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Download the April 7 edition of GPconnect.

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Tom Brady to shift from Parsons, Five Rivers to lead KC District 
Professor leads drive to get books to prisoners across Kansas
Easter Season Worship service available to churches this weekend
Therefore GO! 5K to be virtual again this year
How is your church re-engaging its members in post-COVID world?

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

CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Deadline for spring round of Culture of Call grants is Monday
Lambert, Williamston to talk pastoral transition on 'Threshold' Thursday

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Camp Fontanelle offering paid, volunteer positions this summer
Resilient Church Academy is launching this Thursday
Time management book to be studied in Zoom sessions, retreat
How effective is your church? Surveys can help give the answer

MERCY & JUSTICE
Hub in KC District seeks volunteer help with building
Former Micah Corps member featured in SMU Student Spotlight

DISASTER RESPONSE
Should we sing when we return to in-person worship?
KDHE providing free tests to Kansas churches

ADMINISTRATION
For clergy, here’s how to reduce your health-care premiums
Virtual retiree seminar and ‘Preparing for Your Future’ set for late April

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
Lincoln Saint Paul UMC to host virtual seminars on race, racism
Churches make their return to in-person worship on Easter Sunday
In other news
Newsletters
Commentaries
Classifieds

 

Tom Brady to shift from Parsons,
Five Rivers to lead KC District 

After a year as superintendent of the Parsons and Five Rivers districts, the Rev. Dr. Tom Brady will shift on July 1 to lead the Kansas City District. 

“I’m impressed with his relational work and his strategic work,” Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said of Brady, 59. “He understands what it takes for churches to be vital, and he has a lot of experience that helps him offer pragmatic counsel and resources that he has used to help churches move forward.” 

Read more here.

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Professor leads drive to get
books to prisoners across Kansas

A Fort Hays State University education professor dreams of having other United Methodist Churches in the state join her to provide books to the prisons in all 105 Kansas counties.

“I just feel like that’s part of our responsibility as Christians,” said Dr. Sarah Broman Miller, whose husband Troy is congregational care director at Hays First UMC. “God told us to love and care for the widows and the people in prison. They don’t stop being Christian because they’re incarcerated. And I feel like they’re forgotten.” 

Read more about the Liberate Book Project and find out how you can get involved.

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Easter Season Worship service
available to churches this weekend

A complete one-hour worship service for Great Plains Conference churches is ready for download and use online on Sunday, April 11.

The service includes a sermon by Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., and participation from Washburn University Campus Ministry, Lincoln St. Paul UMC, Lawrence Central UMC, Elkhorn Hills UMC, Overland Park Central Korean UMC and Ushindi Mission in Kansas City, as well as Great Plains Conference staff.

Individual elements of the service are also available for use in worship on April 11 or the near future. Due to copyright laws, four of the music selections can only be used on the 11th.

View and download the Easter Season Service and individual elements here.

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Therefore GO! 5K to
be virtual again this year

You are invited to register for the 2021 Great Plains Conference Virtual Race!

Thanks to a generous grant from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, we are excited to announce that there will be a 2021 Great Plains Conference Virtual Race!

Your health and wellness are vitally important. This is an opportunity for clergy and laity to be connected, and care for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. In preparation for the race this year, you will have the opportunity to receive spiritual support and encouragement ahead of time.

The Great Plains Annual Conference theme for this year is: Abide in me and know that I am God. Tying into this theme, donations given toward this race will go toward Congregational First Aid Mental Health Trainings sponsored by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. Clergy and laity are encouraged to sign up together to hold each other accountable and help strengthen our work together.

Who: Open to anyone in the Great Plains Conference 
What: Virtual 5K
When: Training encouragement and spiritual support will be available starting May 1; Race to be completed by May 31 
Where: Your choice of where to walk/run
Why: Incentive to tend to your faith and wellness

  • You will receive support along the way
  • You can support spiritual and mental health
  • You will receive a T-shirt and 5k medal
  • You can join others in the conference in this virtual race and hear incredible stories!
  • If you have done something like this before, you can help encourage others
  • If you have never done anything like this before, this can be a time to invest in your own wellness

Suggested donation: $15, $10 for those under age 18.

