Wednesday, January 25, 2017

GPconnect for Wednesday, 25 2017 from The Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas, United States

GPconnect for Wednesday, 25 2017 from The Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas, United States

Download the printable version of the Jan. 25 issue of GPconnect.
In this edition:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
MERCY & JUSTICE
ADMINISTRATION
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
Evelyn Fisher announces
retirement effective June 30

The Rev. Evelyn Fisher, conference director of congregational excellence, announced Jan. 24 that she intends to retire at the end of the appointive year, June 30.
In her current role with the Great Plains Conference, Fisher oversees much of the congregational programming resources, with supervisory duties over such areas as new church development, small-membership church ministry, young-adult ministry, youth ministry, mercy and justice advocacy and disaster response.
“It’s been a real privilege to participate in the formation of the Great Plains Conference and to lead a team of talented, dedicated people in the Congregational Excellence department,” Fisher said. “I’m looking forward to discovering what God has in store for the next phase of life.”
Fisher announces retirement effective June 30
The Rev. Evelyn Fisher, conference director of congregational excellence, announced Jan. 24 that she intends to retire at the end of the appointive year, June 30.
Rev. Evelyn FisherFisher became a provisional member of the former Kansas East Conference in 1978 and a full member in 1981. Prior to being named director of congregational excellence for the new Great Plains Conference in 2013, she served churches in Bucyrus, Pomona-Richter, Burlington, Manhattan and Lenexa in Kansas, and she served six years as the Topeka District superintendent. She also served as consultant for pastoral and congregational concerns in the former Kansas East Conference and as director of clergy and congregational excellence in the Kansas Episcopal Area, which included both former Kansas conferences.
In her current role with the Great Plains Conference, Fisher oversees much of the congregational programming resources, with supervisory duties over such areas as new church development, small-membership church ministry, young-adult ministry, youth ministry, mercy and justice advocacy and disaster response.
“It’s been a real privilege to participate in the formation of the Great Plains Conference and to lead a team of talented, dedicated people in the Congregational Excellence department,” Fisher said. “I’m looking forward to discovering what God has in store for the next phase of life.”
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said Fisher will leave a legacy of helping congregations improve their fruitfulness across the Great Plains Conference.
“Evelyn has proven herself to be a loyal, confident, effective and results-oriented church leader,” Bishop Saenz said. “Her ministry skills have helped churches discover and follow fruitful directions for ministry. Over the years, she has successfully assisted numerous parties in conflict to reach healing and agreement. I am personally grateful to Evelyn for assisting me with my transition into the Great Plains. Evelyn has laid a strong foundation for congregational excellence to build upon in the years to come.”
Fisher is the second longtime conference director-level employee to announce a retirement effective this summer. The Rev. Gary Beach, conference treasurer and director of administrative services, announced his plans to retire June 30 prior to the 2016 annual conference session.
Todd Seifert is communications director for the Great Plains Conference. Contact him at tseifert@greatplainsumc.org. Follow him on Twitter, @ToddSeifert.
Read more about Fisher’s announcement.
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Anglemyer to serve as
new Missouri River DS

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. has announced that the Rev. Chad Anglemyer, pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Omaha, will join the cabinet of the Great Plains Conference on July 1 as the new Missouri River District superintendent.
Anglemyer will replace the Rev. Dr. Dan Flanagan, who is retiring after 47 years of ministry, the final seven as a district superintendent.
“More than anything, I am excited about the possibilities of working with a large number of pastors, lay leaders and congregations to share with them in their visions and to help resource and support them in their ministries,” Anglemyer said.
Anglemyer to serve as new Missouri River DS
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. has announced that the Rev. Chad Anglemyer, pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Omaha, will join the cabinet of the Great Plains Conference on July 1 as the new Missouri River District superintendent.
Anglemyer will replace the Rev. Dr. Dan Flanagan, who is retiring after 47 years of ministry, the final seven as a district superintendent.
Rev. Chad Anglemyer
Anglemyer became a provisional member of the former Kansas West Conference in 1988 and a full member in 1990. He served churches in Utica-Arnold and Hays in Kansas, as well as First UMC and St. Luke UMC in Omaha. He served as executive director of Together Inc., a nonprofit organization that assists the homeless in the Omaha area, and he also served as director of connectional ministries in the former Nebraska Conference.
