WI Conference News & Ministry Opportunities

 

 

 

The new edition of Reflections is now available online, and is being delivered to clergy, lay leadership groups, and subscribers. This edition includes a feature of the Statewide Mission Celebration, a profile of the UMC Refugee Resettlement House in Milwaukee, an invitation to Change the World May 19^th - 20^th, a highlight of the loving care that the United Methodist Hospitals Ministry provides, and more. Reflections is a print publication that includes a combination of feature editorials, articles and information from the Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church, as well as national and worldwide news from the denomination. Reflections is also available as a download on the Wisconsin Conference website. If you are interested in receiving the printed version and/or want additional copies for your church, contact Michele Virnig at mvirnig@wisconsinumc.org or 888-240-7328.

 

Bishop Linda Lee announced on January 30, 2012 the appointment of Rev. Jorge Luis Mayorga Solis as pastor of Salem United Methodist Church, Waukesha, Wisconsin. Rev Mayorga will begin his new appointment July 1, 2012. He will follow the Rev Linda Vance who is retiring June 30, 2012. Rev Mayorga has served for eight years as a District Superintendent. In his eight years he has served as superintendent for 4 districts in 2 regions, serving the Nicolet Winnebago Districts and the Metro North and South Districts. Read more.

 

Bishop Linda Lee is attending and preaching at the first-ever African Clergywomen’s Consultation February 2^nd - 4^th in Mutare, Zimbabwe. The consultation will gather representatives from Africa University, and College of Bishops, as well as women from locations including: Central Congo, Côte d' Ivoire, Burundi, Uganda, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, North Katanga, South Congo, West Angola, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. The consultation will consist of worship, Biblical interpretation, plenary, recognition of new clergywomen and retirees, performances by the Africa University choir, and a keynote address by Rev. Dr. Beauty Maenzanise. Bishop Lee will preach during the closing worship.

 

Last call for registrations for An International Church: Vision and Reality retreat February 10^th - 11^th at Pine Lake Camp. An official proposal from the Connectional Table for a major reshaping of our denominational structure will be considered by the 2012 General Conference. Other voices are raising questions that could shape the proposed restructuring differently. In the mix as we look towards the future is the rapid growth of the UMC on the continent of Africa and in the Philippines, while church membership in the U.S. and Europe continues to decline, shaping the internal culture of our denomination. Join us at Pine Lake as we have the opportunity to understand what is being proposed for future denominational structure and explore other key issues that are shaping the future direction of United Methodism. Read more. You may register directly via email with the event registrar at c13135@aol.com.

 

The Metro Districts Vision Team invites pastors, church leaders and all others who want to see their church grow and flourish to attend the Metro District Conference Saturday, February 11^th, from 3:45 – 5 p.m. The event will take place at the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay, located at 819 E. Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee. Parking on-street or in lot(s) west of the church. Child care is available for those who arrange it with the church office by calling 414-964-2424. Each congregation is asked to bring a contribution from your church for an offering; half will go to Shalom Zone in Milwaukee and half to Milwaukee: Summerfield UMC’s Meals for the Homeless. Both emerging ministries are operating on a shoestring and need our help! Also, each congregation is asked to be prepared to place in the offering plate, the name and contact data for a person authorized by your congregation, so that Summerfield UMC can call that person to discuss and confirm the ways in which your church will help them with their Saturday Meals for the Homeless.

NOTE: The Reggie McNeal workshop takes place from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on February 11^th. Participants are encouraged to attend the workshop, stay for the Metro District Conference, and then come back for the free evening with Reggie McNeal.

 

Author, preacher, and leading authority on church outreach and mission Reggie McNeal will be at the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay February 11^th - 12^th. McNeal will be featured at three different events:

v A Leadership Development Workshop Day, February 11^th, 9 - 3 p.m.

v An evening of inspiration for our hearts and lives as well as our churches, February 11^th, 7 - 8:30 p.m. followed by a dessert reception.

v Sunday morning preaching at 9 and 10:30 a.m. services.

More information can be found on the church's website. Register online or call the church at 414-964-2424. There is a cost only for the workshop. Churches are encouraged to "Fill a Pew" for the evening event, which is free. This weekend is made possible by a number of grants including the Wisconsin UM Foundation, the Metro Districts, the Foundation and Memorials Committee of the UMCWFB and the church's budget.

