Friday, March 27, 2015

Anyone can submit a nomination for either themselves or someone else – clergy or laity. A spiritual gifts survey will be emailed to the nominee, and upon completion, that person's name will be entered into a pool of candidates.

The nominations committee then will match the needs of each conference-level committee with the skills and gifts of the individuals who have been nominated.

The nominations committee reports that it has many openings on committees that need to be approved by the annual conference sessionJune 10-13 in Wichita, Kansas. So you are urged to nominate potential leaders now.

Fill the UMCOR truck at Annual Conference

A semi-trailer will be available June 9-11 to accept United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) donations. The UMCOR truck will beat the Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, in Wichita, Kansas, Tuesday, June 9 through Thursday, June 11.

Note: There will not be another drop-off location and the truck will not be available during the entire duration of the Annual Conference Session.

Receiving hours

The truck will be open to receive items:

Tuesday, June 9: 2 – 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 10: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 11: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

What to bring

Items needed include treadle sewing machines (MMDC has a repair shop to work on them), cloth diapers, receiving blankets and any of the UMCOR kits listed online — bedding kits, sewing kits, school kits, birthing kits, cleaning buckets, health kits and more. The best way to know how to assemble kits would be to go towww.midwestmissiondc.org and click on ‘Projects’ or ‘Kits.’ There you can see all the requirements for items.

In addition to complete kits, individual and bulk materials will be accepted.

How to package and label kits

Please, no sacks! More than three kits or more than seven bulk items should be in labeled boxes, not bags. Mark each box, or print a summary list and tape to the outside, telling of contents of each box. Partially filled boxes (not sealed) are welcome so single kits from other churches can be added.

How to handle the money

For each kit, UMCOR asks for a one dollar donation to assist in shipping to places of need, or approximately $15-$20 for boxes of bulk materials. Do not put cash in a kit or box — convert to check, payable to MMDC (Midwest Mission Distribution Center).

Volunteers are needed at truck

Short term volunteers (for two to four hours at a time) are needed to help record the donated supplies. To volunteer, please contact the Rev. Kalaba Chali at kchali@greatplainsumc.org or 316-684-0266.

If you have questions or need ways to motivate participation in this mission giving, contact Pastor Alan Gager, conference secretary of global ministries, at agager@greatplainsumc.org.

Summer internships still available

Great Plains Summer Internships are still available for any young adult ages 18-23 who would like to learn, serve and lead this summer in Micah Corps, VBS Leader, Youth Ministry Intern, Pastoral Leadership Intern and Hispanic Ministry. Go to the internship page on our website for more information.

Apply at www.greatplainsumc.org/internapply or contact:

Micah Corps

The Rev. Carol Windrum at cawindrum@gmail.com

Vacation Bible School Interns

The Rev. Micki McCorkle atmmccorkle@greatplainsumc.org

Youth Ministry Interns

Shane Hinderliter at shane@greatplainsumc.org

Pastoral Leadership Interns

The Rev. Ashlee Alley at aalley@greatplainsumc.org

Hispanic Ministry Interns

The Rev. Corey Godbey atcgodbey@greatplainsumc.org

General information about internships

The Rev. Nicole Conard atnconard@greatplainsumc.org

Bishop Jones shares blog

In Bishop Scott Jones' latest blog, Jones discusses healthy congregations. To follow his blog, go togreatplainsumc.org/bishopsblog.

Embracing multi-racial America

Bishop Scott Jones

Anniversaries are special times. We remember the past and tell the stories that have shaped our lives. We celebrate old victories and renew long-standing relationships. We ask hard questions about why things happened and discuss what might have been. We also think about our values and envision a future that can move forward from where we are and where we have been.

As bishop I attend many anniversary celebrations of local churches where all of those aspects are part of a well-planned celebration. The recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama was a powerful event. President Obama’s remarks cast a vision that should be compelling for all of us.

Selma calls us to a vision of an inclusive America. Our diversity is our strength. We are black, white, brown, yellow and mixed-race. We are raised speaking many different languages at home but share English as a common tongue. We eat many different kinds of food and embrace many different cultures. We have deeply held values expressed in our founding documents such as “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Yet even those documents expressed the limitations of the 18th century, for we would now say “all persons” are created equal to show our commitment to the equal rights of women as well as men.

As Christians our commitment to such radical inclusiveness is founded on three crucial doctrines. First, we believe that God created humanity in God’s own image (Genesis 1:28). That means that every human being is a beloved creature of God and worthy of respect and dignity. Yes, all of us are sinners, but the image of God has not been destroyed — it has only been disfigured by the disease of sin.

Second, Christ died for all. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Wesleyan Christians believe in universal redemption — the idea that God desires the salvation of every human being.

Third, our understanding of heaven is that people from all nations and races will say yes to God’s offer of salvation and join together around the throne. When I live on earth with diverse groups of people, I am simply practicing for heaven, because God is going to save people from all the different groups in the world.

At the same time, President Obama’ speech also focused on the reality of our sin. Racism is alive and well in America. We have made significant progress since 1776. Laws have been changed, customs are different, and we have a black man as our leader. Yet, the reality of discrimination and oppression must be confronted.

