Jenny and I are at Annual Conference at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. This year for the first time (as far as I know) the conference is being streamed live. You can watch online here.
Area Committee Duty
Several people caught the fact that I’ve been selected to serve on the Asset Allocation Team* for a possible Kansas-Nebraska Annual Conference recommended by the Area Transition Team. Normally, I try to limit my conference level activities in order to better focus on my work at Coffeyville First, but I made an exception in this case because the stakes are just so very high. I would ask your prayers for the myself and the team I’ll be serving on.
*The article at the other end of the link has more details about what we’ll be doing, but even though it’s important, it’s not all that interesting.
KS-NE Transition Team's Webcast
From the email Communique of the Kansas East Conference:
You are invited to attend a watch party for the live webcast of the Nebraska-Kansas Episcopal Area Transition Team’s report on March 13 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. (CDT). Facilitators will be available to record additional discussion and comments. You can also view the webcast and participate individually using any suitable Internet connection.
The closest “watch party” will be at Independence First UMC. Jenny or I (or maybe both) will help facilitate.
Single Parenting
Jenny is at a three day Kansas East Conference Board of Ordained Ministry meeting in Topeka. This is the committee that helps prepare, evaluate, and approve candidates for ordination and full membership. I’m single parenting with Elizabeth. Things are going fine, but I don’t know mothers and fathers who do this all the time manage. This experience always prompts me to remember those parents in my prayers.
No, We Don't Have Any Inside Information
Given Jenny’s sermon on Sunday, it was perhaps inevitable that the question would arise as to whether or not we have inside information that we’ll be moving this year. We don’t. We’ve requested to stay. The Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, acting on your behalf, has requested that we stay. But as Jenny mentioned in the sermon, the anxiety inducing fact is that all appointments are for the term of one year. The bishop and the cabinet would appreciate your prayers.
Posted from my iPod.
"Pray 40" Urges Prayer for Students
Via The Kansas East Conference:
A nationwide prayer campaign for college students and campus ministries, “Pray 40,” begins Aug. 23 when United Methodists are asked to pray for students and campus ministries for 40 days.
Some 17 million U.S. students head to colleges and universities each autumn, while millions more flood campuses worldwide. The campaign will feature 40 prayers written by students, campus pastors, bishops and church leaders. The Upper Room will publish the prayers.
Participants can sign up to receive a daily prayer by e-mail, download and share a prayer guide, follow the effort on Twitter or by text, commit to a 24-hour period of continuous prayer and teach about prayer.
For more information, go to www.Pray40.com.
Episcopal Area Transition Listening Events
From the Kansas East Conference Communique:
Episcopal area transition listening events
There will be a series of listening events to give people an opportunity to share their thoughts on the upcoming transition to a Nebraska-Kansas Area under one bishop. The listening events in the Kansas East Conference will be:
- July 24 at Manhattan First UMC, Flint Hills District
- Aug. 28 at Topeka Countryside UMC, Topeka District
- Aug. 28 at Parsons Wesley UMC, Parsons District
- Sept. 18 at Shawnee UMC, Kansas City District
- Sept. 18 at Ottawa First UMC, Five Rivers District
For more information, see the event descriptions on the conference calendar at www.kansaseast.org/calendar.asp or contact your district superintendent’s office.
We're Back
We forgot to announce this when it was more timely, but when the appointments were fixed at Annual Conference, Jenny and I were again appointed to Coffeyville First. Needless to say, we’re glad to be back.
Elizabeth at Annual Conference
At right is a picture of Elizabeth Collins talking about Camp Chippewa with Brenda Davids before the Kansas East Annual Conference on Friday, June 11, 2010. By all accounts, Elizabeth did a great job. Brenda and Elizabeth were part of a larger progress report on the Kansas East Conferences’ “Bridges to the Future” capital campaign.
This year’s Annual Conference was held at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. The facilities were great and the delegation from Coffeyville First appreciated the new location.
Common English Bible
The Annual Conference just recieved a report form Cokesbury. One of the highlights was the announcement of a new English translation. You can learn more about this new translation, download the Book of Genesis or the Gospel of Matthew, and request a free NT at: www.commonenglishbible.com.
Live Streaming Annual Conference
Received via the Parsons District Office:
The Sessions and Rules Committee is pleased to announce that we will be Live Streaming several parts of this year’s annual conference: all worship services, the State of the Conference addresses by Bishop Scott Jones and Lay Leader Oliver Green, and our plenary sessions on eradicating poverty featuring Pastor Rudy Ramus and Dr. Pamela Couture.
Wednesday, June 9
7:00-8:30 p.m. Opening/Memorial ServiceThursday, June 10
10:35-11:50 a.m. Plenary with Pam Couture
1:30-2:30 p.m. Retirement Service
2:45-3:15 p.m. State of the Conference with Bishop Jones
3:15-3:30 p.m. State of the Conference with Oliver Green, Lay LeaderFriday, June 11
10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Plenary with Rudy Rasmus
3:30-4:45 p.m. Plenary with Rudy Rasmus
7:30-9:00 p.m. Ordination ServiceSaturday, June 12
11:30 a.m. -12:15 p.m. Sending Forth ServiceThe schedule is available at http://www.kansaseast.org/pages/detail/1332.
Live streaming will be accessible at http://www.kansaseast.org/stream.
Grievances, Concerns, or Conflicts
I’ve been meaning to share this for quite some time but I kept forgetting. It’s very relevant to the topic of my sermon for tomorrow, living together as a community that loves one another. It was adapted by the PPRC, and I share it with their permission, in response the a request from the annual conference to formulate “guidelines for handling grievances, concerns or conflicts:”
With the exception of issues of physical, mental and sexual abuse or harassment, we will encourage those with grievances, concerns or conflicts to approach the party that has offended them directly. If they fear approaching the offending party alone we will offer to accompany them. If they still fear approaching the offending party we will offer to relay the grievances, concerns or conflicts upon the condition that the name of the aggrieved party will also be shared. If this condition is refused then the grievance, concern or conflict shall be dropped.
The focus of the annual conference’s request was primarily for grievances, concerns or conflicts involving Jenny and I as pastors, but I think the principle holds for the entire congregation. If we all followed it, this guideline would do a great deal to foster love for one another in our life together as a congregation.