UMconnect — 12/10/08

Clergy Special Session set for Jan. 20-22 at Lincoln St. Marks

The clergy of the Nebraska United Methodist Conference will be gathering in Lincoln for their annual session on Jan. 20-22, 2009, at St. Marks, in Lincoln.

Just as with the annual conference session in June, a packet will be distributed at the time of registration. Ministries and programs wishing to have something placed in the packet should contact the conference office at 402-464-5994 and ask for Kathryn Witte (ext. 113) or Roxie Delisi (107) to arrange for receipt of an item to be included in the packet.

• Clergy Special Session brochure

Church and community worker to leave post, pursue new opportunities

The Elkhorn Valley District churches and pastors thank Robbie Lonewolf for her many years of service through the Nebraska Rural Ministry project (NRMP). Robbie has resigned from the project and as a church and community worker through the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church at the end of 2008.

In Robbie Lonewolf's letter of resignation, she wrote, "It has been a privilege to have served in many capacities with this project. In the early years, my home was a site for VIM teams and seminary students. Later, I served on the board, as part of the Peacemaker Initiative and finally as a church and community worker. As I move on to the next part of my life journey, I take with me friends, lessons learned and valuable experiences. Thank you for your faith in me and the support you have shown through the years."

Nebraska Rural Ministry Board President Andrea Paret wrote in her announcement of Robbie's resignation, "We are thankful for Robbie's ministry with the NRMP and all the lives that have been touched through this work. Though we will miss her, we know that she will continue being in ministry as she moves on to a new phase in her life." Andrea led the board in a celebration of Robbie's ministry at their meeting on Dec. 2.

Reaching Out to Non-Active Members

A mission share story.

The membership of mainline denominations is steadily decreasing, and the United Methodist Church is no stranger to this plight. In fact, more than 2,200 people in Nebraska severed their ties with the United Methodist Church in 2007. Some of these people cut their ties with the church at their own request while others saw their memberships removed due to inactivity. It is the latter of the two groups that has become the focus of the Rev. Koni Purcell.

"As a church and community worker for the Nebraska Rural Ministry Project, and important part of my job is church revitalization in the Elkhorn Valley District," said the Rev. Koni Purcell. "As I was out visiting with people during fellowship times, the need to respond to inactive members kept coming up, and as I thought about it, it made sense in small communities. So, I did some research and have done two workshops now on ministry with the inactive."

Through this ministry, it is Purcell's goal that she will be able to help congregations reconnect with inactive members before they become nonmembers.

"The Elkhorn Valley District has many wonderful churches who have been a United Methodist presence in their community for over a century." Purcell continued, "But, right now they are facing challenges and need encouragement and courage to look at how they might fulfill their mission and their ministry in the 21st century."

To view a video of this mission share story as well as more mission share stories, go to http://www.umcneb.org and click on the UM-TUBE link under the Quick Links.

• Bulletin inserts

Winter Youth Common Table

What: Winter Youth Common Table

When: Friday, Jan. 2 - Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009

Time: 6 p.m. Friday - 2 p.m. on Saturday

Where: Kearney First UMC

Cost: $15

Who: Anyone!

Registration information: Please go to the Conference Web site (http://www.umcneb.org/Youth/index.htm) and download the health form. The form needs to be sent to:

Rev. Michael Patzloff
4444 Frances Street
Omaha NE 68105

For more information, contact Michael Patzloff at 402-553-3312 or michael@hanscomparkchurch.org.

Move over YouTube, here comes UM-TUBE

Access the Nebraska United Methodist Conference's very own video sharing Web site by going to http://www.umcneb.org and clicking on the UM-TUBE link under the Quick Links.

Show the entire conference what is going on in your church by simply setting up a user account and uploading videos of your church gatherings, sermons and activities.

Mission share stories now available on UM-TUBE:

What is Church and Community Work?

