This newsletter was sent on: 11/20/2008

Communique 263 – Nov. 19, 2008

Please note, the “Communique” will not be published during the week of Thanksgiving. It will return Dec. 3.

News

Bishop’s Thanksgiving message video available online
Bishop Scott Jones has recorded a brief message about the Thanksgiving season that is now available for viewing on the conference website.  Bishop Jones talks about the importance of mission work and recognizing the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves.

To view the Thanksgiving message and other conference videos, click www.kansaseast.org/video_find.asp.

UMC Clergy Spouse and Family Survey
Clergy spouses are invited to complete a survey for the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women that will shape the future response the United Methodist church towards clergy spouses and families.  

To protect confidentiality, only one survey per computer is allowed.  Hardcopies of this survey are available by calling The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women 800-523-8390 or emailing gcsrw@gcsrw.org by November 20.  If emailing a hardcopy request, please put Clergy Spouse Survey in the Subject Line.

The survey can be accessed online between November 1–30 at www.gcsrw.org/ClergyFamilyandSpouseSurvey.aspx.

Hymns for World Aids Day, December 1
The United Methodist Church, several of our church agencies (GBOD, General Board of Global Ministries), the United Nations, and other organizations worldwide have encouraged the observance of World Aids Day on December 1. The General Board on Discipleship presents two hymns of hope for those with AIDS/HIV and those who minister to them.
 
“We Live in Hope” by F. Richard Garland
Tune: FINLANDIA
 
“We Gather Here in Faith and Hope” by Richard Turner
Tune: RESIGNATION (The Faith We Sing no. 2182)

For more information on these hymns and World AIDS Day, click
www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=46956&loc_id=17,823

Cokesbury open house
Cokesbury Resources would like to in invite everyone to our Christmas Open House Thursday November 20 through Saturday November 22.  The open house features in-store specials and a 25% savings on books, Bibles, gifts, and more when promotion code OH09 is mentioned. 

The Cokesbury store, located at 7431 W. 91st Street; Overland Park, KS 66212, will have extended hours Thursday and Friday 9:00-6:00; Saturday 10:00-5:00.

For more information, contact the Cokesbury store at (913) 642-5333 or toll free (877) 690-8146.

Parish Paper available on conference website

The “Parish Paper,” a publication edited by Herb Miller, Lyle Schaller and Cynthia Woolever, provides ideas and insights for active congregations. The Kansas Area Revitalization Committee, through the Kansas East and Kansas West annual conferences, now offers The Parish Paper on the conference websites. The September 2008 through February 2009 issues are now available on the conference website.  Each new issue will be published to the eNewsletter Archive on the website in PDF format.

The conference’s purchase of the photocopy rights for The Parish Paper includes permission to provide copies to the congregations in the annual conferences through e-mail, U.S. mail, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and the conference website. It also includes permission for each congregation within the annual conference to photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs or post them on its website and quote sentences and paragraphs. Copyright information is included with each posted issue and on The Parish Paper page on the conference website at www.kansaseast.org/page.asp?PKValue=1080.

To view the eNewsletter archive on the conference website, click www.kansaseast.org/newsletter_find.asp.

Young Pastors Network receives grant
The Young Pastors Network, developed in part by Kansas East pastor Adam Hamilton, has received a grant from The Foundation for Evangelism.  From seventy proposals, the foundation chose four grant recipients whose initiatives address the Foundation’s goal to “develop leaders with a passion for evangelism who will have a multiplying impact on The United Methodist Church.” 
For more information on the Foundation for Evangelism’s 2009 grant recipients, click http://foundationforevangelism.org/news_and_press/news/article/
Four_Requests_for_Proposals_Receive_Grants/?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=76&cHash=6260558fbc.
To learn more about the Young Pastors Network, click http://youngpastorsnetwork.org/.

Featured Events

United Methodist Student Day is Nov. 30
The funds collected through this special offering make possible scholarships and loans that enable students to unite faith with knowledge.

For more information about United Methodist Student Day, click  www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=4764329&ct=6061087&tr=y&auid=4237880

DC ‘09 grants available for conference youth until Dec. 1
The Ethnic Local Church Concerns committee of the Kansas East conference has awarded $5000 in scholarships for any and all ethnic youth registering prior to December 1st for the DC09 trip. The awards will be divided equally between registered youth. The registration deadline has been extended to December 1 because of this generous award. Contact Brenda Davids at brenda@campchippewa.org with questions.

