor's note: Courtney Fowler, Manhattan, Kan., is Lay Leader of the Great Plains Annual Conference. She is also an Ambassador for Healthy Families, Healthy Planet, an initiative of The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society that works to mobilize U.S. United Methodists on the importance of maternal health and international family planning. Through grassroots education with targeted annual conferences and advocacy efforts with policy makers, the goal of the initiative is to achieve higher levels of foreign aid for international family planning through the U.S. government.
  • Read the resolution adopted by the Great Plains Conference in June.  
Resolution: Support Global, Maternal and Child Health Page 1 of 2
Financial Implications: None
RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT GLOBAL MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
THROUGH THE HEALTHY FAMILIES, HEALTHY PLANET PROJECT
Rationale: We are called as people of The United Methodist Church and Great Plains 
Annual Conference to bring health and wholeness to all God’s people. This resolution 
expresses this call by taking action in support of increasing international funding for 
international family planning, and maternal and child health service.
Whereas, Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and have it abundantly" 
(John 10:10)
Whereas, maternal mortality claims the lives of more than 287,000 women each year, 
most of whom live in the developing world;1
Whereas, more than 4 million infants die within the first month of being born;2
Whereas, a woman is much more likely to have a healthy pregnancy and give birth to a 
healthy baby if she delays pregnancy at least two years after the birth of her previous 
child;3
Whereas, more than 222 million women worldwide would like to avoid a pregnancy but 
lack a family planning method,4
resulting in more than 70 million unintended 
pregnancies each year;5
Whereas, the UMC Resolution “Maternal Health: The Church’s Role” states: “Women, 
who are crying out for not only their own survival but also the survival of their families 
and communities, deserve access to services and care that empower their personal 
decision-making. As a global church, we are called to eradicate systems of oppression 
and marginalization that inhibit women’s health and well-being.”
Therefore be it resolved:
 that the Great Plains Annual Conference endorses the “Healthy Families, Healthy 
Planet” initiative, a project of the General Board of Church & Society to educate 
and mobilize United Methodists on maternal health and the importance of 
international family planning;
 that the Boards of the Great Plains Annual Conference work together for the 
purposes of creating awareness, education, and advocacy for the well-being of 
women, infants, and children worldwide;
 that the Great Plains Annual Conference Mercy and Justice Team, with the help 
of the General Board of Church and Society, provide leadership and coordination 
for this effort;Resolution: Support Global, Maternal and Child Health Page 2 of 2
Financial Implications: None
Therefore be it further resolved: that we call upon United Methodist leaders, pastors, 
and laypersons in the Great Plains Annual Conference to contact their members of 
Congress to urge them to increase funding for international family planning in U.S. 
foreign assistance in order to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
Implemented by: The Great Plains Conference Mercy and Justice Team
Time Frame: Between July 2014 and June 2015
Date: March 27, 2014
Signatures:
Members of the Mercy and Justice Team:
Rev. Stephanie Ahlschwede Rev. Kent Little
Nancy Brown Rev. Pat Longstroth
Rev. Hyun-Jin Cho Rev. Sarah Marsh
Rev. Kurt Cooper Rev. Bonnie McCord
Debora Cox Rev. Jamie Norwich McLennan
Rev. Loren Drummond Louise Niemann
Jerry Feese Andrea Paret
Rev. Cindy Karges Jamie Snyder
Katie Lamb Richard Walker
Conference Lay Leader and Healthy Families, Healthy Planet Ambassador:
Courtney Fowler
1 World Health Organization, Maternal Mortality Factsheet, May 2012. 
2 Sunsheela Singh et al., Adding It Up: The Costs and Benefits of Investing in Family Planning and 
Maternal and Newborn Health, New York: Guttmacher Institute and United Nations Population Fund 
(UNFPA), 2009.
3 Rhonda Smith et al., Family Planning Saves Lives, 4th ed., Washington, DC: Population Reference 
Bureau, 2009.
4 Sunsheela Singh et al., Family Planning Saves Lives. 
5 World Health Organization (WHO), Unsafe Abortion: Global and Regional Estimates of the Incidence of 
Unsafe Abortion and Associated Mortality in 2008, 5th ed., Geneva: WHO, 2011. 

