Download the printable version of the Aug. 17 issue of GPconnect.In this edition:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Wichita office bids farewell to Bishop Scott Jones
- Small Wonders conference to focus on young-adult ministries
- Urgent assistance needed to help Louisiana flood victims
- Continuing education for our clergy in the Great Plains
- Grant available to help nurture a Culture of Call
- Receive help discerning your call
- Help sustain Camp Comeca by assisting in meeting challenge
- Camp Fontanelle gears up for ‘Second Season’
- Pray, show support for young adults heading back to campus
- See different perspectives in Lay Servant Ministry program
- Don’t miss out on local, national and international mission trips
- Columbus, NE, church lets prayer lead way on outreach ministry
- Flip-flops, socks help disadvantaged in Hutchinson, KS
- Big Garden reaches more than 600 kids in summer program
- Learn more about poverty and related issues
- Learn how to preserve the planet at Elders for the Earth gathering
- Our daily impact on God’s creation
- Garage sale provides funds, insight
- Wyandotte United Methodist Church embraces future growth
- UMCOM offers branding help for local churches
Wichita office bids farewell to Bishop Scott Jones
The Wichita office of the Great Plains Conference said farewell to Bishop Scott Jones and Mary Lou Reece with a cookout Aug. 12.The bishop brought his famous cheesecake to share with the staff. A farewell prayer was offered, as was the laying-on of hands and gifts, including cowboy boots and a 56-ounce bag of peanut M&M's!
Bishop Jones will continue to serve Kansas and Nebraska through Aug. 31. He begins as the episcopal leader of the Texas Conference in the Houston area on Sept. 1.
View a farewell video from Bishop Jones to the Great Plains Conference.
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Small Wonders conference to focus on young-adult ministries
Registration is open for the annual Small Wonders conference, which aims to help churches with fewer than 100 people in average worship attendance better live out the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.This year’s event will focus on presentations and conversations about young-adult ministry. Join us Oct. 7-8 at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas. The two days will be filled with worship, workshops and brainstorming about how to best participate in ministry to young adults in small churches in rural, urban and suburban settings. Young adults will be among our leadership for the conference.
The Peterson Brothers – from Assaria, Kansas – will perform their farm parodies of pop songs and talk about their faith. Learn more about the Peterson Brothers. And check out some of their parodies.
For more information on workshops, hotel options and registration, please go to www.greatplainsumc.org/smallwonders.
Contact the Rev. Micki McCorkle, coordinator of small-membership church ministries, at mmcorckle@greatplainsumc.org.
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Urgent assistance needed to help Louisiana flood victims
The Louisiana Conference is seeking assistance as it copes with devastating floods there. The biggest need beyond prayers right now is flood buckets to help people clean up once the water recedes.Bring completed kits to the Lincoln office by Sept. 9 and the Wichita office by Sept. 16. The Rev. Hollie Tapley, Great Plains disaster response coordinator, said any buckets assembled and brought to the offices by those respective dates will be transported to Louisiana.
Read a story about the flooding from United Methodist News Service.
Photo by Max Becherer, Associated PressMembers of the Louisiana Army National Guard rescue people from rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016
Louisiana churches cope with flooding" by Sam Hodges, UMNS
First United Methodist Church in Denham Springs, Louisiana, was proud to be a Red Cross Shelter for people flooded out of their homes late last week.
But the good work stopped when floodwaters started closing in on the church itself.
“It became very apparent that we had to evacuate the shelter,” said the Rev. Jackie King, pastor.
Denham Springs would have to turn out the people it was rescuing, as well as volunteers. Sunday services were cancelled.
King and other church leaders have been scrambling to make sure church members are accounted for, and to offer comfort and counsel to the many who have had major flood damage to their homes.
“We’ll forever more talk about ʽafter the flood,’” King said. “This is catastrophic on a level that even those who have weathered many, many storms have never seen in their lifetime.”
The flooding from heavy rainfalls that began last week has claimed at least seven lives in Louisiana, and prompted the rescue of more than 20,000 people. Thousands fled to shelters, and even Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and his family had to leave the Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge because of flooding and loss of electricity.
President Obama has signed a disaster declaration for the state, even as officials predicted waters would continue to rise in some areas.
Louisiana Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey said she is unaware of any United Methodists among the fatalities, but she estimated that a dozen of the denomination’s churches have had flood damage, and many church members have major flood damage to their homes.
The area just north of Baton Rouge, including Denham Springs, was especially hard hit because of flooding of the Amite River, she said.
Harvey counseled patience, emphasizing that the situation is still threatening, making volunteer relief work premature.
“Right now, we’re still in the rescue efforts,” she said. “We’ve got to stay out of the way of that. Next will come our trained early responders.”
Harvey predicted it make take a few weeks before volunteer groups can be deployed safely and effectively. However, she said there’s an immediate need for cleaning buckets and monetary contributions, which can be made through the United Methodist Committee on Relief or theLouisiana Conference.
The upper part of Louisiana was hit by flooding earlier in the year, Harvey noted.
Gregory Forrester, UMCOR executive for disaster response, said Harvey has requested a $10,000 emergency grant and relief supplies in regard to the new floods.
“We are working with her and her staff to meet those needs,” he said.
Hard times, selfless acts
Many member of Zachary United Methodist Church, in Zachary, Louisiana, are among those coping with major flood damage.
“We’ve got people who had four feet of water in their homes,” said the Rev. Ricky Willis, pastor.
Willis said his parsonage had minor water damage, and the church building had none. Other local churches weren’t so fortunate, so Zachary United Methodist served as the site of a community worship service Sunday.
Zachary United Methodist also has been sending teams out to help church members deal with flood damage, especially those who don’t have much family support.
Willis noted that the Baton Rouge area has felt considerable racial tension this summer, owing to the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, a black man, by police, and later the killing of three Baton Rouge police officers.
For Willis, one good outcome of the flood has been to see the racial tension yield to a spirit of cooperation in early relief efforts.
“Everybody is saying what a beautiful thing that we’re all working together. We’re not focused on the divisions,” he said.
The Rev. Jonathan King — husband of Rev. Jackie King — reported by Facebook on the situation at Blackwater United Methodist Church in Baker, Louisiana.
“When it came to our church members, some had to be airlifted out of their homes and the folks that were staying at our church had to be airlifted out,” said King, pastor of Blackwater United Methodist. “Everyone is alive even though many homes have been flooded.
The toll was heavy for many of the faithful at First United Methodist Church in Baker, as well.
"We have a lot of church members who did lose everything," said Sue Dupont, administrative assistant and member. "The devastation is unbelievable."
Jackie King credited many with acting selflessly under extreme conditions.
“I had church members whose house was going under, but because they had a boat they went out to rescue people,” she said tearfully.
Hodges, a United Methodist News Service writer, lives in Dallas. Contact him at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org
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See what each bucket should include and how to assemble it via the UMCOR website.Cleaning Bucket
These supplies enable people to begin the overwhelming job of cleaning up after a flood or hurricane.
Cleaning Bucket Value: $65 per bucketDownload:
Assembly & Shipping Instructions
Cleaning Bucket Materials
5-gallon bucket with resealable lid
Buckets from fast-food restaurants or bakeries can be used if washed and cleaned;
Do not use buckets that have stored chemicals such as paint or pool cleaner;
Advertisements on the outside are acceptable.
Liquid laundry detergent
One 50-oz. or two 25-oz. bottle(s) only.
Liquid household cleaner
12‐16 oz. liquid cleaner that can be mixed with water;
No spray cleaners.
Dish soap
16‐28 oz. bottle any brand.
1 can air freshener
Aerosol or pump.
1 insect repellant spray
6‐14 oz. aerosol or spray pump with protective cover.
1 scrub brush
Plastic or wooden handle.
18 cleaning wipes
Handi Wipes or reusable wipes;
No terry cleaning towels;
Remove from packaging.
7 sponges
No cellulose sponges due to mold issues;
Remove from wrapper.
5 scouring pads
Remove from wrapper;
No stainless steel, Brillo pads, or SOS pads (nothing with soap built in).
50 clothespins
Clothesline
One 100-ft. or two 50-ft. lines;
Cotton or plastic.
24-roll heavy-duty trash bags
33‐ to 45-gallon sizes;
Remove from the box.
5 dust masks
2 pairs kitchen dishwashing gloves
Should be durable enough for multiple uses;
Remove from packaging.
1 pair work gloves
Cotton with leather palm or all leather.
Assembly Directions
Place all liquid items in the bucket first. Place remaining items in the bucket, fitting them around and between the liquid items. Sponges, scouring pads, clothespins, and trash bags can be separated in order to fit all of the items in the bucket. Ensure the lid is closed securely.
