Conference and district offices will be closed Nov.25-26 so our staff may celebrate Thanksgiving. Also, there will be no GPconnect next week; it will return Dec. 1.

Download the Nov. 17 edition of GPconnect.

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Korean-born pastor's arrival spurs church growth in Chanute
Advent calendar meant to bond families during season
Happy Thanksgiving from the Great Plains Conference
Study: 80% of churches in U.S. offering hybrid worship

CLERGY EXCELLENCE 
Deadline for self-care mini-grant apps is Dec. 1; new video explains
Bishop Saenz invites clergy to Orders & Fellowship, Jan. 24-26

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
New Good Neighbor cohorts are beginning in January
Prairie Rivers UM Men host post-pandemic discussion

RESOURCES
Wesleyan studies, disability awareness material available
It’s not too late to support United Methodist Student Day

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
Southwestern defeats Kansas Wesleyan to win first Bishop's Cup
In other news
Newsletters
Classifieds

 

Korean-born pastor's arrival
spurs church growth in Chanute

Many of the 9,100 residents of Chanute have likely met the Rev. Michael Park over the past 16 ½ months. 

The Korean-born pastor, Chanute First's first cross-cultural appointment in its 150 years, makes it a habit of going out and meeting people where they are. And he'll likely do it armed with baked goodies made by his wife, Esther, that he'll "pass off like Mahomes" with an invitation to church.

Meet the pastor, view a photo gallery and hear what church members say.

To Top

 

Advent calendar meant to
bond families during season

Making the best of what she called a “scramble situation,” the Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford created an interactive Advent calendar for families in the Great Plains Conference.

Plans fell through for a collaboration with other conferences, Gepford, intergenerational discipleship coordinator, said.

“What is something I can put together, as a parent, that doesn’t feel overwhelming” to families, Gepford said.

She calls the Advent calendar, which begins Dec. 1, a “curated resource” of activities for families of all ages.

“Some of them are silly, like Christmas carol karaoke, and some of them have YouTube videos that are very short clips from Christmas movies that can spark conversation,” she said.

Others are opportunities for giving or serving.

“Just one link a day is doable to give an idea for families to be a little more intentional this season,” she said.

One space she’s proud of is a connection to RIP Medical Debt, a program that eradicates medical debt for pennies on the dollar – where a $100 contribution can erase $10,000 in medical debt.

Gepford said it was difficult to choose just 24 spaces for the calendar.

“It was fun to distill these choices down for folks,” she said.

Download the Advent calendar here.

To Top


Happy Thanksgiving from
the Great Plains Conference

This video, created by multimedia production specialist Eugenio Hernandez, celebrates Thanksgiving 2021 with scenes from across the Great Plains.

Watch it here.

A 10-minute video message of Thanksgiving from Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. will be available for churches, clergy and individuals on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at greatplainsumc.org and our Facebook and Twitter pages for distribution on church websites and social media.

To Top


Study: 80% of churches in
U.S. offering hybrid worship

A new study exploring the pandemic's effects on U.S. churches has found that eight in 10 of them now offer hybrid worship services, meaning in-person and online. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research study is part of a broader, five-year research project done with Faith Communities Today. United Methodist Communications is a member of Faith Communities Today and is working with United Methodist leaders and members to assist the ongoing research.

Read more from Religion News Service.
Read the study.

 

Clergy Excellence

Deadline for self-care mini-grant apps
is Dec. 1; new video explains more

Are you interested in finding out what is covered in the Clergy Wellbeing Mini-Grants and might want to apply for use before the end of 2021? Check out this new video explaining more about the $450 grant that is available to clergy.

If you’ve not heard, a $450 grant is available for clergy for a self-care mini-grant to be used before Dec. 31, 2022. The grants could be used to enhance a planned renewal leave or to create space for spiritual self-care in the midst of your ministry and are intended to be the sort of things that would be approved by your continuing education or travel budget.

