UMconnect--04/02/08

Peacemaking invitation−workshop and peace meal to be held Friday, April 4 and Sunday, April 6 at First United Methodist Church in Lincoln

When the plane I was on unloaded at El Paso airport last Thursday, I looked out and saw a large cardboard box roll down the cargo conveyor belt. I wondered what might be in that box. It was so long that I though it had to be lightweight—maybe it was a box of fresh flowers shipped in from a tropical climate.

Then I saw a military escort, in full dress. One of the soldiers held an American flag. Airline baggage handlers opened the straps around the cardboard box. From my window, I could see the body of a soldier.

I remembered reading that bodies of service people killed in the war in Iraq were coming back in cardboard boxes. I also remember reading that military officials were not allowing news reporters to photograph the caskets of the fallen soldiers' cardboard, flag-draped caskets.

Even though I had read about this, the sight still shocked me. Baggage handlers struggled to get the flimsy cardboard lid back on while passengers exited the plane as if nothing was happening.

So much of the effects of war and conflicts around the world are hidden from us. We go on about our lives like nothing is happening without stopping to see costs of war—human lives, physical and psychological injuries, emotional costs and economic costs.

The Peacemaking Workshop this Friday, 7 p.m., at First United Methodist Church in Lincoln, gives us all a much needed opportunity to stop and focus on ways we can work for peace. Our speaker for the workshop is someone who has studied what religious groups do to cause regional conflicts as well as how religious people are instrumental in reconciliation. His name is Rodney Petersen.

First Church has a long tradition of helping generations of people work for God's peace. The church's 99-year-old dome has the words "Let us have Peace" written high above the center aisle of the church. Those who built the building knew how important it is to work for peace.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God," (Matthew 5:9). We need to learn how to be peacemakers in today's world—in our homes, communities, nation and world. We have our work cut out for us.

I was in El Paso to represent Nebraska on the school board of our United Methodist Mission High School on the border with México, the Lydia Patterson Institute. I was elected to serve as the secretary of that school board.

Many of you know about Lydia Patterson. It has 500 students, most of whom would not otherwise have the opportunity for a high school education. 90 percent of the graduates go on to college in the United States. That is one peacemaking effort that we do well.

I hope you will join us at First Church and dedicate this Friday evening to thinking about ways we can work together for peace, here in Lincoln and around the world.

While we learn new ways to be peacemakers this Friday night, I will pray for the family and friends of the soldier whose arrival home I saw last Thursday. Please join me in praying for all those who work for peace.

Then on Sunday morning, April 6, please join us for the peace meal that will take place downstairs at noon. All ages and all people are invited to stay for dinner.

Last fall we had 150 that stayed for a peace meal. They had a wonderful time. Our meal will have food from different cultures, as well as "comfort food." We'll hear a little about what students are doing in Global Service Learning to help make peace in the world.

See you in Church Friday night and on Sunday morning…

In Christ's Peace,

Rev. Larry Moffet
First United Methodist Church
2723 N. 50th St.
Lincoln, NE 68504

Elkhorn Hills United Methodist Church is hiring two positions

Youth coordinator
The youth coordinator will oversee programs of the middle school/senior high school (grades 6-12) youth; work with the youth council and parents to provide activities that promote the development of Christian fellowship, spiritual growth and mission outreach; keep abreast of trends in youth ministry; and take advantage of continuing education opportunities.

Coordinator of Children's Ministries
The person in this position will facilitate all aspects of children's ministries (preschool-5th grade) including attend children's council meetings; work with the children's council in developing purpose, direction, budget and policies related to children's ministries; consult with the chair of the Children's Council in scheduling meetings and developing programs; keep abreast of trends in children's ministry; and take advantage of continuing education opportunities.

Both positions are part-time; hours and salary are negotiable. For more information or to submit a resume, please e-mail sdunham25@cox.net.

This week on Interrobang?!

On April 5, Steve Griffith will visit with the Rev. Karla Cooper about "Political Preaching and Black Liberation Theology." Amid the heat of the presidential campaign, Rev. Cooper brings a perspective on African-American preaching styles and the theology of prophetic preachers like the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Cooper is pastor of Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lincoln and chaplain at Doane College.

Interrobang?! airs weekly on Saturday from 8-9 a.m. on KZUM, 89.3 FM, and it is streamed live on http://www.KZUM.org.

