Download the printable version of the Feb. 15 issue of GPconnect.
In this edition:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Conference internships can mean spirit-filled summer
- Calendar can improve your prayer life during Lent
- Register now for rally in Beloit
- Rev. Tom Berlin’s workshop set for Feb. 21-22 in York
- See videos from our 2017 Orders & Fellowship clergy gathering
- Help children discern a call
- Mentoring pastors needed for pastoral leadership interns
- Young-adult interns can lead VBS in your community
- Church of the Resurrection offers congregational care seminar
- Adam Hamilton featured in National Public Radio interview
- Nominations open for juniors, seniors for Youth Summit
- ‘Wesleyan Live’ to feature lectures on the Lord’s Prayer
- New low-cost online training tools open to local churches
- Family, congregation shaken after man taken by immigration officials
- JFON-NE offers timely training on helping immigrants
- Help stuff health kits during annual conference session
Stewardship and Connectional Ministries offering free webinars
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
- NUMB donates $65,000 to battle hunger in Nebraska, around the world
- Earthkeepers training to be offered in South Central Jurisdiction
- Radio archives allow us to step back in time for Black History Month
- St. Paul’s UMC in Lenexa hosts Muslim neighbors for ‘Baklava Day’
- Former Husker football coach to preach at Lincoln First UMC
- In Other News
- Blogs & Opinion
- Newsletters
- Classifieds
“What are you doing this summer?” “Have you considered an internship?”
The Rev. Nicole Conard, young-adult leadership coordinator for the Great Plains Conference, says those are two questions every pastor and parent should be asking their college students.
Read more about the internship opportunities.
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Calendar can improve your prayer life during Lent
Looking to bolster your spiritual disciplines during Lent? One way to start is by a daily commitment to prayer.
The Small-Membership Church Ministries team has developed a daily Lenten prayer chart, in consultation with laity and clergy in small churches. The calendar features a different person or group to pray for from March 1, to April 16, with an accompanying scripture to add to the experience.
This chart was developed for small-membership churches but works for anyone seeking to improve their prayer life during Lent.
Download the prayer calendar.
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Register now for rally in Beloit
Men, women, boys and girls from throughout the conference are encouraged to attend the Salina District Men & Boys Rally. The rally has been held in Beloit, Kansas, for more than 60 years, with this being the 68th year. Supper will begin Monday, March 6,, at 5 p.m. followed by praise and worship at 6:15-7 p.m., then the program with a featured guest speaker from 7-8 p.m., and then ending with our praise and worship band finishing up the event from 8-8:30 p.m.
Register now.
Featured speaker this year will be the KC Wolf, Dan Meers, author of the book "Wolves Can't Fly," who will share his incredible story and journey of faith. Not only is the speaker featured at the event that evening, but speakers travel during the day to local schools (four to five schools) and touch the lives of over 1,400 students and school staff.
Download the flier.
If you have any questions, please email Beloit United Methodist Church at beloitumc@gmail.com, or call BUMC at 785-738-2539 (you can leave voicemail if no one is available and we will return your call).
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Clergy Excellence
Rev. Tom Berlin’s workshop set for Feb. 21-22 in York
The Prairie Rivers District will host a two-part workshop featuring the Rev. Tom Berlin, at First UMC in York, Nebraska. The workshop will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 21 and 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 22.
In this two-part workshop, participants will spend day one considering principles and practices from the, "Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results," by Berlin and Lovett Weems. Participants will begin with a discussion of the power of vision and ways to move from goal setting to implementation of ministry. This workshop will include time throughout the day for pastors and church teams to engage in conversation with each other about their church. This is a participatory event designed to enable you to return from the experience with initial tasks completed and a conversation about the future of your church well under way.
Day two will focus on Berlin’s book, "The Generous Church." Once church leaders agree on a vision and understand what they hope to accomplish, they have the ability to motivate church members to be generous with their time, talent and money. You will hear practical strategies to engage and challenge your church members, raise congregational morale and help people enter the ministry that will grow their discipleship. By combining these two resources, you will move from vision to reality in ways that will bring your church a sense of renewal and vitality.
Berlin currently serves as the lead pastor of Floris UMC in Herndon, Virginia. An exciting part of Floris’ ministry and international outreach has been the establishment of the Child Rescue Centre for children affected by child labor and trafficking and Mercy Hospital in partnership with the Sierra Leone Annual Conference of the UMC. He also serves as the chairperson of the Board of Governor’s for Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Tom has authored and co-authored several books several small group studies.
Register now.
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See videos from our 2017 Orders & Fellowship clergy gathering
Have you defined your mission field? Is your church actively reaching out to young adults to ensure they have a place they can have an encounter with God?
Orders & Fellowship, our annual clergy gathering, discussed these and many other subjects Jan. 18-19 in Salina, Kansas. If you weren’t able to attend or want to refresh your memory, videos from all but two plenary sessions and two workshops have been posted to the conference website at http://www.greatplainsumc.org/O&F.
Videos featuring one of our keynote speakers will be available once her book is published. So check future editions of GPconnect each Wednesday or visit the Orders & Fellowship page periodically for updates.
-------
Help children discern a call
Creating a culture of call means that the behaviors, beliefs and attitudes of your congregation or community readily support the members of the community to identify and explore a call by God to serve God as a lay, licensed or ordained person. Not everyone who feels a call will work in a church, but as everyone seeks to live out his or her faith more deeply, pray that everyone will consider their work in the world — and even their everyday interactions with other people — to be an opportunity to live out God’s call.
Check out the featured resource for February, a video about helping children discern a call to ministry. Also, find free VBS curriculum that your church could use this summer or in an after-school program at www.greatplainsumc.org/nurturingcall.
Check out two other Culture of Call programs:
Pastoral Leadership internships for college students and churches: Intern application deadline is March 19, while the pastor/church deadline is March 15. Information can be found at www.greatplainsumc.org/pastoralleadershipinternships.
Culture of Call grant applications have an early deadline of March 1. Find out more at www.greatplainsumc.org/cocgrant.
-------
Mentoring pastors needed for pastoral leadership interns
The Rev. Nicole Conard, young-adult leadership coordinator for the Great Plains Conference, says those are two questions every pastor and parent should be asking their college students.
Read more about the internship opportunities.
-------
Calendar can improve your prayer life during Lent
Looking to bolster your spiritual disciplines during Lent? One way to start is by a daily commitment to prayer.
The Small-Membership Church Ministries team has developed a daily Lenten prayer chart, in consultation with laity and clergy in small churches. The calendar features a different person or group to pray for from March 1, to April 16, with an accompanying scripture to add to the experience.
This chart was developed for small-membership churches but works for anyone seeking to improve their prayer life during Lent.
Download the prayer calendar.
-------
Register now for rally in Beloit
Men, women, boys and girls from throughout the conference are encouraged to attend the Salina District Men & Boys Rally. The rally has been held in Beloit, Kansas, for more than 60 years, with this being the 68th year. Supper will begin Monday, March 6,, at 5 p.m. followed by praise and worship at 6:15-7 p.m., then the program with a featured guest speaker from 7-8 p.m., and then ending with our praise and worship band finishing up the event from 8-8:30 p.m.
Register now.
Featured speaker this year will be the KC Wolf, Dan Meers, author of the book "Wolves Can't Fly," who will share his incredible story and journey of faith. Not only is the speaker featured at the event that evening, but speakers travel during the day to local schools (four to five schools) and touch the lives of over 1,400 students and school staff.
Download the flier.
If you have any questions, please email Beloit United Methodist Church at beloitumc@gmail.com, or call BUMC at 785-738-2539 (you can leave voicemail if no one is available and we will return your call).
-------
Clergy Excellence
Rev. Tom Berlin’s workshop set for Feb. 21-22 in York
The Prairie Rivers District will host a two-part workshop featuring the Rev. Tom Berlin, at First UMC in York, Nebraska. The workshop will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 21 and 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 22.
In this two-part workshop, participants will spend day one considering principles and practices from the, "Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results," by Berlin and Lovett Weems. Participants will begin with a discussion of the power of vision and ways to move from goal setting to implementation of ministry. This workshop will include time throughout the day for pastors and church teams to engage in conversation with each other about their church. This is a participatory event designed to enable you to return from the experience with initial tasks completed and a conversation about the future of your church well under way.
