The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas, United States "GPconnect" fro Wednesday, 28 October 2015Click here for the Oct. 28 printable version of GPconnect.
In this edition of GPconnect:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Help during, after disasters
Family, friends mourn pastor who fell ill during Sunday worship
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Three generations view last Nebraska circuit rider’s saddle
Care for the care giver workshop offered for clergy
EQUIP DISCIPLES
Fort Hays State campus minister retires after 18 years of service
Korean Love Congregation celebrates five years
MERCY AND JUSTICE
Team urges all churches to take stand against all violence
Toxic Charity sheds light on mission outreach
OTHER NEWS
Classifieds
Newsletters
Press Clips
Help during, after disasters
Disasters. It's a word that no one really likes to say or hear, yet all around the conference and the world, disasters are happening almost daily. There is a calling when viewing news about the disasters and many want to help. Many want to be the presence of the church. It’s possible, and it’s possible in many ways. Here are a few.
ERTs are needed to work this week, Oct. 29-31, in DeWitt, Nebraska. Work will consist of removing drywall and scrubbing mold. RSVP with Great Plains Conference Disaster Response coordinator, the Rev. Hollie Tapley, athtapley@greatplainsumc.org.
Donate a financial gift to UMCOR for South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and Mexico, Advance # 901670
Donate a financial gift to UMCOR for Nepal and the Bahamas, Advance # 982450
Pray for all the individuals impacted by storms.
Family, friends mourn pastor who fell ill during Sunday worship
Thomas J. Wilborn, 60, an assigned pastor of the Great Plains United Methodist Conference to Curtis-Garden Prairie in Nebraska, died Oct. 25 from complications of a heart attack reportedly suffered while preaching.
His son, Bronson, posted on Facebook that his dad passed away from a heart attack suffered fulfilling his Sunday morning worship duties.
Wilborn worked as a substance abuse counselor and in the restaurant business until a series of life circumstances pushed him to seek a stronger relationship with Christ, which resulted in him serving in a leadership role at Park City (Kansas) United Methodist Church and eventually to a district superintendent assignment to lead the congregations at Curtis and Garden Prairie in Nebraska.
“Tom had a definite call on his life to serve the church in pastoral ministry,” said the Rev. Rick Just, lead pastor of Asbury Church in Wichita and a former Wichita East District superintendent. “He was passionate about it and willing to do whatever was asked of him or go wherever God would choose to send him. Oh that all would be so willing and passionate to share the gospel of Jesus Christ!”
Family members shared that Wilborn felt an immediate and sincere love for every one of his parishioners. He was honored to assist them on their walk in faith and he looked forward to many happy years in the Nebraska community.
He is survived by all five of his children; Wayland, Brandon, Whitney, Taylor and Bronson. He is also survived by his father, Harold.
Services are planned for noon Friday, Oct. 30, at Asbury Church, 2801 W. 15th St., in Wichita, Kansas, with commital prior to the service at 10 a.m. Friday at Kansas Veteran's Cemetery in Winfield.
Three generations view last Nebraska circuit rider’s saddle
Descendants of the Rev. Dr. Harold Sandall, widely credited as the last Methodist circuit rider in the former Nebraska Annual Conference, recently visited the Nebraska United Methodist Historical Center (NEUMHC ) to view several items the center holds in its collection on Sandall, including the saddle, clergy suit and traveling communion set he used when beginning his ministry in the Sandhills area of Nebraska at age 19 “with little more preparation than a dedicated heart and a love for people” (quote by Harold Sandall in “The Circuit Rider Returns”).
Ingrid Sandall Hutchings, and her husband, Bruce, brought their granddaughters, Halsten and Hathaway, to see first-hand the items their great-grandfather used in his ministry. Ingrid’s son, Mark, and daughter-in-law, Stacey Skold, were also able to join in the family’s visit.
From 1921 to 1922, Sandall rode a horse more than 40 miles eachSunday preaching at three churches on a five-point circuit in western Keya Paha County that crossed over into eastern Cherry County. He was paid $720 per year. “Meals came whenever I was invited, and I slept wherever night overtook me.” (Sandall quote from “The Circuit Rider…”).