Next week on Interrobang: Apirl 12, "The Impossibility of Religious Freedom" with Professor Winifred Fallers Sullivan, by special arrangement with Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Gloria Louch from Mitchell, Neb., leads prayer during the Saturday communion service during Laity Convocation in Kearney.

Laity convocation attracts 70 in Kearney

The 2008 spring laity convocation featured Retired Bishop Bruce Blake, the Rev. Janice Japp and Nebraska United Methodist Foundation Executive Director Jim Heller.

Bishop Bruce Blake focused on what makes United Methodists, United Methodists. Blake's Friday, March 28, presentation included a review of United Methodist polity and structure, as well as a heavy emphasis on United Methodist theology. One activity included singing traditional United Methodist hymns using the words "us" and "we" in place of "me" and "I." This was done to demonstrate the connectional nature of the denomination and the need for the community of believers.

Saturday morning began with a communion service followed by Blake presenting ideas on the difference between church organizations ran by authority and hierarchy and those organized with partnerships and collaboration. He described the "CEO" church or the "CEO" conference where decisions are deferred to the pastor, district superintendent or bishop. In the partnership model everything is accountable to someone, but not to a single person. Decisions are made collaboratively and different functions of the organization are accountable to different people and/or groups.

Later in the day, Blake talked about servant leadership. He quoted Robert Greenleaf, author of the book "Servant Leadership" and former AT&T executive who is known as the father of the servant leadership concept. Blake's working definition of servant leadership encompasses four factors:

1) Leadership is not based on position but whether or not one is a servant.
2) What determines whether one is truly a leader or not depends on whether others are willing to follow that person.
3) The first concern must always be service to others, rather than worrying about exalting oneself.
4) There is more concern about the future than the past.

Breakout sessions focused on stewardship and identifying gifts and talents. United Methodist Foundation Executive Director Jim Heller presented information on how a church can create a legacy. He encouraged churches to create endowment funds that can supplement the church budget and provide long term financial security to a congregation. He told many stories of faithful people offering gifts to their churches in order to establish endowment funds.

The Rev. Janice Japp's session focused on identifying individual spiritual gifts and how they can be applied to the work of the church. After presenting ideas on discerning spiritual gifts, Japp presented the work of the Committee on Lay Leadership as pronounced in the Book of Discipline.

The mission of the Committee on Lay Leadership:"to identify, develop, deploy, evaluate, and monitor Christian spiritual leadership for the congregation..."

"In conducting its work, the committee shall engage in biblical and theological reflections on the mission of the church, the primary task, and ministries of the local church. It shall provide a means of identifying the spiritual gifts and abilities of the membership. The committee shall work
with the church council...to determine the diverse ministry tasks of the congregation and the skills needed for leadership."— 2004 Book of Discipline, paragraph 259.

Attendees asked many questions about how the Committee on Lay Leadership should operate. Attached are the presentation materials from the session, along with selected handouts on leadership from Bishop Bruce Blake.

• The Rev. Janice Japp Presentation Materials
  These materials were used during the presentation on spiritual gifts during the 2008 Laity Convocation in Kearney held on March 28-29.
• Bishop Bruce Blake Leadership Materials

New district superintendents announced

The current Blue River District Superintendent, the Rev. Dr. Keith Johnson, has accepted an appointment as the senior pastor of Saint Paul United Methodist Church of Omaha effective July 1, 2008.

Bishop Ann B. Sherer is pleased to announce the Rev. Galen Wray, currently pastor at the Ainsworth and Johnstown United Methodist Churches, has accepted appointment to the Nebraska United Methodist Conference Cabinet, and will be assigned to the Blue River District.

As are all appointments, this appointment is tentative and will be fixed at the end of the Nebraska Annual Conference in June. Please continue to be a people of prayer as Dr. Johnson and the Rev. Wray prepare for their new appointments.

160th Signal Brigade UMT outreach programs

Dear friends,

Now that the holiday season is over, I find that the donations for the soldier free store have dropped to next to nothing. I am resending a standard letter explaining the possible mission programs. I will always respond to your individual e-mails, and as possible, we will send pictures and notes telling you what we have done with your gift. For mailing, we suggest the set fee box as there is no weight limit. First, some things not to send for the soldiers we are working with:

1. Writing paper and supplies
2. Stamps
3. Books
4. Religious material (I have a good supply of this and solid funding for more.)

