Video: Bishop's Day 2011 address by Bishop Jonathan Keaton

The continuing education tool Bishop's Day has been inspiring Michigan Area pastors and congregants the past two weekends and more events are planned for March 19 and March 26. Check out the remaining schedule of events in the West Michigan Conference and the Detroit Conference.

In the meantime check out this video of Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton sharing his passion and wisdom with people in the Port Huron District on March 5.

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Burning Questions with Bill Volume 2: Clergy Assistant to Bishop responds to unanswered queries

By Bill Dobbs, Clergy Assistant to the Bishop


Continuing our conversation about questions that were raised at the Michigan Area School for Pastoral Ministry

Question: Who is the pastor to pastors? Will the conference ever consider having someone to confide in that doesn't have connection to (the) appointment process?
Dobbs: When I was serving as a local pastor, I always thought that my “pastor” – the one to whom I looked for spiritual guidance and support – was my District Superintendent. Sometimes that worked out well and sometimes not so well. The “well” or “not so well” component was most often an indicator of the strength of our relationship.
Those superintendents that I could relate to — the ones that were open to having that kind of a relationship with me (and I could always tell, no matter what their lips said) — were the ones who really were my “pastor.”
I called out to them in times of illness or family hardship or church struggles, and they were there – by thought or word or deed.
Words I have heard from others suggest that many of you have had similar experiences with your DS.
And yes, I knew that they were sharing things that were happening in my family with the Bishop, but I always assumed that the Bishop cared for my family and I even if he or she did not always know my name.
At the same time, I know that not all of you have had the same kind of experiences, either with your DS or your Bishop. To you I would tell you that your pastor can be someone you choose who will agree to provide spiritual guidance and support, someone who will listen and offer helpful feedback as you seek to grow as a person and as a pastor.
Many of you may recognize that I have given you an incomplete description of a Spiritual Guide or Advisor, and some of you have already established a relationship with your own Spiritual Guide. That can be a truly helpful thing, and I would encourage you to continue building that relationship.
I cannot speak to what an annual conference might do in the future, but annual conferences can do whatever they wish regarding the employment and job descriptions of personnel, so long as it is not specifically prohibited in the Discipline.

Question: How can Bishop Keaton’s pastors express both their support and affection for him without appearing to simply be currying favor (sucking up)?
Dobbs: As I serve in this office, I see and hear many things that come across my desk or across the screen of my computer. Perhaps you can imagine, but you might be surprised.
I have come to believe that the most important thing clergy and laity can do for their Bishop is to pray for him. Even as I say that I know it sounds like a cliché and I don’t mean it to be so.
I believe in prayer! I believe in the power of prayer!
I believe that Christians cannot be Christians without prayer and I am convinced that Bishops cannot be Bishops without prayer either. If you are praying for Bishop Keaton and God prompts you to send a note about something in your prayer, trust the Holy Spirit and send the note. Be honest. Remember that if it is from God, it will bear the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23) and not the works of the flesh (Galatians 5: 19-21).

Next month, we will discuss whether “there any conversations within the UMC regarding the time between sessions of General Conference and the inability of the church to respond to a rapidly changing culture” and “what I envision for future pastorates trying to deal with the high costs of pensions, health insurance, etc. for congregations.”
If you would like to submit a question, please write me: bdobbs@miareaumc.org.
Thanks for letting me share this time with you.

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Find out what visitors really think about your church with Faith Perceptions

By RJ Walters, Editor

Churches rarely get a second chance to make a first impression with a guest or newcomer, but a Christian service company is giving pastors and congregations some advice on how to make one chance enough.

Managers of chain retail outlets always have to be on the lookout for “mystery shoppers” who will share the truth about how business is being conducted, and now thanks to Faith Perceptions, “mystery visitors” are being planted at participating churches.

Instead of churches dreaming up their own lists of things they do well and things they could improve, the Missouri-based company partners with churches to help them better understand the genuine perceptions “un-churched” people have of their ministries.

Mystery visitors are hired to attend services and provide written and numerical feedback on their experiences and the data are aggregated to provide churches with written reports that can be used to more clearly understand guests’ perceptions.

On average a church will have 12 different visitors in the first three months after registering.

With conferences all over the nation experiencing a decline in membership numbers, Missouri Area Bishop Robert Schnase — author of the Five Practices books — believes the idea of getting better at welcoming in strangers is not only important, but Biblical.

“In Christian theology, we’re asked to see the possibility that the visitor among us is none other than Christ. Jesus surprised his disciples by telling them that he had come visiting them,” he wrote at www.fivepractices.org.

Rev. Lou Grettenberger of Christ UMC in Traverse City said his congregation has gained many insights in the past by asking visitors questions about what they noticed first upon entering the church, what they liked best and what prayer requests they had.

Schnase said authentic mystery visitors, or planted ones from a company like Faith Perceptions should motivate congregations toward excellence and engagement.

Aside from hiring out average “Joes” and “Jills” to sneak into a pew once in a while, Faith Perceptions also offers services like community surveys, focus groups and market research for church planting.

The leadership team at Faith Perceptions admits churches can try to do some of these activities on their own, but it is sometimes difficult for leaders and staff members to be completely objective about his/her church.