Important Notes
All items must be new except for the actual bucket and lid.
All cleaning agents must be liquid and in plastic containers. No powders, please.
If you cannot find the requested size of a liquid item, use a smaller size. Including larger sizes of any item will prevent the lid from sealing.
If all of the items on the list are not included, please put a label on the bucket indicating what has been omitted.
Cleaning buckets are only used within the United States. They are not opened to verify the contents unless there is indication that some items have been omitted.
Packing & Shipping Instructions
Box Weight: Each packed box cannot exceed 66 pounds.
Complete 2 packing lists: one for your records and one to put on the shipping box.
Paste the shipping label / packing list on the outside of each box you send. The shipping list helps the depot to quickly process kits.
Processing & Shipping Costs: Please enclose an envelope containing at least $1 for each kit you send. This donation enables kits to be sent to areas in need. For Cleaning Buckets, please enclose $1.50.
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Read a story about the need from the Louisiana Conference.
How To Help
Todd Rossnagel
Cleaning Bucket Materials
5-gallon bucket with resealable lid
Buckets from fast-food restaurants or bakeries can be used if washed and cleaned;
Do not use buckets that have stored chemicals such as paint or pool cleaner;
Advertisements on the outside are acceptable.
Liquid laundry detergent
One 50-oz. or two 25-oz. bottle(s) only.
Liquid household cleaner
12‐16 oz. liquid cleaner that can be mixed with water;
No spray cleaners.
Dish soap
16‐28 oz. bottle any brand.
1 can air freshener
Aerosol or pump.
1 insect repellant spray
6‐14 oz. aerosol or spray pump with protective cover.
1 scrub brush
Plastic or wooden handle.
18 cleaning wipes
Handi Wipes or reusable wipes;
No terry cleaning towels;
Remove from packaging.
7 sponges
No cellulose sponges due to mold issues;
Remove from wrapper.
5 scouring pads
Remove from wrapper;
No stainless steel, Brillo pads, or SOS pads (nothing with soap built in).
50 clothespins
Clothesline
One 100-ft. or two 50-ft. lines;
Cotton or plastic.
24-roll heavy-duty trash bags
33‐ to 45-gallon sizes;
Remove from the box.
5 dust masks
2 pairs kitchen dishwashing gloves
Should be durable enough for multiple uses;
Remove from packaging.
1 pair work gloves
Cotton with leather palm or all leather.
Assembly Directions
Place all liquid items in the bucket first. Place remaining items in the bucket, fitting them around and between the liquid items. Sponges, scouring pads, clothespins, and trash bags can be separated in order to fit all of the items in the bucket. Ensure the lid is closed securely.
Important Notes
All items must be new except for the actual bucket and lid.
All cleaning agents must be liquid and in plastic containers. No powders, please.
If you cannot find the requested size of a liquid item, use a smaller size. Including larger sizes of any item will prevent the lid from sealing.
If all of the items on the list are not included, please put a label on the bucket indicating what has been omitted.
Cleaning buckets are only used within the United States. They are not opened to verify the contents unless there is indication that some items have been omitted.
Packing & Shipping Instructions
Box Weight: Each packed box cannot exceed 66 pounds.
Complete 2 packing lists: one for your records and one to put on the shipping box.
Paste the shipping label / packing list on the outside of each box you send. The shipping list helps the depot to quickly process kits.
Processing & Shipping Costs: Please enclose an envelope containing at least $1 for each kit you send. This donation enables kits to be sent to areas in need. For Cleaning Buckets, please enclose $1.50.
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Read a story about the need from the Louisiana Conference.
How To Help
Todd Rossnagel
Monday, August 15, 2016The flooding in south Louisiana continues as residents in Ascension Parish are now experiencing similar backwater flooding that residents in Livingston and East Baton Rouge Parish experienced Sunday.
Thousands of rescue operations are ongoing and our prayers remain for those stranded and for those involved in rescue operations.
Many of you are exploring ways to help.
The most immediate way is to check on neighbors and loved ones as the most immediate need is often the most pressing and the best way for anyone to help. We are all urged to remain in constant contact with your local church's websites, Facebook pages or Twitter feeds as pastors and church members will be sharing ways to help one another.
United Methodists are uniquely positioned to help with our partners from UMCOR(United Methodist Committee on Relief), an organization dedicated to alleviating suffering around the globe, including flooded and ravaged areas in Louisiana.
Just this year, UMCOR has assisted north Louisiana with flooding from torrential rains and they're ready to assist now with their signature flood buckets and other disaster response resources.
Flood buckets generally cost about $65 and contain basic supplies such as detergent, sponges and soap that allow flood survivors to begin the overwhelming job of cleaning up.
If you would like to build a flood bucket yourself, directions can be found here and the buckets can be currently dropped off at the following locations in Baton Rouge and Lafayette:
First United Methodist Church
930 North Blvd.
Baton Rouge
Broadmoor United Methodist Church
10230 Mollylea Drive
Baton Rouge
Covenant United Methodist Church
380 East Martial Ave.
Lafayette
If you would prefer to make a financial contribution to assist with the purchase of flood buckets or other relief efforts, you may send a check to the Conference Office (address below).
Please note "AUGUST 2016 FLOOD" in the memo field, this will go directly to Louisiana relief efforts.
Louisiana Annual Conference
Attn: Flood Buckets
527 North Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
This will not be the only way to help. As this situation unfolds, we must remain aware of the rescue operations that are ongoing.
In the coming days, we will share ways to help on our website, via our Facebook pageand our Twitter feed.
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Continuing education for our clergy in the Great Plains
Preaching Rocks
Preaching Rocks is a workshop academy for sharpening skills in public speaking to effectively present the good news of Jesus Christ. Persons who can benefit from Preaching Rocks include:
Those who are new to the preaching experience.
Those who are aware that their preaching isn’t to the level they would like it to be.
Those who want to become the best preacher possible (which hopefully is every pastor).
The leader for Preaching Rocks is the Rev. Dr. Lew Kaye-Skinner. Lew, who has been teaching public speaking since the mid-1990s. He directs the Writing Center at Bryan College of Health Sciences in Lincoln, Nebraska, and teaches courses in public speaking, communications, writing and religion. He is an elder in the Great Plains Conference and has been practicing public speaking since childhood.
This preaching academy will rely on group learning, consultation and support for one another to increase individual skills in preaching and worship leadership. Each participant will be asked to complete a preliminary skills assessment and to invite members of their congregation and their district superintendent also to complete the assessment.
Preaching Rocks group gatherings will be held every other month, beginning Sept. 16-17, at Grace UMC (1832 W Ninth St.) in Hastings, Nebraska. Individual conferences will be via Skype, GoToMeeting or Google Hangouts.
View complete details and the link to register at greatplainsumc.org/preachingrocks.
Leading Out of DramaDoes your church have drama? Most do, at some time or other. The question is whether or not the drama consumes the energy of everyone and takes over the mission of the church, or if people respond in ways to defuse it to a manageable level.
Lay people and clergy can benefit from a workshop called "Leading Out of Drama." Leading Out of Drama will help leaders transform the interpersonal and group dynamics that sabotage morale, engagement and productivity by helping to identify drama behaviors in self and others and increase self-awareness. This means that conflicts can be defused early on, leading to positive change.
Two Leading Out of Drama workshops are being offered this fall. Each consists of two one-day retreats.
Sept. 26 and Nov. 3, at First-Faith UMC in Grand Island, Nebraska, led by the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson
Sept. 20 and Nov. 1, at Chapel Hill UMC in Wichita, Kansas, led by the Rev. Phyllis Provost-Saas.
You can find the full information, including cost and registration link at greatplainsumc.org/leadingoutofdrama.
Experiencing ExcellenceExperiencing Excellence, led by the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson, is an opportunity to receive an overview of the Process Communication Model (PCM). The assessment participants complete helps the individuals gain valuable self-awareness which can lead to greater missional effectiveness in the local church with further training and practice in PCM. This training is for clergy and lay members of local churches.
Three Experiencing Excellence trainings will be offered (you only register for one):
Sept. 6 at First UMC (946 Vermont St.), Lawrence, Kansas
Oct. 11 at First UMC (2123 Forest Ave.), Great Bend, Kansas
Oct. 12 at First UMC (2710 14th St.), Columbus, Nebraska
More information and the registration link can be found at greatplainsumc.org/experiencingexcellence.
Enhancing Emotional IntelligenceEmotional Intelligence (EI) refers to a distinct combination of emotional and social skills and competencies that influence our overall capability to cope effectively with the demands and pressures of work and life. Professionals who have chosen to utilize it in their personal development report increased work and life satisfaction. The good news is that emotional intelligence can be grown.
