The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas, United States "GPconnect" for Wednesday, 7 October 2015Click here for the Oct. 7 printable version of GPconnect.
In this edition of GPconnect:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
#CTTalks launched to help prep for General Conference
Oktoberfest at Camp Norwesca
Don’t miss out on mission trips
Work day at Camp Chippewa scheduled for November
Nebraska Archives receives donations
East Heights UMC Preschool wins national certification
October rates for Certificate of Participation announced
EQUIP DISCIPLES
New 5-week study explores 'God of the Bible'
Learn more about caring and healing ministries
Wesleyan Building Brothers receives endorsement
Lay Servant classes bolster knowledge, friendships
New training classes scheduled for Lay Servant Ministries
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Alumni of PCM training invited to gathering Oct. 26
MERCY AND JUSTICE
Youthville accepting offerings for Christmas programs
Nebraska Ecumenical Legislative Briefing Day scheduled for Feb. 13
New Hope UMC’s Kenya Night
United Methodists can take a stand against gun violence
OTHER NEWS
Newsletters
Classifieds
Press Clips
#CTTalks launched to help prep
for General Conference
The Connectional Table is launching a series of weekly videos in October to help inform United Methodist church leaders and General Conference delegates leading up to the 2016 General Conference next May. The videos are part of an online forum called #CTTalks.
“#CTTalks is intended to provide a way of engaging information about General Conference, rather than simply reading it,” said the Rev. Dr. Amy Valdez Barker, executive secretary of The Connectional Table. “Our goal is to invite people to engage in the conversation before we get to Portland.”
The #CTTalks forum is designed to be used by delegations and annual conferences as they study and discuss issues that will be addressed at General Conference 2016. These weekly posts will include interviews with United Methodist bishops, Connectional Table members and other leaders from across the denomination.
Each video will also be accompanied by a one-page conversation sheet with FAQs on the topic, as well as questions for delegates to use to continue the dialogue. The videos and the conversation sheets will be available on the Connectional Table website.
Delegates are invited to ask questions of the interviewees in advance via Twitter using the hashtag #CTTalks. Individual delegates and entire delegations can use the resource to help prepare for General Conference.
“We want to start building a culture of Christian conferencing among delegations and church leaders as we prepare for the important work General Conference does in discerning ‘what to teach’ across our connection,” said Valdez Barker.
The following is the proposed schedule for #CTTalks topics:
October 2015: General Conference Culture for 2016
November 2015: Christian Conferencing
December 2015: Vital Congregations - Paragraph 120
January 2016: Worldwide Nature - Our Theology
February 2016: Worldwide Nature - Our Organization/Structure
April 2016: Stronger Together: VC-Four Strategic Directions for 2017-2020
May 6: Welcome to Portland
General Conference is scheduled for May 10-20, 2016, in Portland, Oregon.
Oktoberfest at Camp Norwesca
All are invited to attend Oktoberfest at Camp Norwesca. The family-fun event will take place 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 24 at the camp near Chadron, Nebraska.
Attendees will be able to participate in pumpkin carving, face painting, cardboard sliding, a photo booth, bobbing for apples, a cake walk, hay rack rides, games, s’mores, costume contests, prizes and more. Trick or treating will take place at each activity, and a costume parade will be at 4 p.m.
Cost to attend is $5 per person, children 4 and younger are free. Receive $1 off admission with a canned food donation.
Don’t miss out on mission trips
Are you seeking a mission trip to join in the coming months? Don’t forget to check out the Mission Trips & Volunteer Opportunities page on the Great Plains Conference’s website. And if your church is sponsoring a mission trip, don’t forget to post it on our site for others to see.
First United Methodist Church of Wichita has posted four new trips in recent days, with three different opportunities to help build fuel-efficient stoves in Guatemala and another to rejuvenate a United Methodist camp devastated by fire in Colorado.
See more about these trips or post trips of your own.
Work day at Camp Chippewa scheduled for November
Camp Chippewa will host a Camp Chippewa Work Retreat Nov. 14-15, at the camp near Ottawa, Kansas.
