March 2011 edition of the Michigan Area Reporter

Two SectionsSection A079000Vol. 157 No. 44March 4, 2011

ParticipateBishop urges support of campaignfor immigration reform | 3A

Katrina UpdateLocal churches still helpingrebuild lives | 5A

Bishops Day 2011Continuing Education eventfor clergy & leaders | 6A & 7A

See Confirmation class. . . on page 2A

by Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton

Making Disciplesin Holy Places

BishopsColumn

By RJ WaltersEditor

The Rev. Matt Hook, lead pastor of DexterUMC, believes strongly in the old expression,The church is only one generation from ex-tinction.

That conviction is part of the reason DexterUMC puts so much stock into a confirmationprogram that continues to attract an impressivenumber of middle school studentsand un-conventionally, their parents too.

Hook came to Dexter from BirminghamUMC seven-and-a-half years ago, bringingalong a tried and true confirmation processthat has provided vitality and energy to a thriv-ing congregation that built a 6,400 square footyouth center in 2007.

His secret?Get back to the basics, as he puts it.Dexter UMC holds its confirmation classes,

See Making Disciples. . . on page 2A

See Vital new church programs. . . on page 2A

Wow. We just returned from the Holy Lands.One hundred and nine Michiganders and friends of Michi-

ganders made the round-trip trek of nearly 12,000 miles onthe wings of an iron bird.

Novices and veterans like me gained new insights and in-spiration.

There is just something about walking where Jesus walked,hearing countless stories, drinking from the Sea of Galilee andseeing the Dead Sea and the Jordan with ones own eyes.

And of course visiting Nazareth, Jericho, Qumran, Masada,Megiddo, Bethany, the Western/Wailing Wall, Capernaum, val-leys Kidron and Gehenna, Mounts Carmel, Sinai, Zion, Moriahand the Mount of Olives, the House of the High Priest Ca-iaphas who put our Lord in the dungeon, the Garden of Geth-semane, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the empty UpperRoom and Garden Tomb overwhelmed us at timesjust likethis run on sentence.

First hand, we experienced Israelis, Palestinians, Islam,Christianity, Judaism, institutions, families competing for andstruggling to survive on the pound, rupee, yen, franc, lira,peso, shilling and dollars of tourists.

By RJ WaltersEditor

In an effort to better equip motivated congregations to re-spond to Gods call, a collaborative Michigan Area LeadershipExcellence Task Force has rolled out pilot versions of a clergyand lay member development program called the Vital ChurchInitiative (VCI) in the Flint and Albion Districts.

The voluntary initiative has been in development since thefall of 2010 and it will aim to intentionally use coaching to facili-tate learning and increase accountability among leaders andmembers of churches of all sizes.

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

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

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

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

Based on a comprehensive learning model called theHealthy Church Initiative and Small Church Initiative in theMissouri Conference, the large church component (more than100 members worshipping on average) will be piloted inthe Flint District and the small church component(less than 100 members worshipping on average)has already started in the Albion District. A sim-ilar pilot program is expected to begin in theLansing District later this year.

The large church VCI includes parallel clergy andlaity leadership development tracks for pastors and forchosen lay leaders

Twelve clergy will gather one Monday morning each monthfor eight months at the Detroit Conference Office in Flint, withapproximately 24 laity meeting the following Saturday eachmonth for their session. The preparatory and presentation ma-terials for clergy and laity are essentially the same, with somematerial specific to each group.

Each VCI session will focus on a theme from a primary textand be facilitated by pastors and conference leaders.

The facilitators for the sessions were chosen by Jerome(Jerry) DeVine, Director of Connectional Ministries of the De-

troit Conference, Eugene Blair, Flint District Superintendent,Richard Dake, chair of the Order of Elders and lead pastor ofClarkston UMC, and Terry Gladstone, Conference Staff Consult-ant. This team will give oversight to the VCI Flint pilot, gleaning

insights from facilitators and participating clergy andlaity.

Examples of books being used are Shaped byGods Heart by Milfred Minatrea and The Exter-nally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw and EricSwanson.

The facilitators for the eight sessions are:Jerry DeVine, Ken Nash, Melanie Carey, Terry

Gladstone, Charles Boayue, Jeff Nelson, Rick Dake, andAnthony Hood.

The program will strive to bring together the spiritual educa-tion and development of pastors and the spiritual and educa-tional development and business sense of lay leaders to helpfocus on changing leadership, communication, outreach andevangelism.

Program participants should come to understand how cul-ture has changed the church and how mission-driven churches

Vital new church development program being piloted in both conferences

Intentionally CommittedDexter UMCconfirmation class invigorates kids and parents alike

Smiles were in abundance all night long at the bi-annual confirmationovernighter at Dexter UMC.

