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THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Churches receive instruction about Boy Scouts bankruptcy
Podcast doing short series on Certified Lay Ministers
Work begins in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida
Research: Black churches keeping their resilience
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Moderators workshop trainings scheduled for October, November
Fall 2021 Culture of Call Grant application deadline is next week
Friday is registration deadline for in-person clergy retreat in Wichita
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Fall activities on tap at Camp Fontanelle
Our collective detour thanks to COVID
UMMen 100 Club barbecue dinner set for this weekend
New Church-Campus Grant available from conference
Share your thoughts with daily devotions; openings in September
MERCY & JUSTICE
How United Methodists can help immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers
Missionaries featured in Zoom chat next week
DISASTER RESPONSE
Church of the Resurrection schedules ERT courses for October
New chart shows recommendations for worship, ministries in churches
ADMINISTRATION
Church mission share letters now available
Clergy open enrollment scheduled for Sept. 13-26
KAUMF hosts webinar on narrative budgets
Deadline is Sept. 30 for Nebraska UM Foundation ministry grants
RESOURCES
Promote World Communion Sunday with these materials
Online leader training helps churches begin, expand Stephen Ministry
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
In other news
Newsletters
Commentaries
Classifieds
Churches receive instruction
about Boy Scouts bankruptcy
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. issued a letter Sept. 7, 2021, regarding the bankruptcy developments with the Boy Scouts of America. The bankruptcy settlement involves settling claims of abuse made by more than 84,000 people, and some of which date back as far as 80 years ago.
Based upon the recommendation of our Great Plains Conference Chancellors, all churches that currently support scouting units should not extend or renew any expiring charter. Instead, tell the local BSA Council that the church will only agree to enter into the attached Facilities Use Agreement.
Strict confidentiality agreements are in place to protect the identities of abuse claimants, so the information shared in this letter are for information purposes for United Methodists in Kansas and Nebraska. Churches that have an allegation against them, as a chartering organization, will receive separate communications with further instructions. It is critical that confidentiality around specifics claims of abuse is strictly maintained, even among friends and colleagues, due to the sensitive nature of the abuse claims and potential legal ramifications.
Download a printable version of the bishop's letter.
Download the Facilities Use Agreement.
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Podcast doing short series
on Certified Lay Ministers
The ”In Layman’s Terms” podcast, hosted by conference communications director Todd Seifert, starts a short series of episodes examining certified lay ministers (CLMs) and the role they play in the local church, how they are trained, and why more people may want to prayerfully consider exploring becoming a CLM.
In this episode, Seifert talks with Jada Hodgson, a CLM serving as pastor at Plum Creek United Methodist Church near Paola, Kansas. It is believed that Hodgson was the first CLM in the United Methodist denomination.
Listen to the podcast episode.
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Work begins in Louisiana
following Hurricane Ida
Repair and cleanup are underway in Louisiana following the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida.
The Rev. Hollie Tapley, disaster response coordinator for the Great Plains Conference, said ERTs from the bistate area are committed to going to Louisiana from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3. By next week, Tapley said, she will find out the location and what the jobs will include.
Louisiana church holds first services after Ida.
Reckoning with Ida’s destruction in Northeast.
Pastors talk about hurricane aftermath.
Video from Bishop Saenz and the Great Plains Cabinet.
Video update from Louisiana Conference.
Donate through Louisiana Conference.
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Research: Black churches
keeping their resilience
In June, Gammon Theological Seminary joined with five United Methodist organizations, seeking to hear the voices of Black pastors and leaders who have faithfully led and served God's people amid the unprecedented COVID-19 global health pandemic.
Read more from UM News Service.
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Clergy Excellence
Moderators workshop trainings
scheduled for October, November
Would you like to be equipped to find common ground within the red/blue divide in your congregation? This one-day training is designed to equip clergy and laity to facilitate deliberative dialogue in “The Purple Zone.” Investing your time and energy for this training will serve as a refresher of what you learned last January during Orders & Fellowship and also prepare you for making an impact in your context.
Workshop dates and facilitators:
Monday, Oct. 18: Amy Lippoldt, Jeff Clinger
Thursday, Oct. 28: Brad Wheeler, Marshall Johnson
Monday, Nov. 8: Morita Truman, Kara Eidson
Tuesday, Nov. 16: Loren Drummond, Grace Gichuru
- Choose one of four online trainings.
- Time: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT
- Maximum of nine participants in each workshop; minimum of four.
- Training is open to clergy and church leaders.
- CEU available.
