Download the May 18 edition of GPconnect.

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Three weeks from #gpac2022; workbook now available online
Disaster Response Team helps with tornado recovery
Churches condemn hate, urge action after shootings
Methodist Church of Mexico in ministry with migrants

ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Many options for kids, youth during annual conference
Registration open for Pastor Golf Gathering, scheduled for June 6

CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Renewal Grant applications for 2023 are now available
Here's your chance to brainstorm, bounce ideas off clergy colleagues

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Countdown to camping time is underway across Great Plains
When you hear the sound of God's calling 

DISASTER RESPONSE
Conference is sponsoring NAMI Walks on Saturday in Omaha, Topeka

ADMINISTRATION
New grant from KMF focuses on justice ministries
KMF announces 2022-23 seminary scholarships
Nebraska UM Foundation announces scholarship programs 

RESOURCES
‘Life of Meaning,’ ‘Meaning of Marriage’ among selections
Resources available for responding to racism
Video will demonstrate five ways to overcome anxiety

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
In other news
Newsletters
Classifieds

 

Three weeks from #gpac2022;
workbook now available online

The pre-annual conference workbook is ready for you to download to your computer, tablet or smartphone. Simply click here or click the image above.

The workbook includes the agenda for our annual conference session June 8-11, 2022, in La Vista, Nebraska. It also includes resolutions that the body will consider during our conference, as well as reports from many of our annual conference's ministries.

The sessions planning team highly recommends you either download this document to your tablet or laptop ahead of time or print out this document and bring it with you to the annual conference session. As part of the annual conference's efforts to be more environmentally friendly, there not be any printouts available on-site. Pastors are encouraged to print a copy for lay members at their churches, but please communicate with lay members to ensure that everyone has this important packet of information.

If you would like to have a workbook printed and mailed to you, the cost will be $25. Send an email to Todd Seifert, communications director, to gain access to a link to pay for the workbook. Or call Todd in the conference office at 785-414-4224. No orders will be taken after May 31.

We look forward to seeing clergy and lay members to annual conference in-person in La Vista starting June 8!

Registration for annual conference closes on May 23.

Keep up to date with our annual conference page.

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Disaster Response Team
helps with tornado recovery

The Great Plains Disaster Response Team was on the ground in Andover, Kansas, as the sun rose showing the destruction from the EF-3 tornado on April 29. First responders from Sedgewick and Butler counties activated their search and rescue phase.

By Sunday afternoon, our team was charged with overseeing the Volunteer Reception Center, which would be located at the Andover UMC. By late Monday all areas affected were deemed safe. Tuesday morning, our team arrived at the church at 6 a.m. ready to greet and register volunteers from all over the state. At the end of two weeks, our team had registered 1,613 volunteers and also spent time working in the field helping homeowners.

Approximately 105 homes were destroyed in Andover with 205 homes in Butler and Sedgwick counties receiving major, minor or affected damages. There is much work to be done in both communities. Watch for your opportunity to provide a helping hand!

We would like to thank the Andover UMC for their wonderful hospitality and turning over the facility to our team to use. Your gifts of goodies that kept us going was very much appreciated. Blessings on each of you.

--Rev. Hollie Tapley, disaster response coordinator

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Churches condemn hate,
urge action after shootings

After what officials quickly identified as a racist attack, United Methodists are responding with prayers, counseling and condemnations of hate. Many church members in Buffalo are also grieving after the mass shooting at a grocery store claimed the lives of friends and loved ones. United Methodists also are responding after a gunman opened fire at a Presbyterian church in Laguna Woods, California. 

Read more from UM News Service.

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Methodist Church of Mexico
in ministry with migrants

As record numbers of migrants continue to cross Mexico's southern border, the Methodist Church of Mexico is seeking new ways to be in ministry with immigrant families on the move. A United Methodist News team accompanied Mexican church leaders and longtime partners from The United Methodist Church in April on visits with migrants, other faith communities and charitable and civic leaders in southern Mexico as they sought ways to help. Mike DuBose shares a photo essay.

See photos here.

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Annual Conference

Many options for kids, youth
during annual conference

While their parents and grandparents are clergy and lay members to the annual conference session, June 8-11 at La Vista Conference Center in La Vista, Nebraska, children and youth have a chance to experience overnight camp at the Henry Dorley Zoo in Omaha, day camp at The Water's Edge UMC, and on-site childcare at the meeting site.

Learn more and register here.

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Registration open for Pastor Golf
Gathering, scheduled for June 6

The Pastor Golf Gathering will return Monday, June 6, at Woodland Hills, Eagle, Nebraska.

Tee time is at noon with a shotgun start. The cost is $70 for 18 holes, box lunch, range balls and a cart. Space is limited so please register early.

This year’s gathering will be in memory of Rev. Greg Hall (1951-2017), who served Fremont Calvary, Hooper, North Bend and Fremont First UMCs before his 2017 retirement (top left); and Rev. Richard “Dick” Turner (1933-2022), former executive director of ministry in the former Nebraska Conference.

