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Download the printable version of the Sept. 30 issue of GPconnect.

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Bishop Saenz provides pastoral message to Great Plains Conference 
Annual Conference events celebrate life, laity, pastoral milestones 
'We call (Methodists) to pray without ceasing for racial healing in America’
More about the stand against racism from beyond the Great Plains
Trent Meyer talks about leaving post as site director of Camp Fontanelle

CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Leadership in 2020: 'Ministry Under Shadow of Pandemic' set for October
Online 'Day Apart' offered by Academy for Spiritual Formation
Clergy Covenant Group gives support in troubled times; grants available

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Stars Go Dim to headline concert for Chippewa sustainability campaign
Moore's ‘Old Story in a New Way’ webinar scheduled for Oct. 11
‘Steeple to Street’ webcast offered by Fresh Expressions on Oct. 23
Clergy, laity in conference sought as writers for our daily devotionals

MERCY & JUSTICE
Awad: Blaming Palestine won’t bring peace; Israelis must look at leaders
Panelists named for Thursday's Global AIDS Committee webinar

DISASTER RESPONSE
Is it the cold? Flu? Allergies? Coronavirus?

ADMINISTRATION
Delta Dental issuing rebate to those in plan

RESOURCES
Increase generosity through these resources, tools, tips

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
In other news
Newsletters
Blogs and commentaries
Classifieds 
 

Bishop Saenz provides pastoral message to Great Plains Conference 

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. has provided a statement to the people of the Great Plains Conference sharing his vision for United Methodists across Kansas and Nebraska.  

In a video provided as a pastoral message and state of the conference, Bishop Saenz names some of our challenges in 2020 and provides a view of how we can live out being better disciples of Jesus Christ in the year ahead. 

View his brief address. 
Read a recap of his statement.

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Annual Conference events celebrate life, laity, pastoral milestones 

The Great Plains Conference will gather online later this week to celebrate the lives of pastors and their spouses, and then will celebrate the commissioning and ordination of new pastors in Kansas and Nebraska. And laity will gather multiple times throughout the weekend. 

The conference will honor the pastors and pastors' spouses who died from April 2019 to April 2020 for a memorial service that was recorded earlier at Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church in Topeka. The recording will appear on the conference’s Facebook page and on the conference website starting at 7 p.m. CDT Thursday, Oct. 2. 

Milestones in ministry will be celebrated Saturday, Oct. 3, with livestreamed services for commissioning of provisional elders and deacons and ordination of one deacon and 12 elders. The commissioning service begins at 10 a.m. CDT, and the ordination service starts at 2 p.m. CDT. Both can be seen on the conference website at www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream and on the conference’s Facebook page

Laity have several events planned for the weekend. First, the laity session is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT Thursday, Oct. 1. Lay leaders will share stories about ministry throughout the conference. The session can be viewed via Zoom (register here) or on the conference Facebook page

A time of fellowship follows from 5:30-6:45 p.m. CDT Friday, Oct. 2, with an online family reunion potluck. Grab your dinner, settle down in front of your computer and get reacquainted with disciples from across our two states. Register here

Then, Saturday morning, Oct. 3, from 8:30-9:45 a.m. CDT, learn about resources available in the conference during the Breakfast at the Festival of Booths. You’ll have an opportunity to learn from multiple presenters about ministries in the Great Plains Conference. Register here. 

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'We call (Methodists) to pray without
ceasing for racial healing in America’

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. and the Cabinet have issued a statement regarding anti-racism efforts in the Great Plains Conference.

Read the statement here or download a printable PDF.

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More about the stand against
racism from beyond the Great Plains

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Trent Meyer talks about leaving post
as site director of Camp Fontanelle

After more 16 years as site director for Camp Fontanelle, Trent Meyer is leaving the Nebraska site.

He said his own expectations of himself for the job caused depression and kept him away from his family.

“I never saw work as being a negative. I always enjoyed what I was doing out here,” Meyer said. “I just went over the edge too far with things and kind of got symptoms of burnout. I didn’t keep good balance and often chose doing things here at the camp over family.”

Read more about Meyer.

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Clergy Excellence

Leadership in 2020: 'Ministry Under
Shadow of Pandemic' set for October

A webinar on leadership in 2020 will be from 9-11 a.m. CT Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 26-27, with a followup Q&A from 9-11 a.m. CT Monday, Nov. 9.

Watch this video invitation from Bishop Saenz.

The webinar is free from the conference: Register here.

Have you found yourself wondering “Lord, just how many of life’s major concerns can be stuffed into 2020?! ... and all under the shadow of a pandemic! … and heightened racial tension! … and for United Methodists, under the shadow of General Conference! All of them scream of change and transition which can feed anxiety in the church. Hard to remember it can also be a time of rich possibilities and opportunities for growth, learning, and ministry. You as pastors play a significant role in helping each other, congregations, and the Conference to find their way forward constructively.  

