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Upcoming Events
July 18-21 -- North Central Jurisdictional Conference Akron, Ohio. Click here for more information.
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July 22-28 -- Dakotas Conference Licensing School is going to be held at Living Waters Retreat Center at Lake Poinsett from July 22-28, 2012. Contact Jodi Cataldo, Dakotas Conference Director of Leadership Development at 605-996-6552 or Jodi.cataldo@dakotasumc.org for more information.
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July 15 -20 -- Professional
Association of United Methodist Church Secretaries Institute, sponsored by GCFA, Nashville, Tennessee. The Institute provides outstanding advanced professional training and enrichment for United Methodist church secretaries from across the denomination. A participant who completes the program and meets the requirements set forth by the General Council on Finance and Administration is eligible to apply for certification as a Professional United Methodist Church Secretary.
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July 24, 6:30-7:30 PM (CDT) What Happens When the Rules Don't Work? Critical Thinking and Adult Faith Participants in this webinar will examine the role of mental models as they pertain to faith and explore how critical thinking comes to the rescue when mental models don't seem to work anymore.
August 28, 6:30-7:30 PM-- How Adults Learn, Part 1: The Emotional Aspect of Learning. Participants in this webinar will explore how emotions function in ways to increase or shut down learning. Ideas related to developing a positive emotional climate in adult small groups will be included. Register here ___________________ Click here to view the entire calendar |
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Pray for rain. The majority of the leaves in this cornfield near Mitchell, S.D. are withered and curled as hot temperatures and little rain continue to take a toll on crops in the area. (Chris Huber/Republic)
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Kids volunteer to clean up park
Minot, N.D. - Giving up a part of your summer vacation to do community service in another state is a generous deed. Minot's Roosevelt Park welcome volunteer teams as they travel to the Magic City to put in time and effort refurbishing the Roosevelt Statue, the Medal of Honor, and the band shelter.
United Methodist Youth from Minnesota, Ohio and South Dakotas will be in Minot for the next three weeks for "camp." Over 125 youth and adult chaperones will invade the city to help rebuild. That equates to over 100 weeks or two years of manpower for one person.
Watch the news story here ...
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 Dakotas awaits the announcement of a new bishop
Akron, OH - The North Central Jurisdictional Conference will take place July 18-20, 2012 in Akron, Ohio. "Moving Forward in Christ: Where the Rubber Meets the Road" is the them of the conference being held at the John S. Knight Center. The North Central Jurisdiction will honor Bishop Linda Lee on her retirement. It also will receive a request from the newly formed Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area for funding of the expansion of a comprehensive high-quality video conferencing system to allow the bishop, cabinet, staff and local churches to communicate effectively over the 234,755-square-mile area, and it will nominate people to serve on the jurisdictional and general church agency boards. Bishops are elected elders, and a jurisdictional committee recommends them to a particular episcopal area on the episcopacy comprising one lay and one clergy member from each annual conference in the jurisdiction. The assembly approves the assignments or asks the committee to go back to work. The Dakotas Conference will join with Minnesota in a new episcopal area, Dakotas Minnesota Episcopal Area. A bishop will be announced for the new episcopal are on Friday, July 20, 2012 at the 10:15 am session. Representing the Dakotas Conference at the North Central Jurisdiction Conference 2012 are Rev. Rich Zeck, Rev. Rebecca Trefz, Rev. Jenny Hallenbeck (alternate), Janelle Jones, Jodi Cataldo, Angelica Laudermith (alternate), Matthew Bader (alternate), and Larry Madsen (alternate). Go here for more information on the NCJ 2012 Conference.... Watch NCJ 2012 Live by clicking here... Join the conversation on Twitter #ncj2012 |
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Mitchell and Yankton team serve HOPE
Minot, N.D. - A team from Mitchell First UMC and Yankton First UMC travelled to Minot, N.D. July 9-13, 2012 to do recovery work for flood victims. The team gutted and help reconstruct a home of a family who had lost everything last summer during the devastating flood.