Register at this link. For more information, contact the Rev. Tony Dawson, 402-680-7113.

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Clergy Excellence

Renewal Grant applications
for 2023 are now available

The Office of Clergy Excellence announces the third round of Clergy Renewal Leave Grants for grants distributed in 2023. Clergy renewal leave is one way that the Great Plains Conference invests in developing, equipping, and empowering today’s leaders for the church of tomorrow. Is God calling you into an extended season of attentiveness to your own soul so that you might be faithful to the work that Christ is calling you to in your congregation(s) and community? Consider whether a Renewal Leave or Clergy Wellbeing Mini-Grant might be a resource for you. And read more about Clergy Faith and Wellness here
 
Renewal Leave is a period of time (usually about 12 weeks) that is granted by one’s local church for pastors to take an extended length of time to take a respite from the normal pastoral ministries for the purpose of renewing one’s vision, restoring one’s soul, and refocusing for the season of ministry and life ahead. The Clergy Renewal Grants are up to $3,000 and are available for full or associate members of the Great Plains Conference or local pastors who have completed course of study who have served at least 6 consecutive years under appointment. Past grant recipients have used the funds to cover pulpit supply while they’re away or travel or program expenses for a program of their own design for their season of renewal. 
 
The process of applying for the Renewal Leave grant is one that includes approval from the District Superintendent and one’s local church. The inquiry form about eligibility for the grant is now available and once it is identified that pastors are eligible, they’re encouraged to begin creating a proposal for coverage of ministry responsibilities and plans for renewal during the time away. All Renewal Leave plans must be jointly approved by the District Superintendent and PPRC/Administrative Board of the church/charge. Grant applications for 2023 will be received through Aug. 1, 2022, and applicants can expect to hear within a month about whether their application has been approved. Late applications received after Aug. 1 deadline will be considered on a rolling basis while funds are still available.  
 
You can read more about Renewal Grants (including FAQs) at our website and hear from some past grant recipients here.  
 
All clergy serving under appointment in the Great Plains UMC are eligible for a Clergy Wellbeing Mini-Grant, up to $450. The next grant cycle will open July 1 and will be open through Nov. 1 with eligibility to be used through the end of 2022. Learn more here

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Here's your chance to brainstorm,
bounce ideas off clergy colleagues

Jesus took time away for prayer and silence before proclaiming to the crowds. You are invited to take time apart in a retreat setting with other colleagues and create long-range plans for worship and preaching with retreat leader Rev. Dr. Theresa Mason. The cost is $200 and includes lodging and meals and will be held Monday, July 25 (5 p.m.) to Friday, July 29 (3 p.m.) at Heartland Spirituality Center in Great Bend, Kansas.

Participants are invited to plan worship and preaching for six months to a year in a retreat setting with other colleagues. You’ll be able to brainstorm and bounce ideas off colleagues and/or plan alone. You can expect blocks of time for planning, spiritual renewal, and rest.

Space is limited, so register early! Participants may arrive early or stay longer by making arrangements directly with the retreat center. Check out the website to hear testimonies of past participants, learn more about the retreat, and register: www.greatplainsumc.org/atimeapart.

Questions? Email Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford, aalleycrawford@greatplainsumc.org.

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Equipping Disciples

Countdown to camping time is
underway across Great Plains

Church camps are about more than church. There's an opportunity to learn a new skill, face a fear, learn about nature, or visit an area of the state (or the country) where you've never been. There's also time to learn how to grow into your faith and how a person might fit into a faith community.

Find out more in this essay from Jane Van Horn, Camp Fontanelle.

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When you hear the
sound of God's calling 

 
God is calling each of us, Esther Hay says, just as He did in biblical times.
 
“Each of us is both gifted and called,” Hay, director of Lay Servant Ministry for the Blue River District, writes in the latest LSM blog. “Each of us have God-given gifts that when used enable the work of God in the church and in the world. And just as thousands of years ago, God called to Abraham and Sarah, to Ruth and Esther, to Peter and John, to Mary Magdalene and thousands of others whose names are known or unknown to us, God calls to us.”

 

Disaster Response 

Conference is sponsoring NAMI
Walks on Saturday in Omaha, Topeka

NAMI Walks are all about building awareness, ending stigma, and helping NAMI offer educational and support programs across both states. Great Plains Conference is a sponsor for both walks. Churches, families, and individuals are encouraged to take part in these walks. For this year the NAMI Walk will take the place of the Great Plains 5K at Annual Conference. So, lace up your shoes, start training in the next month and support the area of mental health in our communities!

To learn more and to sign up for the Nebraska NAMI Walk in Omaha:
https://naminebraska.org/
To learn more and to sign up for the Kansas NAMI Walk in Topeka:
https://namikansas.org/

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Administration

New grant from KMF
focuses on justice ministries

The Kansas Methodist Foundation is pleased to announce a new Pathways for Discipleship grant focused on Justice Ministries.
In Luke 4, Jesus proclaims that his ministry includes preaching good news to the poor, proclaiming release to prisoners, recovering sight to the blind, liberating the oppressed, and proclaiming Jubilee.

