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The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church "GPconnect-News & Information" for Wednesday, 22 October 2014
In this edition of GPconnect:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Great Plains votes to end clergy health benefits
Health insurance compensation form worksheet updated
Pam Savery joins Blue River District as administrative assistant
EQUIP DISCIPLES
Lay Servant Training to be offered Nov. 14-15 in Wichita
Register now for The OneEvent
Crawford UMC hosts first youth carnival
Resource center offers new studies
Whitfield appointed director of Center for Religious Leadership at Perkins
Election guide available from UMW
Newsletter links
MERCY AND JUSTICE
Haiti Partnership update
GBGD offers resources for #GivingTuesday
Children's mission project — "Hands to Hands"
Safe Haven volunteer training workshop
Encouraging voice on the Israel-Palestine Crisis to speak Nov. 5
CLASSIFIED
Classifieds
Great Plains votes to end clergy health benefits
By a vote of 1,066 to 158, clergy and lay members of the Great Plains Annual Conference decided to end the conference health plan for local church clergy and enrolled lay employees in January 2015. Most United Methodist employees in the conference will need to get insurance from marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act. Church pastors serving three-fourths- and full-time will receive a $14,232 "health care allowance."
Health insurance compensation form worksheet updated
The health insurance compensation form worksheet, posted ongreatplainsumc.org/healthinsurance, was updated Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 3:30 p.m. If you downloaded the form before the update, it is important that you obtain the correct version so items figure properly.
If you have any questions, refer to the Frequently Asked Questionsdocument. If you still have questions, contact Peggy Mihoover, assistant benefits officer, at pmihoover@greatplainsumc.org or 877-972-9111.
Pam Savery joins Blue River District as administrative assistant
Blue River District Superintendent Bill Ritter announces the addition of Pam Savery as administrative assistant. The Blue River District office is located in Lincoln’s Great Plains Conference building.
Savery comes to the district with many years of experience in art education and journalism and an extensive career as a graphic artist. She most recently worked in office support roles with Lincoln’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office.
“Pam has already jumped in with both feet and doing a good job understanding and learning the duties as the Blue River District administrative assistant,” said the Rev. Bill Ritter, Blue River District superintendent. “She has come into this position in the midst of the very hectic Church Conference season and I appreciate her positive attitude as she faces this new challenge. It will take some time till the office is up and running at optimum speed and efficiency — we ask for your patience and understanding.”
Savery is a lifelong member of Lincoln’s Southminister UMC – now a partner in the New Visions Community. She has enjoyed serving in a number of committee leadership roles with special interests in lay speaking and worship planning, adult education, missions and music. Savery loves folk music and folk arts and is a member of the Lincoln International Folk Dancers and LAFTA, the local folk music society.
“Working for the Blue River District is a welcome new career path and I’m delighted to be able to serve the faith community I love,” said Savery.
Lay Servant Training to be offeredNov. 14-15 in Wichita
Wichita East and West Districts will offer Lay Servant Training in November at the Magnificat Center in Wichita, Kansas. The training will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, and end at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15. Overnight accommodations are available at the Magnificat Center to those registered by Oct. 30.
Three different courses will be offered at the retreat. Those new to Lay Servant Ministries can take the basic level course “Concepts in Leadership 1.” This course prepares church lay leaders for their position as role models and spiritual leaders within the congregation. This course is a prerequisite for the advanced courses.
For those who have successfully completed a basic course, there are two advanced course options. The “Transforming Evangelism” class teaches on practicing and leading through John Wesley’s relational evangelism. The “Accountable Discipleship” course focuses on the concept of the household of God, scripture as divine revelation, grace, and the importance of class leaders in the Methodist Movement.
The deadline for registration is Monday, Nov. 3. Download the brochure for more information and to print a registration form. If you have questions, contact the Wichita district offices at 316-684-6652 or either WichitaEastDistrict@greatplainsumc.orgor WichitaWestDistrict@greatplainsumc.org.
Register now for The OneEvent
The early-bird registration rate of only $49 per person has been extended until October 31! Visit greatplainsyouth.org to register.
On-site meal options have been added! Budget friendly options are available for lunch and dinner on Sat., Jan. 2. You can pre-order these meals when you complete your registration.
Visit greatplainsyouth.org for all the details including housing options,elective seminar choices, and more. You can also download customizable flyers to give to your youth. If you have any questions or need help preparing for the event please email us attheoneevent@greatplainsumc.org.