Faith Perceptions also hints that churches that do these activities on their own need to find ways to make them seem “less like recruiting” and more like an opportunity to provide an objective, honest opinion.

There is a one-time start-up fee of $250 per church and packages run from just over $3,000 plus undercover visitor fees for 52 contacts to just under $1,100 plus undercover fees for 12 contacts.

Discounts of up to 20 percent are given to large groups of churches who sign up.

More information on Faith Perceptions is available at www.faithperceptions.com or by calling 1-877-330-1885.

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Church makes skullcaps to go in military stockings

By Pam Mettler, UMC of the Dunes

Members of the United Methodist Church of the Dunes (UMC-Dunes) in Grand Haven recently knit and contributed nearly 100 hand-made acrylic and wool skullcaps as part of a nationwide effort known as “Operation Shoe Box Skullcaps for Our G.I.’s.”

The skullcaps will help fill Christmas stockings for all branches of U.S. military members currently on duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“These skullcaps have been made by a number of people in our congregation. They supplied both the yarn and the labor, which takes approximately two-to-three hours to make just one hat,” said Joy Shimp, UMC-Dunes Skull Caps project coordinator.

Each skullcap contributed by UMC-Dunes members had a scripture tag attached from Psalms 91:15, which read: ”He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”

The idea for the church members at UMC-Dunes’ involvement arose from Shimp’s interest in and attendance at cribbage tournaments throughout the country.

In Green Bay, Wisc., a cribbage friend told Shimp that she had made hats as part of “Operation Shoe Box Skull Caps” and asked Joy if she was interested in bringing back the idea to her local congregation.

Shimp brought the idea back, made the pattern and put out a plea to church members for help in making the hats. All conform to the pattern, which calls for four-ply yarn in acrylic or wool ― and there are both knit and crochet patterns available.

“The idea for making hats just blossomed. Our members have made all 91 of the hats, which I am shipping to my contact at The Villages, Florida. From there, the hats will go to our active G.I.’s in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Shimp said.

All hats were blessed and prayed over by senior pastor Dan Duncan and the UMC-Dunes congregation members at a Sunday service.

“As I knitted the hats I made, I also blessed them,” Shimp said, adding, “I feel the idea of adding the scripture tag will help military men and women want to hold it in their pockets as they go about their active duties.”

Anyone interested in receiving further information about “Operation Shoe Box Skull Caps for Our G.I.’s” should contact Donna Miller, Wisconsin project coordinator, at 715-832-8934 or via e-mail at dcmiller2104@hotmail.com.

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Cokesbury in Michigan: A rich history of indelible impressions for many

By RJ Walters, Editor

Michigan’s only Cokesbury retail store will close its doors for the final time on Jan. 11, 2011, but the state will not be devoid of the rich memories its helped create over the last 70-some years.

Store manager Joan Mueller, who has been at the helm of the business at its several Plymouth locations, has a firm grasp on what Cokesbury has meant to people over the years.

“I just had two ladies in (one) morning (who were in their 80s) who remembered being (kids) and shopping in downtown Detroit at what at the time was called the United Methodist Publishing House, not even Cokesbury yet,” she said.

The original Michigan store was the sixth Cokesbury retail outlet opened in the United States and the store moved around from a bevy of Detroit locations to Livonia, before ending up in Plymouth.

Mueller smiles at the thought of one regular customer who has been visiting the store for years, in part to relieve some of the stress caused by work.

“We (recently) had a woman in named Victoria and she was so disappointed we were closing and she shared that where she works is very stressful and she’s thankful that often there’s enough time between when she gets out of work and when we close that she can come in and spend 15 minutes sometimes, other times an hour,” Mueller said. “And she said, ‘It’s my sanctuary, it puts me back together.’”

Mueller, whose mother is a retired pastor, had years of retail experience at grocery and clothing stores, but she said being part of Cokesbury was truly her own “ministry calling” for a variety of reasons.

“The people coming in here have a need to fill — they’re missing something and they’re trying to find that something to help them spiritually.”

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Michigan's only Cokesbury retail store closing in January

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The United Methodist Publishing House (www.umph.org) has announced that Michigan's only Cokesbury retail store, located in Plymouth, will close on Jan. 8, 2011. Cokesbury customers within a 40-mile radius of the store's location have been receiving notification of the store's closure.

"I was prepared for it, but not expecting it," said Joan Mueller, who has been the store manager since 1999. "We continue to be focused on the customers that have been coming in, maintaining a positive attitude, and celebrating the ministry that Cokesbury has provided in Michigan for the past 70 years."

The location is one of five Cokesbury (www.cokesbury.com) stores being closed by the Publishing House. The sites of the other stores closing include: Blackstone, Va., Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pa., Philadelphia, Pa. and Syracuse, N.Y. Over the past year, 11 Cokesbury stores have been closed.

"Each of these stores that we are closing is losing money," said Ed Kowalski, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Publishing House. "When things were better — before 2009 — we were able to keep a lot of stores open that were borderline, but the stronger stores helped pay for the stores that were struggling. With all of the dramatic changes that have happened since 2009, we're not able to do that anymore. We've had to make the difficult decisions to close down the underperforming sites."