Bulletin insert

Turning the Tithe

Bulletin insert

The Call-a-way

Bulletin insert

Reaching Out to Non-Active Members

Bulletin insert

"Making a Difference"—a day of learning, worship and fellowship

The Elkhorn Valley District will host its annual day of learning, worship and fellowship entitled "Making a Difference," on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, at First United Methodist Church in Norfolk. All who wish to grow as disciples are invited. Certain workshops focus on the Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee as well as the six signs of discipleship. Workshops are intended for leaders of education and youth, finance and stewardship, council chairs and Lay Leaders.

All are invited to come to brush up on their skills to enhance the work of the local church. Bishop Ann Brookshire Sherer will be speaking on the topic "Through you...blessing," and participants will have the opportunity to attend two of the eight workshops.

Early registration is encouraged (by Dec. 15), although late registrants will be welcomed. Early registration ensures the workshops of your choice. Please read the brochure below to learn about the variety of interesting and helpful workshops that are available.

• "Making a Difference" brochure

SAVE THE DATE—Blue River District Youth Skate Night, Jan. 18

Sunday, Jan. 18, youth in grades 7-12 are encouraged to join in the fun of the Blue River District's Annual Youth Skate at Mahoney State Park. The event is $5 per person and will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

In addition to ice skating, food and an indoor playground will also be available. This year's event also includes a challenge to all Blue River District United Methodist Youth Groups. For all of the details, please see the flyer below.

• Flyer

Ethnic Young Adult Summer Internship application deadline is Feb. 1

Applicants, age 18-22, will work in social justice placements in Washington, D.C.

The deadline to apply for an Ethnic Young Adult (EYA) Summer Internship in Washington, D.C., is Feb. 1. The EYA program is for young adults, ages 18-22, who have an interest in exploring issues of public policy, social justice advocacy and social change.

Sponsored by the Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group and administered by the United Methodist Church's General Board of Church & Society (GBCS), interns will work in social justice placements in the U.S. capital from June 1 to Aug. 1, 2009.

Interns will live in Christian community together at George Washington University, in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. Work placements will be supplemented by evening intern-led devotions, Friday seminars on topics of social justice concern, area field trips, and Sunday worship in area United Methodist churches. Participants must commit to being present at these activities.

Every Sunday, the intern group will experience the rich and diverse nature of The United Methodist Church by visiting a different congregation. The congregations will reflect diversity in ethnic makeup as well as worship style.

• Read more

Upcoming youth opportunities

sponsored by
United Methodist Ministries—Missouri River District and Missouri River District

January 17, 2009—MLK Day of the Arts for youth

MLK Day of the Arts flyer

MLK Day of the Arts registration

January 19, 2009—MLK Day of Service
Honor the work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a day "on" not "off." The day will include service work at local agencies in the metro-Omaha area, creation of a permanent "Seat of Justice" art display and education on justice issues of race and poverty in our communities.

MLK Day of Service flyer

March 13-14, 2009—Youth Leadership Summit
This is an opportunity for youth to develop leadership skills as they learn more about their role in the local church. The summit will include a combination of workshops and hands-on participation. Upon completion of the summit, participating youth will have completed the Basic Lay Speaking for Youth Course.

April 25, 2009—Global Youth Service Day
Invite your youth to take part in an international movement of community change. The day will include service work at local agencies in the metro-Omaha area.

Summer Mission Learning and Leading
Youth groups are invited to take the lead in learning to be agents of community change through a mission experience with United Methodist Ministries—Missouri River District. Mission experiences will include hands-on work at mission sites and reinforcement educational activities. The length of mission experiences varies from 24-hours to 5 days.

For more information, please see the flyer below or contact Lisa Maupin at 402-898-9862 or lmaupin@bigmuddyumc.org. Please note that the activities are not limited to Missouri River District youth. All Nebraska United Methodist Conference youth are invited to participate.

• 2009 youth opportunities

Making disciples who make a difference workshop

The Gateway District Office would like to invite everyone to a workshop to learn more about the signs of discipleship. It will be on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, at the Kearney Faith United Methodist Church located at 1623 Central Ave., from 2-5 p.m.