Crawford UMC hosts first youth carnival
The Crawford, Harrison and Whitney UMCs, in Northwestern Nebraska, banded together in a fantastic outreach effort on Oct. 5. Following a parish-wide service and communion, a potluck dinner was held in Crawford UMC’s fellowship hall. Meanwhile upstairs, there was quite a bit of activity. Volunteers from all three churches were unloading games and prizes, setting up booths and installing signs for a community carnival for the area youth.
This first-ever event put on by all three churches was dubbed “The Fall Round-Up” with a logo sporting a cowboy roping on horseback. The event was very well attended and the adults seemed to have as much fun as the youth. Games included darts, a football toss, fishing pond, Noah’s Ark beanbag toss, duck pond, ring toss, boat races and a four-hole putt-putt golf course. Those attending were also able to take part in a coloring contest, face painting and pumpkin decorating.
The games were handmade by parishioners (with the exception of the fish pond, which was donated by Ponderosa Villa Nursing Home). The lively, colorful signs for each game were hand painted by a parishioner. Prizes included a variety of toys, stuffed animals and candy. All of the items were graciously donated by church members or community members. The Security Bank at Crawford loaned their popcorn machine for the event and donated the popcorn. Several Crawford United Methodist musicians were on-hand to provide background music for the afternoon event.
“With the success of this event, plans are to have an even bigger and better event next year,” said Dusty R. Sprague, pastor at Crawford, Harrison and Whitney UMCs. “Three cheers for three outstanding churches — and one great parish.”
Resource center offers new studies
How many of us feel uncomfortable talking about our faith in public? How many of us are unfamiliar with the stories of our faith, but can recite from memory dialogue from a favorite TV show or movie? If you feel a part of this “un” crowd, then the Gospel for you is the unusual Gospel of John. The peculiar way John proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ speaks beautifully to us modern, unusual people. Adam Thomas, an ordained Episcopal priest, introduces us to his three volume series “Unusual Gospel for Unusual People: Studies From the Book of John” with youthfulness, honesty and humor as he shares his insights about the “Unusual Names,” Unusual Healings” and Unusual Questions” from the gospel of John. All three studies include a leader guide as well as a participant guide.
In “Unusual Healings” we learn, through four lessons, that responding to Jesus’ call in our lives and discovering a personal identity based on his divine identity naturally leads to healing, new life and our mission.
- Get Up and Walk – Noticing When Healing Happens To You
- Go and Wash – Noticing An Identity You’ve Always Had
- Come Out of the Tomb – Noticing the Gifts God Gives You
- Feed My Sheep – Noticing When Christ Heals You For Mission
Jesus compares himself to all sorts of unusual things. In “Unusual Names” we look at four names that will help us touch the edge of the mystery of the ways Jesus relates to us and the ways we see God working in this world.
- I Am The Bread of Life – Nourished To Be Nourishment
- I Am The Light of the World – Turning to the Light
- I Am The Good Shepherd – Cast Out of Complacency
- I Am The Vine – Connecting The Branches
In the four lessons of “Unusual Questions” we’ll explore what it means to ask our own questions about faith. We discover that questioning shows that we are serious about our relationship with God which helps build our faith.
- How Is It Possible For An Adult To Be Born? – Questions Lead To Openness and Humility
- Where Would You Get This Living Water? – Questions Signal Desire for Deeper Relationships
- How Can You Say That You Have Seen Abraham? – Questions and Answers; But Not Necessarily in That Order
- What Is Truth? – Questions That Lead To Truth, Not Fact
To reserve one of these studies please email Diane Dunkerson atddunkerson@greatplainsumc.org or call 800-435-6107. To see a complete listing of resources go to our online catalog atwww.gpresourcecenter.org.
Whitfield appointed director of Center for Religious Leadership at Perkins
Southern Methodist University Provost Paul Ludden has appointed Bishop D. Max Whitfield as director of the Center for Religious Leadership at Perkins School of Theology. The Provost made the appointment upon receiving the nomination of Bishop Whitfield from Perkins School of Theology Dean William B. Lawrence. In addition to his work with the Center for Religious Leadership, Bishop Whitfield will continue serving as Bishop in Residence at Perkins.
“Bishop Whitfield’s considerable experience and longstanding interest in leadership will enhance the work of the Center for Religious Leadership here at Perkins,” Dean Lawrence said. “We are excited about his willingness to share his gifts in this important role.”