EI is invaluable to a leader’s success as it enhances both personal and professional satisfaction. The EI assessment will provide participants with insight into their leadership strengths and potential areas for development.
In order to learn more about Emotional Intelligence, a webinar is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Facilitators will share how understanding one’s emotional intelligence can lead to greater joy in work and life and greater effectiveness as a leader.
The Great Plains Conference is offering Emotional Intelligence to clergy at a reduced cost as an investment in the gifts and talents of pastors. Clergy who register for Emotional Intelligence will participate in a 360 assessment, which provides opportunity for others to give their feedback about the pastor. Following this there will be one to three feedback sessions for the pastor and at least one SPRC member to meet with one of the facilitators. An action plan will be developed, identifying areas for development. Additionally, there will be a one-day skill-building session for clergy and SPRC members to attend.
More information can be found at greatplainsumc.org/emotionalintelligence.
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Grant available to help nurture a Culture of Call
Continuing education for our clergy in the Great Plains
Preaching Rocks
Preaching Rocks is a workshop academy for sharpening skills in public speaking to effectively present the good news of Jesus Christ. Persons who can benefit from Preaching Rocks include:
Those who are new to the preaching experience.
Those who are aware that their preaching isn’t to the level they would like it to be.
Those who want to become the best preacher possible (which hopefully is every pastor).
The leader for Preaching Rocks is the Rev. Dr. Lew Kaye-Skinner. Lew, who has been teaching public speaking since the mid-1990s. He directs the Writing Center at Bryan College of Health Sciences in Lincoln, Nebraska, and teaches courses in public speaking, communications, writing and religion. He is an elder in the Great Plains Conference and has been practicing public speaking since childhood.
This preaching academy will rely on group learning, consultation and support for one another to increase individual skills in preaching and worship leadership. Each participant will be asked to complete a preliminary skills assessment and to invite members of their congregation and their district superintendent also to complete the assessment.
Preaching Rocks group gatherings will be held every other month, beginning Sept. 16-17, at Grace UMC (1832 W Ninth St.) in Hastings, Nebraska. Individual conferences will be via Skype, GoToMeeting or Google Hangouts.
View complete details and the link to register at greatplainsumc.org/preachingrocks.
Leading Out of DramaDoes your church have drama? Most do, at some time or other. The question is whether or not the drama consumes the energy of everyone and takes over the mission of the church, or if people respond in ways to defuse it to a manageable level.
Lay people and clergy can benefit from a workshop called "Leading Out of Drama." Leading Out of Drama will help leaders transform the interpersonal and group dynamics that sabotage morale, engagement and productivity by helping to identify drama behaviors in self and others and increase self-awareness. This means that conflicts can be defused early on, leading to positive change.
Two Leading Out of Drama workshops are being offered this fall. Each consists of two one-day retreats.
Sept. 26 and Nov. 3, at First-Faith UMC in Grand Island, Nebraska, led by the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson
Sept. 20 and Nov. 1, at Chapel Hill UMC in Wichita, Kansas, led by the Rev. Phyllis Provost-Saas.
You can find the full information, including cost and registration link at greatplainsumc.org/leadingoutofdrama.
Experiencing ExcellenceExperiencing Excellence, led by the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson, is an opportunity to receive an overview of the Process Communication Model (PCM). The assessment participants complete helps the individuals gain valuable self-awareness which can lead to greater missional effectiveness in the local church with further training and practice in PCM. This training is for clergy and lay members of local churches.
Three Experiencing Excellence trainings will be offered (you only register for one):
Sept. 6 at First UMC (946 Vermont St.), Lawrence, Kansas
Oct. 11 at First UMC (2123 Forest Ave.), Great Bend, Kansas
Oct. 12 at First UMC (2710 14th St.), Columbus, Nebraska
More information and the registration link can be found at greatplainsumc.org/experiencingexcellence.
Enhancing Emotional IntelligenceEmotional Intelligence (EI) refers to a distinct combination of emotional and social skills and competencies that influence our overall capability to cope effectively with the demands and pressures of work and life. Professionals who have chosen to utilize it in their personal development report increased work and life satisfaction. The good news is that emotional intelligence can be grown.
EI is invaluable to a leader’s success as it enhances both personal and professional satisfaction. The EI assessment will provide participants with insight into their leadership strengths and potential areas for development.
In order to learn more about Emotional Intelligence, a webinar is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Facilitators will share how understanding one’s emotional intelligence can lead to greater joy in work and life and greater effectiveness as a leader.
The Great Plains Conference is offering Emotional Intelligence to clergy at a reduced cost as an investment in the gifts and talents of pastors. Clergy who register for Emotional Intelligence will participate in a 360 assessment, which provides opportunity for others to give their feedback about the pastor. Following this there will be one to three feedback sessions for the pastor and at least one SPRC member to meet with one of the facilitators. An action plan will be developed, identifying areas for development. Additionally, there will be a one-day skill-building session for clergy and SPRC members to attend.
More information can be found at greatplainsumc.org/emotionalintelligence.
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Grant available to help nurture a Culture of Call
Grants will be awarded in the range of $500-$2,000 for churches, campus ministries, and United Methodist organizations in the Great Plains UMC to fuel their imaginations in creating opportunities to cultivate a Culture of Call.Creating a Culture of Call means that the behaviors, beliefs and attitudes of your congregation/community readily supports the members of the community to identify and explore a call by God to serve God as a lay, licensed, or ordained person. Not everyone who feels a call will work “in ministry” for a church, but as everyone seeks to live out his or her faith more deeply, we pray that everyone will consider their work in the world, and even their interactions with other people will be an opportunity to live out God’s call.
The second deadline to apply is Sept. 15, 2016 (the early deadline wasApril 15). Learn more including FAQs and information on applying at greatplainsumc.org/cocgrant.
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Receive help discerning your callThose considering a call to ministry should visit greatplainsumc.org/exploringcall. Here you will find information on how to discern, nurture, equip and live your call.
Some of the many tools offered for discerning your call includes other’s call stories, podcasts and this month’s featured article, “Called to both ministry and motherhood,” from Ministry Matters. Great resources found for those nurturing a call is 50 Ways to Cultivate a Culture of Call and 5 Cups of Coffee along with other’s stories on how they have nurtured their call. For those ready to equip for call, several videos are offered explaining Candidacy Summit and what it means to be an elder, deacon, licensed local pastor and SPRC member. Resources for living your call including the TiM program, Elisha Grant and more are also offered.
Check out the greatplainsumc.org/exploringcall, or contact the Rev. Ashlee Alley at aalley@greatplainsumc.org, for more information on all of these resources.
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Help sustain Camp Comeca by assisting in meeting challenge
Camp Comeca, a Great Plains Conference facility near Cozad, Nebraska, has enjoyed a successful summer, including more than tripling the number of campers it had last year.In addition, the camp distributed 25 Call to Ministry cards and had a dozen campers make the decision to become followers of Christ, said Sara Shaw, conference coordinator of camping ministries and interim director of Comeca. A nationwide search is underway for a new camp director.
The camp has also increased its number of worship opportunities in a day with two chapel services, a Bible study and devotion time.
At the Great Plains Annual Conference session in June, delegates were told of a matching grant from the Nebraska United Methodist Challenge Fund that could raise $111,632.61 for Comeca. As of July 31, $21,601.57 has been raised – leaving $90,031.14 yet to be raised for improvements to the camp.
“We’d love to be able to meet our goal by the annual barbecue on Sept. 25,” said the Rev. Evelyn Fisher, director of congregational excellence for the conference.
Contributions can be made through a secure site at www.greatplainsumc.org/campcomecacapitalcampaign.
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Camp Fontanelle gears up for ‘Second Season’
Camp Fontanelle ended the summer strong with fearless campers and God blessing those who were with us. There were memorable camp fires, and we took field trips to the zoo, Worlds of Fun, a skating rink and more. Trails were hiked, marshmallows were roasted, and prayers sent up to God! Campers connected with old friends and made new friends. It was a wonderful year to be at Camp Fontanelle.But there is not much time to reminisce about the summer, as Camp Fontanelle gears up for its second season, which starts with the Fall Event, on Saturday, Aug. 27, geared for youth groups to kick off their fall programming. The Fall Event will offer many of the activities that make Camp Fontanelle unique, including GaGa Ball, the zipline and laser tag.
Three weeks later, Camp Fontanelle will hold its annual barbecue and auction on Sunday, Sept. 18. This is the only organized fundraiser at Camp Fontanelle and helps raise money to continue its mission of “Impacting lives though an intentional Christian Community.”
