Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church 2015-2016 Missiona Report Grow Reach Hea
How to use this report Tabe of contents We hope you share this report with peope in your congregation to remind them that a United Methodist churches in Minnesota are united through shared mission and ministry and to show them what we are accompishing together. Here are some suggestions of ways to use/showcase this report: Put a copy out on a tabe or attached to a buetin board that s in a prominent ocation Highight a few pieces of information or testimonies from the booket as you report back on the 2016 annua conference session Discuss our three gospe imperatives (grow in ove of God and neighbor, reach new peope, and hea a broken word) in worship whie highighting some of the ways your congregation is iving them out and sharing (from the report) ways other churches and our conference are embracing them Share information from the report at an adut forum, and use it as an opportunity to discuss how your church can pug into or benefit from our connectiona system in new ways Share the report the next time you discuss apportionments in order to hep your congregation see how their apportioned doars are used for mission and ministry in Minnesota and beyond Share the report with your congregation s youth, and ask them about their hopes and dreams for the future of the United Methodist Church in Minnesota Minnesota Annua Conference: Who we are 4 Scriptura imperatives and Journey Toward Vitaity 5 GROW IN LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR Sma groups 6 Cergy eadership deveopment 7 Lay eadership deveopment 7 ELI Project year 1 8 Area camps unite 9 Youth ministry 10 REACH NEW PEOPLE New modes for ministry 11 New church-panting eader 12 New church starts 12 Revitaization processes 13 Reach Renew Rejoice 13 Investing in congregations grants 14 Breakthrough workshops 14 HEAL A BROKEN WORLD Church-schoo partnership grants 15 Refugee response 16 Mission trips 16 Vietnam partnership 17 Apportioned giving 18 Conference reserves and investments 18 Second-mie giving 19 FACT report 19 Minnesota United Methodist Foundation 19 2 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 3
Who we are Our shared journey We are 64,300 SCRIPTURAL IMPERATIVES: WHAT WE RE DOING Our mission is to make discipes of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the word. United Methodists in about 350 churches across Minnesota. We are ocated in cities, arge and sma, across the state. This map shows the ocation of our churches in reation to the surrounding popuation density. Minnesota popuation density / Popuation per square mie by county 2,140 to 3, 430 630 to 2,140 190 to 630 50 to 190 20 to 50 0 to 20 The Minnesota Annua Conference is focused on three gospe imperatives that hep us fufi this mission: Grow in Love of God and Neighbor (the Great Commandment, Matthew 22:37-40) Reach New Peope (the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20) Hea a Broken Word (the Great Procamation, Luke 4:16-21) We come from churches of a sizes, most of which have average worship attendance of ess than 100 375+ 250-374 200-249 170-199 135-169 100-134 75-99 8 12 12 15 21 23 40 JOURNEY TOWARD VITALITY: HOW WE RE DOING IT Our Journey Toward Vitaity is a strategic road map that outines the paths we re taking to achieve our mission. As a conference, we aim to increase the capacity of the conference, districts, and churches by: Deveoping missiona eaders Equipping missiona congregations Extending missiona impact Generating missiona resources 50-74 35-49 1-34 52 55 106 Whie much work remains, there are daiy signs of fruitfuness and Hoy Spirit breakthroughs across our conference, some of which are ceebrated in this booket. 4 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 5
Grow in Love of God and Neighbor SMALL GROUPS HELP CONGREGATIONS GROW DEEP AND WIDE Minnetonka United Methodist Church has been growing in number for the past few years and a Natura Church Deveopment survey avaiabe through the Minnesota Conference heped Rev. Jeanine Aexander reaize severa years ago that sma groups were a key opportunity for the congregation. I m determined to grow this church deep and wide at the same time, she said. During Lent in 2014, 146 peope participated in various sma groups, a focused on the book If You Want to Wak on Water, You ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. Since then, Minnetonka UMC has offered a new set of sma groups three times each year. Between 150 and 200 peope participate in any given semester significant for a church that worships about 280. Each Lent, a sma groups read the same book. During the other two semesters, individuas choose between a variety of sma groups with different focuses. Aexander has ed sma groups on Making Sense of the Bibe, and topics ed by others have incuded progressive Christianity, grief, and even running. There is something about being on a journey with other peope and having the support of other peope as you re exporing your own faith, said Minnetonka