Read more about the announcement.
Dallas, Texas – Southern Methodist University Provost Paul Ludden has appointed Bishop D. Max Whitfield as director of the Center for Religious Leadership at Perkins School of Theology. The Provost made the appointment upon receiving the nomination of Bishop Whitfield from Perkins School of Theology Dean William B. Lawrence. In addition to his work with the Center for Religious Leadership, Bishop Whitfield will continue serving as Bishop in Residence at Perkins.
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Bishop D. Max Whitfield, Director of
the Center for Religious Leadership
and Bishop in Residence
at Perkins School of Theology |
“Bishop Whitfield’s considerable experience and longstanding interest in leadership will enhance the work of the Center for Religious Leadership here at Perkins,” Dean Lawrence said. “We are excited about his willingness to share his gifts in this important role.”
Bishop Whitfield believes Perkins School of Theology has much to contribute in the field of religious leadership. “The resources at Perkins specifically, as well as its context as a leading school of theology related to Southern Methodist University, position us well to help develop leaders – both clergy and laity – through spiritual growth and personal development,” Whitfield said. “Leadership can too easily be separated from our biblical, theological, cultural fields of study, as though leadership is somehow ‘different’ from the real work of the church,” he added. “Part of what I hope to facilitate is an exploration of ways to strengthen these connections.”
Prior to coming to Perkins as Bishop in Residence in 2012, Whitfield served as Bishop of the New Mexico and Northwest Texas Conferences for 12 years. Before his election to the episcopacy, he served as Superintendent of the Batesville and Fayetteville Districts in the Arkansas Conference UMC, after serving as senior pastor in various United Methodist congregations in Arkansas for more than 30 years. Whitfield’s distinguished ministry with the church and the larger community also has included serving on the Board of Trustees, Hendrix College; Conference Board of Ordained Ministry; Board of Directors, General Board of Global Ministries; Board of Directors, General Commission on Religion and Race; and numerous other positions. He served as a General Conference delegate for three quadrennia and a South Central Jurisdictional delegate for four quadrennia.
Whitfield was ordained deacon (1967) and elder (1970) in the North Arkansas Conference. An alumnus of Perkins, he earned a B.S.A. from Arkansas State University (1966), M.Div. from Perkins School of Theology (1969), and D.Min. from Princeton Theological Seminary (1983).
The Center for Religious Leadership of Perkins School of Theology provides training in the theology of leadership and practical skills for leadership. This training is based in an understanding of leadership as a spiritual vocation cultivated, strengthened, and lived out within communities of faith and the other contexts in which the church exists – including legal, business, political, social and cultural contexts. The Center draws on the skills of the SMU faculty from Perkins School of Theology, Cox School of Business, and Dedman School of Law along with church leaders (both lay and clergy), and business and non-profit leaders.
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Election guide available from UMW
United Methodist Women (UMW) have developed an election guideyou can use to assess whether a candidate's positions reflect your values. You can also view the UMW’s 2014 Election Checklist that acts as a questionnaire for candidates seeking election.
Newsletter links
Haiti Partnership update
The following was submitted by Sheryl Crooks, Haiti Task Force chair.
On Sept. 5-12, Kalaba Chali, Great Plains Mercy and Justice coordinator; Shirley Edgerton, General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) long-term volunteer missionary on La Gonave Island, in Haiti; Rudy Ehrenberg, member of Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas; and myself, attended the Haitian Partnership Conference in Port au Prince, Haiti. The meeting was hosted and facilitated by the Methodist Church of Haiti. Denise Honeycutt, deputy general of United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), as along with members of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), UMCOR, Canada, Great Britain, Michigan, New York and West Virginia represented other partners at the conference. The partners all agreed we share the same goal of projects that will lead to a sustainable Haiti.
Before the conference, the partners attended the dedication of the new kindergarten rooms and the guest house annex on the guest house compound in Petionville, Haiti. Celebration was in the air as Nouveau College Bird, a school that teaches from the primary grades through high school, plus two additional year, was dedicated Tuesday morning. Students spoke about what their new school means to them. Parents and faculty members expressed gratitude for the beautiful facility.
Chali and I had the opportunity to visit Anse Galet, a commune in La Gonâve. We were accompanied by Circuit Superintendent Jacki Sincere. Anse Galet is on the north side of the island of La Gonave and is the most populated area of the island. The Haitian Methodist Church desires a manse (parsonage) in Anse Galet. The circuit superintendent now resides on the mainland. A manse would make it less difficult for the superintendent to serve the people on La Gonave.