Day two will focus on Berlin’s book, "The Generous Church." Once church leaders agree on a vision and understand what they hope to accomplish, they have the ability to motivate church members to be generous with their time, talent and money. You will hear practical strategies to engage and challenge your church members, raise congregational morale and help people enter the ministry that will grow their discipleship. By combining these two resources, you will move from vision to reality in ways that will bring your church a sense of renewal and vitality.
Berlin currently serves as the lead pastor of Floris UMC in Herndon, Virginia. An exciting part of Floris’ ministry and international outreach has been the establishment of the Child Rescue Centre for children affected by child labor and trafficking and Mercy Hospital in partnership with the Sierra Leone Annual Conference of the UMC. He also serves as the chairperson of the Board of Governor’s for Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Tom has authored and co-authored several books several small group studies.
Register now.
-------
See videos from our 2017 Orders & Fellowship clergy gathering
Have you defined your mission field? Is your church actively reaching out to young adults to ensure they have a place they can have an encounter with God?
Orders & Fellowship, our annual clergy gathering, discussed these and many other subjects Jan. 18-19 in Salina, Kansas. If you weren’t able to attend or want to refresh your memory, videos from all but two plenary sessions and two workshops have been posted to the conference website at http://www.greatplainsumc.org/O&F.
Videos featuring one of our keynote speakers will be available once her book is published. So check future editions of GPconnect each Wednesday or visit the Orders & Fellowship page periodically for updates.
-------
Help children discern a call
Creating a culture of call means that the behaviors, beliefs and attitudes of your congregation or community readily support the members of the community to identify and explore a call by God to serve God as a lay, licensed or ordained person. Not everyone who feels a call will work in a church, but as everyone seeks to live out his or her faith more deeply, pray that everyone will consider their work in the world — and even their everyday interactions with other people — to be an opportunity to live out God’s call.
Check out the featured resource for February, a video about helping children discern a call to ministry. Also, find free VBS curriculum that your church could use this summer or in an after-school program at www.greatplainsumc.org/nurturingcall.
Check out two other Culture of Call programs:
Pastoral Leadership internships for college students and churches: Intern application deadline is March 19, while the pastor/church deadline is March 15. Information can be found at www.greatplainsumc.org/pastoralleadershipinternships.
Culture of Call grant applications have an early deadline of March 1. Find out more at www.greatplainsumc.org/cocgrant.
-------
Mentoring pastors needed for pastoral leadership interns
As one plank in the strategy to help nurture great leaders for the Great Plains, the Call Team of the Board of Ordained Ministry, in conjunction with the Clergy Excellence office, supports a summer Pastoral Leadership internship program for young adults aged 18-22. This 10-week program will provide young leaders the opportunity to experience pastoral work in the most “hands-on” way possible while being supported by a mentoring pastor and a teaching congregation. We are currently inviting churches to apply to host a summer intern through this conference program.
Commitments of the local church:
Desire to assist the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a young adult who is discerning a call to full-time vocational ministry.
Willingness of the congregation to be a learning environment, where new ideas and exploration are welcomed and celebrated.
No change in senior pastoral leadership over the summer of the internship.
Ability to provide housing for the intern with a church family. Housing must be in a location convenient to the church and include a private room, the ability to come and go as needed and the opportunity but not the expectation to join in family meals or activities.
Budget of approximately $500 to cover transportation to Internship retreats, attending annual conference session, purchase of a book or other resource and other unanticipated expenses related to the internship.
Ability to provide own work space in the church including access to telephone, Internet and printing/copying with regular space available for private meetings. Intern can be expected to provide own computer.
Exposure to all facets of pastoral work over the course of the internship. Examples include making hospital visits, funeral preparation, preach and plan worship at least twice, attend committee meetings, meet with new members, teach a class or classes, shut-in visitation, VBS, youth group party, etc.
Flexibility in scheduling as ministry has irregular hour. The expectation is for a 40-hour work week with adequate and regular time off.
In a multi-staff environment, the intern can be given the opportunity to shadow and learn from multiple staff people but the primary mentoring relationship will be with an ordained clergy person. Regular contact with the senior pastor is expected, at minimum a weekly meeting for reflection, questions and encouragement.
Deadline for churches to apply is March 15.
View more information at greatplainsumc.org/pastoralleadershipinternships.
Additionally, do you know a college student who would benefit from a summer internship experience? Early deadline is Jan. 22. The latest they can apply is March 19. They can learn more at greatplainsumc.org/internships.
For questions, please contact Rev. Ashlee Alley, aalley@greatplainsumc.org or 402-464-5994, Ext. 117.
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Equipping Disciples
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, small-membership church coordinator, for more information at mmccorkle@greatplainsumc.org or 316-210-3996 (text or call).
-------
Church of the Resurrection offers congregational care seminar
Join Executive Pastor Karen Lampe, Pastor Wendy Lyons Chrostek and the entire Congregational Care team at Church of the Resurrection for the Congregational Care Ministry Seminar, scheduled for April 27-29.
The CCM Seminar is designed to train volunteers to become partners in ministry with pastors and staff to provide care for a congregation. Come and learn best practices and standards of care from the Resurrection care team, based the resource developed by Executive Pastor Karen Lampe, “The Caring Congregation.” This resource serves as a manual to guide pastors and churches to organize their congregations for care and equip volunteers to listen, visit, comfort and encourage congregants.
New this year, Resurrection will offer a Pre-Conference for more in-depth learning from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 27. Choose from one of two topics: Creating a Care Group or Depression, Anxiety and Addictions.
Registration is limited. For more information, please visit cor.org/ccm-seminar. Questions? Contact Kathy Carter at kathy.carter@cor.org or 913-544-0272, or Kari Burgess at kari.burgess@cor.org or 913-232-4139.
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Adam Hamilton featured in National Public Radio interview
National Public Radio recently featured an interview with the Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of the 20,000-plus-member United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Hamilton spoke about the church’s new sanctuary and about a sermon series he’s preaching that deals with political divisions in the U.S. over immigration and other issues.
RELIGION
Kansas City Clergyman Seeks Way To Pastor Across The Political Divide
The Rev. Adam Hamilton preaches to the congregation at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection outside of Kansas City. The multi-campus church with a membership of more than 20,000 is the largest Methodist church in the U.S.Courtesy of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
Clergy across the country are sermonizing about events in Washington, D.C.
For Rev. Adam Hamilton, that is both a challenge and an obligation.
Hamilton founded the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas in 1990, hoping to attract what he describes as thinking Christians with little or no engagement with their faith. The congregation began meeting in the chapel of a funeral home.
Today, it's a multi-campus church with a membership of more than 20,000. It's the biggest Methodist church in the country, and it has been cited as one of the most influential churches in America.
The new sanctuary that's about to open at the main campus just outside Kansas City hosts the largest single stained glass window in the world.
Hamilton tells NPR's Robert Siegel he didn't set out to claim that record. But he did set out to build a church that will serve as a house of worship for a century, if not more.
"We'll baptize 30,000 babies in here," he says. "We'll give 30,000 children their third-grade Bibles. This congregation over the next 100 years will give away 50,000 units of blood, 10 million pounds of food. And over the next 100 years, we'll give between $4.5 and $6.5 billion to ministries outside the walls of our church."
Hamilton is in the midst of a series of sermons he calls "Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope."
On Sunday, his focus will be fear related to the direction of our country. He will touch on President Trump's executive action temporarily barring refugees and citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries.
"So part of it's just dealing with fear," Hamilton says. "You know, our fear of President Trump, our fear of the whirlwind of activity – so if you tend to be left-of-center, there's a great deal of fear there – and I want to address that and say, 'We need to be a careful about overreacting, and being people who are stirring up fear.' "
Interview Highlights
On Trump's executive actions on immigration
One of the things that struck me was that President Trump was doing exactly what he said he was going to do when he was running for office. And it was clear to me that a lot of people would feel safer because of this.