- Cost for the 1-Day training is $10
Put this on your calendar today. Further details are coming soon!
Register here.
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Fall 2021 Culture of Call Grant
application deadline is next week
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-$2,000. Since 2016, we’ve awarded 64 grants totaling just over $102,500.
Earlier this year, Clergy Excellence hosted a webinar helping ministry leaders learn more about what it means to have a culture of call. You can find a recording of the webinar, read some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), work through two new planning documents to help you write your grant and find the application here: www.greatplainsumc.org/cocgrant
Bonus opportunity: you can read about past grants here: https://www.greatplainsumc.org/cultureofcallresources.
2021 Grant deadlines:
- 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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Friday is registration deadline for
in-person clergy retreat in Wichita
Would you benefit from having a two-day, guided retreat to give you an opportunity to connect with others through worship together, take an honest look at how you’re doing, and learn about creating a Rule of Life and Learning Plan for focusing your plan for growth?
“For Your Life: Giving your soul time and means to grow” is a retreat led by Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford and Rev. Dr. Shelly Petz that will help you create space for pastors to work on a plan for learning and formation for the year ahead. It includes time for honest reflection, introduce you to a template for growth in the year ahead, and help you identify next steps in your individual development. You will have time to worship give you space to spend time in solo reflection and/or connection with others. The retreat will be held at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, starting at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 27 and will wrap up by 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28.
The cost to participate in the in-person retreat is $25 and includes one night of lodging, meals and a retreat notebook. The deadline for registering is Friday, Sept. 10.
Are you interested in a self-guided version of this retreat? We’ve now got a way for you to plan a solo or small group format with a couple of your friends. Complete the request here.
To register and for more information, check out the website, www.greatplainsumc.org/foryourlife or email Alley Crawford at aalleycrawford@greatplainsumc.org.
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Equipping Disciples
Fall activities on tap
at Camp Fontanelle
Camp Fontanelle is excited to offer fall activities in 2021. Having vast outdoor space makes Camp Fontanelle the perfect place to spend time with family and friends.
The Second Season begins with the opening of the corn maze on Sunday, Sept. 19. This year's theme is Kingdom Quest and will give guests a chance to use their imagination and go back in time with knights, princesses and of course, a pesky dragon! The corn maze has all of these figures designed into the trails which give the maze its look.
The maze is open from 1-7 p.m. Saturdays and 1-6 p.m. Sundays. Special days include Search for Treats for Pets, Oct. 3; Scary Maze Nights, Oct. 22-23 and Search for Treats, Oct. 24.
Sept. 19 is also the camp's largest fundraiser. Join camp supporters at this year's BBQ and Quilt Auction. Worship begins at 11 a.m. Meals will be served from noon to 2 p.m. The quilt auction begins at 2. Over 40 quilts are available at the auction.
If you are unable to attend on the 19th, donations can be made to the camp and checks mailed to the camp: Camp Fontanelle 9677 County Road 3 Fontanelle, NE 68044. For questions phone the camp, 402-478-4296.
--Jane Van Horn, Camp Fontanelle
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Our collective detour
thanks to COVID
Scott Barnum, Hays District director of Lay Servant Ministries, shares a story about detours, impatience and conscious decisions on how to react to the stresses that come with detours in the latest Lay Servant Ministries blog.
Scott reminds us that we are not alone amid the pandemic. And our response is a choice.
Read the blog.
Check out upcoming training opportunities.
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UMMen 100 Club barbecue
dinner set for this weekend
The 16th annual United Methodist Men’s 100 Club fundraising barbecue dinner will be at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, near Springfield, Nebraska.
To make a donation or purchase a meal ticket, contact Randy Fleming at 402-210-4885 or auctioneer_32@msn.com.
More information here.
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New Church-Campus Grant
available from conference
For all congregations who want to reach out to a college near you, there is a new grant from the Great Plains UM Campus Ministry Board. Any churches who want to reach out to any colleges in the area may apply for a $1,000 grant to jump start a ministry on-campus.
Ideas include: At a campus near you, start a time of worship with students, devotion, spiritual growth, provide service opportunities, a way to advocate for justice and way to live out faith in Jesus Christ. The first year will be a $1,000 grant.
For subsequent years, the $1,000 will be a matching grant with the congregation. We look forward to hearing how God will multiply and maximize your ministry with students. Many churches can apply for the same campus to provide ministries to as many students as possible.
Applications available here: https://gp-reg.brtapp.com/ChurchCampusGrant
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Share your thoughts with daily
devotions; openings in September
Thousands of clergy and laity throughout the Great Plains Conference begin their mornings by reading our daily devotions, which arrives in their emails at 5 a.m.