Sincere shared his connection with the United Methodist Church. He was the first baby born in the Methodist clinic in Source au Philippe and received his education at the Methodist school in that village. He expressed he is who he is today because of the grace of God and the vision of the Methodist church.
The former Kansas East Conference served in Haiti since the early 1970’s. The Bishop’s Round-up funds helped feeding programs for boys and girls in primary schools on La Gonave, and several dedicated people made regular visits to work on various projects.
Rebecca at the Well was a project the former conference undertook in the early mid-1990s. The project planned and drilled five wells, with the last well drilled in 2001 - drinking water is an issue on the island of LaGonave. Money was raised and the former conference was designated to manage the drilling project. The drilling equipment and wells were eventually turned over to Eglise Methodiste D’Haiti (EMH), a new volunteer program in Haiti.
The Great Plains Conference Haiti Task Force would like to partner with the EMH to fulfill the vision of a manse on La Gonave. Plans for the design have been submitted to the task force and conference. We will need teams help with the next step. While we continue discussion about the manse project, we have agreed with the Haiti Methodist Church that we work together to activate the local Volunteers in Mission Teams (VIM) whom international VIM teams will work alongside when they travel to Haiti.
Due to the close proximity and reasonable costs of travel from our conference to Haiti, the Haiti Task Force is working in collaboration with Nicole Conard, Great Plains Conference young adult leadership development, to engage our young adults and college students in mission work in Haiti. In 2015, we plan to take a team of campus ministers/young adult ministers on a training trip on how to lead a mission experience in Haiti. There will also be a group of Haitian leaders to participate in the training. The U.S. young adults/campus ministry leaders will commit to lead at least one mission team to Haiti on their own. The Haitian leaders will also commit to mobilize and lead local VIM teams either within their own community or to a nearby community that may be in greater need of help.
If you are interested in leading or joining a team to volunteer in Haiti, contact Kalaba Chali at kchali@greatplainsumc.org or myself atscrooks@cgrove417.org.
Together, as the Haitian proverb goes Men anpil chay pa lou ... Many hands make the load lighter.
Photos: Shirley Edgerton, Sheryl Crooks, Rudy Ehrenberg and the Rev. Kalaba Chali pose for a group shot. In the courtyard of College Bird this tree was the only thing left standing after the earthquake.
GBGD offers resources for #GivingTuesday
On Dec. 2, United Methodists once again are invited to extend the spirit of giving thanks into the Advent season by participating in UMC #GivingTuesday. And every gift made online through The Advance atwww.umcmission.org/give on Dec.2, 2014 will be matched up to $1.*
On UMC #GivingTuesday 2013, United Methodists collectively raised a record $6.5 million online. Through The Advance, 11,000 individuals and churches in 34 countries gave more than 16,300 gifts to mission and ministries they believe in. It was a wonderful sign of commitment and extravagant generosity, maximizing the impact of thousands of United Methodists coming together on one day to transform the world.
On Dec. 2, United Methodists once again are invited to extend the spirit of giving thanks into the Advent season by participating in UMC #GivingTuesday.
When Methodists are united … they provide an alternative to the consumer-driven shopping traditions in the United States of BlackFriday, Local Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. UMC #GivingTuesday offers an opportunity to begin the holiday season by giving instead of getting, by supporting organizations and missionaries who have been researched and approved by the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. And 100 percent of all gifts made through The Advance are given directly to the designated project. In the spirit of healthy competition, we are preparing a special Advance award to be given to the annual conference that raises the most funds online through The Advance on Dec. 2.
Please help build excitement and momentum by working with your local churches. Banners, worship resources, graphics and other ideas are available for download on the UMC #GivingTuesday resource page.This toolkit has suggestions for how you can promote UMC #GivingTuesday.
*Global Ministries will allocate matching funds dollar for dollar up to the first $1 million in gifts to Advance projects received online on December 2, 2014, between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. EST. A maximum of $2,500 per individual gift to a project will be dispersed as matching funds. A project may receive a maximum of $25,000 in matching funds
Children's mission project — "Hands to Hands"
The children of Furley UMC, in Kansas, joined hands with their church family to provide aid to the nurse and medical staff treating those infected with the Ebola Virus in Africa. The children learned that it was most important for nurses and medical staff to be well protected as they treated the sick. That important point became the emphasis for this mission project. The timeframe for collecting donations was set at five weeks — ending on Oct. 5. The donation collection vessel was a large, yellow latex glove with five fingers.