Please remember that we cannot give out any names or address of deployed soldiers. Your support goes towards the following programs:

1. Soldiers Free Store (ongoing)
2. "Operation Hope" clothing drive for the refugees in Kuwait (April and May)
3. Afghanistan/Iraq school supply program (ongoing)

Soldier Free Store
This program provides items free to all soldiers stationed at Camp Airfjan, Kuwait. We have lockers that we stock with these items and open the "store" three days a week and upon request. We also make it available for the soldiers just checking into the unit. Send donations to:

Chaplain
160th Signal Brigade
APO AE 09366

"Operation Hope" Clothing Drive, for the Refugees in Kuwait
The attached list includes items suggested for donation. Send items to:

Chaplain
160th Signal Brigade
APO AE 09366

Afghanistan/Iraq school supply program
This is an ongoing program to provide for the children of these countries. Send donations to:

Steven Strem, LTC
Phoenix Base
MNSTC-I, J7
APO-AE 09348
ATTN: Chaplain
25th Signal BN/ITT
APO AE O9320

Attached you will find lists of the suggested items needed for each program. Thank you for your ongoing attention and generosity to these programs.


CH (MAJ) Mark E. Thompson
Brigade Chaplain
160th Signal Brigade
APO AE 09366

• List of suggested items for donation

Thinking about a new hymnal--contemporary music and worship

There were significant political, cultural, ecumenical, theological and liturgical changes during the life of the 1966 Methodist Hymnal, and these were all considered in putting together the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal. There have been fewer of these types of changes in the church during the life of the 1989 hymnal, but there have been many other significant changes in liturgy, worship style, musical style and technology. Many of these are behind the proposal to General Conference to approve a new hymnal for the United Methodist Church in the United States. This article below discusses those changes and reasons for them.

• Proposed hymnal changes and reasons article

Follow-up discussion of Bruce Babbitt's lecture

Michael Jess, Water Center Associate Director in UNL's School of Natural Resources, will facilitate a discussion of Bruce Babbitt's lecture "Nebraska's Water Future: Feast or Famine?" on Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Paul United Methodist Church, 1144 "M" Street, Lincoln. A video of Babbitt's lecture will be shown at 6:30 p.m. with the discussion beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Bruce Babitt, Secretary of the Interior from 1993 to 2001, was Governor of Arizona from 1978-87 and Attorney General of Arizona from 1975-78. As governor, he brought environmental and resource management to the forefront of the state. He negotiated and steered the passage of the Arizona Groundwater Management Act of 1980, which remains the most comprehensive water regulatory system in the nation. As Secretary of the Interior, he led the creation of the forest plan in the Pacific Northwest, restoration of the Florida Everglades, passage of the California Desert Protection Act, and legislation for the National Wildlife Refuge system. Babbitt currently serves as a director of the World Wildlife Fund.

Babbitt will present the original lecture at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22 at the Lied Center as part of the E.N. Thompson Forum series. For more information, contact Sherry at 402-477-6951. Both events are free and open to the public.

New Seminary Scholarship available this spring

Every spring, the Nebraska United Methodist Foundation begins its scholarship application period. In 2007, Alice Kruse of Blair, Neb., funded a second scholarship at the foundation to provide financial aid to seminary students planning to become pastors in the Nebraska Annual Conference: The Alice Kruse Seminary Scholarship.

In addition to the Alice Kruse Seminary Scholarship, the foundation administers six other scholarships for students planning to pursue a career in the ministry within Nebraska.

These scholarships are:

The Alva Clark Seminary Scholarship
The Cowles United Methodist Church Memorial Scholarship
The Alice Kruse Ministerial Scholarship
The Baldwin F. and Amy L. Kruse Scholarship
The Sylvia Miller Memorial Scholarship
The Albert R. Murdoch Ministerial Scholarship

For more information and application materials, please visit the foundation's Web site at http://www.numf.org/special_programs/scholarships.html.

Help wanted at Grand Island Trinity UMC (TUMC)

Trinity United Methodist Church of Grand Island is looking for a director of family ministries to help develop ministries to and with families. TUMC is a congregation of about 1,000 families serving a diverse community from its downtown location. Applicants are being sought for this new full-time staff position that will start in late spring or summer of 2008. Two summer ministry intern positions are also available.

Job descriptions and application instructions for both opportunities are available on the church's Web site at http://www.trinityumcgi.org.

