|
In this edition:
THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Ministry helps free innocent people from prison; online gala is tonight
Chapel Hill celebrates 25th by highlighting its diversity, inclusion
New group explores options for conducting General Conference
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
'Purple Zone' author discusses 'ministry in divisive times' Thursday
Self-Care mini-grants for clergy: coaching, spiritual direction, retreats
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Online courses can help your church connect with young people
Leaders of 4 Methodist denominations to join in prayer prior to elections
Online Methodist Class Leader Training scheduled for Nov. 14
Devotions of all forms welcome to be shared with Great Plains
RESOURCES
Religion & Race introduces new five-week Advent study
Kansas Eviction Prevention Program provides rental assistance
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
Wichita pastor wants to take ‘Souls to the Polls’
Social sciences makes contribution to Southwestern food pantry
In other news
Newsletters
Blogs and commentaries
Classifieds
Ministry helps free innocent people from prison; online gala is tonight
Rev. Darryl Burton, a newly ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, sat in prison for 24 years. Lamont McIntyre sat in prison for 23 years. Neither man actually committed the murders for which they were accused.
A ministry in New Jersey helped exonerate them, but there was no assistance to help them reacclimate to society. So the two men joined forces in 2018 and launched Miracle of Innocence, a ministry meant to help innocent people find justice and regain their freedom, and then receive the help that Darryl and Lamont didn’t have available to them.
You can help by taking part in a gala at 7 p.m. today. Find out how by going to the organization’s website at www.miracleofinnocence.org.
Hear their stories and learn more about this important ministry in the latest episode of the “In Layman’s Terms” podcast, hosted by communications director Todd Seifert.
Download the podcast.
To Top
Chapel Hill celebrates 25th by highlighting its diversity, inclusion
In 25 years, Chapel Hill UMC has gone from being a church plant to the largest attendance of any United Methodist Church in Wichita. But it wasn't planned to be that way by the Rev. Jeff Gannon nor church leaders at the time.
A chance meeting with a district superintendent, an unwed teenage mother and overcoming legal obstacles all came to play in the story of the church's first quarter-century.
Read more here.
To Top
New group explores options for
conducting General Conference
With COVID-19 still menacing the globe, General Conference organizers are exploring various options for holding The United Methodist Church's international lawmaking assembly. They have appointed a technology study team that will look at online options.
Read more from United Methodist News Service.
Earlier: Should General Conference go virtual?
To Top
Clergy Excellence
'Purple Zone' author discusses 'ministry in divisive times' Thursday
Dr. Leah Schade, author of “Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide” will be the guest on the next episode of "At the Threshold: Ministry in Liminal Time," scheduled for 10:30-11:30 a.m. CT Thursday, Oct. 29.
Schade, assistant professor of preaching and worship at Lexington Theological Seminary, will be a speaker for the Orders & Fellowship clergy gathering in 2021. During the "Threshold" webinar, available later in podcast and video form, she will discuss her work in helping pastors bridge the things that separate us.
Register here for the Oct. 29 webinar.
To Top
Self-Care mini-grants set for clergy:
coaching, spiritual direction, retreats
When we’re honest, the question to John Wesley’s classic question, “How is it with your soul?” likely leads most of us clergy to saying things like … weary … exhausted… wounded… tired …conflicted. We are glad to be able to offer some resources for clergy to be able to invest in an intentional way during this season ahead. We’ve compiled some resources for Soul Care on our website and are also pleased to be able to offer a variety of grant opportunities. Whether you’re interested in some individual care through meeting with a coach or spiritual director, or attending a retreat (or creating your own!), we would love to encourage you to consider creating some space for soul care. Check out our website for resources and self-care mini-grant opportunities. The grant application is open until March 30, 2021.
--Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford
clergy recruitment and development coordinator
To Top
Equipping Disciples
Online courses can help your
church connect with young people
Lots of churches worry about staying relevant to young people. They want to make connections but are unsure about what young people want from them. And in this chaotic time, churches don’t have time or energy to add a lot of additional programming.
The Timothy Circle’s online courses on mentoring and Call culture can help! Your church has a corner market on something young people crave, and you can give young people relevant support on something they care deeply about without a lot of extra work on your part.
The Timothy Circle offers two online courses to help congregations support young people in their Call discernment – a topic that is incredibly relevant to young people who feel uncertain about their future and how to follow God in a real and personal way.
- The Timothy Circle mentoring course gives adult laypeople the tools and confidence they need to form one-on-one mentoring relationships with young people to help them work through this process.
- The Timothy Circle’s Culture of Call course gives laypeople the ideas, inspiration, and know-how to see how small tweaks in their church can lead to big changes in supporting the call discernment work of young people.
Course instructor Teryl Cartwright has interviewed over 50 people, including bishops, conference leaders, local church pastors, authors, camping directors and campus ministers to make sure these courses include a wide variety of ideas you can implement in your own setting. These courses work best when alumni from each work together in your church, so think of several different people in your congregation to take the courses.
The best news is, creating a church culture that celebrates calling impacts the entire congregation – not just the young people. When we each pay attention to the nudges of God’s Holy Spirit, we all become more passionate, creative, and dedicated members of our congregations.
These online courses are hosted at BeADisciple.com on a rotating schedule; the next courses start in early November. Don’t wait! Sign up for an upcoming course at www.beadisciple.com/timothy.
