TableTalk

August 26, 2008
Vol. 14 No. 8 For Church Leaders Gathered at The Table
TABLETALK is a publication of The Rocky Mountain Conference Office of Communications
Information and Concerns of RMC Leadership, for RMC Leadership
Send information to Ben Roe, ben at rmcumc dot com Fax:303-733-1730 Voice: 303-325-7046
Mail: 6110 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Web address: rmcumc.org/News/table/

Conference News and Resources

New Bishop Installation Service Announced

A service celebrating the assignment of a Bishop to an Area will be held for Bishop Elaine J. W. Stanovsky, Oct. 12, 2008, 2:00 pm at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 3350 White Bay Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 (www.st-andrew-umc.com). A reception will follow after the service.

Bishop Elaine J. W. Stanovsky was assigned to the Denver Episcopal Area at the Western Jurisdictional Conference held in Portland OR this past July. She begins her assignment in the Denver Area on Sept. 1, 2008. Leaders from the two conferences that make up the Denver Area, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain, will participate in the service.

The fall is a busy time, but hopefully, as you are able, you will make every effort to attend and welcome our new Bishop. More information about this event will be forthcoming shortly. Blessings upon your week. – Skip Strickland, Director of Mission and Ministry

Director of Mission and Ministry Brings Fall Greetings

At our recent annual conference session the vision and mission statements for the Rocky Mountain Conference were shortened to read:

Conference Vision:
Manifesting the Love and Reign of God

Conference Mission:
Celebrating God
Creating Sacred Change.

As the fall season begins, how will your church inspire people to engage their whole being to celebrate God and invite others to share in a celebration so strong, it will create sacred change and open doors for the love and reign of God to be manifested? May this questions guide our collective work in this time of transition.

Bishop and Minnie Brown, have spent the week packing and having the items of their home placed in a moving van which will move them to Sacramento, California. Bishop Brown will serve as our Bishop through August 31st, and is working to wrap up his supervisory assignment in the Denver Area.

There will be a quick turn around at the episcopal residence and towards the end of the month, another moving van will arrive with the household items of Bishop Elaine and husband Clinton Stanovsky. Bishop Elaine, has been busy wrapping up her work as a District Superintendent in the Pacific Northwest Conference and has begun to discuss transition plans with various leaders in the Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain Conferences. Bishop Elaine, begins her supervisory assignment in the Denver Area September 1, 2008

Continue to pray for both families in this time of transition. If you think about it, the turn around time for Bishops, from assignment to starting work, is often shorter than many conference clergy appointments.

Information about upcoming important events involving Bishop Elaine, will be coming out shortly. Stay turned for more Olym... whoops, I mean conference coverage.

Blessing upon finishing up summer and entering the busy time of fall. – Skip Strickland, Director of Mission and Ministry

Karen Gibson Graduates

Kansas City, MO-On Thursday, July 31, 2008, Karen Gibson of the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Conference graduated from the Saint Paul School of Theology Course of Study School. Karen and Phil Gibson serve the Friendship UMC in Craig. Congratulations, Karen! Photo here: http://rmcumc.org/Community/YaBB.pl?num=1218139713/0#0

Scott UMC Young Adult Wins Olympic Bronze

David Oliver, a young man who grew up in Scott UMC in Denver, won a bronze medal in the 110 meter low hurdles in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He was one hundredth of a second behind the silver winner! His mother was there to see his win, thanks in part to the generousity of Scott folks. You can see him and his bio here. Yahoo has more info and photos here.

The Denver Post ran a large photo of him with its story, August 21.

Church/Charge Conference Forms on Web

Forms used in charge and church conferences are now on the RMCUMC.org web site, under Church Information->District Sites->"District and Charge Conference Forms" or, using the top drop-down menu bar, Resources->Forms->Church/Charge Conference. Or go directly there.

Conference Board of Lay Ministry Web Site Moved and Updated

Visit the RMCUMC.org web site to see the new Board of Lay Ministry web site: found under "About" -> "Boards, Committees" -> "Lay Ministry" OR "Ministries" -> "Lay Ministry" OR "Conference Information" -> "Board of Lay Ministry."

The site has the current membership of the Board with email addresses, notes from the Conference Lay Leader, lay speaking courses, links to UMW and UMM.

