Wednesday, July 25, 2018

GPconnect for Wednesday, 25 July 2018:ay Forward goes public, UMY Institute from The Great Plains Conference communications of the United Methodist Church in Topeka, Kansas, United States

GPconnect for Wednesday, 25 July 2018:ay Forward goes public, UMY Institute from The Great Plains Conference communications of the United Methodist Church in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Download the printable version of the July 25 issue of GPconnect.
In this edition:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES:
MERCY & JUSTICE:
ACROSS THE CONNECTION:
Full report from Commission on a Way Forward available
The first public details of proposed legislation setting out three proposals for resolving the denomination's differences over human sexuality and the ordination of LGBTQ people, as well as the full report of the Commission on a Way Forward , are part of the United Methodist Judicial Council's October docket. The legislation will go to the special 2019 General Conference.
Court docket details proposed plans for UMC by Linda Bloom, Kathy L. Gilbert and Vicki Brown, UMNS
The Rev. Tom Steagald of Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, reads the One Church Plan during a break at the July 17 Uniting Methodist Conference in Dallas. The three plans and the full Way Forward report were part of the Judicial Council’s October docket. Photo by Sam Hodges, UMNS.
The first public details of proposed legislation setting out three proposals for resolving the denomination’s differences over homosexuality are included in theUnited Methodist Judicial Council’s October docket.
The special 2019 General Conference — set for Feb. 23-26 in St. Louis — will attempt to find a way forward for The United Methodist Church by considering the three different plans included in the report developed by the Commission on a Way Forward. The full report and all the legislation are part of the docket.
The Council of Bishops has asked the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court, to rule on whether the proposed legislation for the One Church, Connectional Conference and Traditional plans passes the constitutional test. The Judicial Council meets Oct. 23-26 in Zurich.
Included in the 231-page request from the bishops is the full Way Forward Commission report, 17 petitions related to implementation of the One Church Plan, 14 petitions for implementation of the Connectional Conference Plan and 17 petitions for implementation of the Traditional Plan.
The bishops have requested an oral hearing on the plans during the meeting in Zurich.
The bishops, who appointed the 32-member Way Forward Commission, originally said the plans would be made public by July 8, but then delayed the release of the report because translation into the four official languages of General Conference was not complete. General Conference organizers then said they expect the translated report would be available by July 30.
The Rev. Thomas M. Berlin, Patricia Miller and the Rev. Thomas Lambrecht were named as the respondents to the petition because they were asked by the council to submit the proposed legislation on behalf of the commission. Berlin submitted for the One Church Plan, Miller for the Connectional Conferences Plan and Lambrecht for the Traditional Plan.
One Church Plan
“The One Church Plan gives churches the room they need to maximize the presence of a United Methodist witness in as many places in the world as possible,” says the opening statement on a report on the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.
The report said the plan honors the connectional nature of The United Methodist Church and that no annual conferences, bishops, congregations or pastors are “compelled to act contrary to their convictions.”
Key issues of the legislation include eliminating the Book of Discipline language, “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.”
Also deleted is the requirement that ordained clergy not be “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.” Each annual conference board of ordained ministry and clergy session may determine standards for ordination or certification, including standards related to human sexuality.
Where laws in civil society define marriage as union between two adults, no United Methodist elder or deacon is required to celebrate or bless a same-sex union. But a clergy person cannot be prohibited from performing same-sex marriages, unions or blessings.
Clergy who cannot in good conscience continue to serve in a conference or church based on the standards for ordination regarding homosexuals may seek to transfer. All clergy with security of appointment shall continue under appointment by the bishop of the annual conference.
Local church members can decide what is best for their congregational and missional context related to same-sex marriage on church property. Local churches must vote — in a church conference open to all members — to allow their property to be used for a same-sex ceremony.
These changes apply only to the jurisdictional conferences in the U.S., according to the report from the Commission on a Way Forward.
“Central conferences, through the work of the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters, will have the authority to retain the present language regarding chargeable offenses of clergy and questions of ordination related to homosexuality found in the Book of Discipline (2016) or adopt working in these paragraphs that best serves their missional contexts.”
The One Church Plan ends the threat of church trials over same-gender weddings. Local churches already have the authority to establish wedding policies, and pastors already discern whom they will or will not marry.
The Way Forward report also asks the General Council of Finance and Administration to find means consistent with the Book of Discipline to ensure each jurisdictional conference or area supports the costs of its own episcopal leader and office.
Under the heading “Theological and Biblical Foundations,” the report said the One Church Plan offers more space for both traditionalists and progressives.
“United Methodists in central conferences want space to shape conversations about sexuality according to their national context and without replicating whatever practices shape churches in the United States.
“Other United Methodists want to give space as generously as possible without compromising core identity and mission.”
The One Church Plan honors United Methodists who believe that the denomination’s impasse over marriage and ordination of homosexual individuals “does not rise to the level of a church dividing.”
The report spells out the effects of the One Church Plan on each segment of The United Methodist Church.