“As the Body of Christ, we are called to do likewise, which includes serving those in need by being the hand, feet, and heart of Jesus in our local contexts,” KMF President Rev. Dr. Dustin Petz said. “It also means working to change the unjust systems that oppress our neighbors. I am excited for KMF to provide focused grants to help our Methodist partners do justice and work to change the systems that continue to harm.”

Starting in 2022, justice ministry grants will be awarded to Methodist churches and organizations in Kansas for programs focused on healing racial divisions, increasing equity among God’s children, encouraging inclusion, and broadening people’s understanding of diversity and bias.

The justice ministries pathway is one of four pathways in the Pathways for Discipleship grant program. The matching grants are awarded to churches and organizations across Kansas to advance ministries, especially in ways that are creative, innovative, and new. Other Pathways for Discipleship grant areas include: Children and Youth Programs, Ministry and Outreach, and Leadership Education.

Grant applications will be accepted from June 1 to Sept. 1, 2022. For more information, visit www.kansasmethodistfoundation.org.

The Kansas Methodist Foundation is grateful for the individuals and families who help make the ministry grants possible. If you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved in supporting ministries across Kansas to meet the needs of our changing world by exploring new possibilities, contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org or 620-664-9623.

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KMF announces 2022-23
seminary scholarships

The Kansas Methodist Foundation is pleased to announce seminary scholarship applications are currently being accepted for the 2022-23 academic year.

  • The KMF Seminary Scholarship provides support for ministerial students who are from or serving in Kansas and working toward ordination in the Great Plains Conference.
  • The Pass the Torch Scholarship is a ministry of retired clergy of the Great Plains Conference as well as their spouses and surviving spouses who are committed to providing funds to educate quality seminary students to lead the church. The scholarship is open to seminary students from the Great Plains Conference.

For more information on these scholarships, visit www.kansasmethodistfoundation.org/scholarships

The deadline to apply is July 15, 2022.

The Kansas Methodist Foundation is grateful for the many individuals, families, and churches who have given to make these scholarships possible. If you are interested in helping raise up the next generation of church leaders by supporting one of these scholarships or creating a named scholarship to honor your ministry, a mentor, or a loved one, please contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org or call 620-664-9623.

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Nebraska UM Foundation
announces scholarship programs 

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation opened its scholarship season on April 1 with over $50,000 in scholarships available for undergraduate students, seminary students, and local pastors pursuing a career in church leadership:

  • The Seminary Scholarship Program has 24 seminary scholarships available.
  • The Course of Study Scholarship Program has seven scholarships available to individuals enrolled in a Course of Study program. Candidates must be a member of a Nebraska United Methodist Church and a Certified Candidate. They must also be available to be an appointed member of the Great Plains Area Conference with the intention of serving ministries approved by the Conference.
  • The Tither’s Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship and is available to students who will attend or are attending an accredited two- or four-year college or university in Iowa or Nebraska, or any UM affiliated and accredited institution of higher learning (post-secondary) education. Parents must have tithed for at least five consecutive years prior to which the scholarship would begin. The students and parents must be members of a United Methodist Church in Iowa or Nebraska. 

For more information on these scholarships, visit www.numf.org. The deadline is June 30, 2022.

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation would like to acknowledge the generous gifts donors have made to make these scholarships possible. Thank you for being our partner in ministry. If you would like to talk to someone about how you can honor the memory of a loved one through a named scholarship or provide further financial assistance for a student, please call the Foundation at 877-495-5545. 

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Resources

‘Life of Meaning,’ ‘Meaning
of Marriage’ among selections

This week’s selections from the United Media Resource Center include the DVDs “Embracing a Life of Meaning” by Kathleen Norris, “Meaning of Marriage” by Timothy and Kathy Keller, and “Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority” by Kimberlee Bassford; and books “Complete Book of Hymns: Inspiring Stories about 600 Hymns and Praise Songs” by William and Ardythe Peterson, “Nurturing Hope: Christian Pastoral Care in the Twenty-First Century” by Lynne Baab, and “Rural Church Rescue: A Call to Restore Healthy Churches to Rural North America” by Jon Sanders.

Find out more here.

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Resources available
for responding to racism

As people in the U.S. struggle to understand deadly shootings at a New York grocery store and a California church, United Methodist Discipleship Ministries is suggesting resources to help leaders undo the work of racism. Among the recommendations are videos on decolonizing the church, a book edited by prominent United Methodist pastor the Rev. Rudy Rasmus and an online anti-racism course from the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.

Find out more.

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Video will demonstrate five
ways to overcome anxiety

Take a one-minute break for self-care and learn five ways to overcome anxiety when feeling fearful or stressed. United Methodist Communications offers a guided space to pause and find the road back to peace.

Watch video.

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Across the Connection

In other news


 Newsletters

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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 jmcfarland@greatplainsumc.org to update or renew your classified. Submit your classified here.

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