UMconnect--03/19/08

Conference office closed Friday, March 21

Please note that the conference office will be closed Friday, March 21 for Good Friday.
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Gateway District office closed on Friday, March 28

The Gateway District office will be closed on Friday, March 28. The Rev. Secundino Morales will be attending a Hispanic Workshop at Lexington First UMC, and district administrative assistant, Denise Wagner, will be attending the Laity Convocation at Kearney First Church.
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Feinstein Foundation matching grant program

I'd like to invite you to help us raise money and food for some of our local food pantries and hunger projects by participating in the Feinstein Foundation matching grant program.

We know of three United Methodist-related programs participating in this match: The Big Garden, Pearl Pantry and Together Inc. Both monetary and food donations are included in this matching grant−food is valued at $1 an item or pound.

What happens is this: the Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation splits $1 million between programs nationwide that raise money during March and April to fight hunger. Each group that participates receives at least $250 for participating. The main rule is this: we can only count money and food donations towards this grant if you note on the check or food donation that you are giving because of this matching grant, doing so helps the Feinstein Foundation track how successful their matching grant is at motivating people to donate towards hunger relief.

So if you were thinking about a food drive for Pearl or Together, or a special offering for the Big Garden, Together or Pearl, the time between now and April would be excellent. If your local food pantry would like to participate in this program, I would be happy to e-mail you the information so you can participate.

We appreciate your partnership with United Methodist Ministries as we serve our neighbors together.

Rev. Stephanie Ahlschwede
United Methodist Ministries, Executive Director
revsteph@bigmuddyumc.org
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Do you have a blue ribbon recipe for success? Share those food stories.

Do you have successful food story that needs being told? How about a great outreach program involving food and hunger issues? Share your stories with the rest of our Nebraska Methodist Churches at Annual Conference, June 11-14, 2008! Submit your church's example of food and faith in action. Submitted stories will be utilized throughout the entire meeting.

Activity ideas may include but are not limited to: local food drive, community outreach programs, advocacy on food issues, or support of local, national and global hunger-relief agencies.

For information on how your church may submit entries, please see the flyer below. All entries must be submitted to Tamara Holtz at gtholtz@gpcom.net, no later than May 1, 2008.
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Continuing Ed units for a discount! Worship skills retreat in Lake Tahoe

The deadline for the early bird discount for the Elevation Worship Leadership Retreat with Dr. Marcia McFee was March 15. However, since Holy Week is also right around the corner, the deadline has been extended so you will have time to plan your summer learning and fun the week after Easter. And remember, if you bring more than one person from the same church, you can get the $50 discount EACH, even after the new early bird deadline of March 31.

Don't delay−the registrations are coming in and there are only 50 total spots. This is a great week of learning, retreating and soaking in the beautiful Lake Tahoe setting. Register at http://www.marciamcfee.com.
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Omaha St. Andrew's UMC offering Lay speaking ministries training

St. Andrew's UMC is offering a basic Lay speaking ministries class on Friday, April 4, from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The Rev. Nancy Davis is the training leader. Dinner on Friday night is on your own, but a light breakfast and lunch will be provided on Saturday.

The cost is $35, which includes the text book and food on Saturday. St. Andrew's UMC is located at 15050 W. Maple Road, Omaha, NE, 68124.

Please register by March 28, 2008, as we need a count to plan meals and order/mail the texts. Class size is limited. Mail your checks payable to "Missouri River District" with the registration form to: Lay Speaker Training, c/o Missouri River District, 2418 E Street, Omaha, NE 68107.

If you have any questions, please contact Kurt Stecker at 402-556-2433 or e-mail kstecker@stpaulomaha.org or Bob Aderholt at 402-752-3317 or e-mail bobmary@windstream.net.
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Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska (IMN) endorses Maine Council of Churches peace resources

"Attached is an excellent resource developed by the Maine Council of Churches. Please share this with your clergy and congregations. You may also access it on the Maine council's Web site," said Marilyn Meecham, IMN executive director, in an e-mail to the Nebraska United Methodist Conference.
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"The antagonism of the most anxious is proportionate to the niceness of the leader."−The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies

Named by most clergy who have attended as "the most valuable continuing education experience" they have ever had, the center was created to maintain ministers in ministry. Interested? Read on.

"The antagonism of the most anxious is proportionate to the niceness of the leader," (Edwin Friedman). And there you are as Clergy, paid to be nice, safe for your people to strike out at you. Yet the more you as a leader "adapt your function to the weakest members, the more you enable their dependency, encourage their happy ignorance, and reinforce their helplessness," (Peter Stienke). When your congregation's threshold for pain is low then its opportunity for changing is much less. But when the pain is high, so is the stress on you as pastor. How do you address this conundrum? That is what we address at the Center for Pastoral Effectiveness.

