Communiqué 346 – Aug. 11, 2010

From Rev. Gary Beach, director of Connectional Ministries and Administrative Services:

The Creating a Culture of Generosity event Aug. 14 will offer opportunity to explore what stewardship giving can mean for local church congregations.

The event will feature Clif Christopher of Horizons Stewardship who has worked successfully with Asbury UMC in Prairie Village.

Asbury’s senior pastor, Rev. Steve Langhofer, invites you to come to be inspired and ready to apply strong stewardship principles to local church members to affect God’s ministry.

More information is available at http://kansaseast.org/events/detail/3363.

See you Saturday!

>From Brenda Davids, director of Student Ministries:

More than 200 youth from the Kansas East Conference went to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun Aug. 2.

The youth represented these churches: Wilsey, Hiawatha First, Lowman Topeka, Ottawa First, Lenexa, Iola Wesley, Emporia First, Wamego First, Fredonia, Louisburg, Ottawa Trinity, St. Mary’s, Overbrook, Powhattan, Meriden, Manhattan College Avenue, Saffordville and Stilwell. 

It was awesome to see so many of our youth in one place!

Look for mailings coming out soon for Christians in Action, Oct. 2 at Harvesters in Kansas City, Mo., and the Bishop’s Round-Up Lock-in at Lawrence First West Campus Nov. 19.

News

Baker named ‘A Best in the Midwest’ college
Baker University is one of the best colleges in the Midwest, according to the nationally known education services company, The Princeton Review.

“We’re pleased to recommend Baker University to users of our site as one of the best schools to earn their undergrad degree,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior vice president of publishing. “We chose it and the other terrific institutions we name as 'regional best' colleges mainly for their excellent academic programs.”

Find out more at http://www.bakeru.edu/news/3683-baker-university-named-a-best-in-the-midwest-college-by-the-princeton-review.

Olathe approves zoning for Church of the Resurrection West
Zoning was approved for the first construction phase of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection West.

When all four phases are completed, the church will be 152,250 square feet with a 1,300-seat sanctuary, offices, education center, wellness area and outdoor sports field.

Read more at http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/05/2130644/olathe-approves-zoning-for-church.html.

‘Pray 40’ urges prayer for students
A nationwide prayer campaign for college students and campus ministries, “Pray 40,” begins Aug. 23 when United Methodists are asked to pray for students and campus ministries for 40 days.

Some 17 million U.S. students head to colleges and universities each autumn, while millions more flood campuses worldwide. The campaign will feature 40 prayers written by students, campus pastors, bishops and church leaders. The Upper Room will publish the prayers.

Participants can sign up to receive a daily prayer by e-mail, download and share a prayer guide, follow the effort on Twitter or by text, commit to a 24-hour period of continuous prayer and teach about prayer.

For more information, go to www.Pray40.com.

UM aid worker killed in Afghanistan
A United Methodist layman who devoted his life to the people of Afghanistan was among the 10 people killed on August 6 as the group returned to the city of Kabul from an eyecare camp in a remote northeast part of the country.

Daniel Terry, 64, had been in Afghanistan for 40 years, more than 30 of those under the auspices of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. He and his wife, Seija, raised their three girls there and called Afghanistan home.

Find out more at http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=8573197.

Global event showcases young leaders
The 2010 Global Young People’s Convocation and Legislative Assembly brought together some 350 young leaders from around the world and created unity through the sharing of cultures. The youth and young adult participants from more than two dozen countries also approved legislation that will be presented to the 2012 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body.

Learn more about the convocation at http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=8569487&tr=y&auid=6765873.

Wesley Ministry Network to offer fall online classes with BeADisciple.com
In partnership with Bishop Richard Wilke’s Institute for Discipleship, Wesley Ministry Network now offers its acclaimed lay education courses on line. Each course features streaming video lectures and on-line discussions with other students and experienced Wesley Ministry Network teachers.
 
Courses are open to everyone, and CEUs are available for pastors.

