Download the printable version of the Dec. 16 issue of GPconnect.
In this edition of GPconnect:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- OneEvent deadline extended
- Acclaimed Gospel singer to headline concert in Wichita
- Eagle UMC to offer Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University
- Two new team members join Great Plains Conference staff
- Great Plains to help Chabadza partner Zimbabwe
- Start planning now for Annual Conference Session 2016
- Order business cards through the conference office
- Registration open for clergy dinner, Orders & Fellowship
- Share how God has called you to ministry at MyCallStory.org
- Music director honored for service
- Hastings church Advent Workshop a long-standing tradition
- Pillars Scholarship available to 2016 freshmen at Southwestern College
- Laity also are called to serve Jesus
- General Conference prayer observance to begin Jan. 1
- Stay safe in winter weather
- Learn more about Wichita's United Methodist Open Door
- UMW plays key role in Church Center for the United Nations
- Learn biblical ways to address root causes of injustice
- Will I become a citizen before I die?
- Robert Lupton holds workshopat Baker University
- Peace in Palestine and Israel and what we can do
OneEvent deadline extended
Merry Christmas from The OneEvent!
We're offering everyone an early Christmas gift this year by extending the deadline for early bird registration, for a rate of $59, to Dec. 31. We hope this extension will give you time to sign up a new group or add more students to your existing registration at this low price.
Already registered or ready to register? We're got an additional surprise! This Wednesday, Dec. 16, we'll be drawing the names of five registered group leaders and sending them a copy of “We Are,” the new album from The City Harmonic, who will be playing on Saturday night at The OneEvent! If you have already registered a group to attend Pyromaniac or if you register a group by this Wednesday, you will automatically be entered in the drawing!
Please visit greatplainsyouth.org to register and to check out more event details! If you have any questions please emailtheoneevent@greatplainsumc.org.
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Acclaimed Gospel singer
to headline concert in Wichita
Start planning now to attend a concert by acclaimed Gospel singer William McDowell, the featured singer Friday, July 15, for the “Area Night” celebration during the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in Wichita, Kansas.
McDowell, widely known in Gospel circles for his heart-felt anthems, is a Grammy and Dove award-nominated singer who has climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard charts twice for individual songs – “I Won’t Go Back” and “I Give Myself Away” – and to the top of the Billboard album charts in the Gospel and Praise & Worship categories. His concert is planned for 7 p.m. July 15 at the Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, 225 W. Douglas Ave., in Wichita.
Ticket are just $5 for the concert, which starts at 6:30 p.m. The Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church, the host for event, is subsidizing the concert as a gift for the host city. Watch the weekly GPconnect email newsletter and the conference’s Facebook page for more details as they become available.
McDowell’s performance comes on “Area Night,” an evening set aside during the jurisdictional conference to spotlight the host city. It is during the South Central Jurisdictional Conference that annual conferences within its boundaries learn who their bishop will be for the next four years. Three new bishops for the jurisdiction will be elected as well during the 2016 jurisdictional conference.
McDowell states that he aims to hold to the perspective found in Psalms 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”
He said via a statement from his recording label that his goal is “to equip others in the Kingdome to boldly declare God’s truth and release the heart of God in Worship.”
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Eagle UMC to offer Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University
Eagle United Methodist Church will begin the nine-week Financial Peace University from Dave Ramsey beginning Sunday, Jan. 10. Classes will be conducted at the church – 704 S. 4th St., Eagle, NE – and will start at 6 p.m.
Financial Peace University is based on more than 800 verses of Scripture and is a proven plan for gaining control over your financial situation. More than 1.5 million families and individuals have taken Financial Peace University.
If you would like to take part in the class, please visitwww.daveramsey.com/findaclass to enroll.
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Two new team members join
Great Plains Conference staff
Please join the Great Plains Conference staff in welcoming two new members to our team. David Burke has joined the Wichita staff as communications coordinator. Adryan Eubanks has joined the Topeka staff in accounts receivable.
David joins the communications team after working more than 25 years for daily newspapers in Parsons, Kansas, Decatur, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa. David most recently served as entertainment editor for the Quad-City Times. A lifelong United Methodist originally from Hanover, Kansas, near the Nebraska border, David has served as drama director, choir member, church council member and marketing coordinator for United Methodist churches he has attended. He has a wife and a 19-year-old daughter.
Adryan joins the administrative services team as an accounts receivable assistant. She brings more than six years of accounting experience to the job and will work primarily with posting of funds remitted by churches. She also will assist with check processing for accounts payable items after they have been audited. She is new to the Topeka area, having moved there from Kansas City six months ago with her husband and family. She has a 2-year-old daughter and another child on the way.
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Great Plains to help Chabadza partner Zimbabwe
The African nation of Zimbabwe faces many challenges. But its people are strong in their faith for Jesus. In fact, Zimbabwe is one of the fastest-growing areas of the United Methodist Church. And that fast growth means fellow Christians in Zimbabwe need our help.
The Great Plains Conference, in its 2015 annual conference session in June, voted to raise $100,000 each for three cross-cultural mission partnerships – the Zimbabwe East Conference, the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and the Lydia Patterson Institute. The money for the Zimbabwe East Conference is designated to assist with construction of a new office building to help coordinate ministries.
Read the second installment in our series spotlighting the three partnerships.Great Plains to help Chabadza partner Zimbabwe
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Zimbabwe, a nation in the southeastern portion of the African continent, struggles in many aspects of life in the 21st century. Less than 50 years removed from independence from the United Kingdom, the Zimbabwe government is widely believed by the United States CIA to have run improper elections at least twice since 2002. And unemployment is estimated by some authorities to be as high as 70 percent in some regions.
Yet, the spirit of the people of Zimbabwe is strong. And their faith in Christ has helped sustain them through difficult times.
Zimbabwe, as with other parts of Africa, is among the fastest-growing areas of the United Methodist Church. With that growth comes a need for structure and a better means of synchronizing the efforts of churches and the leadership needed to help the local congregations succeed. And that is why the Great Plains Conference wants to raise $100,000 for the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area. Specifically, money from the cross-cultural capital campaign would go toward the construction of the new Zimbabwe East Annual Conference’s building, which is meant to serve, among other duties, as a communications hub to coordinate the many ministries taking place there.
As of February, the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area had 222,208 members served by 397 pastors. Congregations totaled 970, with 431 of those located in the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference. The growth has led to discussion of Zimbabwe receiving a second bishop after the 2016 General Conference. While that is no guarantee, it is certain that funds to build the new conference center will help with ministerial efforts in the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference and beyond.
Parts of the Great Plains Conference have played a role in helping make disciples 9,000 miles away in Zimbabwe. In 2010, the former Kansas West Conference established a “Chabadza” covenant with the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference. The Shona word roughly translates to people in relationship working alongside each other for mutual benefit. In other words, people get to know each other and then help in such a way that both parties find satisfaction and benefit from that relationship.
Chabadza is a covenant appreciated deeply by the Rev. Dr. Linda Louderback, Wichita West superintendent who helped partner churches in Kansas with churches in Zimbabwe.