According to Kowalski, evaluations and closing of stores has been happening, but due to the current economic conditions, the closings have been more pronounced.

"We (UMPH/Cokesbury) are a self-funded agency, so we have to pay our own way," Kowalski said. "We have a process that we've gone through numerous times where we evaluate the performance of each store and see if there are options to us, such as changing the financial model, getting a rent break, changing the staffing model, evaluating the performance of store manager, etc. We try to save additional expenses before we close the site."

Mueller indicated that cost-reduction efforts had taken place at the Plymouth store, which opened in November 2003.

"In the case of the Plymouth store, declining purchasing levels by local congregations and rising costs associated with rent, inventory, and other aspects of the store were factors that led to a decision to discontinue operations in that location," wrote Jeff Barnes, executive director of store sales for UMPH, in an e-mail to customers. "These reasons are even more pressing in light of the ongoing economic environment that presents unprecedented challenges and necessitates unwelcome decisions. Although we must close the store, we remain committed to serving congregations and church leaders in the most cost-effective ways possible."

The staff at the Michigan store will be released as of Jan. 8, 2011. According to Kowalski, Cokesbury will be hiring a sales representative in Michigan, who will work with congregations regarding Christian education needs. The position of sales representative will be posted at a future date.

The Cokesbury presence at the Detroit and West Michigan annual conferences will also be staffed differently as a result of the changes. The 2011 annual conference sessions will feature a Cokesbury store, but the local sales representative as well as regional managers and staff from Nashville, Tenn., where the Publishing House is headquartered, will staff it.

All current stock at the store is discounted and deeper reductions on merchandise pricing will be announced as they occur.

The Michigan Cokesbury store is located at 15175 N. Sheldon Rd. in Plymouth.

For more information, including store hours, visit www.cokesbury.com.

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The Lighthouse Overlook: The Baldwin Center

By RJ Walters, Editor

What is it?
The Baldwin Center is a human services agency in Pontiac, whose mission is to feed, clothe, educate, and empower disadvantaged men, women, and children through more than 25 programs.
Merged with the Grace and Peace Community Church of Pontiac, the Baldwin Avenue UMC become known as The Baldwin Center in 2006,
It is now a major asset of the Alliance for Urban Ministry, and the Detroit Conference’s Ministry Jubilee has a goal of $80,000 in donations allocated for the center each year.
The Center is a soup kitchen and food and clothing distribution center, it offers English as a Second Language classes and G.E.D courses, and it is a haven for children’s camps, educational programs and after-school activities.

How did it start?
Baldwin Avenue UMC was founded in 1917 and in 1981 Rev. Dr. Patricia Meyers suggested the church open its doors to provide for area children and families on a daily basis.
The Family Kitchen opened a year later, in 1983 an emergency shelter program was initiated and in the 1990s a plethora of youth-related centers and programs were installed.
Since 2002 the center has housed a full-time licensed counselor and community organizations have stepped up sponsorship and support.
Lisa Machesky, the center’s executive director the past two-and-a-half years, said she and her staff are always open to finding out what else the Lord might have in the works.
“One of the things we talk about around here…we know everything’s here, all the connections are here, we just have to find them,” she said. “When we come up with something and say, ‘Oh, I need this,” somehow the next day it comes around, or maybe it’s not the next day, but it’s around here somewhere, we just have to figure out where.”

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Harmony perpetuates itself on inclusive Albion College campus

By RJ Walters, Editor

Albion College has one of the richest Methodist traditions of any college in America and if John Wesley was still around in 2010 he would surely be proud of the experiential faith transpiring on campus.

Wesley strongly believed that Christians would be better fortified in their faith through personal experiences that re-affirmed it and Albion College Chaplain Dan McQuown contends Wesley was on to something.

In 2003 McQuown was part of initial discussions trying to bring religious groups on campus together and by 2005 an interfaith life team was born, thanks in part to a meeting held between the student president of Albion’s Campus Crusade for Christ chapter and leaders of the Secular Humanist group at the college.

Every year since, the interfaith group has included leaders from 7-12 different religious backgrounds who come together to discuss different aspects of spiritual life on campus.

While McQuown is a Christian, his background is certainly diverse in its own right. He grew up Presbyterian, he married a United Methodist and started the ordination process, and he and his wife are now members of the United Church of Christ.

On campus a “normal” day isn’t so normal and that’s precisely what McQuown loves about his job.
“(One day) we have a student speaking on human trafficking, sponsored by the chaplain’s office and our interfaith group,” he said. “Then we’re launching our Pakistani flood relief, starting with a reading of the Muslim call to prayer and then we have campus Shabbat here in our student center — and all three are open to all people.”

He said he does infinitely more Christian evangelism and spiritual counsel by engaging diversity and doesn’t see much benefit to labeling people or rejecting them because “diversity can be a terrifying encounter a lot of people hide from.”

“If I put up a sign outside this window that said, ‘Christians Only,” I would lose 70 percent of the student body. Then if I put up a sign that said, ‘United Methodists Only,” or “Protestants Only,” I’d lose 20 or 25 percent more. Then if I said liberals or conservatives only I’d lose even more,” he said.

