an edition of the United Methodist Reporter A Publication of The Arkansas Conference of The United Methodist Church Eco-Friendly August 5, 2011 Two Sections, Section A Volume 158 Issue 14 Recycled Paper | Soy Ink 017000 IN THIS ISSUE Children’s ministry network taking root statewide Each red dot on this BY AMY FORBUS map indicates at least Imagine Ministry: Editor one person connected with the Conference new phase begins Council on Children’s In December of last year, a group of United Methodists working in Ministries. The group has 3A children’s ministry met in the Arkansas Conference offi ce. Inspired by a experienced most of this network of children’s ministers in the Northwest District, they wanted to fi nd a growth since the beginning of way to share ideas and resources statewide. 2011, and is looking forward to So with a small budget, the support of the Conference staff and a desire making more connections. for greater connection, they began thinking creatively—and putting those thoughts into action. Th at initial meeting planted the seed for the new Conference Council on Children’s Ministries (CCCM). CCCM now provides resources through its website, meets regularly online and helps establish valuable connections for children’s ministry workers across the state. Changes ahead “It became apparent that a large chunk of our budget would be used for for many travel reimbursement if we continued to meet face to face in Little Rock,” said Karen Swales, minister to families with children at First UMC Springdale and church nurseries Conference coordinator of children’s ministries. “Fortunately, the Arkansas Conference had invested wisely in technology,” 4A she said. “All we needed to do was maximize the technology resources we had available…. Th e Conference owned the web conferencing soft ware, so the cost for this was, literally, priceless.” With the assistance of Conference communications coordinator Patrick Shownes, the group’s next meeting took place via the web conferencing platform Adobe Connect, which allows participants to view materials related to the meeting at the same time. [See CHILDREN, page 6A] The new children’s ministries website, kidz.arumc.org, serves as a primary point of contact for the growing network. Update from the Arkansas team brings pain relief to Uganda Hunger Task Force BY GRACE NAKAJJE decay and wounds. had tooth decay and sores on the East Africa Annual Conference Jody Farrell, the team leader, gum, tongue and the lips. 7A was on his fi fth trip to Uganda and Anena said she developed tooth KOCH COROMA, Uganda his fourth to Anena’s village of Koch sensitivity aft er drinking (UMNS)—Margaret Anena had Coroma. contaminated water at a swamp in lived with acute tooth pain since her “We’ve kept going back to the Koch Goma village, where she took teens, but nothing could be done to same place so we really understand refuge during the civil war. cure her. what the needs are,” said Farrell, “I felt strange pain in my mouth Because health centers are hard director of missions and lay immediately aft er I drank the water,” to reach and the war in Gulu District mobilization at Central United she said. “So it forced me to go back was long, Anena could not get Methodist Church. “People where I fetched it. To my shock, I Grants and training treatment. remember us. We’ve built saw two decomposing bodies Now the United Methodist has relationships.” fl oating, and since then, I have no for local churches received the relief she needed thanks During the trip, he said, his peace in my mouth.” to a medical team from Central team of 19 Arkansans shared the Opio said Anena should not 8A United Methodist Church in gospel and the message that God have any more pain. “We have Fayetteville, Ark. wants people to have a healthy body extracted the most dangerous roots Th e mobile health clinic and a healthy mind. and given her treatment to cure the stopped in Gulu for two days in June. sores in her mouth,” he said. Margaret Anena is treated for a Th e team treated a total of 436 Help for hurt teeth He encouraged the Arkansas severe toothache. She is one of patients—64 of them dental and 372 medical team to provide hundreds of people served by the medical. Th e diseases diagnosed Dr. Ambrose Opio at Gulu demonstrations about how to brush medical mission team to Uganda included respiratory tract infections, Regional Referral Hospital said teeth, use toothpaste and maintain from Central UMC Fayetteville. UMNS PHOTO BY GRACE NAKAJJE gastritis, malaria, ulcers, dental Anena’s case was serious because she [See UGANDA, page 6A] 2A August 5, 2011 EDITOR’S