Sept. 18 is also the opening day for the Camp Fontanelle Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze. With the oldest corn maze in the area, Camp Fontanelle will be celebrating its 10th corn maze with a design saluting farmers. Culver’s Restaurant is sponsoring the design of the maze. Other sponsors include: Rob-See-Co, Monke Brothers and Dondi Eckert Aerial Photography. The corn maze is looking for youth groups and churches to volunteer during the corn maze, which runs Saturdays and Sundays fromSept. 18 to Nov. 6.
At the end of the corn maze season, Camp Fontanelle will conduct a Culture of Call event, to help youth discern their calling into ministry work. Youth work, music ministry, pastoral and other forms of ministry will be explored. This event will be Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4-5.
We will end 2016 with the third-annual Camp Fontanelle Christmas Camp. Camp Fontanelle is looking for campers who would benefit from attending this camp. These campers would, ideally, be new to Camp Fontanelle and in need of the loving atmosphere because of family situations. If you know of someone who would benefit from this camp, please contact the camp at Fontanelle@greatplainsumc.org.
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Pray, show support for young adults heading back to campus
Let the Great Plains Conference know names of college students who are going back to school this month so the conference can help connect them with the United Methodist campus ministry in their area and help them connect with faith and leadership during these formative years! The form is: gp-reg.brtapp.com/studentcontact, or email the campus ministers directly with information at www.greatplainsumc.org/campusministries. After you send information or if you do not know of any college students, you are invited to pray for the campus ministries for the next six weeks during this time of acclimation and moving back to school. Here's a sample prayer:
“O God, Guide the students in our Great Plains with your passion, vision and hope. Connect them with others and give them purpose. Send forth campus ministers, student leaders, churches and communities to proclaim your grace in a real and powerful way so that lives can be transformed and, by following You, they can transform the world. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Will you send and pray for our students and young adults?
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See different perspectives in Lay Servant Ministry program
Why do the people in the Lay Servant Ministry program take training courses? One answer is the opportunity to see things in a different light. From preaching to prayer to pastoral care to United Methodist heritage and polity, the program provides an opportunity to learn about the denomination and to put that knowledge to work in the local church.Read more about this in the latest LSM blog, written this time by Phyllis Stoppel from the Hutchinson District.
Lay Servants get chance to see things from different points of view
Lay Servant MinistriesOne of my favorite pastimes is reading, so when I go to a thrift shop, garage sale, flea market or any other place where there might be books, I’m always looking for good, used, inspirational and/or spiritual books by good authors.
Of course I have my favorites, but I do occasionally pick up one written by someone I don’t know. On my trip to Ft. Collins, Colorado, in July, I found one titled “Seeing With a Native Eye” that contained essays all written by Native Americans. The theme story was of a gentleman who had lived with the Navajos in Southern Utah for two years. He tried to educate the elderly Navajo he lived with about the outside world. He wanted to eventually take him to Salt Lake City and introduce him to the “new world.”
He brought him pictures of large buildings, traffic and all that goes with the big city. The older man looked at him when shown the large building and asked, “How many sheep will it hold?” He was seeing things “with a Native Eye.”
Here were two men who looked at the world with different eyes. Most of us have known people that we don’t seem to see things as they do. Maybe some of you have looked at lay servants and wondered why they are involved in taking training and being servants. There are different ways lay servants look at it also.
Some get involved to learn about the United Methodist denomination and its beliefs. They can take classes in heritage and polity. For those who want to help the ill or lonely or disabled, there are classes in lay pastoral care. Those who are interested in helping with the worship service in their churches or another church, there are classes in leading worship. Others may be interested in prayer methods, so there is leading in prayer. Preaching is a class that some take to learn more about putting together sermons. Some don’t know what their gifts are, so there is a class for discovering your gifts.
Even taking the classes helps us to see things differently as we learn new things and experience new things. That doesn’t mean that we have to give up everything as we see it. We can also share with others the world as we see it and help others learn.
Learn more about Lay Servant Ministries in the Great Plains Conference, including upcoming training opportunities.
Phyllis Stoppel is Lay Servant Ministry director for the Hutchinson District.
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Learn more about Lay Servant Ministry opportunities in the Great Plains.
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Don’t miss out on local, national and international mission trips
Are you thinking of going on a mission trip this fall or winter, but your church does not have enough people to mobilize your own mission team? Are you passionate about engaging in domestic or international mission experiences, but money is hindering you from fulfilling your calling to missions?The Great Plains Conference’s Mercy and Justice invites you to consider joining one of the mission teams some of our churches are leading this fall and winter. Check the link to find out more about upcoming mission trips: http://www.greatplainsumc.org/volunteeropportunities.
Also, the Mercy and Justice, which oversees mission mobilization and training, offers online Mission trip grants applications for domestic and international mission experiences. Apply here.
Priorities for these grants are for teams that explore projects and solutions that can be sustained by local resources.
If you have any questions, please contact the Rev. Kalaba Chali at 316-684-0266 or via email at kchali@greatplainsumc.org.
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Columbus, NE, church lets prayer lead way on outreach ministry
Lights still need to be changed out. Carpet is still being placed. But the paint is dry. Tables are moved in. A new space for worship is ready.The Outreach Center, a ministry of First United Methodist Church in Columbus, is open to serve the community in a building about four times the size of its previous location.
The Red Cross is already conducting blood drives, and the youth group is planning its fall slate of activities. But there is much, much more to this building that the congregation hopes will serve as a home base for community connections and to assist with ministry across the city in eastern Nebraska.
Read the story.
Prayer guides Columbus church’s journey to new Outreach Center
The sound of sewing machines fills a corner of the downstairs of what has become known simply as The Outreach Center of First United Methodist Church in Columbus, Nebraska.
It is Tuesday morning, the traditional gathering time of women who put their gifts of sewing to use in a ministry that extends far beyond the congregation.
Bev Weil examines fabric to be pinned together so it can be sewn during an Aug. 9 gathering of the Methodist Quilters at The Outreach Center, a ministry of First United Methodist Church in Columbus, Nebraska. Photo by Todd Seifert
Lois Athey, who the women consider to be their “fearless leader,” works at one long table with Jan Carskadon to measure fabric as Bev Weil works at another table pinning together material to be sewn into one of the Methodist Quilters group’s latest projects. In the adjoining room, four other women – some members of Columbus First UMC and others who are part of a Lutheran congregation in town – are operating sewing machines and enjoying each other’s company.
Each participant has her own space – a welcome change that came with the move of The Outreach Center from a strip mall positioned behind the McDonald’s restaurant in town at the highly visible intersection of 33rd Avenue and U.S. Highway 30. Now, The Outreach Center is in the former evangelical free church at 3602 16th St.
“We love this,” Athey said. “We have lots of room. And we can use all of this space.”
The Methodist Quilters’ experience mirrors that of other groups who used the former Outreach Center space in the strip mall. Though grateful to have a place to gather, the group had grown frustrated with having to set out their crafting materials and then having either to put it away in cramped quarters or take them home because of having to share the facility with the youth group, a food program for schoolchildren and other activities.
Now, the 15-year-old group has all the table space it can use. And it has dedicated cabinets for its materials and equipment to make bibs for Veterans Affairs hospitals, blankets for newborn babies, quilts for Epworth Village and Camp Fontanelle, and gowns for children in Third World countries, among other projects.
These are the kinds of education- and mission-oriented purposes for which the congregation intended to use the space when it stepped out in faith to purchase and renovate the building.
‘The Right Way’The Rev. Cindi Stewart, now in her third year of ministry at Columbus First UMC, said the new Outreach Center fits well with the strategic plan the congregation has been crafting and shaping for more than a year.
“The people here really saw a vision for outreach,” she said.
Already ingrained in the local church’s culture, outreach became an even bigger priority as programs with which the church is involved blossomed in the nearly 5,000-square-foot strip mall space.
One example is “A Place at the Table,” a food-distribution ministry aimed at school-age children who have little or nothing to eat on the weekends, when school is not in session. The effort, started by the church’s Missions Committee about five years ago, at first served fewer than 200 elementary-age kids.
Tom Lutjens, who volunteers with “A Place at the Table,” said the food ministry now serves more than 300 children of all ages. The move to the more than 21,000-square-foot building means there is a vastly larger area for staging the bagging of food in preparation for delivery to families in need.
“We have always had plenty of volunteers,” Lutjens said. “Now we have room to do more. The biggest benefit for us is there is so much more storage space. We get a lot of food at various times, so having a place to store it and then put it to use is a big advantage.”
Such a ministry fits into the church’s strategic plan.
“We started with prayer, and God provided,” Stewart said.
The pastor said a task force worked to determine what to do with The Outreach Center and its various ministries because of a pending deadline to either renew or cancel the lease at the strip mall. When the non-profit Rainbow Center moved from the former Evangelical Free Church building, it provided First UMC an opportunity to move away from renting a facility to purchasing its new Outreach Center location for a relatively low cost of $396,000.
