Download the March 15 edition of GPconnect.

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Kathy Williams called to lead clergy excellence
Learn more about this Saturday’s Laity Summit from podcast episode
Richard Fitzgerald to be first conference circuit pastor
Registration open for summer camps across conference
Cheesesteaks arrive in conference after Super Bowl food gathering
Church court reviews LGBTQ-related resolutions

ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Openings remain for conference committees
March 31 is deadline for submitting legislation for AC2023, June 7-10
Nominations for youth, young adult, person of color reps to AC open

CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Deadline for spring cycle of Culture of Call Grants is April 1
Conference offers internship grants for kids, youth, pastoral ministry
All UMC pastors invited to May 1-5 CRCC retreat in New Jersey

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Fontanelle readies for busy summer with search for staff
Nominations open for evangelism awards
Neighboring Movement is subject of next kid ministry webinar
Ministry innovation grants available from Great Plains Conference

MERCY & JUSTICE 
New episode of podcast co-hosted by Wichita pastor is Thursday

DISASTER RESPONSE 
New video available for churches for UMCOR Sunday this weekend
UMCOR’s Sager Brown Depot ready for volunteers

ADMINISTRATION
Preparing for Your Future returns to live format April 25-26

RESOURCES
Clergy health the subject of many books from media center

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
Bishop Williamston featured in story on new female leaders
‘Justice Journey’ begins March 28 at Lincoln Saint Paul
Lawrence consortium hosts author Ibrahim
In other news
Newsletters
Classifieds

 

Kathy Williams called
to lead clergy excellence

More than two years after she was appointed as clergy leadership coordinator, the Rev. Kathy Williams will be moving up as director of clergy excellence.

“I am thankful for the many qualities that Rev. Williams brings to this position,” Bishop David Wilson said. “Her passion for serving Christ is foremost, and her commitment to the Great Plains is evident.”

The move is effective May 1.

Read more here.

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Learn more about this Saturday’s
Laity Summit from podcast episode

One of the newer traditions in the Great Plains Conference is our annual Laity Summit. And Todd Seifert, conference communications director, shares some details about this year’s event in the latest episode of the “In Layman’s Terms” podcast.

Guests in this episode include Lisa Maupin, conference lay leader, and Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter, our keynote speaker for this day dedicated to training and education specifically for laity. The 2023 edition is scheduled for Saturday. And it’s completely online, using Zoom, so you can participate from anywhere in Kansas or Nebraska — or the world for that matter. The theme this year is “And They Dreamed.”

You can learn more and register by going to www.greatplainsumc.org/laity-summit. It’s not too late.

Listen and/or download the episode.
Read an interview with Simon-Peter.

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Richard Fitzgerald to be
first conference circuit pastor

The Rev. Dr. Richard Fitzgerald’s new role with the Great Plains Conference will be somewhat of a 21st century circuit rider, traveling throughout Kansas and Nebraska to work alongside small churches where clergy might not be available. 

Fitzgerald, senior pastor of Salina First United Methodist Church since 2019, will begin July 1 as the conference circuit pastor. 

“Richard will be traveling around, coordinating with the local churches and the lay people in the region, defining what a circuit is, doing training for the lay leadership in that space,” said the Rev. Jeff Clinger, director of congregational excellence. “The training will include everything from Sunday morning worship leadership and preaching rhythms to pastoral care rhythms, even doing funerals.” 

Read more here.

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Registration open for summer
camps across conference

While many schools across the Great Plains Conference are on their spring breaks, the five United Methodist campus in Kansas and Nebraska are asking youth where they’d like to spend part of their summers.

Registration is now open for the five camps:

For more information go to greatplainsumc.org/camps.

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Cheesesteaks arrive in conference
after Super Bowl food gathering

The Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey conferences have made good on their Super Bowl promise to send the Great Plains Conference authentic Philly cheesesteak and Tastykakes after the Chiefs defeated the Eagles and Kansas City-area conference raised more items for food banks than those in the Philadelphia area.

Although intended for the cabinet, which adjourned mid-week last week, the conference staff enjoyed some of the dozens of sandwiches freshly delivered from Pat's King of Steaks, one of the two legendary purveyors of the Philly cheesesteak. Bishop Wilson got a bite of the first sandwich.

Also included were dozens of boxes of Tastykakes snack foods -- and many of those will be held back for the cabinet.

The Great Plains and Missouri conferences raised 105,367 pounds of food for distribution in the three states; Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey tallied 75,000 pounds.

"Congratulations on your win. Praise God for the food collected," Bishop John Schol wrote in a note attached to the food. "Thanks for the challenge -- until next year when the Eagles will fly again!"

