WI Conference Weekly ENews - March 8, 2023

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United Women In Faith: Virtual Social Action Day
Church Zoom Watch Parties, Sat., April 15, 9 AM- Noon

Wisconsin Conference United Women in Faith will hold a virtual Social Action Day via zoom on Saturday, April 15^th from 9:00 am to noon.  Everyone is invited and should register individually – even if attending a church watch party. Register online by going to the link below or by mail by printing off the below form sending in with a registration fee. The registration fee is $10.00. A donation can be added, if desired, to United Methodist Children’s Services in Milwaukee. The registration fee can be waived for anyone in need. If you need assistance regarding registration, please contact Josie Gobel at 920-988-0705 or josiegobel@charter.net.

Register online
Church zoom watch parties list
Learn more

Judicial Council Rules on Bishop Jung’s Decision of Law
From UM News Service and Wisconsin Annual Conference reports

In Decision 1459, released March 1, 2023, the Judicial Council affirmed the part of Bishop Hee-Soo Jung’s decision of law that supported the Wisconsin Conference’s church disaffiliation process. The Question of Law concerning six aspects of the Wisconsin Conference Disaffiliation Policy adopted by the 2022 Annual Conference was raised at that session by a conference clergy member.

The Wisconsin Conference requires a disaffiliating church to “explain how the current Discipline or actions or inactions of the annual conference have affected the mission and unity of the congregation.”

For more information about all the Judicial Council Decisions addressing disaffiliation released on March 1 see "Church court addresses disaffiliation questions": Read story

United Methodist Volunteers In Mission North Central Jurisdiction- Wisconsin Volunteers Impact

In 2022, volunteers headed back to the mission field, anxious to reconnect with their partners and engage in the work left so abruptly in 2020. In total, 348 teams with 3,855 volunteers connected with their neighbors around the corner and around the world. They continue to serve locally in all the places God calls them to serve. Specifically, there were 25 teams and 184 volunteers from Wisconsin. These teams served in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Illinois, Ghana and Kenya. Thank you for the continued support from the Wisconsin Conference to United Methodist Volunteers in Mission North Central Jurisdiction. 
Volunteers In Mission- Wisconsin Conference of the UMC

Neighbor to Neighbor Meals of Manawa
By Brenda Vander Zanden, Director

Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) demonstrates what we can accomplish in God’s name, when we join hands with other believers outside of our denominational walls and focus on what God is calling us to do as Christians. But before I tell you about N2N, let me introduce you to Manawa. Manawa is a small town in northeast Wisconsin with approximately 1200 people when everyone is home. It is a consolidated school district which is ranked impoverished by the Department of Public Instruction standards. 

Just over two years ago, Brenda and Mike Thyssen (our then co-director and her husband) visited a church in the Fox Valley that sponsored a community food pantry program. The pantry's problem of excess food could be our solution to support families and individuals with immediate need in the Manawa Area School District.  Prompted by the Holy Spirit, the Thyssen’s began hauling the pantry excess back to Manawa each Thursday and giving it away to those in need: cases of beef, poultry, pork, turkey, vegetables, fruit, and bread. To see this process in action was like watching the fishes and loaves scripture from John 6 come alive before our eyes as the disciples gathered 12 baskets of leftovers.
Read full story

2023 Ingathering Updates- New Items Needed & Updated Drop Off Sites List

The conference Mission Motivation Committee is working with Midwest Mission Distribution Center to collect items for Personal Dignity Kits and Home Care Kits. Midwest Mission distributes these items locally, nationally and internationally to those in need during times of crisis. All supplies are given free of charge regardless of gender, race or religion.  Although we are focusing on these two kits, we appreciate any items found at midwestmission.org.  All items should be NEW – and all kits should have only the items requested. View kit details

Urgent needs include the following:

• Shampoo (in bulk), 12-19 oz. 
• 100-150 oz. EMPTY liquid laundry detergent containers. We can use containers of any size up to 150 oz. (we are collecting full or empty liquid laundry detergent containers) 
• Sewing machines, electric and treadles (they don't have to be new; we accept sewing machines that need a little tuning up; we cannot accept the computerized ones. 
• Medical equipment -folding walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, canes, walking boots, slings 
• Blankets- new or gently used for disaster response  
• Non electric tools specifically shovels, brooms, rakes

Kits and items that make up those kits, should be brought to Annual Conference at the KI Center in Green Bay. The Midwest Mission truck will be there for collection on June 9th & 10th. To process donations efficiently and get them where needed quickly, we ask for a list of the items donated. You can help the person who delivers the items -and save everyone some time- by filling out the Donation Form ahead of time.  

