An occasional briefing on timely items of interest to Minnesota United Methodists

06/25/09

CONTENTS:
Witness against state health-care cuts, June 30
Boundaries/Safe Sanctuaries training, Sept. 19
Postmark donations toward Nothing But Nets by June 30
New River Valley District office address
UM Day at the Dome (Twins Game), July 29
Affordable and memorable Boundary Waters adventures
Worship & Music Notes
Mission Opportunities
UMCOR Updates
Initial Love Offering receipts distributed
Aug. 10 deadline to apply for Ethnic Local Church Grant
UMC agency praises Family Smoking Prevention Act
Retreats and Camping director sought
Conference named in civil suit
People & Churches
Upcoming Events
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Witness against state health-care cuts, June 30
Minnesota people of faith are gathering for a witness of lament on June 30 at 10:45 a.m. at the state capitol building in St. Paul to urge Gov. Tim Pawlenty not to abandon the health of Minnesota’s citizens, especially those most in need. Join other people of faith in this event in a spirit of lament: wear black, bring flowers and notes for the governor. Gather at Christ Lutheran Church, 105 University Ave., St. Paul, by 10:15 a.m. Recent measures to severely cut health programs may mean that some people will literally lose their lives in order to balance our budget. Abandoning the poor is against the teachings of all our religious traditions. Visit www.mnchurches.org/programs/education/FaithfulMinnesota.html for more information. Sponsors are the Minnesota Council of Churches, the St. Paul Area Council of Churches, and numerous congregations of many faiths.

Boundaries/Safe Sanctuaries training, Sept. 19
Make sure those who work with children, youth, and vulnerable adults in your church are trained in practices that keep people safe from harm. Send your Sunday school teachers; children, youth, and nursery workers; and others to Boundaries Training at First UMC, 403 E. Ave., Red Wing, on Sept. 19 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Presenter is the Rev. Diane Olson, deacon at Fridley UMC. She has conducted workshops nationwide and wrote two books on children’s ministry. Register at https://events.minnesotaumc.org.

Postmark donations toward Nothing But Nets by June 30
UMCOR needs your support to purchase 1.2 million insecticide-treated bed nets for Sierra Leone. The nets will provide protection to children under five years old, those most at risk for contracting malaria. Make your donations postmarked by June 30 to help UMCOR leverage the value of a $200,000 challenge gift from the Anne Ryckman Fund. Send your donations to UMC—Saving Lives in Sierra Leone,P.O. Box 440544, Nashville, TN 37244. Make note of your donation on your church report to annual conference to make sure your church gets credit.

New River Valley District office address
Effective July 1, the address of the River Valley District office is 1104 Fifth St. N., Cannon Falls, MN 55009. Phone is (507) 263-9221; fax is (507) 263-0738.

UM Day at the Dome (Twins vs. White Sox), July 29
Join UMs from around Minnesota for our annual Twins game trip on Wednesday, July 29. Get reduced tickets in the lower-level reserved section for $21 each and an optional food coupon (hot dog and soda) for $3.75. Join Bishop Dyck during the seventh-inning stretch to lead everyone in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Order tickets by contacting Adam Wallschlaeger (at the Minnesota Twins) at (612) 375-7512 or complete the coupon on the flier mailed to your church.

Affordable and memorable Boundary Waters adventures
Minnesota United Methodist camping & retreat opportunities at North Star Christian Adventures (Camp Ko-Wa-Kan) are more affordable this year. Due to the current state of the economy the camping ministry has reduced the rates for this summer. Among the attractive options is cabin tent camping. Rates start at $7 per night per person, with many additional options available including food, day trips, and staff support at discounted rates for the upcoming summer. Starting rates do not include food or staff support. Equipment is available for rent for self-guided trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Also, complete base camp programming, including base camp in cabin tents, staff support, and a day trip into the BWCAW, are available for under $150 per person for a five-night/six-day adventure. Consider a guide-led Boundary Waters trip, trips for youth, mothers and daughters, fishing, and more. Register online at www.campminnesota.org. Call for details at (612) 230-CAMP (2267).

·         Church of the week: The UM General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) features a church of the week on its worship-preaching-music web site. It is soliciting digital photos and information for churches that would like to be included. View this week’s Church of the Week at www.umcworship.org or visit www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?loc_id=908&act=nav_loc to see all of the churches featured so far. Find guidelines for submitting your church's photo and information at www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=9179.

