UMconnect--04/23/08

General Conference opens with worship—resurrection hope

For General Confence news and information go to our delegations blog or to the United Methodist News service page for the latest on daily procedings and more.

Nebraska Delegation Blog

United Methodist News Service

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Nebraska Annual Conference Session pre-conference briefing dates set

The Rev. Chad Anglemyer will be taking to the road in May to visit each district to share information about the Nebraska Annual Conference Session, June 10-14, in Lincoln.

District superintendents will host the meetings. All lay members and pastors are encouraged to attend. Dates and locations include:

Blue River District
May 20, 7 p.m., Aldersgate UMC

Elkhorn Valley District
May 15, 7 p.m., Norfolk UMC

Gateway District
May 18, 3 p.m., Kearney First UMC

Great West District
May 21, 7 p.m., Scottsbluff UMC
May 22, 7 p.m., North Platte UMC

Missouri River District
May 19, 7 p.m., Hanscom Park UMC

Prairie Rivers District
May 14, 7 p.m., Aurora UMC

Key among the topics will be the Transition Team recommendations for a new structure and way to do conference ministry. The 2009 Funding Plan will be reviewed as well as details surrounding the session themed "Food and Faith—Come to the Great Banquet." The theme focuses on on Risk-taking Mission and Justice Work. As one of the Six Signs of Discipleship, the goal is to demonstrate how mission and justice work can be related to food and faith.

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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 United Methodist churches at the Annual Conference Session, 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:

- Local Food Drive
- Community Outreach Programs
- Advocacy on Food Issues
- Support of Local, National, Global hunger-relief agencies

Here's How to Enter:

- Submit 3-6 digital photos of your food-related activity
- Write a short description (no more than 150 words) of the activity and how it demonstrates faith sharing
- Include a one sentence prayer and which sign or signs of discipleship the food-related activity encompasses
- Include a contact person, name of church and district

For inclusion in the Annual Conference activities, please submit entries by April 25 to Pastor Tamara Holtz by e-mail at gtholtz@gpcom.net or by mail to 509 4th St., Box 331, Silver Creek, NE 68663.
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St. James UMC Annual Baked Goods Sale—Friday, April 25

Please join the people of St. James United Methodist Church for their Annual Baked Goods Sale on Friday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Lunch will be served from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and dinner will be available from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sloppy Joes, coleslaw, chips, cookies and drinks will be served for lunch and dinner for $5 for adults and $2.50 for children 10 years of age and under. St. James UMC's famous state fair pies will also be available for sale.

St. James UMC is located on 2400 S. 11th St. (11th and Lake Streets, just three blocks south of South St.). For more information, contact Laurie Hookham at laurie267@neb.rr.com.
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Beware of receiving phone calls from strangers

The conference office has been notified that an unidentified individual has made multiple attempts to solicit personal financial information from a member of the conference.

Please be aware of this situation and note that the conference office will not be calling members of the conference for any personal financial information. If another member of the conference receives a call similar to this, he or she should not offer any personal financial information over the phone and should report the incident to the authorities immediately.
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Mt. Sequoyah Clean Up Week

Six people from Nebraska participated in the twentieth annual Jurisdictional Clean Up Week at Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville, Ark. The six participants from Nebraska included Marvin and Suzanne Morgan, Omaha FUMC; Nancy and Walt Coziahr, Omaha First; and Rod and Annette Concer, Omaha St. Paul's. Eighty people from every state in the jurisdiction, except Arkansas, came to do any job associated with maintaining the conference and retreat center.

For people considering participating in a VIM experience, this is an excellent introduction to VIM work. Participants stay in motel-like rooms with good beds and private baths. All meals are provided in the cafeteria, and participants work for three days and travel on Monday and Friday. Please contact Nancy Kaye-Skinner at nanagram@trinityralston.org for further information about Mt. Sequoyah work opportunities.
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General Board of Church and Society is part of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT)

NRCAT is making June the month for Banners Across America. We are asking congregations of all sizes, from every state and all faiths to join in a public witness against torture by displaying a banner outside their place of worship during Torture Awareness Month (June 2008).