Please register here by May 1.

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How is your church re-engaging
its members in post-COVID world?

Conference communications director Todd Seifert is working on a podcast episode or two addressing how churches are re-engaging their members — particularly their spiritual disciplines — now that people are starting to come back to the church in person.

Is your church doing something to help people re-engage and jump-start their faith journey post-COVID?

Please share some info by emailing him, tseifert@greatplainsumc.org.

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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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Clergy Excellence

Deadline for spring round of
Culture of Call grants is Monday

The Culture of Call grant was designed to provide churches, campus ministries, United Methodist organizations and districts in the Great Plains UMC with resources to fuel their imaginations in creating opportunities to cultivate a Culture of Call. Grants will be awarded in the range of $500 to $2,000. Since 2016, we’ve awarded 63 grants totaling more than $101,000. To see some FAQs about the grant, read reports of previous grant recipients, and find the application, check out the grant website: www.greatplainsumc.org/cocgrant.

Bonus: you can read about other grants (and see some in video form!) to get an idea of some possibilities. Check it out here: www.greatplainsumc.org/cultureofcallresources.

2021 grant deadlines:

  • April 12 — Early deadline, awards announced April 23
  • April 30 — Distribution of funds
  • Sept. 15 — Late deadline, awards announced Oct. 1
  • Oct. 8 — Distribution of funds

Questions? Contact Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford, aalleycrawford@greatplainsumc.org, 785-414-4216.

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Lambert, Williamston to talk pastoral
transition on 'Threshold' Thursday

 

At the Threshold is back with a conversation about pastoral transitions. Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford and Rev. Dr. Shelly Petz will be hosting three conversations starting this week for clergy who want to take a deeper look at “Ending Well,” “Starting Well” and “Going with God in Change.” You can learn more here and register to join any of the three conversations.

For our next conversation Thursday (10:30-11:30 a.m. CT), you’ll get to listen in to a conversation with Rev. Nancy Lambert and Rev. Dee Williamston as we talk about what it looks like to end a season of ministry well, especially in some of the challenges of 2021. We’ll also talk about passing the baton and what it looks like to experience the presence of God in the midst of uncertainties. You’ll have a chance for discussion and some Q&A with the hosts! Sign up to join here.

Also, for those in transition, take a look at our Pastoral Transitions page for videos and article on specific topics for your transition. If you’d like to take a deeper look into cultivating resilience during this season, listen in to Texas Methodist Foundation’s podcast, Reservoirs of Resilience (or on Google Play or Apple Podcasts). For more, read Bishop Janice Riggle Huie’s reflection on hope, courage and purpose: Reservoirs of Resilience in Uncertain Times.

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Equipping Disciples

Camp Fontanelle offering paid,
volunteer positions this summer

What are you doing to live into the mission of the United Methodist Church of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?”

At Camp Fontanelle, there are many opportunities to help live into that mission, especially in the summer months. In either a volunteer capacity, or a paid position, the chance to impact lives is great.

Current paid positions at camp include being a summer camp counselor who lives on site. A person looking at this position would have a love of Jesus and of kids, full of energy and a willingness to learn the different programming components at Camp Fontanelle.

How about being the coordinator for our summer day camp program? This individual does not live on site but will work full days, Monday through Friday; this could be a perfect job for a summer education student or a teacher. Most of all, the day camp coordinator needs to be creative, full of energy and love the out-of-doors.

The kitchen is looking for a parttime cook. The qualified candidate would work the weekend camps and fill in when needed during the week.

Volunteers are always needed. The variety of job descriptions is endless. A person could volunteer in the kitchen, mow the many acres of grass, weed gardens, work directly with the campers and being that extra set of hands for the summer counselors and program staff. In working with the campers, overnight opportunities are available. Do you love animals? Consider volunteering in the barn area, caring for the camp's animals.

