WI Conference Weekly ENews - June 28, 2023

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2023 Annual Conference Summary 

The 2023 Annual Conference was held June 9 - 12 at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The theme of the session was “On Earth as it is in Heaven” – Engaging in Transformative Community Building based on scripture from Philippians 2. Read More

Midwest Mission Opens New Location in Jefferson, Iowa
On Saturday, June 17, Midwest Mission staff and volunteers celebrated the opening of its new location in Jefferson, Iowa. Special guests in attendance included Iowa UMC Director of Connectional Ministry, Bill Poland, Iowa Bishop Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, members of Jefferson First UMC, Jefferson Matters, and the Greene County Development Committee who is the lessor of the building.

                                    Read more

Art of Hospitality Two-Session Webinar
August 9th and August 16th

Art of Hospitality Two-Session Webinar: Presented by Yvonne Gentile, a hospitality expert from The Church of the Resurrection and the co-author of the book/resource. 
Join First United Methodist Church, West Allis, for a webinar on the importance of hospitality. As a vital sign of any church, hospitality is a top priority for the United Methodist Church. This webinar will introduce "The Art of Hospitality," a comprehensive program developed by experts from The Church of the Resurrection.Read more

Join The Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation at the Stewardship Conference at Pine Lake!

Unlock the secrets to successful stewardship and elevate your church's mission to new heights at the highly anticipated Church Stewardship Conference! We invite you to be a part of this transformative event where leaders, pastors, and church members will gather to strengthen their understanding and practices of stewardship. Please forward this message to those you think would benefit, too!

Date: August 11 & 12
Venue: Pine Lake Camp or Zoom
Click here to learn more

Affected by Disaffiliation? Find Out How You Can Move Forward With The WI Conference

The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  This is our mandate regardless of what circumstances come our way and pull us off track. This is a difficult time for many in The United Methodist Church. Some of our congregations in the Conference have voted to disaffiliate from the denomination. 

In any congregation that leaves, there are people who want to remain faithful to The United Methodist Church and remain a part of our denomination. We most certainly welcome you to remain United Methodist and carry on the legacy we have had as a denomination that is rooted in the historic faith in Jesus Christ, committed to social justice and welcoming all people.

If your church has decided to disaffiliate and you would like to remain United Methodist, please visit our website at https://www.wisconsinumc.org/moving-forward-with-beloved-community   

Wellspring UMC Closing after 60 years of ministry
By Ric Churan

Beginning in January, Wellspring UMC in Madison began the process of determining the future of our church. Our congregation is aging and over the past several years we have seen a decline in membership and congregational giving, which made it difficult for our church to continue. A Church Conference was held in April where our congregation voted to close on June 30, 2023, after almost 60 years of ministry.

Over the years, Wellspring has had a strong commitment to community outreach by partnering with several Madison area non-profits as well as supporting various Wisconsin UM Conference ministries. We had built up a substantial Memorial and Endowment fund invested at the Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation. As part of closing, the congregation made the decision to donate these unrestricted funds to eleven of our partners which totaled $110,000. The restricted funds (approximately $225,000) and our church building were turned over to the Wisconsin Annual Conference.

It is a joy to know that even though Wellspring UMC has closed, we were able to give our long-term partners a financial boost which will help them continue to serve those in our community with significant needs. Since the pandemic, the number of people needing services has drastically increased. God has blessed Wellspring UMC richly, giving us resources, we were able to give back to our community with gladness and without hesitation.

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 

Photo by Justin Rakotoarimanana

Cyclone Freddy aid reaches Madagascar
UM News - Rev. João Filimone Sambo 

Members of the first United Methodist church in Madagascar stepped up to be the hands and feet of Jesus for people devastated by Cyclone Freddy earlier this year.

Ricocheting across the Indian Ocean for five weeks, the tropical cyclone wreaked havoc on the island nation, as well as Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, killing more than 1,400 people. 

“We brought foodstuffs to offer our brothers and sisters here in Andranomavo II, in the district of Mananjary, as a response to their suffering after Cyclone Freddy,” said Justin Rakotoarimanana, a member of Ambodifasika United Methodist Church in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital. 

 Read press release

Ingathering 2023 Was a Huge Success- Thank you!
Midwest Mission Distribution Center

Ingathering 2023 was a huge success and we are awed by your generosity. You are people with hearts for service and love of others. The truck was jammed packed with donations. As Ingathering 2023 ended we barely had room for our drivers, Chuck and Karen’s luggage, and still be able to close the door! You brought in 1,456 Personal Dignity kits, far outdoing last year’s 977. You also brought 246 Home Care kits, so many sewing machines, medical equipment, bikes, school kits, shampoo, laundry detergent, blankets & more weighing in at 15,720 lbs. In 2 days a total of $5,161.66 was donated.
Read more about Ingathering 2023 
View more photos of Ingathering 2023

Leadership Institute 2023 Set For Sept. 27-29
Resurrection, A United Methodist Church

LEAWOOD, Kan. — Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, plans to hold its annual Leadership Institute for clergy, ministry and lay leaders Sept. 27-29. Speakers include the Revs. Adam Hamilton, author and Resurrection’s senior pastor; Carey Nieuwhof, leadership author, podcaster and church planter; Carey Nieuwhof, podcaster and church planter; Jacqui Lewis, author, activist, preacher and public theologian; and Olu Brown, leadership coach, author and pastor. Super early-bird rates end July. 15.
Learn more and register

Facing the Future - Being-Beloning-Becoming
General Commission on Religion & Race

Join us for Facing the Future 2023 conference in Atlanta, GA! Early bird registration will be closing soon, so take advantage of the current discounted prices before they increase on July 1^st.

Designed for pastors serving in cross-racial/cross-cultural/multi-cultural settings, our theme, "Be3: Being, Belonging, and Becoming," will empower you as we engage in uplifting multicultural worship, participate in practical workshops, and build a supportive environment where affirmation and support thrive.

Visit website and register.