Reflections an Edition of the United Methodist Reporter
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REFLECTIONS AN EDITION OF THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER Two Sections—Section A | 063000 | Volume 160 Number 1 | May 3, 2013 What Does it Mean to Imagine Wisconsin Anew By Bishop Hee-Soo Jung For the past several months, I’ve been deeply involved in the formation of the con- text for how and why we are in ministry as United Methodists in Wisconsin. Wherever I go, I seek to discover what God is doing in and through our congregations and Circuits to fulfill the biblical mandate to reach out to people with God’s love in Jesus’ name. Since returning home to Wisconsin, I have been seeking to Imagine Wisconsin Anew! Bishop Hee-Soo What does that mean? It means seeking Jung to see what God is placing before us as possibilities. It means learning what has changed and continues to change in the communities that make up Wisconsin. What new populations or LEFT: Metro District Superintendent Deborah Thompson and Bishop Jung welcome Metro laity to the Laity Day Apart. people are living in our communities and how are we going to reach RIGHT: Calvary UMC in West Allis was filled with laity eager to hear about Imagining Wisconsin Anew from Bishop Jung. out to them in God’s love? How are we preparing ourselves to offer leadership in the United Methodist congregations in Wisconsin to help develop plans and a strategy for addressing new people and Board of Congregational Development to Conference Strategy reach out beyond ourselves and our buildings? places, as well as explore together how to invite people into Team. How are we as United Methodists going to prepare the soil of relationships with each other and Jesus Christ through existing Everywhere I go, I have found that we as United Methodists in our lives and our faith communities so we are equipped to produce congregations. We’ve started the training and equipping of these Wisconsin want and need to pay careful attention to our the Fruit of the Spirit? teams, and will continue throughout the year to meet and to learn surroundings and the people of our communities. I have met old The Cabinet, other Conference leadership, and I have started to together. friends and new who tell me they want to bear good fruit as find answers to these questions. For one thing, we have created The work of the Cabinet and District Strategy Teams has also followers of Jesus Christ. Together, I believe we will find the tools District Strategy Teams. They have been recruited by the District invited the Conference Board of Congregational Development to and opportunities that will allow God to transform our lives and Superintendents to work together with them to learn what has imagine itself anew. This Board has decided to go to the Annual the congregations of Wisconsin. changed in the communities in their Districts in Wisconsin, and Conference asking for a change in their name and direction from I give thanks to God for all of you and all you do! Live the Fruit of the Spirit at Annual Conference 2013! We are embarking on a be distributed on a first come first serve basis. and circuit becoming transformational centers of love, joy, new quadrennium, with an InGathering 2013: Visit the Annual Conference website at peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness updated and exciting www.tinyurl.com/WACUMC13 for a list of items welcome for and self-control. This Learning Day is open to anyone who emphasis: “Live The Fruit donation this year. wishes to attend, and is included with your Annual Conference Of The Spirit.” At this year’s Monday June 10 is a FREE Learning Day: On Monday, June 10, registration, but those who only wish to attend the free Annual Conference, we will focus on “preparing the soil.” We are we will conclude the 43rd Session of the Wisconsin Annual Con- Learning Day, can visit the Annual Conference website at excited to be gathering at the Marriott Madison West in Middleton ference with a learning day open to all clergy and laity. Our day www.tinyurl.com/WACUMC13 for more information and June 7–10 and equally excited to be joining Bishop Hee-Soo Jung in together will focus on our vision of every congregation, charge to register. celebrating United Methodist connectional ministry within the Wisconsin Conference. May God bring us together in joy and thanksgiving as we celebrate ministry: growing disciples, experiencing God’s abundance, and living the fruit of the spirit! The regular registration fee is $125, which includes Sunday dinner. Scholarships are available. Note that June 10 is a Learning Day for everyone in the Wisconsin Annual Conference and is open to those LEFT: who are not attending Annual Conference in its entirety. Email Attendees worshipped Karen Lamoree at [email protected] or call her at 888- through song 240-7328 with any questions. at Annual Visit the Annual Conference Website: All forms and informa- Conference tion related to Annual Conference can be found on the Annual 2012. RIGHT: Conference website at www.tinyurl.com/WACUMC13. Bill McBride Display Table Reservations Due May 17: Visit the Annual prepares for Conference website at www.tinyurl.com/WACUMC13 to reserve the your tables today! All boards, agencies, committees, organiza- InGathering tions, and vendors wanting displays table must sign up for them Day at Annual at the display website. Tables with electricity are limited and will Conference. The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published NOTE: Mailing Address for Conference Office Changes July 1st weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Profit Drive, Dallas, Texas 75247-3919. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, Effective July 1st, the Wisconsin Conference UMC Office will Please update your contact list to reflect this change and contact Texas and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send be closing its Post Office Box in Sun Prairie. Mail will be received Amanda Rehrauer at [email protected] with any address changes to The United Methodist Reporter, 1221 to its street address: 750 Windsor St., Sun Prairie, WI, 53590. questions or concerns. Profit Drive, Dallas Texas 75247. THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER May 3, 2013 GOOD WORKS UMCOR makes grants for Sandy recovery Green Garden UMC helps Harvest 2020 B Y L INDA B LOOM On Sunday, April 14, Green United Methodist News Service Garden UMC, a small con- NEW YORK—United Methodists gregation in Manhattan, Ill., in New York were counting on the re- presented a check of $7,938 to the Rev. Diana Facemyer, gional shipments of 15,000 flood Aurora District superinten- buckets that they distributed to Hurri- dent, and the Rev. Martin cane Sandy survivors last fall. Lee, director of congrega- But they didn’t expect the more tional development, for Har- than 11,000 blankets from a faraway vest 2020, the Northern source, said Bishop Martin McLee, Illinois Conference’s church- leader of the denomination’s New York planting initiative. The church Conference. will also give nearly $4,000 “There was this wonderful call, a year for the next 8 years. asking if we would receive blankets The money came from Wil- from Russia,” Bishop McLee told di- fred Belsner, who passed rectors of the United Methodist Gen- away in 2008, leaving 80 eral Board of Global Ministries on acres of farmland to seven April 11 as he recounted the confer- churches including Green Garden and Peotone UMC. ence’s relief efforts. The United Methodist Committee on Relief St. Luke in Dallas (UMCOR) is a part of the mission marks 80th year board. On March 19, both houses Both Bishop McLee and Bishop of the Texas Legislature rec- John Schol, leader of the Greater New ognized St. Luke “Commu- Jersey Conference, spoke to the mis- nity” United Methodist sion agency about the challenges and PHOTO COURTESY GREATER NEW JERSEY CONFERENCE Church in Dallas for 80 opportunities that have arisen since Directors of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) have approved $3 million in grants for years of service to the city, the hurricane turned “superstorm” Hurricane Sandy recovery in New York and New Jersey. The work will require help from thousands of state and nation. Church made a significant impact on the volunteers through the UMC’s volunteer-in-mission networks. members along with senior Northeast coast. pastor, the Rev. Henry Mas- In New Jersey, where 253,000 a comprehensive long-term Sandy re- houses. The conference’s Sandy proj- in Brooklyn—have been established. ters, traveled to Austin for households sustained damage and St. Luke Day at the Capitol. covery plan overseen by a nonprofit ect would not be possible, he added, The conference also wants to set up a tens of thousands of homes were left The church was organized in organization, with a projected budget without the support of UMCOR and site in Connecticut, where more than April 1933 as Saint Paul Mis- uninhabitable, Sandy was the most of $21.8 million. In addition to sup- the church’s volunteer-in-mission net- 13,000 homes were damaged. sion, to minister to the needs destructive storm in the state’s history. port from UMCOR, the conference has works. New York will use the grant to sup- of the southeast Dallas com- In the New York area, 269,640 applica- created its own fundraising appeal. Rebuilding will extend beyond port its disaster recovery ministries munity. It eventually became tions have been made to FEMA for homes to community centers and and staff as it provides case manage- St. Luke Methodist Church; federal assistance. Repair, rebuild, renew churches. Other direct assistance to the ment; restores, repairs and rebuilds “Community” was later To help meet these needs, UMCOR During the relief phase, the confer- most vulnerable will be provided in homes with the help of volunteers-in- added to the name to signify has allocated much of the $8.35 mil- ence distributed food, clothing and the form of materials, donations and mission and offers ongoing spiritual the church’s civic mission.