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Detroit Conference announces program staffing changes

Rev. Terry Gladstone

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The Rev. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) DeVine has announced several changes to the program staff of the Detroit Conference, effective immediately. All changes are within existing positions and budget.

The Rev. Dr. James Parkhurst, who has been on staff since April 1 as interim conference director of outdoor and retreat ministries, has been promoted to conference director of outdoor and retreat ministries, while the Rev. Terry Gladstone, conference director of discipleship, has accepted a position as the program development specialist for the Lake Louise Christian Community, Camp, and Retreat Center.

In addition, Ang Hart, conference director of youth and young adult ministries, and Paul Thomas, conference director of communications, will have their positions increased from 1/2-time to 3/4-time effective January 1, 2011.

“Aligning resources to fulfill the conference vision of creating and nurturing dynamic and fruitful congregations includes focusing the time and portfolios of those whom God has called and gifted for various strategic ministries,” said DeVine, who is in his second year as the conference’s director of connectional ministries. “These recent staff changes are focused heavily on equipping and connecting leadership for discipleship in a changing environment.”

Rev. James Parkhurst

Before moving to the Detroit Conference, Parkhurst spent the past 12 years as the Director of Discipleship Ministries in the Desert Southwest Conference. During those 12 years, Parkhurst oversaw the conference’s camping and retreat ministries that encompassed several sites and staff spread across two states. Parkhurst, with over 18 years of experience in outdoor and retreat ministries, is currently a member of the National Camp and Retreat Committee, an affiliated organization with the General Board of Discipleship.

An ordained deacon and member of the Desert Southwest Conference, Parkhurst earned a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Religion Studies from Morehead State University and received a Master’s degree in Christian Education from Scarritt College in Nashville, Tenn. Parkhurst also completed his diaconal studies at Claremont School of Theology and received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Wisdom University in Oakland, Calif.

“Jim brings a depth of faith and knowledge along with breadth of experience in spiritual formation through outdoor and retreat ministries,” DeVine said. “Originally from Kentucky, he has served as site director for several camp ministries, including one in the North Central Jurisdiction. He brings thoroughness, strategic planning skills, leadership development and organizational experience, and a keen understanding of networking communities to make disciples of Jesus Christ leading to the transformation of the world. We welcome him as part of our ministry.”

Gladstone, who has been on the staff of the Detroit Conference since 1994, will remain employed by the conference with a significantly reduced consultative staff role and a revised portfolio. Details of her new conference responsibilities are being worked out with the personnel committee, but her duties will focus particularly on aspects of effective leadership development, clergy and lay, for equipping and strengthening vital local congregations.

As the program development specialist for Lake Louise, Gladstone will be responsible for increasing ministry outreach and to help the community, camp and retreat center effectively utilize their facilities and natural environment to fulfill their purpose and mission. Her position will involve organizing and evaluating multiple educational functions and activities, focusing on continual improvement and growth.

She will also have responsibilities for recruiting and maintaining a resource pool of leaders, along with training and supervising of some staff.

“I have known Terry for over ten years,” commented DeVine. “While my own roles have changed over that time, she and I have been part of the Michigan Area Ministry Team during that decade. She has vast experience, and has already gifted this Detroit Conference with numerous ministries that now have their own strength and direction.

"Her decision to pursue a new ministry position with the Lake Louise Christian Community and Camp builds on her own family history and life-long love for that community. I am grateful that she will remain in a consultative staff role with us because of the extensive experience and skills that she offers. We will obviously be focusing her available time very intentionally, particularly around some new avenues for congregational health and vitality that we are developing.”

For a directory of Detroit Conference staff, please visit www.detroitconference.org/staff.

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Scores of solutions for helping Michigan inmates

While not an exhaustive list, here are some examples of ministry in action that pertains specifically to helping Michigan Area inmates through the United Methodist Church.

Camp New Day
Anytime an adult is incarcerated, there are a million things to consider — but maybe the most important is the kids that are affected.

For almost a decade Camp New Day has been a partnership of the West Michigan and Detroit conferences that offers a spirit-filled weeklong camp experience for 9-15 year-olds who have parents in jail or prison.

At Camp Albright in Reed City campers share in daily worship and Bible study, while also participating in traditional fun camping experiences that are shared with caring, loving adults and youth going through similar life experiences.

The experience costs $369 but many campers come on full scholarships that are funded through donations and Michigan Area ministry funds.

Camp New Day Dean Beverly Williams said the camp offers “amazing opportunities for life-changing discussions about forgiveness, endurance and how to get along with others.”

Larry Fitch plays a major role at the camp and said the kids mean so much to all of the counselors, volunteers and leaders involved.

He said this summer one 12-year old boy seemed very withdrawn and sad when he arrived at camp.

After a heart-to-heart conversation, a counselor found out just a few days prior to camp Sam received a letter from his father in prison, stating that, “Sam was not his son so (he should) quit trying to see or communicate with him.”

“He could not understand why his dad would not communicate with him and felt that he might even be the reason he was in jail,” Fitch said. “Our counselor spent some extra time with Sam showing him love and spiritual caring. By the end of the week Sam was having a great time and had also found some new friends.”

Other kids might live with grandparents or relatives and most of them have more stress in their lives than any teenagers or pre-teens are able to handle without consequence.