“This plan minimizes disruption in the local church (in most cases) and gives freedom to churches to adapt in order to minister to the LGBTQ community in their context. It allows for independence as well as interdependence and creates a contextual church for the next generation.”
The plan allows clergy to remain or leave the church because of a change in language of the Book of Discipline. Their vested pension will be protected at the time of their departure. It also allows clergy to transfer to another annual conference.
According to the commission, no amendments will need to be made to the constitution. If passed at the 2019 General Conference, the One Church Plan could take effect on Jan. 1, 2020. However it is recommended that the church take until Dec. 31, 2020, to fully implement the plan to give everyone time to acclimate.
All three plans contain provisions for handling pension funds, but the One Church and Connectional plans contain no provisions for churches that want to change their relationship with The United Methodist Church. According to the Way Forward report, the Council of Bishops indicated that there were already provisions in place for a church that might want to leave.
“The language of ‘exit’ should be used carefully so as not to encourage people to look for an ‘exit’ but rather to help The United Methodist Church focus on unity,” the Council of Bishops said in the Way Forward report.
The Traditional Plan does include provisions for self-governing churches and annual conferences as well as dealing with church property.
Traditional Plan
The Traditional Plan would affirm current language in the Book of Discipline, which bans “self-avowed and practicing” gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions. It would also enforce those bans swiftly and strictly.
The plan’s legislative petitions also provide a way for churches and annual conferences that disagree with strict enforcement to set up self-governing or “autonomous, affiliated or concordant” churches or conferences.
According to the Way Forward report, a “Traditional Model” was prepared by a few members of the Council of Bishops and was not the work of commission.
Support for this plan on both the commission and council was “modest enough” that earlier work on the model was discontinued, then resumed in May at the request of the Council of Bishops that a traditional plan be developed, the report said.
Other provisions include:
  • Broadening the definition of “self-avowed practicing homosexual” to include anyone living in a same-sex marriage, domestic partnership or civil union, or who publicly states that he or she is a homosexual.
  • Setting minimum penalties and quicker expulsion after conviction of violations.
  • Requiring bishops and annual conferences to certify that they would uphold, enforce and maintain Disciplinary standards on LGBTQ marriage and ordination. Bishops who could not do so would not be eligible for compensation for expenses after 2021 and would be urged to join the self-governing churches.
  • Preventing bishops from consecrating, ordaining or commissioning a “self-avowed homosexual” even if that person had been elected or approved by the relevant jurisdictional conference or clergy session. That petition does not include the term “practicing” as part of the ban.
  • Reviewing the status of bishops who could not certify they would uphold the Discipline through a newly created Council of Bishops’ Council Relations Committee for possible action.
  • Handling complaints against bishops under new provisions set out in a constitutional amendment that was ratified in May and aimed at requiring the Council of Bishops to hold its members accountable.
  • Setting a strict timeline for new provisions for handling complaints and making dismissal of complaints more difficult.
  • Allowing local churches that disagree with a conference decision not to enforce the Discipline to remain with The United Methodist Church.
  • Allowing local churches in a conference that plans to enforce the bans to join the “autonomous, affiliated, or concordant” church if they disagree with their conference. Groups of 50 or more churches could form new denominations.
  • Encouraging clergy who could not maintain the ban on LGBTQ marriage and ordination to leave the denomination and join the affiliated churches.
  • Requiring any just resolution of a complaint to contain a commitment not to repeat the offense.
  • Requiring every annual conference to certify that they would maintain the bans and conferences that did not “would be encouraged” to form self-governing bodies.
  • Continuing the current general agencies that could negotiate their services with churches and conferences that leave the denomination.
  • Requiring the conference Board of Ordained Ministry to conduct an examination to ascertain whether a candidate was a practicing homosexual, including looking at information on social media.
The Traditional Plan recognizes that “because of the current deep conflict over The United Methodist Church’s position on marriage and sexuality,” a church or conference may want to form a self-governing church,” the Way Forward report said. The plan sets out a timeline for conferences to vote on that issue and detailed procedures for how funds will be handled, including pensions.
The implementation timeline would have the Traditional Plan in place by Jan. 1, 2021.
Connectional Conference Plan
The Connectional Conference plan would simplify the general church structure and provide “both space and connection between those parts of the church currently in deep conflict,” the Way Forward Commission report says.
The plan would replace the five U.S. jurisdictions with three connectional conferences that are “values-based” rather than geographic in nature.
The denomination’s current central conferences, which are outside the U.S., could join one of the three U.S. conferences to form a global conference or create their own connectional conference. However, the individual annual conferences that disagree with the decision of their central conference have the option of voting to join a different connectional conference.
Each connectional conference would create its own Book of Discipline that includes items “commonly agreed upon by United Methodists,” with the authority to adapt other items not included in a General Book of Discipline.
Each connectional conference’s College of Bishops would provide episcopal oversight and accountability and would handle elections, assignments and funding. U.S. conferences would pay for their own bishops, with all U.S. conferences continuing to support bishops outside the U.S. The larger Council of Bishops would focus on ecumenical relations and shared learning.