Youth are needed to complete a special amphitheater project, but a variety of projects are available for people of all ages and abilities. Schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Nov. 14
9 a.m. – Orientation
9:30 a.m. – Projects begin
12 a.m. – Lunch provided
1 p.m. – Projects
6 p.m. – Cook-out Dinner provided
Please bring side dish for cookout
7 p.m. – Campfire and fellowship
Sunday, Nov. 15
8 a.m. – Breakfast
9 a.m. – Worship
10 a.m. – Pack and head home
Release forms are available from the camp's website. Any volunteers younger than 18 must have a parent or guardian sign the form prior to arriving at camp.
Cabins are available Friday and Saturday evening.
Camp Chippewa will be providing lunch, dinner and Sunday breakfast at no charge. Free will offerings will be accepted to help defer the cost.
Please call the camp office, 785-242-6797, with number of individuals attending, what meals are needed as well as overnight lodging needs. You also can contact James Rickner at the number listed above if you have any specific skills to share, or would like more information.
Nebraska Archives receives donations
Can you help identify the donor?
The Nebraska United Methodist Historical Center/Archives discovered donations on Sept. 16 that were left under the door while the archives were closed. The donated items include:
75th Anniversary booklet for Zion Evangelical UB Church
25th Anniversary booklet for St. Paul UMC
A poster board of clergy of the Nebraska Conference of the Evangelical Association.
The archive center currently has no way to acknowledge the donation without getting the donor information. Identifying the owner also assists with the question of legally owning the items if the archivist can complete the donation paperwork.
If you donated the items, or know you might have, please contact Karrie Dvorak, director/curator, at 402-465-2175 or via email atkdvorak@greatplainsumc.org.
Alumni of PCM training invited to gathering Oct. 26
All who have completed the 3-Day Core PCM (Process Communication Model) Course are invited to attend an alumni gathering. Nate Regier from Next Element Consulting, will lead the group in a one-day training event that will provide you an opportunity to refresh your PCM skills by considering how to guide productive conversation around difficult topics in your church. It’s also an opportunity to connect with others from your residency group and find people who will appreciate your PCM jokes.
This one-time opportunity will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 26, at Trinity UMC in Salina, Kansas. The cost is $25, and lunch is included.
Please RSVP by Monday, Oct. 19, to the Rev. Ashlee Alley (aalley@greatplainsumc.org) in order to reserve your spot. Indicate any dietary needs at that time. Contact Ashlee at the email above, or call her at 402-464-5994, ext. 117, with any questions.
East Heights UMC Preschool wins national certification
East Heights United Methodist Church Preschool, 4407 E. Douglas Ave., in Wichita, Kansas, has earned national certification as a Nature Explore Classroom from Dimensions Educational Research Foundation and the Arbor Day Foundation.
East Heights UMC Preschool joins a growing network of organizations and institutions that have created effective nature-based outdoor learning environments for children. This network allows for idea-sharing, peer support and continuous development. Learn more about the preschool.
“East Heights UMC Preschool has shown tremendous leadership in growing the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Susie Wirth, Nature Explore Outreach Director. “Their commitment to providing research-based and nature-rich learning offers a wonderful example to educators throughout the country.”
Nature Explore Classrooms are part of the Nature Explore program, a collaborative project of the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation developed in response to the growing disconnect between children and nature. Certified Nature Explore Classrooms help fill the void by integrating research-based outdoor learning opportunities into children’s daily lives.
The classrooms, which are being developed across the country, offer interactive elements such as musical instruments made of natural materials, garden or pathway areas and natural materials for building and creating art. Children who learn and grow in Certified Nature Explore Classrooms enhance concentration, develop creativity and problem-solving, relieve stress and improve skills in many areas of development.
The first Nature Explore Classroom is located in the Tree Adventure attraction at Arbor Day Farm, the Arbor Day Foundation’s interactive conservation venue in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Learn more about the program.
October rates for Certificate of Participation announced
A Certificate of Participation is an investment in building the United Methodist witness through the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation’s loan program for Kansas United Methodist churches and agencies. A Certificate of Participation is a time investment. An individual or church may invest a minimum of $1,000 for one- or two-year participation so that you may strengthen the expansion of the United Methodist witness.
New Certificate of Participation October rate:
One Year: 1.2%
Two Year: 1.5%
Learn more how you may increase your investments at the same time expanding the United Methodist witness by downloading promotional material for your church such as fliers, postcards, newsletter/bulletin ads, etc. at www.kaumf.org or call 888-453-8405.