The camp has its own registrar who sends out registration forms and makes regular phone calls to remind potential campers of the opportunity that awaits them.

It is also has plenty of needs to be filled by passionate churches and individuals.

For 2010 the camp needs approximately $15,000 more to reach its goal of $30,000 and Fitch said they still need close to 30 people to serve as staff, counselors and mentors.

Camp New Day is part of the West Michigan Conference’s Six Lanes of Giving (#7452) and the Detroit Conference’s Jubilee Spotlight (MJ 1366).

Those interested in donating funds an/or their time should contact Beverly Williams at 616-970-061 or will.fam@comcast.net or Fitch at 616-296-0844 or lmfitch@charter.net.

Keryx
The easiest way to define the Keryx Prison Ministry is, well, to think of the Emmaus Walk, but with inmates.

It is a lay-person led, non-profit, non-denominational Christian ministry that uses the Cursillo method of training people to be leaders in three days of intense instruction and prayer.

The purpose of Keryx is the “Christianization” of the correctional institution through the actions of small apostolic prayer support groups of prison residents, trained and encouraged by Keryx volunteers working within their environment.

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Column: Fields and highways — where disciples are made

By Benton Heisler, West Michigan Conference Director of Connectional Ministries

Jesus is recorded as telling his disciples in Acts 1:8, “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

Sometimes we attempt to accomplish the ministry tasks in front of us in our own power. As we begin every day opening our lives to the Holy Spirit, our witness is strengthened by the Spirit’s power. Our reminder is that Spirit is there all the time.

I recently traveled the length of Illinois. I had not been on that section of highway for a number of years. What caught my eye were two unmistakable features. One was the blades of the hundreds of turbine reaching out to capture the energy of the wind.

Wind, nearly always present, just awaiting the opportunity to be transferred into electricity that will power any number of machines, homes or (who would have believed it, automobiles.) Opening our hearts in prayer to receive the Holy Spirit centers the movement of God in all we do. I was struck to remind myself to keep my life open to that movement. How about you and your congregation?

A second image which spread before me was cornfields. Not just acres of corn, but square miles of corn. Some had been harvested, the combines churned through others, and mile after mile stood awaiting the transfer from stalk to silo to a store near you in one form or another. In Luke 2 Jesus is recorded as saying to his disciples, “The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. Pray that the Lord will send workers to the harvest.”

Any given Sunday less than 20 percent of our nation attends worship. I have no idea about all the intricacies of soil chemistry, planting, fertilizer application, seed corn, the mechanics of a 12 row combine, market strategies or corn product production and distribution.

It would be overwhelming to me to be given a square mile plot of land and told, “Go and make a cornfield and transform the hunger of the world.”

We may feel equally overwhelmed with Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and make disciples…” Yet, any one of us does know a great deal about people. We understand their joy and heartaches, their search for meaning and purpose, their struggles with relationships and finances, their moments of great joy and satisfaction.

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New United Methodist camp relishes history, explores Christianity in new ways

By RJ Walters, Editor

“It is no longer good enough to cry peace — we must act peace, live peace and live in peace.”

Such a saying might evoke thoughts of the Golden Rule or seem like a short summary of a lesson Jesus taught during his ministry, but it is actually a quote attributed to Leon Shenandoah, a 20th century Native American leader of the Onondaga Indians.

Many Michigan Area United Methodists might not realize there are nine Native American UMCs in the state or that many old Native American “grandfather teachings” have strong parallels with Christianity.

But in August Camp Kinawind in Boyne Falls made a splash with hopes of future ripples by offering a four-day/three-night Native American Connections camp for the first time.

Geared toward third- to eighth-graders, the camp strived to educate non-Native and Native youth alike about the history and lifestyle of their Native American ancestors, while providing plenty of time for hikes, boat trips, singing, cookouts and more.

The camp format focused on small groups, where the 21 total campers were divvied up with counselors into small groups where they learned to compromise and come to a consensus about what their daily schedule would be.

Camp Kinawind Director Fred Elmore said he had considered the possibility of a Native American camp for quite sometime, but it was a conversation with Amy Alberts of Mt. Pleasant that took imagination to innovation.

“In a phone conversation with her probably a good year-and-a-half ago she said, ‘I noticed you had a Hispanic camp (in the Detroit Conference), can we do something that is Native American?’” Elmore said. “I said well, sure, because I had been interested in that but wasn’t real sure how to get that off the ground or who to turn to.”

Not long after, Elmore attended the Indian Workers Conference, which is a meeting Native American committee from both Michigan Area conferences. There he found the perfect Native American United Methodist couple to be camp deans for this inaugural celebration of the culture.

“(The idea) was well received and (people at the conference) said to me, ‘What do you need?’ I said, ‘I need a leader, someone who knows the people, knows the culture, solid United Methodists,’” he said. “Everybody looked around the room and ended up pointing to Judy Johnson and she said, ‘As long as my husband (Daugherty) helps me!’ They were wonderful — they both are active members of the Greensky Hill Indian (Mission) United Methodist Church, only about 25 miles from camp.”