“We started with a task force and then moved to a study committee to make sure we had considered the possibilities,” Stewart said. “Eventually, a building committee completed its work to lead to the purchase of the facility. Clearly, we still have a lot of work to do, but I think we did this the right way.”
The building opened in 1961, meaning it is structurally sound but in need of renovations and upgrades. Two kitchens are being refurbished. Carpet has been donated, and a small army of volunteers has done everything from fixing up bathrooms to changing light fixtures to painting walls. Stewart said the church had “easily, over 100 people who donated their time and talents.”
But the focus remained on ministry throughout the process.
“The most powerful thing about this process is that it is rooted in prayer,” she said. “That sounds simple. We’re church people, right? We push and say prayer is important, but how often do we really do it? This is truly one of the most spiritual processes I have ever seen.”
Big plans
Each participant has her own space – a welcome change that came with the move of The Outreach Center from a strip mall positioned behind the McDonald’s restaurant in town at the highly visible intersection of 33rd Avenue and U.S. Highway 30. Now, The Outreach Center is in the former evangelical free church at 3602 16th St.
“We love this,” Athey said. “We have lots of room. And we can use all of this space.”
The Methodist Quilters’ experience mirrors that of other groups who used the former Outreach Center space in the strip mall. Though grateful to have a place to gather, the group had grown frustrated with having to set out their crafting materials and then having either to put it away in cramped quarters or take them home because of having to share the facility with the youth group, a food program for schoolchildren and other activities.
Now, the 15-year-old group has all the table space it can use. And it has dedicated cabinets for its materials and equipment to make bibs for Veterans Affairs hospitals, blankets for newborn babies, quilts for Epworth Village and Camp Fontanelle, and gowns for children in Third World countries, among other projects.
These are the kinds of education- and mission-oriented purposes for which the congregation intended to use the space when it stepped out in faith to purchase and renovate the building.
‘The Right Way’The Rev. Cindi Stewart, now in her third year of ministry at Columbus First UMC, said the new Outreach Center fits well with the strategic plan the congregation has been crafting and shaping for more than a year.
“The people here really saw a vision for outreach,” she said.
Already ingrained in the local church’s culture, outreach became an even bigger priority as programs with which the church is involved blossomed in the nearly 5,000-square-foot strip mall space.
One example is “A Place at the Table,” a food-distribution ministry aimed at school-age children who have little or nothing to eat on the weekends, when school is not in session. The effort, started by the church’s Missions Committee about five years ago, at first served fewer than 200 elementary-age kids.
Tom Lutjens, who volunteers with “A Place at the Table,” said the food ministry now serves more than 300 children of all ages. The move to the more than 21,000-square-foot building means there is a vastly larger area for staging the bagging of food in preparation for delivery to families in need.
“We have always had plenty of volunteers,” Lutjens said. “Now we have room to do more. The biggest benefit for us is there is so much more storage space. We get a lot of food at various times, so having a place to store it and then put it to use is a big advantage.”
Such a ministry fits into the church’s strategic plan.
“We started with prayer, and God provided,” Stewart said.
The pastor said a task force worked to determine what to do with The Outreach Center and its various ministries because of a pending deadline to either renew or cancel the lease at the strip mall. When the non-profit Rainbow Center moved from the former Evangelical Free Church building, it provided First UMC an opportunity to move away from renting a facility to purchasing its new Outreach Center location for a relatively low cost of $396,000.
“We started with a task force and then moved to a study committee to make sure we had considered the possibilities,” Stewart said. “Eventually, a building committee completed its work to lead to the purchase of the facility. Clearly, we still have a lot of work to do, but I think we did this the right way.”
The building opened in 1961, meaning it is structurally sound but in need of renovations and upgrades. Two kitchens are being refurbished. Carpet has been donated, and a small army of volunteers has done everything from fixing up bathrooms to changing light fixtures to painting walls. Stewart said the church had “easily, over 100 people who donated their time and talents.”
But the focus remained on ministry throughout the process.
“The most powerful thing about this process is that it is rooted in prayer,” she said. “That sounds simple. We’re church people, right? We push and say prayer is important, but how often do we really do it? This is truly one of the most spiritual processes I have ever seen.”
Big plans
Now that the new center is open, the congregation is getting to work making it available for the community to use. The American Red Cross conducts its weekly blood drive in the multipurpose Community Room. Organizations already have approached the church about using space such as the spacious Aldersgate Room for large-gathering meetings.
And the youth group has carved out about half of the basement for its various activities.
“We had no doors, so literally, you could hear what every group was doing or discussing,” Sarah Borgman, Christian Education director at Columbus First UMC, said of the former facility. “Now each group has its own space."
The youth area boasts a full kitchen, a game room, a music room and three classrooms – one each for the senior-high (grades 9-12), junior-high (grades 7 and 8) and middle-school (grades 5 and 6) participants. When youth activities restart in September, the approximately 60 kids who take part each week will have considerably more room for their fun activities and to learn more about their faith.
“Before, we couldn’t hang anything on the walls,” Borgman said. “Now, it’s really ours. And each class can do something special in their area to make it theirs.”
The Rev. Seong Lee started as the associate pastor at Columbus First UMC in July. His office was intentionally placed at The Outreach Center to provide an opportunity for ministry with people who use the facility during the week.
“We want this to be a place for the community to use as much as possible,” Lee said. “This building has a lot of big spaces, and it has a lot of possibilities.”
The community will continue to have chances to see what those possibilities may be. The church celebrated an open house for The Outreach Center on July 31. And a formal dedication ceremony is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25.
Leading up to that event, preparations are under way to start a contemporary-style worship service, called “Ignite,” to take place at The Outreach Center at 6 p.m. Sundays starting Sept. 25. And there are still light fixtures to replace and flooring to improve.
And everyone has a role to play in making the final preparations. Athey and the Methodist Quilters even have a role in the contemporary worship setting, merging two ministry tasks that typically don’t go together. The quilting group has been tasked with replacing a worn curtain that serves as a centerpiece for the backdrop in the stage area, where musicians likely will lead worship. Such a task fits in with efforts that already have taken place at the new Outreach Center.
“There is still a lot of work to be done,” Athey said of the work completed to this point. “But you have never seen such hard workers before. This has been wonderful.”
And with the pieces just about in place, the focus has shifted from fixing up a building to putting it to use for the community the church serves. While the new location, nestled in a residential area, may not be as visible as it was at the strip mall behind a popular fast-food restaurant, Stewart said the new home for The Outreach Center offers new opportunities.
“We can reach into our neighborhood to meet needs,” she said. “The benefit is now we are in the heart of the mission field.”
Contact Todd Seifert, conference communications director, at tseifert@greatplainsumc.org
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Flip-flops, socks help disadvantaged in Hutchinson, KS
And the youth group has carved out about half of the basement for its various activities.
“We had no doors, so literally, you could hear what every group was doing or discussing,” Sarah Borgman, Christian Education director at Columbus First UMC, said of the former facility. “Now each group has its own space."
The youth area boasts a full kitchen, a game room, a music room and three classrooms – one each for the senior-high (grades 9-12), junior-high (grades 7 and 8) and middle-school (grades 5 and 6) participants. When youth activities restart in September, the approximately 60 kids who take part each week will have considerably more room for their fun activities and to learn more about their faith.
“Before, we couldn’t hang anything on the walls,” Borgman said. “Now, it’s really ours. And each class can do something special in their area to make it theirs.”
The Rev. Seong Lee started as the associate pastor at Columbus First UMC in July. His office was intentionally placed at The Outreach Center to provide an opportunity for ministry with people who use the facility during the week.
“We want this to be a place for the community to use as much as possible,” Lee said. “This building has a lot of big spaces, and it has a lot of possibilities.”
The community will continue to have chances to see what those possibilities may be. The church celebrated an open house for The Outreach Center on July 31. And a formal dedication ceremony is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25.
Leading up to that event, preparations are under way to start a contemporary-style worship service, called “Ignite,” to take place at The Outreach Center at 6 p.m. Sundays starting Sept. 25. And there are still light fixtures to replace and flooring to improve.
And everyone has a role to play in making the final preparations. Athey and the Methodist Quilters even have a role in the contemporary worship setting, merging two ministry tasks that typically don’t go together. The quilting group has been tasked with replacing a worn curtain that serves as a centerpiece for the backdrop in the stage area, where musicians likely will lead worship. Such a task fits in with efforts that already have taken place at the new Outreach Center.
“There is still a lot of work to be done,” Athey said of the work completed to this point. “But you have never seen such hard workers before. This has been wonderful.”