People of all races should recommit to building the relationships that transcend racial barriers. We should focus on laws and public policies that change the discrimination which limits opportunity for so many. Police-community relations in our cities need a great deal of work. We need to change our immigration policies to allow a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented among us. We need to teach the value of diversity in our schools and churches. We are committed to an inclusive America and an inclusive United Methodist Church.

When we face the reality of our national sin, such as continued evidence of racism, we should not give in to cynicism and despair. We believe in God, and we know that God is working for justice for all and we want to be part of that.As Christians, we believe in that kind of America. May the anniversaries of the civil rights movement re-mind us of how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go

Nebraska United Methodist Foundation ready for scholarship applications

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation will begin accepting applications April 1 for more than a dozen college scholarships for seminary students.

Students may apply online at www.numf.org/scholarships. These financial aid awards are meant for individuals who are members of a Nebraska United Methodist Church and pursuing an advanced ministerial degree for service in the Great Plains Conference.

Applications will be available online starting April 1 for the following scholarships:

The Albert R. Murdoch Ministerial Scholarship

The Alice Kruse Ministerial Scholarship

The Alice Kruse Seminary Scholarship

The Alva Clark Seminary Scholarship

The Baldwin F. & Amy L. Kruse Scholarship

The Charles and Marilyn Humphrey Seminary Scholarship

The Cowles United Methodist Church Memorial Scholarship

The Murdock Ebenezer UMC Professional Church Leader Scholarship

The Myrtle E. Williams Seminary Scholarship

The Verl & Sylvia Miller Memorial Scholarship

The Scahill Family Scholarship

The application deadline for these scholarships is June 30.

Those students applying for the scholarships listed above also will be considered for the following scholarships: The Cal Leeds Scholarship, The Rev. Albert W. Winseman Scholarship Endowment, The Atherton Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Ben and Martha Simmons Scholarship Fund, and The Andrew & Nevabelle Howe Scholarship. The Howe Scholarship is granted with assistance from the Gateway District Superintendent's Office, and preference is given to students from this district. An additional application submission will not be required for this particular group of scholarships.

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation would like to acknowledge the generous gifts donors have made to make these scholarships possible. Thank you for being our partner in ministry. For more information, please visit www.numf.org/scholarships.

If you would like to talk to someone about how you can honor the memory of a loved one or help a seminary student, please call the foundation at 877-495-5545.

Elkhorn Valley District to sponsor annual conference session bus

The Elkhorn Valley District is sponsoring a bus to the Great Plains Annual Conference Session (AC) in Wichita, Kansas in June. The bus will leave Tuesday, June 9 at 8 a.m., starting at Norfolk (Nebraska) First UMC, 406 W. Phillip Ave. The bus will have additional pick-ups at Club 81 (near Humphrey), Columbus and York.

The bus will serve as a shuttle to and from the Century II (site of AC) for anyone who is staying at the Holiday Inn, Wichita East. If you stay at another motel or hotel you will be responsible for your own transportation to and from your place of lodge to Century II. There several that are within walking distance and others that provide shuttles. View lodging options in Wichita during conference.

On the day of departure, June 13, the bus will act as a shuttle picking you up from the various hotels to return to Norfolk. The bus will return to Nebraska following the adjournment of conference on Saturday, June 13.

The bus can hold 56 passengers and the cost will be $50 per person. If you are interested, please contact the Elkhorn Valley District office at402-371-1313 or elkhornvalley@greatplainsumc.org. Remember, seats are limited so please reserve yours early.

Registration is open for the 2015 Great Plains Annual Conference Benefit Golf Tournament. This event is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, the day prior to the start of the conference session, with sign-in taking place at 7 a.m. that day prior to the 7:30 a.m. tournament start.

The registration fee for this “best ball scramble” format is $75 for golfers and $30 for people who don’t intend to play but who want to help with the fundraising effort while having fun. The fee includes the golf, cart, lunch, the opportunity for prizes, fun and laughter.

Money raised will go to the Great Plains Clergy Emergency Fund.

The event – sponsored by the Center for Pastoral Effectiveness and St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska – will take place at the Arthur B. Sims Golf Course, 2020 Murdock St., in Wichita, Kansas.

McCurdy Ministries saving box tops

McCurdy Ministries is collecting Box Tops and Campbell’s Labels. The United Methodist mission school in Española, New Mexico will be trading them for everything from classroom equipment to vans for transportation.

To donate your labels (and Box Tops for Education) to Epworth Village:

Save labels from Campbell’s products

Trim them with the UPC code as pictured below

Bring them to the McCurdy booth and the Great Plains Annual Conference Session and meet staff from the school.

Make memories, come to camp

On a seemingly quiet country road, that peace is broken as you drive south and see the old barn on the west side of the road. The air is now filled with laughter, singing and shouts of joy. You see campers playing with bunnies, petting the alpaca, playing in the sand or performing a skit on the stage at the barn.

