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Conference and district offices will be closed on Monday, Jan. 18, in observance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Download the Jan. 13 edition of GPconnect.

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Lambert to retire as clergy excellence director, assistant to bishop 
‘God is summoning the Church in this season of national crisis’
Baker student's paper details how close campus came to moving to KC
Pastor who died from COVID remembered for caring, humor
2020 Conference Journal will be available soon for online ordering 
COVID-19 is top church story of 2020, according to communicators

GENERAL CONFERENCE
Organizers grappling with postponing General Conference

CLERGY EXCELLENCE
First session of virtual O&F is at capacity; openings remain Feb. 2-3
Clergy Faith & Wellness: Our roles as pastors, priests and prophets
Clergy Covenant Group gives support in troubled times; grants available 

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Hybrid worship workshop available online beginning Friday
Laity Summit to provide information, resources for effective leadership

MERCY & JUSTICE
Group Mothers and Others stands up for immigrant families

DISASTER RESPONSE
What can you expect after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

ADMINISTRATION 
Nebraska UM Foundation names Spirit of Christmas recipients  
Nebraska UM Foundation has 2nd round of COVID emergency grants 
Share your thoughts with the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation

RESOURCES
Hunger relief group offers Lenten devotions
Safe ways to celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
In other news
Newsletters
Blogs and commentaries
Classifieds

 

Lambert to retire as clergy excellence director, assistant to Bishop Saenz

After eight years as clergy excellence director and assistant to the bishop, the Rev. Nancy Lambert has announced that she will retire at the end of June.

“She works hard, and she is very driven, but she enjoys what she does," Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said. "When you look at Nancy, (her job) doesn’t seem burdensome. She produces enormous amounts of work and high-quality work.” 

Read more here.

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‘God is summoning the Church
in this season of national crisis’

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. issued a statement last week calling United Methodists to action in unifying our communities in the wake of last Wednesday's riot at the U.S. Capitol Building. He asks some specific things of clergy and laity alike over the next 100 days leading up to Easter.

Read his letter here.

From UMNS: Assault on U.S. Capitol dismays United Methodists.

The bishop has declared Sunday, Jan. 17, as “A Day of Healing and Hope.” A litany drafted by the Rev. Nathan Stanton and the congregational excellence team is available here in Word and PDF formats.

The Rev. Stefanie Hayes, pastor of Hastings Grace UMC, organized a community prayer vigil for the nation Sunday. Here is coverage from KSNB, NTV Network and the Hastings Tribune.

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Baker student's paper details how
close campus came to moving to KC

Baker University student Zac DeGreeff started with an assignment for his history major involving research. Instead of a history paper, he ended up with a unique research project submitted for publication.

Did you know Baker University was considered to move to Kansas City in the 1930s?

Learn the story through the eyes of Zac, his professor and the archivist at the university.

Watch this video and read Zac DeGreeff's paper.

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Pastor who died from COVID
remembered for caring, humor

 

Mark Demas became a pastor, his wife said, because he loved leading people to the Lord.

“That was always a thing,” Diann Demas said. “Any time he could help, as he would say, ignite a flame or a spark, it made him happy.”

Demas, pastor of Coffeyville First and Edna UMCs in southeast Kansas, died a week ago today of complications related to COVID-19, two days after receiving a positive test result. He was 61.

Read more here.

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2020 Conference Journal will be
available soon for online ordering 

Printed copies of the 2020 Conference Journal will be available for online ordering on or before Jan. 25. In the event that the date changes an email will be sent out to GPconnect subscribers with additional information.

Volume A, Volume B and the Conference Directory are available separately or in a three-book bundle. 

Secure online ordering is available here. 

Individual elements of the 2020 Journal are available for free at this page on the conference website.

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COVID-19 is top church story of 2020, according to UMC communicators

The church's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was voted the top United Methodist news story of 2020 by conference communicators in the U.S., Africa, Europe and the Philippines and UM News staff. 

Read more here.

View a gallery of 2020 photos from UMNS photographers.

Remembering notable United Methodists who died in 2020.

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General Conference

Organizers grappling with
postponing General Conference

Organizers have yet to determine whether the pandemic-postponed General Conference can go forward as planned on Aug. 29 to Sept. 7 in Minneapolis. They have decided not to reopen the usual process for accepting proposed legislation to the lawmaking assembly.

Read more.

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Clergy Excellence

First session of virtual O&F is at capacity; openings remain Feb. 2-3

The Jan. 27-28 virtual session of the Orders & Fellowship clergy gathering is full, but openings remain for the Feb. 2-3 session.

Register here.