Wesleyan Building Brothers receives endorsement
Wesleyan Building Brothers (WBB) (a UMMen mission) has been accepted as one of nine ministries endorsed by the General Commission on United Methodist Men.
The endorsement by the commission is the result of the cooperative efforts of George Houle, Dan Schaffer, author of “Spiritual Fathers” and Larry Malone, a former staff member of the commission.
“As the commission encouraged churches and United Methodist Men to come together in class meetings, the Wesleyan Building Brothers process can be that next step and provide a core of spiritually mature men who can lead small groups,” said Houle.
United Methodist Men is the largest organized men’s ministry in the United States.
The WBB program is active in the Great Plains and Virginia conferences; there are also groups of United Methodist Men experiencing the process through ZOOM. Cuban church leaders are presently considering the ministry.
If you would like more information on Wesleyan Building Brothers, or the Great Plains UMMen, contact George Houle at 316 573 8359 orummwbb@att.net.
New 5-week study explores
'God of the Bible'
The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW) released its free, downloadable five-week study, “God of the Bible,” in early September. “God of the Bible” explores the various images of God throughout Scripture including Wisdom, mystery, creation and parent.
“As a child, one of my favorite pastors referred to God as “father and mother of us all.” Those words touched me with images of safety, warmth, security, and most of all, love,” said Dawn Hare, General Secretary of GCSRW. “Tragically, not all children know the love of a father and mother. In many cases, such references to God can evoke much darker emotions and images. Blessedly, our Bible is full of many references and metaphors to explain the nature and love of God that are not limiting, but as we like to call are the use of ‘expansive language.’”
“The Justice for Women committee was concerned that while there had been a good amount of quality scholarly work done on the topic of Biblical metaphor and language for God, but this work had not resulted in an abundance of study materials for the local church,” said the Rev. Stephanie Ahlschwede, pastor at South Gate UMC in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God of the Bible forms a bridge between the best of contemporary scholarship and the local church by presenting the materials in a study format appropriate for many settings. It was important to the committee that GCSRW make this study available via free download on the Commission's website to guarantee the broadest possible access to both the Leader and Participant guides.”
Additional resources for God of the Bible such as sermon ideas and reading lists will be available later in October.
Download the Bible study.
Learn more about caring and healing ministries
The Care Team of Columbus First United Methodist Church in Nebraska would like to invite you to a weekend to strengthen your faith and to experience healing of the body, mind and spirit.
Dr. Stephen Seamands, author of the book “Wounds That Heal,” will be presenting a seminar Oct. 16-18 at First United Methodist Church, 2710 14th St. in Columbus, Nebraska.
Churches are especially invited to bring a team of dedicated laity who are passionate about caring and healing ministry in the church. A special workshop is planned for Saturday afternoon on how to develop caring and healing ministries in the church. For clergy, this seminar will offer 0.5 CEU.
To learn more, call 402-564-8463 or send an email to the Rev. Cindi Stewart, senior pastor of care, at cindi.stewart@columbusfumc.com.
Learn more about the event.
Register for the event.
Lay Servant classes bolster knowledge, friendships
Some United Methodist laity may be intimidated by taking classes within the Lay Servant Ministries program. But the classes aren’t difficult, and while they do provide valuable knowledge they also provide camaraderie.
In the latest Lay Servant Ministries blog, see how the time spent in class build a knowledge base about United Methodist theology and polity while also building friends for life.
Read the blog.
New training classes scheduled for Lay Servant Ministries
Basic courses and advanced courses on spiritual gifts and oral storytelling have been scheduled across the Great Plains Conference.
New trainings have been set for Nov. 13-14 in Ottawa, Kansas, and forJan. 8-9 and 15-16 in McCool Junction, Nebraska.
Additional trainings also have been scheduled for Nov. 13-14 at Havelock United Methodist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska; Oct. 23-24 at Camp Comeca near Cozad, Nebraska; Oct. 16-17 in Great Bend, Kansas and Central City, Nebraska.
Read more about training opportunities and the duties of lay servants.
Youthville accepting offerings for Christmas programs
Christmas Connection is an annual program that gives congregations an opportunity to become personally involved in the ministry of Youthville.