Social Justice Seed Money applications due Sept. 30

The following was submitted by the Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team
The Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team wants to encourage local churches to address social justice issues in their communities and beyond. John Wesley taught the importance of living out our faith in personal and social holiness. Following Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves we are called to help those in need and that includes working for justice and for changing unjust structures and laws. We ask that the chosen projects are supportive of one of the United Methodist Social Principles listed on the application form. One of them is from the section The Social Community and focuses on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Many of you have participated in Mission u this summer in Salina, Kansas or Kearney, Nebraska, and attended the class The Church and People with Disabilities. Is there something your church could work on to make it more accessible for all of God’s children regardless of abilities? For other ideas, you can read the following articles:
If you have questions, please contact Andrea Paret at amparet08@yahoo.com or Nancy Brown at nancybrowncor@aol.com.

Mission Service Opportunities through Generation Transformation

Generation Transformation (GT) applications are now available for 2015 young adult mission opportunities. Generation Transformation is an initiative of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries offering service opportunities for young adults ages 18-30. With three different mission tracks to choose from, GT offers a program to fit the mission desires of all who wish to serve. “Generation Transformation is for all who are willing to go, and ready to respond to God’s call,” says Rachel deBos, a mission interpreter for Global Ministries.   
Generation Transformation is a movement of young adults using their faith to address injustice and work for systemic change around the world. It is often said that United Methodist missionaries go “from everywhere to everywhere,” making GT truly a global initiative.
“Global Ministries is committed to offering mission service opportunities for young people all around the globe,” says Judy Y. Chung, who leads missionary services. “As young people are mobilized to serve in mission, integrating faith and justice, the movement will inspire and transform the world.”
Learn more about Generation Transformation at www.umcmission.org/GT or email gmfellows@umcmission.org. Follow @umcmissionGT on Twitter for program updates. Please keep these young adults in prayer along with the communities they will serve. Financial support can be made through Advance #13105Z. 

Marching to Zion … via Greyhound bus

Great Plains presence at the People's Climate March in NYC

The following was submitted by Carol Windrum, Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team member and Micah Corps director.
It was like a huge reunion with United Methodists from local congregations, the General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Women, seminarians and more. Banners, arm bands, T-shirts and smiles accompanied people of faith who were among the estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people marching for clean energy and climate justice during the People Climate March in New York City, Sept. 21, 2014.
My husband, Tim, and I first thought we would fly to NYC for the march (to save time and Tim wouldn't have to take time off of work), but we decided that the bus would be more earth-friendly in energy consumption and more in line with the overall message of the weekend. Even before we got to the Big Apple, we encountered the global community on each bus we rode. People from all over the world were headed east and west, north and south across the U.S. We heard many languages from Asia, Africa and Latin America. And every region represented is already impacted by climate change.
The march in NYC was the largest environmental march in history and was part of other marches all over the world on Sept. 21. Tyler Kauffman, a Nebraska United Methodist Drew seminary student, wore his Pipeline Fighters arm band and joined other young adults in calling on the leaders of the world to listen to the people and commit to aggressive steps to curb destructive environmental practices and invest in more renewable energy efforts.
We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion; We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God.
This hymn calls us to move, to march, to act. The beautiful city of God can and should be in the here and now as we pray words from our Lord's Prayer... “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Stay tuned for more articles in GPConnect on what Great Plains United Methodists are doing and can do to care for God's creation.
Photo by James K. Karpen, UMNS
Members of the United Methodist Church of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew make their presence known as they walk in the People’s Climate March Sept. 21 in New York.