 

WISDOM, a faith-based organization that includes representation from 145 congregations and 19 different religious traditions across Wisconsin, is hosting a kick-off event for their 11x15 campaign February 20^th at 12 p.m. at the Capitol. (Meet at Grace Episcopal Church at 11 a.m.) The goal of the 11x15 campaign is to reduce Wisconsin’s prison population to 11,000 by the end of 2015 in order to have a safer, healthier state. Join policy makers, spiritual leaders and professionals to hear the evidence so we can make responsible, effective, and moral decisions to create a safer, healthier community. For more information, view the online flyer or call 608-270-9711.   

 

v Spiritual Growth Day Retreat, February 25^th, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., St. Anthony’s Retreat Center, Marathon: We’ll take a test to identify our ideal prayer styles, and then divide up into sessions about Visual Prayer, Prayer through Music, Intrapersonal Prayer, Praying through Creation, Verbal Prayer, and others. Cost is $15 per person and includes lunch. The sessions are suitable for people of all ages, not just confirmands. Registration is due by February 13^th. For more information or to register, contact your local pastor or contact Wausau First UMC at 715-842-2201 or mfumc@fumcwausau.org. 

v Wesleyan Heritage Overnight Retreat, March 16^th, 5:30 p.m. - March 17^th, 2 p.m., Pine Lake Camp, Westfield: What’s different about Methodists? This retreat will cover: Methodist history and theology and how it shapes us today, missions and social justice in the Methodist tradition, and structure of the Methodist church in Wisconsin and worldwide. There will also be a closing worship and communion service led by Rev. Steve Polster, assistant to the Bishop. Although geared toward youth, these programs are interesting for people of all ages. The retreat cost, including overnight lodging, supper, breakfast, and lunch, is $38 per youth (14 and under) and $50 per adult. We will be staying in the Pine Center, which offers bunk beds. For more information or to register, contact your pastor or Mosinee UMC at 715-693-2125 or mumc@mosineeumc.org. Registration forms and fees are due by February 29^th. Space is limited, so respond soon!

For more information, visit the Wisconsin Conference UMC website.

 

The East Angola Task Force is pleased to announce that Jorge Mucuta, a former student living in the Quessua Boarding House, will visit and itinerate in Wisconsin March 6^th to March 11^th. Jorge has now graduated and will soon attend law school in Angola. We would like to take Jorge around to meet with churches and youth groups so he can tell his story and perhaps raise some funds for the Boarding House. If you would be willing to host a gathering for Jorge or provide lodging while he is here, please contact Lamarr Gibson at lgibson@wisconsinumc.org, or Deborah Thompson at dthompson@wisconsinumc.org or 888-240-7328.

 

Embracing an Adult Faith: Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This Before?, presentations by Dr. Marcus Borg, will take place Friday, April 20^th, through Saturday, April 21^st, at New Richmond High School, located at 650 Richmond Way, New Richmond, WI  54017. The presentations on Friday will take place from 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. (6 p.m. registration) and the presentations on Saturday will take place from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (8 a.m. registration). Through our time together, Dr. Borg will help us bring fresh questions to our 21^st century spiritual lives and faith. Cost is $65 per person; $55 per person before April 1^st. For more information, view the online event brochure or visit the Wisconsin Conference UMC website. To register, visit www.riverfallsumc.org or call the River Falls UMC office at 715-425-6233. The deadline to register is April 8^th.

 

The walls are all up and the trusses in place on the new youth lodge at Lake Lucerne! The roof is expected to be completed by the end of January. Watch the progress on the Lucerne Facebook page or website. We will soon be working on the interior that will include about 6,000 board feet of Lucerne lumber (downed in recent storms) that has been taken to the sawmill for drying and finish work to turn it into tongue and groove paneling for the interior of the new youth lodge. 

 

v Recovery Continues in Alabama: North Alabama continues to work towards recovery after an outbreak of tornadoes ripped through the Conference April 27, 2011, then again January 22, 2012. Conference personnel are asking for prayers as damage assessments are made and the full impact of this storm is becoming clear. You can help UMCOR provide assistance when disaster strikes by sending your check to the Wisconsin Conference UMC Treasurer for U.S. Disaster Response, Conference Fund number 5965.

v Aid for Fire Survivors in Chile: Some 140 families who survived wildfires that ripped through the Biobio Region of Chile on December 29^th will receive much-needed food aid from the Methodist Humanitarian Aid Team (EMAH), an UMCOR partner. The fires destroyed 25,000 hectares of land and displaced more than 500 people. To help, please send your check to the Wisconsin Conference UMC Treasurer for Chile Emergency, UMCOR Advance #3021178.

v Fair Trade: Reali-tea: A member of the West Los Angeles United Methodist Church will get to experience firsthand what goes into a cup of tea. The congregation won Equal Exchange’s contest for most creative tea promotion. The reward is a trip to India where the winner will visit one of Equal Exchange’s fair-trade tea producers. UMCOR partner Equal Exchange promotes and sells fairly traded goods such as coffee, tea, cocoa, and other snacks. Their interfaith program allows your purchases to give back to UMCOR Sustainable Agriculture and Development programs. To support these efforts, send your check to the Wisconsin Conference UMC Treasurer for Sustainable Agriculture and Development, UMCOR Advance #982188.