UMC member Jen Mein, who has ed various sma groups. Sma groups provide me with structure and discipine. They re aso a pace where you can get to know peope and share your vunerabiity. Mein used to be uncomfortabe praying aoud in front of a group, which is something she had to do as a sma group eader. Taking about that with her group was hepfu to her and prompted other peope to share their own vunerabiities. Like Minnetonka UMC, Hitop United Methodist Church in Mankato aso started sma groups which the church cas Connect Groups in 2014. It offers 12 different groups three times a year, and topics have incuded grace, forgiveness, and the Od Testament. There s aways a four-week Common Ground cass that s especiay reevant to new members, as it expores scripture, The United Methodist Church, and how to become more invoved in the ife of the congregation. A connect groups incude prayer and some type of earning, and there are options for peope at a paces in their faith journey. Stacy Vanderwerf, who started Hitop s Connect Groups, said one of the key benefits is that visitors have a way to get pugged in right away. The body of Christ is a gift from God to us to fee that connection, she said. Connect Groups have aso heped Hitop UMC maintain a famiy fee even as it grows, because they give peope a way to get to know and care for each other in a more intimate setting. The church worships about 195, and between 105 and 125 are in Connect Groups in a given semester. Both Aexander and Vanderwerf read the book Activate to hep them figure out how to set up sma groups, and they say two of the keys to successfu sma groups are having them span a fixed period of time (theirs range from four to 13 weeks) and having the right number of peope (somewhere around 15 works we). They aso say it s important to have ay peope invoved not just as participants, but as eaders. Both churches activey seek out eaders and equip them by providing training. Both Minnetonka UMC and Hitop UMC are ooking to expand on their current efforts. Minnetonka UMC is going through the Missiona Church Consutation Initiative revitaization process, and one of its prescriptions is to create sma groups around a discipeship path meaning there are casses everyone takes based on where they are in their spiritua growth. Meanwhie, Hitop UMC is ooking at deveoping cass meetings ongoing covenant groups that peope woud be invited to join in addition to their sma groups. Connect Groups have heped deepen our connection to one another, said Vanderwerf. When we are more connected to one another, it affects the way we worship together there s a sweeter, richer experience when we re connected to the peope around us. Our work as a conference CLERGY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Sou Leaders (2016-2017) 13 participants 5retreats Cergy Leadership Academy (2015-2016) Participants 20 new cergy Year 1: Leadership stye and strengths 5seasoned cergy This cergy peer group program is for cergy to: reconnect with their passion and purpose expore issues reated to heart, courage, and ca hep their congregations embrace God-sized dreams 5mentors Year 2: Buiding eadership capacity 5 retreats each year 3-year program Year 3: Practices of fruitfu congregations The Cergy Leadership Academy offers me a necessariy ong, and sometimes uncomfortabe, ook at my potentia as a eader. Broady speaking, sef-awareness is at the center of what we do together that we might go from the Academy confident and equipped to be a faciitator of reationships in our community and oca church. The task of the pastor is deep and wide; we are asked to foster reationships between God and peope, in hope that what we share with God woud seep into our reationships with those on the eft and right. The Academy offers me the opportunity to consider the gravity and priviege of this ca. Rev. Jeremiah Lideen, Uptown Church (Minneapois) LAY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT In 2015, a Lay Ministry Action Team formed and designed opportunities for aity to become equipped to serve in new ways. Since then, the entry point for a ay servant ministries has been a one-day ministry discernment retreat. Those who compete it are prepared to serve their own church in a eadership roe. They aso have the option to go through additiona training to become certified ay servants (who can ead in their own oca church and others), ay speakers (who can share God s word through preaching), or certified ay ministers (who can be appointed to ead a particuar church or ministry within an annua conference). More and more aity are taking part in these opportunities. Competed ministry discernment retreat Became certified ay speaker Competed advanced ay servant cass 2015 First quarter of 2016 33 21 23 20 92 30 Leo Lambert Jr. has aways oved reading scripture during worship and ooks forward to the week when it s his turn to serve as a ector. He took a certified ay speaker cass in November 2015 out of a desire to better serve in this capacity at his own church, Asbury United Methodist in Duuth. But he now fees equipped to do even more, having earned about preparing an impactfu sermon and then been abe to practice doing just that. It gave me a rea appreciation for what pastors do and heped me on my path to Christ, he said. Lambert competed the certification process and woud ove to preach at any church that invites him. Sometimes hearing about God and Jesus from someone other than your minister gives you different eyes, he said. Bringing God s word to some new peope woud be meaningfu. If I coud touch even one person, I d be happy. 6 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 7
