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AC 2014 Daily

June 10, 2014

Welcome to Lincoln, Neb., and the first Great Plains United Methodist Conference Session!

The weather will be mild, but there may be some showers. We hope you enjoy the city and its amenities, while taking in the grand worship, productive business and timely learning of this conference session.

Each day there will be a special edition of "GPconnect." You can expect to receive GPconnect Daily today through Saturday. Below you can find information on what attendees can expect during AC 2014, along with announcements and featured stories.

Watch  the live streaming of the session at www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream. See the official schedule to help make your viewing plains. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to view photos and stay current with everything AC 2014. Don't forget to use hashtag #GPUMC. Have a great week.

 

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) truck collecting donations



A semi-trailer will be available June 10-11 to accept UMCOR kits, cleaning buckets and donations. The truck will be located at 3333 Landmark Circle, Lincoln, Neb., adjacent to the Lincoln Office of Great Plains United Methodists. The truck will be open Tuesday until 8 p.m., Wednesday from 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., and Thursday from 7-10 a.m.
 
The best way to know how to assemble kits would be to go to www.midwestmissiondc.org and click on ‘Projects’ or ‘Kits.’ There you can see all the requirements for items. 
 
Items currently needed include treadle sewing machines (MMDC has a repair shop to work on them), cloth diapers (MMDC has a pattern for making them), receiving blankets, hand towels and any of the UMCOR kits listed online — bedding kits, sewing kits, school kits, birthing kits, cleaning buckets, health kits and more. Individual/bulk items will be accepted in addition to complete kits.
 
If you have questions, contact Mary Ann Bede at stringbedes@windstream.net or 402-421-8264 or Pastor Alan Gager, conference secretary of global ministries, at agager@greatplainsumc.org.

Photo: Donations being collected Tuesday, June 10.

Peace with Justice Sunday this Sunday

The Peace with Justice Pastor’s Kit is now available. By planning for an offering, your church is joining thousands of other ministries across the country in supporting Peace with Justice Sunday on June 15.

The customized downloadable kit provides worship resources, devotional, bulletin inserts, graphic images and more. From children’s sermons, news release templates to Facebook images, this one-stop tool kit will simplify your daily to-do list and enable you to share this giving opportunity visually, informatively and inspirationally.
Using these tools, it’s easy to explain, promote and inspire your congregation to donate to ministries within a ministry.

Global Mission Fellow accepts two from Great Plains Conference

Two area young adults have been selected to attend Global Mission Fellows, a Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church program. The program offers young adults opportunities to engage in mission service, vocational discernment, cross-cultural engagement and leadership development.

Sarah Roemer, from First UMC in Emporia, Kan., and Maria Niechwiadowicz, from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Neb., will participate in The United Methodist Church’s Global Young People Convention – which coincides with the training this year. The two will participate as a non-voting delegate and will be commissioned to become a UMC missionary that will take place July 19, 2014, in Tagaytay, Phillippines.

Both Roemer and Niechwiadowicz are waiting for their placement locations with Global Mission Fellows. They ask for continued prayers throughout this process. To stay in contact with these women, please contact them at the following emails: marianiech@aol.com and sroemer04@gmail.com.

Read more about Roemer, Niechwiadowicz and the program.

Hands on the Great Plains encouraged to be year-round



Transforming service to the world is one of the Great Plains Conference’s missional priorities. Engaging in service to the community demonstrates an interest in the people outside the church walls and conveys Christ’s love to all.

Congregations across the Great Plains Conference were encouraged to engage in hands-on mission in their communities between April 26 and May 18. The effort was kicked off on the weekend after Easter and ended with Change the World weekend.

Even though the official dates for Hands on the Great Plains have past, congregations across the Great Plains Conference are still encouraged to engage in hands-on mission in their communities.

Many felt the need to organize projects beyond May 18 at www.HandsOnTheGreatPlains.org. After all, engaging in community service is actually a year-round effort. 

Superhero inspires community outreach

 

On June 1, 2014, the Rev. Jeff Slater began a special sermon series that he hoped would be both spiritually rich and a lot of fun: Lessons from Smallville. As pastor for First UMC in Hutchinson, Kan., Slater wanted to connect with plans for a Smallville festival and share the gospel.
 
Slater had read in the Superman comics that Clark Kent was raised a Methodist in Kansas. He structured the sermon series to allow his congregation to “grow along with Superman,” starting the topic of dual identity and looking at Romans 7:13-21. The second sermon considered how Superman would go away by himself from time to time, to reconnect with his origins at his “fortress of solitude.” Connecting with Matthew 6, Slater looked at prayer and how we all benefit from time away to be with our Creator. Some of the kids are now wearing Superman shirts to church, and this past Sunday one even wore a cape.
 
The Hutchinson News noticed the sign announcing the sermon series and found it intriguing. See their story here. Slater said he hopes the sermon topics “will allow people who haven’t stepped foot in church for a while to feel comfortable enough to join back in.”
 
On June 21, 2013, Hutchinson proclaimed itself to be Smallville, the home of Clark Kent, for a day. This year Mayor Bob Bush declared Hutchinson as Smallville for four days, June 19-22, during which the Smallville festival will be held. Visit www.smallvillekansas.org for more information.
 
