Communique 276 – March 11,
2009
Confirmation Retreat at Camp Chippewa a
success
There was a great turnout for the Confirmation
Retreat at Camp Chippewa, “Christ is our True North,” March 7-8.
Over 100 people participated, coming from churches throughout the
Conference and all five districts. The event started with games for
participants to meet and greet each other. Then using “Claim the
Name” curriculum, modules grew from orienteering to a treasure hunt
that lead participants throughout the camp grounds searching for
direction. At the end they found “Christ is our True North.”
The Chippewa Camping Ministry Area Team, who hosted the
event, would like to thank all the churches for participating in
this event and the adult sponsors that made the event possible for
the youth attending.
News
2009 Annual Conference Submission Deadline – March
15
The submission deadline for items to be included in
the conference workbook and/or the Session News registration packet
is fast approaching. If you are interested in participating in these
or other ways or would like more information, please visit the 2009
Annual Conference page at www.kansaseast.org/page.asp?PKValue=32.
If
you have questions about participating in annual conference, contact
Libby Oberdorf, Conference Secretary, at 785-776-7730 or ConferenceSecretary@kansaseast.org
or Kay Scarbrough, Sessions Chair, at 785-776-8821 or kscarbrough@fumcmanhattan.com.
Survey for churches using Five Practices of Fruitful
Congregations
The United Methodist Publishing House is
interested in finding out how Bishop Schnase's Five Practices of
Fruitful Congregations and its church-wide initiative resource
materials is being used and how it is impacting individual
churches.
If your church is using the Five Practices book or resources,
please take a moment to participate in an online survey to help UMPH
determine how they create and provide upcoming church-wide
materials. The survey must be taken by March
18.
Take the survey at www.surveymk.com/s.aspx?sm=03QCXGUesMeiwUMLX53gnA_3d_3d
Call for hope, outreach in economic
crisis
The global financial crisis underscores the
importance of a renewed focus on mission and ministry for the church
and reminds Christians to maintain hope during fearful times, say
three key United Methodist leaders.
In an open letter to the people of the United Methodist Church,
denomination leaders acknowledge that the global financial crisis is
bringing hardship and suffering to people in every part of the world
as well as generating increasing global unrest and violence. They
point out that all levels of the church are also facing economic
constraints that require them to assess how they carry out ministry
to a world in need.
Read the letter at www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=5005115&ct=6797403&tr=y&auid=4567335.
Agency offers prayer resource during financial crisis
Upper Room Ministries, a ministry of the United
Methodist Board of Discipleship, has published “Prayers for Hard
Times: Words of Faith in a Financial Crisis” for individuals,
churches and communities trying to keep centered in God while
reaching out to all who are suffering during this economic
crisis.
The booklet features 32 pages of meditations from the Upper Room
daily devotional guide, pertinent scripture passages, prayers and a
guide that serves as an index to find additional help for times of
fear, distress and worry.
The booklets are sold in packages of 20 for $10. For more
information and to order, go to www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=626762
or call 800-972-0433 and refer to order number 9998.
Revised baptismal ritual now
available
The General Board of Discipleship has the full
revised baptismal ritual revised to align with all of the changes
that have occurred up to and including the 2008 Book of Discipline
available through their website.
The new resource is available in pdf format at www.gbod.org/worship/baptismal-ritual-revised.pdf
and an HTML version is online at www.gbod.org/worship/baptism-ritual/default.html.
Julie Pohl elected chair of jurisdiction-wide
disaster response coordinators group
The South Central
Jurisdiction’s Conference Disaster Response Coordinators met at
Mount Sequoyah on February 26, 2009. Nine of the 15 conferences in
the jurisdiction were able to send representatives of their disaster
response programs, including Julie Pohl and Steve Burnett from the
Kansas East Conference.
Representatives from each of the conferences spoke about their
disaster response programs and equipment as well as their current
projects, needs and future plans. The meeting created the
opportunity for sharing information and experience between response
coordinators who had many years experience working in the disaster
response area and those who were fairly new and had many questions.
The group discussed common concerns and ideas and information were
shared between participants.
Read more at http://kesite.brickriver.com/news_detail.asp?PKValue=500.
Distinguished evangelist nominations
open
The Foundation for Evangelism is seeking
nominations for the 2009 Distinguished Evangelist of The United
Methodist Church Award. This award recognizes a United Methodist
clergy or lay person for extraordinary accomplishments in helping
people experience God's transforming love through Jesus Christ.
