News from the Assistant to the Bishop

Transcription

1 THE SNAKE RIVER EDITION Oregon-Idaho Conference The United Methodist Church JANUARY 2011 Rev. Kim Fields Assistant to the Bishop Phyllis Ross Administrative Assistant News from the Assistant to the Bishop Assistants to the Bishop may learn slowly but don t ever say we can t learn. After going two weeks straight without a day off, and experiencing the frustration of knowing I wasn t even beginning to get done what I thought I should get done, I paused to think things through, and in thinking things through I recalled the advice of my grandfather, who once said, Sometimes it isn t enough to work hard. Sometimes you have to work smart. This got me to thinking, How could I work smarter? It then occurred to me that when I moved to a larger church and could no longer do all the visiting that needed to be done or go to all the meetings I needed to attend I was forced to recruit a group of congregation members to do those things for me. To my amazement, not only did they take care of the things I wasn t getting done, they often did a far better job than I ever could have. Which brings me back to my dilemma here in the Snake River District. Though I have been traveling around the district visiting churches and attending worship at a different church every Sunday, I can t help but feel that I should be touching base with you more often. I wish that I could be in contact with every one of you every month to hear your concerns, to offer resources, to lift you up in prayer. I would love to hear all your stories and then share the best ones through the newsletter to lift up what was going on in our district. I would love to do all those things, but I am just not getting them done. So, in keeping with my Grandfather s advice, I have decided to try working smarter not harder. I am trying an experiment. I have asked four pastors from across our district to serve as connecting elders to help me connect with you. I will be meeting with them on a regular basis and I have asked them, in turn, to touch base with you every month to see how things are going and what we can be praying for. If a need arises that they can help you with they would be glad to do so and if I might be of more assistance they will be in contact with me. They will also be calling colloquies together on a regular basis and sharing ministry highlights with me to be included in the district newsletter. As I said this is an experiment in working smarter. I intend to try it out for awhile and see how it develops. Please let me know how it works for you, and know this does not mean that I will not be visiting your churches or that you cannot call me at any time. This is just one more way of improving contact between those of us called to make disciples for the transformation of the world. I would appreciate your giving this idea a chance and then letting me know how it is working. You can expect a call from a connecting elder in your subdistrict soon. The Snake River District will be subdivided into four subdistricts: Upper Snake River: Gay Jeffery Ashton Trinity St. Paul s Jason Lee Shelley, Chubbuck, Aberdeen, American Falls Pocatello

2 Magic Valley: Mike Holloman Rupert, Paul Burley Crossroads Twin Falls Castleford Buhl Jerome, Filer Hagerman, Wendell High Desert: Gooding, Shoshone, Richfield Glenns Ferry Metro Boise: Christina Thompson Boise First Collister Whitney Hillview Eagle Meridian New Meadows Treasure Valley: Lisa Payton Amity Kuna Nampa Southside Nampa First Caldwell Lower Snake River Hispanic Ministries Camp Sawtooth Middleton, Wilder Emmett, Sweet Jordan Valley God s blessing be upon you in this New Year. Kim Assistant to the Bishop for the Snake River District As we move into the New Year I would like to share with you a letter from John H. Southwick, an editor from the Research Office of the General Board of Global Ministries, which brought me great hope. The letter is fairly lengthy but well worth a read in this time when so many of us find ourselves caught up in gloom and doom and questioning the future of our denomination. John writes: Thanksgiving Is in Order As we have passed from Thanksgiving into Advent, perhaps some thankful reflection on the state of the United Methodist Church is in order. One can be given to negativity when considering the trends of much of the denominational data yet there is much to be thankful for. Of course we are not beyond hope and have many strengths, which can be celebrated and built upon. Clearly some things will have to change to reverse decline, but we don t have to start from scratch.