Sandall’s saddle and suit were most recently displayed at the last Nebraska Annual Conference session (June 2013) to commemorate the pioneer spirit that resulted in the formation of Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches throughout the state starting as early as the late 1850s.
Commenting on the Sandall family visit, NEUMHC director, Karrie Dvorak, noted that part of the center’s mission is to inspire a new generation of leaders by sharing sources of Nebraska Methodist/EUB history with them. The center encourages students, family, church and local historians, scholars, film makers, etc. to make an appointment to view/conduct research in the NEUMHC’s collections. The center is currently one of two archival facilities holding conference records pertaining to United Methodist churches and their predecessors in Kansas and Nebraska. For more information on the types of records each facility holds, as well as helpful record-retention guidelines for active United Methodist congregations, go to www.greatplainsumc.org/archivesandhistory.
Care for the care giver workshop offered for clergy
Join Michael T. Curd, D. Min., founding director of Institute of Pastoral Care, and your pastor colleagues for a free psychodrama workshop 1-5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6, at First United Methodist Church, (Parlor, 7020 Cass St.) in Omaha, Nebraska.
At the completion of this introductory self-care seminar participants will:
Know the five basic components of the action therapy modality, psychodrama.
See one or more demonstrations of the modality.
Understand the history of psychodrama and its founder, Jakob Moreno, M.D.
Be familiar with how psychodrama provides trauma resolution.
Learn how pschodrama can be used for self-care by clergy.
Receive a certificate of completion for five contact hours of training.
Fear not! The only thing participants will be expected to do is say their name, as a vow of confidentiality.
Please dress casually, bring throw pillows (if you like sitting on the floor) and enjoy light refreshments.
Contact Curd if you have any questions. Register via email toipcsanantonio1@aol.com or call 402-802-7826.
Fort Hays State campus minister retires after 18 years of service
Steve Johnson began his ministry to college students at Fort Hays State University 18 years ago. He has ministered to an entire generation of young adults by offering Bible studies four days a week, mission opportunities and a place for students to connect at the United Campus Ministries Center. He has seen the interests of students change throughout the years and renewed his leadership for each genre of students that he encountered. He has spent countless hours meeting and connecting with students on behalf the United Methodist Church, offering a mainline Protestant voice in the midst of the religious landscape in campus ministries.
For the past nine years, he has lived in Hays, Kansas, while his family resided in Oakley, Kansas, embodying his commitment to ministering to college students. Steve has approached ministry with humility, commitment and oversight providing an environment for students to know that they are loved and that Christ loves them.
All are grateful to Steve for his ministry and continued love of college students. On Sunday, Oct. 25, there was a reception at the Fort Hays State Campus Ministry Building in Steve’s honor. Many people came to give thanks for Steve and his leadership. He will begin his retirement onOct. 31 and looks forward to spending time with family.
Learn more about United Methodist campus ministry at Fort Hays State University.
Korean Love Congregation celebrates five years
The Korean Love Congregation, a mission of First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg, Kansas, and the Great Plains Conference, celebrated its fifth anniversary Sunday, Oct. 25, during its 11:30 a.m.worship service.
Members of First UMC joined with them for the celebration with a lunch and cake afterwards. At the close of the worship, Pastor Han thanked First UMC for its support and the use of the building, and presented senior pastor, the Rev. Mark Chambers, with a check for $5,000 as their thanks to go toward a new roof and the remodeling of the 101-year-old sanctuary. Chambers thanked Korean Love for the gift, and told the members that First UMC is happy to provide them a place to worship and that it is a joy to be able to learn from each other.
Team urges all churches to take stand against all violence
Submitted by the Mercy and Justice Team of the Great Plains Conference
Deeply troubled about the continuing gun violence in our country, the Mercy and Justice Team of the Great Plains Conference is calling all our congregations to take action and stand against violence in all forms.
The news continues to be saturated with stories of violence and unrest. The number of violent acts involving firearms continues to skyrocket, with more than 142 school shootings since Dec. 14, 2012.
The Mercy and Justice Team of the Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is committed to doing the difficult work of education and speaking out against all forms of violence and in this particular environment in our country and world, gun violence.
Continue reading the letter by Kent Little, member of the Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team.
