One Michigan Area leader loses his head at Bishop's Day 2011

•By Eugene Blair, Flint District Superintendent •

The Flint District had Bishop's Day this past Saturday, with a theme of: "Part Two — ReThink Bishops Day, ReThink Church."

We wanted to move out of the classroom and into the streets. We gathered at Fenton UMC for prayer, instructions, and work site assignments.

About 150 people set out for about 10 different work sites and evangelism ministries.

About 300 people participated in both parts of Bishop's Day, including free car washes, free hot dogs, coins for laundry, free coffee distribution, pumping gas and free windshield washing.

Some formed a choir and sang at nursing home and others went shopping to make Easter baskets for children who would not get one otherwise.

Some worked at Meyers Lake Camp, preparing it for the season ahead.

All of this took place in the small rural communities of Byron and Argentine, places not known for poverty, drug overdoses or child abuse. yet these things do exist here. Pastors Dave Lieneke and Michael Mayo-Moyle coordinated for their churches. We wanted to make an impact and let people know that God loves them and the church is not afraid to share that love.

There were many stories of "God moments" during the day. At the free car wash, one woman rolled down her window and had a long conversation with Rev. David Flemimg (Juddville-New Lothrop).

She had a small child and wanted to know where she could go fro a baptism. Rev. Fleming gave her his card and invited her to come the next day for the baptism. At the gas station where windshields were being washed, a man came up with about $2.80 worth of cans to redeem to buy gas. A participant gave him $10.00 for his tank. As he left he pledged to help someone else that day because of the good that was shown to him.

Rev. Jeremy Peters was one of the organizers of the event. "Our hope was that churches would take this event back to their local congregations and hold a similar program for themselves as we ReThink Church," he said.

The day ended with he church with the most people getting to shave the head of the Flint DS. The winner was Seymour Lake with about 15 people. They joyfully shaved the cross and flame and the letters UMC in the head of the DS, a great sport through it all. The head shaving may or may not be a part of Bishops Day in 2012.

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‘Vital’ new church development program being piloted in both conferences

By RJ Walters, Editor

In an effort to better equip motivated congregations to respond to God’s call, a collaborative Michigan Area Leadership Excellence Task Force has rolled out pilot versions of a clergy and lay member development program called the Vital Church Initiative (VCI) in the Flint and Albion Districts.

The voluntary initiative has been in development since the fall of 2010 and it will aim to intentionally use coaching to facilitate learning and increase accountability among leaders and members of churches of all sizes.

Bishop Keaton created the Task Force in late 2009 with the intention of addressing clergy excellence, believing that the health and vitality of local churches is often directly related to the leadership skills of clergy members.

Clergy and laity who agree to be part of the pilot programs are in covenant to attend each four-hour session, read the preparatory materials and take care of travel expenses.

Each church will come out of the VCI program with an action plan.

They will also have the opportunity for a full-day consultation of their church with a trained consultant.

Based on a comprehensive learning model called the “Healthy Church Initiative and Small Church Initiative” in the Missouri Conference, the “large church” component (more than 100 members worshipping on average) will be piloted in the Flint District and the “small church” component (less than 100 members worshipping on average) has already started in the Albion District. A similar pilot program is expected to begin in the Lansing District later this year.

The large church VCI includes parallel clergy and laity leadership development tracks for pastors and for chosen lay leaders

Twelve clergy will gather one Monday morning each month for eight months at the Detroit Conference Office in Flint, with approximately 24 laity meeting the following Saturday each month for their session.

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