Each connectional conference would have its own administration and financing; its own policies regarding LGBTQ weddings and ordination and its own standards for clergy.
Justice ministries related to racism and sexism would be organized at the connectional conference level and held accountable by the general church. Cross-connectional conference cooperation and partnerships would remain the same and all connectional conferences would continue to support mission work and ministry outside the U.S.
A shortened General Conference would retain authority over the church’s shared doctrine and the services of continuing general agencies. As a venue, General Conference would serve as a gathering place for worship, inspiration and the sharing of best practices.
The commission’s report specifies Wespath, the Publishing House, the General Council on Finance and Administration, the Commission on Archives and History and parts of the Board of Global Ministries, including the United Methodist Committee on Relief, as “continuing general agencies,” with the future structure of other agencies to be determined “by which connectional conferences desire to participate in them.”
The Judicial Council, whose membership would include two persons elected by each connectional conference, would have authority over all judicial matters based on the respective connectional conference Books of Discipline. But conferences also could have their own separate courts.
Included in the procedure and timeline for the Connectional Conference plan:
• The first level of connectional conference affiliation would be at the jurisdictional level. Annual conferences that disagree can choose a different conference, and no local church is required to take a vote unless the choices is different than its annual conference.
• Jurisdictional property would belong to the affiliated connectional conference. Church-owned or church-related entities could make their own affiliation decisions.
• Unless determined otherwise, central conferences would be authorized to elect bishops in 2020, as scheduled. Regions not electing bishops in 2020 would have the mandatory retirement age of bishops waived until 2022.
• A Standing Committee on Connectional Conferences would be established by the 2020 General Conference to help the Council of Bishops facilitate cross-conference connections and cooperative ministry.
• General Conference 2024 would be postponed to 2025 to allow time for the transition and to “disconnect succeeding General Conferences from the U.S. election cycle.”
Read the full docket item submitted by the Council of Bishops.
Bloom is the assistant news editor for United Methodist News Service and is based in New York. Gilbert, multimedia reporter, and Brown, UMNS news editor, are based in Nashville.
Contact them at (615)742-5470 or newsdesk@UMNews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests
Read more about the three plans.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. is encouraging members of the Great Plains Conference to read all of the proposals in their entirety, and to interact with the Great Plains delegation as the time for a special session of the General Conference in February in St. Louis nears.
"Regardless of decisions made in February, we will remain focused on our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," Bishop Saenz writes. "We will continue our work, wherever our mission field is, as faithful followers of Christ."
Bishop invites all to read Commission on a Way Forward report
COMMISSION ON A WAY FORWARD with Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. from Great Plains UMC on Vimeo.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. prepared the following statement to the people of the Great Plains Conference in relation to the release of the report from the Commission on a Way Forward to the Council of Bishops. The letter was to be released as soon as the report was translated into the official languages of the church. However, the Judicial Council posted the commission's report as part of its posting of documents leading up to the Judicial Council's next meeting. Therefore, the bishop invites you to view this video now and to read the full Commission on a Way Forward report.
Sisters and Brothers of the Great Plains Conference,
As part of the Judicial Council’s procedure for releasing documents pertinent to upcoming rulings, the full report from the Commission on a Way Forward has been released for public viewing prior to its translation into all the official languages of The United Methodist Church, as had been the intent of the Council of Bishops.
The report is now available for review and for prayerful consideration by clergy and lay delegates, as well as people of our denomination, as we move closer to the special session of General Conference, called for Feb. 23-26, 2019, in St. Louis.
Please read the full report here. I also have shot the accompanying video to share some thoughts with you as we discern how to move forward in unity as The United Methodist Church.
I want to publicly thank the members of the commission for their work, and I ask all of you to pray for our denomination as we make important decisions regarding human sexuality.
I also invite you to send any questions or comments you may have regarding this presenting issue to our General Conference delegation at gcdelegates@greatplainsumc.org. It is important that the people representing our conference know what their constituency is thinking as they and others from around the world make such important decisions.
Finally, I invite you to attend one of our town-hall meetings, starting in August and going through November. You can find the locations, times and dates here.
Thank you for taking the time to read the commission’s report, for watching my brief video and for your prayers. Regardless of decisions made in February, we will remain focused on our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We will continue our work, wherever our mission field is, as faithful followers of Christ.
Peace,

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.
Read more from the bishop, including his video message to the conference.
Check the schedule for Bishop Saenz's 18 town hall meetings throughout the Great Plains Conference.
Check out constantly updated information on our Forward in Unity page.
At Baker University, UMY Institute carries on family, faith tradition
For more than a century, the United Methodist Institute has had a home at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, which Rev. Kurt Cooper calls "one of the gems" in the Institute system.
That tradition can be seen in one family, which sent its fourth generation to Institute last week, while the young man's mother, grandmother and great-grandmother remembered their time there and encouraged their relative.