Dr. Leah Schade, author of "Preaching in the Purple Zone," will speak at the two online-only sessions. Her book is available in hardback, paperback or eBook at a 30% discount at rowman.com or by calling 800-462-6420. Use code RLFANDF30.

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Clergy Faith & Wellness: Our roles
as pastors, priests and prophets

Rereading "Preaching in the Purple Zone" by Orders & Fellowship speaker Rev. Dr. Leah Shade brought some revelations to the Rev. Shelly Petz, Clergy Faith & Wellness specialist. 

"Clergy, I am so thankful for your unending faithfulness, your witness, and your leadership," she writes. "I have seen your sleepless nights, powerful ministry of prayer, your continual pivoting and adjusting, and living out your call in mighty ways."

Read her blog 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

Hybrid worship workshop
available online beginning Friday

In this new season of ministry, you need a strategy for telling the old story in whatever setting you find your church can gather in.

The timeless truths of the Gospel must be translated for both online and in-person audiences, and that doesn’t happen automatically or without intention. The momentum many churches have gained throughout the global pandemic in online worship can continue and even be built upon. Or we could easily revert to what worship looked like prior to its arrival and lose many of the gains we’ve made during this season of innovation.

Join author, coach and creative worship specialist Jason Moore for a three-part Hybrid Worship Track for the Resilient Church Academy to explore ideas, strategies, and best practices for engaging in transformative worship in this present time.

The training will explore nine strategies for how to tell the story in a new time, three strategies for how to create “both/and” hybrid worship where neither online nor in-person audiences feel like an afterthought, as well as how to build a robust plan for first impressions/guest readiness and more.

The cost is $99 for the three weekly sessions, from Jan. 15-29. Register and find more information here.

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Laity Summit to provide information,
resources for effective leadership

The Laity Summit will take place on Saturday, March 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT virtually. This is for Lay Servants, Speakers, Ministers, Leaders and for anyone discerning a call to leadership. It will be a one-stop virtual leadership event for church and community leadership.

Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministries Mary Feit, Conference Lay Leader Lisa Maupin, Gateway District Lay Leader Kathy Pierce, and Conference Coordinator of Lay Leadership Shane Warta have been planning this gathering since the first Laity Summit back in March was complete.

The planning team is aiming for laity and registrants to experience learning and resources for lay leadership. The overall theme for the gathering is “Building a New Normal.” The keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Junius Dotson, General Secretary for Discipleship Ministries. There will be worship, workshops and networking.

The first 200 people that are registered by Feb. 20, will receive a participant box filled with useful resources, Dotson’s “Soul Reset” book and giveaways for an increased virtual experience. They will be mailed directly to the registrant.

Registration is live here.

Visit the webpage here.

If you have questions about Great Plains 2021 Laity Summit contact: 

 

Mercy & Justice

Group Mothers and Others
stands up for immigrant families

“To advocate with and for all immigrants …”
 
This is the beginning of the mission statement of Mothers and Others, an organization that was formed in the summer of 2019 in Omaha. Two women from Omaha joined dozens of others for a direct action in Washington, D.C. Most of the persons there were people of faith and they gathered, and got arrested, for pleading with lawmakers to address the inhumane policies which were separating immigrant families at the border. While this witness was taking place, others in Omaha joined in prayer and public witness in solidarity.
 
Out of that initial event, Mothers and Others was formed with the following mission statement: “To advocate with and for all immigrants; those seeking asylum, citizenship, or a better future for their families. To be a public voice on the plight, treatment, and conditions of immigrants. To educate, to challenge, and to seek the common good as we take action in support of immigrants.”
 
Caring for immigrants and refugees in our communities is something many of our church members and congregations are involved in. Numerous scripture verses call us to care for the stranger or the foreigner as if they were one of our own.
 
Every Thursday, Mothers and Others (with masks and social distancing) stand at 72nd and Hickory in Omaha for a public witness to the community. It is estimated that about 1,200 vehicles go by in the hour the group is present. Members of the group have also taken masks to Grand Island to be shared with immigrants detained in the Hall County jail and have been present and spoken at rallies on the capitol steps in Lincoln. They share educational materials with the community about the ongoing plight of the immigrants.
 
Mothers and Others is part of a statewide advocacy group for worker safety in packing plants across Nebraska. The latest project, now as the Nebraska legislative session is starting, is placing billboards in communities where there are packing plants. Since many packing plant workers are immigrants and they are more susceptible to getting COVID in their workplace, the group is advocating for stricter health codes in the plants. Legislation with this goal has been introduced this week (LB 241 Meatpacking Employees COVID-19 Protection Act; and LB 258 Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act).
 