And with the pieces just about in place, the focus has shifted from fixing up a building to putting it to use for the community the church serves. While the new location, nestled in a residential area, may not be as visible as it was at the strip mall behind a popular fast-food restaurant, Stewart said the new home for The Outreach Center offers new opportunities.
“We can reach into our neighborhood to meet needs,” she said. “The benefit is now we are in the heart of the mission field.”
Contact Todd Seifert, conference communications director, at tseifert@greatplainsumc.org
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Flip-flops, socks help disadvantaged in Hutchinson, KS
Flip-flops and socks usually aren’t very expensive, but they are making a big impact in the lives of people living in Hutchinson, Kansas.Since spring, church members have strung up the footwear on trees and bushes in front of the church in downtown Hutchinson, available to anyone who needs them.
See how First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson put this new ministry together and how it’s succeeding in reaching people in need in the city.
Read the story.
Flip-flops, socks help disadvantaged in Hutchinson
It started as a way to add color to the exterior of First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas. But the results have become a simple, yet effective, outreach to the community.
Since the spring, church members have strung flip-flops and socks on the trees and bushes in front of its building in downtown Hutchinson, available to anyone who needs the footwear.
Trees with new flip-flops and socks have not only brightenedup the church but have proven helpful to people in need of
footwear near First United Methodist Methodist Church
in Hutchinson, Kansas. Contributed photo
The project, church member Deanne Martin said, began as a way to brighten the landscape of the church.
“I was just brainstorming a way to add some color to the outside of the building,” said Martin, who works for a graphic design company. “It was just getting near Easter time and the thought went to Easter eggs and bushes.”
But once she got approval from the church council and saw there were, indeed, takers for the flip-flops and socks outside the building, “I just didn’t want to stop it at Easter,” Martin said.
“It just grew from there,” she said.
It began with church members donating the items, and grew to other members of the community. Vacation Bible School students from Trinity UMC in Hutchinson even came over to help stock the trees.
Martin and other church members talked to agencies in town that serve the disadvantaged and assured them that there would be those interested.
In its first few months, more than 350 items have been given away so far, Martin said. There is a low-income housing area near the church, as well as facilities where the poor can learn new trade skills, and she said she thinks that’s who is using some of the socks and flip-flops.
Martin stocks the tree on Sunday afternoons.
“Oftentimes by mid-Monday, everything’s gone,” she said.
Anecdotal evidence has shown that there are a number of people taking the items and not just one person for his or her own gain, she added.
She and other church members are open to suggestions for other items, she said. One member had a surplus of two-dozen flyswatters that he donated.
“We put them in the tree, and they disappeared,” Martin said.
First UMC is using the tree as a springboard for other projects. At its VBS in late July, children painted boxes for new mini-lending libraries that will go on church property.
The local Salvation Army has offered to donate socks, but the church has made the decision to stick with new socks and flip-flops, Martin said.
“These are new, which kind of makes them special,” she said. “We’ve had a good variety of all kinds of sizes and colors and shapes, so it really helps them do a little shopping if they want to.”
The Rev. Jeff Slater, First UMC pastor, says he hopes the project expands to make those in need aware of the food pantry at the church.
“What we've seen clearly, though, is how it's opened people's eyes to the need,” Slater said. “I don't suppose we'll ever know how many we've helped, though there is evidence that many have received flip-flops and socks.”
Contact David Burke, communications coordinator, at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
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Big Garden reaches more than 600 kids in summer program
The Big Garden, started by United Methodist Ministries, just finished its 10-week summer garden program. The Grow-Your-Own program provides on-site gardening classes for primarily low-income children and youth at 26 locations across the Omaha area, reaching more than 600 children each week. This service is provided free of cost to schools, childcare centers and other non-profit organizations participating in the Big Garden network, and classes are led by teams of paid Big Garden summer interns. This year's interns included returning intern Mackenzie Shreve, daughter of the Rev. Scott Shreve and Dr. Marjorie Shreve of St. Paul UMC, Benson.The children participating in the Grow-Your-Own program range in age from 2 to 18, and they learn skills needed to grow, tend, harvest, cook and preserve their own food. The goal is to reduce hunger by increasing access to fresh, healthy produce. The Big Garden’s proprietary curriculum covers healthy soil, pollinators, companion planting, the food chain, local foods and markets, food preservation, harvesting, seed saving and more.
Since its inception in 2005, the Big Garden has helped to start more than 150 community gardens in Nebraska, Kansas, and Southwest Iowa, making it the largest community garden network of its kind. The Big Garden offers year-round classes and workshops for gardeners of all ages and recently moved to its permanent home near 56th Street and Sorensen Parkway in Omaha. The Big Garden is funded in part by the Great Plains Conference and the Missouri River District.
For more information, visit BigGarden.org.
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Learn more about poverty and related issues
The Great Plains Annual Conference’s Mercy and Justice Team invites you to spend a day encountering poverty and related issues. Leaders in the field will be coming from several parts of the United States including Lincoln, Nebraska, to share their knowledge with us. You do not want to miss this opportunity!One session is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at First United Methodist Church, 2723 N. 50th St. in Lincoln.
Online registration will open soon through GPConnect, the Great Plains Conference website and The Great Plains Facebook page.
For more information, contact the Rev. Kalaba Chali at 316-684-0266 or via email at kchali@greatplainsumc.org.
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Learn how to preserve the planet at Elders for the Earth gathering
Learn more about the peril our planet is in and how you can help preserve our planet by taking part in workshops that will be offered during the Elders for the Earth conference Oct. 3-6 at Mahoney State Park in Nebraska.
One of the presenters will be Nebraska Life Magazine’s Alan Bartels, who will share his expertise of nature photography.
For more information, go to the Elders for Earth website.
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Our daily impact on God’s creation
Learn more about the peril our planet is in and how you can help preserve our planet by taking part in workshops that will be offered during the Elders for the Earth conference Oct. 3-6 at Mahoney State Park in Nebraska.
One of the presenters will be Nebraska Life Magazine’s Alan Bartels, who will share his expertise of nature photography.
For more information, go to the Elders for Earth website.
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Our daily impact on God’s creation
One of the seminars the Micah Corps interns attended during their time in Washington, D.C., was facilitated by John Hill, assistant general secretary for advocacy and grassroots organizing and director of economic and environmental justice of the General Board of Church and Society, or GBCS.Hill has been with GBCS for 14 years and has been working on environmental justice issues for a long time. To begin our time together, we brainstormed different activities that we do throughout the day. We came up with coffee, food, commuting and work/school.
“Now where in our day do we challenge economic injustice?” Hill asked.
We saw that we use energy throughout the day. Coal-based energy is where energy is often harvested by exploding the tops of mountains, which is called mountaintop removal coal mining. The United Methodist Church was the first denomination to oppose this form of energy in 2000. The areas in which mountains were used for energy are mostly home to low socioeconomic status families. In these areas, increased asthma rates and other negative health care consequences have been found. By switching to renewable forms of energy, we are able to help work toward environmental justice.
Most of us begin our days with coffee. Coffee is the second-most traded commodity, behind oil. A simple change that we can make is to advise and encourage our churches to use fair trade coffee. Fairly traded coffee assures the farmers and coffee pickers fair and livable wages so they can feed their families, send their children to school, gain access to health care and much more. When we buy fair-trade coffee you support just and sustainable economies.
Another daily activity is showering. Through showering and getting ready for the day, we use a lot of water. In Washington, D.C., the water infrastructure is in need of help. There are two pipes: one with sewage which leads to a sewage plant. The other pipe has rain water, which leads to local bodies of water such as rivers. However, the pipes are both rather small. They were not built for the current number of inhabitants of the city.
Too much rain (anything more than an inch) leads to the water of both mixing and the sewage ending up in local bodies of water. It costs money to improve the water infrastructure in order to have clean, safe water. It would cost billions of dollars to replace the outdated water infrastructure system. Not using much water during heavy rain is one small step to reduce the sewage ending up in rivers in that area. Hill encouraged all to look into where their energy and water come from in their home communities.
Eating is another essential part of our day. The energy that goes into our food is something we often don’t think too thoroughly about. Eighty-five percent of fruits and vegetables are still hand-harvested. More than half of these workers are undocumented immigrants. Since they are undocumented, they are exempt from labor laws. Due to overexposure to chemicals and poor working conditions, the average life expectancy for one of these workers is only about 49 years. By buying locally, organic and fair-trade we are able to make wiser, kinder, choices with our food.
So what can we do? We encourage you to visit the United Methodist Women website, which has a wealth of materials and activities about climate change and taking care of God’s creation. [Wendee Harris, Micah Corps intern]
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Garage sale provides funds, insightAug. 12 and 13, University United Methodist Church in Wichita opened its doors to people looking for unique finds and inexpensive items to purchase.