To begin the mission project the congregation was given a hand shaped clacker and any time in the next five weeks that "Hands to Hands" was mentioned those clackers rattled loudly. For the kick off Sunday, a breakfast was held with table placards, an introduction to the project and a children's message given by one of our members (a state law enforcement officer) who dressed from head to toe in a PPE (personal protective equipment) suite while the children learned how to properly put on, take off and dispose of latex gloves that might be full of contagious germs. This visual message put the mission project into terms the children could understand.
The PowerPoint slides during each of the next four Sundays addressed information about the Ebola Virus, updates from UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), and a reminder to place donations in the yellow gloves.
On Oct. 5, the very full and heavy gloves were returned to the church. The children circled the gloves, lifted up prayers for the use of the funds donated. The goal set for this mission project was to raise funds to purchase 30 PPE kits at $8.75 per kit. Furley UMC busted through that goal. The donations totaled $747 which means 85 PPE kits can be purchased.
Furley UMC is a small, rural church with a church family that continues to support over and above its children mission projects. The church has a mission project for the children once a quarter and that alternates between national/international, local and city (Wichita) recipients.
Put your faith into action — and have fun doing so
Safe Haven volunteer training workshop
All are invited to learn more about putting faith into action while having fun at the upcoming Safe Haven Volunteer Training Workshop onSaturday, Nov. 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. James UMC, 2400 S 11th St, Lincoln, Nebraska.
At this workshop you’ll learn:
- How to offer the hospitality of Christ to neighbors in a safe and sober environment of fun and fellowship
- To discover the unique talents and gifts you have that make you a unique and marvelous disciple
- That your hand of welcome may be just the one that speaks the love of Christ into someone’s life
Safe Haven is a weekly program provided by Released and Restored and the New Visions UMC. It is a time of fun and fellowship for those focused on maintaining their freedom and recovery.
If you would like more information, contact the Rev. Ruth Karlsson, Release and Restored executive director, at 402-806-0565.
Encouraging voice on the Israel-Palestine Crisis to speak Nov. 5
The following is by Mary Spurgeon, director of adult education, First UMC in Omaha, Nebraska.
Awareness of the continued violence between Israel and the Palestinians is difficult to escape. The length of that conflict — more than 50 years — inclines one to despair or cynicism about the prospect of a just and peaceful resolution for those two peoples. Yet, those with connections to Israel/Palestine are not without hope or a plan to work toward that resolution. We can learn from them.
Mark Braverman, executive director of Kairos USA, a movement to unify and mobilize American Christians to take a prophetic stance for a just peace in Israel and Palestine, will be at First UMC, in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday evening, Nov. 5, 2014 (see flier for other locations and times). There will be a community potluck at 6:30 p.m., followed by Mr. Braverman’s presentation at 7:30 p.m.
He will be speaking on theology, interfaith politics and the role of the church in bringing peace to Israel and Palestine.
Braverman is a Jewish American with family roots in the Holy Land. Traveling to Israel/Palestine in 2006 he was transformed by witnessing the occupation of Palestine and by encounters with peace activists and civil society leaders from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities. In his writing and speaking, Braverman focuses on the role of religious beliefs and theology in the current discourse and the function of interfaith relations in the current search for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. He has been closely involved in the growth of the international church movement for a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Braverman serves on the advisory board of Friends of Sabeel North America and is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace. He is a cofounder of Friends of Tent of Nations North America, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Palestinian land rights in historic Palestine.
Braverman is the author of “Fatal Embrace: Christians, Jews, and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land” and “A Wall in Jerusalem: Hope, healing, and the struggle for peace in Israel and Palestine.” His writings, blog and sermons can be found at www.markbraverman.org.
Braverman’s appearance is sponsored by Nebraskans for Peace, Lutherans, United Methodists, Presbyterians, Quakers and Roman Catholics of Omaha, and other groups in greater Nebraska, as well as the Great Plains United Methodist Peace with Justice Ministries.
View flier for more information.
Classifieds
View these classifieds and more at greatplainsumc.org/classifieds.
Editorial Policy: The content, news, events and announcement information distributed in GPconnect is not sponsored or endorsed by the Great Plains Methodist Conference unless specifically stated.
Want to submit a letter to the editor? Email Kathryn Witte atkwitte@greatplainsumc.org |
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