Exact match?

TableTalk

July 11, 2008
Vol. 14 No. 6 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

Conference Office Takes Stewardship Step

The Conference office is continuing to expand its environmental stewardship! In addition to recycling office paper, cans, and plastic, the office will now be open Monday through Thursday 7-5. This will reduce commuting fuel, emissions, and time, as well as energy usage in the building. All staff continue to work full-time based on their responsibilities.

We're also making it easier to reach us if you dial one of the main numbers, 303-733-3736 or 800-536-3736. The phone system has been modified to make it easier to locate quickly a staff member's extension if one of these numbers is called. The easiest way to be in touch with any particular staff member in this building is to dial their direct number. Those numbers are listed on the back cover of the Rocky Mountain Conference Journal and on the Conference web site, http://rmcumc.org/staff.

Give us a call! We're here to serve, connect, and resource your ministry.

Rocky Mountain Conference Challenged

“Church for the Rest of Us” was the theme of the Rocky Mountain Conference session held in Denver, June 18-21. Preaching by Bishop John R. Schol, Washington Area, Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr., Rev. Dr. Melanie Rosa, and presentations by Diana Butler Bass, author of “Christianity for the Rest of Us” fleshed out the theme. “Dramatic and unprecedented” schedule changes in the carefully-planned session had to be made because of flight cancellations on the itinerary of guest speaker Bass. But the wait was rewarded with presentations which, according to Director of Mission and Ministry, Skip Strickland, “have created a great buzz” in the Conference.

Dr. Bass said that these times are a "500-year flood," a metaphor brought to mind by the recent floods in Iowa. Just as the residents of many areas in Iowa had never seen flooding like this, we have never experienced the kind of change that is now occurring in the world. The level of cultural change we are now experiencing was last seen in the Reformation 500 years ago. The “river has moved” but there are churches now which are building new bridges where it is, not where it used to be.

Bishop Schol called for more courage as churches in decline “walk the Pentecost path.” The trouble is, he said, that "we want quick fixes without change … want solution without sacrifice, Pentecost without the fire, Pentecost without trying to figure out all the languages, and the Pentecost crowds without making us uncomfortable. We want the church for the rest of us without taking the journey.”

Bishop Brown, preaching on Sarah’s laughter, reminded ordinands that strangers can come to our churches, bringing a future with hope. God calls us to live beyond our fears and those things that enslave us and keep us from being truly free! And Dr. Rosa preached a memorial service reminding us that we can be strong at the broken places as we “remember hope."

Bishop Brown was given a gift of gratitude for his eight years of service in the Rocky Mountain Conference with a $77,000 pledge to the Nothing But Nets initiative. The winner of a NBA basketball signed by bishops was the churches of Utah, who went together and pledged $15,000!

In other giving news, the Conference was thanked for giving over $50,000 to the Global AIDS Fund in the last quadrennium, and challenged to give that much more in the coming one. Offerings taken at the Conference totaled over $22,400, with over $9,000 going to our sister conferences in Angola.

Decisions made included a painful one following an 8-year study to enable the Trustees to sell one of the camps in the Conference. Janet Forbes, senior pastor at St. Luke’s Highlands Ranch, was nominated as an episcopal candidate. The “Majority Report” of Church and Society Subcommittee II at General Conference was affirmed as a way for this Conference to move forward on issues of human sexuality. Adjustments were made to the “Church Tithe” way of funding Conference ministries. A budget of $6,045,244 was approved. Six elders and three deacons were ordained; five probationary members were commissioned. Five outstanding lay people were honored with the Bishop’s Award, given for outstanding service in their local church and local community or in the United Methodist Connection: Betsy Keyack of St. Luke’s UMC of Highlands Ranch, James Sauls of Peoples UMC of Colorado Springs, and Hope and Les Law of Evanston UMC of Denver. A special Episcopal Leadership Award was given to the Rev. Dr. Harvey Martz for his outstanding and lasting contributions to the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference. Total membership at the end of 2007 was 68,481, up 574 members, 0.85%. (corrected from earlier report)

Sermons Online

The three sermons mentioned above which were preached at Annual Conference are now available on the RMCUMC.org web site, on the Annual Conference 08 page (http://rmcumc.org/COI/ac/ac2008/). The Lay Awards and Memoirs booklets are also online, as well as the contents of the "purple Finance booklet." Also available are unofficial copies of the petitions as adopted by the session. A selection of photos will be online soon.