Hispanic Ministries

Quick Survey: Are you interested in exploring further opportunities for you and/or your church in Hispanic Ministries? Please e-mail Nancy Butterfield (nancyb@rmcumc.com) if you would like to be included on our list of persons and churches interested in Hispanic Ministries in the Rocky Mountain Conference. – Jaime Nieves, District Coordinator, Hispanic/Latino Ministries, Denver Metro Area

Pathway to Retirement Seminar Reminder

The Conference Board of Pensions and Health Benefits "Pathway to Retirement" Seminar September 25-26, 2008 still has room. It will be held at the Holiday Inn, Denver West Village, Golden. This is more than just a pre-retirement seminar. It will be open to all clergy and laity enrolled in the UMPIP plan. The time to start preparing for retirement is as soon as you enter the work force so this seminar will be geared to all ages with a financial planning seminar for the younger clergy. Brochures were mailed July 31 and are also on the RMCUMC.org web, under "Conference News."

New Tithe Report Out

“And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony . . . They . . . pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.” --Acts 2:44-45, The Message

Thank you for your continued support of the mission and ministry of the Rocky Mountain Conference and the United Methodist Church as a whole! Your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness help us all share God’s love within and outside of our Church. When we all share what we have, together we can do much more.

Your Money At Work In The General United Methodist Church
Thank you for supporting the World Service Fund, our primary outreach throughout the world!

Just under 15 cents of every local church dollar tithed to RMC supports this General Church Fund.

Our generous giving enables Christian mission and ministry around the world through age-level programs, camps and retreats, Christian education, colleges and universities, media, global mission, ecumenical cooperation, leadership training, peace and justice, stewardship, worship and much more.

World Service becomes our voice, expressing our commitment to build a church and a people dedicated to making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

July Tithing income, based on June receipts in local churches, totaled $411,464. This is an increase over previous months and helped all of us meet our cash flow obligations during what can be difficult summer months. A detailed Tithing report, by church, is available for your information on the Conference web site (Resources->Finances). A graph reflects Conference-wide church giving comparisons to last year 2007.

If you have any questions regarding the Tithing program, please contact Laurie Day, Asst. Treasurer--Donor Services (ext. 162) or Wayne Bettendorf, Conference Treasurer (ext. 151) at 800-536-3736 or 303-733-3736.

Communications Committee To Receive Used Computers

A quantity of used computers (PCs) have been offered to the Conference Communications Committee. They will come without software or licenses for an operating system, so CCC members will install a free and open source operating system and office software, or for a small fee install Windows XP and a free office suite (OpenOffice) and other free software. The computers are not powerful enough to run Windows Vista. If you or your church is in need of updating, respond to this e-mail and you'll be put on a list of interested parties as we determine how many we will be offered. For more information or questions, contact Ben@rmcumc.com or 303-325-7046 or 800-536-3736x146.

RMC Clergy Reads Bible With Jewish Eyes

Longmont area United Methodist churches invite everyone to join us on Sept. 7, 8, and 9 to learn from Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter as she presents "Reading the Bible With Jewish Eyes" at Longs Peak United Methodist Church. While this is a three-night Bible study, each evening's topic is entirely self contained, so if attending all three evenings isn't possible, please come once or twice as schedules allow. Sunday begins at 4:30 PM with a pot-luck dinner. Class runs from 5:30 to 8:00 PM. On Monday and Tuesday, class is from 6 to 8 PM. Child care will be provided on all three nights. This learning opportunity is presented by First UMC, Longmont and Long's Peak UMC thanks in part to a networking ministry grant from the Conference Board of Discipleship. If you are curious about the Jewish roots of Christianity, their meanings, and where they can be clearly seen in the New Testament, do not miss this opportunity! Long's Peak UMC is located at 1421 Elmhurst Dr., Longmont, CO 80503. Phone is (303) 776-0399.

Reminder: Amy-Jill Levine Speaks at University Park UMC, Denver

" Recovering the Punch of the Parables of Jesus: Hearing with First-Century Jewish Ears"
Dr. Levine was named as one of the major voices in the top ten religion stories by TIME magazine earlier this year. She is an orthodox Jew and Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. She is also the author of "The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus." She is now presenting all over the world in addition to the United States, and we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to experience her insight, her humor, and her wisdom.

Her basic premise is that, "If you get the (Jewish) context wrong, you will certainly get Jesus wrong." She provokes honest conversation about how Christians and Jews should understand Jesus, the New Testament, and each other. Come and learn about familiar parables from a perspective that you may never have heard before.