While in Minot the team stayed at HOPE Village for $20 per day. HOPE Village is an ecumenical effort that provides housing, food, tools,
 | | Hope village Minot, N.D. Photo by Bruce Blumer. |
assignments and direction for volunteers as Minot is rebuilt. Bob Lower, Dakotas Conference Associate Coordinator for Disaster Relief Minot Area states, " We were delighted to have the team from Mitchell and Yankton. We could use more teams."
HOPE Village will be open October 1, 2012 and will reopen in April 2013. Put your team together and contact Bob at blower@dakotasumc.org or call 701-721-0441.
 | | Volunteers from Mitchell First UMC and Yankton First UMC travelled to Minot, N.D. to help rebuild a home. Back row left to right Chris Marek, Caleb (Hope Village intern), Bob Thue, Kassie Marek, Craig McManus. Matt McManus, Merle Brandt. In the front row are the homeowners of the home they rebuilt Shelby, Mom Olivia and Marshall. Photo taken by Bruce Blumer who was also a member of the team. |
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Be Part of a Miracle
 Minot, N.D. - Floodwaters swarmed Faith UMC in Minot, N.D. during the summer of 2011. The church building was a total loss. Worship has continued with Vincent UMC in Minot.
The congregation has flourished despite the high waters. Church membership has grown by 70. The mission of Faith to feed the poor continues. The church has severed over 47,000 meals at Heaven's Table, a soup kitchen and over 1000 families per month at the Lord's Cupboard, a food pantry.
Minot Faith, with a membership of 70 has faithfully paid all bills, including apportionments, in full this past year. Salaries have been paid on time, plus a mortgage has been paid off a head of schedule on the new addition that was completed several years ago. All of this was accomplished even with 41 homes of Minot Faith families boding destroyed or significantly impacted by the flood.
 Faith UMC in Minot, N.D. launched Miracle Sunday on July 15, 2012 to help them financially fulfill the desire to have their own church home once again. A 14-acre piece of property and building has been offered to the congregation for $1.1 million. The estimate to restore Faith UMC at the old locations was $1.3-1.5 million. The new site could be immediately used for worship with very little expense. Plus, the extra land will give them space to consider new ministry initiatives for reaching out to the Minot Community. So far $457,503 has been gathered that includes $290,000 of pledges. Financial gifts will be gathered through August 31, 2012.
Be part of the miracle for Faith UMC in Minot. Give to this effort in whatever way you can. The Dakotas Conference has identified fund number 691 for this purpose. Please send money collected to JoAnn Schlimgen, Dakotas Conference UMC, 1331 West University Ave., P.O. Box 460, Mitchell, S.D. 57301.
If you would like further information contact Bob Lower blower@dakotasumc.org or Rev. Debra Ball Killbourne dbk.central@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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Book Sale at Mitchell First
October 20th, 2012 - Annual book sale, October 20, 9am-2pm at the Mitchell First UMC, 310 N Rowley, 996-7721. The proceeds will benefit local hunger mnistires: 75% - to Mitchell area food pantry; 25% to- Weekend Snack Pack program (an after school local feeding program). Books can be dropped off anytime at FUMC entryway near elevator or call the office if there is a lot to pick-up. Contact Ron Fuchs at
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Ingathering is Moving to Sioux Falls
Dakota Marketplace, the former Ingathering in Mitchell, will take place at First UMC, 401 S Spring, in Sioux Falls on Saturday, September 22. As in the past, funds raised will support the UM Committee of Relief (UMCOR) World Hunger and Poverty initiative, Heifer International and Dakotas Hunger Projects.
