Missouri River District November 2016
Missouri River District News Church Charge Conferences wrapped up on the last Sunday in Octo- ber. There may be some details or forms to finish outside of what needed voted on at charge conference that will need to be taken care
of over the next few weeks. December 2016 — Appointive Recommendation Forms are due into
the district office from both Pastor and SPRC no later than December 1, 2016. In order to avoid a deadline rush if you have the forms com- Please make pleted early please send them into the district office as soon as possi- sure to like our ble. They can be scanned and emailed to missouririv- Facebook page. [email protected], faxed to 402-934-5196 or regular mailed to Click on the above icon the office at 7318 Harrison St, Ralston, NE 68128. for a direct link. January 2017 — We will all have a bit of a breather as we race to the end of 2016 and then in January, 2017 Yearend Statistics (Table 1, 2, 3) will need to be entered into Ezra. Hungry? Join Lefler February 2017 — District Training on Multi-Media in Worship will take or Nehawaka for one place on Saturday, February, 18, 2017 at Omaha Living Faith UMC or all of their upcom- ing dinners! from 9AM-4PM. This event is open to both clergy and laity. There is more information and a link to signup for the even on page 3 of this Lefler Dinners newsletter. 2017 dates to be announced. March 2017 — Missouri River Mashup will take place on Saturday, —————————————————- March, 11, 2017 at Bellevue St. James at their new facility located at Nehawka Dinners Nov 16th, Dec 14th 43rd & Capehart from 9:30AM-2:30PM. This event is open to both Always serving deli- clergy and laity. There is more information and a link to signup for the cious Fried Chicken or even on page 3 of this newsletter. one other meat dish, plus potatoes, vegeta- So that we are able to better plan for the district events in February ble, roll, dessert & beverage. and March we are asking that this information be communicated with $8.00/Adult & church staff and congregations asap so that we can get early signups $5.00/Children 12 & under. going. Serving from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the We are all better when we work together! Our District Strategy Com- Nehawka Community mittee is brainstorming on some ideas for district projects where Center (east end of working together will allow us collectively to be better and offer oppor- Main Street) tunities maybe not available to all our district churches without larger collaboration. Missouri River District Page 2
Bishop Saenz to visit the Missouri River District on Tuesday, November 8, 2016
To all lay members of the Missouri River District
You Are Cordially Invited Tuesday, November 8th 2016 7:00 p.m. Evening Reception with Bishop Saenz at Omaha St. Luke UMC 11810 Burke St. Omaha, NE 68154
Bishop Saenz will be spending the day touring the Missouri River District and attending two clergy meetings followed by this laity reception in the evening. The evening will consist of a meet and greet time, refreshments, and a special message from the Bishop.
If you have any questions please contact the Missouri River District office by phone at 402-934-5441 or by email at [email protected]. If you are unable to join the evening reception in the Missouri River District you are welcome to attend a welcome reception in any other district in our conference. The closest would be the Blue River District which will be held on Wednesday, November 9th from 7:00- 8:30 at First United Methodist Church, 2723 N 50th Street, Lincoln, NE 68504.
Clergy meetings are the same day at 10 a.m. at Auburn UMC and 2 p.m. This invitation was also sent at Omaha Urban Abbey. Pastors If you are unsure which session you to each church as a 1/2 page should attend please contact the district office. If you are unable to at- flyer for bulletin inserts or tend your own district mtg. and wish to attend in another district you other forms of congregational communications. MUST contact that districts DS for permission to do so. Missouri River District Page 3
The Missouri River District will be offering two training opportunities to the clergy and laity of the district. If you are interested in either event, it is not too early to signup.
Multi-Media In Worship
Date: 02/18/2017 (Sat.) Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm Location: Omaha Living Faith, 5310 S 182nd Ave, Omaha, NE
Learn more about using multi-media in worship. Potential topics are tips for buying projectors and screens, sound, pro- jection software, videotaping sermons, resources available, and/or legalities of music and video usage.
There will be no cost for the training and lunch will be provid- ed although a free will offering will be taken to help defer costs.
Please CLICK HERE to register for the event. Please register each attendee individually so that we have an accurate headcount and each person’s name. Any questions please contact the district of- fice.
Missouri River Mashup
Date: 03/11/2017 (Sat.) Time: 9:30am - 2:30pm Location: Bellevue St. James UMC 43rd & Capehard Road
Join in this free event that is open to all clergy and laity of our district to come together as one body for a “Mashup” day of fun and learning from district clergy in their area of expertise.