Friday, September 5 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, September 6 from 9 a.m. to noon
University Park UMC, Main Sanctuary, 2180 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80120
(Iliff is graciously opening their parking lot to participants.)

Admission is by pre-purchased tickets only. Cost is $10 for Friday night; $20 for Saturday; or $25 for both events. Registration forms are available at www.universityparkumc.org or on the RMC web-site for brochure and more info.

Sponsored by the Society for Growth in Parish Ministry; Co-coordinator for this event is Rev. Marla Kauerz, mkauerz@earthlink.net

On Sacred Ground: Faith & The Environment Conference, Casper

Living in the Present: Awareness to Action
Sept. 4-6, Ramada Plaza Riverside, Casper
"The universe is a communion of subjects rather than a collection of objects" -- Thomas Berry, Eco-Theologian

Keynote Addresses by:
Peter Illyn, Founder and Executive Director, "Restoring Eden"
Peter Sawtell, Executive Director, "Eco-Justice Ministries"

Many workshops and field trips.

Sponsored by Wyoming Association of Churches and Wyoming Conservation Voters Education Fund. More info: www.wcvedfund.org or 307-335-8796

Study Resource: JustFaith Looks at Faith and Action

Imagine, for a moment, a congregation where people are passionate about social mission, a place where God’s justice is proclaimed and lived out. Where members are being drawn to care for the poor, protect the earth, and become peacemakers in their home, communities, work and beyond.

This is happening in congregations across the United States right now through JustFaith. Since beginning about 10 years ago at a church in Kentucky, the JustFaith program has now been embraced by more than 900 congregations. More than 15,000 people have participated in this transformative program. Much more here.

Holy Land Trip Opportunity

February 8 to 18, 2009, Rev. TL Phillips from Wheat Ridge UMC and Rev. Linda Gertenbach (Peace with Justice Facilitator and also serving at Wheat Ridge) will be leading a trip to the Holy Land with Educational Opportunities' Living Stones Mission. During this trip we will visit the Biblical sites which inform our faith and spend some time with Palestinian Christians, including Bishop Elias Chacour, visit the Sabeel Center, schools and hospitals, the Holocaust Museum, and experience first-hand the reality of the Palestinian/Israeli situation today. We will have a preliminary meeting on August 31 at Wheat Ridge UMC at noon. Our travel consultant will be there to explain the trip and answer questions. The cost of the trip will be $3,000 per person. A deposit of $300 will be due shortly after the Aug. 31 meeting. We hope many of you interested in learning more about and experiencing the situation in Israel/Palestine in addition to visiting Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Nazareth, Bethany, Jericho etc. will join us. Detailed brochures are available from our office or by emailing Linda Gertenbach at gertenbach@comcast.net or Rev TL Phillips at RevTL@wheatridgeumc.org

Leading Contemplative Gatherings Training Offered in Denver

Sponsored by Spiritual Direction Colorado in partnership with Oasis Ministries, Camp Hill, PA and in cooperation with Central Presbyterian Church, Denver

How can we create a safe environment for seasoned believers and youthful seekers to recount their sacred stories and find direction? If you feel called to lead spiritual retreats or short-term groups, this experience will provide skills for creating a contemplative ethos in limited time and for mining participant’s gifts. As we model this meditative atmosphere, you will experience ways to build community, balance presentations with silence and conversation, and to incorporate prayer with music, movement, films, and art. Designing an event prepares leader’s own heart and mind; out of this awareness of gifts and vulnerabilities the leader prepares the event.

Who should attend? Any who desire to integrate contemplative practices in group and retreat leadership and in personal life: lay leaders, pastors, youth ministers, educators, students, and those in specialized ministries. Dates and much more info, brochure at this web link.

Missions News

Missionaries to Visit This Fall

A GBGM agricultural missionary will be visiting the Rocky Mountain Conference early next month, Sep 3-9, 2008. Mozart Adevu, a Ghanaian, is a GBGM missionary who works throughout West Africa with UMCOR Sustainable Agric Dev Program in West Africa. You can see his picture and biography here. His itinerary is full now, but you can consider hosting The Mefors:

7000% Inflation! How do a United Methodist doctor and nurse witness in Zimbabwe? Dr. Emmanuel and Florence Mefor will be visiting in our conference from Oct. 3-Nov. 9th and would like to share their amaxing stories with local UM congregations. Please contact Joanie Calhoun at 303-955-1185 or jimnjo30@aol.com for information.