Requirements for all of these positions include a desire to make a difference in the lives of our campers and helping them to see the love of God and the blessings we all have in being followers of Christ. A person will also need to complete the Safe Gatherings training. Please contact the camp for more information on how you can make a difference. Either phone 402-478-4296 or campfontanelle@greatplainsumc.org.

Not near Camp Fontanelle? Please contact the UM Camp in your area and find out how you can help.

Have you registered your family for summer camp? There are camp sessions for all age groups, including Day Camp and Family Camp. Fontanelle has 183 acres of beautiful woods, hard wood trees, grassy meadows, exciting activities, including a swimming pool, zipline, tree climbing, our Petting Barn and so much more. It is a place to grow with God in all seasons. This summer is going to be great with our camp theme of “Bee Greater.” Go to the website for more information.

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Resilient Church Academy
is launching this Thursday

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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How effective is your church?
Surveys can help give the answer

After Easter, you can involve the congregation in a brief survey to hear a snapshot of where the church currently is understanding itself to be in: Spiritual Intensity, Dynamic Relationships, Missional Alignment and Cultural Openness. A leadership team meets with a free district-based coach to interpret results and coach the leadership to discern what the next faithful step is in the life of the church.

If you would like to start this survey and visioning process at your church, let your District Superintendent and/or Congregational Excellence Liaison know to get started for an after-Easter beginning. Readiness 360 can help churches have conversations that would lead to  discover God’s next faithful step in ministry.  After the congregation takes the survey,  the leadership team meets with a coach to talk about next steps and visioning.  The leadership can come up with a plan which will provide some strategic planning to live into for the next year. Here are video testimonies from Great Plains churches: https://vimeo.com/478719726.

Congregational Excellence Liaisons

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Mercy & Justice

Hub in KC District seeks
volunteer help with building

In July 2020, Metropolitan Ave UMC in the KC district closed. This closing gave birth to a new church start called Ushindi United Methodist Fellowship and a new non-profit called The Hub.
 
Ushindi is a congregation of Congolese refugees and they continue to worship in the old Metropolitan Ave. building. The Hub adapted the ministries that Metropolitan Ave. left behind (primarily the food pantry and clothing closet) so that they better connect to the Argentine neighborhood.
 
The Hub has also started Learning Pods which support students with their virtual learning, a community garden, and building intentional community in the Argentine neighborhood. The Hub also works with all of the KC District churches to plug them into serving in the Kansas City, Kansas/Wyandotte County community. This is a place where the kin-dom of God is breaking through in more ways than one! 
 
It is located in the old Metropolitan Ave UMC building at 3730 Metropolitan Ave, Kansas City, KS 66106.
 
The Hub is in need of volunteers to help install some ceiling tiles, place carpet squares, and lay laminate flooring.

Contact the Rev. Carter Ellis for more information.

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Former Micah Corps member
featured in SMU Student Spotlight

Ally Drummond, a member of the Great Plains Conference’s Micah Corps in 2018, is featured in the “Student Spotlight” at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, where she is a second year Master of Divinity student.

“I’m called to ministry for God with God’s people. God has been preparing me for this all along, before I could put the pieces together,” she said. “Knowing this, I felt a deep indescribable sense of peace – the peace that passes all understanding.”

After completing an internship at Dallas’ Highland Park UMC, Drummond – a certified candidate for ordination from the Great Plains Conference – is in a third-year internship at her home church, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, and is a laity delegate to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference.

Read more here.

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Disaster Response

Should we sing when we
return to in-person worship?

Churches across the Great Plains are cautiously returning to in-person worship services, but a big question about those services remains: Can we sing in worship?

The Rev. Hollie Tapley, disaster response coordinator, has compiled several sources to answer that question.

Read more here.

