Lisa Elliott Diehl, Kansas Area Marketing and Communications director, sends this message:

The Sessions and Rules Committee met Sept. 6 and set the theme for the 2009 Kansas East Annual Conference as “The Church United: Called to Lead.” The committee chose the theme based on the four areas of focus adopted by the General Conference last spring.

The four areas are:
1. Developing principled Christian leaders for the church and world.
2. Creating new places for new people by starting new congregations and renewing existing ones.
3. Engaging in ministry with the poor.
4. Stamping out killer diseases by improving health globally.

These areas will serve as the basis for the conference themes from 2009 to 2012 but may not be done in the order listed above.

Annual Conference will be June 3-6 at Baker University in Baldwin City.

News

Hurricane needs update
Hurricane Gustav, Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike have caused much flooding and damage in their wakes. The UMCOR Sager-Brown Depot in Louisiana desperately needs to replenish their flood bucket supply.

If your church has a plan to collect flood buckets and send them to the depot, the items needed for the buckets are listed at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/getconnected/supplies/flood-bucket/.

If you are not able to send the buckets, financial donations to buy the flood bucket items can be made to the UMCOR Material Resources Advance # 901440 online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=901440&id=3018981.

For information about registering a volunteer team to help in Louisiana, go to www.laumcstormrelief.com/templates/System/details.asp?id=32649&PID=592615 or contact Yvonne Dayries, volunteer manager, at 225-346-5193 or ydayries@ladrm.org.

Reducing the SCJ episcopal areas
The General Conference made a decision to reduce the number of bishops in the United States by one per jurisdiction in 2012. At that time, the South Central Jurisdiction will move from 11 active bishops to 10 active bishops. The decision about how the existing annual conferences should be grouped into episcopal areas will be made in January 2010 by the College of Bishops.

There will be two opportunities for people in the Kansas Area to attend a listening session and give feedback about how to reduce the episcopal areas in the jurisdiction:

Feb. 7, 2009, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Trinity UMC in Hutchinson, Kansas Area Bishop Scott Jones and Oklahoma Bishop Robert Hayes will lead the listening session

Feb. 21, 2009, from 10 a.m. to noon at First UMC in Topeka, Kansas Area Bishop Scott Jones and Nebraska Bishop Ann Sherer will lead the listening session

Learn more about the reduction of episcopal areas:

Letter to the Kansas Area
http://kwc.brickriver.com/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Kansas_Area_letter_WTHYFV7T.pdf

College of Bishops' Survey http://kwc.brickriver.com/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/SCJ_COB_Survey_ZSNLQYX6.pdf

College of Bishops' plan for reducing an episcopal area http://kwc.brickriver.com/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Reduction_of_Episcopal_Areas_SASQEBWJ.pdf

Social Principles: New changes indicate ever-evolving nature of declarations
The Social Principles trace their roots to a Social Creed introduced 100 years ago. Changes, however, including those by this year’s top policy-making body, have made the declarations a living, breathing statement of how to put faith into action.

Find out more about the United Methodist Social Principles, which are often referred to but not always understood, at www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=3631659&ct=5663491.

A new litany to accompany the Social Creed in bulletin insert format is available for download at www.umc-gbcs.org/atf/cf/%7B689FEA4C-8849-4C05-A89E-C9BC7FFFF64C%7D/SocialCreedLitanyProgram_85x11.pdf

Christian education grants
The Christian Education Sunday Offering Fund is an accruing account to support lay people who would like to attend educational experiences beyond the local church and is sponsored by United Methodist Church agencies or ecumenical agencies in which the UMC officially participates.

Grants are made to individuals to equip each to lead Christian education efforts in the local church. After being signed by the prospective recipient and endorsed by the home church pastor, the application is submitted to the conference director of Connectional Ministries.

These funds are available due to the generosity of congregations that receive a Christian Education Sunday offering. All proceeds of this offering remain in the Kansas East Conference and are used solely for this purpose.

Guidelines are available at http://ke.brickriver.com/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/CESFundGuidelinesRevision_FKMZPH2N.pdf and an application form is found at http://ke.brickriver.com/files/oForms_YJ7JB6/CESLeadershipGrantAppl_WKSVYKXW.pdf.

Certified Lay Minister Courses
The Center for the Small Membership Church at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina is offering classes for people who are want to learn more about pastoring a church.

The September class schedule includes:

Introduction to Certified Lay Ministry, Camp Chippewa near Ottawa, Sept. 19-20
Introduction to Pastoral Care, University UMC in Salina, Sept. 19-20

For more information, download a flier at http://ke.brickriver.com/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Certified_Lay_Minister_Courses_Sept_08_FNZMK75F.pdf.

Contact Rev. Carl Ellis at 785-445-2595 or carl.ellis@kwu.edu for a registration form.

BeADisciple online workshops
Some of the online workshops offered this fall by the Institute for Discipleship include:

• “Basic Storytelling for Lay and Clergy,” Sept. 22 - Oct. 4
• “Living Wet: Remembering Who We Are as a Baptized and Baptizing People,” Sept. 22 - Oct. 31
• “Visual Technologies for the Church,” Oct. 6-20

Find out more at www.beadisciple.com/workshops.html.