UMY Institute continues legacy of inspiring, motivating youth
The “Who’s Been Here the Longest?” competition during visitors’ night at United Methodist Youth Institute was no contest.
Alumni of the weeklong gathering, simply known as Institute, were asked to stand if they were there in 2010, then 2005, 2000, with one attending in 1980.
But the winner was in the next-to-back row of Baldwin City First United Methodist Church, which was packed for the midweek celebration on July 18.
Evelyn Jackson, nearing her 99th birthday, attended the youth gathering from 1936-38, when it was at Southwestern College in Winfield – one of several that used to take place in the state. The lone site for Institute in the Great Plains has been at Baker University for many years.
“It was very instrumental, I guess you would say, in keeping me pointed north,” said Jackson, who attended while a member of Wichita Bethany UMC. “It was a wonderful personal experience, and I was glad I had it.”
Although she didn’t keep in touch with others she attended Institute with – remember, this is many decades before social media – she remembers early morning wakeup calls and singing “Gospel songs and our hymns and silly songs,” even launching into a ditty about “Epworth Leaguers,” the precursor to United Methodist Youth.
Not only was Jackson the oldest alumnus in the sanctuary, she was the first of four generations who have attended Institute, all of whom were in attendance: her daughter, Doris Housh, and granddaughter, Deanna Likes, were also there, to see Jackson’s great-grandson, Ira Likes, attending his first Institute.
“It’s all been great,” said Ira Likes, entering his freshman year of high school in Manhattan this fall. “It’s given me some better information for my opinions.”
Doris Housh -- Jackson’s daughter and Ira’s grandmother -- attended Institute for several years while it was at Kansas Wesleyan in Salina.
“It deepened my faith,” said Housh, office manager at Lenexa St. Paul’s UMC, who attends Shawnee Monticello UMC with her mother.
Looking over the congregation of alumni and this year’s campers – 83 of them, plus another 20-some counselors – she said she felt good.
“I think it’s great that we still have Institute in this conference,” she said. “I’m glad we’ve kept that tradition alive. It’s a tribute to the people who have kept it going, and to the kids who still have an interest in deepening their faith.”
Deanna Likes, Ira’s mother, said “it’s kind of surreal being here” with Institute alumni she hasn’t seen in decades.
“I kind of feel like I’m part of Institute’s history, and my mom and my grandma are part of Institute’s history, and now my son gets to be a part of it,” said Likes, communications coordinator for Manhattan First UMC.
Likes, a veteran of six Institutes as a camper and care-group leader in the ‘90s, said the first response she hears from fellow veterans echoes hers – “It changed my life.”
“There’s that common language and that common experience,” she said. “I think it’s the single most important event in terms of overall experiences … learning from other people, learning their faith and then developing my own.”
The Rev. Kurt Cooper, community life coordinator for Institute, said the Baker University-based sessions were one of the earliest of what numbered into the hundreds in the 1920s and ‘30s.
“It had a core group of folks at the university and in the town who were dedicated to making this happen,” said Cooper, campus pastor at Emporia State University. “This one was referred to as the gem of the Institutes. There was something going on here, and this was the one that people who travel to come to.”
Cooper said campers get a variety of experiences while spending their week in Baldwin City, from large worship services to small group discussions, and word-of-mouth keeps new attendees coming every year.
“They get really great small group experience here, and they get the chance to lead their peers,” he said. “There are adult leaders, but most of the leadership that happens up front here is because youth lead each other.”
Rev. Jeff Clinger, spiritual life coordinator for Institute, was one of those youth who was partially inspired to go into the ministry because of his week in Baldwin City.
“It’s such a unique community in that acceptance and welcome is lived,” said Clinger, pastor of Topeka First UMC. “There’s a culture that kind of continues from year to year, session to session.
“It’s just that special atmosphere,” he added.
David Burke, communications department, can be contacted at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
Read more about UMY Institute.
Clergy Excellence
Ministry Management Workshops set
for October in Overland Park, Omaha
Two Ministry Management Workshops have been scheduled for October by Servant Keeper.
The workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the Holiday Inn, Overland Park; and Thursday, Oct. 4, at the Holiday Inn in downtown Omaha.
By attending the Ministry Management Workshop you’ll have the opportunity to see up-close the tools that over 35,000 other churches and non-profit organizations are using to grow their ministries while being better stewards of their resources.
Servant Keeper, vetted by the General Council of Finance and Administration, is working with thousands of United Methodist churches.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Amy Bechdel at Servant Keeper, amyb@servantpc.com or 570-748-2800, Ext. 102.
Equipping Disciples
Young people from 40 countries 
gather at convocation in South Africa
More than 330 United Methodist young adults gathered for five days of conversation, worship and fellowship at the fourth Global Young People’s Convocation last week in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The delegates from 40 countries in four regions of the world came together for the leadership development event organized by Young People’s Ministries, a division of United Methodist Discipleship Ministries.
The delegates discussed issues affecting young people and unity in the church.