During this webinar, Rev. Bill Selby, the founder and director of the Center for Pastoral of the Rockies, will help us think about congregations as emotional systems, the impact of anxiety on leaders and faith communities, and some insights/ implications to consider as you, the leaders, live into a hopeful future and respond to parishioners, colleagues, the larger system and the anxiety in which we live.  

Moreover, as we find our way into new hopes and possibilities for ministry, challenge and conflict are often part of the landscape. Dr. W. Craig Gilliam, founder and owner of Gilliam and Associates, LLC, will offer some insights and best practices for responding to difficult people, facilitating difficult conversations, and addressing anxiety and conflict in constructive, generative ways that invite people’s (our own and others) best self — the Christ within us —and the congregation as a body. 

Hope and possibilities are on the horizon, and you as pastors and leaders play a crucial part (a midwife if you will) in helping hope become genuinely lived out in leadership, congregations and the larger community. 

We invite and hope you can join us for this opportunity to reflect, learn and grow. Please come, journey with us into this rocky but hopeful terrain. 

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Online 'Day Apart' offered by
Academy for Spiritual Formation

The Academy for Spiritual Formation is offering an online Day Apart from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24.

"Compassion and Resilience: Spiritual Resources for Polarizing Times" will be conducted by Frank Rogers Jr. from the Center for Engaged Compassion and Christopher Carter of the University of San Diego Department of Theology and Religious Studies.

The cost is $60, or $40 for students.

Find more information and register here.

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Clergy Covenant Group gives support
in troubled times; grants available  

There is much to praise God for, much to wonder about, and much to be anxious about in this season of unknowns. As clergy, you have lots of demands on your time and energy and you might be struggling with how to respond to these in a healthy way. You might have difficulty right now remembering that the love of God surrounds you and gives you strength. Having a small group of clergy who walk the journey of ministry with you can be just what you need to stay focused, centered in Christ, and in touch with your call to ministry.  

A small group of others with whom you can be honest, open, and accountable in our own spiritual lives is at the heart of a covenant group. Right now may be the right time to start, restart or refresh yourself in a covenant group. The Clergy Excellence team has worked on some resources that will hopefully equip and inspire you to live out your faith in close community. You can find those resources here. And in case you’re wondering, here is how we define Clergy Covenant Group: 

  • a definite group of three to eight clergy who meet for encouragement, support and accountability 
  • committed to pray for one another 
  • may have a written covenant 
  • meets regularly, though maybe not monthly 
  • may be a residency, local pastor mentoring group, or Transition into Ministry group 
  • not a network meeting, lectionary study group, or book club 

The main goal of the Clergy Covenant Group is to encourage, support, and hold one another accountable for continuing in your own discipleship. The leadership can be shared or you can identify someone to serve as your leader. Would you consider if this is something that you’re willing to start, restart or refresh for the year ahead? Find two other clergy with the same desire and you’ve got the beginning of a group. 

Needing some focus or inspiration? Check out our website for some different models of covenant groups to find one that connects with you. While you’re there, scroll to the bottom and find out how you can apply for a grant up to $500 for your group. If clergy in a Network design a time away for support, accountability, and/or study together, the Network may also apply for a Covenant Group grant. 

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Equipping Disciples

Stars Go Dim to headline concert
for Chippewa sustainability campaign

Stars Go Dim, the now one-man Christian band of Chris Cleveland, will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at Camp Chippewa and Retreat Center, 2577 Idaho Road, Ottawa, Kansas.

Cleveland’s latest album, “Better,” was released in 2019. Hits on the Christian charts for the band include “You are Loved,” “How Glorious the Love of Heaven,” “Heaven on Earth” and “You Know Me Better.”

The concert is part of the sustainability campaign for Camp Chippewa, one of the five camps in the Great Plains Conference. Admission is free, but tickets must be obtained in advance from the camp website or through the QR code below. Donations will be accepted for the sustainability campaign.

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Moore's ‘Old Story in a New Way’
webinar scheduled for Oct. 11

The Great Plains Conference will present Jason Moore of Midnight Oil Productions with a live webinar, “Telling the Old Story in a New Way,” from 3-5 p.m. CDT Sunday, Oct. 11.

Advent and Christmas may look different this year for worship leaders, worship teams, technology lay leaders and pastors. To help resource lay worship leaders and pastors this new season, Moore will provide resources, links and handbook available to registrants.  As you prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth anew, feel free to join with your worship leaders live on Oct. 11 or register to watch the recording later. 

Register for “Telling the Old Story in a New Way” here.

Any questions, contact Donna Ernest at dernest@greatplainsumc.org.