Offering totals, as of June 30

• Communion Service: United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Offering: $3,003.66
• Memorial Service: Conference Board of Global Ministry, Rebuilding Hartzall UMC in LA: $1,947.19
• Young Persons Service: Conference Council on Youth Ministries Rejuvenation Event: $2,600.07
• Ordination Service: Russia Church Initiative, Bethany UMC in Pushkin, Russia: $2,080.80
• Clergy Session: Clergy Covenant Fund: $2,502.61
• Laity Session: Bishop’s Legacy - Nothing But Nets: $1,962.19 (corrected from earlier report)
• Bridge of Love: Angola: $9,021.86

Appointments are now online: http://rmcumc.org/CHI/Journal/Appointments.htm, Updated monthly July-May.

"Purple" Financial Report and Budget Proposal Copies Available

If you asked for a copy of the purple financial booklet at Annual Conference and did not pick it up, please contact Netta Hares at netta@rmcumc.com or 303-733-3736x100. Part of the sign-up list was lost.

You may also download the booklet from our web site.

Director of Mission and Ministry Extends Thanks

Thank you for all the help evaluating the 2008 Annual Conference Session and thank you for your support. It was a great session overall. The Program and Arrangements Committee has already met, read the evaluations and is beginning to implement suggestions as they plan for the 2009 session in Grand Junction Colorado. – Skip Strickland

Rejuvenation Online!

Rejuvenation, the ALL-Youth event (Grades 6-12), November, 14-16, 2008 in Grand Junction, CO is online and updated! Exciting Updates include: Speaker, Bob Stromberg; Band, Lightswitch; Hotel Information; Venue Information; A REALLY COOL promo video; Online Registration, and much MORE! Registration and Event Information can be found here.

2008 School of Christian Mission Meets in Seven Locations

The School of Christian Mission provides an opportunity for worship, fellowship and the study of the global mission of the church and the responsibility of Christians within it, and provides information and training for those who plan to teach the studies in their churches. This year’s School meets in seven locations around the Conference (the Pueblo event has been cancelled).

Co-Sponsored by Rocky Mountain Conference, United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women, Darlene Woods, Dean, Rev. Lynn Evans, Assistant Dean. More...

Church Tithe Report

The Conference Treasurer’s Office reports June Tithing income of $364,886 based on May receipts in local churches. A detailed Tithing report, by church, is available for your information on the RMCUMC.org web site, under Resources, Finances. A graph reflects Conference-wide church giving comparisons to last year 2007. Total year-to-date giving is $388,598 less than last year through June.

If you have any questions regarding the Tithing program, please contact Laurie Day, Asst. Treasurer--Donor Services, laurie@rmcumc.com, 303-389-9462 or Wayne Bettendorf, Conference Treasurer, wayne@rmcumc.com, or 303-325-7051 or 800-536-3736 ext. 151.

Native American Women In Ministry Conference Planned

Native American Comprehensive Plan of the UMC is planning "Native Women in Ministry" Conference - September 18-21 - Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 5151 Journal Center Blvd., Albuquerque, NM

Speakers include: Episcopal Bishop Carol Gallagher (Cherokee) and Ms. Anne Marshall. More details to come. Bible study, Music, crafts, quilting, book fair, craft fair ... Laity and clergy invited, all ages. Registration $100; covers 3 nights lodging (Thurs.-Sat.), all meals, airport shuttle, workshops and supplies. Some travel scholarships are available - contact NACP directly.