I didn't personally feel safer. I think, I felt this adds to a perception of America that might further support the feelings of more radical jihadists who would say well, "Here America's showing its true stripes." ... But I can understand why some people would feel that way.
On the decision to talk about refugees in his sermon
Well, I knew actually as of Friday night (Jan. 27) that I would be saying something, but I chose not to address it in church immediately after that on Sunday because I felt like I didn't know enough yet. And I had people who were disappointed that I didn't talk about it in church immediately after that.
When you have a congregation like ours that's divided on both sides of the political spectrum ... the question is how do I continue to be pastor for all of these people? And how do I help them hear each other?
Rev. Adam Hamilton
And part of my thinking was, "If every time President Trump issues an executive order that I might question on Friday, I change my sermon to preach out about it, I'm going to be preaching about President Trump every Sunday for the next four years."
And our congregation is divided. We have some folks who are Trump supporters. We have folks who were not Trump supporters. The Trump supporters [are] like, "Please don't talk politics every Sunday. Don't bring your personal opinions into the sermon every week." And other folks are like, "Why aren't you speaking out? Why aren't you saying something?"
On what he plans for his next sermon
I will also be speaking specifically about refugees, so I'll be reminding them of what the Scriptures say about the refugee, the immigrant, the alien in your midst. What does the Bible teach us about how we react to people who are in troubled situations? You know, what does it mean to be concerned for those who can't speak up for themselves? Then let's ask the question, how would Jesus define greatness? If we're really trying to be a nation that is great.
The new sanctuary that's about to open at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection's main campus has the largest single stained glass window in the world.Courtesy of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
On how he feels speaking to a divided congregation
When you have a congregation like ours that's divided on both sides of the political spectrum and conservative, progressive and a whole lot of people in between, the question is how do I continue to be pastor for all of these people? And how do I help them hear each other?
I mean, part of the challenge in the last presidential election for Democrats is they were tone deaf to the concerns of people who were on the right, and lost an election they thought they had in the bag. And I think that's true in the congregation. That I've got to be able to understand why are some people saying, "Finally, we've got a president who's doing something," while other people are fearful and saying or angry and saying, "We have to go protest."
I want to help both sides be able to hear the legitimate and sometimes not necessarily legitimate concerns of the other. My aim is not to see 40 percent of my congregation walk away saying, "I don't know if I want to come back." And I've said to pastors across the country, I've said, "It's easy to irritate people. It's harder to influence people."
My hope is that I've influenced people on both sides to come together and find out, OK what's reasonable, what makes sense, and then what is in keeping with the Gospel. How does where we go, you know, when we walk out of the church and are thinking about this, influenced by our faith in Christ?
Commitments of the local church:
Desire to assist the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a young adult who is discerning a call to full-time vocational ministry.
Willingness of the congregation to be a learning environment, where new ideas and exploration are welcomed and celebrated.
No change in senior pastoral leadership over the summer of the internship.
Ability to provide housing for the intern with a church family. Housing must be in a location convenient to the church and include a private room, the ability to come and go as needed and the opportunity but not the expectation to join in family meals or activities.
Budget of approximately $500 to cover transportation to Internship retreats, attending annual conference session, purchase of a book or other resource and other unanticipated expenses related to the internship.
Ability to provide own work space in the church including access to telephone, Internet and printing/copying with regular space available for private meetings. Intern can be expected to provide own computer.
Exposure to all facets of pastoral work over the course of the internship. Examples include making hospital visits, funeral preparation, preach and plan worship at least twice, attend committee meetings, meet with new members, teach a class or classes, shut-in visitation, VBS, youth group party, etc.
Flexibility in scheduling as ministry has irregular hour. The expectation is for a 40-hour work week with adequate and regular time off.
In a multi-staff environment, the intern can be given the opportunity to shadow and learn from multiple staff people but the primary mentoring relationship will be with an ordained clergy person. Regular contact with the senior pastor is expected, at minimum a weekly meeting for reflection, questions and encouragement.
Deadline for churches to apply is March 15.
View more information at greatplainsumc.org/pastoralleadershipinternships.
Additionally, do you know a college student who would benefit from a summer internship experience? Early deadline is Jan. 22. The latest they can apply is March 19. They can learn more at greatplainsumc.org/internships.
For questions, please contact Rev. Ashlee Alley, aalley@greatplainsumc.org or 402-464-5994, Ext. 117.
-------
Equipping Disciples
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, small-membership church coordinator, for more information at mmccorkle@greatplainsumc.org or 316-210-3996 (text or call).
-------
Church of the Resurrection offers congregational care seminar
Join Executive Pastor Karen Lampe, Pastor Wendy Lyons Chrostek and the entire Congregational Care team at Church of the Resurrection for the Congregational Care Ministry Seminar, scheduled for April 27-29.
The CCM Seminar is designed to train volunteers to become partners in ministry with pastors and staff to provide care for a congregation. Come and learn best practices and standards of care from the Resurrection care team, based the resource developed by Executive Pastor Karen Lampe, “The Caring Congregation.” This resource serves as a manual to guide pastors and churches to organize their congregations for care and equip volunteers to listen, visit, comfort and encourage congregants.
New this year, Resurrection will offer a Pre-Conference for more in-depth learning from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 27. Choose from one of two topics: Creating a Care Group or Depression, Anxiety and Addictions.
Registration is limited. For more information, please visit cor.org/ccm-seminar. Questions? Contact Kathy Carter at kathy.carter@cor.org or 913-544-0272, or Kari Burgess at kari.burgess@cor.org or 913-232-4139.
-------
Adam Hamilton featured in National Public Radio interview
National Public Radio recently featured an interview with the Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of the 20,000-plus-member United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Hamilton spoke about the church’s new sanctuary and about a sermon series he’s preaching that deals with political divisions in the U.S. over immigration and other issues.
RELIGION
Kansas City Clergyman Seeks Way To Pastor Across The Political Divide
The Rev. Adam Hamilton preaches to the congregation at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection outside of Kansas City. The multi-campus church with a membership of more than 20,000 is the largest Methodist church in the U.S.Courtesy of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
Clergy across the country are sermonizing about events in Washington, D.C.
For Rev. Adam Hamilton, that is both a challenge and an obligation.
Hamilton founded the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas in 1990, hoping to attract what he describes as thinking Christians with little or no engagement with their faith. The congregation began meeting in the chapel of a funeral home.
Today, it's a multi-campus church with a membership of more than 20,000. It's the biggest Methodist church in the country, and it has been cited as one of the most influential churches in America.
The new sanctuary that's about to open at the main campus just outside Kansas City hosts the largest single stained glass window in the world.
Hamilton tells NPR's Robert Siegel he didn't set out to claim that record. But he did set out to build a church that will serve as a house of worship for a century, if not more.
"We'll baptize 30,000 babies in here," he says. "We'll give 30,000 children their third-grade Bibles. This congregation over the next 100 years will give away 50,000 units of blood, 10 million pounds of food. And over the next 100 years, we'll give between $4.5 and $6.5 billion to ministries outside the walls of our church."
Hamilton is in the midst of a series of sermons he calls "Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope."
On Sunday, his focus will be fear related to the direction of our country. He will touch on President Trump's executive action temporarily barring refugees and citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries.
"So part of it's just dealing with fear," Hamilton says. "You know, our fear of President Trump, our fear of the whirlwind of activity – so if you tend to be left-of-center, there's a great deal of fear there – and I want to address that and say, 'We need to be a careful about overreacting, and being people who are stirring up fear.' "
Interview Highlights
On Trump's executive actions on immigration
One of the things that struck me was that President Trump was doing exactly what he said he was going to do when he was running for office. And it was clear to me that a lot of people would feel safer because of this.
I didn't personally feel safer. I think, I felt this adds to a perception of America that might further support the feelings of more radical jihadists who would say well, "Here America's showing its true stripes." ... But I can understand why some people would feel that way.
On the decision to talk about refugees in his sermon
Well, I knew actually as of Friday night (Jan. 27) that I would be saying something, but I chose not to address it in church immediately after that on Sunday because I felt like I didn't know enough yet. And I had people who were disappointed that I didn't talk about it in church immediately after that.