·         This week’s global prayer cycle: Pray for Christian sisters and brothers in Argentina, Paraguay, and Urugay this coming week. Read more about life and faith in these lands by visiting www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle.html.

·         Kissy Clinic wall repair: Lowell Gess reports from Andrew Forbie, pastor of Brown Memorial UMC on the Kissy Clinic compound in Sierra Leone, that a section of the Kissy compound wall has collapsed. This is worrying patients, especially in the middle of the night when thieves make their rounds. Forbie seeks funds for repairs and volunteer teams to help repair the wall. Contact Pastor Forbie at andrewforbie@yahoo.com.

·         Mission team guide for church groups: A new advocacy guide for church mission teams traveling internationally has been prepared by Bread for the World in conjunction with its religious partners, including the UM Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and Church World Service. “Getting Ready to Come Back” is designed to help such teams understand the root causes of hunger and poverty in the communities and countries they visit. Tools throughout the resource help teams prepare for their trip, reflect on their experiences, and take action once back home—all with the goal of making a long-term impact by helping address the causes of hunger and poverty. The guide also includes Bible studies, suggested discussion topics and prayers for each part of the journey. Copies can be ordered or downloaded from www.bread.org/advocacyguide. (UMNS)

• International Disaster Fund: In the past month, UM Committee on Relief (UMCOR) sent more than $250,000 to support disaster response efforts around the globe. Nearly half went to assist people displaced by the fighting in Swat, Pakistan. UMCOR also supported an emergency food distribution to 4,200 displaced people in Myanmar. The International Disaster Response Advance allows UMCOR to provide financial support to disasters when it is needed. Please help keep the Advance funded so that UMCOR can continue to quickly respond to those left vulnerable when a disaster happens. Download and share the bulletin “Responding in Time of Need” or show UMCOR's PowerPoint slide and collect a special offering on Sundays. By doing so, you allow UMCOR to respond immediately and comprehensively to disasters in our world. Give to International Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #982450.
• Refugees in South Africa: Those fleeing violence and hunger in Zimbabwe arrive in Johannesburg and are subjected to more xenophobic attacks by South Africans, who are also struggling to survive. The UMCOR-supported Central Methodist Mission’s Ray of Hope ministry provides food, clean water, and temporary shelter for over 2,000 refugees daily. Ray of Hope also provides mothers who have no financial resources with food, diapers, and other basic materials to help meet their infant’s needs. Through Ray of Hope, UMCOR provides cooking facilities and building maintenance as well as preschool, legal aid, literacy classes, and a free health clinic to arriving refugees. Give to South Africa Relief and Development, UMCOR Advance #3020999.

To support these ministries, write a check to your church and put the UMCOR Advance number on the check memo and the offering envelope. Visit UMCOR.org for information, including downloadable bulletin inserts, on the many UMCOR ministries. And please pray for those who are hungry, displaced, sick, or in poverty because of natural and human-made disasters, and for the workers who minister to them.

Initial Love Offering receipts distributed
Of the total Love Offering receipts, $17,200 has been sent to each of the international recipients, OC Ministries and Zambia Agricultural Center. The Iowa and Texas annual conferences each received $12,900 to aid with disaster recovery. Minnesota ethnic ministries that received $4,300 each were Zimbabwe United Methodist Fellowship (Crystal), the Richfield Vietnamese-American Ministry (Minneapolis), African United Methodist Fellowship (Brooklyn Park), and Mankato Korean United Methodist Church. Volunteer in Mission scholarships received $8,600. Love Offering donations are still accepted in the Minnesota Conference office. Make contributions through your congregation.

Aug. 10 deadline to apply for Ethnic Local Church Grant
Aug. 10 is the deadline to apply for an Ethnic Local Church Grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). The grants aim to strengthen ethnic United Methodist churches through education, advocacy, or leadership training and development as they engage in social justice. Racial/ethnic persons shall be the majority of those served by the program. Two funding periods are available for consideration: Aug. 10 is the deadline for the October cycle and Jan. 10 for the March. For more information, contact the Rev. Neal Christie at (202) 488-5611 or nchristie@umc-gbcs.org.
UMC agency praises Family Smoking Prevention Act
Jim Winkler, chief executive of the UM General Board of Church and Society and chair of Faith United Against Tobacco, praised the U.S. Congress’s courage for overwhelmingly passing the Family Smoking Prevention & Tobacco Control Act this month. The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly endorsed new legislation that gives regulatory power over tobacco to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Winkler applauded Congress “for taking this courageous stand to significantly reduce the number of children who start to use tobacco, the number of adults who continue to use tobacco, and the number of people who suffer and die as a result.” (www.umc-gbcs.org)