“First and foremost for me is thejoy and faithfulness that exudes from the very being of my Zimbabwe United Methodist friends,” Loudberback said. “The reason I have invited them to my district is that I wanted people in my district to experience the joy and the depth of their faith.”
Louderback said the exuberance shared by United Methodists from Zimbabwe helps people Christians in the Great Plains remember the joy that comes with fulfilling the worldwide church’s mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
“In my observation, it appears that the church in Zimbabwe must be like the U.S. churches were in (church founder John) Wesley’s time – a movement built around class meetings, worship, singing and praying,” Louderback said.
She said she had the privilege to attend a “section meeting” in Zimbabwe, a spiritual-formation and affirmation setting that closely resembled the class meetings incorporated by John Wesley in the earliest days of the Methodist movement.
“I was amazed!” Louderback said. “The group, which met in the homes of people, was made up of people of all ages. It was the teenagers’ turn to facilitate the meeting. A 4-year-old child led us in prayer. A layman led us in a time of devotion. All people who are a part of the church are assigned to be a part of a section who are there for you as you go through life.”
That kind of enthusiasm and faith in Christ ignited a passion for the people of Zimbabwe for the Rev. Mark Conard, a retired pastor who attended a concert by a group known as the Ambassadors Quartet in 1959 or 1960 when he was 12 years old.
“I was astonished by their presentation,” Conard said. “I didn’t know you could do that in a church!”
Conard has visited Zimbabwe five times, with the most recent trip coming in 2014 to attend the Ebenezer Convention, a gathering of approximately 50,000 United Methodists from throughout Zimbabwe for worship, lessons and celebration.
He said the history of the Chabadza relationship with some Great Plains churches means the conference’s assistance for Zimbabwe is merely a means of showing that covenant is still in place between the American Midwest and a nation on the southeast corner of the African continent.
“Many churches or circuits simply cannot afford to provide even minimal housing, and pastors and their families are sometimes left without a place to live,” Conard said. “The idea of a Chabadza partnership is any kind of assistance is only extended to those with whom we have a relationship. It means coming alongside one another to help in a mutual way. It does not mean doing something for somebody else that they can’t do for themselves.
“My rough personal estimate is any financial support that we are able to send has an impact at least five times greater than it would have in the states.”
The campaign to raise money to build the Zimbabwe East Conference office is under way. Learn more about this and two other campaigns – Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and the Lydia Patterson Institute – on a special part of the Great Plains website. Once there, you’ll find Powerpoint slides for pre-worship service announcements and a bulletin insert.
This is the second of a three-part series on the three cross-cultural capital campaigns under way in the Great Plains Conference. Read the first story, about the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.
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Start planning now for Annual Conference Session 2016
The 2016 Great Plains Annual Conference Session is scheduled forJune 1-4, 2016, at the Kansas Expocentre (1 Expocentre Drive) in Topeka, Kansas. The theme, "Connecting with Christ Near and Far," will focus on the global connection of the United Methodist Church.
The conference is working with many Topeka hotels that have set aside rooms at a discounted rate. Make sure to use group code “UMC United Methodist Conference” when making reservations to ensure the discount is applied. View a list of hotels and to make your reservations. It is important to make reservations early if you would like to be close to the venue.
Resolutions for action by the Great Plains Conference may be submitted to gpsecretary@greatplainsumc.org by following these importantguidelines. They also may be mailed to Annual Conference Session, 3333 Landmark Circle, Lincoln, NE 68504. A strict deadline of March 15 is in place to ensure organization and clarity.
Booth registration will begin in February, with registration for the event beginning in April. Please visit this Great Plains website periodically to learn more important details about the annual conference session. If you have questions that are not answered on the website contact Dana Reinhardt at dreinhardt@greatplainsumc.org or call 402-464-5994 ext. 105.
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Order business cards through the conference office
If you are in need of business cards, send your name, church or agency affiliation, address, phone numbers, email and website to Roxie Delisi atrdelisi@greatplainsumc.org.
She will be placing a bulk order in the next few days, so now is a great time to place your order and receive your business cards quickly. The cost is approximately $35 for 500 cards.
An example – in this case, from Todd Seifert, conference communications director – accompanies this item so you can see the design of the cards.
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Registration open for clergy dinner, Orders & Fellowship
Clergy members of the Great Plains Annual Conference have responded to a “call to ministry.” Our annual clergy Orders and Fellowship meeting, scheduled for Feb. 17-18, will focus on “Following God’s Call” – both as a reaffirmation of their own “call” as well as learning how clergy can promote a “culture of call” in the churches and communities they serve.
What better way for clergy colleagues to extend their ministry heritage than to empower avenues by which Christian women and men can hear and respond to a call to ministry as clergy in our Great Plains Conference?
Orders and Fellowship will be conducted at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd., Lincoln, Nebraska. Click here to register now!
A dinner is planned Wednesday evening for those who would like the opportunity to meet others from across the conference. This is a great way to make new connections with other clergy. The dinner will take place at Trinity United Methodist Church, 7130 Kentwell Lane. The cost of the meal is $12 with a menu of carved strip loin steak, mushroom asparagus quinoa, fresh vegetable medley, tossed seasonal salad and dinner rolls. If you choose to attend, this fee will automatically be added to your registration. If you find that you already registered but did not sign up for the meal and would like to do so, contact Dana Reinhardt atdreinhardt@greatplainsumc.org or call 402-464-5994 ext. 105.
View more information, including speaker information, theme, schedule, childcare and lodging.
For any questions contact Dana Reinhardt at dreinhardt@greatplainsumc.org or call 402-464-5994 ext. 105, or the Rev. Nancy Lambert at nlambert@greatplainsumc.org.
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Share how God has called you to ministry at MyCallStory.org
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry has launched theMyCallStory.org website to encourage United Methodists around the world to share videos of how God has called them to make a difference.
United Methodists are asked to record and submit a video that explains why they feel called to do the work they do and to describe how this work impacts others. Select videos will be featured at General Conference 2016 (May 10-20), on the MyCallStory.org website and via Higher Education and Ministry social media channels (@GBHEM).
“Many people are doing great things and making a difference in the church and around the world – we call these people difference makers. They have all experienced God’s call at some point in their lives, and we want to share their stories,” said Ebony Lincoln, director of communications at Higher Education and Ministry. “Higher Education and Ministry nurtures the culture of call in The United Methodist Church by providing programs, initiatives and resources to help individuals identify and support their calling. We want to share the impact that these individuals are having across the globe.”
Those who have felt called to do God’s work are encouraged to submit the video describing their calling, ministry or project at MyCallStory.org. In the videos, participants should consider how their calling, ministry or project is making a difference. Specifically, they should reflect on how higher education and ministry has supported them and their calling. The agency hopes to inspire more people to pursue their calling by sharing these testimonies and stories.
Higher Education and Ministry will provide assistance to those who wish to submit a story but are unable to film it themselves. For assistance, or to recommend someone who may have a great call story, contact the Higher Education and Ministry Office of Communications atcommunications@gbhem.org or 615-340-7336.
