Communiqué 349 – Sept. 1, 2010

From Carol Fusaro, Kansas East Conference benefits officer:

We have scheduled meetings Oct. 18-22 for annual elections/open enrollment meetings for Humana insurance participants. We will be covering three different plan options, along with health-care reform changes, so it is important for participants to attend one these meetings.
 
We have scheduled a meeting location in each district for the actives and three locations for the retirees. If you are unable to attend the meeting in your district, feel free to attend a different meeting.

Check the conference calendar for dates, locations and more information at http://www.kansaseast.org/events/calendar?area=All&month=10&year=2010. 

Church can learn from non-profit approach to fundraising
People give to organizations when they believe in the mission, have high regard for staff leadership and know the organization is fiscally responsible.

“We in the church have got to understand what our people are thinking and get beyond the message that we’re in the church so people should give,” said Rev. J. Clif Christopher, founder of the Horizons Stewardship Company and a United Methodist elder in the Arkansas Annual Conference.

Christopher led a one-day workshop at Countryside United Methodist Church in Topeka Aug. 14. He will lead another workshop April 2 in Chanute.

Read more at http://www.kansaseast.org/news/detail/618.

Humana offers health coaches to help participants
Humana participants can sign up to receive a health coach, who is a trained behavior modification and/or health education specialist. Participants will receive five calls from a health coach during which they will develop a plan to become more physically active or find out ways to control their weight. They can call their health coach an unlimited amount of times, the coaching programs are available free of charge to participants.

To utilize the health coach, Humana participants may log into www.MyHumana.com or register if they haven’t already done so. Select the Health & Wellness link on the top right of the page, then, from the column of Health & Wellness selections on the left side, select “Wellness” then “Health Coaching.”

Humana insurance offers savings on complementary and alternative medicine
Humana health insurance participants can receive up to 30 percent off complementary and alternative medicine services.

Humana’s complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) discount program provides on-the-spot discounts when you receive the following services from participating providers:

• Massage therapy
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic care

Through Humana’s relationship with American WholeHealth, you can access a wide range of CAM providers. The CAM services are in addition to your Human insured benefit plan and provided at no additional cost.

Download more information at http://www.kansaseast.org/console/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Humana_Complementary_and_Alternative_Medicine_BECVLMKU.pdf.

Episcopal area transition listening events, Sept. 18
Two events to give people an opportunity to share their thoughts on the upcoming transition to a Nebraska-Kansas Area under one bishop will be:

• Sept. 18, 10 a.m.-noon, at Shawnee UMC
• Sept. 18, 2-4 p.m., at Ottawa First UMC

For more information, see the event descriptions on the conference calendar at www.kansaseast.org/calendar.asp or contact your district superintendent’s office.

Open Doors, Clean Hearts, Dirty Hands mission event, Sept. 25
The Flint Hills District is hosting a mission day, Open Doors, Clean Hearts, Dirty Hands, Sept. 25 in Emporia.

During the morning at Emporia First UMC, Rev. Nanette Roberts will speak on “What are we doing for God’s Sake?” Rev. Claudia Bakely will speak on “Responding to the challenges of being the church in the ever-changing world.” A discussion panel on “How do we recognize and respond locally to the needs of those in poverty?” will follow.

In the afternoon, there will be three mission opportunities through the Emporia Rescue Mission at the ‘Abundant Harvest Food Kitchen and Clothing Boutique’ in Emporia:

• Bush and tree trimming 
• Sorting and packing clothing
• Painting the interior hall and ceilings of the facility

Youth in 6-12 grades will be visiting the Emporia State Campus Ministry site and then helping with work at the campus ministry facilities. Youth who wish to participate will need to have a completed health waiver signed by parents and notarized.

The registration fee is $10, which includes lunch. Registrations are due by Sept. 16.

Get more information and a registration flier at http://www.kansaseast.org/events/detail/3533, or call the Flint Hills District office at 785-776-7730.

Brochure available to promote youth events
To get the word out about upcoming youth events, the Conference Council on Youth Ministry has developed a brochure. The CCYM members would like to encourage local churches to post it in their buildings and distribute it amongst their congregations.

Download the brochure at http://www.kansaseast.org/console/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Youth_Events_Feature_Brochure_NN2KMBL9.pdf.