You have just come upon Camp Fontanelle (near Nickerson, Nebraska) and it is a place filled with all the things you need to make great memories. It is an opportunity to meet new friends and connect with friends with whom you've lost touch over the year. It is a chance for laughing and loving, singing and swimming, climbing and campfires. With God's help, church camp will impact lives and hearts; maybe even your life and change your heart and bring you further in your faith journey.

What can you expect when you come to camp? Expect to find staff who have been hired because of their joy in the Lord and their desire to show campers fun in ministry through all the things which make camp fun. Those things include swimming, the jumping pillow, the zipline, gaga ball, five miles of hiking trails, great camp food, the petting barn, spirit-filled campfires and so much more.

Go to campfontanelle.com and start the registration process today. The website will include a description of the 18 different camping themes which are offered and a link to register. It is easy to find a camp which would interest you at Camp Fontanelle. There is a camp for adults, families and pre-school age through second grade who will attend with an adult. There is a camp based on science, animals, tree climbing or confirmation. What all sessions will include will be an unending desire to find God in nature and invite God into the life of the camp.

Returning campers can receive 25 percent off their registration when they get a first time camper to come to camp. The first time camper will also receive 25 percent off.

Time is running out to receive the 50 percent off the Guardian Angel and SonShine Camps. If registered by March 31, Guardian Angel and SonShine campers will come to camp for half price.

You're Invited!

Healthy Congregations Retreat April 24, 25

All Great Plains United Methodists are invited to join United Methodist Health Ministry Fund for the 2015 Healthy Congregations Retreat April 24 and 25 with optional pre-retreat training Thursday April 23. The retreat is provided at no charge through the sponsorship of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

The 2015 Retreat features keynote presentations from Dr. Wayne Jonas of the Samueli Institute, a nonprofit medical research organization supporting the scientific investigation of healing processes and their application in health and disease. His keynotes at the retreat are "Giving Healing a Voice" and "How Healing Happens." There will also be a pre-retreat Healthy Congregations Core Training. Attendees are invited to come Thursday, April 23 and complete certification in one day.

Workshops include:

Healthier Hospitality

Productive Community and Church Gardens

Positive Responses to Dementia in the Congregation

Actionable Information for Community Health Improvement in Kansas

Leading Exercise in Your Congregation

Healthy Congregations Technical Planning and Assistance

Celebrating Your Life at its End

Beginners Yoga to Inspire

Inspirational Flow Yoga

Adaptive Leadership - what is essential, emerging and expendable in your church today

Helping Clergy Stay Health (the Insider's View)

Learn more and register today at www.healthfund.org/retreat and enjoy two days of relaxation, interesting and fun workshops and networking with friends and peers.

For current Healthy Congregations teams or those wanting to begin, the retreat is a great way to get started or advance your program. Healthy Congregations provides Great Plains churches with professional training, program resources, special grant opportunities and $1,000 annual funding for health ministry programs.

The full schedule and online registration is available atwww.healthfund.org/retreat - register today to ensure your place. Please share this invitation with other Great Plains United Methodists who might be interested in this enjoyable annual opportunity.

Prayer retreat to be held May 16 in Lincoln

New Hope UMC in Lincoln, Nebraska, will host prayer retreat Come Away – to Pray. All are welcome to attend the retreat to be held May 16from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., at the Worship (Warren UMC) campus at 1205 N 45th St., in Lincoln, Nebraska. Cost is $5. Sally Ruggia-Haden, pastor at New Hope UMC, will lead the retreat. This is an opportunity to enrich your spiritual life with some ancient and new prayer practices. To register, call 402-466-5238 or 402-467-6351 or emailsruggiahaden@gmail.com. Please bring a sack lunch or place an order with Jimmy John’s.

Earth Day Youth Group lesson from the Micah Corps

Meet Kelsey Juliana, an 18-year-old activist, who is fighting climate change in the courts and walking across the country to spread the word on global warming. Schedule a viewing of a 25 minute interview with Kelsey and use the following discussions starters to talk about how the power of one that can make a difference in the world!

View the video.

Discussion starters

Why did Kelsey Juliana decide to become a plaintiff for a lawsuit even though she was a freshman in high school?

Even though we are seeing the effects of climate change, why do many people still not care about it?

What is the public trust doctrine and what does it entail?

How can the youth of today play a part in creating change in regards to climate change?

Why are many youth reluctant to become involved in social and environmental justice?

Why is voting important?

How does the Keystone Pipeline affect the environment?

How can people of faith become involved in the conversation about climate change?

Why is “people power” so powerful?

Why is doing “being green” not good enough when it comes to being an activist for climate change?

Why is it okay for climate change to be a selfish issue?

How does the following bible verse relate to what Kelsey Juliana says?

You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. - Numbers 35:33

In the United Methodist Social Principles it says: "All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it." How does that statement relate to what Kelsey Juliana says?

To become more involved in creation care, go to Kansas Interfaith Power and Light (kansasipl.org) or Nebraska Interfaith Power and Light (nebraskaipl.org).

UMCOM looking for stories

United Methodist Communications (UMCOM) is asking “What is your congregation doing right with young adults?”