When you have a congregation like ours that's divided on both sides of the political spectrum ... the question is how do I continue to be pastor for all of these people? And how do I help them hear each other?
Rev. Adam Hamilton
And part of my thinking was, "If every time President Trump issues an executive order that I might question on Friday, I change my sermon to preach out about it, I'm going to be preaching about President Trump every Sunday for the next four years."
And our congregation is divided. We have some folks who are Trump supporters. We have folks who were not Trump supporters. The Trump supporters [are] like, "Please don't talk politics every Sunday. Don't bring your personal opinions into the sermon every week." And other folks are like, "Why aren't you speaking out? Why aren't you saying something?"
On what he plans for his next sermon
I will also be speaking specifically about refugees, so I'll be reminding them of what the Scriptures say about the refugee, the immigrant, the alien in your midst. What does the Bible teach us about how we react to people who are in troubled situations? You know, what does it mean to be concerned for those who can't speak up for themselves? Then let's ask the question, how would Jesus define greatness? If we're really trying to be a nation that is great.
The new sanctuary that's about to open at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection's main campus has the largest single stained glass window in the world.Courtesy of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
On how he feels speaking to a divided congregation
When you have a congregation like ours that's divided on both sides of the political spectrum and conservative, progressive and a whole lot of people in between, the question is how do I continue to be pastor for all of these people? And how do I help them hear each other?
I mean, part of the challenge in the last presidential election for Democrats is they were tone deaf to the concerns of people who were on the right, and lost an election they thought they had in the bag. And I think that's true in the congregation. That I've got to be able to understand why are some people saying, "Finally, we've got a president who's doing something," while other people are fearful and saying or angry and saying, "We have to go protest."
I want to help both sides be able to hear the legitimate and sometimes not necessarily legitimate concerns of the other. My aim is not to see 40 percent of my congregation walk away saying, "I don't know if I want to come back." And I've said to pastors across the country, I've said, "It's easy to irritate people. It's harder to influence people."
My hope is that I've influenced people on both sides to come together and find out, OK what's reasonable, what makes sense, and then what is in keeping with the Gospel. How does where we go, you know, when we walk out of the church and are thinking about this, influenced by our faith in Christ?
Read excerpts.
Listen to the interview.
-------
Nominations open for juniors, seniors for Youth Summit
The Summit Youth Academy, hosted at Southwestern College, is a weeklong experience for young people to connect their faith to their sense of vocational calling. Through Bible study, Wesleyan theology, mission, worship and small-group discussion, high schoolers at the Summit will wrestle with their faith, their call and how those two things can be integrated into a life of mission and service. The goal is for students to hear God’s voice and return to their churches with an action plan for becoming a stronger disciple and for supporting their local ministries. Participants will continue to interact and be mentored after the Summit in an online Bible study throughout the following school year.
We’re looking for one or two rising high school juniors and seniors from each church in the Great Plains conference to be a part of the Summit. Students must apply to attend, and must be endorsed (nominated) by their pastor or another member of their church. Please think about the current sophomores or juniors in whom you see a passion for thinking deeply about their faith and a desire to incorporate it into their vocational calling, and nominate them at www.summityouthacademy.org/nominate.
More information can be found at www.summityouthacademy.org.
-------
‘Wesleyan Live’ to feature
lectures on the Lord’s Prayer
Registration is now open for the spring edition of “Wesleyan Live.” This five-week course provided by Nebraska Wesleyan University may be a good fit as a Lenten study for individuals or for small groups within churches.
The title for the course is “How the Lord’s Prayer Lost its Radical Edge” and will be taught by the Rev. Dr. Robert Jewett, a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan who also was educated at the Univesrty of Chicago and the University of Tubingen. Dr. Jewett has taught at Morningside College and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, and he serves as theologian-in-residence at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Lincoln.
The course will begin at 7 p.m. Mondays from Feb. 27 to March 27, with each session anticipated to last approximately one hour. Participants in the Lincoln area may attend in person at the conference office at 3333 Landmark Circle in Lincoln. But all participants can take part via livestream on the conference’s website.
Cost is $40 per person or $20 for retirees and students. Local church groups may take part for a maximum cost of $75.
Learn more about the course and register.
-------
New low-cost online training tools open to local churches
New online training courses are available for local church leaders and members. The two new courses complement existing online offerings, adding to a learning library that can assist trainees on a journey to boost church vitality.
The Effective Church Marketing course leads participants through a step-by-step process of examination, dreaming and planning using United Methodist Communications’ Church Marketing Plan Tool. At the end of the session, church leaders or teams participating in the training will have a complete marketing plan ready to put into action.
The Your Church Website online training course introduces the tools to plan, build and launch a successful online strategy, from a website and beyond, that helps people connect with local churches in a new way.
“United Methodist Communications is committed to encouraging church leaders to embrace and utilize tools that can help their church grow,” said Dan Krause, general secretary of United Methodist Communications. “Our training courses offer support to churches as they seek to improve communication techniques and enhance outreach initiatives.”
Both new courses will cost less than $40 and will be offered year-round. They join two other year-round courses, both of which are free: Connectional Giving offers a holistic view of generosity, empowering participants to become missional storytellers, and What It Means to be United Methodist covers Methodism, church beliefs, history of the church and church structure.
Through Feb. 19, registration will be open for the following online courses, which are offered in sessions with set start dates throughout the year. The first session of courses will begin Feb. 22 and will conclude April 5; course fees vary.
Communicating Faith in the 21st Century overviews effective communication techniques utilizing a blend of traditional and digital communications technology.
Tools for Increasing Your Church’s Vitality encourages discovery of new steps to increase vitality in the church, including small groups and missions.
Welcoming Ministry is all about hospitality and how churches can best fit into the landscape of their community in order to serve it better.
All trainings will be offered on a new web platform that will greatly enhance participant experience, including full compatibility for mobile devices.
Learn more and register for all online training experiences at UMCom.org/training.
-------
Mercy & Justice
Family, congregation shaken after man taken by immigration officials
A member of the lay leadership team of Casa de Oracion, a Spanish-speaking congregation within Dodge City First United Methodist Church, is one of reportedly 600 people nationwide to be detained in a series of federal immigration raids nationwide.
While the immigration debate both in the Great Plains Conference and nationwide has people with passionate feelings on opposite sides, many people feel compassion for loved ones who are left with uncertainty and fear.
Family, congregation saddened by separation after man is taken by immigration officials
A member of the lay leadership team of Casa de Oracion, a Spanish-speaking congregation within Dodge City First United Methodist Church, is one of reportedly 600 people nationwide to be detained in a series of federal immigration raids nationwide.
Humberto Barralaga of Dodge City, Kansas, poses in this family photo with his family. Barralaga was one of more than 600 undocumented immigrants detained in a series of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in recent days. Submitted photo
Early the morning of Feb. 7, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Humberto Barralaga, leader of men’s ministries at Casa de Oracion – translated as House of Prayer – in his Dodge City, Kansas, home.
Barralaga is an undocumented immigrant, but a deportation order had not been issued for him as of Feb. 11, said the Rev. Raciel Quintana, the appointed pastor of the Spanish-speaking congregation of 25 to 30 people.
“The family is receiving advice from a lawyer, who was able to find out that Humberto does not have a deportation order, so they are seeking bail so he can be released, but everything will depend on the judge,” Quintana said.
Barralaga’s son is a U.S. citizen, and his wife is a legal resident. Like many other families throughout the country, Barralaga now faces separation from his family, Quintana said.
“As the family’s pastor, we have been accompanying them together with the congregation, who have been visiting them, creating prayer chains and fasting,” Quintana said. The family is receiving migrant counseling from a United Methodist ministry in the area as they cope with the situation.
Quintana said the congregation has been deeply affected by this situation. “But we have faith and we are putting the situation in the hands of God,” he said.
United Methodist leaders nationwide have joined other faith communities in saying a series of executive orders concerning immigrants are in direct opposition to sacred texts to love our neighbor and welcome the sojourner.
