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We wish you a blessed Holy Week and a joyful Easter. Conference and district staff will not be available at the end of the week in commemoration of Good Friday. 

 


Download the March 31 edition of GPconnect.

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Lingering coronavirus pandemic enlivens creativity during Easter
Conference making Easter season worship available to churches
Cabinet members provide video daily devotions for Holy Week
Retiree seminar and ‘Preparing for Your Future’ set for late April

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 
Registration open for virtual session, May 28-29

GENERAL CONFERENCE 
Court: New budget must wait for General Conference

CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Pastoral transitions taking place in shadow of pandemic
Pastors sought to serve as clergy, candidacy mentors for 2021-22 

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Resilient Church Academy launching after Easter
Time management book to be studied in Zoom session, retreat
K-State Wesley Campus Ministry marches on
Conference UMM participate in webinar on focusing ministry
More Laity Summit resources available on conference website

MERCY & JUSTICE
Welcoming migrant children, asylum seekers
UMCOR grant to help asylum seekers find pathway to safety

RESOURCES
Training series focuses on Christian communication
Author Carey Nieuwhof to appear at leadership clinic

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
In other news
Newsletters
Commentaries
Classifieds

 

Lingering coronavirus pandemic
enlivens creativity during Easter

In this second year of the COVID-19 menace, United Methodist churches across the U.S. are embracing new ways to help people connect with Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. That includes one North Carolina church, which invited its community to an outdoor Stations of the Cross. Among the clergy interviewed by United Methodist News Service is the Rev. Dr. Kevass Harding, pastor of Wichita Dellrose UMC, who said his church will only have virtual services, but that church attendance has grown thanks to online worship.

Read more here.

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Conference making Easter season
worship service available to churches

The Great Plains Conference is working with congregations across Kansas and Nebraska to develop a full worship service, or components for churches to choose from, for online worship during the Easter season. The full service will be available for use April 11 as a means of giving pastors and worship leaders a much-needed break the week after Easter. This service will include a sermon by Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.

Some a la carte items are available — along with many of the worship components — for download now at www.greatplainsumc.org/toolbox-dynamic-worship.

It is important to note that while some more contemporary songs have been included in the worship service, copyright laws, specifically restrictions on CCLI use, mean those items can only be used April 11 — not prior to that date and not after that date. And because the more contemporary songs are being used, churches that use these items must have both a current CCLI license and streaming license if the worship service is shared on Facebook, YouTube or any other streaming service, or on your website.

Other musical items listed toward the bottom of that page on the conference website may be used at any time.

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Cabinet members provide video
daily devotions for Holy Week

Members of the Great Plains Conference cabinet are providing video daily devotions during Holy Week.

  • Palm Sunday: Rev. Nancy Lambert, director of clergy excellence and assistant to the bishop
  • Monday: Rev. Dr. Anne Gatobu, Kansas City District superintendent
  • Tuesday: Rev. Lance Clay, Prairie Rivers and Elkhorn Valley districts superintendent
  • Today: Rev. Dee Williamston, Salina and Hutchinson districts superintendent
  • Maundy Thursday: Rev. Jenny Collins, Topeka and Flint Hills districts superintendent
  • Good Friday: Rev. Dr. Tom Brady, 5 Rivers and Parsons districts superintendent
  • Saturday: Rev. Don Hasty, Dodge City and Hays districts superintendent
  • Easter Sunday: Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.

Text versions of daily devotions will return on Monday. Click here to subscribe to the email, which arrives at 5 a.m. daily.

The videos will be available on the conference website later today.

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Retiree seminar and ‘Preparing
for Your Future’ set for late April

The 2021 retiree seminar is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT Thursday, April 22, through virtual webinars.

The retirement webinar will include a pension decisions and benefits access demonstration by Wespath and a session on Medicare.

The “Preparing for Your Future” webinar will be from 1-4 p.m. CT Thursday, April 29.

It will include sessions on estate planning security, and Social Security and retirement.

More information and links to register for both are here.

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Annual Conference

Registration open for
virtual session, May 28-29

Registration is now open for the Great Plains Annual Conference session, to be held virtually Friday-Saturday, May 28-29.

The session will take place from 1-5 p.m. CT Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT Saturday.

The clergy session will be Tuesday morning, May 25, and laity session Friday morning, May 28. The memorial service will take place at 7 p.m. CT Thursday, May 27, and retirement service and celebration at 7 p.m. Friday, May 28.

The ordination and commissioning service will take place at 10 a.m. CT Saturday, June 12, at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood.