The Great Plains was represented by Kailie Hamilton, Hesston, Kansas; Arianna Jacobson, Fremont, Nebraska; Emily Robinson, Andover, Kansas; Te Gatobu, Lincoln; Roy Koech, Hays, Kansas; and Megan Rust, Leavenworth, Kansas.
Young people from 40 countries gather at convocation by Eveline Chikwanah, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (UMNS)
Delegates sing during worship at the Global Young People’s Convocation. The gathering brings together young United Methodists from 40 countries to discuss issues affecting young people and unity in the church. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah.Josephin Trabitzsch from Germany joins in singing during worship at the United Methodist Global Young People’s Convocation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah.Landry Seki of Côte D’Ivoire (left) and Bill N. Gaye of Liberia visit at the United Methodist Global Young People’s Convocation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah.Delegates sing during worship at the Global Young People’s Convocation. The gathering brings together young United Methodists from 40 countries to discuss issues affecting young people and unity in the church. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah.Josephin Trabitzsch from Germany joins in singing during worship at the United Methodist Global Young People’s Convocation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah.Landry Seki of Côte D’Ivoire (left) and Bill N. Gaye of Liberia visit at the United Methodist Global Young People’s Convocation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah.Delegates sing during worship at the Global Young People’s Convocation. The gathering brings together young United Methodists from 40 countries to discuss issues affecting young people and unity in the church. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah.
More than 330 United Methodist young adults gathered for five days of conversation, worship and fellowship at the fourth Global Young People’s Convocation.
The delegates from 40 countries in four regions of the world came together for the leadership development event organized by Young People’s Ministries, a division of United Methodist Discipleship Ministries.
The delegates discussed issues affecting young people and unity in the church.
Kakou Francois Moro, 29, of Côte d’Ivoire, said his group discussed politics and theology. “We looked at how the church can help implement democracy in countries holding national elections,” he said.
Another group discussed “Interfaith dialogue in the South African context” and agreed the call to love our neighbor includes those outside our faith.
Lily Majamaa, 27, of Nigeria said he learned The United Methodist Church offers resources for spiritual growth through discipleship and leadership development.
“This is my first time to attend GYPC. I really enjoyed the group discussions with people from all parts of the world. I made connections and will continue to communicate with my new friends after this event,” he said.
Arkansas Conference delegate, Miller Wilbourn, 22, was part of the workshop that discussed migration.
“We talked about how the way our Christian faith and our understanding of scripture informs the way we should act towards strangers in our countries, whether they are migrants looking for work or fleeing violence and other situations at home,” he said.
“We heard different stories from people who had to flee their homes and we discussed the political forces which cause global migration and how governments failed to adhere to United Nations guidelines on treatment of migrants.”
Anna Shipley, 18, attended the workshop on discerning the call to ministry. “We talked about different prayer practices and ways to listen before you try to move forward. I also participated in group discussions about feminism and women’s rights,” she said.
Deinah Lurpo Quire, 28, of Liberia, was interested in responding to the call to ministry. “I learned how to respond to a call, how to listen to the word of God and how to discern if God is speaking to you,” she said.
Quire, daughter of Liberian Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr., said she received the call to ministry before her father was elected bishop.
“I still had to find my place — whether to go into discipleship or become an ordained minister. I finally got the opportunity to serve as a Global Mission Fellow, so I feel I am called to discipleship,” she said.
Tyler Smoot, the worship coordinator for the convocation, said the theme “United We Go” was selected by the worship team to highlight the work of the church in the world.
“The situation in the church is tense right now and we wanted to speak about uniting. For young people, it is important that the church does not simply exist, but it goes out serving in the world and mission,” he said.
“The planning team realized each of the words could be isolated and stand as a miniature theme. On the first and last day, we brought all the words together, but on other days we had worship focusing on single words.”
Smoot, an Alabama law student who is a volunteer on the event planning team, said the colors were chosen from the South African flag.
“The symbol is an artistic design of a tree. The concept was devised when we visited Constitution Hill in Johannesburg and learned that trees were community of meeting places. We were told in many African cultures, chiefs would gather under a tree to settle disputes or have conversations,” Smoot said.
“Indaba is Zulu, meaning gathering or conversation, so the venue — Indaba Hotel and Conference Centre — is an appropriate place for our global gathering.”
He said it is challenging to hold conversation in the church right now because there is a lot of tension about sexuality and the nature of the church and Bible interpretation.
“The legislation at GYPC2018 is about conversation and trying to build relationships,” Smoot said.
Bishop Joaquina F. Nhanala, leader of the Mozambique Episcopal Area, which includes South Africa, said it is important for the church to be united.
“There is strength in unity and weakness in division. You are very important in the body of Christ because you were called by God,” the bishop said.
“If you want to move fast, move alone, but if you want to go far, you must move together. We want to go far as a church.”
Mighty Rasing, director of program development for Young People’s Ministries, said the convocation is an opportunity for young people to come together, build relationships and share their personal stories about engagement in the church.