We encourage you to get your women involved in leadership and equip them with knowledge and inspiration. For more information: Anita Phillips (918) 622-4235 nacomp@prodigy.net http://new.gbgm-umc.org/plan/nativeamerican

General Church News

Western Jurisdictional Conference Meets Next Week

From Skip Strickland, Director of Mission and Ministry, July 11, 2008:
The Western Jurisdictional Conference is ready to start and you will want to keep up with breaking news. Activities begin in Portland Oregon, Wed. July 16th and wrap up Sat. July 19th. There should be two episcopal elections at the Conference. A list of candidates may be found on the Western Jurisdictional Web site. www.wjcumc.org. On Saturday morning the episcopal assignments are made. At that time we will know who our episcopal leader will be for the next four years. You can keep up to date through our low budget, low tech, "Puddle Jumping in Portland" email and web video reports.

May we also be in prayer for our Bishop and his wife Minnie as Jurisdictional Conference begins.

And may we pray for the people of the Rocky Mountain Conference as move from the foundations of our past into the reality of our future. May God bless our work together. – Skip Strickland

Missions News

Windsor, CO, Hit By Tornado

May 30, 2008 Letter from Linda Pelletier, Pastor, First UMC, Windsor, CO. See additional information below about how you might help. Donations are accepted to the "Conference Disaster Fund" any time. These funds will be used to meet needs caused by these kinds of events. – Skip Strickland

The Windsor Community is approaching one week since the tornado hit our community. Last Thursday, with no warning system in place, the town experienced a powerful blow. The words that seemed to be on most of the community's lips were, "we have witnessed a miracle with no loss of life in this terrible time." We went from an eerie stillness after the tornado, to helicopters flying over head, sirens blaring, and word on the street that, "another one was coming". People were pulled off the streets and told to enter the nearest building with a basement. My husband and I walked one block east to the police station from the church to let them know that the church would be open for anyone who was in need, only to see trees, roofs, power lines and stuff everywhere. Our area was without power for 4 days and 3 nights.

After the twister passed, people who are part of our church family started showing up at the church. Stories flowed from the heart, stories of fear, awe and gratefulness. One family came by the church on the way to stay with family in Fort Collins, but had to get the tires on the car repaired because they had three flats after driving over all kinds of debris as they evacuated their severely damaged home in the subdivision called Corner Stone, where most of the damage was.

The State, County, and town emergency plans quickly went into action. Police were on every corner, civil servants and others quickly moved to bring assistance. They worked with great calmness and with compassion. All day long for the next two days the sound of chain saws cutting up fallen trees met with the strange stillness that was everywhere. People were just helping people, and strangers were helping out each other, a true sense of community was everywhere, while the next two days brought more weather concerns.

Within a few hours, emergency relief workers were everywhere. They were the only ones allowed into the main disaster center evacuating the residents giving them only a few minutes to get out of their homes because of possible gas leaks and unsafe structures. Later people were able to enter into the disaster area and begin the grueling task of cleaning up. Members of our congregation connected with others quickly forming crews to help. Other crews that were predisposed to this kind of disaster response arrived hourly from so many places. It became pretty crowded at one point.

Two shelters were set up and for the first several nights for those who did not have family and friends to stay with. ... I was able to take part in a daily conference call that included county, state and local emergency aid agencies. They, for the most part, have completely managed the entire process of the initial recovery and aid. But, with the initial response almost over, the next steps will see the need for ongoing support and aid. I think what we are seeing is that after some poorly responded to disasters, the responses have become more and more efficient, (at least getting there). This next phase will need volunteers who want to help in the centers that will be set up probably all summer long....

This community will need emotional, spiritual support as well as financial and material support in the future. Fortunately, most of the victims have insurance; some did not and they will have the greatest needs. As we know, insurance will not cover everything, so donations will be an ongoing need. I think many are thinking of the ongoing Hurricane Katrina volunteer efforts where teams are literally rebuilding homes and there are ongoing teams sent out regularly. That will not be the case here in Windsor.

