Click here for the Sept. 2 printable version of GPconnect.
In this edition of GPconnect:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kansas City District welcomes new administrative assistant
Five Day Academy to be April 3-8
Access to conference’s Topeka office shifts due to construction
Stock up on your Great Plains business card
United Methodist branding toolkit now available
1980 Methodist Festival Choir looking for members
EQUIP DISCIPLES
Sept. 17 is registration deadline for Small Wonders
Enrollment closing soon for the BeADisciple Academy
Bringing history to life through faith - Discipleship #1
Learn more about Lay Servant Ministries
Leadership Institute early bird deadline Friday
Youth invited to connect with youTheology
Bishop, son to sign new book; watch via livestream
Sept. 19: Men Make the Difference gathering in Wichita
Southwestern College announces new vice president
New items at the Great Plains Resource Center
Youthville shines light on foster care through Chalk Fest
The Fall Event at Camp Fontanelle
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Unique degree offering takes shape at Perkins
‘Inside Perkins’ information session on tap for Thursday, Sept. 10
MERCY AND JUSTICE
Nebraska City FUMC sends mission teams throughout the summer
FOSA invites all to dinner, presentation and silent auction
Day of service for hunger relief
Sept. 30 deadline for Social Justice Seed Money grants
Churches participate in homeless mission project
Advocacy Training Oct. 10 at Trinity UMC in Grand Island
UM Special Program on Substance Abuse & Related Violence funds projects that affect lives
OTHER NEWS
Newsletters
Classifieds
Press Clips
Kansas City District welcomes new administrative assistant
The Kansas City District would like to announce its new administrative assistant, Nancy Weaver. Weaver, who started her new position, Sept. 1, lives in Prairie Village, Kansas, and attends Old Mission UMC.
Nancy and her husband, David, are the proud parents of two grown children, Jason and Claudia, who live with their spouses in Topeka and Olathe, respectively. The two also have two dogs, Griffin (dachshund) and Gladdie (yorkie).
In her spare time, Nancy enjoys reading, going to movies and the theater, spending time with family and friends, date nights with David and anticipating the arrival of her first grandchild this month.
Please join the Kansas City District and the Great Plains Conference in welcoming her to the conference.
Five Day Academy to be April 3-8
The Five Day Academy for Spiritual Formation in Nebraska is a beautiful opportunity to engage in spiritual practices, worship, community and solitude. The retreat will be held April 3-8 at the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska.
Five Day Academy is a setting for learning and reflection, for renewal and growth. All clergy and laity are invited to sit at the feet of two scholars who will bring the richness of early spirituality. Speakers include Ray Buckley and Mary C. Earle.
View the brochure for a schedule, more information and to register.
Registration ends March 19, with a room and board cost of $550 (single room) or $515 (shared room).
The Five Day Academy is sponsored by The Five Day Leadership Team, The Upperroom, The Academy Council and Great Plains Conference.
Access to conference’s Topeka office shifts due to construction
Road construction near the Great Plains Conference office in Topeka is still limiting access points to the building at 4201 SW 15th St.
Due to ongoing road construction starting on Sept. 1, persons trying to reach the Topeka conference office will need to access it from the west on 15th street. Reach 15th street by traveling on SW McAlister Ave from the north or south.
Watch the weekly GPconnect email for updates on the construction project around the Topeka office.
Stock up on your Great Plains business card
Orders now being collected
If you need additional Great Plains United Methodists branded cards or if you are in need of updated cards, contact Roxie Delisi atrdelisi@greatplainsumc.org. Please provide the information you would like on your card, including church or agency affiliation, address, phone numbers, fax, email, website, etc.
The cost is approximately $35 or less for 500 cards, depending on the number of people who choose to purchase cards. View a sample card.
United Methodist branding toolkit now available
United Methodist Communications is offering a new toolkit to make it easy for local churches, annual conferences, general agencies and other denominational entities to adopt more unified branding across the connection.
The Cross and Flame, the official logo of The United Methodist Church was created in 1968 when The Methodist Church joined together with the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The trademarked insignia has become an instantly recognizable symbol for The United Methodist Church worldwide.
Yet research shows that only about 65 percent of United Methodist churches currently use the Cross and Flame mark. Some use different flames and different crosses, as well as miscellaneous hues, even though the Cross and Flame has specific standards regarding its use. Those standards have recently been updated.
Read full announcement.