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Music director honored for service
Dr. Susan Marchant, organist/music director of First UMC, Pittsburg, Kansas, was honored at the end of the Festival of Lessons and Carols worship service on Dec. 6.
"She was in total darkness of the surprise honor. Everyone in the parish had kept the secret" said senior pastor, the Rev. Mark Chambers.
In her honor, the "Dr. Susan Marchant Organ Fund" has been set up to either replace or refurbish the 55-year-old pipe organ.
"This is just what I wanted for you to honor me with" said Dr. Marchant, who said she was thankful for the church thinking of her.
Dr. Marchant is also the head of the department of music at Pittsburg State University.
“We are so blessed to have her and her talent, plus the great choir members. Many choir members are students at PSU," said Chambers.
After she played the postlude, a church reception of cake and congratulations was held in the parlor.
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Hastings church Advent Workshop a long-standing tradition
First United Methodist Church in Hastings, Nebraska, hosted its annual Advent Workshop on Dec. 13. The Advent Workshop has a long tradition at FUMC dating back at least 50 years. The workshop is conducted each year on the same Sunday as the children’s Christmas program. Each participant paints his or her own nativity set and then adds new pieces to the set each year. The nativity pieces are all made of bisque, a type of unglazed, white porcelain with a matte appearance and texture. Bisque has been widely used in European pottery, mainly for objects that are not tableware and so there is no need for a glaze for protection.
The bisque pieces are painted brown, stained, rubbed with a gold antique polish and sealed with acrylic. The first year a person attends, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and a stable are made. Each following year, two pieces are added to their sets. It takes eight years to complete a set.
Since the nativity sets involve a four-step process, there are at least seven other Advent craft projects for everyone to make as they wait. A soup luncheon also takes place during the workshop. By having the children’s Christmas program, soup luncheon and the Advent Workshop all on the same day, the church is filled with lots of energy and excitement as it prepares for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Pillars Scholarship available to 2016 freshmen at Southwestern
A new scholarship from Southwestern College is being offered to incoming 2016 freshmen. The renewable scholarship is valued at $150,000 over four years.
The Pillars Scholarship will be awarded to two students who demonstrate academic ability, intellectual curiosity and commitment to the service ethos that pervades the school, which is based in Winfield, Kansas, southeast of Wichita. This scholarship is named for the four pillars that support the main Southwestern College campus building and pays tribute to the valued attributes these pillars symbolize — knowledge, hope, courage and freedom.
“At Southwestern College we are committed to offering the highest-quality education to every student, and to making that education a possibility for every deserving student,” says Southwestern College President Brad Andrews. “The Pillars Scholarship is an example of our determination to seek out and reward future Moundbuilders who are looking for full engagement in the world as they build lives of meaning and significance.”
The scholarship candidates will be selected from students who have been:
Admitted to Southwestern College
Plan to major in one of the programs offered by the college
Have submitted the Pillars Scholarship application and all required documents.
Dean Clark, vice president for enrollment at Southwestern, is looking forward to offering the scholarship to two deserving students.
“This scholarship competition is part of a new direction in admission at Southwestern College as we enthusiastically pursue high school students who are the right fit for our college,” Clark says. “While we can’t give full tuition scholarships to every student, this competition gives the opportunity for the participants to interact with our outstanding faculty and see the kind of professors and mentors they will have at SC. Everyone selected for the competition will receive a scholarship simply for participating — and two of those participants will receive a tuition-free college education.”
The deadline to apply for the scholarship is Jan. 18. The Pillars Scholarship competition will take place Saturday, Feb. 13. During this campus visit, students will complete an essay and interview with two faculty/staff members. Parents are invited to an interactive session to learn more about the benefits of a Southwestern education.
For more information, contact the Southwestern College admissions department at (620) 229-6236 or online at www.sckans.edu/admissions.
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Laity also called to serve Jesus
Sometimes, you may hear a still, small voice calling you to put your talents to use in the church. Or perhaps the voice is calling you out of your comfort zone to do something new and different in ministry in your community.
It isn’t only our ordained clergy who have a call to ministry. Indeed, we’re all called to serve Jesus in some way.
Bryan Hankins, Missouri River District director of Lay Servant Ministries shares thoughts on our callings in the latest edition of the Lay Servant Ministries blog. Read Bryan’s blog for more.
God has a plan for each of us to serveStart planning now for Annual Conference Session 2016
The 2016 Great Plains Annual Conference Session is scheduled forJune 1-4, 2016, at the Kansas Expocentre (1 Expocentre Drive) in Topeka, Kansas. The theme, "Connecting with Christ Near and Far," will focus on the global connection of the United Methodist Church.
The conference is working with many Topeka hotels that have set aside rooms at a discounted rate. Make sure to use group code “UMC United Methodist Conference” when making reservations to ensure the discount is applied. View a list of hotels and to make your reservations. It is important to make reservations early if you would like to be close to the venue.
Resolutions for action by the Great Plains Conference may be submitted to gpsecretary@greatplainsumc.org by following these importantguidelines. They also may be mailed to Annual Conference Session, 3333 Landmark Circle, Lincoln, NE 68504. A strict deadline of March 15 is in place to ensure organization and clarity.
Booth registration will begin in February, with registration for the event beginning in April. Please visit this Great Plains website periodically to learn more important details about the annual conference session. If you have questions that are not answered on the website contact Dana Reinhardt at dreinhardt@greatplainsumc.org or call 402-464-5994 ext. 105.
-----------------------
Order business cards through the conference office
If you are in need of business cards, send your name, church or agency affiliation, address, phone numbers, email and website to Roxie Delisi atrdelisi@greatplainsumc.org.
She will be placing a bulk order in the next few days, so now is a great time to place your order and receive your business cards quickly. The cost is approximately $35 for 500 cards.
An example – in this case, from Todd Seifert, conference communications director – accompanies this item so you can see the design of the cards.
---------------------
Registration open for clergy dinner, Orders & Fellowship
Clergy members of the Great Plains Annual Conference have responded to a “call to ministry.” Our annual clergy Orders and Fellowship meeting, scheduled for Feb. 17-18, will focus on “Following God’s Call” – both as a reaffirmation of their own “call” as well as learning how clergy can promote a “culture of call” in the churches and communities they serve.
What better way for clergy colleagues to extend their ministry heritage than to empower avenues by which Christian women and men can hear and respond to a call to ministry as clergy in our Great Plains Conference?
Orders and Fellowship will be conducted at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd., Lincoln, Nebraska. Click here to register now!
A dinner is planned Wednesday evening for those who would like the opportunity to meet others from across the conference. This is a great way to make new connections with other clergy. The dinner will take place at Trinity United Methodist Church, 7130 Kentwell Lane. The cost of the meal is $12 with a menu of carved strip loin steak, mushroom asparagus quinoa, fresh vegetable medley, tossed seasonal salad and dinner rolls. If you choose to attend, this fee will automatically be added to your registration. If you find that you already registered but did not sign up for the meal and would like to do so, contact Dana Reinhardt atdreinhardt@greatplainsumc.org or call 402-464-5994 ext. 105.