Respond to the question in 50-75 words. Be sure to include your full name, local church and city/state. Selected responses will be included in the May-June issue of “Interpreter.” Additional responses will be posted at Interpreter OnLine. United Methodist Communications will edit for length as necessary.

Send responses to interpreter@umcom.org.

Peacemaking Workshop to be April 12

Award-winning news commentator Leonard Pitts will speak at the 2015 Peacemaking Workshop on Sunday, April 12, at First UMC in Lincoln, Nebraska. His topic will be, “Eating (Jim) Crow: Divisions Created by Racism and Divisions Created by Poverty.” Pitts’ talk will begin at 1 p.m. and will be followed by workshops on ways to get involved locally in combatting racism and poverty. The entire event runs from 1 - 5:30 p.m. It’s free and no registration is required. The annual Peacemaking Workshop is sponsored by the Interfaith Peacemaking Coalition, made up of faith and community groups working together for the cause of peace. First UMC is located at 50th Street and Saint Paul Ave., near the Nebraska Wesleyan University campus.

Ready to Retire Seminar to be heldApril 27-28

The Great Plains Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits along with the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund invite you to a Ready to Retire Seminar.

All active clergy members of the United Methodist Church who are anticipating retiring in the next one to five years are encouraged to attend Ready to Retire. The Ready to Retire Seminar will be held April 27-28, 2015, at Trinity UMC in Salina, Kansas. Spouses are welcome. This event is a unique opportunity to learn about the many benefit issues that affect your life and ministry as you prepare for retirement. You will be given guidance on the adjustment from active ministry to a retirement lifestyle. Caring for one’s physical, emotional, spiritual and social well-being is essential to maintaining — even improving — one’s quality of life in what is called the “third stage of life.”

View the brochure. Find out more information, including presenters, schedule and hotel accommodations at www.greatplainsumc.org/ReadytoRetire. If you have any questions regarding presenters, schedule or hotel accommodations, contact Carol Jackson at 800-745-2350, 316-684-0266 or cjackson@greatplainsumc.org.

Baptisms in Thayer, Kansas, receive special blessings

Baptisms and reaffirmation of baptisms at Thayer United Methodist church in Thayer, Kansas, received special blessings March 22, as 91-year-old retired Rev. Elton Garrison traveled 110 miles to perform the ceremony.

Six baptisms, two reaffirmation of baptisms, five confirmations and two others joining the church made this day especially joy-filled. Only five baptisms were planned, but as Myron Stover, the pastor, scanned the congregation and asked if there were others, the father of two of the children being baptized came forward to receive Christian baptism. Praise God!

Myron Stover, a Certified Lay Minister, serves the church in Thayer, having an average of 30 to 35 present at Sunday morning worship. Looking for a presiding elder for Sunday morning baptisms was proving to be difficult. Then his wife, Su, thought of Elton Garrison and called his old cell phone number from years ago when he lived in Parsons.

The cell phone, in a drawer in a back room, was heard by a housekeeper who was vacuuming – a once a week chore. After 10 or 12 rings, Elton answered, and arrangements were made. Elton and his wife, Doris, have been instrumental in the faith journeys of Myron and Su. He married them 28 years ago, he baptized one and confirmed both children.

Then Elton retired. Then he served more churches. Then he retired again. Then he served another church. Then he retired again! After Elton retired the third time, Myron Stover began his ministry serving two churches, West Mineral and McCune. He needed an elder as his mentor. So Elton traveled with Myron to his churches, giving encouragement, blessing communion elements, presiding over baptisms, and singing in the men’s quartet.

In 2009, Elton and his wife moved to Wichita to be near family.

Rev. Elton Garrison was joyfully received at Thayer. After the church service and celebration meal at Thayer, he traveled to a reception at Faith United Methodist Church in Parsons. He was welcomed by friends from the Parsons church, as well as from churches in Dennis, Edna and Angola he had served and the district office.

Domestic and foreign mission engagement grants now available

Are you going on a mission trip in the states and need money for a ministry start-up? Do you want to invest in local businesses in the place where you are serving internationally? The Great Plains Conference Mercy and Justice Ministry, which oversees mission mobilization and training,? ?launched an online Mission Engagement Grant application for domestic and international mission experiences. ??Priorities for these grants are for teams that explore projects and solutions that can be sustained by local resources.? ?

To apply, visit greatplainsumc.org/missionengagementgrants.

If you have any questions, contact the Rev. Kalaba Chali, atkchali@greatplainsumc.org.

New locations to host disaster response trainings

Early Response Training (ERT)

Trainings on April 4 and June 6 has been added to a list of Early Response Training (ERT) events scheduled to take place in March and April. Lunch will be provided during the sessions and there will be a free will offering to help with cost.

Sunday, March 29 at 12:30 p.m., at Belleville UMC, 2013 M St. Belleville, KS 66935. For more information, contact Steve Burnett, Great Plains Disaster Response chair, atsrburn@madtel.net. Cost is $25, register here.