Slater said, “This isn't definite yet, but during the festival itself, we're hoping to hang a bright red cape on the side of our steeple to enrich the festival and to reach out at the same time. If we can pull it off, it should be quite visible” from the festival area.
 
With two more Sundays in the series to go, Slater’s congregation is on the edge of their seats to find out what’s next. Services at First United Methodist Church in downtown Hutchinson, Kan., are at 8:30 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. The second service is broadcast live at 11:05 a.m. on radio station KWBW (1450 AM, 98.5 FM).
 
Photo: Rev. Jeff Slater and the president of the First UMC youth group, Alexus Torres, display their superhero smiles. Photo contributed by Kim Peirce.

Some people just can't call it quits



For most people, retirement means relaxation, a chance to travel or an opportunity to pick up a hobby. But for many clergy members, retirement means continuing their ministry in a slightly different way.
 
The Rev. Charlotte Abram officially retired in 2012. However, she has still been active and serving Tri-Community in Omaha, Neb. But now, the time has come for Abram to actually retire.
 
“Momma went ‘part-time in 2012, but has still been acting like she is ‘full time,’” Abram’s daughter, Noni Cambridge, said in an email. “This time, it is for real … we all hope.”
 
Read the full story on the Great Plains website.

Photo: Charlotte Abram and family at the Omaha Tribute to Women in 2013.

Spreading smiles through Vacation Bible School



Five young adults from the Great Plains Conference are spending their summer strengthening their walk with God as they disciple children through Vacation Bible School. This internship program through the Small Membership Church ministry has the team in churches across Kansas and Nebraska, in small towns and larger cities, for nine weeks.
 
The first VBS for the summer was held last week in Axtell, Kan. The congregation anticipated 35 children to participate but attracted 78, which was a pleasant surprise. One family who had not been to church previously, asked about worship times and planned to return.
 
See photos of the many smiles on the faces of the children who enjoyed the curriculum of Cokesbury’s Workshop of Wonders. (A video is available here but only for a few weeks.) While the interns sharpen their leadership skills and open congregations to current young adult culture, they spread their enthusiasm for serving the body of Christ.
                                                                
Please pray for Anna Dixon from Kingman, Kan.; Felicia Edson from Fredonia, Kan.; Colin Eurit from Marion, Kan.; Phillip Friesen from Derby, Kan.; and Kristina Heinrich from Wilson, Kan. This week they are serving in Meade and Kalvesta, Kan., and they head to Chappell and Logepole, Neb., next week.

Five ways you can better equip Vital Congregations

Every month the General Board of Discipleship offers just five ways you can better equip Vital Congregations and make disciples of Jesus Christ.

View the June issue.

Susanna Wesley UMC in Topeka, Kan., seeks office manager

Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church (SWUMC) in Topeka, Kan., is taking applications for a full-time church office manager. The office manager will be responsible to the pastor for administering the business affairs of SWUMC and working with church members, vendors, community and staff to achieve the objectives of SWUMC, Great Plains Conference and the United Methodist Church. SWUMC is an EOE (equal opportunity employer). If interested, view a complete job description and download an application. Please submit resume and application to junruh396@yahoo.com.

Trinity UMC in Lincoln, Neb., seeks director of ministry to children, youth and their families

Trinity UMC in Lincoln, Neb., is a vibrant, growing and progressive faith community. Trinity is currently seeking a dynamic and visionary individual to fill a full-time director of ministry to children, youth and their families.
 
The director is responsible for nurturing age-appropriate Christian discipleship, engaging in relational ministry with neighborhood families and schools and providing a ministry of care for children, youth and their families. The director will develop and coordinate programming that includes Sunday school, vacation Bible school, midweek offerings, community outreach events and experiences, partnerships with neighborhood schools and collaboration with community service organizations that serve children, youth and their families. The director is responsible for recruiting, developing and nurturing a volunteer team of leaders that is instrumental in implementation of programming and in connecting others to the ministry. The director will supervise the coordinator of youth ministry in order to facilitate an integrated ministry for children, youth and their families.
 
View complete job description.

If interested, email the following materials to bette@trinitylincoln.org:
  • Cover letter highlighting your qualifications for this position
  • Resume
  • Names, email addresses and phone numbers of three professional references
Application will be reviewed in late June and will interview selected candidates in early July. An August 1 start date is anticipated.

Youth directors needed at Aldersgate UMC in Lincoln, Neb.

Aldersgate UMC in Lincoln, Neb., is now accepting applications for two part-time youth directors (average 10-15 hours per month). Duties include planning and leading:
  • Meetings (3-4), activities or events per month for 6th – 12th grade youth
  • Weekly Sunday morning Christian education for youth of confirmation age to 12th grade.
Applicants must be at least 20 years old.

For more information or to request an application, please contact the Rev. Joseph Rafique by June 29, at aldersgatelinc@windstream.net or 402-489-1510.
Editorial Policy: The content, news, events and announcement information distributed in GPconnect is not sponsored or endorsed by the Great Plains Methodist Conference unless specifically stated.

Want to submit a letter to the editor? Email Kathryn Witte at kwitte@greatplainsumc.org
 
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