View more information, including speaker information, theme, schedule, childcare and lodging.
For any questions contact Dana Reinhardt at dreinhardt@greatplainsumc.org or call 402-464-5994 ext. 105, or the Rev. Nancy Lambert at nlambert@greatplainsumc.org.
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Share how God has called you to ministry at MyCallStory.org
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry has launched theMyCallStory.org website to encourage United Methodists around the world to share videos of how God has called them to make a difference.
United Methodists are asked to record and submit a video that explains why they feel called to do the work they do and to describe how this work impacts others. Select videos will be featured at General Conference 2016 (May 10-20), on the MyCallStory.org website and via Higher Education and Ministry social media channels (@GBHEM).
“Many people are doing great things and making a difference in the church and around the world – we call these people difference makers. They have all experienced God’s call at some point in their lives, and we want to share their stories,” said Ebony Lincoln, director of communications at Higher Education and Ministry. “Higher Education and Ministry nurtures the culture of call in The United Methodist Church by providing programs, initiatives and resources to help individuals identify and support their calling. We want to share the impact that these individuals are having across the globe.”
Those who have felt called to do God’s work are encouraged to submit the video describing their calling, ministry or project at MyCallStory.org. In the videos, participants should consider how their calling, ministry or project is making a difference. Specifically, they should reflect on how higher education and ministry has supported them and their calling. The agency hopes to inspire more people to pursue their calling by sharing these testimonies and stories.
Higher Education and Ministry will provide assistance to those who wish to submit a story but are unable to film it themselves. For assistance, or to recommend someone who may have a great call story, contact the Higher Education and Ministry Office of Communications atcommunications@gbhem.org or 615-340-7336.
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Music director honored for service
Dr. Susan Marchant, organist/music director of First UMC, Pittsburg, Kansas, was honored at the end of the Festival of Lessons and Carols worship service on Dec. 6.
"She was in total darkness of the surprise honor. Everyone in the parish had kept the secret" said senior pastor, the Rev. Mark Chambers.
In her honor, the "Dr. Susan Marchant Organ Fund" has been set up to either replace or refurbish the 55-year-old pipe organ.
"This is just what I wanted for you to honor me with" said Dr. Marchant, who said she was thankful for the church thinking of her.
Dr. Marchant is also the head of the department of music at Pittsburg State University.
“We are so blessed to have her and her talent, plus the great choir members. Many choir members are students at PSU," said Chambers.
After she played the postlude, a church reception of cake and congratulations was held in the parlor.
---------------------
Hastings church Advent Workshop a long-standing tradition
First United Methodist Church in Hastings, Nebraska, hosted its annual Advent Workshop on Dec. 13. The Advent Workshop has a long tradition at FUMC dating back at least 50 years. The workshop is conducted each year on the same Sunday as the children’s Christmas program. Each participant paints his or her own nativity set and then adds new pieces to the set each year. The nativity pieces are all made of bisque, a type of unglazed, white porcelain with a matte appearance and texture. Bisque has been widely used in European pottery, mainly for objects that are not tableware and so there is no need for a glaze for protection.
The bisque pieces are painted brown, stained, rubbed with a gold antique polish and sealed with acrylic. The first year a person attends, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and a stable are made. Each following year, two pieces are added to their sets. It takes eight years to complete a set.
Since the nativity sets involve a four-step process, there are at least seven other Advent craft projects for everyone to make as they wait. A soup luncheon also takes place during the workshop. By having the children’s Christmas program, soup luncheon and the Advent Workshop all on the same day, the church is filled with lots of energy and excitement as it prepares for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Pillars Scholarship available to 2016 freshmen at Southwestern
A new scholarship from Southwestern College is being offered to incoming 2016 freshmen. The renewable scholarship is valued at $150,000 over four years.
The Pillars Scholarship will be awarded to two students who demonstrate academic ability, intellectual curiosity and commitment to the service ethos that pervades the school, which is based in Winfield, Kansas, southeast of Wichita. This scholarship is named for the four pillars that support the main Southwestern College campus building and pays tribute to the valued attributes these pillars symbolize — knowledge, hope, courage and freedom.
“At Southwestern College we are committed to offering the highest-quality education to every student, and to making that education a possibility for every deserving student,” says Southwestern College President Brad Andrews. “The Pillars Scholarship is an example of our determination to seek out and reward future Moundbuilders who are looking for full engagement in the world as they build lives of meaning and significance.”
The scholarship candidates will be selected from students who have been:
Admitted to Southwestern College
Plan to major in one of the programs offered by the college
Have submitted the Pillars Scholarship application and all required documents.
Dean Clark, vice president for enrollment at Southwestern, is looking forward to offering the scholarship to two deserving students.
“This scholarship competition is part of a new direction in admission at Southwestern College as we enthusiastically pursue high school students who are the right fit for our college,” Clark says. “While we can’t give full tuition scholarships to every student, this competition gives the opportunity for the participants to interact with our outstanding faculty and see the kind of professors and mentors they will have at SC. Everyone selected for the competition will receive a scholarship simply for participating — and two of those participants will receive a tuition-free college education.”
The deadline to apply for the scholarship is Jan. 18. The Pillars Scholarship competition will take place Saturday, Feb. 13. During this campus visit, students will complete an essay and interview with two faculty/staff members. Parents are invited to an interactive session to learn more about the benefits of a Southwestern education.
For more information, contact the Southwestern College admissions department at (620) 229-6236 or online at www.sckans.edu/admissions.
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Laity also called to serve Jesus
Sometimes, you may hear a still, small voice calling you to put your talents to use in the church. Or perhaps the voice is calling you out of your comfort zone to do something new and different in ministry in your community.
It isn’t only our ordained clergy who have a call to ministry. Indeed, we’re all called to serve Jesus in some way.
Bryan Hankins, Missouri River District director of Lay Servant Ministries shares thoughts on our callings in the latest edition of the Lay Servant Ministries blog. Read Bryan’s blog for more.
Lay Servant Ministries
When you hear that small, still voice calling you to do more to serve God and your church, where do you begin? Talking with your pastor is a good start.
Don’t be embarrassed; you’re not the first person to experience this. Your pastor can direct you to the Lay Servant Ministries (LSM) website. Answering God’s call can take so many forms. Everyone is not called to be a lay speaker, but we are all called to serve.
There are people waiting to help you understand what it is you are called to do: your pastor, the district director of Lay Servant Ministries and all those who are serving as lay servants. God doesn’t call only those who are equipped, but he does equip those He calls (Exodus 3:11-12a, 4:12-16). Pastors, it is essential that you get the word out when classes are offered, even if you don’t know of anyone who might be interested. God may be nudging someone along, and they just haven’t contacted you yet.
Just as God had a plan for Moses, He has a plan for each of us. Each of us has a role to play in bringing about the Kingdom. Each of us has unique skills which are a part of His plan.