The next phase of recovery will be the coordination and the distribution of donations, and financial support. Volunteers probably will not be rebuilding at all. Professional contractors are being sent by insurance companies to do the repairs and rebuilding. Now that FEMA is here, new regulations supersede the old ones, and the uninsured are being helped greatly by FEMA. I have been in several discussions with UMCOR and Dave Lillie....

It was a tremendous blessing to have Bishop Brown, Eric Smith and Leighton Mekeal attend our Sunday worship services. Our congregation and community truly felt cared for. Sunday afternoon I joined with 7 other clergy in Windsor at the Windsor High School for a Community Worship Service. It was moving and met a real need here. ... Our Ministerial Alliance will be meeting next Wednesday to discuss our common mission in Windsor and supporting each other. I have been blessed with a wonderful group to work with.

Thanks for the prayers, e-mails, and support. I know that we will be able to use the prayer shawls. We will be letting the Conference know of the needs that will surely come in the future. – Linda Pelletier

Update on helping with the Recovery Process in Windsor, May 30, 2008

Information provided by Linda Pelletier, Pastor First United Methodist Church, Windsor, CO.

If you are looking for an opportunity to help immediately in the recovery process caused by the tornado that struck Windsor, CO and the surrounding area, see below.

The Reception Center which is in the old Steele Market behind McDonalds on Main Street, Windsor, is needing volunteers to sort and receive donations. The Distribution Center located at 810 3rd. Street Windsor, (Mountain View Elementary) is also in need of volunteer support and help. Hours for both places is 10 a.m. to 7 p.m."

The Rocky Mountain Conference Disaster Response Team and Betsy Keyack, one of the Conference United Methodist Volunteer in Mission Coordinators, will continue to be in dialog with Linda Pelletier and the members of the Windsor Church working to identify additional ways to help in the future.

Tornado Update June 10: Windsor Moves to Recovery

The Windsor area (and northern Colorado) is now transitioning from "response" to "recovery". The outpouring of support and volunteers has been remarkable. There is much work yet to be done, however. Best estimates for getting the majority of recovery work done will be at least a year to eighteen months. Volunteers in Mission (VIM) is being handled by Betsy Keyack and it will be a major player in deploying the volunteer workers that will be needed. UMCOR is now in the process of becoming a part of the long term recovery process for our community through the ministry of Rev. Gordon Knuckey.

I want to share with you what I was told in a recent Recovery meeting by our FEMA representative for this disaster, Kathy King: her words were a real source of grace. She said that UMCOR has been a major player in national disasters and is highly respected as a response and recovery agency. There were many other agencies around the table, and they all were acknowledging the role our Church takes in times when human souls are in great need. The United Methodist Church is a major responder and recovery agent in not only our crisis with the tornado, but we are involved all over our nation as well as the world. The giving that happens when we give to ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING, is the gift that touches countless lives.

July 11:

The work in Windsor is being coordinated now by the "Long Term Recovery Committee for the May 22 Storms in Northern Colorado." This committee is a team helping to coordinate all of the Recovery work basically for the next two years. Linda Pelletier, pastor of Windsor UMC is an At Large member of that committee, representing both the United Methodist Church and the Windsor Ministerial Alliance. This committee ensures a coordinated effort to meet the needs of those who do not have adequate insurance or the ability to move into a stage of new normal. The Committee is also the place where UMCOR and VIM will be connected and work through. A Case Management committee is expecting about 175 or so cases where people will need that extra help to get to a "new normal." ("New Normal" is a term used by the various agencies working in the Windsor area to get people back on their feet again and as close to "normal" as they were before the tornado.) – Linda Pelletier, pastor