Saturday, April 4 at 12:30 p.m., at First UMC, 2013 M St, Belleville, KS 66935. For more information, contact Steve Burnett, Great Plains Disaster Response chair, atsrburn@madtel.net. Cost is $25, register here.

Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Haysville UMC, 601 E Grand Ave, Haysville, KS 67060. For more information, contact, Keith Fink, Great Plains Disaster Response co-chair, at kfink@greatplainsumc.org. Cost is $25, register here.

Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Sterling UMC, 137 N. Broadway Ave. Sterling, KS 67579. Lunch will be provided and there will be a free will offering to help with cost. For more information, contact, Joshua Johnson, Hutchinson District coordinator, at joshua.johnson@greatplainsumc.org. Cost is $25, register here.

Saturday, June 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Humboldt UMC, 806 N 9th St, Humboldt, KS 66748. For more information, contact, Russell Anderson, Southeast Region coordinator atrev.russanderson@gmail.com. Cost is $25, register here.

Connecting Neighbors Training

A Connecting Neighbors Training event is schedule to take placeSunday, April 26 from 1-5 p.m., at Belleville UMC, 2013 M St. Belleville, KS 66935. For more information, contact Steve Burnett, Great Plains Disaster Response chair, at srburn@madtel.net. Cost is free,register here.

Disaster Response Trainings … Do I really need to register online?

We are so glad you asked that question. The answer is YES! Your registration provides the information needed to request badges from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Searching for data slows down you receiving your badge, which hinders you from being deployed to serve. Please help us be efficient by registering on the conference website for all of the Disaster Response Trainings. Thank you in advance.

Bishops urge United Methodists to help immigrant families

In a letter to the Council of Bishops, Bishop Julius C. Trimble of the Iowa Annual Conference and Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño of the California-Pacific Annual Conference, write:

“After many years of advocating for immigration reform that would uphold the dignity and integrity of our immigrant sisters and brothers, we were pleased when last November President Obama issued an Executive Order that would temporarily delay deportation orders for certain groups of undocumented immigrants living and working in the U.S. However, in February an injunction was issued that has temporarily delayed the Executive Order. This delay has deeply impacted the lives of immigrant families across the country shattering their hopes of coming out of the shadows of society and having their contributions to the U.S. economy, society in general, and communities of faith, recognized.”

“What we would share with you at this moment is that we have done the hard analysis of where we are in the U.S. immigration situation and are confident that the injunction issued in February that has temporarily delayed the Executive Order will be set aside. This means that as United Methodists we have much work to do to assist our immigrant sisters and brothers to prepare for the implementation of the Executive Order. By God’s grace the moment will come when over 4 million immigrants will receive some relief from their long suffering.“

Bishops Trimble and Carcaño share a resource “to let United Methodists know that we have ongoing ministry to do with immigrant families including some concrete ways we can all continue to help. … May we continue to pray for immigrant families not only in the U.S. but around the world. May God have mercy upon them and upon all of us.”

Read the bishops’ resource materials.

We Can Help Immigrant Families Prepare for the

Implementation of President Obama’s Executive Order

As United Methodists we believe that the injunction issued in February that has temporarily delayed President Obama’s Executive Order intended to bring relief to immigrant families will be set aside. As immigrant families prepare for this good day there are ways we can help:

1. We highly encourage United Methodists to work closely with Justice for Our Neighbor (JFON) sites when they are nearby. JFON and other legal clinics will need volunteers.

2. Local churches can host trusted local nonprofit immigration legal services providers to conduct information sessions and workshops in their church on what the Executive Order provides, who is eligible for relief under it, and what persons will need to apply.

3. Identify a local organization working with the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA)-eligible community and work with them.

4. Provide other supportive programs that are often needed among immigrant communities including ESL programs, tax preparedness programs, and anti-fraud initiatives. These services for the DAPA-eligible community are vital as immigrants seek high quality legal support,

resolve their taxes, collect documents that demonstrate continuous residence in the US, prove their maternity or paternity and learn English.

5. The DAPA-eligible community needs reliable, straight-forward information that eases fear and confusion. We encourage United Methodists to use Administrative Relief as a resource to share with congregations and especially with the immigrant community.

6. We expect the work of JFON and other immigration legal clinics to be overwhelming. Therefore, we strongly encourage churches to donate to either the offices of National JFON or one of their state-based sites at National Justice for Our Neighbors. Funding will enable JFON’s to hire more attorneys, host large-scale DAPA workshops, and continue hosting public education events about this form of relief.

7. Lastly, we will continue to advocate for a permanent, legislative solution for our immigrant sisters and brothers. To do this we want to show our elected leaders that United Methodist congregations are actively serving immigrant communities. Therefore, we urge you to share how your church is engaging in one of these ways above by emailing Bill Mefford, Director of Civil and Human Rights, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church at bmefford@umc-gbcs.org.

Thank you for your ministry with and to the immigrants in your communities!

God bless you!

Bishop Julius C. Trimble, Iowa Annual Conference of the UMC

Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, California-Pacific Annual Conference of the UMC

Read the full letter.