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Church court reviews
LGBTQ-related resolutions

The United Methodist Judicial Council dealt with questions about what conference statements about LGBTQ people are aspirational and what go beyond the boundaries of church law. The church court also released two memoranda that address requests for declaratory decisions related to the denomination’s complaint process and bishop elections in Africa. 

Read more from United Methodist News Service.

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Annual Conference

Openings remain for
conference committees

Have you ever wondered how to get on one of the conference committees? Are you passionate about using your creative, financial or organizational expertise to make a difference in the world?

Annual conference is fast approaching and we need people, especially laymen and laywomen, willing to volunteer to serve on our conference committees.

Here are some committees that have openings:

  • Vital Congregations -- laity from small membership churches (under 50 average worship attendance)
  • New Church Development – laymen and laywomen
  • Nominations – layman from western Kansas
  • Personnel – layman from Nebraska
  • Pensions and Health Benefits – laywoman from Nebraska
  • Trustees – Clergy and laity – Kansas lawyer or Realtor; someone with non-profit experience; we especially need racial/ethnic diversity on this committee

You can nominate yourself or someone else online at https://gp-reg.brtapp.com/leadershipnomination.

Once the nomination form is received, the nominee will be emailed a survey to complete. It is important that the nominee completes the entire survey as soon as possible so we can better match nominee’s gifts with the needs of the committees. If you do a self-nomination, you will also need to complete the survey.

If you have questions about nominations, contact the nominations chair Esther Hay at esther.hay@windstream.net.

Thank you in advance for helping us with this important work!

-- Great Plains Nominations Committee

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March 31 is deadline for submitting legislation for AC2023, June 7-10

For the purposes of the Great Plains Annual Conference, a resolution asks the Annual Conference to take a stand on a particular issue or to direct a body within the Conference to consider a specific action. A petition is passed on for consideration at General Conference, which takes place in May 2024.

Resolutions and petitions for consideration by the conference must originate from an individual or entity within the Great Plains Annual Conference. These may include, but are not limited to: congregations, groups within a congregation; individuals (both lay and clergy), district organizations, or conference boards and committees.  
 
Any action item to be considered by the conference must be presented as legislation. Action items referenced in committee reports will not be acted upon unless properly submitted as legislation before the conference.  
 
To be included in the conference workbook, resolutions and petitions must be submitted by March 31, 2023. Any items for action received after the deadline may be published on the conference website in a Workbook Addendum, subject to approval of the action team by the Sessions Planning Team. The Workbook Addendum shall be published at least one week prior to the opening of the Annual Conference Session, and these items must be received by the conference secretary no later than 21 days prior to the opening of the Annual Conference session. Any item submitted after 21 days prior to the Annual Conference session shall be prepared and distributed by the sponsoring person or agency at their own expense, following the procedure outlined in the Standing Rules of the conference.

Items should be submitted to the conference secretary at gpsecretary@greatplainsumc.org.

A guide to formatting resolutions may be found here. 

-- Lori Richey
Conference secretary

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Nominations for youth, young adult,
person of color reps to AC now open

Nominations for district lay representatives to Annual Conference are open now! Each district can elect three youth (12-18), two young adults (18-30), and one person of color (must be at least 12) to vote on behalf of their constituencies in their districts. To nominate, fill out the forms below:

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Clergy Excellence

Deadline for spring cycle of
Culture of Call Grants is April 1

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 74 grants totaling over $117,000. You can learn more about what it means to have a culture of call., watch a recording of a webinar, read some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and work through two planning documents to help you write your grant and find the application here: www.greatplainsumc.org/cocgrant

You can read about past grants here: https://www.greatplainsumc.org/cultureofcallresources.
 
2023 Deadlines

  • April 1 — Early Deadline, awards announced April 22.
  • April 28 — Distribution of funds
  • Sept. 15 — Late deadline, awards announced Oct. 6
  • Oct. 13 — Distribution of funds

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

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Conference offers internship grants
for kids, youth, pastoral ministry

Do you have a young adult, at least 18 years old, who has the gifts for serving in your church full or part time as an intern in kids, youth, or pastoral ministry this summer? The conference is offering matching internship grants for churches this summer up to $2,000 for the summer. The deadline for all applications is March 30. All decisions will be made by April 15. Check out more information here:
https://www.greatplainsumc.org/matchinggrantinternships.

Our objectives for church matching internship grants are:

  • To help churches identify a young person with gifts for ministry.
  • To support a vibrant and creative summer season of ministry.
  • To connect interns with a learning community of other interns throughout the summer.
Our expectations for the churches applying:
  • Your intern will be paid an hourly rate (at least minimum wage) for up to 40 hours per week. Internship must be a minimum of 10 weeks, running from May 22 to July 30.
  • Mentors will receive onboarding resources and interns will receive a welcome box from the conference.
  • Someone from the church staff will be an assigned supervisor throughout the summer and will meet weekly with the intern for supervision and making space for reflecting on the intern’s summer learning.