Conference Board of Global Ministries Web Site Updated

There are some new additions to the CBGM web site at RMCUMC.org: three new missionary letters, the list of missionaries related to the Rocky Mountain Conference, and the form used to establish a "Covenant Relationship" with a missionary. Contact Joanie Calhoun at 303-955-1185 or jimnjo30@aol.com for more information.

The pages may be found in several ways:
" About" -> "Boards, Committees" -> "Global Ministries"
" Ministries" -> "Global Ministries"
" Mission and Ministries" -> "Global Ministries"
Directly to it: http://rmcumc.org/MI/bgm/

General/Jurisdictional News

" Don't Lose Your Flavor!" Churches Told
‘ Don’t lose your flavor;’ church must seek ways to engage disconnected

ORLANDO, Fla. /Aug. 3, 2008/GBOD - “Don’t lose your flavor. Be who God called you to be in that particular community. We must be soaked in Christ,” the Rev. Ed Jones, founding pastor of the Living Water United Methodist Church in Pearland, Texas, told 400 clergy and lay leaders attending the United Methodist School for Congregational Development meeting in Orlando, Fla. and Grand Rapids, Mich. July 31 through Aug. 5.

“You are the salt of the earth,” Jones said, quoting Matthew 5:13, while holding up different kinds of salt seasonings. “You have an opportunity to invite people to follow Jesus. Salt penetrates, preserves, cleanses, and saves; it is a change agent. Pastors, bishops, district superintendents, ‘don’t lose your flavor,’” Jones said.

Sponsored by the United Methodist General Boards of Discipleship and Global Ministries, the School for Congregational Development is being held for the first-time in two locations. Participants at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando could hear and see plenary leader, Ed Jones via satellite, as he presented a session on “En-G.A.U.G.E. the Disconnected” at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Grand Rapids.

Jones shared his experiences starting a new church, which began in his home as a Bible study, then moved to Muddy Waters Coffee Shop as it grew, and later to an elementary school with about 75 in attendance. By Easter Sunday 2006, Jones had a 150 folk in worship. And later that year attendance rose to 250, but the numbers began a downward spiral to 50. Jones, who had been featured in the conference highlight tape, was now the district superintendent’s shame. “I was listening to everybody, but I was not listening to the one voice. I was not seeking the voice of God. You can’t start or grow a church without hearing God’s voice, daily. We must lead from the over-flow of our devotional life,” Jones said. Read more...

The Conference Community

Prayer Concerns and Caring For the Conference Community

Prayer concerns are offered for the clergy and lay members and leadership of the Annual Conference and their immediate families as a way to nurture the community of the Annual Conference. Prayer concerns are listed on the Prayer Concerns pages on the Conference web site: RMCUMC.org/Community. More information about each of these named may be found on those pages. Please keep in your prayers:

Nancy Butterfield, Senior Project Coordinator here at the Conference Office, asks prayers for her mother Sarah Ingenthron, who had surgery, and for the very lengthy rehabilitation process to follow over the next several months. Expressions of care to NancyB@rmcumc.com.
Burry Bessee, pastor of Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells churches and her family need prayers. Burry's mother Betty M. Fendel died Saturday morning, August 2 in Thornton. Services were held at Christ the King Episcopal Church in Arvada. Her father also died recently, in March. Expressions of care may be sent to Burry at pastorb@rebeltec.net or PO Box 459, Cheyenne Wells, 80810.
Terry McNulty, brother-in-law of Larry Farmer and Rev. Terry Benedett-Farmer died on Wednesday, August 6 of complications from a brain tumor. Prayers were previously asked for him and his family: Peggy, sister of Larry and her children, Michael (16) and Megan (14). Larry and Terry are in Palo Alto, CA with family and friends as they celebrate Terry's life. Expressions of care may be sent to them at teresabfarmer@msn.com.
Bruce Grauberger, retired clergy, and his spouse Joyce would appreciate prayers as he undergoes the removal of his prostate Friday, Aug. 22. at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. He expects to be hospitalized for two or three days, and then return home. Expressions of care may be sent to 2365 Lawson Dr., Loveland, CO 80538 or joyceandbruce5@earthlink.net.