The United Methodist Book of Discipline, the denomination’s governing document, states that the denomination opposes “immigration policies that separate family members from each other or that include detention of families with children, and we call on local churches to be in ministry with immigrant families.”
Corey Godbey, coordinator of Hispanic Ministries for the Great Plains Conference, said the conference stands in solidarity with the Barralagas as they deal with such a sudden upheaval in their family.
“We certainly ask for prayers for this family and for others who are facing similar situations across the country,” Godbey said. “This a jarring situation for all involved – not just this one family but the congregation and others who know people like Humberto who have been separated from their loved ones.”
Raids by federal immigration officials were conducted in at least 11 states, and more than 600 people were arrested last week, according to several news agencies.
"Churches are affected because these situations break the unity of families, bonds of faith and the unity of the church itself,” Quintana said. “Our brother is a fundamental leader of our evangelism project, and now this could be seriously affected.
The Rev. Jerre Nolte, lead pastor of Dodge City First UMC, said the congregation of the larger congregation and of the Spanish-speaking congregation both were subdued Sunday as the news sank in that a person who led the men’s Bible study and other small groups had been separated from his family. Nolte said he knew of no accusations of Barralaga being involved in any illegal activities.
Suspicions of other criminal activity typically have been required to conduct such raids, but that policy appears to be changing in the President Donald Trump administration, with several states, including Kansas, considering legislation that involve immigration policy. The Kansas Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs was scheduled to consider two bills Feb. 15 – SB 157 and SB 158 – that would penalize municipalities by withholding state funds if law enforcement officers failed to identify and detain undocumented people found in the state, including people who are victims of crimes. SB 157 would require the Kansas Highway Patrol superintendent to set up an enforcement agreement with the Department of Homeland Security for the purposes of assisting with immigration enforcement. SB 158 would deputize Kansas law enforcement officers to assist with ICE.
Nolte said as of Tuesday afternoon, the church had received word that Barralaga had been transferred to Butler County in Kansas for detention and that he would be speaking with attorneys. The family and other loved ones remain cautiously optimistic that the issue can be resolved.
“As a Christian I think we should all have the same treatment and opportunities that this land offers, for those who come to work, do good and practice their faith honestly,” Quintana said. “‘Injustice’ has a sister called ‘privilege’ and an enemy called ‘God’s justice.’ That’s the one that really counts.
"In the church we must weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh, we must become part of the family, immerse ourselves in their struggles and tragedies, and make our solidarity visible,” he added.
The Rev. Gustavo Vasquez, director of Hispanic/Latino Communications at United Methodist Communications, and Todd Seifert, Great Plains Conference communications director, contributed to this report.
Read the story about Humberto Barralaga and the impact his detention has had on the congregations in Dodge City, Kansas.
--------
JFON-NE offers timely training on helping immigrants
Several executive orders announced in late January have caused fear and confusion. Many people asked what they could do to support our immigrant neighbors living and working among us. In response to these requests, Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska (JFON-NE), in collaboration with several other organizations, developed resources and offered a day-long training Feb. 11 in Omaha.
In the morning, participants received information about the rights immigrants have in our country, an update on what the executive orders mean, human trafficking, hate crimes and how to report them, and how to find attorneys authorized to practice immigration law.
Another section dealt with safety planning and taught that families need to prepare for the possible deportation of a family member by keeping all important documents in a safe place and by planning what will happen to children if a parent is not allowed to come home because of being detained at work.
The afternoon focused on advocating for better and humane immigration laws. Current laws date to the 1960s and 1970s. At our 2016 General Conference United Methodists affirmed: “We oppose all national immigration policies that separate family members from each other or that include detention of families with children.” (UM Social Principles ¶162)
“The large turnout for the event was encouraging. It shows the need to provide information and resources to community leaders and organizations supporting immigrants,” said Mindy Rush Chipman, Rural Capacity Building managing attorney with JFON-NE. “In such times of uncertainty it is hard to know what to do. To help those most vulnerable to prepare in the best way possible is one important step we can all take. We are planning to offer similar trainings in additional locations in the near future.”
To access the resources shared at the training or to financially support JFON-NE’s ministry go to www.jfon-ne.org.
JFON-NE is one of our Great Plains Conference mission agencies. If you want to contribute through your local church, include the designation “JFON-NE, Great Plains Mission Agency #721.
-------
Help stuff health kits during annual conference session
The Great Plains Disaster Response Ministry invites you to a time of volunteering June 7 during the annual conference session in Grand Island, Nebraska.
From 1 to 6 p.m., come help pack a health kit in 30-minute shifts. All items will be provided.
Each health kit is valued at $12. If you or your church would like help with the cost of these items, donations are being accepted. You can submit your check to the conference and on the memo line write “health kit items.”
Also, the UMCOR truck will available from 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 8. Bring the kits you have worked on during the year. Please remember to box kits and place an inventory list on top of the box. All kits must be compiled by UMCOR standards, please see items and packing list.
Donations also can be made to UMCOR, please make checks payable to UMCOR, and drop them off with the personnel at the truck.
-------
Administration
Stewardship and Connectional Ministries offering free webinars
Three upcoming webinars are available at no cost to local church leaders by Stewardship and Connectional Ministries. All times listed are Central.
They are:
The Church Audit: You Can Do This!
REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR
6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 9
PRESENTER: Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship and Connectional Ministries
Every congregation needs to do a church audit, but it doesn’t have to be a big expense or an insurmountable obstacle. There is a great Local Church Audit Guide, available free for United Methodist churches that will take you through it step by step. Going through the process builds confidence among you financial leaders and projects transparency to your donors. Join us as we explore the tools that can make this process easier than you thought.
Offering Electronic Giving: What Are You Waiting For?
REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR
6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11
PRESENTER: Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship and Connectional Ministries
Electronic giving is not the future of charitable giving, it is the present reality. If your church is not offering this as an option for those who attend your church, you are missing out on generous giving. If there have been obstacles to making this option available to your church, we will talk about them in this webinar.
-------
Across the Connection
NUMB donates $65,000 to battle hunger in Nebraska, around the world
The Nebraska United Methodist Bike Ride for Hunger (NUMB) recently distributed $65,000 in donations raised from its 2016 ride.
Of the money distributed locally this year, totals included:
Lincoln Food Bank – $3,087.50.
Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha – $13,162.50.
Checks sent to the General Board of Global Ministries included:
Africa University Farm Development – $16,250.
Heifer Project #982418 – $16,250.
Society of St. Andrew – $16,250.
Learn more about NUMB, including the 2017 ride.
-------
Earthkeepers training to be offered in South Central Jurisdiction
Earthkeepers are United Methodists who are aware of the ecological challenges in our world today and feel called to be part of a movement to transform the world.
Earthkeepers work with their congregations and communities in many different ways; creating community gardens in urban “food deserts,” advocating for renewable energy policies, or working for environmental justice by cleaning up toxic waste sites near their communities. They are laity and clergy, students, part-time and full-time workers, and retirees. They may have a vocation that allows them to focus on caring for creation during their regular work hours, or they may choose to volunteer their time.
The first Earthkeepers training event in the South Central Jurisdiction is scheduled for Aug. 1-6 at the Mount Sequoyah Center near Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Read a flier that tells more about Earthkeepers.
For more information, contact Pastor Jeff Potter at jpotter@greatplainsumc.org.
-------
Radio archives allow us to step back in time for Black History Month
Historic audio discovered in the Methodist archives is giving voice to prominent denominational and national leaders, for the benefit of current and future generations.
When the Methodist Church first created “Night Call” in 1965, the show was the first national call-in radio program in America. The church restarted the program in 1968 because of the turmoil of the civil rights struggle, the ongoing war in Vietnam and turbulence in American society. This one-hour radio program, heard on scores of radio stations across the country, was live, five nights a week, giving the nation a way to hold civil discussion, listening to varying points of view, and learning how others thought and felt.
In Honor or Black History Month: Hear Historic Leaders Address Significant Issues
Listen to the interview.