VIM Opportunities

1) WINDSOR TORNADO RECOVERY:
SHORT TERM - Volunteers are still needed at the donations collection center at 1159 Main Street at the Steele Market (near McDonalds). Hours are 11 am to 7 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Volunteers are also needed for projects on the Poudre Trail. You can volunteer as an individual or a group. You must sign up ahead of time at www.unitedway-weld.org by creating an account. The contact person is Agner Martinez, United Way, 970-590-4870. At the collection center, they are also looking for regular volunteers, e.g., once a week or month. Please let Betsy Keyack know if you are interested and she will forward your name. In addition, at the collection center, they need an Assistant Manager and a data entry person. Contact Brian Fowler, United Way, 970-590-4671 to volunteer for these two jobs.
LONG TERM - Homeowners are still working with their insurance companies and registering with FEMA for Small Business Association loans and other assistance. Subsequently, Case Managers will visit the homeowners and determine the unmet needs. Then a project plan by house will be created and volunteers will be invited to come in and repair homes via a well-organized process led by United Way of Weld County. Volunteers will probably start to be invited by AUGUST via the web site www.unitedway-weld.org. We'll keep you posted.

2) IOWA FLOOD RECOVERY: We have a great connection with the Marion, Iowa, UMC. If you would like to volunteer, contact Associate Pastor Melisa Bracht-Wager, 319-377-4856, 319-480-4469 or melisa@fumcmarion.org. Volunteers are needed to remove furniture and carpet; spray framing with bleach; to perform home needs assessments (checklist provided); distribute flood buckets; and serve as volunteer site managers, cooks, thank-you writers and supply depot managers.

3) The Spring/Summer issue of VIMShare is now available on the VIM web site, www.rmcvim.org. Starting with this issue, we will be distributing copies via the web site and email only.

4) Granada UMC needs a team to come and power wash, linseed oil and paint the church. Housing is provided. Contact Rev. Dave Moorman, 719-537-6009, 719-940-2783 (cell).

Eagle Church Wins Food "Race"

Congratulations to the UMC of Eagle Valley! This 81-member congregation brought 2,000 pounds of food to Denver Urban Ministry (DenUM), making them the winner of the first annual Community Food Race. They will receive a free Urban Education day and an Ice Cream Social put on by the DenUM staff.

Food Race results were based on the number of complete food bags collected by each participating church, adjusted for congregation size. Eagle Valley's contribution represents a donation of 24.5 pounds from each member of their congregation! Eagle Valley folks made two trips from west of Vail. Young people participated brought in food during a service week, and while participating in the food race, the church continued to serve local families from their own food bank. Cynthia Sibley, co-lay leader of the congregation, says that all members, young, old, and in-between were participating. "It was a great way for us to bond together and to help others," she says.

Overall, the 8 churches participating in the Community Food Race brought more than 11,000 pounds of food to DenUM over the last two months. Participants were: Arvada UMC, First Mennonite Church, Good Shepherd UMC, Grace UMC Denver, Hope UMC, Trinity UMC Denver, UMC of Eagle Valley, University Park UMC. These and many other donations came to DenUM at a time when requests for assistance are at an all-time high. In April, DenUM provided emergency food assistance to 1,056 families - nearly twice as many families as the same time last year! If you would like to organize a food drive to help meet this growing community need, please contact Katie Kinne, Community Relations Coordinator, at 303.350.5064 or katie@denum.org.

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:

