AC DAILY
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Here is the daily update for the Great Plains Annual Conference session from the La Vista Conference Center in La Vista, Nebraska. Share your photos with us on social media using the hashtags #gpac2022 or #gpfun.
Chains are moved as
conference is adjourned
With the spike of a football, Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. adjourned the 2022 Great Plains Annual Conference session at 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
"We made the first down," the former college lineman said. "We moved the chains."
"Move the chains" was a predominant theme at this year's conference, evoking the memory of the Rev. Nathan Stanton, congregational excellence director, who died in March after a battle with ALS.
Like Bishop Saenz, Stanton was a college football player and the two shared a shorthand of "move the chains," or advancing for a first down, to encourage progress in ministry.
The bishop asked for calls of "move the chains" rather than "aye" frequently during the annual conference, and a football was passed among the extended cabinet members during their onstage introductions.
Before the adjournment, the bishop fixed appointments for the 2022-23 ministry year, asking all of those with appointments to stand for a blessing.
Camp governance decision withdrawn, will return in special session on Sept. 10
A motion passed Friday about a new governance system for Great Plains Camps was rescinded Saturday morning.
The Rev. Bill Ritter, chair of GP Camps, said a link that had more information on the proposed changes was not functional on the Great Plains website and was not repaired until days before the vote on Friday.
Here are the repaired links:
A vote on the proposed changes will take place at the special, online called session scheduled for Sept. 10. The session was added for action on disaffiliations and approval of the 2023 budget.
Youth lead worship on closing
day of annual conference
Members of the Conference Council on Youth Ministries led worship on Saturday morning. Participating were speakers Carter Seth, Zander Seth and Heather Hudson; and singers Zoe Wimmer, Emma Yeon and Samantha Kurniadi, accompanied by the Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford, intergenerational discipleship coordinator.
Offerings raise money
for YSF, NAMI, UMCOR
More than $14,000 was raised in three special offerings during annual conference:
- Opening service: UMCOR -- $8,548.96
- Memorial service: National Alliance for Mental Health -- $2,085.43
- Ordination: Youth Service Fund -- $4,184.98
That's all for 2022!
We'll see you next year!
The Great Plains Annual Conference session will return to the La Vista Conference Center, scheduled for June 6-10, 2023.