March 2015

Dear Colleagues,

After many years of advocating for immigration reform that would uphold the dignity and integrity of our immigrant sisters and brothers, we were pleased when last November President Obama issued an Executive Order that would temporarily delay deportation orders for certain groups of undocumented immigrants living and working in the U.S. However, in February an injunction was issued that has temporarily delayed the Executive Order. This delay has deeply impacted the lives of immigrant families across the country shattering their hopes of coming out of the shadows of society and having their contributions to the U.S. economy, society in general, and communities of faith, recognized.

We know that many of you have been working diligently to lead your areas to welcome the immigrant and do all you can to support comprehensive immigration reform. The recent set- back we have experienced in this country on the immigration reform front has discouraged even some of our best leaders and caused confusion for our congregations striving to be welcoming and supportive of immigrant families. Some time ago we covenanted with you to do our best to share with you our best thinking

around the immigration concerns in the U.S. and other parts of the world. This letter is sent to you out of this commitment.

What we would share with you at this moment is that we have done the hard analysis of where we are in the U.S. immigration situation and are confident that the injunction issued in February that has temporarily delayed the Executive Order will be set aside. This means that as United Methodists we have much work to do to assist our immigrant sisters and brothers to prepare for the implementation of the Executive Order. By God’s grace the moment will come when over 4 million immigrants will receive some relief from their long suffering.

Below we have included a resource to let United Methodists know that we have ongoing ministry to do with immigrant families including some concrete ways we can all continue to help. Please share this resource with leaders in your areas.

May we continue to pray for immigrant families not only in the U.S. but around the world. May God have mercy upon them and upon all of us.

Peace,

Julius C. Trimble

Minerva G. Carcaño

If you or your congregation want to get more involved, please contact Sandy Sypherd at ssypherd@windstream.net or Andrea Paretamparet08@yahoo.com from the Great Plains Rapid Response Team.

For more immigration resources, go to greatplainsumc.org/immigrationresources.

Learn more about the reality of newest neighbors

The Great Plains Conference’s Mercy and Justice team – together with Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska, Nebraska Appleseed and Kansas Appleseed – is inviting you to screenings of two immigration documentaries at different locations in our conference. The directors of the documentaries will be present.

View more information.

Immigration documentaries share the realities faced by our newest neighbors

The Great Plains Conference’s Mercy & Justice team – together with Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska, Nebraska Appleseed and Kansas Appleseed – is inviting you to screenings of two immigration documentaries at different locations in our conference. The directors of the documentaries will be present.

‘Trails of Hope and Terror’

A movie based on this book will be

shown in Gering, Nebraska, as well as

in Wichita and Dodge City, Kansas.

The Rev. Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre will screen his documentary, “Trails of Hope and Terror,” which focuses on exploring the historical and economic reasons for the current immigration crisis and how politicians have used this issue to garner votes. The film also explores how some communities of faith are responding to the crisis. The documentary is based on the book with the same name.

De La Torre is professor of social ethics and Latino/a studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He served as the elected 2012 president of the Society of Christian Ethics and currently serves as the executive officer for the Society of Race, Ethnicity and Religion. De La Torre is a recognized international Fulbright scholar who has taught at the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development (Mexico), Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies(Yogyakarta), University of Johannesburg (South Africa) and has taken students on immersion classes to Cuba and the Mexico/U.S. border to walk the migrant trails. De La Torre has received several national book awards and is a frequent speaker at national and international scholarly religious events and meetings. He also speaks at churches and nonprofit organizations on topics concerning the intersection of race, class and gender with religion.

The film will be shown:

Friday, May 8 – 6 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 900 O St., Gering, Nebraska
Saturday, May 16 – 2 p.m. at Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church, 1600 W. 27th St. North, Wichita, Kansas
Sunday, May 17 – 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 210 Soule St, Dodge City, Kansas

To see the trailer, go to https://vimeo.com/79285280.

Learn more about this film.

‘The Second Cooler’

This documentary will be shown in

Omaha and Lincoln in Nebraska and

in Topeka and Leawood in Kansas.

Ellin Jimmerson will screen the film “The Second Cooler,” which is a migrant justice documentary for English- and Spanish-speaking audiences that unravels why 12 million Latin American migrants are in the United States illegally and brings basic immigration issues into focus. Those issues include the impact of free trade agreements on migration, the lack of a legal way for poor Latin Americans to come to the United States, the inherent abuses of the guest worker program, the fact that many migrants are indigenous people, anti-immigrant politics, the reality of thousands of migrant deaths at the border and an escalating ideology of the border. The documentary raises the question: “Who benefits?” from illegal migration.

Jimmerson earned a master’s of arts in southern history from Samford University, a Ph. D. in U.S. history from the University of Houston, and a master’s of theological studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School with a concentration in Latin American liberation theology. She is minister to the community at Weatherly Heights Baptist Church in Huntsville. She writes, speaks and preaches on the intersection of history and faith and is a prominent advocate for undocumented migrants, guest workers, and domestic laborers. She is the author of numerous published essays and articles.