Please CLICK HERE to view a list of classes offered and then register for one morning and one afternoon the session.
Please register each attendee individually so that we have an accurate headcount and each per- son’s name. Any questions please contact the district office. Missouri River District Page 4
Bishop’s Round-up Against Hunger Lock-In for Middle & High School Youth
The Bishop's Round-Up Against Hunger Lock-In Registration closes on November 14, 2016
The Bishop’s Round-up Against Hunger Lock-In will be Nov. 18-19 at Lawrence First UMC West Campus at 6th St (Highway 40) and K-10 (867 Highway 40 Lawrence, KS 66049) beginning at 7 p.m. and will wrap up at 1 p.m. on Nov. 19, at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. The lock-in is for middle and high school youth. Please see the October Newsletter or emails that have sent for more information.
Lock-In Questions? Contact Laura Ramsey, coordinator, 785-231-8880, [email protected]. Bishop's Round-up Questions? Contact Matt Johnson at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you soon!
What can churches do to help? If your church is already participating in meeting the needs of the poor and hungry the conference would as that you complete a “GREAT PLAINS CONFERENCE, THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH BISHOP’S ROUND UP AGAINST HUNGER---GENERAL REPORT FORM---2016” which can be found by CLICKING HERE. If your church would like to participate in meeting the needs of the poor and hungry the confer- ence would like to invite you to help provide items for distribution to more than 20 agencies that come to the event to receive supplies for their ministries. For more information please CLICK HERE. On this page there is links to both a brochure of items needed and an event flyer. For more information on the Bishop’s Round-up Against Hunger and other Hunger Ministries please see their webpage by CLICKING HERE. "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35-36 Missouri River District Page 5
The Barada Church has some pews that they no longer need - we're expanding for more Sunday School classrooms! If any church can use these pews - they are wel- come to them. Dimensions: Curved pews smallest is 11’ 8”, largest is 12’ 4”. All are 2’ deep and the largest one has divider. Please contact Pastor Jerry Yount at [email protected] or by phone at 402-883-2485 if interested or to arrange pickup. Missouri River District Page 6
Nebraska City First UMC
The First United Methodist Church in Nebraska City is adding a midweek evening worship service to their schedule. The first service will be Wednesday, November 9th at 6 p.m. in the Chapel. This will be an informal time of worship with emphasis on scripture, music and prayer.
Springfield & Louisville Softball Classic
Springfield FUMC and Louisville UMC had a Softball Classic on Oct 16th. This was a fundraiser to raise funds for Camp Fontanelle and Living Hope Food Pan- try. We were able to raise $502 in cash through t-shirt sales, concessions and offerings to be divided between both places. We also were given food donations for Liv- ing Hope/Pearl Pantry as well. Missouri River District Page 7
Omaha St. Paul UMC
Coats for Refugee Children
St. Paul UMC has two refugee congrega- tions that meet in our building every Sun- day, the African National Congregation from Burundi and the Nepalese Congrega- tion from Bhutan. In these congregations are many who are new to Nebraska and do not have winter clothing. St. Paul UMC, along with several other UMC congrega- tions, has been collecting money to pur- chase new coats for the refugee children. The Rev. Marta Wheeler and her husband negotiated a special arrangement with Younkers at a minimal cost. Seventy (70) coats were distributed to children, and more coats will be purchased.