3 We still are the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States, with nearly 8 million members and 34,000 churches. These churches are present in nearly every county. We have presence and still have a brand which is widely recognizable. We own massive amounts of land. Granted, many of these churches have location, facilities, and other issues, yet they exist and are present. Furthermore, these churches have value. End of year valuations in 2008 were over $50 billion. Parsonages represented nearly $4 billion more. Also, there was only about $4 billion in debt against these properties, which sounds like a large number but is less than %10 of the value. While finances are tightening in the current economic downturn, there is still money in the bank, so to speak, in the form of these vast real estate holdings. Many denominational leaders are considering how to best leverage these properties to forward the mission of the overall church. We can be thankful for the positive ministry taking place and the number of vital local churches making disciples. The cumulative figures are declining but some conferences are growing. At the local church level, roughly a third of the UMC churches in the USA are growing, some in amazing manner. Even the declining churches are often doing vital ministry in their communities. A real plus in all this is the growing emphasis on congregational development, indicating an increasing interest in finding new vitality in existing churches and in starting new faith communities. The number of staff people allocated by annual conferences to specifically address this, even at a full time level, continues to grow. The School of Congregational Development continues to have strong attendance every summer. Furthermore, the Nordic conferences (primarily Scandinavia) will be holding their third school of Congregational Development this fall! Additionally, there are some statistics which are encouraging. As noted in a General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) report concerning the 2008 data, the number of constituents is growing. Since increasingly we find ourselves in a culture where folks don t want to join but want to participate, this number is key. Another statistic which has turned for the better comes out of a study of young clergy done by Dr. Lovett Weems and his folks at the Lewis Center at Wesley Seminary. This notes that in recent years the percentage of pastors age 35 and under serving full time churches has increased. Another strength of United Methodists is their high giving elasticity. This may not be a familiar term to many, but it has been an especially helpful characteristic in the recent economic downturn. Don House, PhD economist and member of GCFA s Economic Advisory Committee, has done studies on this elasticity leading him to conclude that we United Methodists are a generous people. In circumstances where personal income has increased, giving has increased even more. On the flip side, giving has demonstrated amazing resiliency in light of the economy of late. Additionally, we all observed the huge giving response to the Tsunami and to Katrina. People will give when motivated. While most of this article addresses the US church, it is important to remember the international UMC. Our African presence continues to grow. The Philippine UMC is famous for

4 starting new churches with unmatched zeal. The General Board of Global Ministries Mission Initiatives ministry is on track to see 400 brand new churches started this quadrennium in frontier locations such as Mongolia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the former Eastern Bloc countries. Another invaluable asset we can be thankful for is our heritage. The Wesleys and early Methodists modeled being a thriving movement, making disciples which truly brought transformation to their world. Francis Asbury and the early American Methodists likewise can be a great source of inspiration, as noted in the September issue of this newsletter. The fires once burned brightly. Maybe they can be rekindled in our current context. Currently the Connectional Table is moving forward on a project as part of the Call to Action with the intent of offering recommendations leading to reordering the life of the church for greater effectiveness and vitality in mission. It is surely encouraging to find that this group of key denominational leaders, in cooperation with the Council of Bishops, is so actively seeking to provide actionable leadership revitalization at every level of the church. What seems to be often assumed or overlooked is the most significant resource, the one which served the Methodist movement so well in its most vital days. This is the same resource which has served the Chinese church so well over the past sixty years. This is a church which once had a strong Western missionary presence, trained leaders, many fine buildings, and numerous strong congregations. After the Communist revolution, the Western leaders were evacuated, the buildings confiscated, the indigenous leaders imprisoned or killed, and the congregations wiped out. From the usual perspective there was nothing left, certainly in comparison to the UMC presence and resources in the US today. Estimates are that there were around a million Christians in China in Yet there are currently multiple millions of Christians in a land where genuine persecution still exists in many areas. Accurate determination of the actual number of Christians is difficult to obtain and estimates vary wildly. This is due in large part to the majority of Christians being unregistered and intentionally meeting under the radar. Even so the most conservative estimates are around 10 million while other estimates are one hundred million or more. Even a tenfold increase with no leadership or physical resources, in the face of persecution, is impressive. Decline or even extermination would have been expected. Ten times a tenfold increase is phenomenal. The same resource used by the Chinese church is available to us. They display intense commitment to the faith and tell others about their faith, sometimes at great cost. They pray and fast. They make disciples. So did the early Methodists. God blessed these movements. There is no reason to believe God can t do it again. We have much to be thankful for.