Our work as a conference THE ELI PROJECT The ELI Project is a great way to tap into the knowedge of peope who are in ministry to see where you can fit. I know I want to be a pastor. I m not sure in what capacity or what shape that congregation might be in, but I know I want to ead a group of peope in the name of Jesus. David Hodd, 2015 intern (after his internship, he became director of youth ministry at Spirit of Hope UMC in Goden Vaey) 2016 interns Een Biaka Waker Braut The Exporing Leadership Internship (ELI) Project, now in its second year, is an internship program for coege students exporing a ca to vocationa ministry. Each intern is paired with a cergy mentor, spends eight weeks gaining hands-on experience, and receives a $3,000 stipend. Peter Constantian 8Participants in 2015 Preach and/ or ead a Bibe study or devotiona Provide pastora care 7Participants in 2016 Isabee Davies Pan worship Observe eadership governance at a host site A 2016 interns are paired with a cergy mentor and have the opportunity to: Jonathan Garcia Be invoved in a socia justice or outreach ministry Cameron Lornston This internship has soidified my desire to be a pastor. I want to be abe to share God s ove that I fee so strongy and be abe to hep others see that God is sti reevant. I can t imagine doing anything ese. Lee Mier, 2015 intern (he is starting seminary at Duke Divinity Schoo in Durham, North Caroina) Sherwin Parmar AREA CAMPS UNITE In eary 2016, the Dakotas and Minnesota Conferences camp and retreat ministries came together and formed an area-wide counci. This arrangement expands the camping-reated offerings for each conference and aows the conferences to share best practices to create the strongest possibe area camp and retreat ministry. Storm Mountain Camp Wesey Acres Camp Lake Poinsett Camp Northern Pines Camp Koronis Ministries Kowakan Adventures Each conference has three primary camp sites. Peope from both conferences now have doube the number of camps to choose from when making pans to spend time apart in God s creation. Camping by the numbers Peope attending camp 1,503 2015 1,563 2014 Churches that sent kids to camp 158 2015 Interning Schoo Home church Hastings UMC with Rev. Chris Kneen University of Wisconsin Eau Caire Woodbury Peacefu Grove UMC Detroit Lakes UMC with Rev. Brenda North Hamine University (St. Pau) Wesey UMC (Winona) New City Church (Minneapois) with Rev. Tyer Sit St. Oaf Coege (Northfied) Harvard- Epworth UMC (Cambridge, MA) Living Spirit UMC (Minneapois) with Rev. Donna Dempewof Coege of St. Benedict (St. Joseph) Woodbury Peacefu Grove UMC Christ UMC (Mapewood) with Rev. Rachae Warner Ridgewater Coege (Wimar) St. Aoysius Cathoic Church (Oivia) Richfied UMC with Rev. Pam Serdar Winona State University Baine UMC Wesey UMC (Winona) with Rev. Dae Arendt Garrett-Evangeica Theoogica Seminary (Evanston, IL) Emmanue UMC (Evanston, IL) Dakotas/Minnesota Camp Counci Area Director of Camping & Retreats, Keith Shew Camps Site Advisory Teams The director at each camp wi form his or her own site advisory team. The peope on these teams wi serve as champions for their site, provide advice and wisdom to the director, and hep accompish the goas of the camp. 150 2014 Camperships (camp schoarships) given to famiies so they coud send their kids to camp 2015: 2014: 184 164 The Minnesota camping program ended 2015 in the back for the first time in many years, meaning it has become a financiay sef-sustaining ministry. 8 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 9
In their own words: Reach New Peope YOUTH MINISTRY Two events gave youth from across the state an opportunity to earn, enjoy feowship, and grow in their faith: The Event Date: Nov. 6-8, 2015 Theme: We are God s Masterpiece 275 31 Youth participants Churches represented Highights: Boiing Point concert, making bankets for homeess sheter, worship, exporing how to ive as a masterpiece and be an active Christian, prayer mosaic Confirmation Gathering Date: March 4-5, 2016 Theme: Why United Methodist? Youth participants: Churches represented: 162 30 We are a made different, but we are a made for a reason. We are made the way God made us. It s fun, amazing, God-centered. Highights: Exporing United Methodist connectionaism; introduction to committee structure; worship; Cabinet eading youth in exporing United Methodist membership vows: prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness; offering up prayers for 2016 Genera Conference Youth at the