“At GYPC2018, we have intentionally provided spaces for those conversations and for those stories to be shared. I am really excited about the stories that will be told and the ministries that will be celebrated and the connections and partnerships to be formed at this convocation,” Rasing said.
“We have come together as United Methodists from around the world to pray together, discern together and journey together.”
Chikwanah is a communicator of the Zimbabwe East Conference.
News media contact: Vicki Brown, news editor, newsdesk@umcom.org or 615-742-5469. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.
Read more from the United Methodist News Service.
Deadline for Education Partnership Grants applications is Aug. 20
Great Plains Annual Conference is accepting Education Partnership Grant requests for the fifth year to encourage congregations to build relationships with their local or neighborhood schools. Pastors and Lay Leaders are encouraged to go to the Great Plains website to find a number or resources and tools to strengthen your work and vision for building these relationships. You’ll find the information here.
Grant requests should be forwarded to Rev. Nathan Stanton in the office of Congregational Excellence by Aug. 20.
CONNECT events for youth set for
Aug. 18, 25 at four Great Plains camps
Youth in 6th-12th grades — join us at your favorite camp for the CONNECT Event! This is your chance to CONNECT with God and other youth through great worship, an engaging speaker, and your favorite camp activities. Maybe you'll even reCONNECT with some old camp friends! Lunch and dinner included.
CONNECT Events:
August 18:
August 25:
Questions? Contact Sara Shaw or Zack Ledford.
Mercy & Justice
Justice in the Holy Land: Peacebuilding in Israel, Palestine
From June 26 through July 2, the Micah Corps interns traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit and attend seminars at the General Board of Church and Society. The seminars covered many of the issues that Micah Corps addresses throughout the summer, such as immigration, the environment, food insecurity, and peace and nonviolence. The Micah Corps interns had the opportunity during that week to meet with Nada El-Eryan of Eye Witness Palestine and Rabbi Joseph Berman (pictured above) of Jewish Voice for Peace.
Ms. El-Eryan spoke about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and what daily life looks like in occupied Palestine. Palestinians living in East Jerusalem face many difficulties, e.g. they must apply for Israeli residency status. This is a difficult process as they must be able to complete various tasks, which for some include attending school without missing any days. Conflicts that happen in the city can prevent students from attending classes and in result voids their residency status. The tensions in the city have grown as Israel has announced its Jerusalem 2020 plan where they will decrease the percentage of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem to maintain their desired demographics. The United States’ announcement and then move of its embassy has tightened those tensions even more. The embassy sits on the border of East and West Jerusalem.
Rabbi Berman spoke mainly about policy and current legislation in regard to the situation in Israel and Palestine and how to have conversations about this issue. There are several bills that are currently being debated in Congress. One of them is No Way to Treat a Child, HR 4391, which is the first piece of legislation introduced into Congress that is in favor of Palestine. This bill documents the human rights violations and states that no US funding can go to the dehumanization of people anywhere in the world, especially children in occupied Palestine. This bill creates a transparency mechanism for how US taxpayer money is spent.
The United Methodist Book of Resolutions addresses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict stating, “We seek for all people in the Middle East region an end to military occupation, freedom from violence, and full respect for the human rights of all under international law...
Therefore, be it resolved, that The United Methodist Church opposes continued military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, the confiscation of Palestinian land and water resources, the destruction of Palestinian homes, the continued building of illegal Jewish settlements, and any vision of a "Greater Israel" that includes the occupied territories and the whole of Jerusalem and its surroundings. ” Our Social Creed also states, “We commit ourselves to the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging and people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the rights and dignity of all persons.” As United Methodists we are called to stand up for the oppressed to work towards peace for all peoples regardless of their status in life, place of origin, or religion.
To learn more about the situation in the Holy Land and take action, please follow the Great Plains Holy Land Task Force Facebook page or contact the leader of the Holy Land Task Force, Carol Ekdahl Garwood at cgarwood62@gmail.com. (Mandi Hawthorne, Micah Corps intern)
Great Plains intern featured in Church and Society video, blog
Roy Koech (far right, back row, with other Ethnic Young Adult Interns), an intern from the Great Plains Conference with the General Board of Church and Society, is featured in a video from GCBS about the work it is doing in communities and throughout the world.
“We really like to put our words into action, not only in the pews, but we’re also out in the streets,” said Koech, son of the Rev. Ezekiel Koech and the Rev. Alice Koech. “And that’s true all across the world.”
Watch the video.
A former Micah Corps member, Koech reminisced about his summer internship last year with the Great Plains’ social justice group in this blog for GCBS:FAITH IN ACTION
The boys (and girls) in blue
Last year, I visited the United Methodist Building for the first time as a Micah Corps intern. Each year the group from the Great Plains pays a visit Washington, D.C., to learn a little more about advocacy and what the United Methodist Church is doing at a general level. This week they came back, bringing their blue t-shirts and a little nostalgia with them.
