WI Conference Weekly ENews - August 31, 2022

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A Back To School Prayer 

God of Wisdom and Grace,
 
As the school year begins anew, we offer prayers of thanksgiving for those who work within the educational system: teachers, classroom assistants, janitors, lunch workers, aids, administrators, and bus drivers. We pray for students and parents - may they experience openness, patience, safety, and hope. May our faith communities be sources of support, care, and Your abundant love. 
 
Lord, may this school year be filled with eagerness and peace. We lift this all up to you. Amen. 

Bishops Agree Ways To Tackle Gun Violence;
A Call To Prayer And Action In Response To Gun Violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. -  The Council of Bishops (COB) of The United Methodist Church ended its summer 2022 meeting last Friday (Aug.26) with a call to act against gun violence and to create a uniform approach to the way in which bishops would deal with the process of disaffiliation in their areas.

The five-day meeting began each day with vibrant worship. On Monday, the bishops held a celebration of life for three spouses of bishops including Mrs. Margaret Rose King, spouse of retired Bishop James King; Mrs. Nshimba Ntambo, spouse of retired Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo; and Mrs. Annegret Klaiber, spouse of retired Bishop Walter Klaiber.
Read press release

Anti-Racism Task Force Cultural Competency Forum Presents “How Long, O Lord, ‘til the New Wine Burst the Wineskin?” – Theological Hermeneutics Of Diversity toward Effective Multicultural Discipleship
September 24, 2022, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Sun Prairie UMC
October 22, 2022, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Watertown: Christ UMC

This training, led by Rev. Dr. Don Kim, will address the issues of intersectionality of the Christian faith and diversity in multiculturalism and effective church leadership through critical theological interpretations of assessing the culture and navigating the so-called “discipleship,” to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world in today’s stigma of racial crisis and multicultural challenges. Our congregational life tends to keep us separate from those who are different in race, class, or life experiences. We need to do some serious thinking about ecclesiology and public theology. There is a $20.00 non-refundable registration fee to cover participation, a meal and printed materials.

Registration Deadlines: September 14, 2022, at noon / October 14, 2022, at noon

Register Here

Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
Did You Miss The Foundation’s Stewardship Conference? Grab The Info For Your Church!

Would you love to be able to have the information from this year’s Stewardship Conference at your fingertips so you can resource your church’s leadership? The workshops from this summer’s Conference at Pine Lake are available online for $30 (the same price as attending the event live, online). And, included is one free workshop for you. 

Simply register and pay here, and you will receive links and passwords for the workshops within the next business day.

Questions? Contact Rev. Jason Mahnke at jason@wumf.org. Please share with anyone you feel may benefit. 

Breakthrough Prayer Initiative
September 24 / 10:00am- 3:00pm / St. Paul's UMC, Stevens Point

Every church recognizes prayer as important. But what happens when a congregation unites to pray collectively and consistently for God to break through in new and miraculous ways? You can launch your congregation into the kind of churchwide breakthrough prayer initiative that fuels the atmosphere of possibility, and the entire focus begins to shift from inward to up-and-outward. It's easier than you think--and the results will make spiritual history right in your own community and beyond.

On September 24, 2022, from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, at St. Paul’s UMC, 600 Wilshire Blvd., Stevens Point, WI the next  Breakthrough Prayer Initiative Training Event will take place. The cost will be $10/person with a max of $60 per church. Registration deadline is September 17, 2022. If you are bringing more than six people, please contact Lori Denoyer via email ldenoyer@wisconsinumc.org. Registration is now open!

In order to attend, each church must bring a team consisting of the pastor plus at least five church members (or as many as you like), in order that implementation of the training is effective.
Read more / Register

The Inaugural Gathering Of The Unplugged Needlework Society For Stitchers Of The Cloth
Green Lake Conference Center / October 5, 2022, 9 - 11:30 AM

The mission of the Unplugged Needlework Society is to provide an open forum for fellowship and conversation among those who are both clergy and needleworkers. We will gather in a clean, well-lit space with our unplugged needlework (knitting, crocheting, embroidery, hand sewing, and mending) between 9am and 11:30am for fellowship and midday prayer. We do not have the capacity for electric tools of any kind. Arriving after 9am is fine; our agenda is very loose since ours is a gathering in the tradition of church needlework circles since Pentecost. Show And tell will begin at 10:30am. We will conclude with midday prayer at 11:15pm. Printed liturgies will be provided, and we will sing acapella unless a volunteer guitarist raises a hand and contacts the convener, Dawn Jeffers Ramstad. Participants should bring their own beverage of choice (water, coffee, tea, soda) in lidded containers. To have lunch in the Green Lake dining room, a personal lunch reservation will need to be made with your room reservation at Green Lake Conference Center. Contact Dawn for further information at dawn.jeffers.ramstad@gmail.com. 

 Elk Mound: Trinity UMC Hosts Lunch For Educators

 As teachers and staff of the Elk Mound, Wisconsin school system ramped up for another school year with a week of in-service meetings and workshops, all were welcomed to a taco bar lunch provided by the Trinity Women group of the Trinity UMC, on Tuesday, August 28.  About 85 educators attended - many walking to get out and enjoy the beautiful day. 

