District News

District Youth Conference Grants

Posted on by Gillette Sarah

The Mid-Michigan District of the Michigan United Methodist Conference is eager to support youth groups throughout the district who are interested in going to the Love Well 2019 National Youth Conference in Kansas City, Missouri this summer. We believe the event will offer many opportunities for spiritual growth and fellowship that are so valuable in today’s world. It is our hope that you are prayerfully considering attending!

This conference only comes around once every four years but can be expensive. The leadership team of the Mid-Michigan District agreed unanimously to set aside up to $6,000, which can be applied for through the process outlined below. Those meeting criteria will receive $200 per participant (including youth leaders) on a first-come, first-served basis, even if you’ve already registered. The funds will be sent to the group’s parent church after proof of registration is provided. They can be used at the church’s discretion toward expenses for the trip, whether helping with travel costs, providing scholarships to participants or reimbursing the church or youth funds for registration fees.

Applications are being accepted now and funds will be distributed within 30 days. Again, monies are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Criteria

To qualify for the dollars available, we have the following criteria:

  1. Proof of full group registration completed per the Youth 2019 Conference requirements
  2. A short paragraph on what your group hopes for in terms of enlightenment, spiritual growth and fellowship from the event, and how they will share it with their church upon return
  3. Explanation of how you will apply the fees, although we realize this could change.
  4. Explanation of how you have fundraised to date for this trip, including how much you have raised.
  5. Details of any funds being provided by your church
  6. Details of funds being provided by other sources, excluding fundraising
  7. How you will share with the Mid-Michigan District’s Leadership Team about your experience at Love Well. For example: Will you send a letter? Would you be willing to produce a short video for us to review?

Application

Please have your pastor or youth leader complete and submit the following information so we can consider you for grant monies to help cover your costs to attend the Love Well 2019 National Youth Conference. An online document is available for you to complete at https://goo.gl/forms/xRqPUkcLJGjgXTYl2. If you have trouble with this link, please contact Carrie Rathbun Hawks, District Leadership Team Member, at [email protected].

Applications must come from the church. Our goal is to make this as easy and fair as possible. If you have questions about anything, please contact Carrie.  

Thank you for your desire to be part of Love Well. It looks to be a very rich conference that will leave our youth and their leaders with a greater sense of God’s presence in their lives and how they can continue their faith journey!

Our new home!

Posted on by Michigan

Jerry DeVine welcomes you to the new website

“The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood.”  (John 1:14a, The Message)

This is a soft launch of our new Mid-Michigan District website.  Our full district communications team is not yet on board, but on behalf of the district office and Vision Team I want to welcome you to this new neighborhood.  We are:

  • 85 local churches in 87 physical locations;
  • 68 appointed and/or assigned leaders (Elders, Deacons, Licensed Local Pastors, Certified Lay Ministers, DSAs-District Superintendent Assignments):
  • multiple lay servants and leaders;
  • rural, town & country, county seat, suburban and urban settings and cultures;
  • important points of hope in five counties.

We are the Mid-Michigan District together.

When Ruth, my wife, and I moved to Michigan in late 1999 we ended up living in an old farmhouse southeast of Grand Rapids.  We had lived in county seat, urban and suburban settings for much of my ministry up to that point, even though we grew up in more remote rural settings.  We found that we loved the quiet beauty and solitude of that old farmhouse setting, yet we missed having neighbors to build relationships with.  We missed having a specific town or city to feel connected to.  Having neighbors, as complex as it can be at times, also provides rich opportunities. 

As we enter into being and becoming this new Mid-Michigan District we will each take on some responsibility for “seeing” who is around us.  We are a fairly large geographic area, so more natural development of relationships may be to those United Methodist churches nearby.  What impact might we have for God’s movement and mission if we saw ourselves as connected, and acted accordingly?

The Gospel of John offers such a powerful and intimate view of the Incarnation:  “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message, makes it even more poignant: “The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood.”  This decision and movement of God provides the foundation for the approach the Vision Team and I are taking as we live into this new season in our district.  The vision of the Mid-Michigan District: — creating the spaces and leaders through which hospitality and wholeness can thrive in communities!”

The United Methodist Book of Discipline provides a fairly broad statement on the “Purpose of the District”:

 “Par. 661: Each district of an annual conference may organize to develop, administer, and evaluate the missional life, advocacy needs, and ministries of the Church in and through the district.  It shall maintain connectional relationships, organize to develop and strengthen ethnic ministries, including ethnic local churches and concerns, and provide encouragement, coordination, and support for local churches in their ministries of nurture, outreach, and witness in accordance with the mission of The United Methodist Church.”

To do this we will be focusing on:

  • Engaging local churches in transformational Christ-Centered Mission and Ministry in their communities;
  • Identifying, equipping, supporting and deploying Bold & Effective Leaders;
  • Creating and partnering with processes that form Vibrant Congregations.

Strategies or Activities in Place or in Motion:

  • District Incorporation (by 1/01/2019)
  • Clergy Praxis dates: 9/27/18; 11/29/18; 2/28/19; 4/25/19
  • Lay Leaders Forum: 10/13/18 (Shaftsburg UMC)

Other leadership development/congregational revitalization opportunities nearby:

  • REACH Event: 11/3/18, East Lansing
    • Fall Mid-Michigan District Conference (as part of the REACH Event)
      • Workshop with Paul Perez and Gary Step
    • 180 Turn-Around Event: Redeemer UMC, Dewitt Campus

Together let us walk with God, who is already moving in our new neighborhood!

 

Blessings,

Rev. Jerome (Jerry) DeVine

District Superintendent

Clergy Praxis

Posted on by Michigan

For clergy in the Mid-Michigan District, the goal of excellence and professional growth is not just talked about or wished for, but is actively sought out and expected.  One of the ways in which this goal is achieved is through the intentional continuing education of all district clergy through quarterly programs called, “Clergy Praxis.”  As the name suggests, these are day long trainings during which various topics become the focus, not just with theory, but relevant practice and application.  The aim with each Clergy Praxis will be that the content remains focused on enhancing the training and abilities of effective and bold clergy, all for the purpose of “creating the spaces and leaders through which hospitality and wholeness can thrive in communities!”

Tentative dates for the 2018-2019 Conference Year have been chosen.  Please note that these dates are subject to change depending on speaker availability and necessary navigation around other conflicts as they may arise:

  • Thursday, September 27, 2018
  • Thursday, November 29, 2018
  • Thursday, February 28, 2019
  • Thursday, April 25, 2019

While topics are still being discussed and presenters arranged, potential Clergy Praxis topics include: missionally focused leadership (Rev. Mike Slaughter, Presenter); clergy emotional intelligence in administrative and conflict situations (Rev. Lisa McIlvenna, et al., Presenters); The Way Forward and moving forward in our congregations following the special 2019 General Conference.

Please be sure to check back here for more information as it becomes available.  

Mid-Michigan District