A sample church logo template from the branding toolkit.
United Methodist branding toolkit now available
Share via EmailPrint
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2015
Nashville, Tenn.: United Methodist Communications is offering a new toolkit to make it easy for local churches, annual conferences, general agencies and other denominational entities to adopt more unified branding across the connection.
The Cross and Flame logo.
The Cross and Flame, the official logo of The United Methodist Church was created in 1968 when The Methodist Church joined together with the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The trademarked insignia has become an instantly recognizable symbol for The United Methodist Church worldwide.
Yet research shows that only about 65 percent of United Methodist churches currently use the Cross and Flame mark. Some use different flames and different crosses, as well as miscellaneous hues, even though the Cross and Flame has specific standards regarding its use. Those standards have recently been updated.
An online toolkit is now available to help all United Methodist entities easily implement the unified branding in their own organizations, while maintaining their own identities. This free toolkit includes standardized colors and fonts, logos, social media graphics, and stationery templates – yet provides flexibility and choices for churches to integrate their own components and preferences.
“Connecting with the United Methodist brand in a more consistent way promotes visual harmony and reduces confusion,” said Dan Krause, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “As with any strong brand, unified identity also allows churches to get the full benefit of consistency across denomination-wide communications. A brand is ultimately a promise, and in our case this promise is the Wesleyan faith that is core to our identity as United Methodists to share the love of Jesus Christ and to serve the world around us.”
Logos of agencies, annual conferences and other ministries have varied greatly in the past. To date, seven general agencies and five annual conferences have adopted the new brand standards, as well as the Nigeria Episcopal Area and the Philippines Central Conference.
Learn more at umcom.org/brand.
###
About United Methodist Communications
As the communications agency for The United Methodist Church, United Methodist Communications seeks to increase awareness and visibility of the denomination in communities and nations around the globe. United Methodist Communications also offers services, tools, products and resources for communications ministry.
Contact:
Diane Degnan
ddegnan@umcom.org
615-742-5406 (office)
615-483-1765 (cell)
1980 Methodist Festival Choir looking for members
On June 24, 1980 the very first Methodist Festival Choir convened on the campus of Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music in Winchester, Virginia, to prepare for their European Concert Tour. This choir was made up of approximately 150 young teens to college age youth from all across the United States. Under the leadership of Dr. Carlton “Sam” Young, Professor Emeritus of Church Music at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, the group was quickly molded into an outstanding choral organization. The choir was the first to tour Europe with Dr. Carlton as director.
Members of the choir are looking to organize a reunion, and are searching for other members. View more information about the choir on the Rio Texas Conference’s website. A group of choir members has been started on Facebook.
Feel free to include this information in your weekly bulletin or post somewhere in your church or via social media.
You can contact the reunion’s organizer, Robert Palmer (“Big Bob Palmer from Texas”) at robinintex@yahoo.com or 830-469-2921.
Sept. 17 is registration deadline for Small Wonders
Oct. 2-3 in Holdrege, Neb. for congregations with 100 and fewer in worship
If you are planning to attend Small Wonders, please register today so we can have an accurate count for workshop leaders and meals. You are important and we want to have resources for you when you arrive.
We are focused on worship this year – planning and executing worship that transforms lives. With the Rev. Dottie Escobedo-Frank as our keynote speaker at Small Wonders 2015, we are guaranteed to learn a lot and have a good time. A pastor and District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church, Dottie is on the leading edge of church transformation and reStarts, including with small membership congregations. She's a candidate for bishop from the Desert Southwest Conference and a lover of small churches. Check out her book, Sermon Seeds, a preaching resource with many great ideas.
Registration cutoff is 4:30 p.m. CST onThursday, September 17.
Email Micki McCorkle if you have questions about the Small Wonders conference.
Download a flier.
Register online now.
Enrollment closing soon for the BeADisciple Academy
The BeADisciple Academy is an affordable, online Bible study for high school and college-age youth that includes an exploration of their call and their spiritual gifts. Make sure the youth you know are enrolled before the deadline. Enrollment ends Sept. 10.
Students can learn more and enroll in either the high school or college-age course at www.BeADisciple.com/academy.
Bringing history to life through faith - Discipleship #1
First UMC in El Dorado, Kansas, works with the Kansas Oil Museum for a new worship series this fall.
In 1915, workers struck oil at a well called Stapleton #1. From the 1910’s through the 1950’s oil permeated every aspect of life in Butler County and continues to be an integral part of today’s life.