The emails are written by those same clergy, laity and conference staff, sharing their reflection on scripture or events. You don't have to be a biblical scholar to share your insight! A link to the Vanderbilt lectionary is at the top of the devotion signup below, but you can use whatever scripture you wish. Write about 300 words and add a two-sentence prayer of reflection. The deadline is three days before publication.
Openings are available for September. Take a moment -- we know you have some insight that's worth sharing throughout the Great Plains.
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Mercy & Justice
How United Methodists can help
immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers
A few months ago, reports about more unaccompanied minors entering the United States were highlighted in the news. Congregations and individual church members were asking “what can we do?” and they are ready to help.
Read about what the denomination and the Great Plains Conference are doing to help, written by Andrea Paret from the Great Plains Immigration Rapid Response Team.
Read more here.
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Missionaries featured
in Zoom chat next week
Despite the pandemic, United Methodist missionaries remain deeply engaged in work around the world. Normally, a number of them “itinerate” each year to visit the churches and individuals that support them in ministry. COVID-19 has put a stop to most travel but that doesn’t mean the missionaries aren’t available to meet virtually! Each month, we invite four missionaries to be in conversation with laity and clergy throughout the church to share the joys and challenges they’ve experienced.
Featured this month are:
- Daniel and Courtney Randall, serving as Jurisdictional Mission Advocates in the Western Jurisdiction in the United States.
- Kathleen Peterson, director of Eastbrook Mission Barn in the United States.
- Tazvionepi Nyarota, Mission Coordinator for the Zimbabwean Community in Western Canada.
- Rebecca Parsons, Jurisdictional Mission Advocate for the Northeast Jurisdiction in the United States.
You can join them on Zoom at 11 a.m. CT Thursday, Sept. 16.
Registration is required.
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Disaster Response
Church of the Resurrection
schedules ERT courses for October
 Church of the Resurrection has scheduled an ERT Certification class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at its Leawood campus, Building B, Room B251. Lloyd Schaefer will be the instructor for this class. Register here.
An ERT Recertification Class will be from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 23 in Building B, Room B252. Joyce Appel will be the instructor for this class. Register here.
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New chart shows recommendations
for worship, ministries in churches
The most recent chart with recommendations for churches on worship and ministry gatherings is now available.
This guideline for worship and other ministries is to be used with your church leadership to foster important conversation related to your church activities. While one directive would be simpler for church leadership, we must keep in mind the context of our setting and the transmission rate for our particular communities. While using this tool as a guide, keep in mind a few circumstances:
- Age of the congregation
- Health status of the congregation
- Rate and number of fully vaccinated individuals who become positive.
- County and community transmissions for a 14-day period
- Community vaccination rates
View chart here.
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Administration
Church mission share
letters now available
Greetings from the Great Plains Conference Treasurer’s Office.
2022 church mission share letters are now available to view on the conference website at https://www.greatplainsumc.org/statementsremittanceforms. Once at the website, type the church name in the search box, click search and click on the church. From there you can view your church's 2022 mission share letter, 2021 remittance form, and/or most recent remittance statement. The 2022 mission share letter has also been sent via USPS to the church mailing address on file.
If you have any questions about your 2022 mission share letter, please email me at nbuesing@greatplainsumc.org or Scott Brewer at sbrewer@greatplainsumc.org or call the conference office at 877-972-9111.
--Niki Buesing, assistant treasurer/controller
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Clergy open enrollment
scheduled for Sept. 13-26
Clergy appointed to churches three-quarter to fulltime are eligible for optional benefits through the Conference. This is the time to explore what Great Plains Conference offers in optional benefits. All benefit coverage and cost can be found on GP website: https://www.greatplainsumc.org/optionalbenefits.
Your individual benefit letters and statements will be emailed to you along with the 2022 Open Enrollment Guide. You will also receive an email from ADP notifying you about open enrollment.
A Zoom meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT Monday, Sept. 13, to review the Open Enrollment Guide and to answer any questions you have regarding benefits. Zoom meeting information will be sent out through Brick River email on Friday, Sept. 10.
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KAUMF hosts webinar
on narrative budgets
What is a narrative budget? How could it help your church share its vision for ministry?
From 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation invites you to join a webinar on Narrative Budgets. F. Douglas Powe, Jr., Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and the James C. Logan Professor of Evangelism at Wesley Theological Seminary, will share how using a narrative budget can make an impact.