Volunteers are needed to check in and load donations at Annual Conference in Green Bay anytime during our drop off hours: Friday, June 9th 10am-4pm and Saturday, June 10th 8am-2pm. Contact bonnieclement05@gmail.com to help.

2023 Ingathering Drop Sites List
2023 Ingathering Bulletin Insert
Ingathering Update 3-6-2023

General Scholarship Applications Are Due April 1
Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation

General Scholarship applications are due April 1! Do you know a high school or college student affiliated with your church looking for scholarship money? Scholarships available through the Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation. All applicants must be members of a Wisconsin United Methodist Church. The deadline for application for Post High School/Undergrad Scholarships is April 1. The deadline for Seminary/Ministry Scholarships is July 1. 
Find the details here.

Nominate A Local Church Leader For The WI Conference Perry Saito Award

Social Justice is one of the main priorities of United Methodists worldwide.  Clergy and laity leaders commit their gifts of time, energy, passion, and dedication to mercy, justice, equity, compassion, and equality in a wide variety of acts of Christian service.  If you know of a church leader who is a champion of social justice, please nominate them for the Wisconsin Conference Perry Saito award. The Perry Saito Award is given by the Wisconsin Board of Church and Society to individuals who demonstrate their loyalty to Christ through faith and work to further justice and peace through the UMC. There will be two recipients- one layperson and one clergyperson. This award is sponsored by the Wisconsin Board of Church & Society (historically sponsored by the Methodist Federation for Social Action - MFSA).

Please submit your clergy and/or laity nominees to Dan Dick dan@peoplesumc.org.
Learn about Rev. Perry Saito

New Enews Submission Form For Articles In The WI Conference Weekly Enews

A new Enews submission form, located in the 'Quick Links' box on the WI Conference homepage, is for everyone, staff as well as the general public, to use to submit an article for ENews. You may use this form to create a news article to be published, if approved, in the Wisconsin Conference weekly ENews. We do reserve the right to edit submitted information for grammar, clarity and context. This is a tool to help streamline the content we put in the ENews. The submission deadline is Tuesday at 1:00pm for the current week's ENews. Please contact Lisa Wink, Communications Director, at lwink@wisconsinumc.org or Carly Ochoa, Communications Assistant, at cochoa@wisconsinumc.org with any questions.

Submit an article for ENews

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 

Celebrating Women's History Month
ResourceUMC

Eight women were elected to the episcopacy in The United Methodist Church in 2022, five of whom are people of color. All bring unique gifts and experiences to the table, and all are changemakers with a heart for mobilizing the church in Jesus’ name. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, GCSRW is publishing a series of blogs to help you celebrate these wonderful leaders and find ways you can continue to celebrate women in ministry in your area.
Let's celebrate

UMCOR Sunday Is March 19
ResourceUMC

For more than 80 years, the generosity of United Methodists to UMCOR has ensured that resources are available to those in need in times of crisis. Gifts on UMCOR Sunday preserve the promise that 100% of contributions to specific UMCOR projects or missionaries will go toward that project, not to administrative costs. Use these multilingual resources for worship, promotion and engagement to explore the impact we make through connectional efforts.
Access pastors and leaders kit

Native American Ministries Sunday Is April 23
ResourceUMC

Find downloadable resources to teach your congregation why United Methodists recognize and celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday locally and globally. Invite congregants to give generously, knowing that half of the gifts remain in the conference to support CONAM ministries, create programs, resources, educate and support seminary scholarships for United Methodist Native Americans. Core resources are available in multiple languages. 
Access pastors and leaders kit

Your Sewing Machine Could Change a Life
Midwest Mission Distribution Center

Maria* is sitting in a chair just outside of the door of her bright blue house in the Dominican Republic. A breeze sweeps by as she watches her two young children run up the street heading to school in their three-sizes-too-small school uniforms. She’s in her early thirties, and has been married for a couple of years. But, her husband is away most of the time. 

As her kids turn the corner up the road, she heads inside, brushes past their cinderblock wall, and goes to the kitchen. With a sigh, she looks at the empty shelves of the cupboard, and the dwindling fresh fruit on the countertop. She will have to go to the store today, meaning she will have to buy a bus ticket, figure out what she can afford at the store, and buy another bus ticket home. 

She sighs again, at the seemingly impossible task for the day. 
Read more

Scholarship Application Deadline Extended
United Methodist Higher Education Foundation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation has extended its scholarship applications deadline through March 10. The foundation awards more than $2 million in scholarships annually.
Read press release
To apply