WI Conference Weekly ENews - October 12, 2022

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Laity Sunday is October 16th

Observed on the third Sunday in October, this day calls the Church to celebrate the ministry of Christians of all ages in the home, workplace, congregation, community, and world.

While the month of October is the month to remember our Pastors, which is very important to do as they are our spiritual leaders of our congregations, October 16^th is set aside for the Laity of our churches.
 
It is the Sunday to celebrate our relationship with our Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. Recognize those members who have a relationship or are trying to develop that relationship with God and Jesus Christ by celebrating together on this special day set aside by our Methodist church for each and every one of us.
 
Support our Pastors and remember we, each and every one of us, are “all called to ministry” by our Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ.
Laity Sunday 2022 Resources
Download Worship Resource (PDF)

Application Deadline Extended to October 21st!
Now Seeking an Executive Administrative Assistant to The Wisconsin Resident Bishop Episcopal Office

The Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church announces a search for an Executive Administrative Assistant, providing administrative support to the Resident Bishop of the Wisconsin Conference and the Episcopal Office staff. This role is responsible for collaborating with internal and external partners to schedule and offer meeting support appropriately and is responsible for coordinating travel appropriately. Must be proficient at: formatting and writing documents, developing, and distributing meeting materials, facilitating travel arrangements, and creating and maintaining expense reports and budgets.
View full job description

To apply, click here or email a cover letter and resume to jobs@gcfa.org 

The Anti-Racism Task Force Training Series
 “How Long, O Lord, ‘til the New Wine Burst the Wineskin?” 

In-Person or via Zoom- October 22
Zoom Only- November 10 & 17

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.

Why Should You Attend:
Most diversity and inclusion efforts in an organization focus on particular observable demographics such as race, gender, age, etc. This presentation will expand the concept of diversity by addressing the more global concept of cultural competency within organizations. Participants will develop the knowledge and skills needed to lead a culturally competent and strategic organization.
Learn more & register

Join Rev. Forrest Wells for The Exodus Experience

You are invited to travel to Egypt for an 11 excursion to gain an overview of modern biblical scholarship, including the rudiments of archaeology, and its importance for clergy and lay people. You will gain an overview of the geographical setting of the Bible and become familiar with the nature of Christianity in the Holy Land and the work of the church today. You will have the opportunity to explore liberation motifs in the Bible and to become acquainted with the models of missionary approaches to the Middle East in the 19th and 20th centuries. There is a 4 or 5 day elective add on to the end of the trip to see more places in such as The Wonders of Jordan or to travel out of Egypt to Galilee and Jerusalem. 
Learn more

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 Student Day is November 27

The United Methodist Church has dedicated November 27 as United Methodist Student Day, where we set aside time to honor and celebrate students in our congregation and around the world. With this special offering, we invest in their future. Encourage support with resources like offering talks, sermon starters, liturgies, age level resources and more to help spread awareness and encourage giving. Core resources are available in multiple languages.
United Methodist Student Day Pastor & Leader's Kit

Solomon's Helping Community Food Pantry

Solomon Community Temple UMC’s Helping Community Food Pantry was included in interviews by CBS58 News regarding Food For Families in Milwaukee.Watch the video here:https://cbs58.com/news/today-declared-food-for-families-day-in-milwaukee

The Hunger Task Force serves the 53212 community every Thursday from 1-3pm.  We service anywhere from 12 to 15 households each week. Most are seniors, but we have a number of younger single people and larger families. Over the last three months, we served an average of 170 people. The total number being served has been ticking up with the increase in food and gas prices. This may not be a large number when compared to other larger pantries, but we are filling a niche in this community.

Solomon, though quite small, is attempting to buy some of the foods our visitors need and want. Milk, bread, butter, eggs are hard to come by, but from time-to-time Solomon members attempt to purchase these items on their own. These are not church budgeted items.  The Hunger Task Force is in great need of donations and funds to purchase food for our pantries. Currently, we're searching for foods that would complement their holiday tables. If you would like to donate, please contact Solomon Community Temple UMC at solomoncommunity@att.net.

Wisconsin Council of Churches
Ongoing Needs for Afghans in Wisconsin

Do you know someone who can translate Pashto? The Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison is in need of additional translators as they prepare legal immigration/asylum applications for Afghans. If you can help them or refer someone to them, they'd greatly appreciate it! Contact: 
Carmel A. Capati, J.D.
Managing Attorney | Catholic Multicultural Center
1862 Beld Street | Madison WI 53713
carmel@cmcmadison.org
Direct Phone: 608-405-1703 (talk or text)

Read more about how you can help Afghans in WI

The GCFA Collaborator
7 Steps to Minimize Exposure of Your Ministry's Sensitive Digital Assets

National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry
Webinar Aims to Help Hispanic Churchgoers Be Heard

ATLANTA — The United Methodist Church’s National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry plans to hold a live webinar titled “We Are United Methodists: Tools for Discerning Our Future” for predominantly Hispanic/Latino congregations. The webinar is scheduled at 8 p.m. U.S. Eastern time Oct. 17. This event will be hosted on Recursos Metodistas Unidos, ResourceUMC.org’s Spanish language platform.
Read press release
To register

Garret-Evangelical Theological Seminary Online Course
Good Troublemaking: The Spiritual Practice of Building Better Worlds 
October 27th – December 8th l Thursdays, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (CT)

This 6-week online course seeks to offer activist-learners and learning activists a space for spiritual reflection and renewal. One of the most transformative powers of spiritual reflection is glimpse into futures where something more just is possible. Learners in this course will engage in faith-full vision casting using methods of practical theology in conversation with tenets of social justice action.

For more information about the course, please contact Dr. Rolf Nolasco at rolf.nolasco@garrett.edu.
Learn more / Register Now

Religion & Race
Resource Available to Avoid Accent Bias

WASHINGTON — When people born and reared in the United States refer to difficulty with another person’s “accent,” they could be showing implicit bias toward a person whose first language is not U.S. English. The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race has crafted a list of helpful ways to avoid accidental bias toward how others speak.
View resource