Thanks and Celebrations:

Lora Payne, pastor of First UMC, Florence, asked several months ago "for prayers for my cousin, Marge Sandlier who is like a sister to me." She writes her gratitude for the prayers, reporting that Marge has been through chemotherapy, radiation and colon cancer surgery in Omaha. The surgery went quite well. Lora writes, “She will undergo more chemo in a while. She is a member of Hanscom Park UMC in Omaha and has been touched by all the prayers – including those of this conference. Thanks you so very much. Peace and Grace, Lora " Lora's e-mail is jlpayne84@hotmail.com.
“On behalf of Peggy and our children I want to share my profound gratitude for the thoughts, prayers, and messages of concern and support during my recent hospital stay. The cath procedure went very well, and I have two stents on what is called the front side of the heart. I went home Saturday and am doing my walking indoors because of air quality issues in Nashville now. Later this month I will enter the Vanderbilt Cardiac Rehab program, which ought to shape me up. God is good! All the time!” -- Grace and peace, Bob Sewell
“Thank you to all who sent me cards and emails celebrating the birth of my new grandson, Nicholas Ray. Mother, brother, and baby are doing well.” -- Nancy Butterfield
“My dear friends of the RMC, I cannot begin to tell you what a blessing it has been to be on the receiving end of so much love. I offer my profound thanks for the unbelievable number of prayers, cards, email messages, calls and visits from all of you. I had a radical prostatectomy in June at Johns Hopkins Hospital for Prostate Cancer. Thanks to the best of care and the prayers of God’s people, I am back home, and back at work on a limited basis. Although I still have some challenges before me, I am getting stronger everyday. I am thankful to report that I am no longer in pain. But for the first time in my life as a Methodist pastor, I missed the roll call for my annual conference. That I regret! But to know that I was remembered in prayer is a blessing beyond my best effort to express. My wife and I are eternally grateful. -- John & Valencia Thompson

Clergy Death

David Coulter, 78, Dies
David Coulter, retired RMC elder, died Thursday, July 31, at a Nampa, Idaho, hospital, of pneumonia. He was 78. He is survived by his wife Lois, 2 brothers, children Gwyneth, Philip, Thomas and Sue (and preceded in death by son Kenneth). Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. this Saturday (August 9th) at the Nampa First Congregational United church of Christ, 55 S. Midland Blvd., Nampa, ID. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to the (Nampa) church - ZIP 83651. It also had additional info about his life & ministry. Expressions of care may be sent to: Lois Coulter and family, 2602 Crestwood Place, Nampa, Idaho, 83686.

Rev. Coulter served churches in the Oregon-Idaho Conference before transferring to RMC in 1972 to serve in campus ministry at Laramie to 1978, Brigham City, 78-84; sabbatical leave 84-85; Centenary (SLC) and VA Chaplain 85-92; Centenary 92-94; retired 1994.

Appointments

Updated appointment list on the web: rmcumc.org/CHI/Journal/Appointments.htm, updated monthly July-May. Please surround these persons and their families with prayer during these transitions.

Local Pastor Rev. Darrell Dennis is appointed to Stratton UMC and Kirk UMC effective September 1, 2008. Rev. Dennis is a Local Pastor currently serving Holyoke.
Local Pastor Dawnmarie Fiechtner is appointed to Community UMC, (Keenesburg, CO) and James Memorial UMC (Hudson, CO) effective August 15. As had been previously announced, Keith McDonald, former pastor of Community UMC and James Memorial died in a car accident on Wednesday July 9th.

IMPORTANT: If you have e-mail, please send us your address. We must minimize costs! Ben@rmcumc.com

TableTalk Publication and Subscription Information

TableTalk is a selection or edited summary of some of the most important e-mailed information sent to the Rocky Mountain Conference e-lists since the last issue. If you wish to receive all information sent by e-mail to the Conference, please send us your e-mail address and say what kinds of information you wish to receive. If official Conference News is the only information you wish to receive, you can sign up yourself at rmcumc.org/subscribe. Please note: if you have e-mail, we will stop sending you this publication on paper via US Postal Service. If you need it on paper, do your part by printing either the PDF version from the web site (rmcumc.org/News/table/) or by printing the e-mail you receive.

TableTalk is edited by Ben Roe, information administrator. The next TableTalk will be published via e-mail near the end of September and sent a few days later by US Postal Service. It will contain items sent prior to the date of publication. To subscribe to TableTalk, send an e-mail (or a postcard) with your name, church, and e-mail address to ben@rmcumc.com or the address above. Archives of the 2008 RMCUMC News posts are here: rmcumc.org/News/Communications/news.htm.