 

v Free Lenten Devotions Program Available: The Society of St. Andrew invites your congregation to participate in our 2012 Lenten devotion and giving program, Living Proof. Each day during Lent, our gifted and talented writers, through scripture and prayer, share where they have seen Jesus at work in the world. As you make the journey to the cross this year, use these devotions and prayers to reflect on your own “Living Proof of Jesus Christ.” Learn more. For more information or to place an order, contact Rev. Jennifer Vestal Moore at 800-333-4597 or church@endhunger.org.

v SPRC Training PowerPoint Available: The PowerPoint presentation from the 2012 Staff-Parish Relations Committee Training session is available on the Wisconsin Conference UMC website.  

v Celebrating Black History Month: Between 1500 and 1866, 12.5 million Africans were brought to the Western Hemisphere in the slave trade. Approximately 15% died in the Middle Passage, resulting in about 11 million surviving African slaves. Approximately 450,000 of those were brought to the American colonies or the United States, the vast majority being taken to the Caribbean, Central and South America. (Henry Louis Gates, Jr., author, Life Upon These Shores: Looking at African American History 1500-2008, in a speech at the Atlanta History Center, Dec. 13, 2011, broadcast on C-SPAN2 BOOK TV, Jan. 29, 2012) It is the contributions to music and worship of these 450,000 and their descendants that have so influenced Christian hymnody and song and remain the most influential factor in the worship music of today and where it’s going in the future.

v FEMA Encourages Americans Across the Country to Join More Than One Million in Public Earthquake Drill: Nine states across the central U.S. will participate in The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut on Tuesday, February 7^th, at 10:15 a.m. CST. This second-annual central U.S. ShakeOut is a public earthquake drill organized and coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and its Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Geological Survey, and dozens of other partners. FEMA is encouraging everyone across the central United States to participate in the event, including schools, businesses, governments and other organizations. Read more.

 

v Epworth League 2012 Internship Program Availble: Sullivan, Wisconsin, May 28 - August 19, 2012. For more information, read the online brochure.

v The Nehemiah Mission - Three Summer Intern Positions for 2012: The positions require individuals with at least one year of college, a valid drivers' license, insurance and a desire to serve the inner city and interact with visiting mission teams. For more information, contact the mission director. The Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland rebuilds the lives and homes of the physically and fiscally challenged of Cleveland through volunteer mission teams who improve living environments in order to sow seeds of hope for individuals and neighborhoods. Visit their website.

v Deadline Extended for US-2 and Mission Internships: Address the causes of injustice and live the Gospel alongside communities and organizations seeking peace by applying to become a US-2 or Mission Intern. The deadline has been extended to February 19, 2012. For more information, click here. Placement site applications are due in March (see link for details).

 

v First United Methodist Church of Racine Seeks a Church Choir Director. Read more.

v First United Methodist Church in Baraboo Seeks a Part-Time Administrator. Read more.

v Christ United Methodist Church in Watertown Seeks a Part-Time Choir Director and/or Bell Choir Director. Read more.

v Monona United Methodist Church Seeks a Director of Christian Education. Read more.

v Free Metal Sign Letters Available: Edgerton United Methodist Church has several boxes of metal letters for signs in various sizes. For more information, please email officeeumc@gmail.com or call 608-884-6931. 

v 15-Passenger Van Needed to Borrow or Rent: Edgerton United Methodist Church's Youth Mission Group is in need of a 15-passenger van to travel to our mission location this July. If you have a van we can borrow or rent, please call our church office at 608-884-6931 or email us at officeeumc@gmail.com.

 

If you have a Conference-related event, a hallelujah moment or a newsworthy story that you want included in ENEWS, or if you have a suggestion for ENEWS, please contact: mvirnig@wisconsinumc.org. Please send your submissions by the Friday prior to the week you would like the information featured. Note that ENEWS is also posted weekly on the home page under Newsletters at www.wisconsinumc.org. If you experience a web problem after hours, please report the issue to 608-729-4349.

 

Best regards,

Director of Communications
Wisconsin Conference UMC

888-240-7328