Church members join climate change march

By Linda Bloom
Gabriel, who is “almost 5,” was trying to stand patiently with his father, Tim Emmett-Rardin, a United Methodist from Philadelphia, until the signal came for them to sweep into the throng that became the People’s Climate March.
It had been a long wait Sept. 21 on the New York block where pennants held aloft on poles announced the presence of United Methodists, Lutherans, Hindus, Episcopalians and numerous other faith groups stationed there by march organizers.
Baptists clad in green T-shirts demanded “Climate justice for all God’s creation” and Hare Krishna danced joyously. The music and amplified speeches offered from various faith perspectives did not always rise above the din of the crowd.
“He keeps asking when we’re going to start moving,” Gabriel’s father said.
Early on, organizers estimated that 100,000 people would come to midtown Manhattan to demand significant commitments by world leaders to deal with the climate change issue.
On Friday, Bill McKibben, a United Methodist from Middlebury, Vermont, and president of 350.org, a group that helped organize the march, mentioned that 200,000 people might show up.  
By midafternoon Sunday, organizers released an estimate of 310,000 people based on the crowd density along an expanded march route. That estimate later was increased to nearly 400,000.
“At 5:00 p.m., march organizers had to send out a text asking marchers to disperse from the march route because the crowds had swelled beyond the route’s capacity,” said a press release frompeoplesclimate.org.
Gabriel had a lot of company.
WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES
The Book of Discipline, which contains the denomination’s laws and teachings, includes multiple statements on being caretakers of God’s creation.
• On Water, Air, Soil, Minerals and Plants: We support measures designed to maintain and restore natural ecosystems.
• On Energy Resources Utilization: “…We call upon all to take measures to save energy. Everybody should adapt his or her lifestyle to the average consumption of energy that respects the limits of the planet earth.”
• On Global Climate Stewardship: “[We] support efforts of all governments to require mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and call on individuals, congregations, businesses, industries, and communities to reduce their emissions.”
Read more church teachings on the "Natural World."

Crashing the party

The march preceded the Sept. 23 Climate Summitat the United Nations, arranged by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon — who also took part in the march — to spur political action on global warming and encourage leaders from government and the private sector to announce new initiatives.
McKibben, who spoke about the march during an International Day of Peace symposium on Sept. 19 at the United Methodist-related Church Center for the United Nations, was skeptical about what the summit might accomplish given what he considered the “complete failure” of the U.N. Copenhagen summit on climate change in 2009.
“We don’t have much hope that this week, in New York, the world leaders will get us much farther,” he said. “That’s why we decided to invite ourselves to crash this party and come, too.”
March participants — representing government entities, labor, neighborhoods, environmental and social justice groups, faith communities and indigenous groups, as well as families and individuals — began assembling Sunday morning on Central Park West.
A few blocks away, Rosina Pohlmann — the energetic “Green Team” coordinator at the Church of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, United Methodist — had worked with the pastors and church staff to arrange for four days of housing at the church for up to 60 young people attending the march.
“There is a spirit of maturity and peace at the core of this movement, and I think that spirit is issuing in great part from the active participation of so many religious and faith groups,” she said.
The Rev. Jenny Phillips of Seattle was among a group loosely organized through United Methodist Women and the United Methodist Boards of Global Ministries and Church and Society who gathered at Saint Paul and Saint Andrew before the march.
She had come to promote Fossil Free UMC, a project calling upon the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits and other United Methodist institutions to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in clean energy.
Phoebe Crismo had extended a U.S. visit from the Philippines to attend the march and other climate action events. As staff of the Philippines Central Conference, she helped produce a campaign on climate change for children, youth and local churches. She is concerned about the impact of deforestation and open-pit mining on her country.
“With the forest gone, when the monsoons come, down comes the mud as well,” she explained.
Michael Black, a member of Decatur First United Methodist Church in Georgia, and an active participant in Caretakers of God’s Creation, is a veteran of similar, if smaller marches and considers such activities as essential to his faith. “If you’re not speaking out about the problems, you can’t complain (when) there aren’t solutions,” he said.