-------
Nominations open for juniors, seniors for Youth Summit
The Summit Youth Academy, hosted at Southwestern College, is a weeklong experience for young people to connect their faith to their sense of vocational calling. Through Bible study, Wesleyan theology, mission, worship and small-group discussion, high schoolers at the Summit will wrestle with their faith, their call and how those two things can be integrated into a life of mission and service. The goal is for students to hear God’s voice and return to their churches with an action plan for becoming a stronger disciple and for supporting their local ministries. Participants will continue to interact and be mentored after the Summit in an online Bible study throughout the following school year.
We’re looking for one or two rising high school juniors and seniors from each church in the Great Plains conference to be a part of the Summit. Students must apply to attend, and must be endorsed (nominated) by their pastor or another member of their church. Please think about the current sophomores or juniors in whom you see a passion for thinking deeply about their faith and a desire to incorporate it into their vocational calling, and nominate them at www.summityouthacademy.org/nominate.
More information can be found at www.summityouthacademy.org.
-------
‘Wesleyan Live’ to feature
lectures on the Lord’s Prayer
Registration is now open for the spring edition of “Wesleyan Live.” This five-week course provided by Nebraska Wesleyan University may be a good fit as a Lenten study for individuals or for small groups within churches.
The title for the course is “How the Lord’s Prayer Lost its Radical Edge” and will be taught by the Rev. Dr. Robert Jewett, a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan who also was educated at the Univesrty of Chicago and the University of Tubingen. Dr. Jewett has taught at Morningside College and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, and he serves as theologian-in-residence at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Lincoln.
The course will begin at 7 p.m. Mondays from Feb. 27 to March 27, with each session anticipated to last approximately one hour. Participants in the Lincoln area may attend in person at the conference office at 3333 Landmark Circle in Lincoln. But all participants can take part via livestream on the conference’s website.
Cost is $40 per person or $20 for retirees and students. Local church groups may take part for a maximum cost of $75.
Learn more about the course and register.
-------
New low-cost online training tools open to local churches
New online training courses are available for local church leaders and members. The two new courses complement existing online offerings, adding to a learning library that can assist trainees on a journey to boost church vitality.
The Effective Church Marketing course leads participants through a step-by-step process of examination, dreaming and planning using United Methodist Communications’ Church Marketing Plan Tool. At the end of the session, church leaders or teams participating in the training will have a complete marketing plan ready to put into action.
The Your Church Website online training course introduces the tools to plan, build and launch a successful online strategy, from a website and beyond, that helps people connect with local churches in a new way.
“United Methodist Communications is committed to encouraging church leaders to embrace and utilize tools that can help their church grow,” said Dan Krause, general secretary of United Methodist Communications. “Our training courses offer support to churches as they seek to improve communication techniques and enhance outreach initiatives.”
Both new courses will cost less than $40 and will be offered year-round. They join two other year-round courses, both of which are free: Connectional Giving offers a holistic view of generosity, empowering participants to become missional storytellers, and What It Means to be United Methodist covers Methodism, church beliefs, history of the church and church structure.
Through Feb. 19, registration will be open for the following online courses, which are offered in sessions with set start dates throughout the year. The first session of courses will begin Feb. 22 and will conclude April 5; course fees vary.
Communicating Faith in the 21st Century overviews effective communication techniques utilizing a blend of traditional and digital communications technology.
Tools for Increasing Your Church’s Vitality encourages discovery of new steps to increase vitality in the church, including small groups and missions.
Welcoming Ministry is all about hospitality and how churches can best fit into the landscape of their community in order to serve it better.
All trainings will be offered on a new web platform that will greatly enhance participant experience, including full compatibility for mobile devices.
Learn more and register for all online training experiences at UMCom.org/training.
-------
Mercy & Justice
Family, congregation shaken after man taken by immigration officials
A member of the lay leadership team of Casa de Oracion, a Spanish-speaking congregation within Dodge City First United Methodist Church, is one of reportedly 600 people nationwide to be detained in a series of federal immigration raids nationwide.
While the immigration debate both in the Great Plains Conference and nationwide has people with passionate feelings on opposite sides, many people feel compassion for loved ones who are left with uncertainty and fear.
Family, congregation saddened by separation after man is taken by immigration officials
A member of the lay leadership team of Casa de Oracion, a Spanish-speaking congregation within Dodge City First United Methodist Church, is one of reportedly 600 people nationwide to be detained in a series of federal immigration raids nationwide.
Humberto Barralaga of Dodge City, Kansas, poses in this family photo with his family. Barralaga was one of more than 600 undocumented immigrants detained in a series of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in recent days. Submitted photo
Early the morning of Feb. 7, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Humberto Barralaga, leader of men’s ministries at Casa de Oracion – translated as House of Prayer – in his Dodge City, Kansas, home.
Barralaga is an undocumented immigrant, but a deportation order had not been issued for him as of Feb. 11, said the Rev. Raciel Quintana, the appointed pastor of the Spanish-speaking congregation of 25 to 30 people.
“The family is receiving advice from a lawyer, who was able to find out that Humberto does not have a deportation order, so they are seeking bail so he can be released, but everything will depend on the judge,” Quintana said.
Barralaga’s son is a U.S. citizen, and his wife is a legal resident. Like many other families throughout the country, Barralaga now faces separation from his family, Quintana said.
“As the family’s pastor, we have been accompanying them together with the congregation, who have been visiting them, creating prayer chains and fasting,” Quintana said. The family is receiving migrant counseling from a United Methodist ministry in the area as they cope with the situation.
Quintana said the congregation has been deeply affected by this situation. “But we have faith and we are putting the situation in the hands of God,” he said.
United Methodist leaders nationwide have joined other faith communities in saying a series of executive orders concerning immigrants are in direct opposition to sacred texts to love our neighbor and welcome the sojourner.
The United Methodist Book of Discipline, the denomination’s governing document, states that the denomination opposes “immigration policies that separate family members from each other or that include detention of families with children, and we call on local churches to be in ministry with immigrant families.”
Corey Godbey, coordinator of Hispanic Ministries for the Great Plains Conference, said the conference stands in solidarity with the Barralagas as they deal with such a sudden upheaval in their family.
“We certainly ask for prayers for this family and for others who are facing similar situations across the country,” Godbey said. “This a jarring situation for all involved – not just this one family but the congregation and others who know people like Humberto who have been separated from their loved ones.”
Raids by federal immigration officials were conducted in at least 11 states, and more than 600 people were arrested last week, according to several news agencies.
"Churches are affected because these situations break the unity of families, bonds of faith and the unity of the church itself,” Quintana said. “Our brother is a fundamental leader of our evangelism project, and now this could be seriously affected.
The Rev. Jerre Nolte, lead pastor of Dodge City First UMC, said the congregation of the larger congregation and of the Spanish-speaking congregation both were subdued Sunday as the news sank in that a person who led the men’s Bible study and other small groups had been separated from his family. Nolte said he knew of no accusations of Barralaga being involved in any illegal activities.
Suspicions of other criminal activity typically have been required to conduct such raids, but that policy appears to be changing in the President Donald Trump administration, with several states, including Kansas, considering legislation that involve immigration policy. The Kansas Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs was scheduled to consider two bills Feb. 15 – SB 157 and SB 158 – that would penalize municipalities by withholding state funds if law enforcement officers failed to identify and detain undocumented people found in the state, including people who are victims of crimes. SB 157 would require the Kansas Highway Patrol superintendent to set up an enforcement agreement with the Department of Homeland Security for the purposes of assisting with immigration enforcement. SB 158 would deputize Kansas law enforcement officers to assist with ICE.
Nolte said as of Tuesday afternoon, the church had received word that Barralaga had been transferred to Butler County in Kansas for detention and that he would be speaking with attorneys. The family and other loved ones remain cautiously optimistic that the issue can be resolved.
“As a Christian I think we should all have the same treatment and opportunities that this land offers, for those who come to work, do good and practice their faith honestly,” Quintana said. “‘Injustice’ has a sister called ‘privilege’ and an enemy called ‘God’s justice.’ That’s the one that really counts.
"In the church we must weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh, we must become part of the family, immerse ourselves in their struggles and tragedies, and make our solidarity visible,” he added.