Marketing workshop targeted to non-profit organizations

Friday, April 18, 2008
8 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
Embassy Suites—Downtown Lincoln

The American Marketing Association's Lincoln chapter annually sponsors a workshop to help non-profit organizations better market and communicate.

This year's theme is "Road Trip to Success." Pack your bags and get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey with Lincoln AMA at Brand Camp 2008. Road trips can be fun, challenging and stressful all at the same time. So can nonprofit marketing. Road Trip to Success will provide you with an opportunity to learn how to make the most out of your excursion, including "Planning Your Trip," "The Journey" and "Unpacking Your Bags." "The Road Trip to Success" will conclude with everyone's favorite part of coming home from a successful journey—storytelling. Our keynote luncheon speaker, Tom Ahern, will share his ideas and philosophies on how storytelling can be incorporated into marketing—using emotion and success stories to impact donor response and enhance your brand.

What are you waiting for? Book your ticket now for "Road Trip to Success," and get ready to hit the road!

Visit http://www.lincolnama.com to download a listing of all of the speakers and topics.

Travel Itinerary:

8:00-8:30 a.m.—Registration and breakfast
8:30-9:30 a.m.—Session I: Planning Your Trip
9:45-10:45 a.m.—Session II: The Journey
11:00-Noon—Session III: Unpacking Your Bags
12:15-1:15 p.m.—Keynote presentation and lunch: "Sharing Your Stories," Tom Ahern, ABC, President, Ahern Communications, Inc.

Attend the entire half-day seminar or just the luncheon and keynote presentation to learn more about the challenging branding and marketing topics that face nonprofits every day.


Registration Fees:

Half-Day Seminar and Luncheon
Includes continental breakfast, Brand Camp workbook, three workshop sessions, keynote presentation and luncheon.
Nonprofit attendee—$50
AMA member—$75
Nonmember—$95
Student—$35

Keynote Presentation and Luncheon Only
AMA Members—$18
Nonmembers—$25
Nonprofit and Students—$13
Register online at http://www.lincolnama.com. Registration deadline is Monday, April 14, 2008. Cancellations after April 14 will be charged the full amount.

Domestic violence later in life—healing body, mind and spirit

Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska and the Nebraska Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Coalition is sponsoring a workshop focusing on elder abuse on Thursday, April 17, 2008.

8:30 a.m-4:15 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
4500 Linden Drive
Kearney, Nebraska
Cost: $15 per person (includes continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks)

The Keynote Speaker for the workshop is Bonnie Brandl, coordinator of the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL) and co-author of "Elder Abuse Detection and Intervention: A Collaborative Approach."

A registration brochure can be found below. For more information, contact Pat Brown from Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska at 402-476-3391.

• Registration brochure

Nebraska Wesleyan University Jazz Choir to perform

Nebraska Wesleyan University's "Touch of Class" Jazz Choir will be performing both sacred and secular jazz selections on their spring tour. They will be performing in North Platte on April 26, at 7 p.m., at the North Platte First United Methodist Church. We invite you to enjoy improvised solos and body percussion as well as the sensitive choral singing and exceptional jazz trio accompanying the ensemble.

"Touch of Class" is directed by Boyd Bacon, a composer known nationally for his music for school and church choirs. In addition, they will be performing in Imperial, Denver, and will participate in the Greeley Jazz Festival at the University of Northern Colorado. They will perform Robert Ray's "Gospel Mass," a multi-movement work combining the best of gospel and jazz into a very interesting and accessible composition. Other repertoire includes Paul Simon's "Loves Me Like a Rock," Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" and "Lay Me Down," "License to Scat" from the movie "License to Wed" and a new arrangement of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" called "The Jazz Farm."

Contact Boyd Bacon at 402-465-2289 or bbb@nebrwesleyan.edu for additional information.

The singers include Edie Anderzhon of Shenandoah, Iowa; Danielle Bolin of Lincoln; Kaitlyn Clark of Gothenberg; Caroline Kouma of Casper, Wyo.; Carolyn Moore of Lincoln; Sylvia Novo of Millard; Misy Singson of Bettendorf, Iowa; Shane Cullinan of North Platte; Bronson Gierhan of Utica; Tom Harmon of Beatrice; Jason Seger of Atkinson; Robert Taylor of Lincoln; Denny Vaggalis of Lincoln; and Ben Wenzl of Papillion.