Roy Koech
One of the first things you learn as a Micah intern is the difference between mercy and justice. Just in case you haven’t heard, let me give it a quick rundown: Mercy is like giving a hungry man a fish, but justice is teaching the hungry man how to fish and then also making sure that the man has equal access to a lake and fishing resources. Just giving the man a fish does solve the immediate problem, but the man will still be hungry tomorrow. Teaching the man to fish and making sure he has equal access opportunities not only benefits him on a long-term basis but also the community as a whole.
Both mercy and justice are necessary, yet mercy ministries are by far the more popular. It makes sense– positive change is instantaneous, mission trips are almost always accompanied with a chance for tourism, hearts are touched on both sides, etc. But what about justice work? It’s not very often that you see positive change after one week of hard work, but we need justice ministries if we ever hope to seriously eradicate systems of injustice. Not only that, but the church should be so eager to advocate for and with those whose voices cannot be heard that it is repeatedly at the forefront of the discussion. Yet, for some reason, there has been visible pushback to The United Methodist Church’s stance on immigration, which says:
We call upon all United Methodist churches to welcome newly arriving migrants in their communities, to love them as we do ourselves, to treat them as one of our native-born, to see in them the presence of the incarnated Jesus, and to show hospitality to the migrants in our midst, believing that through their presence we are receiving the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The church has always made it a point to take some sort of caretaker role in society, providing shelters, schooling, and more. Help has not always been requested, and there are certainly instances in which the church did not take that role in good faith, but at the root of it all is a sense that the church is a capable guardian and it has a responsibility to act as such. That sense is still there; I can personally recall multiple occasions in which the local police directed hitchhikers to the church parsonage because they needed help and they knew that the pastor could figure something out for them. So why must that come to an abrupt halt? Why shouldn’t the church continue to work for justice? The verse Micah 6:8 (NRSV), from which Micah Corps takes its name, says, “…and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
The Lord is only asking us to do three things. How could we mess that up?
Read his recollections of Micah Corps.
Across the Connection
It's a beautiful day for neighboring
in new Lincoln area startup church
A revival of interest in "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," including a new documentary about the PBS children's series, comes at a time when a new church -- Neighbors Church -- is starting in the Fallbrook area in the northwest section of Lincoln.
The church, led by Trever Rook and his wife, Alison, prides itself on one-on-one connections, as well as simplicity and authenticity.
TOP STORY
New Fallbrook-area church shares Mr. Rogers’ message of acceptance
Lorenzo Gans, 4, looks at a song sheet with his mother Jen Gans near the end of a Sunday morning service at Neighbors Church. The church, which has been meeting in a common room of the Brookside Apartments at Fallbrook, will soon move to a larger location. NICOLE NERI, Journal Star
Pastor Trever Rook has a background in comedy, and he isn’t afraid to improvise.
During a recent Sunday morning service at Neighbors Church, he decided to try a different approach to Holy Communion.
After explaining the sacrament’s significance, he asked for two volunteers, and suggested they say something more unconventional as they served.
As each one approached the table, they heard the words “you are special” as they picked up a piece of bread, and “just as you are” as they dipped it into a chalice of white grape juice.
Holy Communion is offered at Neighbors Church by on-the-spot volunteers from the congregation.NICOLE NERI, Journal Star
The phrases were inspired by the television show “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” — a significant influence of the Fallbrook-area church, which started this year and has been built around sincerely loving people as they are, Rook said.
The church began after the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church saw a need for a Methodist church in the developing area in northwest Lincoln, which has two nearby Lutheran churches and a Catholic church.
The church meets in the Brookside Apartments at Fallbrook clubhouse at 7300 Tallgrass Parkway.
Blue River District Superintendent Bill Ritter asked Rook and his wife, Alison, who both have experience leading Methodist churches, to charter the new church.
They moved to the area from Ord last summer and started reaching out to local residents.
“It started with Alison and me taking one or two people out for coffee,” Trever Rook said. “The DNA was really based on one-on-one conversations.”
People said they wanted “simplicity and authenticity,” said Alison Rook, the church’s connections director.
They also wanted to worship without pretense, she said.
The church’s approach is extremely relevant to modern society, said Nathan Stanton, the Great Plains Conference director of congregational excellence.
“They’re bringing a unique voice of openness, of worship that is much more informal,” Stanton said. “They’re chasing after a vision that … could create a powerful place for worship and discipleship in the midst of our culture.”
Fred Rogers rehearses the opening of his PBS show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" during a 1989 taping in Pittsburgh. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Television icon Fred Rogers, who was an ordained Presbyterian minister, was also a part of those conversations.
The Rooks bought and shared copies of the book “The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers," and discussed Rogers’ beliefs as they apply to religion.
Rogers’ message of self-respect, kindness and dignity resonated in those conversations.
“Naturally, everyone loved the idea of promoting (his) kindness,” Trever Rook said. “They wanted a pastor to come in and tell the (biblical) stories and be sincere about it, and to be able to do that with each other.”
So they built worship services around that idea.
Because of that, Sundays at Neighbors Church don’t have features such as a flashy worship band, because “the more layers of show you put on, the less sincere you get,” Trever Rook said.