“More than anything, I am excited about the possibilities of working with a large number of pastors, lay leaders and congregations to share with them in their visions and to help resource and support them in their ministries,” Anglemyer said.
Bishop Saenz said Anglemyer demonstrated fruitfulness and effectiveness in ministry over the years.
“He is respected by his peers and he has a diverse ministry background that has prepared him for this role,” Bishop Saenz said. “The Missouri River District has strong churches and strong leaders. And it needs a superintendent who expresses the joy of Christ for ministry, that can start new churches, lead the congregations to accomplish their mission and who understands the realities of urban, suburban and rural contexts.”
Anglemyer’s background as a member of the Great Plains Conference’s New Church Development committee and his time as director of connectional ministries prepared him for the role as DS of perhaps the conference’s most economically, culturally and ethnically diverse district.
“I think serving as the director of connectional ministries was helpful in that it empowered me to see the church in a broader spectrum on a bigger canvas,” Anglemyer said. He said while he will miss seeing the people with whom he built relationships at the local church, including his two stints that combined for 11 years at St. Luke – first as an associate and the past seven years in his current assignment as the lead pastor – he looks forward to meeting even more people in an effort to work together to spread the message of hope found in Christ.
That expanded view beyond the local congregation will serve Anglemyer well in his new role, Bishop Saenz said.
“Chad can see things holistically, both the ministries in the district in and of itself and then how those ministries connect to the conference and beyond,” Bishop Saenz said. “Chad will be a strong team member on our cabinet. His gifts will continue to build upon Dan Flanagan’s ministry.”
Flanagan met with the Staff-Parish Relations Committee of St. Luke on Sunday, Jan. 22, to inform the congregation about Anglemyer’s new role. A pastor will be assigned to St. Luke to replace Anglemyer, who will remain in the lead pastor role at the church until his appointment there concludes June 30.
Todd Seifert is communications director for the Great Plains Conference. Contact him at tseifert@greatplainsumc.org. Follow him on Twitter, @ToddSeifert.
Read more about Anglemyer’s new appointment to the cabinet.
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Clergy Excellence
Clergy encouraged to
think young, out of the box

More than 600 pastors from across the Great Plains Conference were thinking young last week. This year’s Orders & Fellowship gathering, at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, helped them with solutions for bringing and keeping young people into church, as well as taking an entrepreneurial-type approach to service within their own congregations and in the community.
Orders & Fellowship gathering aims to spark new ideas
Thinking outside the proverbial box to attract new and younger disciples of Jesus Christ was an overriding theme of this year’s Orders & Fellowship gathering, Jan. 18-19 at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kansas.
More than 600 clergy from across the Great Plains heard ideas for entrepreneurial ministry from the Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean and what young people want in worship from the Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady.
‘Entrepreneurial Moment’
The Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean makes a point during one of her teaching times Jan. 18, 2017, during the Orders & Fellowship clergy gathering. Photo by David BurkeYoung people discontented with their church is nothing new, said Dean, professor of youth, church and culture at Princeton Theological Seminary. It’s what prompted a 33-year-old Martin Luther, whom Dean dubbed a “medieval tech nerd,” to print and distribute his thoughts that led to the Protestant Reformation.
She encouraged modern-day pastors to “flip the church on its head a little bit” in ways to accomplish their ministries. That includes, she said, flipping the script to where youth ministry leads the way and is the “research and development arm” of the church.
In one of many illustrations of successes from across the country, Dean pointed to a youth ministry that began from an associate pastor on the East Coast. After a cut in pay, he began working for a fisherman to earn extra money. Youth in the church began to fish with him, and eventually the church paid him to fish – as well as mentor and guide the young people in both spiritual and rod-and-reel techniques.
“Loves makes us inventors,” Dean said.
Other ministries that have spawned from an entrepreneurial spirit, she said, include:
Mowtown, a teen lawn care service in Washington state that feeds the spiritual lives of youths as well as gives them a work ethic and a sense of ownership in the business.
A church that opened its own Subway franchise in its building to help young people gain job experience.
Story: Bishop Saenz challenges pastors at Orders & Fellowship
Try Pie, an Iowa youth development program in which half the time is spent in devotion and the other in making pies that are sold at area events.
Pres House, a campus ministry at the University of Wisconsin where enough money was raised through service projects to build a new dormitory on campus.