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Spaw's installation as Ann Arbor District Superintendent Celebrated

By RJ Walters, Editor

Crowns weren’t handed out and there was no punch bowl in need of constant refills, but it was a homecoming celebrating of sorts for Rev. Mark Spaw on Sept. 26.

The revered United Methodist leader had his speech well prepared and the crowd gave him an abundance of love, as Spaw was officially installed as the new Ann Arbor District Superintendent at Brighton FUMC — just miles from where he spent 16 years of his ministry as pastor of Hartland UMC.

He helped grow Hartland UMC from 33 members to over 300 while he was there and more than 300 members have joined Trenton: Faith UMC since he was appointed there in 1999.

That aptitude, as well as Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton’s conviction that Spaw was just the man of God the Ann Arbor District needed, landed Spaw the position he started July 1.

“He brings energy, passion, knowledge, experience, a dash of humor and a servant’s commitment to the seat of district superintendent,” he said. “I am convinced the only reason I’ve called Mark Spaw to be the District Superintendent for Ann Arbor in this time is not because I just happened to choose him, but because God chose to use me as an instrument to do the calling.”

With a host of family members and lay members from his previous ministry stops crowding the pews, Spaw delivered a sermon reminding people that Jesus was the ultimate shepherd in his time on earth. Spaw said people can learn a lot from John 10:11-16 where Jesus speaks of knowing all of his sheep and being willing to lay down his life for them.

“My friend, a sheep who is trapped in the bramble may squeal and be resistant to the shepherd’s rescue because of the pain, but a good shepherd will ignore the squealing and save the sheep,” he said.

Spaw has shown deep commitment to neighboring communities during his career in ministry. He is the chaplain for the Trenton High School football team and Trenton City Fired Department and he has a longstanding history of working with everyone from non-profit organizations to local school districts to the Boy Scouts of America.

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Bishop's Column: Ministry on the Road

By Michigan Area Bishop Jonathon D. Keaton

On the road, I lived these stories this summer. On August 4, I sat in my aisle seat aboard U.S. Air in Munich, Germany. Our E.O. group was headed home via Philadelphia.

We were returning home from the 2010 Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. A German girl, nearly 6-feet tall, took the window seat beside me. She was headed to Nashville via Philadelphia to vacation with family friends.

It was Jana’s (pronounced Yana) first flight. Yes, her parents approved the trip even though her dad has terminal cancer. Jana had graduated from high school and expected to enter college in September.

Academically inclined, fluent in German, French and English, Jana needed a little coaching and comforting.

Members of our E.O. group met Jana. Then, I helped her with questions about American money and America. We reviewed her Immigration Form and promised to help her through customs, transfer her luggage, and walk with her to the Nashville gate in Philadelphia.

After that, Jana relaxed and enjoyed her first flight. In Philly, Jana and I went through customs, got her bags to the transfer desk and walked to her gate. She thanked me and we parted.

It felt like a father helping his daughter get from point A to point B safely. More than that, the story had to do with ministry on the road. Had a member of our E.O. group not exchanged his aisle seat for my middle seat, I would not have met Jana.

But I guess it’s no different than the stranger I met at Wendy’s in South Haven.

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The Lighthouse Overlook: The N.O.A.H. Project

By RJ Walters, Editor

What is it?
N.O.A.H stands for Networking, Organizing and Advocacy for Health and it’s a collaboration of more than 65 metro-Detroit churches teaming with Family Service, Inc. to provide food, shelter, basic needs, health services and more for the “chronically homeless” of Detroit. It is a project of the Alliance for Urban Ministry and local churches team up to provide sack lunches and other meals for the ministry — to the tune of more than 25,000 meals served in 2009. N.O.A.H. is funded primarily through foundations that support them, as well as federal and state grants.

How did it start?
In 1999 N.O.A.H. coordinator John Barnett helped transform the Bag Lunch Program into something much broader through his work with Family Services, Inc. He said he realized there was a great need to assist people who suffered from mental illnesses, substance abuse, lack of affordable housing, etc. and Central UMC and Family Services decided to form an alliance. Barnett said N.O.A.H. continues to evolve as community needs change and there is always room for more help and improvement.
“We change according to the staff we bring in and we also change based on the needs of the population we deal with,” he said.

What type of progress has been made?
N.O.A.H. has four full-time employees, two part-time staff members and 15-20 volunteers who help out on a weekly basis.
Barnett said they help all ages, but 70-80 percent of the project’s clients are 50-60 years old.
“Most of the individuals we work with aren’t transient homeless — they’re not like somebody who just lost a job last week — we’re working with people who have been on the street 10 or 15 years and we’re trying to change behaviors and attitudes to help them get off the street,” he said.
Some N.O.A.H. clients actually volunteer and assist N.O.A.H. workers as they learn to gain trust and build relationships.
Amy Brown has worked with N.O.A.H. for six years, and her Master’s Degree in social work prepared her to help N.O.A.H. make the most of its resources.
She said what inspires her most is seeing friendships blossom.
“Once they start being in (healthy) relationships for a while they start trusting others and growing and you realize the small things they have, they are willing to share with others,” she said. “And to me that’s really living out the message of the Gospel — like the five loaves and two fish story, things multiply themselves around here and people are willing to share with each other.”