gathering prayed: for a church that has a pace for young peope that God s ove is avaiabe regardess of the abe a person has been given that the work and ight of Jesus Christ wi shine among a that God wi guide and inspire us to continue on our mission of faith that as a denomination, we find unity with integrity amid theoogica differences that wisdom, discernment, and justice ro down ike waters for a for peope who have become disconnected from God that ove for God and each other opens a hearts to God s grace NEW MODELS FOR MINISTRY POISE RURAL CHURCHES FOR GROWTH AND VITALITY Mergers and new ministry modes are heping severa rura churches in the conference to reimagine their futures and be church in a new way and they are simutaneousy infusing oncedwinding congregations with a new vitaity. The Minnesota Conference has come aongside these churches by providing coaches and consutation. Here are stories of three of them: Cornerstone UMC Visit Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Marsha, and it s cear the congregation is vibrant and fu of energy. It s growing in number. It has a strong mission statement. It has new outreach, communication, and other ministry teams to hep it fufi its vision to reach younger famiies. It s amost hard to beieve that it s the product of two churches that used to be strugging. A few years ago, Wesey United Methodist Church and Abright United Methodist Church both found themseves decining in attendance, and Abright was strugging to make ends meet financiay. The two Marsha churches were aready combining efforts for Wednesday night chidren s ministries and had the same youth pastor so they made the bod decision to merge in the hopes that together they woud become a stronger church better abe to serve the community. That s exacty what s happened. Cornerstone now worships 150 to 200 each Sunday and is poised to aunch a second worship service and expand its space. Wesey UMC & First Presbyterian (Hibbing) Wesey United Methodist Church and nearby First Presbyterian Church had shared Vacation Bibe Schoo for decades and did a picnic in the park together. Both had been having a hard time keeping the doors open, and they wondered if joining forces woud give them a newfound strength. So far, it has. They started sma with some joint events and began sharing a pastor. As we worshipped together, we figured out that we might be separated by denomination, but reay it is the same ove of Jesus Christ in both of the congregations, said Rev. Jim Deters, a Presbyterian pastor who eads the churches. In recent months, the two churches have been exporing a merger. If they decide to move forward, the merged church woud be ocated in the Wesey UMC buiding and adhere to United Methodist poity. Both congregations are taking about giving everything they have and everything they have known about being church to Christ and becoming something brand new, said Deters. It s a beautifu, trusting, faithfu way to do church. Wes UMC & Grace UMC (Kiester) When Rev. Pau Wooverton, who serves Wes United Methodist Church, earned that Grace United Methodist Church in Kiester had a heart for ministry but was strugging, he asked: What if we were to work together? Wes UMC and Grace UMC are now in the midst of a year-ong exporation of what it woud ook ike to become a rura mutisite church. Wooverton preaches at both sites each Sunday, and the churches have had severa joint gatherings and worship services. They re aso finding ways to work together and share best practices. For exampe, Wes UMC noticed that taking out severa pews to make room for tabes and chairs was a big draw for young famiies and suggested that Grace give it a try too. Additionay, the churches wi partner to offer Vacation Bibe Schoo in both of their communities this summer particuary significant for Grace, which hasn t had Sunday Schoo for many years. This offers a whoe new opportunity for what it means to be a missiona church in a rura area to come aongside and partner with another congregation toward vitaity, said Wooverton. In January 2017, the churches wi vote on whether to become a muti-site church. Wooverton sees the potentia for four or five churches in the area to eventuay become part of the same mutisite. We re taking about resurrection and new ife across the board, he said. 10 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 11