“Stories from the oil fields can teach us something important about our past, present, future … and our faith,” said the Rev. Andrew Conard, pastor at First UMC.
Join First UMC, as they collaborate with the Kansas Oil Museum to bring you these stories. The new worship series – Discipleship #1: Oil Fields and Faith, will begin Aug. 16.
“Every Sunday we’ll take a look at the history and culture of oil in our county and consider how the search for black gold can help us grow as followers of Jesus Christ,” said Conard.
View an article by The Butler County Times-Gazette to read more about the partnership.
NB: Warren Martin, Kansas Oil Museum director, stated in a Facebook post that Conard originally suggested the collaboration.
Learn more about Lay Servant Ministries
Are you confused by what activities for Christ Lay Servants participate in on a regular basis? David Wasserfallen, Lay Servant Ministries director in the Five Rivers District, shares the latest in a series of blogs about this subject. He uses scripture, a lesson from his first-grade teacher and a story about St. Francis to explain what Lay Servants do.
Read the blog here.
http://www.greatplainsumc.org/blogposts
Leadership Institute early bird deadline Friday
Join 2,000 leaders from across the nation at Church of the Resurrection's Leadership Institute, Oct. 1 - 2 (Pre-Institute Sept 30). Early bird rates are good through midnight Friday, Sept. 4. Get your team together and register today for the best rates and workshop availability. Questions? Contact us at catalyst@cor.org or 913-232-4157.
Youth invited to connect with youTheology
How far would you go so that your youth would have a deeper faith, be more connected to their Methodist roots, and be more effective leaders? Help your youth go deeper in the faith, by connecting them with the life-changing, faith engendering, tradition orienting youTheology Journey With High School Students.
For more information and to reserve your spot, go to my.youtheology.orgor contact Dr. Claire Smith, director of youTheology atclaire.smith@youtheology.org or 913-538-1783.
Reservations and applications are being accepted through Sept. 15, 2015.
Bishop, son to sign new book; watch via livestream
Great Plains Conference Bishop Scott J. Jones and his son, the Rev. Arthur Jones, will be signing their new book and Bible study titled “Ask: Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age” at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 in the Smith Worship Center at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas.
The event will be available for viewing via livestream athttp://gospelstream.tv/player/live/c3GRhobmSRypZXEc.
The authors acknowledge that many Christians have questions. Why is there suffering and evil? How can I believe both in science and in creation? Are marriage, sex and family life religious issues? Was Jesus’ resurrection real?
Indeed, we live in a skeptical age filled with many doubts. The book, which also can be used as an eight-week Bible study with a DVD featuring young clergy discussing each question, provides a clear message: Don’t let your questions stop you from accepting God’s invitation to faith.
Sept. 19: Men Make the Difference gathering in Wichita
Editor’s note: The following was submitted by George Houle.
Have you registered yet? It is not too late. Will you be part of the men who will gather at Calvary Wichita for the FIRST Men Make the Difference gathering? What a great way to kick start your men’s ministry year. Come as a group. Bring your sons and grandsons. Bring a friend.
You will be motivated by Don Davis’ message of finding Jesus on the football field at Tampa Bay. You will be move under the spiritual guidance of Rev Tom Albin. You will enjoy the music and message from the Keynotes. Best of all, you will live the message of Ephesians 4 to grow to full maturity in Christ so that we can go out into the world and do works of service, transforming our world for Christ.
Better yet, you will be investing in reproducing our faith into future generations of Christian leaders, pastors and laity.
We are inviting men who share that believe to join us on September 19 to explore how we can make that difference by being involved in mentoring others and being engaged in small groups.
We will hear inspiring messages from Rev. Tom Albin, Dean of the Upper Room and from Don Davis, a two time super bowl champion. The Keynotes from Southwestern College will share their music and message.
The cost is only $35. There are still some of the 300 seats left soregister right now on the Calvary web site.
For information on how you can serve next year or provide financial support, contact George Houle at ummwbb11@att.net.
Southwestern College announces new vice president
President Brad Andrews announced today that Dean T. Clark will be the new vice president for enrollment at Southwestern College. Clark is currently vice president for enrollment at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and will begin his duties Oct. 1.
“Dean was on campus last week and was extremely impressed with the Builder spirit and potential for growth in our enrollment,” says President Andrews. “This year he and his staff brought in Carthage’s largest-ever freshman class and total enrollment. Dean is a congenial and hard-working colleague, and he is excited about improving Southwestern’s on-campus numbers.”