As you begin planning your continuing education for the coming year, you might want to consider The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies. The Center, now in its ninth year, has 290 clergy alumni from five different denominations in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Kansas.

Beginning July 21-23, 2008, the sixth series of the center for Nebraska will begin. It includes six, three-day retreats scheduled over 18 months.

For more information talk to your Nebraska Center Representative, Kelly Karges at kjkarges@hotmail.com or visit the Web site at http://pastoraleffectiveness.org. To register, e-mail the Rev. Bill Selby, center mentor, at integrity4u@comcast.net.
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"Worship, Preaching, and Music From the Center"− An Event for Pastors, Musicians and Worship Leaders

WHEN: January 15-18, 2009 (Registration begins Jan. 15 at 3:30 p.m., followed by dinner and opening worship. The event closes with Sunday morning worship.)

FOR WHOM: pastors, worship leaders, music directors, praise team leaders and members, pianists, organists, keyboardists, choir leaders and members.

Come alone, or come as a team. This event is limited to 50 pastors and 50 musicians staying in the dorm plus commuters as we are able to accommodate them.

LEADERSHIP: 20 speakers and leaders from The General Board of Discipleship (GBOD), The United Methodist Publishing House, Abingdon Press, The General Board of Global Ministries Global Praise Division, The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts (FUMMWA), The Upper Room, Aldersgate Renewal Ministries and more.

PROGRAM: worship, fellowship, training, plenary sessions, classes for pastors, classes for musicians, six music reading sessions, tour of United Methodist Publishing House, visit to flagship Cokesbury Store, and a free night out to experience Nashville.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEUs): participants will receive 1.5 CEUs.

ACCOMMODATIONS: dorm rooms and most meals at Scarritt-Bennett Center, across the street from GBOD. Information on nearby hotels is available for commuters.

COST: Full registration, including lodging and meals, is only $305 per person. Commuter registration, which includes Friday lunch only and no lodging, is $110 per person for all or any part of the event.

TO REGISTER: Complete event and registration information is available at http://www.gbod.org/worship/wmpc/. You may register and pay online or download the form and mail it in with your payment.

FOR INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS: Contact the event registrar, Jeannie Musterman, toll-free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7070, or e-mail jmusterman@gbod.org.

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"All God's People: Faith Formation Through the Life Span"

This fall the Family, Life-Span and Latino Ministries Team at the GBOD will host an event that directly relates to your work in the life of the church!

You are invited to attend a first-time event: "All God's People: Faith Formation Through the Life Span," October 13-15, 2008, at the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) in Nashville, Tenn. Event participants, together with leaders from the Family, Life Span and Latino Ministries Team, will explore how faith is formed in people from birth through older adulthood and how we can be more effective in nurturing faith for people at all ages.

For more information, please see the attached flyer below.

If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact:

Melanie Gordon
Director, Younger Children's Ministries
Family, Life-Span, and Latino Ministries Team
Discipleship Ministries Division
GBOD - The United Methodist Church
http://www.gbod.org/ministries/children
877.899.2780 ext.1762
mgordon@GBOD.org
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Conference office phone extensions and e-mail addresses

When calling the conference office, please dial your intended party's extension from the list below. For office hours dial 2, and dial 0 for assistance.

Carole Otto 108—Benefits—cotto@umcneb.org
Roxie Delisi 107—Circulation/Database Mgr.—rdelisi@umcneb.org
Barb Grenemeier 114—Administrative Assistant, Move Coordinator, Office Manager—bgren@umcneb.org
Tina Watteyne 118—Accounts Payable/Receivable—twatteyne@umcneb.org
Robin Kilgore 117—Treasurer—rkilgore@umcneb.org
Kathryn Witte 113—Communications—kwitte@umcneb.org
Rev. Chad Anglemyer 111—Director of Connectional Ministries—canglemyer@umcneb.org
Rev. Nita Hinds-Park 110—Congregational Development—nita@umcneb.org
Lorie Lindenmuth 119—Comptroller—llindenmuth@umcneb.org
Diane Dunkerson 106—Resource Center—ddunkerson@umcneb.org
Holly Woldt 115—Information Technology—hwoldt@umcneb.org
Sara Brockhoft 104—Communications Coordinator—sbrockhoft@umcneb.org
John Jones 105 or (cell) 402-450-4992—Camping—jjones@umcneb.org
Terri Raburn 402-465-2175—Archives—traburn@umcneb.org

For Bishop Sherer and Elaine Michaud -- 102 or dial directly at 466-4955.

To hear your options again, dial 9.

OFFICE HOURS:

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are calling on Tuesday between 9 and 10 a.m., we are in staff meeting. The conference office will be closed when Lincoln Public Schools are closed.
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