A church-sponsored food truck that comes to area events, filling spiritual needs as well as menu orders.
Avoiding boredomThe last time many people in the former Kansas East Conference saw Stephen Cady, he was wearing his trademark Superman T-shirt and carrying a yo-yo. 
The Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady explains his research involving youth and where they feel like they encounter God. Photo by Todd Seifert
“I left those at home,” said Cady, senior pastor at Asbury First United Methodist Church in Rochester, N.Y., “just to show you that I have grown.”
Cady brought with him the results of his doctoral thesis, primarily asking young people what bores them about church and if they feel like they’ve experienced God in the worship settings.
“Parents and leaders know how miserable their young people are,” Cady said.
Teens, Cady said, love their youth group and perceive God’s presence there – but feel “extremely disconnected from the rest of the conversation.”
One-hundred percent of the young people surveyed, Cady said, dread the sermon the most in the worship setting. Secondly, he said, young people don’t feel like they have a connection with other church members or clergy, with the exception of the youth minister.
“They’re willing to forgive a bad sermon,” Cady said, “if you take the time to get to know them.”
Cady gave two secular examples that the church could use to connect with young people:
The Burning Man Festival, a gathering of young people that has developed into its own culture with a Bohemian spirit of togetherness and teamwork.
Improv Everywhere, a comedy group that pulls non-offensive pranks, including (shown in videos at Orders & Fellowship) an impromptu wedding reception for a couple getting married at the city hall in New York and a Little League baseball game that was supplemented with dozens of fans, cheerleaders and major-league quality TV coverage.Cady, a native of Olathe, Kansas, will return to expand on his findings at the Great Plains Annual Conference session June 7-10 in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Eight workshops offered during Orders & Fellowship included “How Your Church Can Turn a Hare-Brained Idea into a Sustainable Ministry” and a question-and-answer session with Dean; “Generational IQ,” led by the Rev. Nicole Conard, coordinator of young leadership development for the Great Plains Conference; Mentor Training, conducted by representatives of the Board of Ordained Ministry; “Searching for Unicorns,” on finding youth ministry staff, by Shane Hinderliter, youth ministry coordinator for the conference; basics of live streaming and social media, by the Rev. Bill Gepford and the Rev. Melissa Gepford, from Tonganoxie UMC in Kansas; and “The Church’s Song,” led by Brian Hehn, Dallas, director of the Center for Congregational Song.
Hehn also led worship in two days of the Orders & Fellowship gathering, delving into world music and leading the congregation in John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
David Burke is communications coordinator for the Great Plains Conference. Contact him at dburke@greatplainsumc.org. - See more at: http://www.greatplainsumc.org/newsdetail/orders-fellowship-gathering-aims-to-spark-new-ideas-7389254#sthash.WhZHfm3j.dpuf
Read a recap here and see a photo gallery.
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Equipping Disciples
Bishop to lead training
on local-church vitality
The Wichita East and West districts’ Laity Connection Team invites the Great Plains Conference to take part in a one-day workshop featuring Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. speaking on church vitality.
The workshop, titled “Using Our People Assets to Ensure Church Vitality,” is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, from First United Methodist Church in Wichita. The event will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person free of charge at http://sundaystreams.com/go/firstwichita. Or, go to http://www.firstwichita.org and click on “Live Stream Sundays at 11 a.m. CST” to connect to the video player.
More details and registration information are coming soon.
Also, the Laity Connection Team is planning a workshop titled “Attracting and Retaining Younger People” from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 29, at Asbury United Methodist Church’s west campus in Wichita. The workshop will begin with a sample worship service and then a panel discussion with factors that go into attracting and retaining younger people. More details on this workshop will come in coming weeks.
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Healthy Congregations
Retreat is April 28-29
All Great Plains United Methodists interested in congregational health ministries are invited to the 2017 Healthy Congregations Retreat, to be held April 28-29 with optional pre-retreat training sessions April 27. The retreat is provided at no charge through United Methodist Health Ministry Fund sponsorship.
Faith Mitchell, CEO of Grantmakers in Health, will be this year's keynote speaker. Before joining GIH, Dr. Mitchell was senior program officer at the Institute of Medicine, where she was responsible for the health disparities portfolio. Mitchell spent 12 years at the National Academies, both at the IOM and as a Center Director in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Education. She has also held leadership positions at the U.S. Department of State, the San Francisco Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Throughout her career, Dr. Mitchell has worked on the application of social science to domestic and international public policy, health policy and programs. Her mother "was a most dedicated Methodist and would be thrilled" about her being part of the retreat, according to Mitchell.