The Conference website has been updated with several documents to help congregations promote Dakota Marketplace. At www.dakotasumc.org you'll find a link to a newsletter that outlines lots of details about this new and exciting mission event. A shorter 2-page flyer can be printed and distributed or placed on an information table. If your church shares digital announcements during worship, you'll find some sample slides that can be modified to meet your needs. There's also a link to the sheet for recording all the gifts your church will be bringing to Dakota Marketplace along with the Hunger Grant Application form.
Dakota Marketplace will run from 9 am - 3 pm. Throughout the day, stop in at the craft bazaar, farmer's market, bake sale or browse the mission fair. At 10 am we'll feature a Specialty Live Auction and from 9 am - 1 pm there will be a Silent Auction of gift baskets and handcrafted items. Lunch will be available along with homemade pie and ice cream.
If you'd like to volunteer, contact Cindy Nelson at 351-2818 or cynthianelson1@sio.midco.net. For more information go to www.dakotasumc.org or check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dakotamarketplace.
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Prairie Hills West Ingathering
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Kimball hosts Broken Resolve
In concert: Broken Resolve - a contemporary Christian rock band from Sioux Falls - will be at the Kimball Protestant Parish in Kimball, SD. on Wednesday, August 1 at 7 p.m.
All are invited to attend this worship service through music. A free will offering will be collected and refreshments will be served. If it's not too hot, we will have the concert
outside so bring a blanket or lawn chair. If it's too hot - we will move into the sanctuary. Any questions, you may call the church at (605) 778-6410.
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Community Action Learning & Leadership
Are you a leader?
Have you had an idea that would make a difference?
Do you want to help others by working in a team environment?
Do you feel called to make an impact in our community?
Do you want to hear how community leaders answered their call?
College age and Young Professionals, you are invited to participate in a 10 week program designed specifically to build your leadership skills and provide you with an opportunity to make an impact in our community through a group project. Class presenters will be community leaders that will share their experience and insights.
Visit our Website (www.fmucm.org) to learn more, view application deadlines, and to apply! All of the information is under the "C.A.L.L" tab!
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Servants of Sierra Leone to meet The Servants of Sierra Leone will be meeting for their biennial conference on August 2 - 5 at Sunnycrest UMC in Sioux Falls. Roger and Melanie Reiners of Central UMC in Milbank, hosts for this year's meeting, are expecting approximately 80 attendees from all across the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Sierra Leone to be in attendance. The group is comprised of people who have been in mission in Sierra Leone in various capacities from long-term mission service to those who have served in short-term trips. Some are retired missionaries and others are currently involved in programs in this West African nation. Expected to be in attendance is Bishop John K. Yambasu of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference, Dr. John Buchan of the Gess UMC Eye Hospital at Kissy and Dr. Lowell Gess, founder of the Eye Hospital. Programs to be highlighted include the areas of healthcare, education, and churches and offer opportunities for service to anyone interested. If you have questions or would like to attend this event, please contact the Reiners: rreiners@itcmilbank.com or at 605-432-4796. Thanks for the books We wish to send our sincere thanks to all of the pastors of the Dakotas Conference who so generously donated books for the new United Methodist Seminary in Sierra Leone. We have carefully packed 35 huge boxes of excellent reference materials to share with the students in West Africa. The books will travel via shipping container from Milbank later this year and will be placed in the Seminary in January 2013. Again, our thanks for your kindness, Roger and Melanie Reiners |
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Association Offers Free Regional Workshop In Pierre
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 Dakotas Conference Communications would love to tell the story of how God is inspiring, energizing, transforming and calling your church to ministry. If you have a story to share, email Dakotas Conference Communications by clicking here by Thursday. Please submit articles in Microsoft Word format. Articles should be no longer than 250 words. Be sure to include the author, any people involved and the time line for publication, up to two weeks.
Pictures always appreciated! Mondays Contact Info Doreen Gosmire Associate Director of Communications 605-996-6552. Calendar Contact Info Click here to see the entire Dakotas Conference Calendar. If you have items you would like to add to the calendar contact Bonnie Carlson. |
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