This newsletter was sent on: 1/21/2009

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office@kansaseast.org
or 877-972-9111

Kansas East Conference
4201 SW 15th Street
Topeka KS 66604

Communique 269 - Jan. 21, 2009

News

We celebrate a new president
Bishop Scott Jones shares his thoughts on the inauguration of Barack Obama as our country’s new president at www.kansaseast.org/bishop_column_recent.asp.

Group in Tecumseh gears up for disasters
Lessons learned after recent disasters—from tornadoes in Kansas to hurricanes in Louisiana—have led to the formation of a Community Emergency Response Team in Tecumseh.

The home base for Tecumseh's CERT program since its inception in 2007 is Tecumseh United Methodist Church, 334 S.E. Tecumseh Road, which also will serve as an emergency shelter for area residents after disasters.

The church received funding for its work in the Tecumseh CERT program from the United Methodist Church's Healthy Congregations in Action pilot program.

Read more at http://cjonline.com/stories/011709/loc_378220122.shtml.

Kansas East Conference insurance booklet available online
The 2009 Insurance Coverage Booklet is now available on the conference website at http://ke.brickriver.com/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/2009CoverageBooklet1_XJKS3ARX.pdf.

Insurance premiums increase for international mission trips
The cost for international trip insurance has increased from $6.50 to $11 per person per day effective Jan. 1, 2009. This increase should be taken into account when planning international mission trips.

For more information and to download forms, go to www.kansaseast.org/gridpage.asp?pkvalue=170.

UMCom offers free course on Web ministry
United Methodist Communications has a new, free online course, “What Is Web Ministry?” The five-part, self-directed course is designed to provide foundational information and the biblical and theological basis for developing a Web ministry for the local church. This is the first in a new Web Ministry series of online courses that will prepare you to create and maintain a dynamic Web ministry.

To learn more or to register for this online course, go to http://web.umcom.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=13149.

Fair-trade is more than coffee and chocolate
If buying a bag of coffee or a chocolate bar can help fight poverty around the world, it only makes sense that United Methodists would want to get involved.

“No matter how difficult times may be, we in this country need to remember that we are truly blessed,” said June Kim, executive director of UMCOR’s World Hunger program. “Responsibility comes with those blessings, and the buying choices we make have a huge impact overseas.”

The Lenten season offers another way to help. U.S. congregations spend about $28 million a year on palms for Palm Sunday. Farmers in Central American rainforests are typically paid by volume, and up to half of the branches they cut are later discarded.

A fair-trade program called Eco-Palms offers a higher price for cutting fewer palms, and churches like Beach Lake UMC in northeastern Pennsylvania are willing to pay more to support that idea. Beach Lake’s pastor, the Rev Mark Terwilliger, heard about Eco-Palms in 2007—chamaedorea palm fronds harvested through sustainable agriculture and sold to churches for Palm Sunday.

Find out more at www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=4725.

Classified ads online
Classified ads are posted on the conference website, including:

Resident manager, Forest Park Conference and Retreat Center

See all the current classifieds in the News & Events section at www.kansaseast.org/classifieds_find.asp.


Featured events

St. Paul’s UMC to host Tex Sample workshop, Feb. 21-22
Dr. Tex Sample, professor emeritus at Saint Paul School of Theology, will give a series of presentations entitled “The Craft of Discipleship” Feb. 21-22 at St. Paul’s UMC, 7740 Lackman in Lenexa.

The cost for the workshop is $25 and includes meals.

Get more information at http://kesite.brickriver.com/event_detail.asp?TableName=oEvent_Calendar_EUXQLB&PrimaryKey=oEvent_Calendar_EUXQLB_ID&PKValue=2663.

Sharing Christian faith event, Feb. 28
Festival of Living Faith: Sharing the Christian Faith in Today's World will be Feb. 28 at Lowman UMC, 15th and Gage in Topeka.

The speakers will be Dr. Eddie Fox, world director of evanglism for the World Methodist Council, and Dr. George Morris, professor of evangelism for the World Methodist Council.

Download a registration flier at www.kansaseast.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2294

Caring for Creation, March 27-29
Caring for Creation is a conference designed to educate, network and inspire faith communities to develop and sustain stewardship programs that protect and celebrate God's creation. The conference will be March 27-29 at Mount Sequoyah Retreat Center in Fayetteville, Ark.

Registration is $60 prior to March 7, and the registration deadline is March 13.

Get more information from the list of upcoming events at www.mountsequoyah.org/www.mountsequoyah.org/Programs_%26_Events.html or call 800-760-8126.


Communications Staff
   Â

Lisa Elliott Diehl
Area Director

Susan Cooper
Associate Director
Beverly Fanestil
Secretary
Britt Bradley
Electronic Media Specialist

Area Communications Office, 9440 E Boston, Suite 110, Wichita KS 67207
866-915-3638 or 316-684-3638; Fax: 316-684-0044