(Picture Above: Jackie Hayden, Peggy Bodenburg, Denise and Butch Jensen, and Ann Lilly) 

At the church, they were greeted by Rev. Joel Certa-Werner, were enveloped by education-themed decorations in the fellowship hall, and served by the Trinity Women crew.  Peggy Bodenburg, member of Trinity Women, said, "Everyone was so appreciative, thanking us over and over.  Many of the educators were new to our area, so this was a great way for us to connect with our community."

This is the first time a crew outside the school system has welcomed all the educators to a lunch, and Trinity Women are already planning to do so again next year! Submitted by: Joel Certa-Werner

Summer Lunch Program for Kids Was A Hit!

At Christ UMC in Merrill, the Free Summer Lunch Program was hot this Summer! The Free Summer Lunch Program for Kids and Teens started out years ago as an outreach program one day a week by folks from Christ UMC to provide a lunch to kids in the community who do not have access to lunch when school is on summer break. Since then, it has blossomed into a five-day-a-week ecumenical program, hosted at Christ UMC. 

The Free Summer Lunch Program is on pace to serve around 5,000 meals this summer! Submitted by: Mike Zahn

Waupaca Summer Music Concert

The First church in Waupaca had a summer music concert on August 21st. The concert was intended to serve our community and to support the mission of our church through wonderful music. A choir named Waupaca Summer Choir was organized from all three churches of Waupaca Area Regional Ministry as well as our community.

In addition to the choir, we had amazing performances of piano solo, piano duo, violin solo, cello solo, flute solo, tuba solo, trombone duo, soprano and tenor duo. Many people from the community came to the church and enjoyed various beautiful music. We also had a donation time during the concert. In total, 120  community members attended the concert and the total donation was $1,407. People are already looking forward to next year. A special thanks to our District Superintendent Park Hunter. We were so encouraged by his presence and blessings. Submitted by: Chris Chiyong Oh

Share Your Story!

We are called to share the good news in all the ways we can. Sharing your stories is way for us to be in community together. Every church has a story to tell and we want to hear about them and what is happening in the life of your church.  We want to hear from churches around our conference so if you have a story that you would like included in an upcoming ENews please use the link below and fill out the form.  We would love to have pictures to accompany the story! Submit story here

Share Your Event!

We're looking for events that celebrate local church communities across the state. Help us spread the word about your upcoming event by sharing it with us here!  Please be sure that your submission provides complete details. Subject to our editorial review, we will add your event to our Events Calendar and share it in the weekly Enews. Submit your event here 

United Methodist Council of Bishops
Bishops Welcome Church Court's Ruling

WASHINGTON — The Council of Bishops expresses gratitude for the Judicial Council’s ruling that clarified that Paragraph 2548.2 of the Book of Discipline, the denomination’s law book, does not provide a process for church disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church. The denomination’s top court noted that the paragraph pertains to deeding and transferring church property to another denomination but does not apply to the membership of a local church.
Read press release
UM News: Church court clarifies property-transfer rules

Wisconsin Group Volunteers At Midwest Mission August 22-26

A team of 13 volunteers from Wisconsin spent a week at Midwest Mission in Pawnee, IL putting together kits such as Personal Dignity, Student and Cleaning kits.  They also sorted and inventoried donations, counted supplies for rice meal packs and built desks. The group worked with NOMADS (Nomads On a Mission Active in Divine Service), a ministry of the UMC, who use their RVs and skills to serve others.


The most important part of the kits is the Prayer Card. It reminds the recipients that someone they may never meet loves them unconditionally. It's another way to share God's love in a practical way. It was the group's honor to pray over 2 shipments - semi trucks jam packed with supplies valued over $350,000 heading to people in need.  These were shipments 35 & 36 of the year (last year a total of 32 shipments were sent out).  Volunteer dates are reserved for the next 2 years: October 22 - 27, 2023 and October 20 - 25, 2024. Contact Bonnie Clement at bonnieclement05@gmail.com if you would like information about these.

The Grieving, Healing & Hope Project's 2022 Grief Retreat 

The Grieving, Healing & Hope Retreat project seeks to shift from the hurt and anger making us more susceptible to violence and trauma, to one of comfort, connection and healing. 
 

• Restorative
• Interfaith
• Inter-spiritual
• Hybrid (Online/ in-person)
• No tuition (donations welcomed, not required)

To address our vulnerability to further spread violence, we must acknowledge our grief and loss. And we must do so together. 

For more information, contact office@unionucc.net 

United Methodist Communications
Young People Needed For Church Study

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Do you know a 15- to 22-year-old in The United Methodist Church? The United Methodist Communications Research Team is leading a study about youth in the church to explore their spiritual journeys, values, goals, desires and more. The study offers a $150 incentive for participation in a three-day online discussion board. Pastors and church leaders are encouraged to share the registration link and invite young people to join.
To register

United Methodist Discipleship Ministries
How Churches Can Assist Parents

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A new course of instruction is being launched to help church leaders guide parents. "It Takes a Church to Raise a Parent: Helping the Church Community Empower Families" will help church leaders journey alongside parents to nurture, equip, empower and effectively communicate with them.
Learn more
Register