Retreats and Camping director sought
Director of Retreats and Camping sought for the Minnesota Conference’s large multi-site camping ministry. Director will manage property, facilities, personnel, program, marketing, finance, administration, and hospitality and supervise site managers. Qualifications include bachelor’s degree or appropriate professional certification, at least two years of administrative or supervisory experience in an organized camp, and knowledge of accepted camp management practices. Find position description at www.campminnesota.org; see the announcement on the right side of the page. Send resume to jim.perry@minnesotaumc.org or Rev. James Perry, 122 W. Franklin Ave., #400, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Resume must be received by July 31. The position is advertised due to reorganization of the camping and retreats ministry.

Conference named in civil suit
A civil suit has been filed in Hennepin County against the Minnesota Annual Conference and Mr. Donald Budd, following the recent conclusion of a criminal case involving Mr. Budd. It is not uncommon for a civil suit to be filed following the conclusion of a criminal case. The annual conference takes this seriously and is committed to making sure its churches are safe for all people. The conference will report on the disposition of the suit.

People & Churches
Minnesota Annual Conference session members celebrated in May the licensing of two new local pastors: Michelle Olson (Tri-County Parish) and Gerald Vuchetich (Communities of Faith Parish (Clarissa, Clotho, Eagle Bend United Methodist churches). . . . Members also celebrated the faithful ministry of three churches that are closing: Basey, Chokio, and Hopkins UMCs. . . . Information on the Minnesota Boychoir, who sang at Minnesota Conference’s ordination service this spring, can be found at www.boychoir.org.

• Courage to Lead/Circle of Trust Retreat, July 28-30: An introductory circle of trust retreat for clergy and congregational leaders (based on the work of Parker J. Palmer) will take place at the ARC Ecumenical Retreat Center in Cambridge. In his book A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life, Palmer describes the importance of creating “circles of trust,” trustworthy spaces in which honest sharing and deep learning can occur. Guided by skilled facilitators, participants will be invited to speak honestly about their lives and work and to listen and respond to each other—and to themselves—with encouragement and compassion. For information visit www.wichurches.org/couragetolead.html.

·         September is Open House Month! Start planning some special events to which to invite your neighbors. These can be fun events like carnivals or community picnics, or opportunities to serve the community followed by socializing and food. Visit rethinkchurch.org (click “welcoming ideas”) for inspiration.

·         Money Matters: Financial Freedom for All God’s Children and All God’s Churches, Sept 21: Michael Slaughter, pastor of Ginghamsburg UMC in Tipp City, Ohio, comes to Rosemount UMC, 14770 Canada Ave. Rosemount, on Sept. 21 to talk about money and the transformation of ministry in the congregation.Those who register before Sept. 14 pay only $25.For more information contact Val Walker, Minnesota UM Foundation, at (612) 230-3337 or val.walker@mnumcfoundation.org.

• Basic and Advanced Lay Speaking courses on Oct. 10: If you are a layperson with a passion for encouraging and challenging Christians to a faithful relationship with God and leading them to reach their neighbors, you may be called to be a certified lay speaker. Lay speaking ministries encompass a broad range of activities; many lay speakers never preach. The training equips lay people to use their spiritual gifts. Learn more at a basic lay speaking ministries course or hone your gifts at an advanced course on Oct. 10, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Cambridge UMC, 404 Cypress St. N., Cambridge. Some advanced reading is required, so register now. To visit https://events.minnesotaumc.org and select "register" next to the event name. Make sure to save your registration confirmation message. Registration deadline is Oct. 5. For content information, contact Mary jo Dahlberg, Minnesota Conference director of lay speaking, at (651) 674-2718 mjdahlberg@aol.com

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Our Gospel Imperatives: Reach New People and Cultivate Spiritual Vitality
(the Great Commission and the Great Commandment)
Copyright 2009 Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
Minnesota Annual Conference congregations have permission to duplicate the contents herein. UMNS (umns.umc.org) material must include United Methodist News Service credit line.
Find previous issues of Northern Bytes under the More News link on www.minnesotaumc.org.