Health Fund President Kim Moore will give an address summing up the opportunities and learnings from more than 20 years of supporting health ministry. After each day's keynote, participants may choose from a variety of workshops on topics related to the spiritual, mental, physical and social components of health -- with ideas and inspiration to take home and use in the local church and community. Please visit healthfund.org/retreat for more details as the 2017 program is finalized in the coming weeks.
We hope you'll mark your calendars and plan to join us for two days of relaxation, interesting and fun workshops, and networking with friends and peers. The Healthy Congregations Retreat is held each year at Rock Springs 4-H Center in the scenic Flint Hills of Kansas near Junction City. Last year's event drew a record 125 participants from both Kansas and Nebraska -- and we hope this year's event will be even bigger!
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Big Garden seeking
summer volunteer groups
Now is the time to register your group for a summer Volunteers in Mission (VIM) experience with United Methodist Ministries/The Big Garden in Omaha.
Last summer, we welcomed groups from across Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. The usual length of stay in Omaha was two to five days. We are an accredited VIM site, placing teams with trusted community partner agencies and providing intensive mission and justice education, with an emphasis on food security. We tailor each group’s experience to its specific needs, arranging lodging and worship in local United Methodist Churches if needed. We welcome groups of all ages.
Contact Kay at kwilwerding@biggarden.org now to arrange your group’s mission experience. If you would like to bring your group anytime between May and August, please contact us before April 1. All summer schedules will be set by May 1. Space is filling up fast — don’t miss out!
Learn more here.
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Young Adult interns can
lead VBS in your community
If you are part of a congregation with 75 and fewer in worship, you can apply to have a team of interns come lead VBS in your community this summer.
It is a great way to bring more energy and fun to your VBS and to give young adults some leadership opportunities.
For more info and the application, go to: http://www.greatplainsumc.org/VBS, or contact Rev. Micki McCorkle for more information: mmccorkle@greatplainsumc.org or 316-210-3996 (text or call).
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UM Men schedule
first winter retreat
All Kansas and Nebraska men are encouraged to join in face-to-face fellowship to connect with other brothers in Christ.
Bring a carload from your congregation to Camp Fontanelle (near Fremont, Nebraska) for the first Great Plains United Methodist Men retreat weekend, from 5 p.m. Feb. 17 to 10 a.m. Feb. 19. Come for just the day on Saturday, Feb. 18, or the whole event.
A brochure/flier for you to post on your church bulletin board, print or distribute to others is available.
Charley File, Great Plains UMMen President, recalls the words that God spoke to him 33 years ago, “All you have to do is show up, and I will show up.” One of our keynote speakers will be Rev. Rick Vance, Director of Men’s Ministry, General Commission on United Methodist Men.
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Lay Servant blog urges all to consider their call into ministry

All of us are called into service for Jesus. The gifts God gives us are not for us to accept and then not put to use.
In this edition of the Lay Servant Ministries blog, Janet Claassen, Blue River District director for Lay Servant Ministries, shares some thoughts about recognizing how each of us is called into some form of ministry.
Consider how you were called to be a servant for the Lord
Lay Servant Ministries
“You were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1: 9
This verse is an important reminder to us as Christians. It appeared in an online devotional that I receive each day. The author varies each week, and the devotional’s target audience is high school- or college-age folks. Even though I am into my “retirement” years, it is refreshing to read each day and to think of my faith through the eyes of a young person.
On Jan. 14, 2017, the following thoughts were written by Phillip Fackler.
"Paul tells us, however, that our gifts and skills and abilities aren’t for us alone. They are to be shared. We are “called by God to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus is our partner, our support in times of need, our coworker in times of strength.
"When we need support, Jesus lifts us through those around us, through teachers and friends, through parents and neighbors. When we are strong, Jesus invites us to share in his work of healing and reconciling, to use our gifts to partner with him in that holy work. We need not go it alone. Jesus, our partner, is with us."
These two paragraphs speak a great deal of truth on being a Lay Servant or Lay Speaker. We all have gifts and abilities. We need to share them.