Institute alumni sought
In anticipation of the Institute Centennial in 2011, Kurt Cooper, Emporia State campus ministry pastor, gathering names and contact information of people who have been to Institute.

“I am hoping to find the oldest ‘Instituter,’ to learn which church that has sent the most young people to Institute over the years and to build a link between the Institute experience and being called into the ministry,” Cooper said.

If people have archival items related to Institute, they can be donated to the Kansas Area archives, or they can be photographed/scanned and returned.

If you have attended Institute or have Institute-related items, contact Cooper at 620-342-5854 or umcmesu@yahoo.com.

Institute Facebook group started
Join the UMYF Institute Centennial Celebration Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=151653958195152&ref=search#!/group.php?gid=151653958195152&v=info&ref=search.

What brought the Methodists to Baldwin City?
It’s easy to see that Baldwin City is a Methodist stronghold, but why is that?

All one has to do is look at the numerous churches to see it. First United Methodist Church. Ives Chapel Methodist Church. Vinland United Methodist Church. Worden United Methodist Church. Clearfield United Methodist Church.

And, oh, yes, there’s Baker University, another Methodist Church group that has been at the heart and soul of Baldwin City since the beginning. As the oldest university in the state, it helps to explain the reasons Methodists flocked to the area in southern Douglas County.

Read more at http://signal.baldwincity.com/news/2010/aug/26/what-brought-methodists-baldwin-city.

Ways to welcome worship guests warmly
Robert Crossman, minister of New Church Starts and Congregational Advancement for the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church, has compiled suggestions for making guests feel comfortable, including:

• Greet guests as they arrive at the door, saying “Good to see you. Glad you are here.”
• Do not ask for their names as many guests are cautious and prefer anonymity.
• Clearly mark the rest rooms, nursery and worship rooms.

Read the rest of Robert Crossman’s suggestions for welcoming at http://www.churchleadership.com/leadingideas/leaddocs/2010/100818_article2.html.

The road back from Hurricane Katrina
Five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, residents recall the hundreds of thousands of United Methodist volunteers who have helped rebuild homes and lives.

Featured stories about the recovery and an interactive map are available at http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.5968501/k.7E7F/Special_Coverage_Katrina.htm.

September is National Recovery Month
Churches are urged to participate in National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month during September. This is a time to celebrate people in recovery and to emphasize resources available for those affected by substance abuse and addiction. Families with alcohol, drug and/or gambling problems usually have high levels of stress and confusion.

Resources are available at Visit www.recoverymonth.gov or call 800-662-HELP.

Odyssey Networks, one of the General Board of Church and Society’s planning partners, has generously produced, pro-bono, two community event Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to help publicize and promote September events.

Find out more at http://kansaseast.org/pages/detail/1341.

Other addiction recovery resources are linked to from the Addiction Ministries page at http://kansaseast.org/pages/detail/1344.

Votes needed during September to provide 9 million servings of food
Pepsi is granting 1.3 million dollars in September to fund ideas that will refresh the world. The Society of St. Andrew’s approach to feeding the hungry will certainly refresh the world of those in need. 
 
You can help feed the hungry by voting every day in September for the Society of St. Andrew (Advance #801600) in the Pepsi Refresh Everything Project, Food & Shelter-$250,000 category.
 
Every day in September, go to SoSA’s website, www.endhunger.org, and click “VOTE TO FEED 9 MILLION HUNGRY AMERICANS”. You’ll link directly to the Society of St. Andrew’s listing on the Pepsi Refresh Project website where you can vote once each day throughout the month.

Demographics information available to local churches
The Kansas East Conference, thanks to the Commission on New Church Development, has contracts with two demographic research firms. One is Percept, and the other is MissionInsite.  Churches in the Kansas East Conference have access to both for no charge as a part of those contracts.

Find out more about these services at http://kansaseast.org/pages/detail/955.

MissionInsite newsletter posted
MissionInsite is the Kansas East Conference’s demographic information service, offering access to information about local communities as well as existing congregants to develop effective strategies for making disciples.

The latest issue of the MissionInsite e-newsletter, Discovery Zone, is available from the e-newsletter archive at http://www.kansaseast.org/enewsletterarchives.

Go to www.missioninsite.com to learn more about the service.

Visit the conference Web site at http://www.kansaseast.org for more news and events.