The documentary will be shown:

Thursday, May 7 – 7 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 5410 Corby St., Omaha, Nebraska
Friday, May 8 – 7 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 7130 Kentwell Lane, Lincoln, Nebraska
Saturday, May 9 – 2:30 p.m. at Countryside United Methodist Church, 3221 SW Burlingame Road, Topeka, Kansas, and at 6:30 p.m. at Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe Blvd., Leawood, Kansas.

The trailer for the documentary is available at http://thesecondcooler.com/.

Learn more about this film.

Arapahoe work team visits Lydia Patterson Institute

Seven members of a work team sponsored by First UMC in Arapahoe, Nebraska, spent March 16-21 at Lydia Patterson Institute (LPI) in El Paso, Texas. The team painted, repaired coolers and helped prepare for Segundo Barrio Day. Most importantly, they spent time with students and staff at this school that educates young people from El Paso and Juarez, Mexico.

Photo: The team is shown with Sharon, her mother and sister. Sharon was applying to attend LPI.

Important conversations during National Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath

Editor’s Note: The following was submitted by the Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team.

At the invitation of the Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team in collaboration with the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice, the Peace and Social Justice Center of South Central Kansas in Wichita, and Nebraskans For Peace, Rev. James Atwood traveled across both Kansas and Nebraska to engage United Methodists and others from our communities in the important topic of gun violence. “This is a spiritual, moral, and ethical matter and the church needs to be involved,” he emphasized.

Ruby Thelander reflects on the evening of March 16th where about 50 people came together at South Gate UMC in Lincoln, Neb.:

“The Rev. Atwood kept the audience engrossed in the stories of his experiences with the aftermath of gunfire and the horrible statistics regarding lives lost in America as the result of gunfire. There are 32,000 lives lost in America each year, killed by gunfire! More lives than are lost in the wars we seem to be continually fighting! Questions followed the presentation and one of the questions was ‘What can we do?’ Atwood suggested that people of faith need to engage in conversations about what guns are doing to our society and the organizations and companies who profit from the sale of guns. This conversation needs to happen even if there are those who immediately pounce on the Second Amendment argument suggesting that the only reason this comes up is to take away their guns.

“The Rev. Atwood suggests that the need to have guns has become a religion to some people and although they insist that discussions about guns should not be held in churches, since it is a political issue, we need to realize it is a religious issue because the guns have become idols to many. Insisting that they use them only for hunting animals and for their own protection, they add to their collections.....leaving us to wonder how many guns it takes to hunt animals and be protected.

“Although working through the legislatures of the states was suggested for new laws, Atwood suggested that a lot of our elected leaders are receiving considerable funds from the National Rifle Association and that action on that front will take a huge groundswell of outrage from the grassroots level ... and we need to be a part of that group!

“The group that evening stayed engaged in the conversation after the session over informal coffee time. Atwood's book was for sale at the meeting and all of them were purchased. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in helping the faith communities learn how to discuss the issue and what the facts are. The title is America and Its Guns – A Theological Exposé.”

The Mercy and Justice Team hopes and prays that these conversations will continue - even though they are difficult – and that they will bear fruit.

Read about the evening at Trinity UMC in Grand Island, Nebraska, on March 18

CALL TO ACTION
Author says churches can help stop gun violence

Story

Matt Dixon

Rev. James Atwood speaks about gun violence Wednesday evening at Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island. Atwood is the author of "America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose" and a retired Presbyterian minister. (Independent/Matt Dixon)

Posted: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 11:18 pm |Updated: 11:59 pm, Thu Mar 19, 2015.

By Robert Pore

robert.pore@theindependent.com

Posted on Mar 18, 2015

by Robert Pore

Gun violence in the United States is a deadly epidemic that claims the lives of more than 30,000 people annually, according to Heeding God’s Call, a faith-based movement to prevent gun violence.

The organization says more than 30 people are shot and murdered each day, with one-third of them young people under the age of 20.

According to the Rev. James Atwood, who spoke Wednesday evening at Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island, churches must be more active in creating a conversation among their members and the community that could serve to find ways to create a world without gun violence.

Atwood, an author, hunter and National Rifle Association (NRA) member, is touring communities in Nebraska and Kansas, addressing the issue of gun violence in America. His visit corresponds with the National Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath as places of worship across the nation have joined the National Cathedral, PICO and Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, a coalition of nearly 50 denominations and faith-based organizations, this week to reflect, unite and act on the issue.

Atwood, author of the book “America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose,” has been working to prevent gun violence since 1975, when he rushed to the bedside of a member of his congregation who lay dying. According to Atwood, the man had been shot by a teenager who picked up a gun from a friendat a bowling alley and then went in search of money. Though Atwood has been a deer hunter and gun owner for more than 55 years and has been a member of the NRA, he said he believes gun violence is a national health crisis that must be addressed.

“We lose 32,000 people every year because of guns, whether it is people shooting one another, accidentally shooting one another or committing suicide. We ought to do something about it,” he said.