As each district committee reviews the annual reports of the Lay Servants and Lay Speakers, we are reminded that there are so many ways for us to serve Christ and the church. It is inspiring to me as a district director to read these reports. I’m sure it is inspiring for others on the committee, too.
Some serve through United Methodist Women. Some serve through youth group sponsorship. Some serve through prayer ministries. The possibilities are endless. Each person shows a desire to grow in his or her faith.
Classes are offered across the conference for all kinds of learning activities. Not every person is called to be a Lay Speaker, but the classes are still valuable. Not all the classes are specifically about becoming a Lay Speaker. The topics are varied. When there are classes that fit into your schedule, take one whether you are “due” for another class or not. Perhaps during that class you will be the person who is strong for someone else. Perhaps in that class you will receive strength from others.
Be watching for notifications of classes as winter grows in to spring. Consider how you were called to be in partnership with the Lord.
Learn more about upcoming training opportunities.
Janet Claassen is the Blue River District director for Lay Servant Ministries.
Read her blog.
Check out upcoming Lay Servant Ministries training opportunities.
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Camp Norwesca seeking
summer employees
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Mercy & Justice
Great Plains clergy members lobby lawmakers, take part in GBCS forum
A delegation of clergy from the Great Plains Conference traveled this week to Washington, D.C., for the Young Clergy Forum with the General Board of Church and Society.
The Rev. Kalaba Chali, conference coordinator for Mercy and Justice Ministries, led one workshop as part of the forum.
“I have fallen in love with doing justice in rural communities,” Chali told the group.
While in the nation’s capital, the Great Plains delegation also met with lawmakers from Kansas and Nebraska.
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Administration
Changes coming to
Vital Signs Dashboard
There are changes coming to the Vital Signs Dashboard, and I want you to be aware of them before they go into effect. The changes affect only the way in which you report small groups.
The two questions regarding small groups and small group participation will be replaced by three questions regarding the discipleship activities of three age groups: children (0-11), youth (12-18) and adults (over 18). The specific instructions for reporting, along with the actual questions, are pasted below for your reference. All other information will be reported as usual.
These changes take effect the week of Feb. 5, 2017. Please be prepared to report in the new form at that time if at all possible. Questions (if you have them) should be directed to your district Administrative Assistant. If she can’t answer your question, she will be in touch with those at the conference office who can provide more information.
Thank you for your diligence in reporting all the Vital Signs for your congregation. Please notify the person in your church that files the weekly reports, to make sure they are aware of these changes. While they are “only numbers,” they help us to monitor the fruitfulness of our ministry as United Methodists and to track the people that we are seeking to reach for Jesus Christ.[Rev. Evelyn Fisher, director of congregational excellence]
New Small Group Questions,
effective the week of Feb. 5:
Number of CHILDREN participating in discipleship activities (SundaySchool, youth group, small groups)
Enter here the total number of children who have been participating significantly in any and all of the church's Discipleship Activities. Generally, the term children refers to ages 0-11. Count participants only once, even if they participate in more than one group. Discipleship Activities are primarily Sunday morning groups, but may also include other classes and small groups that enhance participants' knowledge and experience of the Bible, spiritual life, and Christian nurture (¶256.1a-d). Include groups sponsored by other agencies (Scouts, etc.) only if wholly integrated with the church's education ministry.
Number of YOUTH participating in discipleship activities (SundaySchool, youth group, small groups)
Enter here the total number of youth who have participated in any and all of the church's Discipleship Activities. Generally, the term youth refers to ages 12-18. Count participants only once, even if they participate in more than one group. Discipleship Activities are primarily Sundaymorning groups, but may also include other classes and small groups that enhance participants' knowledge and experience of the Bible, spiritual life, and Christian nurture (¶256.1a-d). Include groups sponsored by other agencies (Scouts, etc.) only if wholly integrated with the church's education ministry.
Number of ADULTS participating in discipleship activities (Sundayschool, small groups)
Enter here the total number ADULTS participating in any and all of the church's Discipleship Activities. Count participants only once, even if they participate in more than one group. Discipleship Activities are primarily Sunday morning groups, but may also include other classes and small groups that enhance participants' knowledge and experience of the Bible, spiritual life, and Christian nurture.
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Across the Connection
In Other News
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Newsletters
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Blogs and Opinion
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Classifieds
Submit a classified and view other ads at greatplainsumc.org/classifieds.
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