NEW CHURCH-PLANTING LEADER Ben Ingebretson, who has extensive church-panting experience, was hired in January as director of new church deveopment for the Dakotas-Minnesota Area. His roe wi invove: Identifying and assessing potentia church panters Creating a strong training and coaching system Seeking out areas ripe for new churches Waking aongside church panters and congregations ready to birth something new NEW CHURCH STARTS Starting new churches is a proven method of reaching new peope for Christ, and the Minnesota Conference s Office of Congregationa Deveopment is currenty supporting 12 new faith communities. New faith communities must meet context-specific growth benchmarks in order to receive continued funding, and the goa is for each of them to become sef-sustaining. Here s a ook at the 12, based on where they re at in their ifecyce. FEASIBILITY: Years 1-2 Centennia UMC muti-site St. Anthony Park Embrace Church Lakeand New City Church (Minneapois) Northwest Minneapois United Methodist Ministry (Hmong ministry, Robbinsdae) Rosemount UMC muti-site VIABILITY: Years 2-5 The Beoved (St. Pau) Crossroads Church muti-site Eko New Market Homestead Church restart (Rochester) Northern Light Church (Ramsey) Uptown Church (Minneapois) SUSTAINABILITY: Years 5-7 Brookyn UMC African ministry (Brookyn Center) Crossroads Church muti-site Inver Grove Heights In August 2015, the peope of St. Croix Vaey United Methodist Church in Lakeand voted to give over their buiding, their identity, and their way of being church to fast-growing Embrace Church in Sioux Fas, South Dakota, so that Embrace coud aunch a new campus in their buiding. They gave up the ife of their congregation as they knew it so that resurrection coud happen in their midst. When Embrace opened the doors of its new campus in November 2015 with two worship services, 438 peope were in attendance making it the argest aunch of a singe United Methodist Church site in Minnesota in recent decades. Embrace is reaching younger generations and sharing the gospe in new ways. We concentrate on every Sunday being the most important Sunday of the year, said Rev. Austin Waker, who eads the Lakeand campus. We want to do anything and everything we can to reach the next person for Jesus. In his own words: I come with a conviction that churches are best positioned to pant churches It s not about what the conference is dreaming for you. It s about what you re dreaming for your community. Every church shoud consider panting at east one church to repace itsef and one church for the sake of the kingdom. God s driving the vision, but we are there because God uses our eyes, our ears, our hearts, our hands to do the work. If we are faithfu to evangeize and we have the mind and patience to pant a church, it s doabe. Rev. Tsuchue Vang, who founded Northwest Minneapois United Methodist Ministry and aims to start another Hmong faith community on the east side of the Twin Cities in 2018 Our work as a conference REVITALIZATION PROCESSES Three processes offered through the conference are geared toward churches that are seeking a fresh vision, wanting to refresh their strategic pan, eager to become more vita and vibrant, and/or ready to expore new ways to connect with their mission fied. Processes and churches participating in 2015: Missiona Journey (smaer churches): 11 14 6 The focus of these processes is on providing resources and strategies to church pastors, staff, aity, and congregations so they in turn wi be abe to connect peope more meaningfuy with Christ and become the church God wants them to be in their community. 3 main components: Learning Consutation Coaching REACH RENEW REJOICE The Minnesota Conference has spent the past severa years working to raise $3.7 miion through Reach Renew Rejoice, a capita campaign to start new churches and revitaize existing churches through three transformationa processes. The campaign wi enabe the conference to start seven new churches, partner with seven existing churches to aunch new sites, and assist 140 churches in revitaizing their ministries over a seven-year period. Here s a ook at what Reach Renew Rejoice has made possibe within the first three of those seven years: 2014 The Beoved aunched in St. Pau Rosemount UMC initiated expansion to a second ocation 21 churches began a revitaization process Heathy Church Initiative HCI (mid-sized churches): 2015 Missiona Church Consutation Initiative MCCI (arger churches): New City Church aunched in Minneapois Embrace Church out of Sioux Fas, South Dakota, started a Twin Cities campus in Lakeand 19 churches began a revitaization process Because of the Heathy Church Initiative we know that, though change is hard, it is fruitfu. When it s done carefuy, intentionay, and purposefuy, God can get ahod of new things and use them in ways we never imagined. Rev. Pau Baudhuin, Adersgate UMC (St. Louis Park) Because of the Missiona Church Consutation Initiative, we at Christ UMC know more about who we are and what it is we ong to share We ve determined that our missiona focus wi be around breaking the cyce of poverty, with a focus on supporting famiies. Our worship and sma group numbers are up. We re having fun. More eaders are eading, more servants are serving. There is a papabe fizz of possibiity in the air. We re excited to keep the main thing the main thing: Jesus. We want to share his heart. Rev. Eizabeth Macauay, Christ UMC (Rochester) 2016 Northwest Minneapois United Methodist Ministry (a Hmong faith community) aunched in Robbinsdae Centennia United Methodist Church in Rosevie wi aunch a second ocation More churches wi begin a revitaization process 12 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 13