As a result, the church garage sale raised $2,310.74 that will go toward providing meals for homeless teenagers at Opportunity Zone, which provides continuum of care from the Wichita Children’s Home.
We were thrilled with the amount of money we brought in, considering it came from the sale of items that our congregation no longer needed or wanted - and considering we only started planning it about a month ago.
This was our objective -- to help an organization that was providing a mission to teens in need, but amidst the sometimes chaotic business of the sale, we began to realize that every person that came through the doors of University Hall had a story.
We certainly didn’t have time to chat with everyone, but we were able to learn about some of our shoppers and listen to their stories. We learned more about a refugee family who recently began attending our church and we were able to provide them with some household items that were needed. We met another refugee family who resettled in Wichita 10 months ago. It's a family who fled its country of Eritrea, a communist country in Africa, because of conflict and religious intolerance. They came to our sale the first day and purchased things for themselves and then returned the second day to purchase furniture for some friends who had come from the same country and resettled here in Wichita.
Three church members delivered the furniture to this family and visited with them about their kids, their native language and their experience living in our city. The very last couple who came to our sale arrived after we had begun closing up shop. They had a 9-month-old baby boy with them, and they were looking for baby clothes.
As we directed them toward unsold baby clothes that were on their way to the Klothes Kloset, we struck up a conversation and learned that the baby had been abandoned by one of their friends, and they were in the process of adopting him. We visited for a while, gave them a bag of baby clothes and a baby toy, and wished them luck. We invited them to worship with us when they indicated they were not attending church.
We began this sale with one mission in mind, but it became clear that mission and ministry can take many different forms. Sometimes we’re called to be the hands and feet of God, and sometimes we’re called to be the ears of God. Sometimes we’re called to listen to a person’s story. Everyone has one.[Amy Taylor and the Garage Sale Committee]
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Wyandotte United Methodist Church embraces future growth
Founded in the 1966, Wyandotte UMC is a community of faith that cares when someone is ill, grieving the loss of a loved one or struggling to pay the bills. It cares that members and visitors alike experience Spirit-filled worship services, Sunday school programs and Bible studies. It cares that future generations will have a place to conduct ministry and learn about the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.It is this vision of caring that has sustained and propelled this church forward in steady, purposeful steps. In 2009, the merger of the Grandview UMC into the Wyandotte UMC took place. Before the merge of the two congregations, Wyandotte UMC completed a capital campaign to develop a building fund. The church invested the capital campaign pledges with the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation’s Certificate of Participation program, earning interest so that these funds would grow as the church leadership planned. The church’s investments grew until it needed its funds.
The church started a modern alternative service on Sunday evenings called Alternative Connections in hope of reaching younger, unchurched people in the area. These years have brought major changes to the church building. The Wyandotte UMC leadership contacted the Foundation to explore their options of using their Certificate of Participation funds for the improvements to their church. The congregation decided to use its investments to enhance ADA accessibility, repair the deteriorating foundation and add a new covered, enlarged entrance. A new steeple was placed on the top of the church’s tower. Recently, the installation of energy-efficient windows and new blinds throughout the whole church has completed all of the enhancements.
The need for a loan was not required. The use of its investment in the Certificate of Participation program through the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation allowed Wyandotte UMC to complete the improvements.
The celebration of 60 years of ministry at 79th Street and Oakland in Kansas City, Kansas, took place June 26 with music provided by “Resonate” from the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, outstanding preaching, lunch and then a Service of Celebration and Dedication led by the Rev. Kim Dominic. The church was full of current and past family members, visitors and dignitaries from the community.
Bill Whiles (trustee) shared: “It was a blessing from the beginning. Churches need to know that they really do have a splendid resource with the Foundation that they can tap into for financial need and future planning.”
Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation August Certificate of Participation rates are
1 year – 1.20 percent
2 year – 1.50 percent
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UMCOM offers branding help for local churchesUnited Methodist Communications wants to make branding easier for churches in our annual conference. For any church that adopts the denominational branding standards, United Methodist Communications will develop a free suite of logos for use in print and online — at no charge. There is no expiration date to this offer.
The goal is to strengthen The United Methodist Church's identity through consistent design that gives top billing to local churches while paying respect to our global connection.
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Holdrege UMC youth learn while on mission trip
Thirteen youth and five adults traveled to South Dakota in June, but the life they encountered there was a world away.Candance Miller, director of children and youth ministries at First United Methodist Church in Holdrege, Nebraska, organized the mission trip after she became interested in helping Native Americans. When her initial idea for a destination fell through, she choose another deserving area – one where the per capita income is only $4,000, unemployment is 80 percent to 90 percent, and diabetes is eight times the U.S. rate. It has no banks and only one grocery store.
Read the full story, as published by Robert King in the Holdrege Daily Citizen newspaper.
by BOB KING
Thirteen youth and five adults
traveled to our neighboring state of
South Dakota in June, but the life
they encountered there was a world
away.
Candance Miller, director of children
and youth ministries at First
United Methodist Church in
Holdrege, organized the mission trip-
-the third one she has been involved
with at the church. The Pine Ridge
Mission team left for South Dakota
on June 4 and returned June 10.
She first became interested in
helping Native Americans because
Nancy Lambert, wife of Dale
Lambert, a former minister at the
church, had worked at Rosebud
Indian Reservation. However,
Rosebud was already booked with
volunteers so she looked around. She
explained, “We could get in (at Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation) when I
wanted to go. We like to go after
Memorial Day. It hasn’t been super
hot. We’ve been really pleased with
that time of year.”
Mrs. Miller chose a deserving
area. The per capita income of Pine
Ridge Reservation residents is
$4,000, unemployment is 80-90%
and diabetes is eight times the U.S.
rate. It has no banks and only one
grocery store.
Ben Silver, a Holdrege High School 2016 graduate, went on his third trip there this year. He reported at the Holdrege First United Methodist Church’s early service on
June 12 that the reservation is 3,000
houses short. One man had 13 people
living in his two-room house. He
said, “Everyone is family to them.”
He said that a couch cushion is a bed
for most people. He’d like to become
a staff member for Re-member, the
organization that schedules and manages
volunteers at Pine Ridge.
Ryan Salisbury, one of the youth, said that he was amazed their culture is still willing to teach white people about it.
A recent Holdrege High School graduate, Gabby Contreras, mde her second trip there. She said, “The best gift was getting to experience it again.”
Emily Salisbury, who will be a senior at Holdrege High School this fall, told her fellow church members, “I always find one thing to focus on.” She said that the speaker on teen suicides told them to drop everything
if a child fastens his eyes on you. A little girl did this to her while the Holdrege teen helped skirt a house.
The girl showed her her dolls and she helped the little girl make mudcakes.
Miss Salisbury said, “They can find all this joy in their daily lives. A lot of us struggle daliy to be happy.”
“I had a very fun experience,” remarked Shelby Schmidt. She said that the kids on the Pine Ridge Reservation use their imagination
when they play with rocks.
Cade Wiese, a freshman, reported that it was fun to give beenie babies to kids. “It was fun to see their faces brighten,” he said.
Another boy who went, Eli Dutcher, who will be a freshman at Holdrege High School this fall, said he became more interested in culture this year. “I ended up learning a lot
about their culture,” he said.
Another 2016 HHS graduate, Jacob Harvey, first thanked church members for their financial support.
He remarked, “This was truly an
amazing experience.”
“One thing I took away from it is; there is hope. Their culture is not dying.”
The 18-year-old Harvey and Miss Salisbury skirted a house while on their mission trip. While supervising the Indian children, he discovered something: “Their imaginations are
vivid. Here we have to have Ipads and X boxes.”
Bound for Nebraska Wesleyan University, he helped put doors on ten outhouses that day. They also helped hook up running water.
Kyle Dutcher, who made his third trip to the Pine Ridge, said Re-member is the organization that works with the Ogallala Sioux and other Indian tribes.
“It’s like going to church camp.
You live in dormitories,” said the group’s bus driver. Holdrege’s group of 18 made up a total of 64 volunteers working that week in June.
Building relationships was what he derived from going to South Dakota.
He said, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t get a deck built” if someone wants to visit with you. Another advantage of the week spent there was getting the chance to work with
different people. There were two groups from Ohio, one from Minnesota and one from Iowa. “You can just gain so much learning from
other people,” he said.
Keara Miller, who will be a sophomore at Holdrge High School in the fall, said that she helped build a deck for a man who was to have back surgery.
She said, “We were sweaty and dirty. It just made me realize all the things we take for granted.”
Hannah Watson: “It felt really good knowing I was doing something to help these people. I’ll definitely go back.”
This was her first journey to the South Dakota reservation for Mona Peterson of Holdrege. She said that she gained from seeing the Lakota culture. She commented, “Their culture is very open-minded. Their God
is our God.”