Instead, it’s a low-key service with one song leader playing acoustic guitar. Because of this intentional simplification, services feel more laid-back and open to attendees, more like a living room or coffee shop hangout, he said.
Another thing missing from services is the “passing of the plate,” a set time where worship leaders solicit donations from members.
“If people were sitting in my living room having conversations about God, I wouldn’t say, ‘Now you gotta pay,’” Trever Rook said.
The Neighbors Church leadership team is finding ways to become fiscally self-sufficient, especially through electronic giving. It also is using methods to grow the church, ranging from social media outreach to providing food to raise awareness.
To be sustainable, churches need to have about 150 active and supporting members, Trever Rook said, and Neighbors has about 50 active members.
The church receives support through the Great Plains Conference, which it will need to start contributing to when it officially charters in about three years.
Alison Rook said people are getting engaged with the donation process through honest conversations about faith and the church’s goals.
Neighbors is building a worship space in the Fallbrook Town Center, alongside restaurants, offices and boutiques. Trever Rook envisions it will also be a workspace, providing free coffee and water during the week, with three services every Sunday. He hopes others will rent the space for meetings and receptions.
The space should be finished by early September, a few weeks before Neighbors’ public launch. On Sept. 21, the church will screen the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” about Rogers’ life, and Amy Hollingsworth, author of “The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers,” will give a presentation about Rogers, his faith and her book.
As Neighbors continues to grow, Alison Rook has been adding more opportunities for discipleship and community outreach. There were small group meetings last year and she wants to implement more youth programming.
Most of all, she said, the church has been adapting to its members’ needs, and isn’t afraid to experiment with different approaches.
“We’re creating a community or space for people who haven’t found a space to connect with God,” she said.
Trever Rook said people at Neighbors Church want to take a different approach to worship.
“The people we seem to be attracting are amazing, creative thinkers. They want something different,” he said. “And oddly enough, what seems to be different is going back to the basics, going back to the original.
“I think people feel less threatened. They feel comfortable to come in and be who they are.”
Amanda Whited, who went to her first Neighbors service July 8, said she appreciated the accepting and unpretentious environment.
“It’s not just the basic, ‘You have to be a perfect Christian to be here,’” she said. “Like (Trever Rook) said, everybody makes mistakes and that’s OK, as long as you can grow and build off of that.”
Whited recently moved to Lincoln with her three children and was raised Presbyterian, but chose Neighbors because she wanted a church and pastor she could relate to. After her first experience, she said she’d be coming back with the whole family.
“It won’t be this quiet next time when we’re all here,” she said.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or ecase@journalstar.com
Read more in this story from the Lincoln Journal Star.
Watch more about Neighbors in this report from KLKN-TV.
Lenexa UMC's PEANUTS celebrates 30 years of mission outreach
PEANUTS (People Experiencing A New Understanding Through Service) Mission Trips has been a major part of outreach for the youth of Lenexa United Methodist Church for 30 years. In July, they traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota.
Here is the group's report to the congregation.
Southwestern again named as a College of Distinction
For the second consecutive year, Southwestern College has been recognized for its committed implementation of high-impact educational practices, earning its title as one of the nation’s Colleges of Distinction.
“We are absolutely thrilled to recognize Southwestern College as a College of Distinction for its effective dedication to student success,” said Tyson Schritter, chief operating officer for Colleges of Distinction. “Colleges of Distinction is so impressed with Southwestern’s curriculum, which is enriched with the kind of high-impact educational practices that are most crucial for student development. Such innovative engagement is preparing the next generation of young adults to thrive after college.”
Colleges of Distinction’s selection process consists of a review of each institution’s freshman experience and retention efforts alongside its general education programs, alumni success, strategic plan, student satisfaction, and more. Schools are accepted on the basis that they adhere to four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community, and successful outcomes.
“We are very pleased to once again be included in the Colleges of Distinction recognition this year,” says Ross Peterson-Veatch, vice president for academic affairs at Southwestern College. “While other ranking organizations use figures that do not represent the whole student experience that we offer, Colleges of Distinction does a remarkable job of gathering information that is directly relevant to the kind of education SC is proud to provide. We applaud their effort to tell the real story of colleges and to raise the profile of the importance of their four distinctions. Higher education is critical for the future of our students and our communities and it is an honor to be recognized for our commitment to both.”
“Colleges of Distinction is far more than a ranking list of colleges and universities,” said Schritter. “We seek out the schools that are wholly focused on the student experience, constantly working to produce graduates who are prepared for a rapidly changing global society. Now recognized as a College of Distinction, Southwestern College stands out in the way it strives to help its students to learn, grow, and succeed.”
Since 2000, the Colleges of Distinction website and guidebook have honored schools throughout the U.S. for their excellence in undergraduate-focused higher education. The cohort of schools in the Colleges of Distinction consortium distinguish themselves through their focus on the undergraduate experience. The website and annual guidebooks provide dynamic college profiles, customized tools, and resources for students, parents and high school counselors,
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