Contact Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford to learn more about the Pastoral Leadership internship, aalleycrawford@greatplainsumc.org or 785-414-4216 or Rev. Melissa Gepford to learn more about the kids or Youth internships, mgepford@greatplainsumc.org or 903-806-7989. And if having an intern is new for you and you’d like to learn more about best practices, reach out to Ashlee or Melissa. This could be a life-changing summer for a young adult or for your congregation to nurture the call of an intern. Will you check out the possibilities today?

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All UMC pastors invited to
May 1-5 CRCC retreat in New Jersey

Update: After publication of this last week we were informed that the retreat is open to all pastors.

Pastors serving in cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments are invited to a retreat from May 1-5 in Teaneck, New Jersey.

The registration fee is $500, with scholarships of up to $200 available.

Learn more and register here.

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Equipping Disciples

Fontanelle readies for busy
summer with search for staff

It is a busy time out at Camp Fontanelle. The staff is preparing for spring and summer activities. Please read below and share this information with friends and family.

Camp has opportunities for summer work and volunteering. Specifically, there is a need for more female counselors. An applicant should have a love for children/youth and a desire to help campers grow in their Christian faith. Must be 18 years or older. This is a paid position. Room and board are also provided. Other paid positions available include: junior counselor -- 17 years or older, day camp counselor -- 16 years or older, cook, assistant cook and summer groundskeeper. There are also summer volunteer opportunities. If you have any questions, or want to apply, go to the camp website for the application process.

Make sure you get registered for summer camp. There are great camp sessions available for people of all ages. Be sure to go to the camp's website for a full description of the summer. This year's theme is Fruitfull Faith and focuses on the Fruit of the Spirit.

Camp Fontanelle will hold a Work Day on Saturday, April 15. Make your way to Riverview Lodge at 9a.m. and find a work project. There will be a wide range of things that need to be done out at camp. You may bring your own tools, or use what the camp has. Lunch will be provided at noon.

Mark your calendar for April 30. Camp Fontanelle is holding an open house. This will be a chance to visit Olson Lodge, tour the camp and enjoy some fun camp activities. Light refreshments will be served. The open house will be 2-4 p.m.

Do you have Legos at your home that you are no longer using? Camp Fontanelle is looking for donations of Lego blocks for Creativity Camp. Please contact Amanda at asiver@greatplainsumc.org if you have Legos (either new or used) you would like to donate.

If you have any questions about the information above, or want to know how to make a donation to the camp, please call the camp office at 402-478-4296.

-- Jane Van Horn, Camp Fontanelle

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Nominations open for
evangelism awards

Each year The Foundation for Evangelism works with annual conferences to offer the Denman Evangelism Award to three recipients: one clergy, one laity and one youth. 

This is a meaningful way to honor and thank people who demonstrate evangelistic passion to reach others for Christ. Awards are presented at Annual Conference sessions. Nominations for the 2023 awards are due by May 1. Instructions and guidelines are on the form below:
Download the 2023 Nomination Form and specify whether you are nominating clergy, laity or youth.

Nomination forms in the Great Plains should be submitted to the Rev. Jeff Clinger, director of congregational excellence, at jclinger@greatplainsumc.org.

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Neighboring Movement is
subject of next kid ministry webinar

“Children’s Ministry and the Neighboring Movement” will be the subject of a Zoom webinar from 9-10:30 a.m. CT Saturday, March 25.

We all want to reach the kids not only in our church, but in our entire community! That's why we work hard to host VBSs and other special events. But what if your spring or summer included something brand new this year?

How can we be sure that the kids in our neighborhoods have a community of support of their own? Whether we are volunteers, part time staff, or working full time in Children's Ministry, we know that you have a passion for all the kids in your church AND the kids in your local community.

"Children's Ministry and the Neighboring Movement" is a 90-minute opportunity to explore the idea of how to introduce authentic gifts-focused community right in your own neighborhood. Join our Children's Ministry Regional Coordinators and special guests from the Neighboring Movement for a morning of learning, connecting, and collaborating.

Register here in advance and receive a care package.

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Ministry innovation grants available
from Great Plains Conference

The New Church Development Board of the Great Plains Conference is offering grants to congregations interested in doing new things to reach new people in new places and ways. Grants are available in a variety of categories. Applications are due April 1. You can learn more about the opportunities and apply here: https://www.greatplainsumc.org/newchurchdevelopment.

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Mercy & Justice

New episode of podcast co-hosted by
Wichita Saint Mark pastor is Thursday

The latest episode of "Black & White," a podcast co-hosted by the Rev. Robert Johnson, pastor of Wichita Saint Mark UMC, with Dan Stockemer and Jan Fox-Peterson, will air at 7 p.m. Thursday on the Saint Mark Facebook and YouTube channels.