Sue Perry described her role as that of an elder. She explained, “I was in charge of handing out all the clothing.”
She was to hand out two bars of soap to every family and by the second day, she was all out of soap.
Mrs. Miller told how the Native Americans learn to conserve much more than we ordinary Americans do. She showed a large container the size of a reservation water container.
She said that water container must last a family for a week while providing them water for washing, bathing, drinking and cooking.
Mission trip was to a different world
PINE RIDGE MISSION TEAM--A group of 18 youths and adults from First United Methodist Church in Holdrege went on a mission trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South
Dakota. The group, pictured just before they left June 4, stayed until June 10. Candance
Miller, left, who organized the trip, and Sue Perry, are shown in front. Pictured in the second row are, from left: Mona Peterson, Jacob Schrock, Keara Miller, Cade Wiese, Eli Dutcher, Cassie Fulmer and Jacob Harvey. Shown in the third row are, from left: Kyle Dutcher, Gwen Harden, Shelby Schmidt, Tyler Anderson, Gabbie Contreras, Ben Silver, Emily Salisbury, her brother, Ryan Salisbury, and Hannah Watson. It’s 351 miles from Holdrege to Pine Ridge.
-------Hastings UMC pastor appears in newspaper, on TV for Kool-Aid Days
Did you know Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska? Indeed, the community of Hastings celebrates the discovery of the sweet, tasty drink every summer.Check out a story from the Hastings Tribune that features a photo of Grace United Methodist Church Pastor Kent Rogers' attempt at paddling a cardboard boat.
See a short video from the Hastings NBC affiliate that features Rev. Rogers giving his "Oh yeah!" impersonation of the Kool-Aid man.
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Classical guitar concert is Sept. 18A classical guitar concert featuring Antonio Forgione will be at 3 p.m.Sunday, Sept. 18, at the Worship Center of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 8320 South St., Lincoln.
Italian deserts prepared by Monica Adam will follow the performance.
Tickets are $10, and are on sale through Sept. 12 at the church office. All proceeds go to the Aldersgate United Methodist mission shares.
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Korean UM Church grows with help of outside-the-box thinking
Sometimes, addressing the needs of a faith community requires some outside-the-box thinking. Such was the case with Central Korean United Methodist Church in Overland Park, Kansas.Starting in 2013, the Rev. David Kim worked with the congregation to start a Friday evening prayer meeting. They started an English-language worship service for second-generation Korean youth.
Learn more about the journey to these exciting new ministries in thisstory from Saint Paul School of Theology.
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Newsletters
- United Methodist Committee on Relief: Hotline
- Nebraska United Methodist Foundation: News and Updates
- Ministry Matters: Aug. 7, 2016
- UMC Development Center: Spiritual Giving
- Nebraska United Methodist Foundation: Stewardship Matters
- CCLI: August 2016
- Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Leading Ideas
Opinion
In Layman’s Terms: Todd Seifert, conference communications director, reminds us that we are always expected to be learning about God’s word, even long after graduation.Letter to the Editor: Great Plains serves as good witnesses for Christ following tornadoes
Before the Eureka, Kansas, tornado on July 7, 2016, I never knew about Great Plains United Methodist disaster response. This organization is truly making a difference in the lives of people.
The effectiveness of your method for helping people is paramount. You execute your method with kindness, caring and obvious love for the Lord. This was evident in the way you addressed the people that attended the meeting at the Methodist Church after the community link dinner in Eureka.
Since that meeting, I have shared the testimony of my experience with Great Plains United Methodists. I have shared the kindness and the effectiveness of what I witnessed your organization do for others.
Even my older brother was moved with emotion as I shared with him the generosity of your organization.
Prairie Property, LLC of Eureka Kansas never expected to be asked to place tornado victims in a few of our empty units. But in doing so, we were directly exposed to God's kindness, his graciousness and his love.
It has truly been a blessing to see God work through you and your organization.
And so, I just wanted to say thank you from Prairie Property, and from the tenants that you helped.
May God bless you, and all of yours.
Sincerely,
Darren Rundell
Prairie Property, LLC
Owner, partner and manager
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Classifieds
To view these and other classifieds, go to greatplainsumc.org/classifieds.
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The effectiveness of your method for helping people is paramount. You execute your method with kindness, caring and obvious love for the Lord. This was evident in the way you addressed the people that attended the meeting at the Methodist Church after the community link dinner in Eureka.
Since that meeting, I have shared the testimony of my experience with Great Plains United Methodists. I have shared the kindness and the effectiveness of what I witnessed your organization do for others.
Even my older brother was moved with emotion as I shared with him the generosity of your organization.
Prairie Property, LLC of Eureka Kansas never expected to be asked to place tornado victims in a few of our empty units. But in doing so, we were directly exposed to God's kindness, his graciousness and his love.
It has truly been a blessing to see God work through you and your organization.
And so, I just wanted to say thank you from Prairie Property, and from the tenants that you helped.
May God bless you, and all of yours.
Sincerely,
Darren Rundell
Prairie Property, LLC
Owner, partner and manager
-------
Classifieds
To view these and other classifieds, go to greatplainsumc.org/classifieds.
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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?
To submit a letter to the editor, send it to info@greatplainsumc.org.
Want More?
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Margaret L. “Peggy” Minner 94, the widow of a Great Plains United Methodist Conference clergy member died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016 at Wichita Presbyterian Manor. She was born November 9, 1921 in Youngstown, Ohio. On August 1, 1944 she married Gaylen Minner at Struthers, Ohio. Margaret attended Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Wichita. She and Gaylen served churches in Osborne County, Kansas, Oklahoma City and for over 30 years in Abilene, Kansas.
Peggy is survived by her son: Larry and Janice Minner of Hutchinson, KS and daughter: Linda Weber of Wichita, KS. She is preceded in death by her husband the Rev. Gaylen P. Minner in 1995, and her son-in-law David Weber.
The funeral service was held Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 7901 West 21st North in Wichita, KS. Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery Newton, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to Wichita Presbyterian Manor in care of Petersen Funeral Home
__________________
Lillian Joan Bush, 77, the spouse of a Great Plains United Methodist Conference retired clergy member died Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016 at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita, KS. She was born December 20, 1938 in Newton, KS. Joan worked as a registered nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita and also worked as a private nurse for Sandy Hall of the Hall Oil Company. She was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Joan and Jim served churches in Arnold-Utica, Lenora United Parish, Arlington-Abbyville, Republic Webber, Grainfield-Gove, LaCrosse, Syracuse, Meade, Halstead, and Burns-Cassoday.
Joan is survived by her husband the Rev. James “Jim” Bush of Newton, KS; daughter Cheryl Kassin Harris of Lenexa, KS; son Steven and his wife Cindy Kassin of Lenexa, KS.
A funeral service was held Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016 at Petersen Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Gary Brooks and Pastor Steve Julius presiding. Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to Caring Hands Humane Society in care of Petersen Funeral Home Newton, Kansas.
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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Margaret L. “Peggy” Minner 94, the widow of a Great Plains United Methodist Conference clergy member died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016 at Wichita Presbyterian Manor. She was born November 9, 1921 in Youngstown, Ohio. On August 1, 1944 she married Gaylen Minner at Struthers, Ohio. Margaret attended Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Wichita. She and Gaylen served churches in Osborne County, Kansas, Oklahoma City and for over 30 years in Abilene, Kansas.Peggy is survived by her son: Larry and Janice Minner of Hutchinson, KS and daughter: Linda Weber of Wichita, KS. She is preceded in death by her husband the Rev. Gaylen P. Minner in 1995, and her son-in-law David Weber.
The funeral service was held Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 7901 West 21st North in Wichita, KS. Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery Newton, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to Wichita Presbyterian Manor in care of Petersen Funeral Home
__________________
Lillian Joan Bush, 77, the spouse of a Great Plains United Methodist Conference retired clergy member died Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016 at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita, KS. She was born December 20, 1938 in Newton, KS. Joan worked as a registered nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita and also worked as a private nurse for Sandy Hall of the Hall Oil Company. She was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Joan and Jim served churches in Arnold-Utica, Lenora United Parish, Arlington-Abbyville, Republic Webber, Grainfield-Gove, LaCrosse, Syracuse, Meade, Halstead, and Burns-Cassoday.
Joan is survived by her husband the Rev. James “Jim” Bush of Newton, KS; daughter Cheryl Kassin Harris of Lenexa, KS; son Steven and his wife Cindy Kassin of Lenexa, KS.
A funeral service was held Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016 at Petersen Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Gary Brooks and Pastor Steve Julius presiding. Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to Caring Hands Humane Society in care of Petersen Funeral Home Newton, Kansas.
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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