Ephesians 4:11-16 says: “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
When you hear God whisper your name, the answer is “Here I am, Lord.” Learn what God’s plan is for you and equip yourself. That’s what Lay Servant Ministries is all about.
Bryan Hankins is district director of Lay Servant Ministries in the Missouri River District.
When you hear that small, still voice calling you to do more to serve God and your church, where do you begin? Talking with your pastor is a good start.
Don’t be embarrassed; you’re not the first person to experience this. Your pastor can direct you to the Lay Servant Ministries (LSM) website. Answering God’s call can take so many forms. Everyone is not called to be a lay speaker, but we are all called to serve.
There are people waiting to help you understand what it is you are called to do: your pastor, the district director of Lay Servant Ministries and all those who are serving as lay servants. God doesn’t call only those who are equipped, but he does equip those He calls (Exodus 3:11-12a, 4:12-16). Pastors, it is essential that you get the word out when classes are offered, even if you don’t know of anyone who might be interested. God may be nudging someone along, and they just haven’t contacted you yet.
Just as God had a plan for Moses, He has a plan for each of us. Each of us has a role to play in bringing about the Kingdom. Each of us has unique skills which are a part of His plan.
Ephesians 4:11-16 says: “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
When you hear God whisper your name, the answer is “Here I am, Lord.” Learn what God’s plan is for you and equip yourself. That’s what Lay Servant Ministries is all about.
Bryan Hankins is district director of Lay Servant Ministries in the Missouri River District.
--------------------
General Conference prayer observance to begin January 1
Jan. 1 will lead off 131 days of continual prayer for the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (#UMCGC), which meetsMay 10-20, 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
The quadrennial legislative event begins 131 days after the New Year. By coincidence, there are 131 annual (regional) conferences in The United Methodist Church.
The Council of Bishops has invited each of the annual conferences to host a 24-hour prayer effort on a specific date, with the intent of creating a groundswell of prayer in the days leading up to the General Conference. It is up to each conference to choose an available date and then design their own format for the prayer effort. The tentative date for the Great Plains Conference is March 1. More details will be shared as they become available via the weekly GPconnect email newsletter andthe conference’s Facebook page.
As the spiritual leaders of The United Methodist Church, the Council of Bishops conceived the plan for a prayer vigil in the months before the event as a meaningful way to focus spiritually on the experience, as well as to surround the delegates and church leaders with prayer for a General Conference that inspires us in our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
“United Methodists from all over the world will come together in the spirit of Christian conferencing in Portland,” said Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett of the North Alabama Conference and chairperson of the “Council Life Together” team, which helped initiate the idea. “We want those attending to know that their United Methodist family is praying for them and with them -- that God will lead them in the decisions that they will make for the future of our church and that the event will be a positive Christian witness in how we conference together.”
The prayer effort will commence with the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, which volunteered for the start date of Jan. 1.
---------------------
Stay safe in winter weather
Winter weather has come our way! Are you ready?
Everyone should carry a winter travel survival kit during this time of year. Here is what you need to include in a Rubbermaid container:
Survival tips
---------------------
Learn more about Wichita's
United Methodist Open Door
One of the strengths of The United Methodist Church is its many partners in the mission field. One of those partners is United Methodist Open Door in Wichita, Kansas.
The organization provides food, clothing and shelter to people in need. How large is that need? Open Door provides those services to more than 34,000 unduplicated people each year.
Learn more about Open Door via this video by Eugenio Hernandez, our Great Plains media producer.
To contribute, visit the agency’s website.
---------------------
UMW plays key role in Church Center for the United Nations
The Church Center for the United Nations (CCUN) is dedicated to peace and justice for all the world’s people for 365 days of the year and is supported by the United Methodist Women. Located directly across the street from the U.N. headquarters in New York City, CCUN has a long history of advocating for human rights. Dec. 10 was Human Rights Day, and Friday, Dec. 18, is recognized as International Migrants Day.
The CCUN building was conceived in ecumenism, but the movement turned to Methodist church women for the $800,000 that secured financing for construction of CCUN in 1961. Today, United Methodist Women owns the facility and oversees this ministry of hospitality to nongovernmental organizations working for peace, justice and human rights.
CCUN is a place for ecumenical, multifaith and grassroots collaboration. Its prime location puts resident non-governmental organizations, whether church-based or secular, in a key position to advance common values of peace and justice.
Likewise, United Methodist Women programming at the facility includes justice action seminars and women’s leadership development events.
Organizations housed at CCUN and in other locations heighten their effectiveness by regular interactions with one another at the center. They often come together to monitor the work of U.N. agencies and member states. They also seek to strengthen the commitments of governments during the drafting process of U.N. resolutions, outcome documents and conventions as well as the reviews of those documents and the progress of individual nations on those issues.
Over the years, faith-based, grassroots and other nongovernmental organizations working at CCUN have coalesced successfully around such international issues as:
Learn biblical ways to address root causes of injustice
From food pantries to global missions, faith communities are known for their acts of mercy and charity that benefit their broader communities and the world. But what does it mean for people of faith to address the root causes of injustice? Rooted in a biblical and theological perspective, this three-session course will guide clergy and laity who are interested in advocacy through each step of building a dynamic grassroots campaign that addresses a key issue or concern in their community in their community. Each session will provide the practical steps needed to develop and execute an action plan, including building partnerships, setting goals, engaging volunteers, and working with policymakers.
The When Mercy and Justice Meet: Advocacy for Clergy and Congregations webinar is scheduled for noon to 1:30 p.m. CST Feb. 18 and 25, and March 3. Each session costs $20. The course may be taken for CEU credits for an additional $17.50 per session.
Katey Zeh, M.Div., is a strategist, writer and educator who inspires intentional communities to create a more just, compassionate world through building connection, sacred truth telling and striving for the common good. In 2010, she launched the first denominationally sponsored advocacy campaign focused on improving global reproductive health for The United Methodist Church. She has written extensively about global maternal health, family planning and women’s sacred worth for outlets including the Huffington Post, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, Response magazine, the Good Mother Project, Mothering Matters, the Journal for Feminist Studies in Religion and the United Methodist News Service.
Find her on Twitter at @ktzeh or on her website www.kateyzeh.com.
---------------------
Will I become a citizen before I die?
Dec. 5, Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska (JFON-NE), together with Lutheran Family Services and Centro Hispano Comunitario from Columbus, offered a Naturalization Clinic in Grand Island, Nebraska. Such clinics invite persons who have been a lawful permanent resident (commonly referred to as having their green card) for at least three to five years and are interested in applying for United States citizenship. The process to obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status can take several years. And current immigration laws do not give this option to many who come here to flee violence, hunger and poverty with the desire to work and provide for their families.
People came with high hopes to accomplish this next step in becoming a U.S. citizen with the help of attorneys and Board of Immigration Appeals-accredited legal service providers. Several applications for citizenship were completed by the end of the day; however, others were informed they were unable to apply for citizenship at this time, meaning they have to wait longer or need to gather more documents. “Maria,” for example, left her consultation saddened because she learned she was not able to apply for citizenship yet because she does not have the required English language proficiency to become a U.S. citizen.