Fall courses begin Sept. 12 and include:

• Simply Christian
• Devotion to Jesus: The Divinity of Christ in Early Christianity
• Religion and Science: Pathways to Truth
• A Life Worthy of the Gospel
• In God’s Time: The Bible and the Future

Sign up at http://www.beadisciple.com/wesleyministrynetwork.html.

New The Parish Paper issues available
The September issue, “Planning for the Unexpected Financial Crisis,” and the October issue, “Why Are Worship Visitors Important” of The Parish Paper have been posted on the conference Web site.

The Kansas West Conference’s purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper includes:

• Permission to provide copies to the congregations within the conference in any of the following ways: e-mail, postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events and Web site.
•  
• Permission for each congregation within the conference to:
  • Photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs
  • Post them on its Web site
  • Quote sentences and paragraphs

The new issues are available from the e-newsletter archive at http://www.kansaseast.org/newsletter_find.asp.

Edgertons’ Haiti update
A new update on the conditions in Haiti from Joe and Shirley Edgerton, who were missionaries in Haiti, has been posted in the e-newsletter archives at www.kansaseast.org/newsletter_find.asp.

Featured events

Creating a Culture of Generosity, Aug. 14
Join Rev. Dr. Clif Christopher, United Methodist elder and founder of the Horizons Stewardship Company, for Creating a Culture of Generosity Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Countryside UMC in Topeka.

Christopher is the author of “Not Your Parents' Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship." He says donors today expect churches to earn their gifts.

Registration is $15 per person with one to four attending from the same church or $5 each with five or more people attending from the same church.

Get the details and a registration form at http://www.kansaseast.org/events/detail/3363.

Downtown Church Network 2010, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1
The registration deadline is Sept. 1 for the General Board of Discipleship’s Downtown Church Network. The event will be Sept. 29 - Oct. 1 at First UMC in Wichita and is for pastors and staff of churches in metropolitan areas of at least 100,000 in population.

This event will feature exchanging collective wisdom, structured presentations, breakout sessions on relevant topics, worship and free time for informal, small-group discussions.

Details and registration are available at http://www.gbod.org/site/c.nhLRJ2PMKsG/b.5962375/k.9FD6/Downtown_Church_Network_2010.htm.

Lighten the Burden III AIDS conference, Oct. 14-16
Lighten the Burden III, a United Methodist international conference on AIDS, will be Oct. 14-16 in Dallas, Texas. People from around the world will gather to discuss “Working towards an AIDS-free World!”

Conference workshop sessions include Looking at AIDS through Cultural Context, AIDS and Communities of Color: How can the church respond? and Resourcing Local Churches and Annual Conference AIDS Ministries.

The conference’s speakers include:

• Dr. Musa Dube, theologian and biblical scholar, University of Botswana
• Dr. Pauline Muchina, senior partnership adviser, UNAIDS
• Bishop Minerva Carcaño, episcopal leader of Desert Southwest Conference of The United Methodist Church
• Rev. Tyrone Gordon, St. Luke UMC in Dallas

A special workshop will be led by Etta Mae Mutti, wife of former Kansas Area Bishop Fritz Mutti, who will share her experiences having lost two of their three sons to AIDS. Her workshop is Hanging Onto Hope … Making Our Way Through Grief.

The deadline to register is Sept. 20. The registration fee of $100 covers all meals and resources.

Go to Lighten the Burden III for registration and more information, or contact Donna Brandyberry, General Board of Church and Society, at dbrandyberry@umc-gbcs.org or 202-488-5641.

Choir Music Weekend, Oct. 22-24
Choir Music Weekend will bring together choral training, hand bells, workshops on various subjects, worship and fun Oct. 22-24 at Lake Junaluska in North Carolina. Participants will learn skills and music that they can take home with them, along with many rich memories and lasting friendships.

Find out more at www.lakejunaluska.com/choirmusic.

Visit the conference calendar at www.kansaseast.org/calendar.asp for additional events.