More information is available in this letter.

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General Conference

Council: New budget must
wait for General Conference

The United Methodist Church's finance agency lacks authority to set a new denominational budget and apportionment guideline despite postponement of the church's top legislative gathering, the Judicial Council has ruled.

Read more here.
Press release from GCFA: Finance agency sees ruling as affirmation.

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Clergy Excellence

Pastoral transitions taking
place in shadow of pandemic

Traditionally in the United Methodist Church, this is the time of year that pastors learn of their appointment changes, and begin the packing and preparing to move from one pulpit to another.

"In any season, making a pastoral transition brings with it challenges and opportunities," the Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford, clergy recruitment and development coordinator, writes. "In a pandemic (even one with a hopeful trajectory), those challenges and opportunities are amplified."

Those challenges have compounded with the addition of the coronavirus pandemic to our lives, she said.

Read more in her blog.

Crawford and the Rev. Dr. Shelly Petz will host a series of three conversations about pastoral transition in their "At the Threshold" discussion, April 8 and 22 and May 6.

More information here.

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Pastors sought to serve as clergy,
candidacy mentors for 2021-22 

Ministry does not happen alone. It happens with people — church members, other clergy and members of our community. Mentors are among the most significant influences in the life of someone discerning a call to ministry and developing effectiveness in ministry. Have you felt called to come alongside those in the beginnings of ministry?

The primary way that the Great Plains does mentoring is in a group context. 101 Candidacy Summit and 401 Residency participants are assigned to mentoring groups. However, certified candidates and licensed local pastors who are required (by the Book of Discipline) to participate in mentoring are able to select their mentoring group from two options: 201 Preparation for Ministry and 301 Practice of Ministry. To find out more about the distinction of the two groups and other resources, visit the mentoring page.

We are currently requesting people to serve as clergy and candidacy mentors for the 2021-2022 Conference year. Those who have completed Course of Study or are ordained as a deacon or elder are eligible to serve as a mentor. Are you interested? If so, would you consider applying to be a mentor? Our deadline for applying is May 22, 2021. You can register here.

Are you currently serving as a mentor and want to continue? Please register even if you are intending to continue mentoring with a current group. The application will give you a chance to identify your intention about which type of mentoring you’d be willing to do and will be used to match willing mentors with mentoring needs.

If you have questions, please contact the Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford, clergy recruitment and development coordinator, at aalleycrawford@greatplainsumc.org, or 785-414-4216.

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Equipping Disciples

Resilient Church Academy
launching after Easter

Fresh Expressions US is launching what we expect to be a final round (at least in this current format) of the Resilient Church Academies in the weeks after Easter. The discount code -- GPUMC (25% off) remains.

The Master Classes are going to focus on essential “postures” for the church emerging from the pandemic (i.e. becoming an agent of healing/community of “first-responders”). The Academy Tracks will focus on key “practices.” Jason Moore, Matthew Lake and Michael Beck, who we are familiar from previous engagements, are some of people providing leadership. Beginning April 8, feel free to sign up to help resource you in this time: https://resilientchurchacademy.com/.

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Time management book to
be studied in Zoom sessions, retreat

The book “Time Management for the Christian Leader or How to Squeeze Blood From a Turnip” will be studied by laity in the Great Plains through Zoom sessions beginning in mid-April and continuing through the end of July.

This online gathering book study will challenge us to grow, seek and identify where and how God is calling us to manage one of our most valuable assets – Time! As we read, study and talk, we each can glean a deeper sense of purpose about our Mission, Vision and Passion. This book has “Coaching Corners” in each chapter that help process what we actively work through, so that we can cultivate our own new habits in time management, all while leading others to discover their own potential.

This book study will culminate with an in-person retreat Friday-Saturday, July 23-24, at the St. Benedict Retreat Center near Schuyler, Nebraska. Author Ken Willard, director of congregational vitality for the West Virginia Conference, will lead a time of learning and discerning.

Early registration for the book study and retreat is encouraged and is available through this site.

More information is available here.

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K-State Wesley Campus
Ministry marches on

Editor’s note: This week we begin a recap of the year as seen through the leaders of our campus ministries. We begin with Kansas State University-Wesley Campus Ministry.
 
What a wild year it has been. Here at Wesley, we've been busy trying to uphold our mission of building Christian community on the KSU campus, with the added twist of safely gathering in the midst of a pandemic. In lots of ways, this year has looked very different. We've changed long-held campus ministry rhythms, gathered outside, hosted smaller events, worn masks, hand-sanitized constantly, and “gathered” together in little Zoom boxes.
 