Our goal is to have banners displayed by NRCAT member congregations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information, go to http://www.tortureisamoralissue.org.
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Miracle on 84th Street -- Lincoln St. Mark's Sanctuary construction photo gallery

Located at 84th and Pioneers Streets in Lincoln, the five million dollar project began construction March 3, 2008, following a successful capital campaign launched in 2006.

The following link takes you to a photo gallery chronicling the progress of Lincoln St. Mark's new sanctuary.
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First Annual Nothing But Nets Ping-Pong Tournament—Saturday, May 3 at Lincoln Trinity UMC

The first annual United Methodist Community Ministries (UMCM) Blue River District Nothing But Nets Ping-Pong Tournament will be held Saturday, May 3, 2008, 11 a.m., at Trinity UMC, located at 1345 S. 16th St. in Lincoln. The tournament is sponsored by the Blue River District, and the main event will be a full, bracket-style ping-pong tournament. The entrance fee of $10 will be donated directly to the Nothing But Nets campaign against malaria in Africa; each ten dollars will buy one anti-malaria bed net to protect an entire family.

To be clear, this event is much more than your average retirement community ping-pong tournament; this is a full-blown charity experience! Designed for people of all ages who are interested in playing or just watching, the event will feature a United Methodist Women's lunch at noon, excellent concessions all day, and an assortment of mini-tournaments including chess and bingo. The winner of the ping-pong tournament will receive a trophy, presented by Tom Osborne or Nick Muthersbaugh.

So you're interested? Point everyone you know to http://www.trinitylincoln.org/pingpong/ for more information and the sign-up form. In order to ensure a quality bracket, we ask that all those wishing to play sign up on the Web site. If the internet is unavailable, call the district office at 402-323-8849 to sign up.

Most of all, remember this is for charity and a justice ministry of the district and the United Methodist Church. Together we can stamp out malaria, one match at a time. For more information, contact Andy Clabaugh at andy@umcmneb.org.
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"Anxiety always ends up at the door of the Clergy."−The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies

Why consider the Center? Besides the quality of the experience, there is a lot of anxiety across the country, and our region is no exception. The elections, the war, economics, water, sexual issues and the changing face of the small town as well as the city all add anxiety to the country. These anxieties ALWAYS end up impacting the church and especially the life of clergy−personally, professionally, and their families. It is absolutely imperative that clergy reflect on how they can deal with this anxiety, because, much of the time, the anxiety gets focused, even fixated, on the clergy. How do we manage ourselves so that we can stay the leader of self, family and the church?
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Seminary Scholarship applications to be accepted May 1

Beginning May 1, the Nebraska United Methodist Foundation will accept application materials for the seven seminary scholarships it administers for students planning to pursue careers 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 Alice Kruse Seminary Scholarship
- The Baldwin F. & Amy L. Kruse Scholarship
- The Sylvia Miller Memorial Scholarship
- The Albert R. Murdoch Ministerial Scholarship

The deadline for application submissions is June 30, except for the Baldwin F. & Amy L. Kruse Scholarship, which is May 31.

For more information and printable application materials, please visit the Foundation's Web site at http://www.numf.org/special_programs/scholarships.html.
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Where Are the Young Adults?

In a recent article that, in part, relies on the book "After the Baby Boomers," by Robert Wuthnow (Princeton University Press, 2007), Ann Michel of Wesley Theological Seminary provides some interesting information on the presence and absence of young adults in the church and what this may mean for the future. This article looks at some of those points for United Methodists to consider about the present and future of our church.
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Elkhorn Valley TeamMates board members Arlene Hofmann (far left) and Boyd Batenhorst (far right) assist Carol Rossow and Duane Wolske with serving duties.

Elkhorn Valley TeamMates Brunch Benefit

by Tori Krick, Tilden, NE

The Faith United Methodist Church in Tilden hosted a community brunch fundraiser following its services on Sunday, March 30, to benefit the local Elkhorn Valley TeamMates program.