Under the heading, "Gracious Generosity," the Rev. Greg Reed will share information on the Consecration Sunday stewardship program. The Shelton UMC has had success with this program in their church--come and find out how!

The Rev. Evie Gulachi-Johnson will present "Connectional Joy." Planning can't begin too soon for Vacation Bible School. Come to preview materials, set dates for your church's program and begin plans to share materials with other UMC's so that all may have a great week with the kids!

Sharing on "Faith Development," Pastors Valera Heydenberk and Michelle Reed will talk about what happens when persons are feeling called into ministry. What are the steps into ministry in the local church? Each pastor and church should know how to lead persons through the process of becoming a pastor. Information from the Board of Ordained Ministry will be shared.

And covering "Radical Hospitality" are Laura Stubblefield and Neil Stubblefield. They will share how our youth are not the future of the church, they are the present! How can churches encourage, empower and equip youth for ministry and service in the United Methodist tradition? Hear what works best with Laura, United Campus Ministry director, and Neil, Gateway District youth coordinator.

This event offers helpful insights to help you grow as a disciple. Please come free of charge. There will also be a Safe Sanctuary Training held from 2-5 p.m. The cost of Safe Sanctuaries training is $20, which covers the cost of the background check. Great refreshments will also be available. Sponsors of the event include the churches of Gateway Cluster 5, Amherst, Gibbon Bethel, Gibbon Faith, Kearney Faith, Kearney First, Pleasanton-Haven's Chapel, Ravenna-Hazard and Shelton UMC.

Please share this information in your bulletins and newsletters so all may take advantage of these wonderful resources.

For more information, contact the Gateway District Office at 308 -234-3098 or gateway@umcneb.org.

Wesleyan Live announces courses for Nebraska clergy, laity and community members

This program offers continuing education courses for clergy, laity and community members. Courses are taught by Nebraska Wesleyan faculty in Lincoln and televised live across the state. The participants and professors are able to interact with each other throughout each telecast.

Course Location
The sessions are televised live from the Nebraska Education Telecommunications Building in Lincoln. The possible transmittal sites, which will be determined according to registrations, include Ainsworth, Beatrice, Grand Island, Kearney, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha and Scottsbluff. A minimum of six registrants is needed at each location.

Registration and Credit
The enrollment cost is $40 per person or $20 for retired clergy and retired clergy spouses.

Wesleyan Live, Spring 2009
"Renewal the Wesleyan Way: How Our Unique Heritage Can Fuel a Modern-Day Revival"
Tuesdays, 12 - 1 p.m.
Feb. 3, 2009 - March 10, 2009

It's time for a revival! After decades of decline in America, the United Methodist Church stands on the brink of a period of opportunity for revival and renewal. How can we use the best of our heritage as a catalyst for our movement into our faithful, fruitful future? How can John Wesley's insights on servant leadership reignite and inspire the way we grow together? What practical, effective solutions can we implement to contribute to thriving ministry?

• Registration

	A suburb of Pittsburgh features a transit shelter ad designed to invite people to United Methodist churches at Christmas. More than 40 billboards and transit shelter ads are dotting the market during December as part of a new mobile advertising campaign test. UMNS photos courtesy of Lamar Advertising.

Church advertising campaign uses new forms of media

Pittsburgh United Methodist churches roll out the welcome mat.

The United Methodist Church is going mobile with the "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors" welcoming and advertising campaign.

United Methodist Communications, the global communications agency for the 11.5-million-member United Methodist Church, has chosen the Pittsburgh area to test a new mobile advertising strategy from now until Christmas Eve. The two-fold strategy incorporates text messaging along with outdoor advertising.

Over 40 billboards and transit shelter ads aimed at reaching thousands of commuters and pedestrians will go up in the Pittsburgh area this week. Other ads will be delivered to content subscribers of 4INFO, an ad-supported text message information service.