“It is so important to become a citizen so a person can fully participate in the duties and responsibilities that come with that privilege,” she shared in her native language. “Will I ever be able to become a citizen before I die?” she wondered.
Learn more about Maria’s story and how others dream to be U.S. citizens.
----------------------
Robert Lupton holds workshop at Baker University
Through Great Plains Conference Mission Partnerships, we plant trees in Nigeria, we donate motorcycles to Zimbabwe in the name of improving lives, but do we know what sustainable impact we are really having? Chickens are a commodity that are of high value in many countries, and we often recommend to our partners that they consider growing them, but do the people getting the chickens know anything about raising them? These are but a few questions that came to mind as Robert Lupton offered up interpretations of his philosophy on mission and giving from his book “Toxic Charity” at a recent workshop conducted at Baker University.
The Great Plains United Methodist Conference Mercy and Justice Team sponsored the event at Baker University’s Baldwin City campus. The historic setting (Baker is Kansas’ first university), provided an appropriate setting for the hearing and learning of new ways of thinking about mission and charity. New ways that promote moving away from popular ministries like food back pack programs and food pantries that are often long-distance giving opportunities or only require an open checkbook of a benefactor and moving to the work of taking up residence in an impoverished neighborhood and using community organizing tactics to engage an entire area, or providing micro loans that enable the lendee to gain respect and confidence as they work for self-sufficiency.
Upton’s premise is that most of today’s charity is provided in one-way transactions that take away from the dignity of the recipient. With no “skin” in the game recipients often slide from gratefulness to a sense of entitlement which simply sustains dependence on the charity.
Using stories from his work in Atlanta, Lupton pointed to the need for investing in communities for the long haul, with strategies that include sweat equity, money, loans and, most of all, relationships.
Lupton sums up his view best with this phrase, “Address chronic need with a crisis intervention, and people are harmed.” And the popular adage, “Feed a man a fish, he eats for day; teach a person to fish and they eat for a lifetime,” also aptly frames his views on mission giving.
The bottom line for Lupton is the need for accountability built into the mission or charity project. By building in benchmarks that are true measurable goals, individuals, congregations and small groups are able to evaluate performance and improve the likelihood of generating sustainable self-sufficient mission partnerships regardless of whether they are across the globe or across town.
Read Christianity Today’s book review of “Toxic Charity.”Wasted Charity
Why the 'compassion industry' is not helping the poor. A review of 'Toxic Charity' by Amy L. Sherman
OUR RATING
BOOK TITLE
Toxic Charity
AUTHOR
Robert D. Lupton
PUBLISHER
HarperOne
RELEASE DATE
November 5, 2011
PAGES
208
PRICE
$22.99
Robert Lupton's new book is going to ruffle some feathers.
In Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It) (HarperOne), the 40-year veteran urban minister "takes the gloves off" and argues that much of Americans' charitable giving "is either wasted or actually harms the people it is targeted to help."
The reason is that the "compassion industry" is "almost universally accepted as a virtuous and constructive enterprise," but its "outcomes are almost entirely unexamined." Years of charitable giving at home and abroad, Lupton contends, have made barely a dent in reducing poverty and often encourage dependency.Toxic Charity offers some statistics, but more stories, as evidence that both our philosophy and practice of charity are frequently misguided.
The news here is painful. Our self-centeredness contributes to the problem. We evaluate our giving, Lupton argues, "by the rewards we receive through service, rather than the benefits received by the served."
Short-term mission trips are a case in point. Such "junkets" involve expenditures of between $2.5-5 billion annually, yet produce little lasting change, often displace local labor, and distract indigenous church leaders from more important work. We get more than we give when we go.
Meanwhile, our relief-oriented, commodity-based charity flourishes at home because even though its effects are irresponsible, it feels good to the givers. Lupton grieves that "our free food and clothing distribution encourages ever-growing handout lines, diminishing the dignity of the poor while increasing their dependency."
Lupton does offer some ideas for improvement. He proposes a new "Oath for Compassionate Service" for the charity industry to adopt, much ...
---------------------
Peace in Palestine and Israel and what we can do
The Great Plains Holy Land Tasks Force is organizing a speaking tour with Rabbi Joseph Berman and Bshara Nassar, a Christian from Palestine. Events will take place in Omaha, Nebraska, and Emporia and Lawrence in Kansas from Feb. 28 to March 1.
The task force sees part of its work in educating United Methodists throughout the Great Plains Conference about the current situation in the Holy Land so we can take positive action. Both Berman and Nassar have been working for peace and justice in this area of the world for many years.
Read more about the presenters.
The United Methodist Church has several resolutions in regard to the situation in the Holy Land. With more resolutions being brought before the 2016 General Conference, the Great Plains Mercy & Justice team is making it possible for Shayla Jordan and Oliver Green, both delegates to General Conference, to participate in a study trip to the Holy Land in February. The trip will be led by Janet Lahr Lewis. Janet was a missionary through the General Board of Global Ministries and assigned as the Methodist liaison in Palestine and Israel for many years. She now works as the Peace with Justice Program associate for the General Board of Church and Society. Besides visiting historic sites, this study trip will involve the participants in building relationships with the “living stones” in the Holy Land.
The Great Plains Holy Land Task Force was formed in response to Resolution #18 “Christians in the Holy Land” which was passed at our Annual Conference in June 2015. It operates under the umbrella of the Great Plains Mercy & Justice Team and the Great Plains Peace with Justice Ministries.
For more information contact Carol Garwood at jbcjsc@aol and Andrea Paret at amparet08@yahoo.com.
---------------------
Newsletters
Classifieds
To view these and other classifieds, go to greatplainsumc.org/classifieds.
---------------------
Press Clips
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
---------------------
General Conference prayer observance to begin January 1
Jan. 1 will lead off 131 days of continual prayer for the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (#UMCGC), which meetsMay 10-20, 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
The quadrennial legislative event begins 131 days after the New Year. By coincidence, there are 131 annual (regional) conferences in The United Methodist Church.
The Council of Bishops has invited each of the annual conferences to host a 24-hour prayer effort on a specific date, with the intent of creating a groundswell of prayer in the days leading up to the General Conference. It is up to each conference to choose an available date and then design their own format for the prayer effort. The tentative date for the Great Plains Conference is March 1. More details will be shared as they become available via the weekly GPconnect email newsletter andthe conference’s Facebook page.
As the spiritual leaders of The United Methodist Church, the Council of Bishops conceived the plan for a prayer vigil in the months before the event as a meaningful way to focus spiritually on the experience, as well as to surround the delegates and church leaders with prayer for a General Conference that inspires us in our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
“United Methodists from all over the world will come together in the spirit of Christian conferencing in Portland,” said Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett of the North Alabama Conference and chairperson of the “Council Life Together” team, which helped initiate the idea. “We want those attending to know that their United Methodist family is praying for them and with them -- that God will lead them in the decisions that they will make for the future of our church and that the event will be a positive Christian witness in how we conference together.”