Clark is a graduate of Carthage, where he received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He also earned an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago. After several years as an investment specialist for Charles Schwab in Florida, Illinois and Wisconsin, he returned to Carthage as director of admissions and financial aid in 2002. He was promoted to associate vice president for admissions in 2008, and became vice president for enrollment in 2011.
In his most recent position Clark has been responsible for a staff of 19 professionals, with oversight of admission, financial aid and retention efforts.
This year Carthage was expected to have its largest freshman class in history as well as the largest total enrollment (2,640 students) ever.
Clark has taken a key role in collaborations between the admission office and the campus community. These collaborations have included a revamped honors program, a new branding and communication plan, development of new majors, and development of academic visit days for prospective students.
Southwestern College is a private institution granting undergraduate and graduate degrees and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. About 1,700 students attend classes at the main Winfield campus, at professional studies sites in Kansas and Oklahoma, or online around the world.
New items at the Great Plains Resource Center
A new presenter to the Great Plains Resource Center library is Rob Renfroe, pastor of Discipleship at The Woodlands United Methodist Church in The Woodlands, Texas. His two new studies on grace and truth and on traveling through hard times in life will strengthen your own faith journey.
What is more important in a Christian’s life, extending a fellow traveler grace or truth? In his six-week study “The Trouble With the Truth – Balancing Truth and Grace,” Rob Renfroe explores the “trouble with the truth” in our culture and church today. He reminds us that the Christian life, if we follow Jesus’ example, requires our commitment to both truth and grace. A leader guide and copy of Renfroe’s book are included with these six lessons:
Full of Grace and Truth
Why Grace Is Essential and Truth Matters
Why Our Culture Values Compassion Over Truth: Understanding Three Worldviews
Comparing the Cultural Worldview to a Scriptural Worldview
The New Absolutes
What Does Love Require?
Are you in a “wilderness time” of your life right now or have you been through hard times and wondered why? In this six-session study titled “A Way Through the Wilderness: Growing In Faith When Life Is Hard,” Rob Renfroe explores the wilderness experience, what it is, why God allows it and how we get through it while learning the lessons that will help remake our character into the image of Jesus and prepare us to bring hope, healing and life to others who are hurting.
The book and leader guide are included with these six sessions:
No Way Around the Wilderness
Entering the Wilderness
Walking With Others in the Wilderness
Walking With God in the Wilderness
Avoiding Wrong Turns in the Wilderness
Coming Out of the Wilderness
To reserve one of these studies email Diane Dunkerson atddunkerson@greatplainsumc.org or call the resource center at 800-436-6107. To view a complete listing of all our wonderful resources go to the online catalog at www.gpresourcecenter.org.
Youthville shines light on foster care through Chalk Fest
Youthville held its annual Chalk Art Festival on a warm Saturday in August to raise awareness for abused and neglected children. This year’s event featured local artists creating chalk art inspired by the life stories and artwork of kids in foster care.
The featured artists were given the stories kids had written of their journey through foster care as inspiration. Hannah Scott selected a 13-year-old foster child named Sarah. “Her story was kind of like, ‘the world is on my shoulders, everything’s up to me, and I have to figure things out on my own,’” Scott said. “Being 13 and feeling that way, I felt a connection to her.”
Youthville is hoping the chalk art and the stories that inspired them will help others in the community feel a connection as well. There are currently more than 6,500 Kansas kids in foster care – a 24 percent increase since 2010. And while the number of kids in foster care increases each year, the number of foster families has stayed stagnant at 2,500 for over a decade.
“There are not enough licensed foster homes in Kansas to appropriately serve the growing number of kids in care,” said LeAnne Miller, the organization’s VP of Advancement. “We need the community to step up and help us care for kids in need.”
Chalk Fest was started eight years ago in Newton, Kansas and moved to Wichita four years ago to increase visibility. Each year the festival grows as more sponsors, artists and community members participate. Youthville hopes to use Chalk Fest and other events to shine a light on foster care and encourage more people to get involved.
“Everyone can do something to help abused and neglected children,” said Miller. If you would like to learn more about becoming a foster parent or how to support the mission of Youthville, please visitwww.kansaskids.org.