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Upcoming Church Events —————————————————- Introduction to Centering Prayer, Omaha First UMC - Thursday, November 3rd, see more infor- mation on following pages in this newsletter —————————————————- West O Shopping Event - Saturday, November 5th at Living Faith UMC, see more information on following pages in this newsletter —————————————————- Lord’s Acre Sale - Saturday, November 5th at Falls City First UMC, see more information on follow- ing pages in this newsletter —————————————————- A Service of Unity - Sunday, November 13th at Omaha St. Paul UMC, see more information on fol- lowing pages in this newsletter —————————————————- Thanksgiving Services - Omaha Maplewood UMC, Wednesday, November 16th, 7:00p.m. followed by fellowship and pie, following pages in this newsletter —————————————————- Holiday Shopping Fair - Omaha St. Paul UMC, Saturday, November 19th, 9:00am-3:00pm, see more information on following pages in this newsletter —————————————————- Annual Auction - Nehawka Annual Auction, Sunday, November 20th, 11:30-1:00 with lunch followed by auction, following pages in this newsletter —————————————————- Omaha Urban Abbey - Circle Theater will be presenting a Charlie Brown Christmas Musical at Urban Abbey (1026 Jackson St.) on Thursday and Friday evenings at 7:00pm in the month of December, see more information on following pages in this newsletter —————————————————- Missouri River District Lay Multi-Media in Worship Training - Saturday, February 18, 2017, see more information on previous page in this newsletter —————————————————- Missouri River Mashup - Saturday, March 11, 2017, see more information on previous page in this newsletter —————————————————- Omaha First - March 24-26, 2017, Omaha First is hosting Sojourner’s Chief Church Engagement Officer, Lisa Sharon Harper, see more information on following pages in this newsletter
Ongoing Events: —————————————————- Omaha First Zumba - Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. in The Commons Community Center. —————————————————- Faith Westwood Tai chi - Mondays and Thursdays at 1:00PM (finishing at 1:45PM) in the new large group room on the upper level. —————————————————- Wednesday Nehawka Dinners - Wednesday, Nov 16th, Dec 14th, see cover page for more details
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Tai Chi Classes
Offered at Omaha Faith Westwood 4814 Oaks Lane Omaha, NE 68137 402-895-3394
Mondays and Thursdays at 1:00 (finishing at 1:45 PM). Class will be in the new Children's Ministry large group room on the upper level. Missouri River District Page 10
Bringing Forth the Kingdom: A Conversation About Poverty
Poverty doesn’t go away, and the Poverty Education and Advocacy Team (PEAT) of First United Methodist Church AND Clair Memorial United Method- ist Church continue to explore ways to improve access to information and re- sources; facilitate awareness and conversation among service providers; and advocate for seamless access to the systems that aid families living in poverty. Annually, we co-sponsor a Forum to better inform our Churches and other citizens. On Saturday, November 5, 2016 from 8:00am – 12:15pm Tim Clark, Drew Pauly, Tracie Tibbs, and David Thomas will be presenting at First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass Street. These leaders come from diverse backgrounds, all focusing major energies on how to help. PEAT and Clair have worked diligently to assess the needs and to recruit leaders who can take a broad look at the spectrum of poverty as experienced in Oma- ha. We now look to our churches and friends to become informed and move to action. The Forum is free to all who attend. Please register so that we have adequate materials and handouts.
Please go to http://fumcomaha.org/kingdom to register online Missouri River District Page 11 25th Annual
Falls City First UMC ~ 17th & Harlan Street Saturday, November 5th 2016
Soup Supper ~ 5:00-6:30pm Corn Chowder, Ham & Bean, Chili, and Chicken Noodle, Cornbread, Relish, Pies and Cakes Freewill Offering, Carry-out available, Delivery available by calling (402) 245-3281. Some craft & food items for sale be- fore soup supper Auction ~ 6:30pm Quilts, homemade baked goods, canned foods, jellies, craft items, needlework, and much more…
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With the election cycle over, regardless of party affiliation, healing needs to take place to move our country forward. The afternoon of Sunday, November 13, 2016 offers the Omaha metro community the opportunity with “A Service of Unity” based loosely in the style of an Anglican Evensong. This will be an intentional time for prayerful reflection on the divisions we have endured and the con- science decision to pledge ourselves to living in harmony with one another. The 4:00 p.m. service will take place in the Sanctuary of Omaha St. Paul United Methodist Church, lo- cated at 54th & Northwest Radial High- way. The music will be provided by the com- bined choirs of All Saints Episcopal Church, Dr. Laura Palmer, choirmaster/organist and St. Paul Church, the Rev. Jerry Brabec, Min- ister of Worship. All are welcome to join the faith community in a time of prayerful recon- ciliation and healing.
