March 24, 2009
Iowa Conference News
PAUMCS Comes to Des Moines
Have you registered for the 2009 PAUMCS Conference yet?
The Iowa United Methodist Secretaries Organization (UMISO) is this year’s host of the annual Professional Association of United Methodist Church Secretaries (PAUMCS) conference. From April 30 through May 3, secretaries and administrative staff from around the country will gather in Des Moines for worship, workshops and fellowship around the theme, “Sowing Seeds of Promise.” Lana Ross, Executive Director of the Iowa Community Action Association, is a keynote speaker. She’ll be sharing some of Iowa’s initiatives to become energy independent; participants will have an opportunity to “think green” about their community by building on what they learn from Lana. This is an event you won’t want to miss! Click here for more information, including the full brochure and a schedule of events.
Please contact Char Williams or Karla Haynes with any questions about the PAUMCS conference or Iowa’s chapter, UMISO.
Praise Band for Annual Conference
The Board of Laity is looking for a praise band to lead the opening worship music for the Laity Session on Thursday June 4, 2009 at Iowa Annual Conference in Ames. The time frame is approximately 1:45 pm - 2:30 pm. Contact Dave Decker at deckia@iowaconnect.com or call Dave at 641-456-2087 if your band (full or partial) would like to serve in this way.
Michael Card Concert in Ames
Christian songwriter, singer, and author Michael Card in Concert
Sunday, May 31 - 7:00 pm - Ames Middle School – Ames, Iowa
This fund-raising concert is sponsored by the First United Methodist Church in Ames. Proceeds will support the Appalachia Service Project and the 49 youth and adults who are traveling from Ames to Tennessee this summer to roof homes, hang doors, dig ditches…and the list goes on and on. These volunteers will be the hands and feet of Christ to people in struggling mountain communities.
Click HERE for ticket sales and contact information!
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New Online Learning, Discussion and Conversation
The Office of Pastoral Care and Counseling - Iowa Annual Conference
invites you to sign up now: Courses begin May 4, 2009. Each course will run 4 weeks - you may choose confidential email tag for the discussion board.
Enneagram - the personality type indicator of spiritual foundation - introductory
Rev. Dr. David Morris, instructor
(note there is a fee for this course- Rev. Morris will discuss that with you)
Failure of Nerve: Spiritual Leadership in the 21st century - a conversation together
Dr. Mary Fraser, instructor
To sign up - please contact Rev. David Morris at revdave@gomorris.net
each course may include recommended reading. All courses will be designed using the moodle online service.
Beje Clark Justice Award
recognition for the work of justice, Iowa United Methodist Board of Church & Society
Nominations are now being received for the 2009 Beje Clark Justice Award.
The honoree may be an individual, a group or a church that has pioneered an initiative for justice locally or globally.
The work of justice is defined as an effort to identify and challenge root causes of injustice.
The honoree will be an Iowa individual, group or congregation whose efforts have had an impact in Iowa — to alter unjust circumstances, change attitudes, educate and encourage others to work for justice.
Honorees need not be United Methodist.
Please contact Jim Pemble (515.250.5063 / mjp150@msn.com) or Carlos Jayne (515.285.5383 / revcjayne@mchsi.com) with any questions.
Click here for the nomination form. Nominations are due April 10, 2009.
Mail to: Kristin Clark Nolan
Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church
2301 Rittenhouse Street, Des Moines, IA 50321-3101
(must be postmarked by April 10)
Email to: kristin.clarknolan@iaumc.org
Does Your Church Need a New Loan or to Refinance an Existing One?
The Iowa United Methodist Church Building Fund Trust makes loans to local churches for the purposes of building new buildings, renovation or additions to existing facilities, repairs, purchasing land or even buying a parsonage. The Trust also has refinancing options for high-interest loans.
Please contact us for more information:
Iowa United Methodist Church Building Fund Trust
churchloan@iaumc.org
2301 Rittenhouse Street
Des Moines, IA 50321
515-974-8927
THE IOWA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH BUILDING FUND TRUST
is offering one year investments with a current rate of: 3.00%*
This investment is open to all United Methodist Individuals, Churches and Agencies. Investments are used to provide loans to United Methodist Churches in Iowa
Please contact us for more information:
Iowa United Methodist Foundation
2301 Rittenhouse Street
Des Moines, IA 50321
515-974-8927
*Please note rates may change without notice; rate shown is for week of 3/23/09
United Methodist and Other News
Heifer International Matching Grant
Heifer has received a generous matching grant opportunity to go directly toward an urgent project in China.
Every gift made right now to Heifer will be matched dollar for dollar to help families devastated by last year’s catastrophic 8.0 earthquake.
This matching gift grant allows you to double your giving impact for the families who are desperately trying to recover from the loss of more than 43 million head of livestock in the areas affected by the earthquake.
A gift of $25 will become $50. And a donation of $50 will provide $100 worth of resources to help families rebuild their lives.
