Missionary Renegade: The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church February Small Membership Churches enewsletter with Rev. Micki McCorkle for Thursday, 26 February 2015

Thursday, February 26, 2015

The Great Plains Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church February Small Membership Churches enewsletter with Rev. Micki McCorkle for Thursday, 26 February 2015

VBS for Small Membership Congregations

The Great Plains Conference has a great opportunity for you! We have a team of young adults who will come to your community and lead Vacation Bible School (VBS) this summer. If you would like a team of interns to come to your congregation, download the application for your church.
If you know of college students who would be enjoy this learning and leadership opportunity, send them to the student application.
Internships

Young adults have some great ministry and service opportunities through paid, summer internships. If you are a young person aged 18-23, or know of some, who are interested in serving Christ through leading VBS, please apply online.
Contact Micki McCorkle if you have questions. She can be reached at 316-210-3996 ormmccorkle@greatplainsumc.org.
We'll update www.greatplainsumc.org/vbs when we have more information.
Update on Small Wonders 2015
We have a location!

We will be in Holdrege, Nebraska, October 2-3, focusing on dynamic and meaningful worship. Save the date! You will not want to miss the learning, worship and fellowship.Download a flier. There will be more information and online registration in the coming months.
Remember last year? What a great time together!

Attend an ABIDE Preview

ABIDE is a refreshing, prayerful way for small congregations to bring more vitality into their church and community. Come to a Preview on August 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Lincoln, Nebraska, or Wichita, Kansas.
Contact Micki McCorkle with any questions you have, or for more information. She can be reached at 316-210-3996 or mmccorkle@greatplainsumc.org.
2015 Great Plains Annual Conference Session

The 2015 Great Plains Annual Conference Session will be held June 10-13, at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas. Information is available at greatplainsumc.org/annualconference.
Resources
Gifts small churches have to offer: http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/5745/5-things-small-churches-can-uniquely-offer-right-now
5 Questions to Ask to See if Your Church is Dying by Thom Rainer
www.christianpost.com/news/5-questions-to-ask-to-see-if-your-church-is-dying-107889/
If one-fourth of churches are dying, and if another one-fourth of the churches are struggling, how can we discern signs of these problems before it's too late? I suggest five questions you can ask:
1. Has worship attendance declined in at least seven of the past ten years?
2. Has budget giving declined in at least seven of the past ten years?
3. Does my church look more or less like the community than it did ten years ago?
4. Are church conflicts significantly more frequent today than past years?
5. Is my church's budget decreasing focus on reaching others beyond the church?
Six subtle signs your church is dying
www.churchpastor.com/2014/07/6-subtle-signs-church-dying/
If your congregation exhibits several of these signs, contact Micki to discuss some options for revitalization or possible congregational dialogue on next steps.