The Rev. Gustavo Vasquez, director of Hispanic/Latino Communications at United Methodist Communications, and Todd Seifert, Great Plains Conference communications director, contributed to this report.
Read the story about Humberto Barralaga and the impact his detention has had on the congregations in Dodge City, Kansas.
--------
JFON-NE offers timely training on helping immigrants
In the morning, participants received information about the rights immigrants have in our country, an update on what the executive orders mean, human trafficking, hate crimes and how to report them, and how to find attorneys authorized to practice immigration law.
Another section dealt with safety planning and taught that families need to prepare for the possible deportation of a family member by keeping all important documents in a safe place and by planning what will happen to children if a parent is not allowed to come home because of being detained at work.
The afternoon focused on advocating for better and humane immigration laws. Current laws date to the 1960s and 1970s. At our 2016 General Conference United Methodists affirmed: “We oppose all national immigration policies that separate family members from each other or that include detention of families with children.” (UM Social Principles ¶162)
“The large turnout for the event was encouraging. It shows the need to provide information and resources to community leaders and organizations supporting immigrants,” said Mindy Rush Chipman, Rural Capacity Building managing attorney with JFON-NE. “In such times of uncertainty it is hard to know what to do. To help those most vulnerable to prepare in the best way possible is one important step we can all take. We are planning to offer similar trainings in additional locations in the near future.”
To access the resources shared at the training or to financially support JFON-NE’s ministry go to www.jfon-ne.org.
JFON-NE is one of our Great Plains Conference mission agencies. If you want to contribute through your local church, include the designation “JFON-NE, Great Plains Mission Agency #721.
-------
Help stuff health kits during annual conference session
The Great Plains Disaster Response Ministry invites you to a time of volunteering June 7 during the annual conference session in Grand Island, Nebraska.
From 1 to 6 p.m., come help pack a health kit in 30-minute shifts. All items will be provided.
Each health kit is valued at $12. If you or your church would like help with the cost of these items, donations are being accepted. You can submit your check to the conference and on the memo line write “health kit items.”
Also, the UMCOR truck will available from 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 8. Bring the kits you have worked on during the year. Please remember to box kits and place an inventory list on top of the box. All kits must be compiled by UMCOR standards, please see items and packing list.
Donations also can be made to UMCOR, please make checks payable to UMCOR, and drop them off with the personnel at the truck.
-------
Administration
Stewardship and Connectional Ministries offering free webinars
Three upcoming webinars are available at no cost to local church leaders by Stewardship and Connectional Ministries. All times listed are Central.
They are:
The Church Audit: You Can Do This!
REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR
6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 9
PRESENTER: Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship and Connectional Ministries
Every congregation needs to do a church audit, but it doesn’t have to be a big expense or an insurmountable obstacle. There is a great Local Church Audit Guide, available free for United Methodist churches that will take you through it step by step. Going through the process builds confidence among you financial leaders and projects transparency to your donors. Join us as we explore the tools that can make this process easier than you thought.
Offering Electronic Giving: What Are You Waiting For?
REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR
6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11
PRESENTER: Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship and Connectional Ministries
Electronic giving is not the future of charitable giving, it is the present reality. If your church is not offering this as an option for those who attend your church, you are missing out on generous giving. If there have been obstacles to making this option available to your church, we will talk about them in this webinar.
-------
Across the Connection
NUMB donates $65,000 to battle hunger in Nebraska, around the world
The Nebraska United Methodist Bike Ride for Hunger (NUMB) recently distributed $65,000 in donations raised from its 2016 ride.
Of the money distributed locally this year, totals included:
Lincoln Food Bank – $3,087.50.
Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha – $13,162.50.
Checks sent to the General Board of Global Ministries included:
Africa University Farm Development – $16,250.
Heifer Project #982418 – $16,250.
Society of St. Andrew – $16,250.
Learn more about NUMB, including the 2017 ride.
-------
Earthkeepers training to be offered in South Central Jurisdiction
Earthkeepers are United Methodists who are aware of the ecological challenges in our world today and feel called to be part of a movement to transform the world.
Earthkeepers work with their congregations and communities in many different ways; creating community gardens in urban “food deserts,” advocating for renewable energy policies, or working for environmental justice by cleaning up toxic waste sites near their communities. They are laity and clergy, students, part-time and full-time workers, and retirees. They may have a vocation that allows them to focus on caring for creation during their regular work hours, or they may choose to volunteer their time.
The first Earthkeepers training event in the South Central Jurisdiction is scheduled for Aug. 1-6 at the Mount Sequoyah Center near Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Read a flier that tells more about Earthkeepers.
For more information, contact Pastor Jeff Potter at jpotter@greatplainsumc.org.
-------
Radio archives allow us to step back in time for Black History Month
Historic audio discovered in the Methodist archives is giving voice to prominent denominational and national leaders, for the benefit of current and future generations.
When the Methodist Church first created “Night Call” in 1965, the show was the first national call-in radio program in America. The church restarted the program in 1968 because of the turmoil of the civil rights struggle, the ongoing war in Vietnam and turbulence in American society. This one-hour radio program, heard on scores of radio stations across the country, was live, five nights a week, giving the nation a way to hold civil discussion, listening to varying points of view, and learning how others thought and felt.
In Honor or Black History Month: Hear Historic Leaders Address Significant Issues
Historic audio discovered in the Methodist archives is giving voice to prominent denominational and national leaders, for the benefit of current and future generations.
When the Methodist Church first created Night Call in 1965, the show was the first national call-in radio program in America. The church restarted the program in 1968 because of the turmoil of the Civil Right struggle, the ongoing war in Vietnam, and turbulence in American society. This one-hour radio program, heard on scores of radio stations across the country, was live, five nights a week, giving the nation a way to hold civil discussion, listening to varying points of view, and learning how others thought and felt.
According to Rev. Mike Hickcox, who formerly worked in United Methodist Communications and as a commercial radio anchor and news director, Del Shields and callers from across the country talked with Dick Gregory, Roy Innis, Jesse Jackson, and A. D. King. The program benefited from the presence of Chester Lewis, Ralph McGill, Nina Simone, and Andrew Young. These, and others in the Civil Rights struggle of the 60s, took the opportunity to discuss the issues and their solutions with Shields and the listeners across the country.
“The greatest figures of the Civil Rights era were those who spoke and wrote the words that explained, that exhorted, that pleaded, that prayed,” Mike shares. “The UMC’s courageous and creative radio program preserved those voices, and Sound Theology is helping with digital restoration of those old audio tapes to make the prophetic voices heard again. Ralph Abernathy, Muhammad Ali, James Baldwin, and Julian Bond can be heard anytime on SoundTheology.org, the website that makes these programs available to all.”
Listeners can also hear the contemporaneous thoughts of Stokely Carmichael, Shirley Chisholm, Eldridge Cleaver, and Ruby Dee – thanks to that radio program that United Methodist Communications created and ran in 1968-69.
In addition, SoundTheology.org carries 21 interviews conducted by Pamela Crosby at a 2004 reunion of persons who were part of the Central Jurisdiction of The Methodist Church. These United Methodists grew up in the separate, Black annual conferences of the church that had been established in 1939 and continued until 1968. Among those interviewed are Gilbert Caldwell, James Feree, Joseph Lowery, Mai Gray, Leontine Kelly, Walter McKelvey, Forrest Stith, and Barbara Ricks Thompson. They brought their experiences and leadership from the old Central Jurisdiction into The United Methodist Church.
Mike shares that one engaging program features five faculty members of Methodist Theological School in Ohio, telling a class in 1964 of their trip to Jackson Mississippi – attempting and failing to integrate a Methodist Church on Easter morning. “This was a significant event in the movement toward the integration of Methodist churches nationally,” he says.
There are more than 1,025 audio programs available on the website – speeches, lectures, sermons, interviews, and radio programs from the Methodist Church, and from many other faith traditions. Mike began the collection 10 years ago, when he was on staff at United Methodist Communications. It began in collaboration with the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History, and he continued the project when he left the staff in 2010. New programs from the United Methodist archives are added every month. Eventually, the entire audio collection and the website will be turned over to the stewardship of GCAH to preserve into the future, to continue making the programs available to listeners on the internet, and to keep their voices alive for future generations.