Rural Life Celebration video available
The Kansas Area United Methodist Rural Fellowship has a few copies of the Rural Life Celebration at General Conference video to lend churches or individuals. The DVDs are to be returned after viewing, just as a library resource is returned.

Contact Rev. Ron Williams at ronaldj7@cox.net or 785-587-4122 to borrow a copy of the DVD.

Correction

Clearfield UMC observes 150th anniversary
There was a news item in the Sept. 3 issue about a church celebrating 150 years of ministry that was incorrectly identified as Eudora UMC.

Clearfield UMC marked its 150th anniversary Aug. 31. The church, which is near the town of Eudora, was featured in a local news station video, which can be viewed at http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/aug/28/clearfields_150th_celebration. A short advertisement precedes the video.

Featured events

Disability Awareness Sunday, Sept. 21
The Kansas East Conference encourages local churches to celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday Sept. 21, although churches may observe it at another time during the year.

"Disability Awareness Sunday is both a celebration and a challenge. We celebrate the lives and witness of those with disabilities who contribute so much to our faith community. We also open ourselves, our churches, and the Church to the call to full inclusion and full accessibility for those with any disability—physical or mental. This is an opportunity to raise awareness and to find solutions to the physical, architectural, communication and attitude barriers to those with disabilities." (“Interpreter Magazine”)

Get suggested hymns and other resource ideas at www.interpretermagazine.org/interior.asp?ptid=43&mid=8153.

The General Board of Global Ministries offers information related to disability concerns with the dimension of spiritual care at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/health/disc/.

The Virginia Conference has developed materials, which can be downloaded at http://www.vaumc.org/repository/Disabilities/DisabilityAwarenessSunday2008.pdf.

Practicing Pastoral Care: T & C Consultation, Oct. 6-8
The 2008 Consultation on Town and Country Ministries will be Oct. 6-8 at Saint Paul School of Theology campus in Kansas City, Mo. The consultation, Practicing Pastoral Care: Congregation and Community,” will provide resources for rural church pastors and lay leaders to learn how to address the challenges of rural poverty, how to expand the reach of rural congregations and how to care for immigrants.

Speakers include Dr. Gary Gunderson, Senior Vice President for Health and Welfare Ministries for Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare and Director of Public Health at Emory University and Dr. Cynthia Duncan, Director of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. A group of ecumenical rural pastors and professors will lead breakout sessions.

The cost is $130 for the conference and $15 for 1 CEU.

To register, go to www.spst.edu/site/calendar.php?event=260 or contact Audrey Williams at institute@spst.edu or 816-245-4815.

Good $ense training, Oct. 17-18
The Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation with the Kansas East and West conferences’ boards of discipleship will present Good $ense: The Leader/Teacher Budget Course Training Oct. 17-18 at the Candlewood Suites in Emporia.

A Good $ense Ministry can be used by God to remove stumbling blocks to spiritual growth. This is transformational stewardship. The result is a congregation whose finances and lives are characterized by grace, joy and freedom.

The registration fee is $75 for first registrant and $25 for each additional person from the same church.

Find out more and download a registration brochure at http://www.kansaseast.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2457. The registration deadline is Oct. Oct. 13.

Children in Poverty seminar, Oct. 25
The Children in Poverty seminar will be Oct. 25 at St. Paul’s UMC, 1356 N. Broadway in Wichita.

Author Dr. Pamela Couture, Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, will be the featured speaker. Her latest book is “Child Poverty: Love, Justice and Social Responsibility.”

Lunch will include a presentation and dialogue with a representative from SRS and be followed by three workshops:

• After School Church - a program that is more than just custodial care
• Community Health Program-meeting the health needs of those living in your community
• Children in Crisis - helping children cope with the many losses they face

The cost is $20 for the first person and $15 for any additional registrations included in same envelope.

Get more information at http://kesite.brickriver.com/event_detail.asp?TableName=oEvent_Calendar_EUXQLB&PrimaryKey=oEvent_Calendar_EUXQLB_ID&PKValue=2379.

Fall events at Saint Paul
Order of Saint Luke Retreat and Lectures, Sept. 22-23 www.spst.edu/site/calendar.php?event=344

Wesley Studies Conference Faith Working by Love: the 100th Anniversary of the Methodist Social Creed, Nov. 5-6 www.spst.edu/site/calendar.php?event=262

Fall retreats at Mt. Sequoyah
The Mount Sequoyah Conference and Retreat Center in Fayetteville, Ark., is offering a variety of retreats this fall, including:

• Leaves of Gold adult retreat, Oct. 20-23
• Autumn Time” senior adult retreat, Oct. 27-31
• SCJ Singles Retreat, Nov. 14-16

Get more information and registration forms from their website at www.mountsequoyah.org/www.mountsequoyah.org/Programs_%26_Events.html or call the center at 800-760-8126.

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