Download the printable version of the July 25 issue of GPconnect.
In this edition:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Full report from Commission on a Way Forward available
At Baker University, UMY Institute carries on family, faith tradition
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Ministry Management Workshops set for October in Overland Park, Omaha
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Young people from 40 countries gather at convocation in South Africa
Deadline for Education Partnership Grants applications is Aug. 20
CONNECT events for youth set for Aug. 18, 25 at four Great Plains camps
MERCY & JUSTICE
Justice in the Holy Land: Peacebuilding in Israel, Palestine
Great Plains intern featured in Church and Society video, blog
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
It's a beautiful day for neighboring in new Lincoln area startup church
Lenexa UMC's PEANUTS celebrates 30 years of mission outreach
Southwestern again named as a College of Distinction
In other news
Newsletters
The week ahead
Classifieds
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.
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."
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.
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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.
Read more about UMY Institute.
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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.
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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.
Read more from the United Methodist News Service.
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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.
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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:
Questions? Contact Sara Shaw or Zack Ledford.
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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
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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:
Read his recollections of Micah Corps.
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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.
Read more in this story from the Lincoln Journal Star.
Watch more about Neighbors in this report from KLKN-TV.
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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.
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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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In other news
Newsletters
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The week ahead
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Classifieds