• Yong Hui McDonald, RMC clergy in extension ministry with Adams County Detention Facility, whose husband Keith McDonald, Yellowstone clergy appointed to Keenesburg and Hudson died in a car accident. A service celebrating Keith's life will be held on Thursday, July 17, at 10:00 am at. Please also keep in your prayers the people of his charge, Hudson and Keenesburg. Expressions of care for Yong Hui may be sent to her at PO Box 195, Keenesburg, CO 80643.
• Vic Dellenbaugh, member of the Board of Ordained Ministry, Program and Arrangements, and a lay member of the Conference, who had surgery yesterday to replace a disc in his back. Expressions of care may be sent to him at vic1dee2@aol.com or 11040 Eudora Circle, Northglenn, CO 80233.
• Mike Ratliff, RMC clergy in extension ministry with the Division on Ministry with Young People of the General Board of Discipleship, whose mother Carolyn Adlridge died in an accident in Belize. Expressions of care may be sent to Mike and Lynn Ratliff, c/o General Board of Discipleship, PO Box 34003, Nashville, TN 37203.
• John Thompson, Senior Pastor at Park Hill United Methodist Church had prostate surgery on Thursday, June 19 at Johns Hopkins in Maryland. Please hold John and his family in your prayers as he recovers. Notes of Care can be sent to 1026 S. Ouray, Aurora, CO 80017 or you can contact his wife at 720-480-5752 or 720-480-9704.

Clergy Deaths

• Seung Do Park, retired full clergy member of the Rocky Mountain Confernce, died June 3. A funeral service was held June 7 at Korean American United Methodist Church, which he founded.
• Keith McDonald, pastor of Hudson/Keenesburg and member of the Yellowstone Conference, died in a car accident July 9. His spouse Yong Hui is an elder in the Rocky Mountain Conference and is an extension minister serving as chaplain at Adams County Detention facility. There will be a prayer vigil for Keith McDonald at Community UMC, Keenesburg on Monday, July 14, 2008, 7:00 pm. The Funeral service has been moved to the High School Gym in Keenesburg, Thursday, July 17th at 10:00 am.

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.
Effective July 1:
• Nancy Peacock, 3/4 time, Eads and Haswell UMCs.
• Lisa Jones, Sargent Community and Mosca UMCs.
• Patti Thomas, Associate Pastor of Adult Discipleship, 1/2 time, Smoky Hill UMC, Centennial, Colorado,
• Lyndsey Shaw, Student Local Pastor to the Evans United Methodist Church.
• Roshan Kalantar, 1/2 time, Wellington Fellowship in Wellington, Colo.
• Cathy Smith, Director of Ministries with Children and Their Families, Hope UMC, Greenwood Village, retired.
• Leslie Barnett will begin an appointment to Trinidad UMC in Trinidad.
• Mark Heiss, Mead UMC (1/2) and Platteville UMC (½).
• Phil Vogels, senior pastor of Alger Memorial UMC in Eaton (3/4), also now Pierce UMC (1/4).
• Sandra Spahr, retired pastor from the West Michigan conference living in Pueblo, 1/2 time associate at Wesley UMC in Pueblo. Please welcome Rev. Spahr into our midst.
• Rob Bruendl from Lay Supply Pastor at Johnson Memorial UMC in Dolores, Colorado, to Part-time Local Pastor there.
• Lynn Evans, retired, supply associate pastor, First UMC, Cheyenne.
Other Effective Dates:
• Kerry Greenhill, probationary Deacon of New England Annual Conference, to Extension Ministry effective January, 2008. Her extension ministry includes her work at Family Voices Colorado as well as Montclair United Methodist Church and Highlands United Methodist Church.
• Mary Ann Dimand, United Church of Idaho Springs, Colorado effective July 15, 2008.

New Parking Lot Needed At Wesley Foundation

New parking lot needed asap! The Wesley Foundation at C.U. Boulder is in dire need of having their parking lot repaved and they need help to do it! Does anyone have any friends/parishoners in the paving business who might be able to help out? Please contact Jean Scraggs or Rev. Roger Wolsey, brotherrog@ hotmail.com, or 1290 Folsom St., Boulder, CO 80302. 303.443.3934 Financial donations also appreciated!

Chairs Available

Green Mountain UMC has approximately 250 used metal folding chairs that we are selling. Price negotiable. Please contact Green Mountain UMC at gmumc@gmumc.com or 303-989-3727.


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 or by printing the e-mail you receive.

TableTalk is edited by Ben Roe, information administrator, and Stuart Davis, communications intern.. The next TableTalk will be published via e-mail near the end of July 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


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