INVESTING IN CONGREGATIONS GRANTS Investing in Congregations grants are distributed annuay to churches that demonstrate a potentia, capacity, and commitment to reach new peope, grow in ove of God and neighbor, and hea a broken word. Funding can be used for new ministries, programs, and staff positions. This year s grants were for initiatives that ranged from starting a new worship service designed to reach young aduts to a rebirth of a chidren s ministry to an after-schoo program. 30 First United Methodist Church in New Um received $20,000 for a homeess sheter caed NUMAS House that wi provide emergency housing to dispaced singe-mother famiies in Brown churches received a 2015 grant County, where there s currenty no such sheter. NUMAS House wi aso offer case management, counseing, and financia, job, and ife skis training to mothers so that their chidren can remain $500-$20,000 enroed in New Um schoos. These women and their chidren awarded to each recipient matter to God, said Rev. Jo Anne Tayor. By connecting with these famiies, and providing not ony for their immediate needs but heping them estabish a permanent and sustainabe residence, $205,250 our congregation wi grow deeper in discipeship as we offer coectivey distributed Christ to famiies in a tangibe way. to a recipients BREAKTHROUGH WORKSHOPS Three breakthrough workshops avaiabe in 2015-2016 were created to provide toos and action steps for reaching peope and creating discipes in today s cuture. The 2015-2016 workshops were: Cip in to Acceerate: Moving Your Church Forward Faster Dr. Jim Ozier From Membership to Discipeship Dr. Phi Maynard Creative Worship Jason Moore The ast two workshops were ive streamed, meaning that peope coud participate in person or watch via the Internet. More than 10 groups tuned in to watch each of them from remote ocations. A team from Cross Roads United Methodist Church in Spicer has attended a three of this year s workshops. Rev. Torger Johnson said he appreciates the opportunity to earn from experts in the fied. The workshops have affirmed some of the practices we re aready doing and given vision to what we might be abe to do next in our own setting, he said. For exampe, Cross Roads members are great at greeting visitors on Sunday mornings, but the first workshop inspired them to be more intentiona about inviting new peope to become invoved in the ife of the church in other ways too. We re caed to be discipes, and discipes are earners, said Johnson. The breakthrough workshops are a wonderfu continuing education event. Hea a Broken Word GRANTS HELP CHURCHES PARTNER WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS When the United Methodist Church of Anoka was invited to partner with the Sheridan Story, eaders knew it presented a key opportunity to reach new famiies and meet a critica need in the community. The Sheridan Story has created a network of organizations that send a weekend food suppy home with hungry chidren. Earier this year, thanks to a $1,200 grant from the Minnesota Conference, the church became part of that network and began suppying food to chidren at nearby Lincon Eementary Schoo. A United Methodist Churches in Minnesota have been encouraged to deveop a ong-term partnership with a schoo in their community. Over the past year, more than two dozen churches incuding UMC of Anoka have coectivey received neary $30,000 from the Minnesota Conference in the form of churchschoo partnership grants to hep them form these reationships. UMC of Anoka s partnership works ike this: The church provides funds to the Sheridan Story, which then buys food, and vounteers from the church pack the food and distribute it to the schoo. Famiies can opt into the program and receive a weekend food suppy every Friday. Our mission is to provide hope for our community, said Eaine Coison, UMC of Anoka s outreach chair. This is part of that. Our church is reay committed to fighting hunger. Anything we can do to hep meet that basic need is important. And needs in the community are great: More than haf of the chidren at Lincon Eementary receive free or reduced-price unches. Former Associate Pastor Joee Anderson said the church wi ask other organizations in its community to partner in this ministry and is panning fundraising projects to be abe to support this ministry on an ongoing basis. Members gave $1,000 in eary 2016 to suppement the grant money and be abe to provide food for the remainder of the schoo year. The church sees working with Sheridan as a first step in getting to know the famiies of Lincon Eementary to buid a reationship and invite them into the church famiy, said Anderson. The hope is that through this ministry, the church can hep the schoo in other ways. Church eaders have had severa meetings with the schoo to find out about other needs that exist and to expore how the congregation can hep address them. This is what Jesus did, said Anderson. He saw the true needs of peope and not ony met those needs, but asked them to become foowers of him and his teaching, which is to continue to serve others in his name. St. Chares United Methodist Church used its grant money