Download the May 17 edition of GPconnect.

 

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Annual Conference will be a chance to look back, forward
Bishop Williamston receives alumnus award from Saint Paul
Great Plains Conference has 7 Saint Paul School of Theology grads
With new app, Disciple Bible Study goes digital

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 
Deadline to register is five days away; workbook available to download
'Clergy Party' in works for first night of conference
Celebration Dinner set for June 8 in Omaha
Foundations holding informational session about planned giving

CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Bishop meets with retirees in KC area
New clergy groups forming beginning in September
Renewal Grant applications for 2024 are now available 
Another week added for clergy sermon planning retreat
Clergy invited to consider reflective supervision

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Ribbon cutting for Camp Fontanelle’s Olson Lodge is set for May 26
Openings still available for METour, June 16-25
Daily devotions start day out right, but we can't do it without your help

ADMINISTRATION
New sessions of Putting Your House in Order begin next week
Nebraska UM Foundation presents webinar Thursday on faith, finances

RESOURCES
These resources can amplify your commitment to #BeUMC
Women’s studies DVDs from Abingdon available at center

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
Wichita church shifting to community center
In other news
Newsletters
Classifieds

 

Annual Conference will be a
chance to look back, forward

We are three weeks away from the in-person gathering for the Great Plains Annual Conference session, and two weeks away from an online special session that will take care of most of the business items on the agenda, including the disaffiliation of churches in the conference.

Read a preview here.

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Bishop Williamston receives
alumnus award from Saint Paul

Bishop Delores Williamston did not have an auspicious start at Saint Paul School of Theology, she said last week. Words being used in an Introduction to Ministry class left her scrambling and her first term paper got an initial grade of an F.

But in a frequent refrain to her commencement speech as the outstanding alumnus of Saint Paul, she proclaimed “God ain’t done with you yet.”

The Topeka native, and former director of clergy excellence and assistant to the bishop of the Great Plains Conference, was elected in a historic first-ballot vote at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in Houston in November. She began work Jan. 1 as bishop of the Louisiana Conference.

Read more here.

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Great Plains Conference has seven
Saint Paul School of Theology grads

The Great Plains Conference was represented by seven graduates from Saint Paul School of Theology during its hybrid commencement ceremony May 12 at both the Leawood and Oklahoma City campuses.

Among those represented were Rev. Dr. Marcee Binder, doctor of ministry in spiritual leadership in unsettled times; Rev. Dr. Angela McCarty, doctor of ministry in spiritual leadership in unsettled times; Courtney Fellers, Master of Arts in Christian ministry; Sucheol Bae, Master of Arts in Christian ministry; Robert Fillmore, Master of Arts in Christian ministry; and Sharon Tate, Master of Divinity.

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With new app, Disciple
Bible Study goes digital

The Disciple Bible Study series is going digital with the introduction of an app that will be available Aug. 1, the Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship and the United Methodist Publishing House have announced.

Two 24-week studies in the Disciple series will be the first offerings on the new BeADisciple Study App, which will give groups access to the curriculum and the complete Common English Bible in text and audio form. Zoom is built into the app for group meetings. Beta groups are being invited to be first adopters and participate in final testing.

Read more from Institute for Discipleship.

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 Annual Conference

Deadline to register is five days away;
workbook now available to download

Registration for the 10th regular session of the Great Plains Annual Conference – “Clay in the Hands of Our Creator” – will remain open through Monday, May 22.

Download the annual conference workbook here.

Following an online business session on May 31 to vote on disaffiliations and closings, with an online clergy session scheduled for June 5. The in-person sessions of annual conference are June 7-10 at the La Vista Convention Center in La Vista, Nebraska. The conference begins with a service of commemoration and communion at 3 p.m. June 7; addresses by Bishop David Wilson and conference lay leader Lisa Maupin and recognition of retirees on June 8, and reports from connectional ministries and the service of ordination and commissioning on June 9. The budget is scheduled to be approved on June 10.

For all information about the annual conference session, visit greatplainsumc.org/annualconference.

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'Clergy Party' in works
for first night of conference

Dear Clergy,

In celebration of your gifts and ministry, you are invited to our first Great Plains Annual Conference “Clergy Party.”  The Party will be held on Wednesday, June 7 from 4:45-5:45 p.m. in Dapper Rooms I, II, and III at the convention center. 

Come and mingle with your clergy friends, meet our candidates for commissioning and ordination, gather with our retirees, enjoy refreshments, win prizes, and simply relax and have fun. It will be a great time of reconnecting and community building with clergy colleagues across our conference.  We hope to see you!

-- The Clergy Excellence Team

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Celebration Dinner
set for June 8 in Omaha

Black Methodists for Church Renewal will have its annual conference Celebration Dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at TRI Community UMC, 6001 Fontanelle Blvd., Omaha.

