Annual Conference News

Ordination Service
All clergy are expected to be present and robed to process and sit together. Those who are ordained should be wearing red stoles.

There’s still time to join the conference choir
Conference choir director Sara Wentz invites any choirs, members of annual conference or other individuals wanting to participate in the conference choir to contact her at sara@fumclawrence.org or 785-841-8500.

The Conference Choir will sing during Ordination Service on Friday, June 6. Practice will be at 6 p.m. in McKibben Recital Hall and will then move to Collins Center at 7 p.m. to practice on location.

2009 Alternate Budget
The Board of Pension and Health Benefits proposal for new health insurance coverage with Humana will affect the annual conference budget if approved. With that in mind, the Council on Finance and Administration has worked with the Conference Treasurer Russ Hinshaw to prepare an alternate budget for members to review and be aware of the impact on conference finances.

Download the alternate budget at http://ke.brickriver.com/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Alternative_Budget_w_Humana_2KVRR25W.pdf or look for it in your registration packet at Annual Conference.

Cokesbury celebrates local authors
Cokesbury would like to invite you to two special author events at their booth in Harter Student Union during Annual Conference.

Thursday during the lunch break, Rev. Adam Hamilton will be signing his new book, “Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White.”

Bishop Richard Wilke will be signing his new book, “The Tie that Binds” during both the lunch and evening breaks on Friday.

An excerpt from the cover of Wilke’s book:
"Grounding his discussion in biblical background and Wesleyan roots, Wilke attempts to rouse the church to follow the command of Jesus to Go ... and make disciples. The issue, he says, is not merely religion; it is salvation. The task is no less than drawing people of all ages, nationalities, backgrounds, and philosophical persuasions to the One who said, I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. And the method is to connect" with one another in the church, with children and youth, with the unchurched, with the Savior."

News

Tony Ikenberry mission update
Long-term mission volunteer Tony Ikenberry’s latest newsletter about his work in Bangladesh is posted online at http://kesite.brickriver.com/page.asp?cachecommand=clear&TableName=oPages_6KF3UU&PrimaryKey=oPages_6KF3UU_ID&PKValue=416#ikenberry.

‘Pastoral Transitions - Leaving Well’
Lovett H. Weems Jr. has written an article on successfully changing pastoral appointments.

“If you will be moving to a new congregation this summer, keep in mind the importance of ending your ministry well at your current location. It is easy to shift one’s thinking and emotional energy to the anticipated new congregation and neglect some key elements of leaving well and preparing the way for your successor. Most mistakes clergy make in their last months before moving are not intentional but the result of oversight from not planning carefully for leaving.

“Remember that the primary goal of the transition is the continuing faithful witness of the congregation in which you have invested much energy. There is an important dimension of the leaving time that is about you—in that people want to express appreciation for your ministry. But you will want to find every opportunity possible to receive their thanks graciously while reframing what is happening as God’s ongoing purpose for the congregation.”

Read the complete article at www.churchleadership.com/leadingideas/leaddocs/2008/210508_article.html.

‘Moving Towards Health & Wholeness’ online workshop
Helen Stucky Risdon, a parish nurse and certified well-coach in the Kansas East Conference, will be offering an online workshop through BeADisciple.com in June entitled “Moving Towards Health & Wholeness - A Resiliency Skills Workshop.” The online workshop will be June 9-20.

The goal of this ten-day course is to empower disciples of Jesus Christ with enhanced health knowledge, skills, and connections. With Helen’s guidance, participants will tap into the wisdom of experts and each other as they look to the vision of the future they would want to create for their own health and wholeness. Participants will share strategies with each other for dealing with common roadblocks along the journey of being effective, healthy team members for Christ.

To learn more, go to www.beadisciple.com/workshops.html#Health.

Summer retreats at Tallgrass
Find out about retreats being offered at the Tallgrass Retreat Center near Matfield Green this summer at http://www.tallgrassretreats.com/.

Calling all architects
Asbury-Mount Olive UMC in Topeka needs assistance from architects to design of their multi-purpose educational wing. To provide expertise, contact the pastor, Angela Washington, 785-232-6801 and talk to the pastor, for more information. This is a community endeavor.

Featured Events

Annual Conference
The Kansas East Annual Conference will be June 4-7 at Baker University in Baldwin City. Get information and download materials at www.kansaseast.org/page.asp?PKValue=32.

SCJ Lay Speaking Ministries Conference
“Back to Basics with Wesley” will be the theme for the Lay Speaking Ministries Conference July 11-13 at Mount Sequoyah Conference Center. This will be an opportunity to revisit roots and examine what allowed the Methodist movement to be a powerful influence in America. Drs. Jim and Molly Davis Scott will lead a look at the modern day United Methodist Church in light of Wesleyan heritage. Other sessions will include a Friday training session for conference and district directors, and a Liberia VIM mission trip report from the Oklahoma Conference.

For a more information and a registration brochure, go to www.mountsequoyah.org/www.mountsequoyah.org/Programs_%26_Events.html or call 800-760-8126.

Also check out the Singer/Songwriter Retreat, Aug. 14-17, and other events from Mount Sequoyah’s events page: www.mountsequoyah.org/www.mountsequoyah.org/Programs_%26_Events.html.

Basic disaster response
Pleasant Hill UMC in Topeka will have a basic disaster-response training session June 28. Get the details at www.kansaseast.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2285.

United Methodist Men host Royals baseball outing
United Methodist Men are hosting an outing to Family Day at the Royals. Any and all are welcome to come. The baseball game is July 25, when the Royals play Tampa Bay. The deadline for ordering tickets is July 9.

More information can be found at www.kansaseast.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2143.