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Disaster Response

New video available for churches
for UMCOR Sunday this weekend

All around the world, the United Methodist Committee on Relief supports ministries of relief and recovery, providing hope and healing to communities devastated by disaster. Watch and download this new UMCOR overview video and use it for UMCOR Sunday, March 19.

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UMCOR’s Sager Brown
Depot ready for volunteers

UMCOR Sager Brown Depot, in Baldwin, Louisiana, where thousands of volunteers have assembled relief supply kits, is open again and seeking volunteers after COVID-19 shut it down for an extended period.

“Assembling a relief kit is one of the special ways people show their support for UMCOR,” said Roland Fernandes, top executive of United Methodist Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

Read press release
More information

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Administration

Preparing for Your Future
returns to live format April 25-26

Preparing for Your Future, an informational meeting for clergy and their spouses, will return to a live format, April 25-26 at Salina Trinity UMC.

The morning session April 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is for clergy not planning to retire in the next five years. They will gain prospective on planning for retirement, financial wellness, and dissolving debt during the three-hour presentation.

The afternoon session, from 2-5 p.m., is for clergy planning to retire from July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2028 and will include sessions on estate planning, Social Security, and retirement and Medicare.

The April 26 presentation, from 9-11 a.m., will be on pension and making retirement selections.

Lunch and dinner will be provided April 25. Hotel accommodations for the night of April 25 will be provided by the board of pensions. Breakfast will be provided by the hotel at no cost on April 26.

More information and registration are available here.

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Resources

Clergy health the subject of
many books from media center

Clergy health is the topic of more than 30 books available from the United Media Resource Center.

Titles featured this week include “… and the Church Actually Changed: Uncommon Wisdom for Pastors in an Age of Doubt, Division and Decline” by N. Graham Standish, “Clergy Self-Care: Finding a Balance for Effective Ministry” by Roy Oswald, and “Flourishing in Ministry: How to Cultivate Clergy Wellbeing” by Matt Bloom.

Find those and others here.

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Across the Connection

Bishop Williamston featured
in story on new female leaders

Bishop Delores Williamston, who went from the Great Plains Conference to the Louisiana Conference after her election to the episcopacy in November, is the subject of an interview for the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women.

Read her story here. 
Related: Bishop Williamston to give keynote address for commencement at Saint Paul School of Theology.

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‘Justice Journey’ begins
March 28 at Lincoln Saint Paul

Join a “Justice Journey” to deepen understanding of systemic injustice and the steps to take towards engaging in a faith-filled response. Lincoln Saint Paul United Methodist Church is partnering with other community organizations to host a Justice Summit at 7 p.m. March 28, in the church sanctuary. This Summit is the conclusion of an extensive “Justice Journey” project that also included a weekly class and educational trip across the Midwest. Partner organizations include The Lutheran Center at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Justice in Action, an interfaith justice coalition of 20 faith communities in Lincoln/Lancaster County.

Rev. Dominique Gilliard, the director of racial righteousness and reconciliation for the Love Mercy Do Justice initiative of the Evangelical Covenant Church, will lead the summit as the keynote speaker. Rev. Gilliard is the author of “Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores,” which won a 2018 Book of the Year Award for InterVarsity Press and was named Outreach Magazine’s 2019 Social Issues Resource of the Year. Gilliard’s latest book, “Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege” won Englewood Review of Books 2021 Book of the Year Award.

Join in conversation with other activists to consider how best to address social, environmental and economic justice issues that challenge our community, and how to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion in that work. “Broken systems can feel overwhelming, but we each have a part to play in bringing reconciliation” says Rev. Cath Gebers, coordinator of the Justice Journey project. Attendees will leave with new insight, renewed inspiration, and new connections, partnerships and tools with which to pursue their justice work.

Everyone is invited to participate and learn more about how we can help bring peace and reconciliation to Lincoln.

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Lawrence consortium
hosts author Ibrahim

A consortium of universities, churches and faith communities, including Lawrence First UMC and the Islamic Center of Lawrence, welcome Dr. Celene Ibrahim as the 2023 presenter.

She is an accomplished author, teacher, and lecturer currently on faculty at Groton School. Themes include Uncommon Alliances, Common Good, Diversity as Strength, Jewish-Muslim Feminist Futures. Events start at 6:30 p.m. March 23 at the Lawrence Public Library. The Islamic Center of Lawrence will host the keynote presentation on Islamic views of other religions, at noon March 25 at the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation. Plymouth Congregational Church host her at 6:30 pm. Sunday, March 26. First Baptist Church will sponsor a Zoom link at 9:30 am. March 28.

More information available here.

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In other news

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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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