Youthville is a division of EmberHope, Inc. The United Methodist Church originally founded EmberHope as the Kansas Methodist Home for Children in 1927, and has served Kansas families for more than 87 years. Today, the organization is a statewide 501(c)3 nonprofit faith-based agency committed to developing innovative programs that inspire change in at-risk youth and families. EmberHope remains rooted in the Christian Scriptures and shaped by the Methodist tradition, helping thousands of at-risk youth and families each year.
The Fall Event at Camp Fontanelle
Camp Fontanelle, near Nickerson, Nebraska, was the host for the first “Fall Event” for middle and high school youth groups on Saturday, Aug. 29. It was a great way for youth directors to kick off their youth group programs. The day-long event was the brain child of Chad Schuchmann who thought a kick-off event, held at Camp Fontanelle, would be a great program to get youth groups excited for the school year. Helping to organize the event were Nick Steinacher and Julie Straube.
The day began and ended with worship with music provided by Unscene Patrol, a local Christian Band. After lunch, the youth were able to take advantage of the activities at Camp Fontanelle, including taking a ride on the zipline, playing laser tag in the maze, getting a sneak peak of the corn maze, playing Gaga Ball, hiking and more. Camp Fontanelle provided food at the 7:24 Shelter.
There were 188 youth and adults at this year’s event. Schuchmann hopes to see 300 participating next year.
Unique degree offering takes shape at Perkins
First candidates in Doctor of Pastoral Music program to begin Summer 2016
Perkins School of Theology has announced a first-of-its-kind degree program – the Doctor of Pastoral Music (DPM) – designed to answer the challenges facing music ministers today.
Applications for the DPM program, accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, are being accepted through March 15, 2016. The incoming class of five students will begin coursework in June 2016, and an additional cohort of five will follow in 2017.
“We have witnessed many changes in music ministry in such a short period of time,” said Dr. C. Michael Hawn, University Distinguished Professor of Church Music and director of Church Music Programs. “This program will allow those in the profession to broaden their understandings of church music and the role it plays in a social context as well as identify opportunities to expand music ministry into the community.
Read more about the new program.Unique Degree Offering Takes Shape at Perkins
First candidates in Doctor of Pastoral Music program to begin Summer 2016
August 31, 2015DALLAS (SMU) – Perkins School of Theology has announced a first-of-its-kind degree program – the Doctor of Pastoral Music (DPM) – designed to answer the challenges facing music ministers today.
Applications for the DPM program, accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, are being accepted through March 15, 2016. The incoming class of five students will begin coursework in June 2016, and an additional cohort of five will follow in 2017.
“We have witnessed many changes in music ministry in such a short period of time,” said Dr. C. Michael Hawn, University Distinguished Professor of Church Music and director of Church Music Programs. “This program will allow those in the profession to broaden their understandings of church music and the role it plays in a social context as well as identify opportunities to expand music ministry into the community.”
The DPM program’s structure – intense, nine-day sessions in the summer and January – is such that it will allow participants to continue work in their own congregations. About one-half of the required 39 semester hours will be taken alongside pastoral candidates in the Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) program, which will allow candidates to grow the skills needed to emphasize the pastoral aspects of music ministry in their home parishes.
The program is intended to complement and build upon the Master of Sacred Music degree – a rich, 55-year history of collaboration between Perkins School of Theology and the music division of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts. Courses for the DPM will be taught by faculty members of both schools.
Requirements for admission include a Master of Sacred Music degree or its equivalent as well as a minimum of five years of full-time experience in a church leadership setting.
For more information and to apply, visit the DPM degree program website or contact Dr. Hawn atmhawn@smu.edu.
###
Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music (June 2016) as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.
‘Inside Perkins’ information session on tap for Thursday, Sept. 10
Is theological education possibly in your future? All prospective degree and non-degree students are invited to attend Inside Perkins, a free information session offered by Perkins School of Theology, in Dallas, Texas, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10.
Inside Perkins participants will have an opportunity to engage with students and faculty, attend classes and worship, tour the school’s facilities as well as learn more about admissions and financial aid.
“We welcome the opportunity to interact with those who are seeking a deeper understanding of faith and ministry in action,” said William Jennings Bryan III, Associate Dean of Student Affairs at Perkins School of Theology. “Perkins offers a wide range of programs and disciplines that can prepare individuals for a host of different positions in ministry.”