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‘Steeple to Street’ webcast offered
by Fresh Expressions on Oct. 23

A webcast designed for the Great Plains Conference by Fresh Expressions US, “From the Steeple to the Street: A New Kind of Local Church for a New Kind of World,” will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT Friday, Oct. 23.

From the Fresh Expressions website: “Across the United States and beyond, the God who ‘makes all things new’ is up to something. Amid a Christian landscape that looks and feels like a desert of decline, new oases of the Spirit are springing forth. Inherited congregations, with long histories, deeply rooted in their traditions, are experimenting with new ways of being church. When these congregations commit to introducing new people to Jesus, new leaders (both lay and ordained) are discovering that they can start fresh expressions of church to reach those outside of the church AND that our existing congregational systems can be retro-fitted for a new future through a process of ‘remissioning.’

“Matt Lake and Michael Beck employ very different approaches, but their congregations are finding new life. They will explore the theological underpinnings for becoming a new kind of local church, as well as share practical tools, practices, and processes to help local congregations cultivate a new future.”

The cost is $5. Register at this link.

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Clergy, laity in conference sought
as writers for our daily devotionals

Thousands of people across the Great Plains Conference are waking up every morning to the reflections and witness of their fellow lay and clergy members, thanks to our daily devotionals.

Would you like to add your thoughts and your prayers to our daily email? 

Use this link to view the available dates in October and November, as well as and suggested lectionary (although you are free to use whatever verse you wish). Once you have signed up and written about 300 words, plus a prayer, email them to Lisa Soukup on the communications team.

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Mercy & Justice

Awad: Blaming Palestine won’t bring
peace; Israelis must look at leaders

Rev. Alex Awad and his wife Brenda were General Board of Global Ministries missionaries for decades. They served in Rev. Awad’s homeland, Palestine. Awad served as pastor for a church in Bethlehem and a Dean at Bethlehem Bible College. He was also a leading founder and organizer of the Christ at the Checkpoint conferences. Awad and his wife are both retired now and live in Oregon. Awad is a member of the steering committee of United Methodists For Kairos Response.

In the past few years, Rev. Awad visited us several times to share about his experiences and work on speaking tours throughout our conference.
Please read his thoughts about the current situation in Palestine and Israel.

--Andrea Paret and Carol Garwood, Holy Land Task Force

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Panelists named for Thursday's
Global AIDS Committee webinar

The United Methodist Global AIDS Committee has announced the panelists for their “COVID-19 and HIV & AIDS” webinar at 1 p.m. CT Thursday, Oct. 1.

This will serve as the first in a series of webinars planned for the coming months to educate, support and advocate for those affected by HIV/AIDS. The complimentary session will be made available online through Facebook.com/UMCglobalaidsfund and archived on their website.

The inaugural webinar will explore how COVID-19 is impacting the global effort to reduce HIV infections and AIDS deaths. Participants will come to better understand how global lock downs have resulted in malnutrition, missed treatments and lack of access to preventive medicine and testing.

Learn more about the panelists.

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Disaster Response

Is it the cold? Flu?
Allergies? Coronavirus?

It's that time of year, when the flu is on the way while many of us are already suffering from colds and allergies -- not to mention the added risk of the coronavirus.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has created a chart with 17 symptoms and which affliction they align. The chart is available for download here.

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Administration

Delta Dental issuing
rebate to those in plan

Delta Dental has issued a rebate due to low-utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic this spring. Each eligible clergy participant who was an active Delta Dental member through April 30, 2020, and who is currently a plan member, is entitled to a portion of the rebate. The benefits office will be issuing a credit for dental premium on the October 1, 2020, billing to your church. Included in the billing will be a letter to your treasurer listing the clergy and amount of the rebate. The letter will include instructions on how to process, pay and submit confirmation to the benefits office that the clergy has received the rebate

-- Peggy Mihoover, conference benefits officer

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Resources

Increase generosity through
these resources, tools, tips

Our denominational giving structure ensures your generosity blesses as many people as possible in sustainable, strategic ways. Because of your support, hundreds of projects are funded each year! Inspire generosity in your congregation with the help of more than 60 resources, how-to tools and tips.

Find resources here.

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Across the Connection

In other news


Newsletters


Blogs and commentaries

  • Revised Social Principles relevant to this time: While conducting an increased number of small group studies via Zoom, the Rev. Trey Witzel, associate pastor of Edmond First United Methodist Church in Oklahoma, decided to “road test” the revised Social Principles. “In many ways this has been helpful to unite around what we have in common rather than what divides,” he writes.
  • Young elder numbers near historic low: The number of United Methodist elders under age 35 has dropped significantly, approaching the low documented when the Lewis Center for Church Leadership began to track clergy age trends. The Rev. Lovett H. Weems Jr., senior consultant for the center, offers details and analysis on the scarcity of young elders.

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Classifieds 

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