The award supports the development of leaders with a passion for
evangelism who will have a multiplying impact on the United
Methodist Church. Previous recipients include Rudy and Juanita
Rasmus, Adam Hamilton, Billie Fidlin, Kent Millard and Keith
Tonkel.
Get more information at http://foundationforevangelism.org/what_we_fund/recognition/
distinguished_evangelist_of_the_united_methodist_church.
Scholarship offered for The 'Source
conference
The 'Source is a networking and training
opportunity for all who work with youth (ages 12-18) and young
adults (ages 18-30). This year’s theme is Spiritual Formation, and
will focus on making time with God, spiritual renewal and learning.
It is a time of learning to make each experience count and of making
prayer fun, educational, and life-changing. Youth leaders are
invited to be a part of this opportunity to meet and network with
others who are working in youth ministries across the United
States.
Registration includes lunch, snack, handouts, and
materials. A scholarship from the General Board of Discipleship is
available to reduce the registration cost for this event from $59 to
just $30.
For more information and online registration (including
application for scholarship), go to www.gbod.org/youngpeople/worker/source/registration09.htm.
Cross-Lines newsletter posted
A new
Cross-Lines newsletter has been posted on the conference website.
Cross-Lines is an ecumenical ministry but has been strongly
supported by United Methodists in the Kansas East Conference and a
United Methodist pastor currently serves as the organization’s
Executive Director.
View the Cross-Lines newsletter at www.kansaseast.org/newsletter_detail.asp?pkvalue=450.
Events
Upcoming Good $ense training
A Good $ense
training for pastors will be available on March 21 in Chanute. Read
more about the training and register for the event at www.kansaseast.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2678
.
Expand Your Ministry with Social Networking, March 24
& 26
Kansas area pastors are invited to attend a
workshop on the use of online social networks such as Facebook as a
tool for ministry. The Pew Internet and American Life Project
recently reported that the number of adults using online social
networks such as Facebook has quadrupled in the past four years and
that more than half the adults in the 25-34 age group have a profile
on a social network site.
Expand Your Ministry with Social Networking will be offered March
24 at Lawrence First UMC and on March 26 at Emporia First UMC. Dr.
Daniel Roland, assistant professor at the School of Library and
Information Science at Kent State University and a member of the
Kansas East Annual Conference, will lead the workshop. He will
address the benefits of utilizing electronic social networks,
including Facebook and Twitter.
The workshop is $40 if paid before the event and $50 at the
door.
More information and online registration is available at http://standingrockpartners.com/content/expand-your-ministry-social-networking.
Fashion Meets Faith event, April 2 &
3
Fashion expert Shari Braendel is flying in from the
east coast to lead workshops on faith and beauty at Fashion Meets
Faith. At the two events, women will discover how to identify and
dress their body types, use the color palette for their skin tones,
enhance their natural assets and honor God with modesty and
style.
The 2-day event at Susanna Wesley UMC begins on Friday, April 3
with an event for teen girls called “What Not to Wear: Teen
Edition.” Teens will learn “what guys really think” and the five Bs
of style. The second day is an event for adult women called “A
Girlfriend’s Guide to Glamour.” Women will learn how to accessorize
and how to “look like a million” without spending one.
To learn more and buy tickets for the event, visit www.kansaseast.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2738.
UMM Spiritual Rally, April 4
The Kansas
East Conference United Methodist Men’s annual Spiritual Rally will
be April 4 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Worden UMC, 294 E. 900th
Rd. in Baldwin City. The church is located on Hwy 56 west of its
intersection with Hwy 59. The featured speaker will be Rev. Mitch
Reese, pastor of the northwest Johnson County new-church start
called LifeBridge UMC.
The event will include workshops, praise bands from Worden UMC
and the UM Church of the Resurrection as well as Hands of Glory from
Ottawa First UMC and conclude with worship and communion.
Registration is $20 prior to March 28 and $25 after that
date.
For more information and a registration form, go to www.kansaseast.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2700.
Real Women’s 2009 conference, April 24 &
25
The Real Women’s 2009 conference is open to all women
and will focus on personal growth, life transformation and spiritual
insight. This conference is for every woman, no matter where you
come from or what you have been through.
To learn more about the event, go to www.kansaseast.org/event_detail.asp?PKValue=2736.
For more events, please visit the conference calendar at
www.kansaseast.org/calendar.asp.