The prayer effort will commence with the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, which volunteered for the start date of Jan. 1.
---------------------
Stay safe in winter weather
Winter weather has come our way! Are you ready?
Everyone should carry a winter travel survival kit during this time of year. Here is what you need to include in a Rubbermaid container:
- Small shovel
- Windshield scraper and small broom
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Battery-powered radio
- Water
- Snack food, including energy bars
- Raisins and mini candy bars
- Matches and small candles
- Extra hats, socks and gloves
- Hand and feet warmers
- First aid kit
- Pocket knife or multi-tool
- Necessary medications
- Blankets and/or sleeping bags
- Tow chain or rope
- Road salt, sand or cat litter for traction
- Booster cables
- Emergency flares and reflectors
- Fluorescent distress flag and whistle to attract attention
- Cellphone adapter to plug into lighter and other rechargeable cellphone charges
Survival tips
- Prepare your vehicle, keeping a full tank of gas.
- Tell someone your destination and route you will be taking.
- If stuck, tie your florescent flag (from kit) on your antenna or hang it out the window. At night, keep your dome light on. Rescue crews can see a small glow at a distance. To reduce battery drain, use emergency flashers only if you hear approaching vehicles.
- Stay in your vehicle, unless told differently from dispatch during your 911 call.
- Get fresh air. It is better to be cold and awake than comfortably warm and sleepy. Snow can plug your vehicle’s exhaust system and cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to enter your vehicle. Only run the engine for 10 minutes an hour and make sure the exhaust pipe is free of snow. Keeping a window open a crack while running the engine is a good idea.
---------------------
Learn more about Wichita's
United Methodist Open Door
One of the strengths of The United Methodist Church is its many partners in the mission field. One of those partners is United Methodist Open Door in Wichita, Kansas.
The organization provides food, clothing and shelter to people in need. How large is that need? Open Door provides those services to more than 34,000 unduplicated people each year.
Learn more about Open Door via this video by Eugenio Hernandez, our Great Plains media producer.
To contribute, visit the agency’s website.
---------------------
UMW plays key role in Church Center for the United Nations
The Church Center for the United Nations (CCUN) is dedicated to peace and justice for all the world’s people for 365 days of the year and is supported by the United Methodist Women. Located directly across the street from the U.N. headquarters in New York City, CCUN has a long history of advocating for human rights. Dec. 10 was Human Rights Day, and Friday, Dec. 18, is recognized as International Migrants Day.
The CCUN building was conceived in ecumenism, but the movement turned to Methodist church women for the $800,000 that secured financing for construction of CCUN in 1961. Today, United Methodist Women owns the facility and oversees this ministry of hospitality to nongovernmental organizations working for peace, justice and human rights.
CCUN is a place for ecumenical, multifaith and grassroots collaboration. Its prime location puts resident non-governmental organizations, whether church-based or secular, in a key position to advance common values of peace and justice.
Likewise, United Methodist Women programming at the facility includes justice action seminars and women’s leadership development events.
Organizations housed at CCUN and in other locations heighten their effectiveness by regular interactions with one another at the center. They often come together to monitor the work of U.N. agencies and member states. They also seek to strengthen the commitments of governments during the drafting process of U.N. resolutions, outcome documents and conventions as well as the reviews of those documents and the progress of individual nations on those issues.
Over the years, faith-based, grassroots and other nongovernmental organizations working at CCUN have coalesced successfully around such international issues as:
- Decolonization efforts and the welcoming of new nations to the United Nations.
- Adoption of the Law of the Sea Treaty.
- Adoption of the U.N. Convention of the Right of Migrants.
- Creation of the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
- Security Council Resolution 1325, which mandates the inclusion of women in negotiations for peace and security after conflict.
- Adoption of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Learn biblical ways to address root causes of injustice
From food pantries to global missions, faith communities are known for their acts of mercy and charity that benefit their broader communities and the world. But what does it mean for people of faith to address the root causes of injustice? Rooted in a biblical and theological perspective, this three-session course will guide clergy and laity who are interested in advocacy through each step of building a dynamic grassroots campaign that addresses a key issue or concern in their community in their community. Each session will provide the practical steps needed to develop and execute an action plan, including building partnerships, setting goals, engaging volunteers, and working with policymakers.
The When Mercy and Justice Meet: Advocacy for Clergy and Congregations webinar is scheduled for noon to 1:30 p.m. CST Feb. 18 and 25, and March 3. Each session costs $20. The course may be taken for CEU credits for an additional $17.50 per session.
Katey Zeh, M.Div., is a strategist, writer and educator who inspires intentional communities to create a more just, compassionate world through building connection, sacred truth telling and striving for the common good. In 2010, she launched the first denominationally sponsored advocacy campaign focused on improving global reproductive health for The United Methodist Church. She has written extensively about global maternal health, family planning and women’s sacred worth for outlets including the Huffington Post, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, Response magazine, the Good Mother Project, Mothering Matters, the Journal for Feminist Studies in Religion and the United Methodist News Service.
Find her on Twitter at @ktzeh or on her website www.kateyzeh.com.
---------------------
Will I become a citizen before I die?
Dec. 5, Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska (JFON-NE), together with Lutheran Family Services and Centro Hispano Comunitario from Columbus, offered a Naturalization Clinic in Grand Island, Nebraska. Such clinics invite persons who have been a lawful permanent resident (commonly referred to as having their green card) for at least three to five years and are interested in applying for United States citizenship. The process to obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status can take several years. And current immigration laws do not give this option to many who come here to flee violence, hunger and poverty with the desire to work and provide for their families.
People came with high hopes to accomplish this next step in becoming a U.S. citizen with the help of attorneys and Board of Immigration Appeals-accredited legal service providers. Several applications for citizenship were completed by the end of the day; however, others were informed they were unable to apply for citizenship at this time, meaning they have to wait longer or need to gather more documents. “Maria,” for example, left her consultation saddened because she learned she was not able to apply for citizenship yet because she does not have the required English language proficiency to become a U.S. citizen.
“It is so important to become a citizen so a person can fully participate in the duties and responsibilities that come with that privilege,” she shared in her native language. “Will I ever be able to become a citizen before I die?” she wondered.
Learn more about Maria’s story and how others dream to be U.S. citizens.
----------------------
Robert Lupton holds workshop at Baker University
Through Great Plains Conference Mission Partnerships, we plant trees in Nigeria, we donate motorcycles to Zimbabwe in the name of improving lives, but do we know what sustainable impact we are really having? Chickens are a commodity that are of high value in many countries, and we often recommend to our partners that they consider growing them, but do the people getting the chickens know anything about raising them? These are but a few questions that came to mind as Robert Lupton offered up interpretations of his philosophy on mission and giving from his book “Toxic Charity” at a recent workshop conducted at Baker University.