What churches/people can do to help?
Although state and federal grants help the project’s cause, they have lost some funding in recent years, Brown said.
They have a goal of $60,000 in donations from its Ministry Jubilee listing (# MJ 1162) each year and that money goes directly to funding a US-2 missionary for the project, as well as bagged lunch supplies and things like bus tickets and IDs.
Brown said over 40 local UMCs help make bagged lunches, but there is always a need for more. Churches can also donate supplies for hygiene kits and clothes, especially with fall and winter just around the corner.
“As winter approaches we’re always in need of socks, gloves and hats. Socks and gloves are the number one and number two preventers of frostbite, which people on the street are constantly concerned about getting,” she said. “We also need a lot of men’s underwear to help people survive.”
Churches or individuals can donate directly through the Ministry Jubilee outreach or reach Brown or Barnett by calling 313-965-5422 or e-mailing them at yourpalamybrown@yahoo.com or johnbarnett13@hotmail.com.

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Detroit Conference health insurance rates to raise 10 percent in 2011

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The Detroit Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits has informed local churches that the conference's health insurance rates for 2011 have risen by 10 percent over the rates for 2010. The 10 percent increase is below an earlier projection by the CBOPHB that figured a 15 percent increase in the rates.

According to a letter sent to clergy in the active group health insurance plan, staff-parish relations committee chairpersons, and selected conference agencies, the Rev. Don Emmert, conference benefits officer, stated that the increase is due primarily to the high rate of medical claims experienced by the group health plan in 2010. 

"While no one is satisfied and everyone struggles with these high costs, our recent conference claims trend has slowed enough to reduce the 2011 increase by a third," Emmert said.

Emmert also stated in the letter that the conference plan has experienced a cumulative increase of 26 percent over the last four years. That is less than the national average, which is 35-38 percent.

In addition to the increase in health insurance rates for 2011, Emmert reported that 63 percent of the eligible participants enrolled in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Those who have who have reached level 3 in the program, and either participated in the ProCheck for Health Screening at annual conference or had a physical during the year will earn financial credit for their salary-paying unit in December. 

Emmert said that a mailing will be sent in November to each participant along with a confirmation form that must be completed and returned in order to receive the credit.

Please visit www.detroitconference.org/benefits to view the 2011 health insurance rates, as well as information on how to enroll in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Those with questions my contact Emmert by phone at 810-233-5500 or by e-mail at demmert@detroitconference.org.

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Operation Motown: Detroit quickly becoming a hotbed for UMC mission teams

When they weren't sweating, UMC youth were bonding in Detroit this summer.

By RJ Walters, Editor

Detroit is a destination.

Maybe not the kind people pack extra sun-tan lotion for or the type people fly in from the other side of the country to visit, but it’s a becoming a destination nonetheless — the kind where United Methodists help a city in need of revival by organizing their own weeklong revivals of sorts.

The Motown Mission Experience, a project of the Young Leaders Initiative, has been rebuilding homes and sprucing up abandoned lots for six years, but the summer of 2010 breathed new life into a mission that has a future that is full of potential.

Between 225 and 250 workers graced the streets of the Motor City for six separate weeklong missions, nearly five times the number of participants from 2009. Carl Thomas Gladstone, the director of the Young Leaders Initiative, said transformation was alive and well in Detroit this summer, both in changing perception’s of the often-condemned city and in the faithful gathering of UMC servants.

“Our major partner in the home repair projects is the Joy Southfield Community Development Corporation…over the course of the six weeks they have cleared out like 88 empty lots that had been overgrown to the point of jungles,” he said. “With six weeks in a row of projects we were kind of able to see more kind of successful endpoints for a lot of the projects compared to previous years where it was one or two weeks at a time. That was really cool.”

The increased workload was made possible by the help of three summer interns, as well as a grant-funded position that took care of updating www.motownmission.org, multimedia projects and PR outreach.

More workers meant more people getting a close-up look at Detroit, and Gladstone said educating people about the devastation and the hope they can provide is job number one.

“One of the things we try to say at the beginning of the week is that many of our churches are sending mission teams down to Haiti, down to the Gulf Coast after Katrina…and we’re letting them know that the same kind of devastation that happened in Katrina is happening here in Detroit,” he said. “In a recent BBC documentary one of the guys said, ‘Detroit is like a slow-motion Katrina.’ So I think one of the things people are realizing about this city is it’s not just ‘people down there who can’t make a go of it,’ — this is a place that is facing the kind of disaster that if you look at it the right way, we should be called to disaster recovery work.”

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Out of the city and into their hearts: Urban Methodist Youth Camp takes off in second go-round

Paddles boats and canoeing were first-time favorites for many campers.

By RJ Walters, Editor

“I came here because I was bored.”

“I came here because my momma said I need to do something other than play football.”

“I came here to learn the ways of God.”

These real statements by real middle-school youth from Metro Detroit demonstrate the need for the Urban Methodist Youth Camp at Judson Collins Campground in Onsted.

In its second year of summer programming it is providing crucial tools to strengthen faith, life skills, fitness and community for a group of energetic, moldable youth often left out in the church camping world.

If growth is an ample measuring stick for the success of a program then the urban camp isn’t just a phase, it’s a soon-to-be craze.