To Top
Leaders of 4 Methodist denominations to join in prayer prior to elections
In preparation for the Nov. 3 national election, leaders of men’s ministries in the United Methodist Church, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church, and the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church will conduct a one-hour virtual prayer meeting on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 11 a.m. to noon CT.
Read more here.
To Top
Online Methodist Class Leader
Training scheduled for Nov. 14
Methodist Class Leader Training will be from 10 a.m. to noon CT Saturday, Nov. 14.
The Zoom webinar is free.
Here is what is scheduled for the training:
First Part of Training
- Introduction/welcome
- Hebrews 10:24-25
- Historical Background
- Purpose of the Class Meeting
- Recognizing of Laity for Class Leaders
- Basic Role of the Class Leader
- Early Methodism
- New Generation
- The General Rule
- Class Leader Duties
- Qualities of Class Leaders
- It’s not another Program
- Deepening Discernment – Seeing What God is Up To
- Communal Discernment
- Preparing a Community for Discernment
- Models of Class Meetings
- Network Model
- Discipleship Model
- House Church Model
Second Part of Training
Network/District Discussions lead by District Superintendents
Register in advance for the meeting at this link.
To Top
Devotions of all forms welcome
to be shared with Great Plains
All clergy, laity and staff in the Great Plains Conference are welcome to share their insights through our Daily Devotions.
Does your church, pastor or group have a regular devotion series that we could borrow? It doesn't have to be print -- we would welcome video and audio submissions as well. We've even found a way to turn some Facebook posts into devotions, with the author's permission, of course.
Here are the October and November dates available. Sign up today!
To Top
Resources
Religion & Race introduces
new five-week Advent study
The General Commission on Religion & Race is announcing a new five-week Advent resource, “Seeking Jesus, the Advent of Justice and Peace.”
The study includes sermon starters, lectionary texts, suggested hymns, and children’s messages and activities.
Find out more and order at this link.
To Top
Kansas Eviction Prevention
Program provides rental assistance
Home has never been more important. Our homes have always provided shelter, but in the midst of the COVID pandemic, home has become so much more.
The Kansas Eviction Prevention Program (KEPP) provides rental assistance to households that have missed one or more rent payment(s) as a result of the COVID pandemic. Tenants and landlords must complete a joint online application process to be considered for this program.
To learn how to qualify and apply, visit their website: https://kshousingcorp.org/eviction-prevention-program/
To Top
Across the Connection
Wichita pastor wants to
take ‘Souls to the Polls’
The Rev. Robert Johnson, pastor of Wichita Saint Mark UMC, is taking to the streets to get voters to their election sites next week.
Either in the church bus or his personal vehicle, Johnson wants to take “Souls to the Polls” to make their choice and have their voice be heard.
“You are really not just pastor to the church,” Johnson told KAKE News, “you’re serving the community.”
Watch video here.
To Top
Social sciences makes contribution
to Southwestern College food pantry
The Southwestern College social science division made a food donation to the campus food pantry which serves Southwestern College students with food insecurities. The pantry, which operates year-round, is especially important now as it serves students who may need to be in isolation or quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19.
The social sciences division made the donation in honor of the office of student services, who runs the pantry, in order to highlight the impact they have at Southwestern.
“This gift will both benefit our students and express to student services our great appreciation for all that they do for Southwestern College,” says Jackson Lashier, chair of social sciences.
Lashier adds that their dedication to students, particularly in this uncertain time of COVID-19, has modeled the Builder way.
The campus food pantry is funded by donations predominantly from faculty and staff at Southwestern College. Students are allowed to make appointments and are kept strictly confidential.
Items donated matched the favorite foods of members of the student services team, which includes: Dan Falk, vice president of student affairs and dean of students; Dawn Pleas, vice president for retention and student success; Anjaih Clemons-Williams, director of campus life; Sarah Hallinan, assistant dean of students and director of residence life; Elyse Achenbach, coordinator of international student services and enrollment; Kayleigh Richardson, assistant director of residence life; Keith McLaughlin, director of safety and security; Mary Ann Smith, wellness coordinator; and Teresa Nichols and Jason Haunschild, security officers.
To Top
In other news
To Top
Newsletters
- Discipleship Ministries: Generous Living, October 28, 2020
- Communication Essentials, October 28, 2020
- SongSelect by CCLI, October 28, 2020
- #GiveLoveUMC Campaign, October 28, 2020
- Leading Ideas, October 28, 2020
- A Sermon for Every Sunday, October 27, 2020
- MyCom, October 27, 2020
- Discipleship Ministries: Worship Planning, October 26, 2020
- Leading Ideas Talks, October 24, 2020
- Engage with Global Ministries, October 22, 2020
- Ministry Matters, October 21, 2020
- Communication Essentials, October 21, 2020
To Top
Blogs and commentaries
- Listening with the heart: A spiritual conversation with a friend that didn't go well led Paul Gómez to keep asking himself what he could have said instead. When he ran across a spiritual practice known as "holy listening," he realized he was looking at the encounter the wrong way. Gómez, manager of Hispanic/Latino Seeker Communications at United Methodist Communications, shares his new approach.
- How to avoid using bad online metrics: With so many churches turning to online worship and small groups, churches are having to rethink how they usually measure participation. The Rev. Ben Gosden, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Savannah, Georgia, examines three myths about online metrics.
To Top
Classifieds
To Top
|