According to Heeding God’s Call, gun violence in America is costly, not only in terms of the number of people killed each year with guns, but also in the financial cost to society.

n Gun violence impacts society in many ways: medical costs, costs of the criminal justice system, security precautions such as metal detectors, and reductions in the quality of life because of fear of gun violence.

n U.S. lifetime medical costs for gunshot injuries is an estimated $2.3 billion.

n U.S. taxpayers pay for almost half ($1.1 billion or 49 percent) of lifetime medical costs for gunshot injuries.

From 1959 until his retirement in 1999, Atwood served as pastor of three Presbyterian churches in North Carolina and Virginia. He also served as chairman of the Greater Washington, D.C., chapter of Heeding God’s Call, which has been encouraging gun shops to adopt a code of conduct aimed at deterring illegal purchases and trafficking of handguns.

Atwood believes there are profound spiritual implications that outweigh political leanings regarding the prevalence of guns and violence in our communities. He believes the faith community has a responsibility to provide strategy and find ways to help curb violence.

“Faith communities, in their own way, seek to follow the will of God as they understand it,” he said. “Every religion in the world talks about loving one’s neighbor. Every religion in the world has a ‘Golden Rule.’ And in so far as the Christian faith is concerned, everyone is made in the image of God, everyone is a child of God, everyone is a neighbor, a brother and a sister — they are in God’s family.”

Atwood said every person has the responsibility to uphold the “dignity of human life.”

According to the Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care, for every time a gun injures or kills in self-defense, one is used:

— Eleven times for a completed or attempted suicide

— Seven times in a criminal assault or homicide

— Four times in an unintentional shooting death or injury

Atwood said as a society, U.S. citizens needs to recognize two constitutional rights — the right to bear and keep arms as guaranteed in the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights and the first paragraph of the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States ensuring “domestic tranquility.”

“We have a right to domestic tranquility,” he said. “The right to live in safety without being afraid of being cut down by a bullet.”

Atwood said every citizen needs to help address gun violence in this country.

“The most important thing we can do is to talk about, not keeping it in the corner somewhere, but bringing it out in the open where people have the opportunity to talk with one another,” he said.

According to Heeding God’s Call, the US has an estimated 283 million guns in civilian hands. Each year about 4.5 million firearms, including approximately 2 million handguns, are sold in the United States.

And confiscating guns is not what Atwood advocates.

“As a hunter, I am not trying to take anybody’s guns or gun rights away,” he said. “But I am trying to say that there are things we can do to make this country safer, and we need to take advantage of every opportunity to accomplish that.”

The Rev. Theresa Mason, Trinity United Methodist Church pastor, said they invited Atwood to speak to give witness about how churches can be more involved in finding solutions that address gun violence in America.

“I have lived in different places in the United States where violence was very common,” Mason said. “It is not about taking away people’s rights to bear arms, but to keep people safe.”

Bringing Atwood to speak about gun violence was seen as a way to help create a dialogue about dealing with the problem.

“It is an invitation to a conversation,” Mason said.

Atwood’s series of discussions come at the request of the Mercy and Justice team of the United Methodist Great Plains Conference, which is heeding the call from its 2014 annual conference session that adopted a resolution titled “Christians Respond to Gun Violence.”

The resolution calls for, among other things, United Methodists to join with the United Methodist Women and the General Board of Church & Society to support efforts of Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence and for Great Plains congregations to participate in the National Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath.

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Photo: The Rev. Atwood speaks at First UMC in Omaha, Nebraska, March 17.

American Christian women to talk frankly about faith

As far as society has come on talking about hot-button topics, some subjects remain as touchy subjects for some people. One such area is where faith and gender intersect.

In response, the Saint Paul School of Theology is playing host to a moderated discussion on the topics of gender identity, domestic abuse, bullying and sexism starting at 6:30 p.m. April 21 in the Wesley Covenant Chapel at the Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe Ave. (East Building) in Leawood, Kansas.

Titled “Talking Taboo,” the panel includes Kristen Eichelberger from Atchison United Methodist Church; Dr. Christy Sim, accreditation and technical assistance coordinator at the Kansas Coalition against Sexual and Domestic Violence; the Rev. Lydia Istomina, a doctoral candidate at Saint Paul School of Theology; and the Rev. Lara Blackwood Pickrel, minister of First Christian Church in Smithville, Missouri.

Dr. Kris Kvam, associated professor of theology at Saint Paul, will serve as the moderator for this portion of the “I Speak for Myself” series. The first 50 people in attendance will receive a free copy of the book “Talking Taboo.” This event is sponsored by Women in Ministry, Saint Paul School of Theology and the Mercy & Justice team of the Great Plains Annual Conference.

Newsletters

Ministry Matters: March 24, 2015

United Methodist Church Development Center: Spiritual Giving

Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Leading Ideas

General Board of Church and Society: Faith in Action

United Methodist Committee on Relief: Hotline

Editorials

Meg Calvin: 9 Lessons From my 90-Day-Old Daughter

New parent, Meg Calvin has also served as the director of children and family ministry at Winfield (Kansas) FUMC since 2008.

Classifieds

Monticello UMC seeks handbells

Woodlawn UMC hiring for two custodian positions

Lenexa UMC looking for director of children's ministries

View these and other classifieds 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.