After having 118 high school and middle school youth pack the camp in 2009, camp leaders decided to break it into two weeks of fun and instruction in 2010.

The first week of August brought in 88 high school students and the following week was filled with the voices and laughter of 96 middle school students.

“They really, really look forward to it and they need it,” said Audrey Mangum, the camp’s program administrator. “Some don’t know what to expect — some have never been away from their parents and families.”

It does the body good
While campfires and marshmallows have their place, Urban Youth Camp is far from a traditional camping experience.

The Counselor vs. Campers basketball game was a hit.

One of its foundations is its athletic offerings, which range from basketball and volleyball to archery, cheerleading and ultimate Frisbee.

Prior to camp each participant chooses one offering to spend an “intensive” two hours developing skills and participating in each morning.

This year the camp also offered Latino dance and drums, and drama, for people who are more artistically driven.

Every afternoon also offers time for capture the flag competition, scavenger hunts, crafts, an array of tours and more.

This year some of the high school students even had the opportunity to do an overnight canoe trip that took them across several lakes to the nearby Lutheran campground.

“Canoeing is something a lot of urban kids have never experience before,” said Judson Collins Director Sarah Ratz. “Last week this girl was crying and didn’t want to go, but we put her in the lifeguard boat and at the end she said she was glad she got to do it. It’s really awesome to see people overcome fears here.”

Cliff Stallings, the Judson Collins’ dean for 43 years strong and the chairman of the Urban Methodist Youth Camp Council, said the purpose of all of the activities is to help the kids bond.

Digging deeper
Those connections only begin with the fun.

The theme this year is “Transformation,” and Rev. Carter Grimmett (People’s UMC) was the pastoral leader/speaker for the high school camp and Rev. Dr. Darryl Totty (Conant Avenue UMC) was in charge of the spiritual growth of the middle school students.

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Got $5? Rethink it and give someone a Bible

Courtesy of United Methodist Communications

For less than the cost of a matinee movie ticket or a couple of gallons of gas, you can place the New Testament in the hands of a spiritual seeker who has responded to The United Methodist Church’s advertisements.

This is United Methodist Communications’ message to the church, as the agency begins offering the Rethink Church Edition Common English Bible (New Testament) at no cost to seekers who request it when they visit the Rethink Church campaign website, beginning in October.

United Methodist members and friends are encouraged to make gifts of $5—the cost to print and ship one Bible to a seeker.  Gifts are accepted online or by texting the word Bible to 27722 to make a $5 gift via cell phone billing.

Churches may also order their own copies at $5 each to give away to church visitors or at Rethink Church events in their communities.

The Rethink Church Edition Common English Bible (New Testament) is a special edition that features a seeker-sensitive introduction to the Bible and to The United Methodist Church.

“The Rethink Church Edition is a powerful tool for evangelism,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executivem of United Methodist Communications. “It introduces the Bible and denomination to seekers with sensitivity to their worldview, in welcoming language.”

Accessibility is key to the entire Common English Bible (New Testament), as it is a new translation (not a revision or update) that seeks to make the Bible more readable and understandable without compromising scholarship.  The translation is sponsored by the Common English Bible Committee, an alliance of denominational publishers that includes The United Methodist Publishing House.  The full Bible translation will be available in fall 2011.

Gifts made by mail can be made payable to The Foundation for United Methodist Communications: 810 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37209.

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A faithful finish line: Clergy assistant to Bishop retires after 42 years in ministry

By RJ Walters, Editor

Terry Euper isn’t a man who hungers for accolades or notoriety, but he is exactly the kind of United Methodist leader the church draws its strength from.

June 30 was the Reverend’s final day of seven years of service as the clergy assistant to the Bishop, the final stop on a 42 –year ministry expedition that included pastoring at multiple local church stops and a 5-year stint as a district superintendent.

The Detroit Annual Conference in May was a sort of reflective celebration for Euper and his wife Jackie — also newly retired, from her position of project director for the Flint District — and it gave confidants young and old a chance to appreciate the wit and wisdom of a family who has helped define the path of the conference for years and generations.

Annual conference as a stepping stone

As a high school junior in 1963 Terry was still getting familiar with the church. He was active in his congregation in Whitmore Lake and had his sights set on college — which in his mind meant preparing for an education at the University of Michigan.

That is until his pastor Rev. William Johnson asked him to join him as a church delegate for annual conference at Adrian College. His parents were already going as adult delegates, so he figured ‘why not?’

“I believe in the call of ministry, that people are called to be in the ministry, but I also believe that my pastor, Rev. William Johnson, somehow saw something and he helped to shape and focus that cause,” Terry said. “He was finding ways to use gifts and talents I didn’t even know I had.”

He said he was riveted by the fact the United Methodist Church was much bigger than the small congregation he came from, and he also became “fascinated by (the idea of) being part of a community on that small a campus.”

So four years after first meeting Jackie at middle school youth group, and after his first major church conference, Eueper’s path started pointing toward Adrian College, where he developed many of the skills needed for a career in ministry.

By 1972 he was an official conference clergyman and as he puts it, “God has surprised me every step of the way,” ever since. 

A legacy that spans the family name

It’s hard to wipe a smile from Euper’s face when he’s talking about what God has done in his life.

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