Event information about the DC 09 trip can be found at:
www.kansaseast.org/page.asp?pkvalue=1018

World AIDS Day, Dec. 1
This year marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Congregations are encouraged take part in the observance on a Sunday as near to December 1 as possible. The theme this year is “Leadership: Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise” to underscore discrepancy between commitments made to halt AIDS and actions taken.
For more information about World AIDS day, click www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=4764329&ct=6313151&tr=y&auid=4237878

For more resources on how local churches can recognize World AIDS Day, click www.gbod.org/ready/worldaidsday.html

Application deadline for Ethnic Local Church grants is January 10, 2009
The Ethnic Local Church Grants Program is intended to strengthen ethnic local churches engaged in social justice through education, advocacy or leadership training. 

For more information about the grants, click www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=4764329&ct=6334127&tr=y&auid=4237874

Burning Bush applications for large-membership churches being accepted
The General Board of Discipleship is accepting applications for the second Burning Bush peer learning group from now through January 15, 2009.  Burning Bush is a key strategy of GBOD for addressing revitalization of congregations, thus supporting the Council of Bishops’ vision pathways.

The second peer learning group will begin on April 30, 2009, and is designed for large membership churches with a weekly average attendance in worship of 250 or more. The registration fee is $225.00 per team member (3-5 persons on a team) per weekend.

Application information and forms are available through the GBOD web site at www.gbod.org/du/burningbush/default.html. 
 
 
Ethnic Young Adult Summer Internship application deadline is Feb. 1
The deadline to apply for an Ethnic Young Adult (EYA) Summer Internship in Washington, D.C., is February 1, 2009. The EYA program is for young adults, ages 18-22, who have an interest in exploring issues of public policy, social justice advocacy and social change. Interns will work in social justice placements in the U.S. capital from June 1 to August 1, 2009. Work placements will be supplemented by evening intern-led devotions, Friday seminars on topics of social justice concern, area field trips, and Sunday worship in area United Methodist churches.

The Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group and GBCS will provide round-trip transportation to and from Washington, D.C.; housing for the eight-week EYA Internship; commuter stipend for travel to intern work sites; and $1,500 for each intern for the nine-week period.

An application form, in addition to more information about the internship and selection criteria, is available at www.umc-gbcs.org/site/c.frLJK2PKLqF/b.3745029/k.2AE5/Racial_and_Ethnic_
Connections/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=3745029&en=7pKMJTPuHbJCINNsH7ICINMyFhIK
L0OFKfJMI3OIItF#secondTab.

For the full article about the EYA internship opportunity, click www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=4764329&ct=6334115&tr=y&auid=4237872

Festival of Living Faith event
A “Festival of Living Faith: Sharing the Christian Faith in Today’s World” will be held Saturday, February 28, 2009 at Lowman United Methodist Church, 15th and Gage, Topeka.  Dr. George Morris and Dr. Eddie Fox of World Methodist Evangelism will present.  The festival runs from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., registration beginning at 7:30 A.M.  The registration cost of $20 covers lunch and the supplies needed.

Congregations are encouraged to send teams of lay and clergy people, who may earn 0.6 CEU for the event.  Youth age 12 and over are encouraged to participate, and child care for those under 12 will be available with advance notice and a registration cost of $5.00.  The Festival of Living Faith is sponsored by the Conference Board of Discipleship, the Kansas City District Board of Discipleship and UMMKCK. 

For advance registration or questions call Bonnie Danley at 913-721-1392.

Certification Institute for office personnel
The Professional Association of United Methodist Church Secretaries’ Certification Institute is being held July 19 – 24, 2009. The registration fee for the 2009 Institute is $315.00. This includes course materials, a continental breakfast Monday through Friday, a couple of lunches and dinners (Sunday & Thursday).  Travel, room, additional meals and any other incidentals are the responsibility of each participant. Currently, arrangements have been made with Emory University for air-conditioned dormitory rooms at $38.00 for singles, per day and $30.00 per person, per day for doubles.
 
For more details, see the event brochure on the conference website at www.kansaseast.org/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Candler_
Brochure_2009_GZGKYGAD.doc.
 

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