Omaha Maplewood UMC Missouri River District Page 14
Missouri River District Page 15
Missouri River District Page 16 AN INTRODUCTION TO CENTERING PRAYER
An Introductory Workshop on Centering Prayer will be held at Knowles Mercy Spirituality Center on Thursday, November 3, 2016. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the workshop runs from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Centering Prayer is a response to the invitation to “be still and know… God.” (Psalm 46:10) It is a way to give our consent to the presence and transforming grace of the Divine Indwelling in silence beyond thoughts, words and emotions. Grounded in the contemplative heritage of the Christian tradition, our intention in Centering Prayer is to consent with open mind and heart to the Divine Mystery that sustains all creation. This introduction will include a brief overview of the contemplative tradition, the method of Centering Prayer, how to let go of thoughts and the effects of a deepening relationship with God in our daily lives. The registration fee of $30.00 will cover lunch. We will be using the book Open Mind Open Heart by Thomas Keating. Please bring a copy with you or you may purchase a book by adding $16.00 to the fee and it will be available the day of the retreat. The workshop will be led by Rev. Donald Bredthauer. Don is a retired United Methodist pastor and a Certified Spiritual Director. He has practiced Centering Prayer since 1989 and regularly presents the Introductory workshop for which he was commissioned in 1995 by Thomas Keating and Contempla- tive Outreach. Knowles Mercy is located at 2304 Campanile Rd, Waterloo, NE—1 mile west of 264th and Center. If you have any questions please contact Candice Nielsen, Director of Administration and Communi- cation at First United Methodist Church at 402.556.6262 X 1001 or by email at can- [email protected]. Missouri River District Page 17
Circle Theater will be presenting a Charlie Brown Christmas Musi- cal at Urban Abbey (1026 Jackson St.) on Thursday and Friday evenings at 7:00pm in the month of Decem- ber. Save the date on your calendar for chil- dren or youth event or take a fun family day out with your Old Mar- ket Methodist pres- ence. Plus the Christ- mas lights will be bright all around us and the hot chocolate will be ready when you come to the Ab- bey. More ticket infor- mation to come. Missouri River District Page 18 Pearl Pantry
What are some ways you can help keep the Pearl Pantry shelves stocked?
Include a few items in your weekly grocery shopping.
Grab a Walmart Gift Card.
Items that are always needed are: Shelves: Peanut Butter, Macaroni & Cheese, Canned Veggies, Canned Fruit, Spa- ghetti Sauce, Cereal etc.
F r e e z e r : Hot Dogs, Hamburger, Chicken
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables are also a welcome treat so if your garden or fruit trees are doing well and you’ve got more than you can use share it with Pearl Pan- try.
WALMART gift cards are also a great alternative to food donations as WalMart will price match every store in town so Ms. Barb can get what is needed at the best prices.
Donations can be dropped off anytime between 9:30-4:30 Monday-Friday to Ms. Barb at the Pearl Pantry. If you need to make other drop off arrangements please call Ms. Barb at 402-614-7452.
You can also mail gift cards directly to Miss Barb at the address below or you can mail them to the district office and we’ll make sure they get delivered.
Pearl Pantry Attn: Barb Greshem 2919 State Street Omaha, NE 68112 Missouri River District Page 19
Please see the website at biggarden.org for more news, upcoming events, resources or vol- unteer information.
According to the camp website there is one more weekend to enjoy the Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze on Saturday November 5th and Sunday, November 6th from 1:00pm - 7:00pm either day.
As always for another other information regarding Camp Fontanelle please check out their website or contact the camp staff.
Camp Fontanelle www.campfontanelle.com 9677 County Road 3 Fontanelle NE 68044 www.facebook.com/CampFontanelle
Camp: (402) 478-4296
Trent Cell: (402) 459-0686 Trent email: [email protected]
Derek Cell: (402) 203-0782 Derek email: [email protected]
Jane Cell: (402) 278-0526 Camp/Jane email: [email protected] 55 Churches and Friendly Congregations!
We serve the eastern area of Nebraska along the Missouri River from Blair, NE., south to the 7318 Harrison Street Nebraska, Kansas border. Ralston, NE 68128
Phone: 402-934-5441 Great churches. Fax: 402-934-5196 Great leaders. Dan Flanagan: [email protected] Great disciples. Kris Eschliman: Transformed world. [email protected]
Website: www.greatplainsumc.org/ missouririverdistrict
Office Hours: www.greatplainsumc.org/missouririverdistrict Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Please make sure to check your individual churches’ links on the main district page to make sure email addresses, web- site link, Facebook link, worship times, etc. are all correct. This is important information for visitors who might be looking for a place to worship or district and conference staff if they are needing to visit or send communications.
United Pearl Pantry Hispanic Ministries Omaha Methodist Living Hope UMC Community Center New Location Ministries / The Big Please send all Garden checks and other
United Methodist mail to Pearl Pantry The Hispanic Ministries Community Center has moved Ministries or Living Hope UMC from their previous location to Omaha Dietz Memorial 5602 Read Street UMC. Omaha, NE 68152 at: The physical address for general mail is Website: Hispanic Ministries/Pastor Mariam Peralta de Garcia biggarden.org 1423 S, 10th St 2919 State St. PO Box 3684 Office: Omaha, NE 68112 Omaha, NE 68103 402-898-9862 Questions please email Pastor Mariam at [email protected] Pearl Pantry: All billing or donations should be sent to the 402-614-7452 Missouri River District 7318 Harrison St. Ralston, NE 68128 Questions please email Kris at [email protected]