Visit the Perkins School of Theology website for more information aboutInside Perkins as well as to register for the program. If you have additional questions about Inside Perkins or admission applications, contact Herbert Coleman, director of recruitment and admissions, athcoleman@smu.edu or 214-768-2139.
Nebraska City FUMC sends mission teams throughout the summer
The mission candle burned on the altar at First UMC in Nebraska City, Nebraska, the entire summer of 2015. Four teams, beginning on June 5and ending on Aug. 13, provided mission opportunities in Kansas City; Meru Kenya; East Fork and San Carlos Apache reservations in Arizona; and Falmouth, Jamaica. A total of 68 people participated in the missions distributing school supplies; moving mattresses from dorms to children without beds; held health clinics and Bible school; and worked on construction projects. The missions to Arizona, Jamaica and Kansas City are annual trips while the Kenya mission is a bi-annual opportunity. Kansas City and Arizona are youth missions, while Jamaica and Kenya are for any ages.
If you'd like more information about any of these mission opportunities, contact First UMC at 402-873-3821. Mission and Outreach Coordinator, Dana Stovall, coordinates all mission activities and will be happy to help you.
The next mission opportunity will be May 31 - June 3, 2016 when a new team will go to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Chatham, Illinois.
FOSA invites all to dinner, presentation and silent auction
Mangwanani (greetings) from Fairfield Outreach and Sponsors Association (FOSA).
All are invited to Together for Fairfield Event, 6-8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25, at St. Andrew’s UMC in Omaha, Nebraska (15050 W. Maple Road). This event features a traditional Zimbabwe meal, Zimbabwe music, a Fairfield presentation and a silent auction.
A little about Fairfield Children’s Home, which is located in Old Mutare Mission in Zimbabwe. It wasn’t always a home — once, it was an institution where the children lived under very difficult conditions. These children were relocated at the age of five. In 1996, a couple of Nebraska Wesleyan students visited this orphanage. It was that visit that spurred them to work with the former Nebraska Conference and create FOSA (then: Fairfield Outreach and Student's Association). It is an Advance Special (#992).
As FOSA evolved, the vision of the homes blossomed in 2001 when a small group of impassioned individuals dreamed together. This dream was ignited by the need to offer orphan children a safe environment without denying them the opportunity to grow up in a family environment, which is a strong value of the Zimbabwean culture. Thus, FOSA embarked on a journey to provide homes where the children could live and grow up together as a family, with a mother to love them. FOSA worked diligently with the Zimbabwean friends in the building of 12 homes and in May of 2004, the homes were completed and the children moved in. The now 80 children have thrived in the homes under the loving care of their mothers, aunties and caring administration. FOSA has continued to grow through the years and is now a board comprised of 19 individuals, from 13 states, including five Zimbabweans. Each FOSA member hosts a board meeting in a different state. This year Nebraska has the honor to host the board meeting.
Please join FOSA as their guest, along with your spouse/significant other for this special evening. You’re encouraged to invite others to join us. Event tickets for adults are $25/per ticket. For children six-12 years old ticket prices are $12, children ages five and under are free. Register online at www.fosakids.org by Sept. 20, 2015.
For any questions, contact the administrative assistant atfosakids80@gmail.com or call 402.714.5968.
Photos: The first if one the Fairfield families (minus one child) and the second is a few of the children from Fairfield (taken when Judy Ahlschwede was there in April 2015).
Day of service for hunger relief
One in six Americans does not have adequate access to food. One out of every five children in the U.S. is at risk of hunger. For African-American and Latino children, it's one in three.
Groups and individuals of all ages are invited to join together Sunday, Sept. 27, 1:30-5 p.m., for United Methodist Ministries' second annualHarvest for Hunger day of service. The aim of Harvest for Hunger is to learn how food is grown and highlight the role that we can all play in creating more just food systems.
The day of service will include educational content relating to hunger, poverty and food security before traveling to a Big Garden farm site to do field gleaning. The practice of gleaning, collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been harvested, dates back to biblical times. Gleaning also has modern applications, with increasing numbers of Americans having inadequate access to healthy foods.
Participants will meet at First UM in Springfield, Nebraska, at 1:30. The cost to participate is $5, and pre-registration is required. Registration deadline is Sept. 23. Each group should bring one adult for every five youth. Groups and individuals of all ages are encouraged to participate. In the event of heavy rain, the event will be cancelled.
Email info@BigMuddyUMC.org for more information. Register your group. Register as an individual.