To all congregations in the Great Plains Conference October 2015
The news continues to be saturated with stories of violence and unrest. The number of violent acts involving firearms continues to skyrocket, there have been over one hundred and forty two just school shootings since
December 14, 2012 as of this writing.
The Mercy and Justice Team of the Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is committed to doing the difficult work of education and speaking out against all forms of violence and in this
particular environment in our country and world, gun violence.
As far back as 1976, The United Methodist Church has been raising the banner of non-violence and peace. In a resolution to General Conference of that year the United States was described as a shooting gallery. That resolution, Gun Control, declares that the “mounting proliferation of firearms in U.S. society" means the safety of citizens "cannot be guaranteed.” The resolution calls on the church to affirm its faith through vigorous efforts to curb gun violence.
The Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2014 passed a resolution calling for the safety of our country, and in particular our children. As relating to gun violence it asks for common sense regulation and controls, …lifting up the vision of “a more excellent way” by calling on appropriate bodies within the church to:
Recall and adhere to Resolution #3426 from the Book of Resolutions which states, “…reflecting that the traditional role of The United Methodist Church has been one of safety and sanctuary, every United Methodist Church is officially declared a weapon free zone.”
And calling for our Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church to:
Join United Methodist Women and the General Board of Church & Society in supporting the
efforts of Faiths United to Prevent Gun and share information from Faiths United with
congregations for study and action. Faiths United supports legislation to accomplish the
following:
● Every person who buys a gun should pass a criminal background check;
● High capacity weapons and ammunition magazines should not be available to civilians;
● Gun trafficking should be a federal crime
These requests should be just the minimum in addressing the violent society we have developed. And so in keeping with the United Methodist Church as a denomination and the Great Plains Annual Conference of the
United Methodist Church, our committee calls for the church and society to stand against violence in all forms, including gun violence. Our representatives must pass common sense gun controls as well as addressing the issues that would cause one to lash out in violent ways against another. To continue to reduce and eliminate gun laws and controls is to participate in the epidemic that gun violence has become in our land and in our world.
Working in the Service and Love of The Prince of Peace,
Rev. Kent H. Little, Chair
Mercy and Justice Team
Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
The resolution passed at the 2014 Annual Conference Session “Christians Respond to Gun Violence.”Resources including Bible studies.
Toxic Charity sheds light on mission outreach
On Oct. 24, about 100 people from across the Great Plains Conference came together at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, to hear Robert Lupton speak on the topic of “toxic charity.” Lupton is the author of a book with the same title as well as several other books. He shared about how he got involved several decades ago when he started working with troubled youth.
He challenged attendees to look at their motivations and reasons for the mission programs they have. How often do charity programs make donors feel good without really helping those who need assistance or even hurting them? Americans are compassionate and want to help. But good intentions are not enough. There needs to be an evaluation of whether charity dollars create expectations and dependency. A crisis requires an immediate response, but in situations of chronic need, development is the right answer.
“When we address a chronic need with a crisis intervention, people are harmed,” emphasized Lupton. He shared several examples of unhealthy charity programs as well as examples of projects designed with clients’ input and the goal of developing long-term two-way relationships.
The day was broken up between Lupton speaking and question-and-answer sessions. Participants asked many good questions and discussed many topics. At the end of the day, participants were asked about what stood out from the day. Reflections included the current way of doing ministry is often not empowering for the people who are intended to receive the help, building relationships with those who want to serve is very important. And listening and learning from them and finding out what they can contribute is crucial.
The Mercy and Justice Team of the Great Plains Conference, which organized this event, hopes that more mission committees and congregations will be working towards this paradigm shift where all no longer work with one-way giving projects but in partnership and mutuality.
Classifieds
Donate books to New Christian School
Call for motorized wheelchair
Community minister needed at COR
To view these and more classified ads, go togreatplainsumc.org/classifieds.
Newsletters
Nebraska United Methodist Foundation: Stewardship Matters
Christian Copyright Solutions: October 2015
UMC Development Center: Spiritual Giving
United Methodist Communications: MyCom
United Methodist Clergywomen: October 2015
Lewis Center for Church Leaders: Leading Ideas
Ministry Matters: Oct. 28, 2015
General Board of Global Ministries: connectNmission
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.
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