F. Douglas Powe, Jr. is the Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and the James C. Logan Professor of Evangelism at Wesley Theological Seminary. Dr. Powe is an ordained elder in the Baltimore/Washington Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. His newest book, "The Adept Church: Navigating Between a Rock and a Hard Place," was the No. 1 newly released church growth book just a month after being released. Dr. Powe is also known for his work in Wesleyan evangelism with titles like, Transforming Community: The Wesleyan Way to Missional Congregations and Transforming Evangelism: The Wesleyan Way of Sharing Faith, both co-authored with H. Henry Knight III. Dr. Powe is a forerunner in African American evangelism, a few of his contributions include: Not Safe for Church: The Ten Commandments for Reaching New Generations, co-authored with Rev. Jasmine Smothers, and New Wine, New Wineskins: How African American Congregations Can Reach New Generations. He holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Emory University (2004), a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology (1998), and a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University (1987).
All clergy and laity are welcome to attend. There is no cost to attend, and all registered participants will receive a link to the recording after the presentation. Register today at https://kaumf-reg.brtapp.com/LearnGrowSeminarRegistration.
For questions, please contact the Foundation Office at jtrapp@kaumf.org or 620-664-9623.
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Deadline is Sept. 30 for Nebraska
UM Foundation ministry grants
The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation is pleased to announce a ministry grant opportunity available to Nebraska churches and affiliated agencies of the Great Plains United Methodist Conference.
The Foundation is able to award these grants due to the generosity of donors to the Gifts from the Heart Endowment Fund. These grant dollars are available to enhance and expand your ministries. The ultimate goal of these awards is to provide assistance both for new ministries and thriving ministries wishing to grow.
These grants are made for programs and activities and include operating expenses and supplies necessary for those programs or activities. They are not made for building repair, replacement, or expansion.
The application deadline is Sept. 30. For application materials and more information, please visit our website at https://www.numf.org/scholarships-grants.
If you have questions about the application process or would like to talk to the Foundation about how you can help grow these types of grants, call 877-495-5545.
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Resources
Promote World Communion
Sunday with these materials
World Communion Sunday is recommended for Oct. 3 this year, although it can be celebrated on any date of your choosing.
A pastor and leader’s kit from Resource UMC has everything you need to empower your congregation to give generously. You can post some of these resources on all your social media outlets. We also have a downloadable poster and a bulletin insert you can print out and insert in your church bulletin the week prior to this special Sunday.
Find out more here.
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Online leader training helps churches
begin, expand Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministries St. Louis is now training caring ministry leaders through a live, interactive online training experience called the Bridge Leader’s Training Course (BLTC). This event fully trains Stephen Leaders—the pastors, church staff, and lay leaders who begin and lead Stephen Ministry in their congregation.
The BLTC draws on newly redesigned and updated Stephen Ministry resources to equip participants with the skills and know-how to lead all aspects of their congregation’s Stephen Ministry. This includes training a team of congregation members as lay caregivers (called Stephen Ministers), matching them with hurting people in the congregation and community, and offering ongoing guidance and support to Stephen Ministers as they provide one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people experiencing a wide range of life difficulties.
The Bridge Leader’s Training Course is delivered via Zoom to cohorts of 20 people, led by two members of Stephen Ministries’ teaching faculty. Each session uses a variety of teaching methods—presentation, small- and whole-group discussions, skill practice, video, and more. The course consists of 10 sessions held twice weekly for five weeks or once weekly for 10 weeks.
To learn more about Stephen Ministry, visit www.stephenministries.org or call (314) 428-2600. Additional information about the Bridge Leader’s Training Course is available at www.stephenministries.org/bridge.
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Across the Connection
In other news
Commentaries
- Texas abortion law threatens ministry: Early in his ministry, the Rev. William B. Lawrence of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, served as a counselor to pregnant women considering their options, which sometimes meant providing information about abortion services for women who chose that option. Under a new Texas law, he writes, such a pastoral role could lead to lawsuits.
- Lamentation with hope for Afghanistan: Watching the news of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan reminds the Rev. Thomas Kim from United Methodist Communications of time he spent with missionaries there following his brother-in-law's death in a bombing. He noted that many questioned their mission in a country where they felt they weren't making a difference. The experience reminded him of similar attitudes of missionaries to Korea decades ago who never expected the country to prosper as it has.
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Classifieds
Classifieds are posted for 30 days unless otherwise requested. Please allow three business days for your classified to appear on the website. Email info@greatplainsumc.org to update or renew your classified.
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