THE MISSOURI CONFERENCE REVIEW an edition of the United Methodist Reporter Leading congregations to lead people to actively follow Jesus Christ New School Still Ticking Hailed l Heart attack doesn’t 024000 Volume 159 Living Word builds Midway Locust Number 24 l October 12, 2012 new school in stop pastor deter- Grove UMC gets Ghana. 2A mined to serve. 5A pounded. 6A Two Sections, Section A KC churches have diverse settings, styles The Missouri Conference Center Conference) investing so much their own building was closed on September 26 as the money in a single church. But if projects. entire staff spent the day visiting you’re looking at the business side “We have about local churches. Last year the staff of things, you couldn’t have made $50,000 set aside made a similar trip to St. Louis, a better investment. for this right now,” this year they went to Kansas City. “Since then we’ve paid $1.3 Brinkman said. The following story is a brief sum- million in apportionments,” said The church has mary from locations visited. Rev. Jeff Brinkman. “Currently a narrative budget, our apportionments are $220,000 and has recently Woods Chapel UMC a year.” started putting a The church’s contribution to master wish-list for Woods Chapel UMC in Lee’s the connection doesn’t stop with ongoing projects in Summit moved to it’s current loca- always paying its apportionments the church newslet- tion in 1999, with the help of a at 100 percent. Whenever the ter once a month. $405,000 grant from the Missouri church has a capital campaign, it The first month Rev. Scott Chrostek tells the Conference staff about Rez Downtown. Conference Congregational sets aside 5 percent of the money this was done, the Development Team. At the time raised during the campaign to give new coffee bar was fully funded been well ahead of that average Volunteers In Mission Team there some other pastors voiced disap- to other churches. Churches can by a donation from one couple. this year. every week for more than a year, proval of the Missouri Conference contact Woods Chapel and apply “We present giving as an Part of the boost this year and keeping a person in Joplin to (then the Missouri West for $5,000 grants to help with opportunity, not an obligation,” comes from a new addition. The help coordinate the work. said Gina Kennedy, associate pas- church moved into a $2.1 million tor of finance and administration. expansion last Easter that includes Saint Paul School of But Woods Chapel is not a a new worship center for contem- business, it’s a church, and it’s porary services. Attendance has Theology bottom-line is concerned about increased since the opening, par- The next stop on the tour was people, not profit. In that respect, ticularly with young people. Saint Paul School of Theology. it’s return on investment for the Woods Chapel isn’t just Rev. Lee Johnson, a former Conference has been even better. about worship, though. It’s also Missouri Conference pastor who Since the move, Woods Chapel a very mission-minded church. is now a member of the Nebraska has had 665 baptisms. Before the Following Hurricane Katrina, the Conference, provided information move, average worship atten- church maintained a continued about the seminary, which was Lee Johnson, director of admissions at Saint Paul School dance was about 350. Last year presence in New Orleans for years. established in 1959 and is one of of Theology, introduces seminarian Renae Watt to Missouri the church averaged 1,160, and It has done the same with Joplin 13 United Methodist seminaries. Conference staff during a campus tour. Brinkman said the church has following the tornado, sending a See Kansas City, pg. 4A Murder leaves Focus on children pastor hurting changes church In 2004, First UMC West director Beckie Legler. October 22 marks the day and he went to walking Plains realized that fewer young In 2005, the church began that Harry and Rev. Loretta and biking. But recently he families were attending worship developing a rotational Sunday “Bobby” Stone were married at had been working hard to services. This awareness sparked school model, with classrooms Warrensburg United Methodist build back his strength and a change and a commitment built for specific purposes to Church 35 years ago. This year knees, increasing his run- from the church to strive to offer accommodate different age they won’t celebrate their anni- ning mileage. The Stone’s outstanding faith development groups as they rotated through. versary together. Harry’s wedding daughter, Li, and her hus- opportunities for children in the Institutional classrooms were band isn’t on his finger, it’s on a band had came to the house community. updated to theme rooms. The chain around Bobby’s neck. On on May 12. They were there “God has truly blessed our children learn Biblical principles Mother’s Day this year, Harry was for Mother’s Day, and to ministry here at First UMC and as they are engaged with a variety killed by a seemingly random act leave their Golden Retriever it is only because of the Holy of workshops (cooking, storytell- of violence. with the Stones for a few months, On Sunday morning Bobbie Spirits prompting in the hearts ing, art, science, drama, comput- Harry loved to run. An injury because they were touring with a was going to be preaching at St. and lives of our members that ers and video) and they learn to sidelined him a few years ago, Opera Company that summer. our Kingdom Kids Children’s live by the Great Commandment. See Stone, pg. 6A Ministry is able to reach more “We have two or three mission The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Profi t, Dallas, TX 75247-3919. Periodicals young families for Jesus Christ,” projects each year, like making Postage Paid at Dallas. Postmaster: Send address changes to The United Methodist Reporter, PO Box 660275, Dallas, TX 75266-0275. said Children’s Ministries See Children’s Ministry, pg. 5A 2A Opinions and Insights October 12, 2012 Living Word dedicates new school in Ghana By: Jim Harfst, Ghana Project the massive new Steering Committee Chair bright blue and yellow structure, Why did we go to Ghana last with shiny tin month? We were invited to par- roofs reflecting the ticipate in the August 16, 2012, sun. The paint col- dedication ceremony for the brand ors seem inspired new high school in the remote by Ghanaian northern village of Sakote, Ghana. Methodist school We were there as honored guests uniforms, blue and greeted by the entire village, pants or skirts the chiefs and elders, elected and yellow tops. officials from the region, clergy, The school was so teachers, and, most-importantly, big, much bigger the children who stand to benefit than my imagina- from a high school education tion allowed. The Camper in their town. This new school building consists building was entirely funded by of three wings progresses The Ghana Project and we went in the shape of to accept thanks and stand in a U. Entry into to assistant the place deserved by all of our the complex is donors and supporters. through an iron gate into a con- we were so late, it took a while for There was no school at all until site director After several travel travails, we crete courtyard. Up two steps things to quiet down. Observing the 1950s, when a primary school arrived in Sakote about two hours to the left and right, the long Ghanaian protocol, those of us at and junior high school were built, Ray Varner has been at Camp after the ceremony was “sched- wings of the “U” contain three the front table (our visiting group, but those schools were all the Galilee for 15 years, or since he uled” to begin. By American classrooms each. In the middle is plus the Regional Minister, the people there had. Most children first attended camp there in the standards, we were very, very late. the administrative wing, with an Methodist Bishop of Northern for generations in Sakote have hit third grade. At age 15 he became In America, our extreme tardi- office, library, and computer lab. Ghana, a member of parliament, a brick wall after finishing junior a counselor, then moved on to ness would have put a damper on But all those details I saw later. On and the local Methodist pastor - high. A lucky few, if they got a event director and core staff. He everything. But not in Ghana. And arrival, the crowds and the drums who was the emcee of the ceremo- rare scholarship or happened to is now the assistant site director not in Sakote. Everyone waited and the ceremony were a little ny) walked over to formally greet be rich (which is even rarer in that for the camp. for us, kings and kids, the bishop distracting. the chiefs and queens and elders. part of the world), could go to a Varner graduated in May 2012 and even the Regional Minister When our group stepped out Then, after we returned to our boarding school out of town. But from Missouri State University (equivalent to the Governor of of our van, we were greeted by a seats, those same chiefs and elders as the Regional Minister told us, with a degree in Physical an American State), old friend troupe of dancers and musicians walked over to formally greet us. even that exacerbated the poverty Education K-12.