As is customary on every fifth Sunday, the four churches that make up the Elkhorn River Parish gather together for worship. Following Pastor Davis' service on this day, local TeamMates coordinator, Kristi Miller, presented a brief overview of the program to parishioners.

TeamMates board members Bob Petersen, Tori Krick, Brandon Black, Arlene Hofmann, Boyd Batenhorst, and Scott Douglas were also present to assist with the meal and promote the program.

In the short time that Elkhorn Valley TeamMates has been established, support and excitement over the program continues to grown in leaps and bounds. Miller comments, "I continue to be amazed with the dedication and generosity from the Tilden and Meadow Grove communities. It was very nice to see the number of residents that came to support our local TeamMates program."

Anyone seeking information about the program is encouraged to contact Miller at 402-368-5851 or tkmiller@cableone.net or any member of its local board of directors.
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Nebraska United Methodist Bike Ride for Hunger (NUMB) 2008 is quickly approaching!

This year NUMB will celebrate 13 years of feeding the hungry of the world. NUMB has contributed over $330,000 to alleviate hunger all around the world since the first ride in 1996. NUMB benefits the hungry in Nebraska and around the world and is sponsored by the Nebraska Annual Conference Board of Mission Outreach Hunger Committee.

NUMB is open to all interested cyclists. You do not have to be United Methodist to participate in NUMB. The ride will be limited to the first 135 riders. Riders will be coming from all across the nation, as well as Nebraska to be a part of this ride. Send your registration early to secure a spot on NUMB 2008. Riders 18 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult, parent or guardian. NUMB will be challenging and riders must be in excellent riding condition and using quality biking equipment. Helmets are required. Participants must pay $45 for registration ($50 - after May 1st) and secure a minimum of $100 pledged to United Methodist Hunger programs. Registrants will receive pledge sheets and information about United Methodist Hunger projects upon registering.

For NUMB 2008 registration information, rider information or to view the NUMB 2008 route, please visit http://www.numbride.org.
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The Missouri River District E-Newsletter for Youth Coordinators and Youth-related Events now available

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2008 School of Christian Mission, July 25-30, in Grand Island

The Nebraska School of Christian Mission will be held July 25-30, 2008, at the Mid-Town Holiday Inn, in Grand Island, Neb., offering both a weekend and weekday school. The weekend school is July 25-27. It begins on Friday evening at 6 p.m. and concludes at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The weekend school is a compressed session and therefore fewer class sessions.

The weekday school is July 27-30. It begins on Sunday at 6 p.m. and ends on Wednesday at 1 p.m. This session has an extra day, so the classes are not as compressed and the schedule is a little more relaxed while the weekend session is usually the most attended.
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The Milford UMC hosted a pancake feed in February to launch the Nothing But Nets Campaign. The photo is of the church bulletin board highlighting the campaign near the church entrance.

Milford UMC celebrates risk-taking mission work

On Sunday, April 13, the Milford UMC celebrated the congregation's mission work. The Rev. Michael Curd presented the Central Conference Pension Initiative as a possible future mission focus for members of the church. Director of Communications Kathryn Witte talked about her trip to Nigeria this past summer and the interviews she conducted with some of the retired clergy and widows of clergy of the Nigeria Conference. The Central Conference Pension Initiative is a global church initiative working to establish ongoing benefits for retired pastors in the Central Conferences of the United Methodist Church.

Following the presentation, Milford UMC member Mary Weiss presented the Nebraska Conference with an $800 donation towards the Nothing But Nets campaign. The Nothing But Nets campaign sees $10 donations buy mosquito bed nets for people in Africa where the incidence of malaria is high.
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Interested in submitting an item for UMconnect?

Please send your information including any pictures, flyers, contact information and a short introductory paragraph following the "UMconnect Styleguide" to Sara Brockhoft, communications coordinator, at sbrockhoft@umcneb.org.
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