But in some ways, things haven't changed that much. We still put all our hope and faith in Jesus Christ. We gather however we can, continuing to share in life's joys and losses together. It has not been all bad. This unique year has allowed our small (but mighty) group of Wesley residents to really connect and grow as a “family.” We are thankful for the bright spots and little victories throughout this crazy year.
 
And we are still here; we've made it so far! Even when it feels like we are disciples hidden away in an upper room, we know a new day is coming. We are people of the Resurrection. We hold firmly to a long tradition of rising with Christ from the ashes. And oh, what a joy it will be when we can gather together again! Hold on, my friends.
 
If you know someone headed to the Manhattan area for college, please be sure to share with them about Wesley Campus Ministry and our residence hall! We are eagerly awaiting all the exciting ministry that will happen next year! If you have any questions, or a student you'd like to connect to Wesley, please reach out to me at cshrack@greatplainsumc.org.
 

--Chelsea Shrack
Campus Minister at K-State Wesley

Watch this video tour of K-State Wesley.

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Conference UMM participate
in webinar on focusing ministry

Great Plains Conference United Methodist Men teamed with the Man in the Mirror Ministry to present a webinar on ways to focus your ministry. Workshops focused on how to create value for people to become a part of the ministry, capture them into the ministry life and finally sustaining them in spiritual growth and service.

This was a national gathering attended by nearly 300 women and men. The six attendees from the GP Conference included three ordained ministers (one female pastor) and three laity. We discussed how we might be able to apply the model in our own breakout room. Funding for the GP members to attend was provided by the funds receive from churches who charter and men who financial support the men's ministry.

For information on how you can financially support the ministry go to www.gcumm.org and explore the Ministry to Men tab.

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More Laity Summit resources
available on conference website

More resources, including video from nearly all of the eight breakout workshops, are now available at the resources section of the Laity Summit page of our website.

Also included are materials mentioned in many of the workshops, as well as the keynote address by the Rev. Dr. Scott Hughes, executive director of congregational vitality and intentional discipleship at Discipleship Ministries.

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Mercy & Justice

Welcoming migrant
children, asylum seekers

Many of us in the Great Plains Conference are living in communities with neighbors who came from different countries around the world. And congregations and church members are reaching out to those who have lived here for many years and those who are just arriving. Recently we hear in the news about a “crisis” at the border, media outlets and politicians talking about the danger of more people coming, creating fear, creating the myth of “the other.” But is it a crisis? How do we define a crisis? And what feelings does labeling the situation as a crisis create?

Read more here.

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UMCOR grant to help asylum
seekers find pathway to safety

UMCOR recognizes that the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border requires immediate and dramatic action. An important new UMCOR grant to Church World Service will be used to help asylum seekers on their journey to safety. With this grant, CWS will be able to hire additional staff at some UMC border shelters, provide case management services to asylum seekers and advance efforts to advocate for rebuilding a humane immigration system.

Read more here.

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Resources

Training series focuses
on Christian communication

Knowing how best to deliver messages effectively and efficiently can be a challenge for any local church. In response, United Methodist Communications is launching a series of ecumenical virtual communications learning conferences aimed to assist all who seek to share the gospel. The first offering, “Leveraging Communication for Greater Connection,” will take place at 10 a.m. CT April 20-21.

Register here.

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Author Carey Nieuwhof
to appear at leadership clinic

Author Carey Nieuwhof will appear with West Ohio Bishop Gregory Palmer at the bishop’s leadership clinic. Nieuwhof, founding pastor of Connexus Church in Canada, will speak on “Burning Out and Coming Back” during the April 15 webcast, which runs from 9-11 a.m. CT. Cost ranges from $20 to $40.

Register here.

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Across the Connection

In other news

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Newsletters

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Commentaries

  • A Lenten call to reflect on human dignity: “This Lent, during your set-aside time of daily prayer, I invite you to consider the dignity of all people and the need to affirm human rights around the world,” writes Bishop LaTrelle Easterling of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. In Rockville, Mizo United Methodist Church is praying for Myanmar, where many members have family ties, and the bishop also noted other areas around the world where suffering is great.
  • Mission, leadership in the new United Methodism: Regionalizing its structure and electing gifted leaders as bishops will be key for The United Methodist Church of the future. In the second of a series of essays, the Rev. Stanley R. Copeland further outlines a vision for the new United Methodism.

Classifieds 

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