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KDHE providing free
tests to Kansas churches

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has a supply of BinaxNOW tests that it can distribute at no cost to UMC churches. BinaxNOW test kits require no additional equipment, provide results in 15 minutes, and are an effective option to quickly identify whether an individual is infectious. The test kits can be used to rapidly test symptomatic individuals, provide real-time input to mitigate the risk of large social gatherings by identifying individuals who pose a transmission risk, and/or offer scalable testing for recurrent screening programs. The test can be administered by any individual who has completed a video training, or it can be self-administered in the presence of a trained observer.

The document in this link provides an overview of the BinaxNOW test. To receive the tests free of cost, we ask that organizations agree to report results for the tests conducted. The materials provide an overview of LabXchange, which is a reporting system available through KDHE that greatly automates the process for reporting.

For our Nebraska churches, we are waiting to receive instructions from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.  Please hold off from ordering any kits until we hear from them.

For questions, contact Rev. Hollie Tapley at htapley@greatplainsumc.org and copy Pablo Galindo at Galindo.pablo@bcg.com
 

 

Administration

For clergy, here’s how to reduce
your health-care premiums

The window is now open to obtain lower premiums. Below are the instructions for healthcare.gov.

If you already have a Marketplace plan
If you have Marketplace coverage, including if you recently enrolled through the 2021 Special Enrollment Period:

  1. Log in to update your application and enrollment. Your new eligibility results will show you the extra tax credit amount.
  2. Update your plan selection with increased tax credits. If you qualify for more tax credit, reselect your current plan in order for the changes to take effect to lower your premiums for the rest of the year.

You can also wait until you file and “reconcile” your 2021 taxes next year (in 2022) to get the additional premium tax credit amount. But, we recommend you update your application and review your plan options during the 2021 Special Enrollment Period through Aug. 15. You may be able to choose a plan with lower out-of-pocket costs for the same price or less than what you’re currently paying.

--Peggy Mihoover
Conference benefits officer

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Virtual 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. Register here.

Personalized benefit projection, clergy service record and educational tools will be mailed before the meeting. You will be instructed on how to set up a consultation to discuss your personalized options.

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.

Register here.

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Across the Connection

Lincoln Saint Paul UMC to host
virtual seminars on race, racism

Four virtual seminars presented by Lincoln Saint Paul UMC will examine the history of race and racism in America, the experiences of racial minorities in the United Methodist Church and the City of Lincoln, and the ways parents deal with race in raising their children. This series will highlight how people might expand the dialogue about race relations now and in the future.

Seminar Schedule  

  • April 15 – How Race Has Shaped Our National History. Speaker: Dr. Jeannette Jones
  • April 22 – How Racial Minorities Experience the United Methodist Church. Speaker: Rev. Dr. Charlotte Abram
  • April 29 – How Racial Minorities Experience Lincoln, Nebraska. Speaker: Tyre “T.J.” McDowell, Jr.
  • May 6 – How Parents Teach Their Children About Race. Speaker: Peter Ferguson 

More information and an RSVP for the Zoom link are available at www.saintpaulumc.org/racialjustice.

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Churches make their return to
in-person worship on Easter Sunday

Among the churches that returned to in-person worship on Easter Sunday morning was Prairie Village Asbury UMC, which had an outdoor service in its parking lot.

“We still have a service online,” the Rev. Gayla Rapp, senior pastor, told KSHB. “Some people chose that option. I think people are in different places in terms of what they feel safe with, and we want to respect that.”

Watch video here.

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In other news

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Newsletters

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Commentaries

  • Are two-tier churches on the horizon?: As vaccinations against COVID-19 increase, many congregations that have been worshipping exclusively online for more than a year are making plans to return to in-person and indoor worship. While strongly supporting vaccinations, the Rev. Jeremy Smith, pastor of Seattle First UMC, also warns against letting those shots lead to tiered access to worship.
  • Music is a bridge to those with memory loss: The Rev. Karen Shearer, a pastor and hospice chaplain in Madison, Missouri, recommends singing to and with people who have failing memories. “I regularly experience music’s ability to transport people to a place of happiness, of assurance, of safety and of peace,” she writes.

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Classifieds

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

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