5 Oregon-Idaho Leadership Institute Cost: $25.00 per person, EarlyRegistration $30.00 per person after January 15th Where: Boise First United Methodist Church 717 N 11th Street Boise, ID Driving Directions When: Thursday February 3, 2011 Registration begins at 5:00 p.m. Program starts at 6:30 p.m. -to- Friday February 4, 2011 Continental Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m. Program begins at 8:30 a.m. Program concludes at 6:00 p.m. Add to my calendar You're invited to attend the Oregon-Idaho Leadership Institute February 3-4, Drawing from the leadership teaching of Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton, leaders from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection will share principles and practical ideas that you can translate into your own setting. Modeled after Resurrection's annual Leadership Institute that more than 18,000 clergy and lay leaders have attended of the past 12 years, this "mini-institute" is bringing the same resources to you. Don't miss this opportunity to: Explore effective leadership principles Discuss 10 characteristics of growing churches Share practical ideas that you can translate in your own ministry setting Register Now! I can't make it Please forward this on to anyone you think might be interested in attending. This is open to all Pastors and Lay members. If you have further questions please contact Lisa Wink at oregonidaholi@gmail.com or by phone at We look forward to seeing you there! Lisa Wink Oregon-Idaho Leadership Conference

6 OPEN DOORS TO SAFE SANCTUARY (How We Can Offer Both) Saturday, February 26, :30 am 3:00 pm Middleton United Methodist Church 104 E. Main St. Middleton, Idaho or The registration fee of $8.00 per person will cover printing and copying expenses and a light lunch. This will be a one-day training event for all who work with children, youth and/or vulnerable adults in church programs and activities. As required by the 2010 Annual Conference, this event will follow, but not be limited to, the recommendations of the Oregon-Idaho United Methodist Conference. It is our hope to have every United Methodist church in the Treasure Valley represented at this event. Where is our A2B? January 2 Amity UMC January 6 7 = Magic Valley churches January 9 Hillview UMC January = Cabinet Portland January 16 Idaho Falls January 18 Magic Valley Colloquy January 23 Filer and Jerome UMC s January Do No Harm training in Houston

7 Snake River District Oregon-Idaho Conference The United Methodist Church January 4, 2011 Greetings, As you are no doubt aware, the Conference is no longer supporting program ministries as it has in the past. This means that many of our program ministries, including campus ministries, which were once financially supported by the annual conference are now dependent on local churches for their support. Over the long haul this will be a good thing, since it will make these ministries accountable to the local churches that support them, but the transition period during which this base of support is built up can be challenging, especially in the current economic climate. I am writing to encourage you to prayerfully seek ways in which you can support the campus ministry at Boise State University. This past July David Thompson was appointed to serve 1/4 as campus minister and he has already introduced a number of exciting innovations. He and the board are in the midst of refinancing the loan on the Wesley house to cut the payments in half. They are partnering with other denominations that do not have a physical presence on campus and are welcoming new students and volunteers. They currently offer a weekly meal and fellowship time for students and a Bible discussion that averages 5. This is critical ministry since many students on leaving High School begin to ask questions like, What does the church have to offer me now? Indeed, many do not return to church until they marry and have children if even then. The Wesley house provides a safe place to explore questions, seek support, and renew a caring connection with God and church. Please prayerfully consider including the BSU campus ministry in your prayers and budgets, or take a special offering for the vital work they do. The Wesley house is also looking for a few committed boosters with a heart for reaching out to young adults. If you would like to learn more about how you could be involved in the support of this ministry contact Rev. Dave Thompson at (208) or Dthomp2420@cableone.net. Blessings, Kim Fields

8 YOU ARE INVITED! Are you interested in singing with our Adult Choir in a massed concert with the all of the UMC choirs in our valley? We will begin working on our music for our combined choir concert beginning Thursday, January 6th. We ll rehearse at 7:00pm prior to our regular rehearsal. Come and prepare this beautiful music with us as we join with soloists and a live orchestra to present JohnRutter s Requiem February 13th Eagle United Methodist Church. SO YOU. WILL REMEMBER: February 3-4, 2010 Leadership Institute conducted by Adam Hamilton from the Church of the Resurrection at The Cathedral of the Rockies February 26, 2010 Safe Sanctuary Training Event sponsored by Middleton UMC March year anniversary celebration of Wilder UMC Snake River District Intercessory Prayer List Please offer prayers of intercession for the following churches, clergy, and lay leaders on the dates indicated. Pastors may also name these people during intercessory prayer time at their worship services. January 2 Emmett Rev. Linda Biggs Vicky Page January 9 Filer Rev. Carol Thompson Paul Remaley Bill Shropshire January 16 Gooding Rev. David Buechler Duke Morton January 23 Hagerman Rev. Mike Hollomon Doug Armstrong January 30 IF St. Paul s Rev. Dan Thompson-Aue Jill Ecklesdafer Miles Carroll You may reach the Snake River District Office via at srdumc@qwestoffice.net, or by telephone or by mail at: 717 N. 11 th Street Boise, Idaho, Our FAX number is The address on the back of the Journal is incorrect! Some of our mail is still going to Joyce Street!