Intertwining faith with action

A group from United Methodist-related Drew University gathered near the “seminaries” pennant in the interfaith block. The group included Tyler Kaufmann from Nebraska, part of a student group called Transforming Ecological and Religious Resources into Action, and Laurel Kearns, an associate professor of the sociology of religion and environmental studies who helped found the Green Seminaries Initiative.
Nikki Edelman, a part-time Drew student and a New York Conference member from Pawling, New York, said she was motivated to march by her background in chemistry and her concern as the mother of an 8- and 10-year–old.
“I’ve always been interested in the ecology and biology of the earth,” she added. “To me, it’s totally wrapped up in faith.”
Not far away, the Rev. Carol Windrum and Tim Fickenscher, a United Methodist couple from Omaha, Nebraska, were preparing to walk, shaking off the fatigue of a 27-hour Greyhound bus ride.
Both expressed concern about how climate change will impact younger generations. Windrum directs the Micah Corps, a 10-week summer internship program for young adults focusing on social justice issues, for the Great Plains Annual Conference. Flickenscher is a high school teacher.
“If we don’t do something now, it will be too late,” he said.
Bill Ewing, who had a shorter journey, was one of the congregational members carrying the large banner of First United Methodist Church of Germantown in Philadelphia.
“We’re in the process of doing real damage to the planet,” he declared. “We need to get people’s attention to stop it.”
Pat and Dave Herber, members of Calvary United Methodist Church in Frederick, Maryland, simply showed up.
“We were in the city for the weekend and didn’t know about this until we saw the news coverage and decided to join in,” explained Dave Herber, who teaches environmental science to high school students. “I do look at this as caring for God’s creation.”

At a crossroads

Education about climate change is a personal and vocational priority for Tim Emmett-Rardin, who stood with Gerry Felix, a fellow member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, and Gabriel, who was hoping the parade would begin soon.
“It really feels like we’re at a crisis point, at a major crossroads,” he said.
Emmett-Rardin is starting a new job promoting wind energy in Pennsylvania that will have an educational component. “It’s probably the easiest way to help congregations evaluate renewable energy,” he said. “It’s a small step but it’s an easy one for people to take and it makes a difference.”
Finally, shortly after 2 p.m., it was time to march, with the Cross and Flame held high and the banners of the Germantown church, United Methodist Women and Saint Paul and Saint Andrew following.
Pohlmann of the Church of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew hopes other United Methodists will feel inspired to connect with faith-based climate action groups and join what she considers to be a “historic push” for change.
“The march created a huge, unprecedented opportunity,” she said. “But an opportunity only matters if it is seized, and in order to seize this one we need to start now.”
Bloom is a United Methodist News Service multimedia reporter based in New York. Follow her athttp://twitter.com/umcscribe or contact her at (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org

Meriden UMC selling copier

Meriden UMC in Kansas, has a copier for sale. The Sharp AR-M237, Digital Imager – Duplex, has scan and fax capabilities. It prints in black and white, has two paper drawers, a paper storage bin and an automatic paper feed. Meriden UMC is asking $500, or best offer over $500.
If interested, please contact the Meriden UMC at 785-484-2224. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., if you would like to view and test this machine.

Pianist needed at Lakeview UMC in Lincoln

Lakeview UMC in Lincoln, Nebraska, is searching for a pianist that will play when the regular pianist is unavailable. Right now this is a volunteer offering, with the possibility of a small stipend. If interested please contact the Rev. Ray Norris at 402-310-1210 or ray.norris@neb.rr.com.

Mound City UMC and Blue Mound UMC in Kansas, in need of handbells

The Mound City and Blue Mound UMC in Kansas, wishes to get a handbell set or chimes to either borrow or purchase. If you have an unused octave of bells please contact Walter Marsella at 785-342-7245 or wmarsella@hotmail.com.

GBHEM seeks assistant general secretary for collegiate ministries

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) of The United Methodist Church is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of assistant general secretary for collegiate ministries.
GBHEM is actively seeking a pool of qualified candidates who would be representative of the church. Work includes coordinating relationships with ecumenical partners and providing an interface between ecumenical collegiate ministry and the UMC; providing support for professional organizations related to collegiate ministry; and leading the UMC in articulating the theological and practical role of collegiate ministry. The incumbent will work closely with the other components in the Division of Higher Education to ensure young leadership is supported with high quality national programs for college students. The portfolio also includes performing tasks associated with the accomplishment of the division’s goals and GBHEM’s strategic goals.
View the full job description at www.umc.org under the “Jobs” section.
Editorial Policy: The content, news, events and announcement information distributed in GPconnect is not sponsored or endorsed by the Great Plains Methodist Conference unless specifically stated.
Want to submit a letter to the editor? Email Kathryn Witte at kwitte@greatplainsumc.org 


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