According to our latest figures, more than 3,200 Heifer livestock were killed in our 33 project villages in Sichuan, including Chengdu. And in Baichao Township, 90 percent of people became homeless.
Give now and your donation will be doubled!
Our initial relief effort helped many people begin the process of recovery, but sustainable, long-term solutions are now needed.
Many of these families are subsistent farmers – they depend on the land and animals for survival. Without replacement livestock, they face a very grim future.
Donate today and double your impact for these struggling families. It took only a moment for their world to crumble. It will take you only a few minutes to help them rebuild.
Medical Team Consultation
May 1-3, 2009
Church of the Dunes UMC, Grand Haven, MI
It’s All about Community Based Primary Health Care (CBPHC)
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Shobha R. Arole, Associate Director, Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Jamkhed, India www.jamkhed.org will be joining us for this exciting weekend! Teams and individuals will learn how medical UMVIM teams can incorporate components of Community Based Primary Health Care when they go to serve! She will be one of the featured plenary speakers on Friday evening and the plenary speaker on Saturday morning. Dr. Shobha will have other parts to play throughout the weekend including a workshop on Community Assessment. This is a rare opportunity to interact with Shobha and we hope you will take advantage of it!
Anyone interested in United Methodist Missions, medical UMVIM teams, and/or the new Mission Focus areas of the General Church should attend this event! We will be focusing on one of the areas – Global Health – and how medical UMVIM teams can fit into the goal of taking at least one component of Community Based Primary Health Care to leave behind in whatever community or clinic they serve. Dr. Cherian Thomas, General Board of Global Ministries will lead us through the new plan for the Global Health Initiative. Landon Taylor, coordinator of Individual Volunteer program for Mission Volunteers will lead a workshop on the need for health professionals as Individual Volunteers and where they might serve for two months or longer. Dr. Roger Boe, veteran participant in our consultations will address two topics, MRSA, (Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus) and Maternal and Child Health. Other workshop topics include Spiritual Formation, Dental Teams, Appropriate Technologies for Overseas, Pharmacy Information, Nutrition program at Kissy UMC Hospital, and Anesthesiology in the Developing World.
Information and Registration forms < http://www.gbgm-umc.org/northcentralvim/rxconnexion.html> or write Lorna Jost, Coordinator, UMVIM-NCJ, < umvim-ncj@brookings.net> for them. Questions related to the Host Church or area should be directed to Bronwen Kram bmkram@comcast.net Click here for flyer. Registration Due by April 15, 2009!
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Do You Want to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?
Over 200 congregations in Iowa are currently involved in working to reduce their carbon footprints. Your congregation could be part of this exciting movement. Maybe your congregation already has a group in place working toward the same goal. In the spirit of faith partnerships, we at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines are delighted to offer an interfaith workshop on Saturday, April 18! We would like to invite you and a few members of your congregation to join us for one of two workshops:
Cool Congregations*
Learn how to organize a meaningful new dimension to your stewardship program in which interested congregants make a faith-based pledge to reduce their global warming emissions by taking energy efficient actions, often saving money in the process! Participants will calculate their carbon footprint, find ways to reduce it, and learn how to organize a "Cool Congregations" stewardship program in their congregation.
Green Team Networking
At the same time, we will be offering a networking workshop for congregations that have already sent people to a Cool Congregations workshop and established a green team to address the problems of global warming. The intent of this session is to share our experiences, successes, and concerns and to band together to present programs to our congregations and to the public.
The two groups will converge for the last part of the morning to enjoy a presentation, exhibits, and fellowship.
Saturday, April 18, 2009, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Check-In begins at 8:30 a.m.
Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ
4126 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines, Iowa
To register for this great opportunity, please go to http://plymouthgreen.org
Questions or need registration forms by mail? Contact Lisa Kamphuis, Registrar, at likamphuis@aol.com or call the Plymouth church office at 255-3149.
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Operation Classroom announces the following UMVIM team opportunities:
Renovate the Women's Center at Kissy -- new windows, doors, roofing block work, plumbing and electrical. This is one of the important ministries of the United Methodist Women in Sierra Leone.
Estimated project cost is $14,000.
Construct a chapel/auditorium at the Makeni Secondary School, Makeni. The school has an enrollment of over 800 students and has no auditorium or chapel. Estimated project cost is $26,000.
Construction of a 616 foot concrete fence around the Kercher Memorial UMC compound, Kenema, Sierra Leone. The church compound is not fenced. This will stop the encroachment of the land by others. Estimated project cost is $9500.
For more information contact:Joseph Wagner:wagners@operationclassroom.org
or visit their website: www.operationclassroom.org
Operation Classroom is an Advance Project and is a mission program of the Indiana Conference. Sierra Leone Operation Classroom Advance # 12922A. Upgrading education and training teachers in partnership with the Church
Liberia Operation Classroom Advance # 3020494 Upgrading education and healthcare and training counselors in partnership with the Church
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mid-week update is a ministry of the Communications Ministry Team
of the Iowa Annual Conference