The band includes Emily Bruflat of Wayne on piano; Kevin Anderson of North Platte on bass guitar; and Brent McKain of North Platte on drums.

Becoming a lay delegate to General Conference

At the Laity Convocation held in Kearney on March 29-31, a discussion was held on how lay people qualify to be nominated as a candidate for election to General Conference.

Paragraph 36. Article V.I of the Book of Discipline—"The lay delegates to the General and Jurisdictional or Central Conferences shall be elected by the lay members of the annual conference or provisional annual conference without regard to age; provided such delegates shall have been professing member of The United Methodist Church for at least two years next preceding their election, and shall have been active participants in The United Methodist Church for at least four years next preceding their election and are members thereof within the annual conference electing them at the time of holding the General and Jurisdictional or Central conferences."

A lay person does not have to be the lay leader of their local church to be eligible to serve as a delegate to General Conference.

Lay people in Nebraska interested in the 2012 General or Jurisdictional conferences should note that the election for that conference will be held at the Annual Conference Session in 2011. The 2012 General Conference will be held in Tampa Fla., the 2012 South Central Jurisdictional meeting will be held in Omaha at the Quest Center.

New classes begin at North Plate First UMC

Two new educational opportunities have started at the North Platte First United Methodist Church

"Questioning Capital Punishment"
DVD study with Sr. Helen Prejean, author of "Dead Man Walking"
Sundays, 9:45 a.m. in the church parlor

"Who is God in Three Persons?"
A study of the Trinity from a series called "Faith Questions"
Sundays, 9:45 a.m. in room 207.

First United Methodist Church is located at 1600 West "E" Street in North Platte. For more information, contact Cheri Kneifel, Christian education director, at npfumccheri@inebraska.com or 308-532-1478.

"Anxiety is not a nice feeling!"−The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies

A lot of clergy are so good at disguising or hiding their anxiety, that they even have difficulty recognizing themselves in the following article.

"Anxiety is not a nice feeling. It is basically a fear of the unknown which is worse than an ordinary fear of some specific thing. Anxiety leaves you feeling vulnerable and powerless. Most people will do anything in order to avoid it. So we all learn to behave in a certain way to avoid feeling anxious, even if that creates other uncomfortable feelings. We will feel depressed or paranoid, for example than to feel anxious."—Ronald Richardson

Some clergy become very passive and powerless; others become aggressive and exert power—most of the time in unhealthy ways. Clergy find themselves in anxious systems all of the time. Our people want us to take away their anxieties. Meanwhile their actions raise the anxiety in the whole church system; and unfortunately, the person who makes you feel anxious is in control.

So how do we, as clergy, address this anxiety? Actually, how do we even get in touch with our anxiety? If we don't, we can become dangerous to ourselves, our families and our churches. This is what we address at The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies.

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 be held at Nebraska Wesleyan University. It includes six, three-day retreats scheduled over eighteen months.

To register, e-mail the Rev. Bill Selby at integrity4u@comcast.net. For more information, talk to your Nebraska Center Representative, Kelly Karges, at kjkarges@hotmail.com or visit http://pastoraleffectiveness.org.

Convocation of Archivists 2008—July 11-12, Jacksonville, Texas

First United Methodist Church of Jacksonville, Texas will host Convocation of Archivists 2008, July 11-12. The event is sponsored by the Commission on Archives and History of the Texas Annual Conference. The event is designed to help church historians learn the basics of archiving including what to keep and what to throw away, appropriate equipment and materials for archiving, where and how to store church archives, and retrieval methods for locating archives. The convocation will also provide an opportunity for church archivists and historians to discuss their experiences and be inspired by what their peers are doing as well as what experts have to share.

The brochure and registration form for the convocation can be found below.

• Convocation of Archivists 2008 brochure and registration

New worship schedule for St. Andrew's UMC in Omaha

St. Andrew's UMC in Omaha has started a new worship schedule. Worship is now held on Saturday at 5 p.m. and on Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. As part of their Disciple-Making Plan, a survey was distributed among the congregation last fall.

After much prayer and discussion, a final decision was made. A Saturday evening service is being offered to accommodate those who have scheduling conflicts on Sunday mornings or just want a Saturday option for worship. Two worship services are offered on Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. Sunday School for children through grade 5 will be offered at each of the three services. Sunday School for youth will be offered at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. It is our hope that we reach out to others as we "share the Gospel of Jesus Christ" in northwest Omaha.