The cost is $25 adults, $15 youth and $10 children and the reservation deadline is June 1.

Register at this link. For more information, contact the Rev. Andrew Finch at 402-968-8197.

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Foundations holding informational
session about planned giving

     

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation, Kansas Methodist Foundation and UM Men 100 Club will present "Leaving a Legacy: Planned Giving That Makes an Impact" from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, at Papillion St. Paul's UMC.

Get more information and register here.

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Clergy Excellence

Bishop meets with
retirees in KC area

Bishop David Wilson spent time Monday with some of our retired pastors in the Kansas City area. Blessings on all of them as they continue in ministry, even if they aren't at the pulpit every Sunday.

See more photos here.

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New clergy groups forming
beginning in September

The Center for Clergy & Congregational Care will have new clergy groups, both in person and online, beginning in September.

For more information, contact Rev. Dr. Jim Godbey, drjgodbey@gmail.com.

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Renewal Grant applications
for 2024 are now available 

The Office of Clergy Excellence announces the fourth round of Clergy Renewal Leave Grants for grants to be distributed in 2024. 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 six 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 that helps us identify if you’re eligible for the grant will be available on May 10. After your eligibility is confirmed, pastors are 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 2024 will be received through August 1, 2023, and applicants can expect to hear by September 1 about the status of their application. 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 FAQ’s) 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 $400 (to be used in 2023 and 2024). The next grant cycle will open July 1 and will be open through Nov. 1. Learn more here

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Another week added for
clergy sermon planning retreat

In response to the excellent registration for the clergy retreat A Time Apart, an additional week has been scheduled from 5 p.m. Monday, July 24 to 3 p.m. Friday, July 28, also being held at the Saint Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska. The cost is $200. Registration for the previously announced week of July 30 to Aug. 3 is full, but if you’d like to be included in a wait list, contact Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford, aalleycrawford@greatplainsumc.org.

Participants may arrive early or stay for a longer time by making arrangements directly with the retreat center.

Each week pastors face the humbling and awesome task of preparing a sermon and worship that touches the lives of worshippers in our congregations. Our perplexing and difficult times call for authentic worship and preaching where people can encounter Christ. Yet, the daily demands of ministry often keep us from having as much time as we would like for sermon and worship preparation, and especially for long range sermon and worship planning. Taking time apart, like Jesus, gives us the opportunity to root our planning in prayer and to open ourselves to the directions of the Spirit.

The retreat leader is Rev. Dr. Theresa Mason, a retired Great Plains Elder and a visiting instructor at United Theological Seminary.

Learn more and register here.

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Clergy invited to consider
reflective supervision

There’s a set-apart space waiting for clergy where you can regularly step out of the flow to catch your breath, reflect on and strategize around some aspect of your work as a minister and its impact on you and those with whom you work. It’s called reflective pastoral supervision. This is supervision, not in the sense of your being evaluated, but as a conference provided place of support and accountability for your development, safety, and well-being, and that of those with whom you work. 
 
Every six to eight weeks you’ll meet with a person trained to help you reflect on an issue that you bring from your ministry on which you’d value some help in exploring.

Read more here.

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Equipping Disciples

Ribbon cutting for Camp Fontanelle’s
new Olson Lodge is set for May 26

You are invited to join the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce for the ribbon cutting for Camp Fontanelle’s Olson Lodge on Friday, May 26. The Open House will begin at 9 a.m. with the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Enjoy refreshments while having the opportunity to tour the new lodge. Learn how the building will be used and the possibilities for day and overnight retreats.

Camp Fontanelle has added another service day to its schedule. Saturday, June 4, has been set as a day to continue working to get the camp ready for summer campers. There will be indoor and outdoor projects and projects for people of all levels of experience. Cleaning, repairing, yard work and creating programming areas will be on the word order list. Join others at 9 a.m. for a cup of coffee as you find the work project to fit your abilities. Works with others, or a project on your own until lunch at noon. You can continue working after lunch or be on your way, with thankfulness for your support of Camp Fontanelle.

Summer camp is just around the corner. Camp Fontanelle is still taking applications for female counselors. If you, or if you know a female who is college-age and are looking for a summer experience, contact Camp Director Ryan Siver at 410-274-9925. The summer counselor position runs through Aug. 4, pays a wage and provides room and board.

It is time to get registered for summer camp. There are camps for all ages and this summer will help campers learn about the Fruit of the Spirit and those qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

For more information on either event, please phone the camp at 402-478-4296. Visit our website for complete summer camp information.