to adopt a cass at St. Chares Eementary Schoo, ocated ess than a bock from the church buiding. Members have demonstrated their support in severa ways. They gave the teacher $100 to use at her discretion, which she spent on a rug for students to sit on. Additionay, any student who cannot purchase mik for snack time is now given a carton, ensuring that each student has two servings at schoo each day. To encourage reading, each student in the cassroom was given at east four books to take home, read, and share with famiy. The church aso asked the teacher to watch for students who ack weather-appropriate cothing so that it can provide the needed items. And church vounteers assist with sma group reading and other cassroom activities. The church is aready thinking about additiona ways it can support the students and their famiies. This is about what God wants us to do as far as being in service to others and those that are different than us, said Ji Michae, a member of the conference s Mission Promotion Team, which oversaw the grant program. 14 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 15
REFUGEE RESPONSE In recent months, our goba community and particuary Europe has been confronted with the argest mass migration of peope since Word War II. Hundreds of thousands of dispaced persons have poured out of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and various parts of Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. In October, Bishop Ough urged Minnesota congregations to respond to the crisis, and they did so in a variety of ways. Here are two exampes: Our work as a conference VIETNAM PARTNERSHIP In 2014, the Minnesota Conference formed a partnership with Vietnam with the intent to hep foster an abundant ife for Vietnamese chidren. What s been accompished to date: Donating money: Common Ground: A United Methodist Community in Cambridge is one of many churches that gave to the refugee crisis. A band within the congregation decided to do a coffee concert and encouraged attendees to give donations that went to the United Methodist Committee on Reief (UMCOR) to assist those who were dispaced. They raised neary $3,000. Part of our mission statement is everyone counts, said Rev. Jean Roin. If we reay are ooking around the word, then a of these peope who are made homeess or who are running for their ives, they count as we. We take seriousy John Wesey s the word is my parish. MISSION TRIPS Adopting a refugee famiy: Each year, hundreds of Minnesota United Methodists hea a broken word by serving others domesticay and abroad. In 2015, groups from Minnesota worked in a variety of countries around the word on: Schoos Medica assistance Construction Disaster reief Heath kit packing The Gads February 2015 mission trip by the numbers: 29 participants 15 days $43,044 Farming estimated doar vaue of work performed Arington His UMC in Mapewood is sponsoring a refugee famiy that came to the United States in March after spending two decades in a refugee camp in Thaiand. (Athough the famiy isn t from Europe, the migrant crisis there has resuted in an infux of refugees to the United States and thus an increased need for assistance for a recent immigrants.) The church met the famiy at the airport after they arrived, furnished their sma St. Pau apartment, and has assisted them with transportation as they get setted. It s about being the hands and feet of Jesus in the word we are serving, and it s a rea priviege to be abe to do that for a famiy starting at ground zero, said Catherine Soheim, a member of the church s mission team. During the past 25 years, Rev. Dennis Gad and his wife, Barb, have ed 35 mission teams comprising neary 1,000 tota vounteers to work on 14 Caribbean isands as we as Costa Rica and Beize. Rev. Gad said the words of John 3:16 have fueed their work: For God so oved the word that he gave his one and ony Son, that whoever beieves in him sha not perish but have eterna ife. As a vounteer construction team, the Gads and their crew have buit schoos, cinics, and churches. They ve worked on parsonages, orphanages, and paygrounds. They ve aso sewed receiving bankets and bibs, dresses, and skirts. A February 2015 mission trip to Beize marked the fina trip they woud ead, and their primary project there was heping to buid the second story of Bemopan Methodist High Schoo. We re getting oder, but we sti have fire in the bey for missions, said Barb. $10,000 from the 2015 Love Offering was used to pay off a oan for Grace Chidren s Center in Ho Chi Minh City Two Advance teams of cergy and aity have visited Vietnam to assess needs Reationships have been formed with missionaries working on the ground in Vietnam What s next: Teams wi be invited to go on mission trips to Vietnam to teach Vacation Bibe Schoo to chidren and to work on other projects that benefit young peope The conference wi provide support to ay pastors working to share the gospe through house churches forming across the country Vietnam snapshot: Industries: food processing, garments, shoes, machine-buiding, mining, coa, stee, cement, chemica fertiizer, gass, tires, oi, mobie phones 94,348,835 Popuation 11.3% Popuation beow poverty ine 81% No reigious affiiation 16 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 17