The ads feature messages of hope and prompt those who see the ads to text a keyword such as "BELIEVE" to a designated number. In response, they receive a longer message inviting them to attend a United Methodist Church at Christmas and giving them an opportunity to reply with their zip code to find a church in their area or get more information at UnitedMethodist.org.

• Read more

Deadline to apply for Peace with Justice grant is Feb. 15

Feb. 15 is the deadline to apply for a Peace with Justice grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS).

Funding for this program is generated through the Peace with Justice Special Sunday offering of The United Methodist Church. One of six Special Sundays in the denomination, Peace with Justice "witnesses to God's demands for a faithful, just, disarmed and secure world." The Special Sunday will be observed on June 7 in 2009.

Peace with Justice grants are awarded annually. In 2008, awards totaled $51,000.

Grant applicants must be either a United Methodist or other affiliated organization, or an ecumenical group working with and through at least one United Methodist agency or organization.

Applicants must work toward achieving at least one of the following objectives:

Assist United Methodists in understanding and responding to violence and militarism, and in moving and leading nations and peoples to reconciliation, transformation, and redemption.

Involve and develop principal leaders among United Methodists and enjoin the general public in efforts to end conflicts, human rights violations and violent aggression around the world;

Promote just national and international policies and actions (governmental and non-governmental) seeking to address poverty and restore communities; or

Support policies that promote systematic economic justice and the self-development of peoples, in particular to respond to the disproportionate effect of injustices on racial, indigenous and ethnic persons.

• Read more

Deadline to apply for 5th Young Clergy Leadership Forum is Jan. 16

Applicants, age 35 and under, must serve full-time in local church.

Jan. 16 is the deadline to apply to attend the 5th annual Young Clergy Capitol Hill Leadership Forum, sponsored by the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). The forum will be held Sunday to Wednesday, Feb. 8 to 11, at the historic United Methodist Building, next door to the Supreme Court and across the street from the U.S. Capitol.

Annual conferences are urged to send up to two persons, age 35 and under, who may be either elders or on an elder track, and serving a local church full-time.

The Young Adult Clergy Leadership Forum will provide creative and participatory ways to teach the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church in congregations.

There will be an opportunity for conversation with Jim Winkler, GBCS chief executive. GBCS advocacy staff will discuss key legislative issues being debated on Capitol Hill. Representatives of other social justice organizations will describe their activities.

There will also be worship in the historic Simpson Memorial Chapel at the United Methodist Building, and time to network with other young adult clergy from across the connection.

Registration is limited to 50 persons. Registration fee is $100. Attendees or their conferences are responsible for covering travel expenses to and from Washington, D.C. GBCS will pay hotel, meals and program costs in Washington, D.C.

Two continuing education credits will be awarded.

For more information or to register, contact the Rev. Clayton Childers, GBCS director of Annual Conference Relations, 202-488-5642, or send e-mail to cchilders@umc-gbcs.org.

Online registration is available at http://www.umc-gbcs.org. Click on "Young Clergy Capitol Hill Leadership Forum," under Upcoming Events in the right-hand column.

Submit your Interpreter subscription list by Dec. 16

The deadline is drawing near for churches to assure that their new and continuing leaders receive the January-February 2009 issue of Interpreter magazine. Lists of subscribers received by Tuesday, Dec. 16, will be virtually guaranteed to receive the January-February issue. Submit your list later, if you need to, but know that there may be a delay in starting those subscriptions.

United Methodist congregations are each entitled to receive 10 World Service Fund-paid subscriptions to Interpreter magazine (five print copies delivered to the recipients' mailbox, five delivered digitally via e-mail). Churches may order additional subscriptions for delivery to their leaders' homes for $8 each. If you need the list of leaders now receiving the magazine, help with online enrollment, your GCFA number or password or any other assistance with the updating, please call Customer Service at United Methodist Communications, 888-346-3862, or e-mail interpreter@umcom.org.

A final note: If you submitted your Interpreter form through your district superintendent, please check to see that it has been entered. There is sometimes confusion that these forms are to be submitted directly to United Methodist Communications rather than to the district office!

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