Intentionally Committed

MARCH 4, 2011THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER2A

Continued from front page



The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Profit Drive,Dallas, TX 75247-3919. Periodicals Postage Paid at Dallas, Texas and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Sendaddress changes to The United Methodist Reporter, PO Box 660275, Dallas, TX 75266-0275.

as well as its parents of the confir-mands classes, on Sunday morn-ings during its middle churchservice. And instead of offering con-firmation annually, the churchteaches the January-to-May courseevery other year, to the tune of 50-60youth participants and many oftheir parents.

I think were getting back toGods original design for Christianeducation, which is that the parentsare the primary Christian educatorsof their kids, Hook said. The goal isto give kids and parents somethingto talk about during the week, andreally to try and influence the wholefamily unit instead of just tellingthem, Just bring them here and welltake care of all their spiritual devel-opment stuff.

The adult class is taught byHooks wife, Leigh. Its a refresher forsome parents and a good startingpoint for others who may havegrown up un-churched.

For some of the parents whowere more standoffishand thedads especiallythey think churchis for someone else, church is for oldladies, Hook said. For them to real-ize theres true enjoyment to befound, as well as challengeto see adad catch fire, is going to impact afamily as much as anything wethrow at just the kids.

While the parents are being spir-itually fed, youth minister JeremyHannich is the leader of the seventh-and eighth-grade operation.

Some of the kids have heardthis stuff before, but a lot of themhavent and the vast majority haveheard parts of it, but not all of it atonce, Hannich said. The goal is tobe able to share the entire back-

ground (of theGospel), lots of differ-ent ideas and conceptstheyve heard beforebut havent had achance to talk about.

Aside from theirSunday gatherings,confirmands partici-pate in initiatives likethe 30 Hour Famineand are required to dotwo sermon reviews onHooks teachings eachmonth.

The excitement ofbeing part of an evolv-ing faith community isjumpstarted with aconfirmationovernighter in Febru-ary.

One Feb. 11, Han-nich and adult volun-teers hosted 38 youthfor a Friday eveningand Saturday morning extravaganzathat included a couple of teachingsessions and plenty of opportunitiesto strengthen friendships and createnew bonds.

We are intentional about teach-ing them how we can be there foreach other and its also just a chanceto have fun, Hannich said. We havethis thing we call our exam and itsbasically this huge obstacle coursethe kids go through together. Itspretty simple, its cheapand usu-ally like 80 percent of our confirma-tion students come.

Hook and Hannich agree theconfirmation program offers a greatreturn on the time investment be-cause almost every church has manyof the resources already at its finger-tips.

I think a lot of places might justthink, Well, were not that big of achurch. But to hold a parents ofconfirmands class takes nothingyou just have them go through thesame stuff as the kids, Hook said.To do an overnighter takes nothing,any church can do that.

Coming from a pastor who onceflunked confirmation class (by hisown admission), and Hannichwho grew in the Church of God tra-dition that doesnt offerconfirmationdemonstrates theproof is in the pudding.

Children experience God asmuch as adults do, Hook said.Itsnot just like it all clicks inI thinkwe forget that. My joke is I dontwant to be a senior pastor, so I justdo youth ministry for grown-ups.

Nowhere in this quest to liveand survive is it more pronouncedthan in Bethlehem, a Palestiniancity on the West Bank.

Lovingly called O Little Townby Rev. Philip Brooks who visitedBethlehem and attended a Christ-mas Eve Service at the Church ofthe Nativity in 1865 and wrote thelyrics a few years later.

Sadly, Jesus birthplace has be-come a detention center.Yet, it hassurvived because Gods amazinggrace and his only Son have set theprisoners free.

Besides the Church of the Nativ-ity, we visited two Holy Places inBethlehem, inspiring my talk ofGods amazing grace and JesusChrist our Lord.

Many positive comments can bemade about Bethlehem Bible Col-lege (BBC).

One of their brochures said itbest: In this land (Bethlehem)where hope and despair are sisters,Bethlehem Bible College is trainingPalestinian Christians to lead theChurch and be the light of Christ totheir Muslim and Christian neigh-bors.

If you heard the story of BBCand the witness of Rev. Alex Awadand his brother Mr. BisharaAwadalso President of BBC andits connection to their saintedmotherone could not help butconclude that God is at workthrough them particularly whenthe maternal influence of their late

and sainted mother is revealed.Without BBC keeping hope alive

and contributing mightily to thehealth and welfare of Bethlehem,the emigration rate of old andyoung Palestinians in Bethlehemwould be even higher.

The other Holy Place on ourBethlehem itinerary was theJerusalem Princess Basma Centerfor Disabled Children (JCDC).

Since 1987 they have workedsuccessfully on the body, mind andspirit of children and families withspecial needs.

Of the 700 students served, theDecember 20, 2010 JCDC newslet-ter offered these stats: 129 havespecial needs, 38 have physical dis-abilities, 67 have hearing disabili-ties, 12 have learning disabilities,five are visually challenged andseven have medical problems.

We were particularly impressedthat JCDC admits mothers withtheir children free of charge.

Most children are more relaxedduring treatments with Mom pres-ent.