5215 Main Street
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 713-521-9383
Toll Free: 877-774-2700
When the Methodist Church first created Night Call in 1965, the show was the first national call-in radio program in America. The church restarted the program in 1968 because of the turmoil of the Civil Right struggle, the ongoing war in Vietnam, and turbulence in American society. This one-hour radio program, heard on scores of radio stations across the country, was live, five nights a week, giving the nation a way to hold civil discussion, listening to varying points of view, and learning how others thought and felt.
According to Rev. Mike Hickcox, who formerly worked in United Methodist Communications and as a commercial radio anchor and news director, Del Shields and callers from across the country talked with Dick Gregory, Roy Innis, Jesse Jackson, and A. D. King. The program benefited from the presence of Chester Lewis, Ralph McGill, Nina Simone, and Andrew Young. These, and others in the Civil Rights struggle of the 60s, took the opportunity to discuss the issues and their solutions with Shields and the listeners across the country.
“The greatest figures of the Civil Rights era were those who spoke and wrote the words that explained, that exhorted, that pleaded, that prayed,” Mike shares. “The UMC’s courageous and creative radio program preserved those voices, and Sound Theology is helping with digital restoration of those old audio tapes to make the prophetic voices heard again. Ralph Abernathy, Muhammad Ali, James Baldwin, and Julian Bond can be heard anytime on SoundTheology.org, the website that makes these programs available to all.”
Listeners can also hear the contemporaneous thoughts of Stokely Carmichael, Shirley Chisholm, Eldridge Cleaver, and Ruby Dee – thanks to that radio program that United Methodist Communications created and ran in 1968-69.
In addition, SoundTheology.org carries 21 interviews conducted by Pamela Crosby at a 2004 reunion of persons who were part of the Central Jurisdiction of The Methodist Church. These United Methodists grew up in the separate, Black annual conferences of the church that had been established in 1939 and continued until 1968. Among those interviewed are Gilbert Caldwell, James Feree, Joseph Lowery, Mai Gray, Leontine Kelly, Walter McKelvey, Forrest Stith, and Barbara Ricks Thompson. They brought their experiences and leadership from the old Central Jurisdiction into The United Methodist Church.
Mike shares that one engaging program features five faculty members of Methodist Theological School in Ohio, telling a class in 1964 of their trip to Jackson Mississippi – attempting and failing to integrate a Methodist Church on Easter morning. “This was a significant event in the movement toward the integration of Methodist churches nationally,” he says.
There are more than 1,025 audio programs available on the website – speeches, lectures, sermons, interviews, and radio programs from the Methodist Church, and from many other faith traditions. Mike began the collection 10 years ago, when he was on staff at United Methodist Communications. It began in collaboration with the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History, and he continued the project when he left the staff in 2010. New programs from the United Methodist archives are added every month. Eventually, the entire audio collection and the website will be turned over to the stewardship of GCAH to preserve into the future, to continue making the programs available to listeners on the internet, and to keep their voices alive for future generations.
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5215 Main Street
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 713-521-9383
Toll Free: 877-774-2700
Read more about it from our friends in the Texas Conference.
Listen to the recordings.
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St. Paul’s UMC in Lenexa hosts Muslim neighbors for ‘Baklava Day’
More than 100 members of St Paul’s United Methodist in Lenexa, Kansas, welcomed a group of Muslims from the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest/Kansas City for a “Baklava Day” on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Six families from the Dialogue Institute brought their traditional dessert to share with members of St Paul’s. Everyone enjoyed and learned from the lively and friendly discussions.
The Dialogue Institute is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote peace, dialogue, mutual understanding and respect by bringing together people of different faiths and cultures. It was established by Turkish-Americans and their friends in 2002 to answer the question “"How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony?"
The Dialogue Institute’s programs include a variety of educational and social activities, such as “Baklava Days” at community churches, that provide opportunities for people to meet and learn to appreciate each other. St Paul’s members were very happy to do their part in working toward that goal.
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Former Husker football coach to preach at Lincoln First UMC
Former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne will preach at First United Methodist Church on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the 10:45 a.m. worship service. First UMC is at 2723 N. 50th St. in Lincoln.
Dr. Osborne will speak about the TeamMates program, which equips volunteer adults to serve support and encouragement to 1,200 school-aged youth in Lincoln.
Dr. Osborne also will share with First UMC a little about his faith in his role as Husker football coach and now in his community work.
“Sometimes I would tell our players where I was coming from spiritually," Osborne said. "I would tell them that everyone is of equal importance and should be treated with that respect, and that we should be supportive of each other and try to build cohesion, unity, and purpose on our team. And that no one is beyond redemption.”
Although he never forced his religion on anyone, he said he does believe that it assists in building a person’s character.
“Faith is always a part of you. It’s hard to separate that out, Coach Osborne said. “We did have a silent prayer before we took the field and a silent prayer when we came off. It was always silent so a player can pray in their own way.”
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In Other News
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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.
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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
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Listen to the recordings.
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St. Paul’s UMC in Lenexa hosts Muslim neighbors for ‘Baklava Day’
More than 100 members of St Paul’s United Methodist in Lenexa, Kansas, welcomed a group of Muslims from the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest/Kansas City for a “Baklava Day” on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Six families from the Dialogue Institute brought their traditional dessert to share with members of St Paul’s. Everyone enjoyed and learned from the lively and friendly discussions.
The Dialogue Institute is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote peace, dialogue, mutual understanding and respect by bringing together people of different faiths and cultures. It was established by Turkish-Americans and their friends in 2002 to answer the question “"How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony?"
The Dialogue Institute’s programs include a variety of educational and social activities, such as “Baklava Days” at community churches, that provide opportunities for people to meet and learn to appreciate each other. St Paul’s members were very happy to do their part in working toward that goal.
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Former Husker football coach to preach at Lincoln First UMC
Former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne will preach at First United Methodist Church on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the 10:45 a.m. worship service. First UMC is at 2723 N. 50th St. in Lincoln.
Dr. Osborne will speak about the TeamMates program, which equips volunteer adults to serve support and encouragement to 1,200 school-aged youth in Lincoln.
Dr. Osborne also will share with First UMC a little about his faith in his role as Husker football coach and now in his community work.
“Sometimes I would tell our players where I was coming from spiritually," Osborne said. "I would tell them that everyone is of equal importance and should be treated with that respect, and that we should be supportive of each other and try to build cohesion, unity, and purpose on our team. And that no one is beyond redemption.”
Although he never forced his religion on anyone, he said he does believe that it assists in building a person’s character.
“Faith is always a part of you. It’s hard to separate that out, Coach Osborne said. “We did have a silent prayer before we took the field and a silent prayer when we came off. It was always silent so a player can pray in their own way.”
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In Other News
- Conferences to consider five constitutional amendments
- Church makes ConneXion across races
- Philippines church holds sexuality forum
- New national ads promote childlike faith
- Photo Essay: Missionary focuses lens on climate refugees
- Faith leaders cheer ruling on Trump travel ban
- Most religious-minority refugees to U.S. are Christian
- Two big churches seek exit from denomination
Blogs & Opinion
- The importance of deaf ministry: Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals are frequently missing from United Methodist pews. The Rev. Leo Yates Jr., a deacon on the United Methodist Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries, offers tips for churches seeking to reach out to the Deaf community.
- Four functions of a church choir: Choir director Brian Hehn has helped Arapaho United Methodist Church become a “singing congregation” by emphasizing the choir’s four key functions. The Lewis Center for Church Leadership shares his advice.
Newsletters
- Nebraska United Methodist Foundation: News & Updates
- UMC Development Center: Spiritual Giving
- Ministry Matters: Feb. 14, 2017
- Stewardship Matters: February 2017
Classifieds
- Director of music needed at Louisburg UMC
- Organ available to church in need
- FS 500 Yamaha Electone available to church in need
- United Methodist Insurance seeks president and CEO
- Ulysses FUMC seeks worship leader
- Pleasant Valley UMC seeks director of children's ministries
- Submit a classified and view other ads.
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
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