We have generous but limited funding and will be funding three cycles:

  • 2021 — applications received through Dec. 1
  • 2022 — Early: applications received Feb. 1 to May 1
  • 2022 — Late: applications received July 1 to Nov. 1

Check out some soul-care resources for planning your own solo (or small group) retreat, meeting with a conference peer coach or having conversation with a Spiritual Director. Clergy, would you give yourself the gift of reflection and self-care?

Check out our website for self-care mini-grant opportunities.

To Top


Bishop Saenz invites clergy to
Orders & Fellowship, Jan. 24-26

This new video from Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. invites clergy to the 2022 Orders & Fellowship gathering, Jan. 24-26 at the Younes Center North in Kearney.

Bishop Saenz introduces the theme of the gathering, as well as information about the keynote speaker and other presenters.

Watch the video here.
Orders & Fellowship page, including information on registration, lodging and a tentative schedule.

To Top

 

Equipping Disciples

New Good Neighbor cohorts
are beginning in January

The Neighboring Movement will have new cohorts of the Good Neighbor Experiment starting in January.
 
Through a nine-month training, GNE churches move from program focus to relationship focus, from scarcity to abundance, and inauthenticity to joy all while learning the basics of Asset Based Community Development and neighboring. Here is how it works ...

  1. Recruit a neighboring team of 4-10 people to come to a workshop at the beginning, middle and end of the nine months
  2. Work with a GNE Facilitator for extra coaching and check-in calls
  3. Your team will lead your church through neighboring curriculum and small groups including six weeks on the key ingredients of neighboring; six weeks on meeting neighbors where you live; six weeks on neighboring as a congregation; and six weeks on creating a plan for what comes next
Here are the two cohorts available to Great Plains churches:
  • Cohort with in-person Workshops starts Jan. 22 in Kansas City area
  • Cohort with Online Workshops starts Jan. 29

Tuition for GNE is covered for all churches who join the Health Congregations program provided by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.
 
Learn more here.

To Top


Prairie Rivers UM Men host
post-pandemic discussion

Forty-five lay and clergy, men and women, attended “Jumpstart: Ideas and Inspiration for Post Pandemic,” organized and sponsored by the United Methodist Men of the Prairie Rivers District, Saturday at Hastings First UMC.

Read more here.

 To Top

 

Resources

Wesleyan studies, disability
awareness materials available

This week’s United Media Resource Center update includes more than two dozen Methodist/Wesleyan DVD studies, as well as three books and 25 DVDs that educate about disability awareness.

To Top


It’s not too late to support
United Methodist Student Day

The denomination has dedicated Nov. 28 as United Methodist Student Day, where we set aside time to honor and celebrate students in our congregation and around the world. With this special offering, we invest in their future. Build awareness and encourage generous support with the help of offering talks, sermon starters, liturgies, age-level resources and more.

Download resources here.

To Top

 

Across the Connection

Southwestern defeats Kansas
Wesleyan to win first Bishop's Cup

Two of the state's United Methodist college teams faced off against each other Saturday, as Southwestern College defeated Kansas Wesleyan University, 42-24, in the inaugural Bishop's Cup game in Salina. 

Prior to the game, KWU was ranked fifth nationwide in the NAIA and Southwestern 13th.

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. -- a former college football player -- attended a pregame rally, prayed to open the game, and gave the coin flip to start the game.

The bishop's wife, Mayé, and several members of the cabinet also attended the game. 

To Top


In other news


Newsletters


Classifieds 

Classifieds are posted for 30 days unless otherwise requested. Please allow three business days for your classified to appear on the website. Email jmcfarland@greatplainsumc.org to update or renew your classified. Submit your classified here. 

To Top

 
 
 
Facebook Twitter Instagram Subscribe Submit story Website

 
Conference Office
1207 SW Executive Dr.
PO Box 4187
Topeka, KS 66604
  785-272-9111