APPORTIONED GIVING Minnesota churches gave generousy to the denomination in 2015, and those gifts enabed ifechanging mission and ministry around the word. 2015 apportioned budget: $6M Stays in Minnesota Goes to genera church 89.1 percent of requested apportionments were remitted (up from 87.1 percent in 2014) $4.4M $1.56M 79.1 percent of churches paid 100 percent of their apportioned amount Loca apportionment doars go to: New church starts Revitaization processes for churches Training for cergy and aity The ELI Project internship program Sou Leaders cergy retreat series Cergy credentiaing, appointments, and supervision Administration of pension and heath insurance pans for cergy Congregationa deveopment grants to support new efforts Conference camping ministry Access to Christian education toos and resources from the Resource Center for Churches Minnesota United Methodist Foundation, which advises churches on stewardship Digita, print, and socia media that share our work and witness in the word Goba apportionment doars fund: Bishops Genera agencies Ministeria education Denomination-wide efforts ike the Back Coege Fund and Africa University in Zimbabwe Goba ecumenica efforts CONFERENCE RESERVES AND INVESTMENTS Invested funds as of the end of 2015 totaed $58.3 miion, down from $59.6 miion at the end of 2014. The conference weighted-average investment returns were negative 2.28%, simiar to market returns. The conference continues to make sociay-responsibe investments. There are three generations of cergy pension and retirement pans being administered by the conference; each is we funded above 100 percent. Retirement and heath reserves are at a eve that aows them to be used to cover approximatey $1.3 miion of expenses that used to be apportioned to churches. The operating reserve is funded at a eve that meets current requirements. Our work as a conference SECOND-MILE GIVING Every year, churches give over and above their apportionments to many efforts around the word. $815,000 Amount given through the conference to disaster reief, Imagine No Maaria, missionaries, and a wide variety of other ministries and projects $102,000 Amount given to 2015 Love Offering, which went to Grace Chidren s Center in Vietnam, grants to hep churches partner with schoos, and Vounteers in Mission schoarships MINNESOTA UNITED METHODIST FOUNDATION Photo by Sam Hodges, UMNS The Foundation supports churches and agencies in various ways. A few highights from the past year: Stewardship education: Wesey s Way With Money, a conference-wide seminar ed by Dr. James Harnish, focused on persona and oca-church practices with an emphasis on Spend, Save, Give. Legacy giving: The Foundation provides education and resources around egacy giving which can be done through an endowed gift, a charitabe gift annuity, or a charitabe trust. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS Liy grant: Thanks to a grant from the Liy Endowment, the Foundation wi join other organizations, incuding the Dakotas and Minnesota Conferences, to address financia and economic chaenges that can impair the abiity of pastors to ead congregations effectivey. Investments: The Foundation s investment program continues to grow and ended the first quarter of 2016 in the back. Last year saw an increase of 34 new church accounts. FACT REPORT In 2015 and eary 2016, the Minnesota Conference worked with the Financia Advisory Consuting Team (FACT) a team from the Genera Board of Pension and Heath Benefits and the Genera Counci on Finance and Administration to expore how we can better use our resources to be more effective in ministry. The process, requested by Bishop Ough, invoved private phone interviews and in-person group discussions with more than two dozen cergy and aity regarding perceived strengths and weaknesses in the conference. The FACT team used the information to make recommendations, a of which are things the conference is aready working on: Deveoping a common understanding as to how reaching new peope connects us with the evangeistic task that is part of our United Methodist DNA Increasing use of unrestricted iquid assets for strategic purposes Reviewing heath benefits programs for conference members Incorporating Reach Renew Rejoice funds being raised into master pan, and strengthen communication pan tactics to deepen knowedge of and urgency for the initiative Set targets for expanding ay eadership throughout the conference Aign strategy, work force, and vounteer eadership to desired outcomes Examine and impement approaches for exiting ineffective cergy 18 / Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church Missiona Report 2015-2016 / 19
Bishop Bruce R. Ough Resident Bishop, Dakotas-Minnesota Area of The United Methodist Church Minnesota Annua Conference of the United Methodist Church 122 W. Frankin Ave., Ste. 400, Minneapois, MN 55404