The Great Plains United Methodist Conference Mercy and Justice Team sponsored the event at Baker University’s Baldwin City campus. The historic setting (Baker is Kansas’ first university), provided an appropriate setting for the hearing and learning of new ways of thinking about mission and charity. New ways that promote moving away from popular ministries like food back pack programs and food pantries that are often long-distance giving opportunities or only require an open checkbook of a benefactor and moving to the work of taking up residence in an impoverished neighborhood and using community organizing tactics to engage an entire area, or providing micro loans that enable the lendee to gain respect and confidence as they work for self-sufficiency.
Upton’s premise is that most of today’s charity is provided in one-way transactions that take away from the dignity of the recipient. With no “skin” in the game recipients often slide from gratefulness to a sense of entitlement which simply sustains dependence on the charity.
Using stories from his work in Atlanta, Lupton pointed to the need for investing in communities for the long haul, with strategies that include sweat equity, money, loans and, most of all, relationships.
Lupton sums up his view best with this phrase, “Address chronic need with a crisis intervention, and people are harmed.” And the popular adage, “Feed a man a fish, he eats for day; teach a person to fish and they eat for a lifetime,” also aptly frames his views on mission giving.
The bottom line for Lupton is the need for accountability built into the mission or charity project. By building in benchmarks that are true measurable goals, individuals, congregations and small groups are able to evaluate performance and improve the likelihood of generating sustainable self-sufficient mission partnerships regardless of whether they are across the globe or across town.
Read Christianity Today’s book review of “Toxic Charity.”Wasted Charity
Why the 'compassion industry' is not helping the poor. A review of 'Toxic Charity' by Amy L. Sherman
OUR RATING
BOOK TITLE
Toxic Charity
AUTHOR
Robert D. Lupton
PUBLISHER
HarperOne
RELEASE DATE
November 5, 2011
PAGES
208
PRICE
$22.99
Robert Lupton's new book is going to ruffle some feathers.
In Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It) (HarperOne), the 40-year veteran urban minister "takes the gloves off" and argues that much of Americans' charitable giving "is either wasted or actually harms the people it is targeted to help."
The reason is that the "compassion industry" is "almost universally accepted as a virtuous and constructive enterprise," but its "outcomes are almost entirely unexamined." Years of charitable giving at home and abroad, Lupton contends, have made barely a dent in reducing poverty and often encourage dependency.Toxic Charity offers some statistics, but more stories, as evidence that both our philosophy and practice of charity are frequently misguided.
The news here is painful. Our self-centeredness contributes to the problem. We evaluate our giving, Lupton argues, "by the rewards we receive through service, rather than the benefits received by the served."
Short-term mission trips are a case in point. Such "junkets" involve expenditures of between $2.5-5 billion annually, yet produce little lasting change, often displace local labor, and distract indigenous church leaders from more important work. We get more than we give when we go.
Meanwhile, our relief-oriented, commodity-based charity flourishes at home because even though its effects are irresponsible, it feels good to the givers. Lupton grieves that "our free food and clothing distribution encourages ever-growing handout lines, diminishing the dignity of the poor while increasing their dependency."
Lupton does offer some ideas for improvement. He proposes a new "Oath for Compassionate Service" for the charity industry to adopt, much ...
---------------------
Peace in Palestine and Israel and what we can do
The Great Plains Holy Land Tasks Force is organizing a speaking tour with Rabbi Joseph Berman and Bshara Nassar, a Christian from Palestine. Events will take place in Omaha, Nebraska, and Emporia and Lawrence in Kansas from Feb. 28 to March 1.
The task force sees part of its work in educating United Methodists throughout the Great Plains Conference about the current situation in the Holy Land so we can take positive action. Both Berman and Nassar have been working for peace and justice in this area of the world for many years.
Read more about the presenters.
Seeking Justice for Both Sides -
Peace in Palestine and Israel
And What We Can Do
Rabbi Joseph Berman
Bshara Nassar
Sunday, Feb. 28th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm Urban Abbey in Omaha, Nebraska
Monday, Feb. 29th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm Emporia University in Emporia, Kansas, United States
Tuesday, March 1st, 7:00 – 8:30 pm University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, United States
Rabbi Joseph Berman has worked for justice, equality, and safety for Palestinians and Israelis for over a
decade. He grew up outside Kansas City and received his Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University in
Connecticut. Rabbi Joseph was ordained by the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in 2010. After
ordination, he served for five years as the Rabbi of Temple B’nai Israel in Revere, Massachusetts. Rabbi
Joseph has also worked as a farmer, a chaplain, and is the co-founder of Ruach Guild, a skill
development and support group for activists who provide spiritual care to social justice movements and
organizations. Rabbi Joseph currently serves at the Government Affairs Liaison for Jewish Voice Peace in
Washington, D.C.
Bshara Nassar is the Founder and the Executive Director of the Nakba Museum Project of Memory and
Hope, a newly formed project to tell the Palestinian story to a mass audience through exhibitions,
multimedia, and performance. He grew up on his family’s farm, in the Bethlehem area, Tent of Nations,
and has played an integral role in educating international visitors about how the occupation threatens
Palestinian land rights and livelihoods. He has spoken publicly on these topics in diverse fora, including
the French Embassy, John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a number of churches.
Bshara is deeply passionate about peacebuilding and recently earned a master’s degree in Conflict
Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University. He’s “a people person” who enjoys biking in
Washington DC, hiking the Shenandoah Valley, and meeting people from all over the world.
These events are organized through the Holy Land Task Force, Peace with Justice
---------------------
Ministries and the Mercy & Justice Team of the Great Plains Conference of The United
Methodist Church.
The United Methodist Church has several resolutions in regard to the situation in the Holy Land. With more resolutions being brought before the 2016 General Conference, the Great Plains Mercy & Justice team is making it possible for Shayla Jordan and Oliver Green, both delegates to General Conference, to participate in a study trip to the Holy Land in February. The trip will be led by Janet Lahr Lewis. Janet was a missionary through the General Board of Global Ministries and assigned as the Methodist liaison in Palestine and Israel for many years. She now works as the Peace with Justice Program associate for the General Board of Church and Society. Besides visiting historic sites, this study trip will involve the participants in building relationships with the “living stones” in the Holy Land.
The Great Plains Holy Land Task Force was formed in response to Resolution #18 “Christians in the Holy Land” which was passed at our Annual Conference in June 2015. It operates under the umbrella of the Great Plains Mercy & Justice Team and the Great Plains Peace with Justice Ministries.
For more information contact Carol Garwood at jbcjsc@aol and Andrea Paret at amparet08@yahoo.com.
---------------------
Newsletters
- Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Leading Ideas – Top Resources
- United Methodist Communications: MyCom
- Ministry Matters: Dec. 10, 2015
- Stewardship Team at Discipleship Ministries: generousLIVING
- General Board of Global Ministries: connectNmission
- Nebraska United Methodist Foundation: Ministry Grant Recipients Announced
- UMC Development Center: Spiritual Giving
- Christian Copyright Licensing International: December, 2015
Classifieds
To view these and other classifieds, go to greatplainsumc.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.
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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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