Christmas Offering is a program where Youthville asks the members of your congregation to consider a personal contribution at this special time of year. This financial support helps Youthville carry out its mission of giving children back their childhood throughout the coming year.
Special offering envelopes are available to help promote the congregation becoming involved with Youthville’s mission.
Please contact Victor Peterson at 316-409-7257 orvpeterson@youthville.org prior to Tuesday, Nov. 24, to order your envelopes.
Youthville Giving Tree is a program in which members of your congregation can purchase gifts for Youthville children in foster care. Youthville asks that you consider setting up a tree and decorating it with Youthville Giving Tree ornaments. The ornaments provide the age and gender of a child, as well as several gift suggestions.
Individuals are asked to remove an ornament, purchase a gift from the list, and then return the ornament and gift to the tree. To order ornaments please contact Victor Peterson at 316-409-7257 orvpeterson@youthville.org by Friday Oct. 23. Gifts may be dropped off at Youthville (please call first), or pick-up can be arranged. The deadline for having the gifts to Youthville is Monday, Dec. 7
For questions about Christmas Connection or to arrange gift drop off or pick up, please contact Victor Peterson at the phone number or email listed above.
Nebraska Ecumenical Legislative Briefing Day scheduled for Feb. 13
The 41st annual Ecumenical Legislative Briefing Day will be Feb. 13 at Christ UMC (45th and A Streets) in Lincoln, Nebraska. There will be 10 workshops available. Registration costs $20 and includes lunch. Registration deadline is Feb. 1. Register by sending your check and workshop choices to M.L. Dutcher, 5910 S 25th St. Lincoln, NE 68512. If you have any questions, contact Ruby Thelander atrubythelander@gmail.com.
Schedule:
8:30 a.m. – Registration / Fellowship
9 a.m. – Worship in sanctuary
9:30 a.m. – First workshop
10:30 a.m. – Second workshop
11:30 a.m. – Third workshop
12:30 p.m. – Luncheon in dining hall
1 p.m. – Closing address
Workshop topics include:
Immigration
Domestic Violence
Death Penalty
Education
Climate Justice
Mental Health and Corrections
Human Trafficking
Aging, Vital Concerns of Seniors
Poverty and the Gap Widens
Water, How are we handling this precious resource
View the brochure for more information.
New Hope UMC’s Kenya Night
All are invited to attend Kenya Night at New Hope UMC, in Lincoln, Nebraska. A traditional Kenya dinner will be served at the church 6 -7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 9. Following dinner there will be a slideshow of mission trips to Kenya, with cultural music and dancing and a drumming circle. Everyone is welcome and a free will offering will be received.
New Hope UMC is located at, 1205 N. 45th St.
United Methodists can take a stand against gun violence
As United Methodist Christians, we mourn with the families of the teachers and students of Umpqua Community College who died during a mass shooting there last week. We grieve with those who were wounded physically and emotionally. We pray for the family of the gunman who will wonder if there is anything they could have done to avert these heinous acts. But can we do more?
Learn about what else we can do to take a stand against gun violence.
Newsletters
General Board of Global Ministries: connectNmission
The UMC Development Center: Spiritual Giving
Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation: Nature of Giving
David Upp: Mission Link
Ministry Matters: Oct. 06, 2015
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Update
Classifieds
Madison Avenue UMC seeks pianist/accompanist
Organist / accompanist sought at Grace UMC
To view these and more classified ads, go togreatplainsumc.org/classifieds.
Press Clips
Congregations across the Great Plains Conference are making the news in their local newspapers. View our newspaper clipping reports to see if there are stories, ideas and ministry happenings you can learn from to use in your own congregation. Press clips can be found at greatplainsumc.org/inthenews. You can see education partnership ideas at greatplainsumc.org/education.
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.
To submit a letter to the editor, send it to info@greatplainsumc.org.
Want More?
Episcopal Office: 9440 E Boston Suite 160 Wichita, KS 67207 316-686-0600
Topeka Office: 4201 SW 15th Street PO Box 4187 Topeka, KS 66604 785-272-9111
Wichita Office: 9440 E Boston Suite 110 Wichita, KS 67207 316-684-0266
Lincoln Office: 3333 Landmark Circle Lincoln, NE 68504-4760 402-464-5994
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