Sept. 30 deadline for Social Justice Seed Money grants
The Great Plains Mercy and Justice Team is encouraging churches or groups within churches to engage in outreach ministries that focus on the root causes that keep so many people in our own communities and around the world living in poverty and under other harmful circumstances.
Seed money grants (for up to $1,000) are made available for projects that go beyond direct service and charity to address changing structures or systems which perpetuate unfairness or inequality. The team has received several applications, but there is still time.
Whether youth are learning what it means to be homeless, a congregation is becoming more conscious of climate change and its implications and is taking action, church members reach out to day laborers and advocate for them, a church group learns about racism and what we can do to overcome it, an anti-bullying seminar is offered, you are the one who will know your community the best.
We also want to encourage you to attend the event “Toxic Charity” onOct. 24, at Baker University. Robert D. Lupton, the author of the book with the same title and our speaker at the event points out how our good motivations to help others are often not enough to ensure positive outcomes for the recipients. He writes: “As compassionate people, we have been evaluating our charity by the rewards we receive through service, rather than the benefits received by the served.”
View more information and the application form.
Photo: Mercy and Justice Team members get ready for a full day of work.
Churches participate in homeless mission project
Editor’s note: the following is by Sandy Sypherd, CLM and Mercy and Justice district coordinator of the Prairie Rivers District.
On July 23, 2015 an amazing group of agencies, volunteers and participants converged for a day of service at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hastings, Nebraska. The mission of the project was to connect homeless people in the community with the care they need to move forward. The needs of roughly 520 people were met that day — 315 adults and 205 children. The number of clients served by ethnicity were 336 Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino and 168 Hispanic/Latino (some clients did not provide that information).
The definition of homelessness includes people who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in an emergency shelter, in transitional housing or are exiting an institution where they temporarily lived. Today’s homeless population includes men, women, children and families.
Many times the conventional methods of service do not effectively meet the needs of the homeless. Because of Project Homeless Connect, a person experiencing homelessness is able to obtain as many services in one day as would otherwise take months.
Nonprofits and government agencies provided Project Homeless Connect and its participants with services such as a hot meal, dental care, eyeglasses, employment counseling/job placement, wheelchair repair, addiction services, HIV testing, housing, food, hygiene products, medical care, mental health services, pet and car care, clothing, laundry vouchers, home glucose monitoring and more.
Many volunteers who helped on July 23 were members of the Hastings Multicultural Association, First UMC, Grace UMC and other agencies and churches. Volunteers acted as greeters, runners, food service providers, set-up and clean-up workers and bilingual navigators. Plans are already underway for Project Homeless Connect in 2016.
Sandy Sypherd, CLM
RTMJ Ministries District Coordinator Prairie Rivers District
Great Plains Conference
Let?s welcome our immigrant sisters and brothers
Advocacy Training Oct. 10 at Trinity UMC in Grand Island
Editor’s note: the following was submitted by Andrea Paret, Great Plains Peace with Justice coordinator.
“You are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” Deuteronomy 10:17
Again and again we are reminded through scriptures that we are to love our neighbors, including our newest neighbors who might be coming from other countries. And yet families are being torn apart. Children, youth and adults are dying while they try to reach safety in our country. People are living in constant fear of being removed/deported from the United States. Families are languishing in detention facilities which profit from their presence. Our immigration system is broken. So what can we do?
In the Great Plains Conference we have several immigration legal service providers who offer help for low-income immigrants to work through our very complicated system. This is important work but a high percentage of immigrants has to be turned away because our current laws do not allow them to apply for legal status and stand in line to wait for their application to be processed. (In the first year of its operation, the Nebraska Immigration Legal Assistance Hotline had to turn away 17 percent of its callers and additional immigrants had to be told there was no help for them under current law once the attorneys had received more detailed information from them.)
Therefore several ministries and organizations have come together to offer an immigration advocacy training. Advocating means to plead the cause of another. Come learn how to organize and advocate for better laws that treat every human being as a child of God.
Training is provided by staff from the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church. The training will be most beneficial to teams coming from churches. Please plan to bring two or three people with you and register as a team.
Location: Trinity United Methodist Church, 511 N Elm St, Grand Island, Nebraska
Time: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (lunch provided)
Supporting organizations: UM4GI Grand Island, Great Plains Peace with Justice Ministries, Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska, National Justice For Our Neighbors, General Board of Church and Society and Great Plains Immigration Rapid Response Team.
