WI Conference Weekly ENews: January 13, 2022

1/13/2022 - Conference News
Conference News

 

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance Worship Video

Sunday, January 16 at 4:00 pm
 
The Wisconsin Conference invites you to join in our 2022 celebration of the Rev Dr Martin Luther King's legacy of advocacy for justice and human rights. Due to the Omicron variant, our celebration will not be held in person. 
You are encouraged to access the worship service at 4:00 pm Sunday Jan. 16 and hold the observance at a site of your choosing or alternatively, to use the video for worship or another special time. Please join us for a safe public celebration and witness.
 
The Worship service can be accessed by clicking on this link:https://youtu.be/ejU_mwEAYQc

 

GBHEM - Wisconsin Conference Scholarship Recipients 

We celebrate that the Global Board of Higher Education and Ministry's Office of Loans and Scholarships will be awarding over 2,100 students a total of $5 million in financial assistance for 2021! These future leaders range from first year Freshmen to Doctorate level students across the denomination.
 
Thank you for your support in recognizing United Methodist Student Day, World Communion Sunday, and Native American Sunday which help fund a portion of our scholarships. The remaining funds for these awards come from gifts, annuities, and endowments GBHEM has invested and administered for decades. 
 
Attached is a report of our conference’s GBHEM scholarship recipients this year who have provided permission to share their award publicly. Let's celebrate these student recipients to affirm their activity within the church and to tell their stories throughout the conference.  
 
Students who are members of The United Methodist Church may apply for a Fall 2022 GBHEM scholarship online between December 15, 2021 – March 24, 2022, at www.gbhem.org/scholarshipapplication.

 

Wisconsin Conference NCJ Report

The North Central Jurisdictional (NCJ) Conference met virtually for two days on November 10-11, 2021. Approximately 250 delegates participated in an official Zoom meeting Wednesday and Thursday, and others from across the 10-conference jurisdiction watched live online. Delegates spent the majority of their time on three big topics of conversation—dismantling racism, the future of episcopal leadership, and the future of The United Methodist Church. Read Full Report

Save the Date! Bishop's Convocation of Laity Leadership

Saturday, February 12, 2022 is the date set for the Bishop's Convocation of Laity.  Each year the Board of Laity hosts the Bishop's Convocation of Laity Leadership forum.  This is open to all lay persons in the Wisconsin Conference. 

Bishop's Convocation of Laity Leadership 2022 Online Event Saturday, February 12, 2022
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Register Today! https://wisconsin-reg.brtapp.com/LaityConvo2022

 

Coming Soon: Faith Alive! 2.0 
Faith Alive 2.0 will be offered in January and April of 2022. The goals remain the same: To help all participants to explore their faith – To offer an opportunity for learning and growth – To bring knowledgeable faculty members who can share their wisdom with those wishing to deepen their faith. This is a GREAT OPPORTUNITY for YOU to grow your faith!

These sessions will be open, via ZOOM, to all laity and clergy in Wisconsin Conference. NOTE: Past participants in Faith Alive! are welcome to join us in Faith Alive 2.0.  All participants may sign up for one or both sessions. We do ask that anyone signing up plan to participate for the full session(s). DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS JANUARY 15th!
Learn more and Register

2021 Statistical Reports will be on EZRA again and due 2/28/21

Each year United Methodist Churches complete Statistical Reports which compiles data on Membership and Participation (Table #1), Church Assets and Expenses (Table #2), and Church Income (Table #3) for the entire denomination. The year-end reporting will continue to be done through the Ezra website. Login information will be sent in January.  Our Conference Statistician Donald Cramer and Conference Treasurer Sarah Sneider will be offering several Zoom webinars to walk through the statistical report and answer any questions/share common problems.  These statistics are our primary tool to track membership and expenses of our churches and this information will be used to calculate the 2023 Apportionment.   Don and his wife are expecting their first child this summer, so we hope to get statistics in early and correct.  Your help in submitting accurate and timely statistics by February 28, 2022 is greatly appreciated.  Please select one of the following for training:

February 2nd at 12:00 pm:  Registration
February 2nd at 6:00 pm: Registration
Mission News

 

 

 

Rainbow Covenant Reports due March 31, 2022

All churches are encouraged to check out the Rainbow Covenant brochure to see if they have qualified for recognition as a Rainbow Covenant church in 2021.  The brochure includes instructions for reporting and lists the various areas of mission and possible ministries and agencies you may have already contributed to in 2021. It could also help Mission Committees as they plan for 2022 activities!

To find the current Rainbow Covenant brochure, due by March 31, 2020, visit our website at: https://www.wisconsinumc.org/global-ministries  If you have any questions, please contact Gail Burgess at hb53104@aol.com or 262-945-8578.

 

Special Sunday - Human Rights Day, January 16, 2022

You are invited to be a part of building beloved community with your gifts on Human Relations Day, January 16, or a day of your choosing. Your contributions spark hope, develop skills and reimagine neighborhoods. Please give generously! Find resources to help your church celebrate this Special Sunday in the Pastor and Leader's Kit. 

UM Volunteers in Mission Announcements!

UMVIMNCJ has several events coming up. Please click on links for more information about each of the following: 

 
Other Resources

 

 

Vanco Live Is Here: Drive Member Engagement in Online Worship

Vanco Live is here! Our new tool helps churches transform how they produce virtual ministry for their members.

Broadcasting is no longer enough. Churches like yours know that. Making services and events accessible online is a great place to start. But with Vanco Live, there’s so much more churches can do for their members. Read More

 

Don't Wait, Get Your Federal Tax Exemption Letter! 

Did you know that, as a United Methodist ministry, it is easy to get a letter proving your tax-exempt status – without applying directly to the Internal Revenue Service? The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), and sister agency to (GBHEM), United Methodist Women, and others, have received a “group ruling” designation from the IRS. Get My Ministry's Letter

 

Church Copyright License Options from GCFA

Is your ministry using music or videos during your worship? Your ministry may be at risk of legal and financial penalties if you don’t have the proper copyright licenses. The experienced staff at UMC Support can help protect your ministry from committing copyright infringement through our Copyright License Consultation Service. Read More

 
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