CORNER Learning the art of leadership BY AMY FORBUS BY WILLIAM O. (BUD) REEVES with Imagine Ministry was to listen of the leader. Special Contributor to the constituencies in the Th ere are always multiple conference, and we will have to sides to every issue, but it is better I was thrilled that the Imagine continue that practice. to decide wrongly than to let How to keep being Ministry proposals passed at Annual In my local church, we recently inertia take control. At least if Conference this did a survey on worship practices. you’re moving in the wrong year. Primarily, I We have held focus groups for direction, you’re going somewhere, there, and being hope thought the particular issues, and every three and you can always change Most readers of this paper probably know a particular drill to follow for proposals set a years we go through a strategic directions. disaster relief: good direction for planning process. Th e point is to Leaders must be willing to take 1) A disaster strikes—for example, a fl ood, tornado, earthquake, disease United listen to the people, because any the heat for a decision that is outbreak or even something created by human action. Methodists in input is valuable. Even negative unpopular or goes badly, and when 2) In response, we give to the United Methodist Committee on Relief Arkansas. But I comments are instructional—maybe there is a victory, to share the credit (UMCOR), knowing the UMCOR team is already on the move to alleviate had also invested more so. among others who were responsible. suff ering. a great deal of Bud Reeves Leaders learn. More than two Leaders love. In the fi nal 3) In addition to giving fi nancially, many of us also will give by sending time and thought decades ago, in their book Leaders, analysis, we are not running a supplies—health kits, cleaning buckets and more—as well as UMCOR- in the process, Warren Bennis business; we are a certifi ed Early Response Teams. Later, our Volunteers in Mission teams and I didn’t want to see it all go and Burt Nanus ‘In the final analysis, community of will help rebuild. down in fl ames! identifi ed the most faith. If our love We also know that when we give through UMCOR, 100 percent of the Nevertheless, I also knew that common fails, so do we. We money we off er toward a specifi c need goes directly to meet that need. But how the passage of the proposals was characteristic of forget at our own does UMCOR make that happen? only the beginning of a long process successful business we are not running peril the old saw, Th e answer: One Great Hour of Sharing. Without this special off ering, of deep change that will take years leaders: Th ey are “Nobody cares UMCOR wouldn’t be able to route all of our disaster relief gift s to the places to accomplish. My reply to those “lifelong learners.” how much you they will help the most—including places within the boundaries of our own who congratulated me personally Th e instructional a business; we are a know until they Conference. Just this year, we have received $30,000 in UMCOR disaster relief became, “One step down, a curve for know how much grants. thousand to go!” But at least we’re leadership never you care.” One Great Hour of Sharing keeps UMCOR’s electricity on and the phone on the way. stops. community of faith. Jesus asked bills paid. It covers the staffi ng necessary to allow for quick response to What this process will require Th ere are us to do two unexpected need. for the foreseeable future is an always new ideas, things: love God One Great Hour of Sharing ensures that when a disaster strikes, the unprecedented quality of leadership books, articles, If our love fails, and neighbor. infrastructure already is in place, allowing us, as many of UMCOR’s materials in the church—from bishops, seminars that help Leaders remember beckon, to “Be Th ere. Be Hope.” district superintendents, pastors and us do our ministry why we’re Yet, in 2010, just 165 out of 692 United Methodist congregations in lay leaders at every level of the better. Even aft er here—to love one Arkansas sent money from a One Great Hour of Sharing off ering. Th at’s fewer organization. While there are 30 years, there are so do we.’ another. Th e most than 25 percent of our churches. parallels between our situation now new tricks this old cantankerous So I’m taking a moment of personal privilege on behalf of one of my and earlier eras—the Wesleyan dog can learn. We have to Christian in the Kingdom is still a favorite organizations to ask a blunt question: Revival, the Protestant Reformation, continually “sharpen the saw,” as brother or sister in Christ.