Please RSVP to Sandy Sypherd ssypherd@windstream.net or Andrea Paret amparet08@yahoo.com or 402-371-7227, to ensure enough lunches will be available.
View the flier for more information.
UM Special Program on Substance Abuse & Related Violence funds projects that affect lives
The United Methodist Church, through the Special Program on Substance Abuse & Related Violence, has made a significant impact. Since 1992, SPSARV has provided funding for projects and we will continue to do so. The hope is that local congregations will work with SPSARV to implement evidence-based prevention, treatment and training programs.
The primary purposes of SPSARV are leading the UMC’s worldwide response to the problems of substance abuse, addiction and related family violence in order to: assist in the recovery process for as many people as possible who have been impacted by their own or a loved one’s addiction, and prevent as many young people as possible from abusing substances.
In order to have the most impact, SPSARV funds the following types of projects:
Prevention programs that have been proven, by the results obtained from carefully implemented evaluation tools, to be effective. Successful prevention programs do not primarily focus on providing drug education. These programs are designed to reduce risk factors and to increase protective factors. There are a variety of examples of successful programs that have been supported with SPSARV funds. These include NACoA’s Celebrating Families program and the Shade & Fresh Water program of the Methodist Church of Brazil.
Prevention programs, preferably led by prevention experts, which are based on knowledge derived from prevention research or the field of child development. Examples of programs that fit this category are again designed to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors. These include year-round afterschool programs, which provide opportunities for children to develop social skills, improve school performance, and develop mentoring relationships with positive adult role models. Included also are programs based on the principles of Positive Youth Development such as a Boy Scouts program combined with a drug education component.
Training programs designed by government agencies and individuals with very high levels of expertise. This would include training programs developed by certified prevention specialists and certified addiction counselors. Priority is given to training programs designed to help church members to become certified in prevention or addiction treatment. Likewise, priority is given to Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and seminary programs designed by certified prevention specialists and certified addiction counselors.
Treatment programs, where a clearly defined need exists, which are organized and implemented by individuals who are certified as addiction counselors.
Low-cost, church-based ministries, which do not fit neatly into the categories of prevention, training or treatment, but that have been effective at reducing the suffering of those who are impacted by their own or a loved one’s addiction. These ministries in Recovery@Cokesbury (but not Celebrate Recovery) as well as church programs that are designed to motivate homeless addicts to enter treatment.
If a proposed project meets the criteria for one of the five types listed above, the decision about whether it will be approved for funding is influenced by the same considerations used for any SPSARV expenditure: Will this expenditure add to the UMC’s worldwide response, as noted above, assisting more victims of this disease and/or preventing more young people from abusing substances? Is this the wisest use of the funds or are there alternatives that would have more of a sustainable impact? Is the project and the project organizer supported by the district superintendent and/or the bishop?
Please contact SPSARV by email: spsarv@umcmission.org or by phone: 1-212-870-3883.
Newsletters
Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation: Sept. 1, 2015
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Leading Ideas
UMC Development Center: Spiritual Giving
Youthville: Faith Connections
Classifieds
First UMC in Chanute looking for children's ministry leader
Great Plains Conference seeks accounts receivable assistant
Olive Crest Learning Tree Daycare seeks manager
St. Mark's UMC in Lincoln looking for director of children's ministry
Youth director needed at Shawnee Heights UMC
View these and other classifieds at greatplainsumc.org/classifieds.
Press Clips
Congregations across the Great Plains Conference are making the news in their local newspapers. View our newspaper clipping reports to see if there are stories, ideas and ministry happenings you can learn from to use in your own congregation. Press clips can be found at greatplainsumc.org/inthenews. You can see education partnership ideas at greatplainsumc.org/education.
Editorial Policy: The content, news, events and announcement information distributed in GPconnect is not sponsored or endorsed by the Great Plains Methodist Conference unless specifically stated.
To submit a letter to the editor, send it to info@greatplainsumc.org.
Want More?
Episcopal Office: 9440 E Boston Suite 160 Wichita, KS 67207 316-686-0600
Topeka Office: 4201 SW 15th Street PO Box 4187 Topeka, KS 66604 785-272-9111
Wichita Office: 9440 E Boston Suite 110 Wichita, KS 67207 316-684-0266
Lincoln Office: 3333 Landmark Circle Lincoln, NE 68504-4760 402-464-5994
____________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment