WI Conference Weekly ENews - March 30, 2022

Conference News  l  Denominational News  l  Local News  l   Mission News  l  Events  Resources  l  Classifieds

Wisconsin Conference Disaffiliation Task Force is Developing Disaffiliation Process 

The Wisconsin Conference Disaffiliation Task Force is working to clarify criteria and procedures for congregations seeking to depart The United Methodist Church. A limited right to depart exists through December 31, 2023, as established by the 2019 Special Called General Conference. The pathway was established for congregations feeling they needed to separate “for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of the Book of Discipline” on specified matters of human sexuality, or “actions or inactions of (the) annual conference” related to those Disciplinary provisions. The legislation addressed the issue of how a church might leave the denomination while retaining their building and other assets, which are held in trust for The United Methodist Church. Read more

Announcing Lead 2022 Online Conference

Register now for the LEAD 2022 Online Conference. LEAD creates space for Christian leaders to be vulnerable and courageous, connects them around their hopes for the future, and equips them to bring those hopes into reality. We believe that LEADers are… Courageous, Collaborative, Vulnerable, Relational, and Hopeful.

UMC LEAD is excited to announce that this year we will be offering an online version of the 2022 LEAD Conference. While the in-person event was held in San Diego in January, the online conference will consist of the recordings of the 2022 talks as well as opportunities to interact with other LEAD participants.
Learn more and Register

Provisional Membership Application

If you are planning to apply for Provisional Membership for the 2023 Annual Conference, application materials are due April 15, 2022 and can be found on the Board of Ordained Ministry page of the Conference website.
 

UMCares is Changing to Passage

UMCares is no longer going to be used by GBHEM for Candidacy tracking as of the end of March 2022.  All the information on UMCares will be transferred into their new database, Passage, which will launch on April 4^th.  Those with an active account in UMCares, will receive an email to register with Passage. If you have questions, please contact Rev. Ty Hines.

Register Now for Wisconsin Annual Conference 2022
June 10-13, 2022  l  KI Convention Center  l  Green Bay, WI

Registration for the Wisconsin Annual Conference 2022 is now open. Attendees have the option to attend in person in Green Bay, WI or attend online. Registration for Wisconsin Annual Conference 2022 is now online. All information about the event is available on the registration website. 

Register at: https://na.eventscloud.com/wac2022hybrid. This Conference-wide event is by invitation only. If your Lay Member to Annual Conference has changed, please update your records in the Brick River database and contact Lori Denoyer at ldenoyer@wisconsinumc.org or 608-837-7328 with any questions. 
Early Bird Registration runs March 8 - March 31, 2022, at 11:45pm. 

WI Annual Conference Volunteers Needed

First Aid Assistance: Volunteers able to provide immediate first aid assistance to attendees. If you can provide that assistance, please check the appropriate box on the registration form.

Greeters and Ushers: Greet attendees and guests coming to Annual Conference. We need volunteers to offer a smiling face, warm welcome, and possibly answer simple questions as folks arrive. If you are interested, please check the appropriate box on the registration form or contact Connie Meyer at 608-837-3382 or meyerconnie@charter.net

Tech Crew: Committed and responsible volunteers to work for the Tech Crew/Stage Crew. Must be 12-years-old or older, by June 1, 2022. In some cases, this time can be approved for community service hours towards graduation (check with school). Download the application here. Applications must be submitted to Angela Ullrich at aullrich@wisconsinumc.org by May 2, 2022.

Registration Booth: Volunteers are needed for two hour shifts to help with checking in registrants. This involves making sure attendees are registered and handing out name tags/lanyards. Help is needed on Friday, June 10th from 9:00am to 5:00pm. On Saturday and Sunday, help is needed from 8:00am to 5:00pm. If you are interested, please check the appropriate box on the registration form or contact Lori Denoyer at (608) 837-7328 or ldenoyer@wisconsinumc.org by May 2, 2022.

Faith Community Commemorates the 55th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Riverside Speech "Beyond Vietnam"
Monday, April 4  l  7:00pm  l  Zoom

Clergy and people of faith across Wisconsin will gather on Zoom on April 4 to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s powerful and prescient “Beyond Vietnam’ speech with a Virtual Read-In. The Read-In will also be live-streamed on WISDOM’s Facebook page. The Read-In is co-sponsored by MICAH, Wisconsin Council of Churches, the Wisconsin Council of Rabbis, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, and WISDOM.
More details

Commission on General Council- Commission Continues Planning for Postponed 2020 General Conference

Nashville, Tenn.- Meeting on March 28, the Commission on the General Conference continued the work of preparing for the postponed 2020 General Conference.