-- Jane Van Horn, Camp Fontanelle

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Openings still available
for METour, June 16-25

Young women ages 15-20 are invited to participate in the Great Plains United Women in Faith’s Mission Education Tour (METour), June 16-25.

METour participants have the opportunity to engage in mission, learn about United Methodist Women in Faith and experience the United Methodist connection by visiting and working at National Mission Institutions, Volunteer in Mission sites and United Methodist-related agencies in Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky.

Click on this link for more information and to register.

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Daily devotions start day out right,
but we can't do it without your help

Whether you're awake at 5 a.m. when our daily devotions arrive in your email or you hit the snooze button, you can join clergy and laity from across the Great Plains by reading and reflecting on them.

Our devotions are written by a faithful cross-section of clergy, laity, staff and retired elders, and we are always looking for new contributors. You don't need degrees in theology or literature! Share with us what inspires you and it might do the same for one of your spiritual siblings in the two-state area.

Use the link below to sign up for dates through the end of June.

Subscribe to daily devotions here.
Sign up for a date to share your devotions.

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Administration

New sessions of Putting Your
House in Order begin next week

Registration is now open for Session 2 of Kansas Methodist Foundation’s Putting Your House in Order program. If making estate plans and putting your affairs in order has been on the to-do list, then make 2023 the year to get it done.

Putting Your House in Order is a three-part series that covers:

  • Estate Planning,
  • Legacy Giving, and
  • Memorial Planning.

Each hour-long Zoom session provides useful information and needed resources to guide you in putting your plans in place. We will discuss wills versus trusts, durable powers of attorney, advanced health care directives, legacy giving, endowments, how to document important personal and family information, and other items to assist your successors.

KMF staff will educate you on options, answer questions, and walk with you side-by-side as you create plans that reflect your wishes. While KMF staff are not licensed attorneys who can draft estate documents, we will support participants in finding an estate attorney to draft legal documents as part of the process.

As an added bonus, people who participate in all three sessions and complete the required tasks will have $500 deposited into their legacy fund at the KMF. We want to reward you for being a good steward of your resources and seed the legacy you choose to create.

Registration is now open at https://kaumf-reg.brtapp.com/PuttingYourHouseinOrderSession2. Below is schedule for these three cohorts:

  • Cohort 1: Tuesdays at 10 a.m. May 23, June 27, July 18
  • Cohort 2: Thursdays at 1 p.m. June 22, July 20, August 17
  • Cohort 3: Thursdays 7 p.m. June 22, July 20, August 17

Registration for the May cohort is open until Thursday, May 18, while registration for the June cohorts is open until Thursday, June 15.
Provide for your spouse and children. Create a legacy. Give direction to your successors. Deliver peace of mind to you and your loved ones. Make your Plan. Leave your Legacy. For questions, please contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org

Link to video we recorded at Great Plains Conference office: https://vimeo.com/781631135.

--Tyler Curtis, Kansas Methodist Foundation

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Nebraska UM Foundation presents
webinar Thursday on faith, finances

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation would like to invite you to a luncheon webinar on faith and finances called “Leaving a Legacy: Planned Giving that Makes an Impact.” This event will take place virtually from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 18.

The seminar will be presented by Matthew McKeever of Burnett Wilson Law and Kristine Roberts with the Nebraska United Methodist Foundation. The Foundation is here to help guide and support you in building the legacy you wish to contribute to others. We will assist in identifying ways to plan for the future and help you decide how to utilize your gifts to maximize their impact on others. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP at www.numf.org/RSVP.

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Resources

These resources can amplify
your commitment to #BeUMC

The United Methodist Publishing House is offering free online resources to help United Methodists rediscover their Wesleyan roots as they reaffirm their commitment to the UMC.

http://ow.ly/PAb450OonG3

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Women’s studies DVDs from
Abingdon available at center

Abingdon Press says its studies and books are “designed for Christian women of all ages and stages of life who are looking for inspiration and encouragement as they navigate the ups and downs of life. From personal faith topics to devotionals and more, our studies and books help women live in the Word as they live in the world.”

Dozens of women’s studies DVDs are available at the United Media Resource Center, including “Beautiful Already: Reclaiming God’s Perspective on Beauty” by Barbara Roose, “Becoming Heart Sisters: A Bible Study on Authentic Friendships” by Natalie Chambers Snapp, “Fierce: Women of the Bible Who Changed the World” by Jennifer Cowart, and “Lose Control: The Way to Find Your Soul” by Mary Shannon Hoffpauir.

See those and more here.

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Across the Connection

Wichita church shifting
to community center

Wichita Woodland UMC is putting its unused space to good use by becoming more of a community center.

Among the organizations that now call the church home is Children First, which helps kids focus on education and work with social workers to help families facing mental health issues.

Watch video from KAKE.

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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