Peace with Justice Ministries of the Great Plains Conference is also part of the advocacy group and supported this project with a grant. Our Great Plains Rapid Response Team is involved in this important work by supporting workers in making their voices heard and sharing their stories safely as well as contacting state legislators when relevant legislation is in front of them.  One worker, a COVID-19 survivor, shared at a press conference: “I feel lucky to be alive even though I continue to have health issues…and trouble breathing. I feel tired, I feel sick, and I feel used. I have been with the company for [many years] and I feel betrayed. Today, senators, I ask you to pass enforceable safety measures for me and my coworkers to be able to perform our job with dignity.”
 
Listen to stories from workers across Nebraska.
 
To contact your legislators go to https://nebraskalegislature.gov/senators/senator_find.php or
 http://www.kslegislature.org/li/.
 
If you are interested in more information (whether you live in Kansas or Nebraska), feel free to contact Andrea Paret, Peace with Justice coordinator at amparet08@yahoo.com or Sandy Sypherd, Immigration Rapid Response Team Chair at ssypherd@windstream.net.

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Disaster Response

What can you expect after
getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

Vaccinations for the COVID-19 virus are rolling out across the country. But what can you expect when you receive the shot? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has information in this newsletter.

Read more here.

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Administration

Nebraska UM Foundation names Spirit of Christmas recipients  

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation is blessed with support and friendship from laity and pastors alike throughout the Great Plains Conference. To show its gratitude, “The Spirit of Christmas Project” provides the foundation a way to give back and say thank you to all of you through gifts to United Methodist organizations or ministries.  
The Foundation is pleased to award $1,000 each to the Imani Kenya Mission Fund – Coffee Project sponsored by Lovers Lane Foundation, Dallas, and to Swahili Pastoral Education, sponsored by Omaha St. Paul Benson UMC. 

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Nebraska UM Foundation has 2nd
round of COVID emergency grants 

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation is announcing a 2nd round of COVID-19 Emergency Grants to Nebraska United Methodist churches. Due to the generosity shown through its Gifts from the Heart Endowments, the Foundation will make available $55,000 to commemorate the Foundation’s 55th anniversary.

These grants are available to support Nebraska churches as they continue to navigate through this pandemic. Any Nebraska United Methodist Church in need is welcome to apply. You do not need to have an account with the Foundation to be considered.

There grants are available to support:

  • Mission and Ministry: to include, but not limited to mission and ministry line items in a church’s general budget, i.e. Christian education or youth group, choir, Bible study, etc.
  • Greatest Needs: to include, but not limited to, operating costs and technology needs

Only one application per church will be accepted. The grant application is available at www.numf.org and will be due by Jan. 29. Applications not postmarked by Jan. 29, or received by this date electronically, will not be considered.

Grant checks will be mailed by March 1. The Foundation appreciates the generosity and vision of United Methodist individuals for making grants like these possible. If you would like to donate to this fund or create an endowment of your own to support churches and ministries through the Gifts from the Heart Program, call 402-323-8841 or visit its website for more information.

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Share your thoughts with the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation

What ministries would you like to see the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation offer? How can the Foundation best support your church or ministry setting? The Foundation is interested in your thoughts! Help the Foundation know how they can best serve you through their short survey. It should take no more than 10-15 minutes of your time. All participants can enter a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card.

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 Resources

Hunger relief group
offers Lenten devotions

The Society of St. Andrew, a United Methodist-supported hunger relief ministry, is offering free Lenten devotional booklets and daily email devotions for Feb. 17 through April 4. This year's theme is "Walk Humbly" from Micah 6:8.

Order here.

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Safe ways to celebrate
the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

While COVID-19 continues to keep people at a distance, churches still have ways to mark the U.S. observance of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday on Jan. 18. United Methodist Communications offers four ideas.

Read here.

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Across the Connection

In other news


Newsletters  


Blogs and commentaries

  • What can we yet become?: Bishop Laurie Haller, who leads the Iowa Conference, said the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was sobering, especially on a day that Christians celebrate the story of the wise men. “The season of Epiphany reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world who commanded his disciples to preach the gospel of faith, hope and love to all the nations,” she writes. “I believe God is calling you and me to speak out, as our membership vows affirm, ‘against evil, injustice and oppression in whatever form they present themselves.’”
  • End of the world as we know it: The world is changing and there is no going back, writes Erin M. Hawkins, executive director of connectional ministries for the California-Pacific Conference, in the wake of last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol. “No amount of antiracism training and diversity book club discussions will fix what is core to the display of unfettered white supremacy that has been building for years and that reached an inflection point (on Jan. 6).”

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Classifieds

Classifieds are posted for 30 days unless otherwise requested. Submit your classified here.

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