At their previous meeting, the Commission discussed the need to proactively look for possible solutions that could help avoid delays in 2024 should unforeseen circumstances occur or persist. Read more

Discipleship Ministries- Report Documents Church-Planting Trends

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Data released by United Methodist Discipleship Ministries shows that COVID-19 disruptions had a great impact overall on the number of new churches, faith communities and fresh expressions that have been planted in The United Methodist Church. The Global Church Planting 2020 Report also notes that, "Given the current and unknown future related to both the denominational situation and COVID-19, many respondents found it difficult to project the number of new church plants anticipated over the next five years."
Read press release
Read report

United Methodist Communications:
Spring Ad Campaign Encourages Togetherness

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The latest advertising campaign from The United Methodist Church encourages people to discover a new community with meaningful connections and a new joy-filled outlook on life. "We hope to help people find the community they've been longing for and support them with inspiring stories and information about ways to connect to God and with each other," said Jennifer Rodia, chief communications officer for United Methodist Communications.
Read press release

United Methodist Communications: Communications Learning Week Helps Participants Develop Their Skills

Nashville, Tennessee – United Methodist Communication (UMCom) has announced a week-long ecumenical training opportunity launching this spring for anyone in ministry seeking to enhance their communications skills. Communications Learning Week: Taking the Next Step will be held May 9-13, 2022 and is designed with busy schedules in mind. All of the learning week content will be recorded and stored in a learning portal that participants will have access to for six months following the event. Registration opens on April 12^th. Read press release

Wespath: FAQs on Pensions and Disaffiliations

GLENVIEW, Ill. — Wespath Benefits and Investments, the United Methodist pension agency, has released answers to frequently asked questions related to church disaffiliations and the potential departure of annual conferences. Bottom line: Wespath says both departing churches and conferences still would have pension liabilities under policies passed by the 2019 special General Conference.
Read FAQs (PDF)
UM News: Exiting congregations face hefty price tag

Sun Prairie UMC Girl Scout, Dana W., Earns Silver Award Sewing Pillowcases for Shelter From the Storm Ministries

Girl Scout Cadette, Dana W., finished her Girl Scout Silver Award Project of sewing pillowcases for children at Shelter From the Storm Ministries. Dana says, "I was able to reach my goal of 20 pillowcases and sew a couple more beyond it - 22 pillowcases also known as "Dreamcases 4 Kids." I enjoyed sewing these pillowcases and thought maybe volunteers might like to make them as well. I have attached an instruction sheet that you can share so others can continue to make "Dreamcases" and brighten someone's day".
"Dreamcase" Instructions

Church in Nigeria Welcomes First Deaf Congregation

MUTUM BIYU, Nigeria (UM News) — The Nigeria Episcopal Area recently welcomed its first church for the Deaf community. First Wesleyan United Methodist Church of the Deaf has 30 members and will be led by Deacon Albert A. Pena, the denomination’s first ordained Deaf pastor in the region. Ezekiel Ibrahim reports.
Read story

8 Ways to Nurture Faith in Young Children

It’s never too early to begin sharing faith practices with our children. “Helping kids to know God’s love and to know that God loves them is a really foundational concept that little ones, even from diapers, can be taught,” says the Rev. Kathy Pittenger, Children’s Initiatives Coordinator for the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church. Nurturing faith in babies, toddlers and preschoolers is not only meaningful, it can also be a lot of fun. It is possible for your busy family to incorporate this important work into day-to-day life, you just have to find the spiritual practices that work best for your unique family. Read More

Franciscan Spirituality Center Rising Strong Retreat for Church Leaders, La Crosse, WI

Church leadership during a pandemic can be overwhelming, triggering the painful emotions of fear and vulnerability. Millions of people worldwide have been touched by the work and books of research professor and author Brenè Brown. This program will use the process outlined in her book Rising Strong to expand self-compassion and enhance spiritual growth. There will be time each day for presentation along with space for rest, personal reflection, creativity and group processing. More Information 

Sunday, April 24th at 6:30 PM – Wednesday, April 27th at 1PM
Contact Information – 608-791-5295 / www.FSCenter.org

BeADisciple.com Presents Course "Becoming an Effective Witness for Jesus Christ" Leading up to National Day of Prayer

Are you able to recall a time in your life when someone reached out to you with the love of Christ and changed your life forever? Do you have a burning desire to share God’s love with others? Do you want the Light of Christ within you to be a beacon to those lost in the darkness of this world? This course is designed to give you the confidence you need to become an effective witness for Jesus Christ. Together we will explore various ideas and suggestions to help you share the love of God with those you care most about in your life. Through study and discussion, you will also be prepared to make a difference with every stranger you meet, regardless how brief the encounter. Learn more and register