Mothers are also educated onways to treat their children at homeand educate the family once thechild is released.

All mothers are also engaged indiscussion groups with one anotherassuring moral, spiritual and cog-nitive support from others whowalk in their shoes.

The Good News about both ofthese Holy Places, Bethlehem BibleCollege and the Jerusalem PrincessBasma Center for Disabled Chil-dren, can be found on the Internetor in the testimonies of the 109who made the journey of a lifetime.

Please know we did more thanpraise them for their work with theleast of these.

We prayed for them and left ourwidows mite to support thework.

The BBC and JCDC incarnatethe lyrics of Philips Brooks whosefourth stanza of O Little Town ofBethlehem rarely appears in print.

Read and sing it for yourself:Where children pure and happypray to the blessed Child, Wheremisery cries out to thee, Son of themother mild; Where charity standswatching and faith holds wide thedoor; the dark night wakes, theglory breaks and Christmas comesonce more.

And as a closing remark, I haveincluded on the Internet, my briefreflections from the MemorialService for Rev. Ken Bracken heldJanuary 22, 2011.

I told his widow that I would re-member him at the Jordan River. ByGods grace and mercy I did so do!

Making Disciples in Holy Places Confirmation class invigorates kids and parents alike

are reaching others for Christ in the 21st century.It will also provide them with new ministry tools, cre-

ate cohesiveness among district churches and preparecongregations for continued growth.

The small church VCI pilot is being hosted by theQuincy United Methodist Church, with a focus on helpingdevelop leadership skills of small membership churches,pastors and laity to help them better lead themselves andreach out to their communities.

They will learn about similar ministry tools andstrategies as the larger churches, but look at unique waysthey can implement them in smaller congregations withless resources.

The seven-session programwhich will be hosted

one Saturday a month in March, April, June, September,October and Novemberis created to help churcheseventually cast new visions and help them develop plansand set goals for the future of their ministry.

Primary texts of the program include Evangelism in theSmall Church by Royal Speidel and Vital Signs by Dan Dick.

The small church VCI sessions are being developedand facilitated by Benton Heisler, the West Michigan Di-rector of Connectional Ministries and Naomi Garca, theWest Michigan Conference Ministry Consultant.

Missouri Conference leaders have noted their teach-ing/learning sessions has improved morale and createdmore synergy among local churches.

It has also helped develop deeper discipleship and re-newed the urgency for accountability among churches.

Vital new church development programbeing piloted in both conferences

Teens bond over Biblical teachings, games,fun and food at the confirmation overnighterat Dexter UMC on Feb. 11.

MARCH 4, 2011 THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER 3A

By Paul ThomasDetroit Conference Director of Communications

Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D.Keaton is inviting United Methodists in theMichigan Area to join him in participatingin the New Years Resolution Campaign forhuman immigration reform, sponsored bythe Interfaith Immigration Coalition.

Endorsed by the Council of Bishops, theNew Years Resolution Campaign is a way toinspire, be inspired, renew commitments tobuilding more welcoming communitiesand advocate for humane immigrationpolicies in 2011.

Keaton, along with leaders from the De-troit and West Michigan Conferences areurging United Methodists in Michigan tostand with immigrants, mobilize their faithcommunities, and call upon Congress to make its own NewYears Resolution to enact immigration reform. The Immigra-tion Task Force is made up of 13 individuals from the MichiganArea, whose names are provided at www.detroitconference.org.

There are six ways the Bishop is urging congregations to par-ticipate in the campaign:

Education! Have five conversations with friends or community members

who may have reservations about immigration issues withhopes of deepening their understanding of the need forimmigration reform.

! Organize and invite community members to an event ormovie screening and discussion.

Friendship! Invite an immigrant family to your home for dinner once a

month.! Identify local faith groups that offer ESL (English as a second

language) classes, legal clinics, and other direct services forimmigrants, and work with your community to discussassisting with these ministries.

Public Witness/Lobbying! Call members of Congress once a week, asking them to

support reforms that reunite families and allowundocumented immigrants to earn their legal statusorbetter yet, try to meet with them in person. (Note: the main switchboard number for Congress is 202-224-

3121ask for your senators or congressperson)! Write a letter to the editor, call into radio shows, and/or

respond to negative comments about immigrants, in order tobring tolerance, respect, and a call for humanity to thediscussion.

Informational! Attend one of the immigration and faith workshops planned

or contact Sonya Luna, Hispanic Latino Missionary, to host aworkshop in your church or study on this issue. Luna can bereached at [email protected]

An AmazingRace of Grace

Last month I was attending three differ-ent meetings for 11 consecutive days in twostates across the country.

My scheduled day to travel home coin-cided with the blizzard of 2011.

Flight cancelled!The next 48 hours became my own ver-

sion of the CBS TV show Amazing Race. The final 22-hour travel day home in-

cluded the following: six flight bookings;four cancellations, four airports, six airporttaxi/shuttle/rail connections; four gatechanges to one flight and three delays to thesame flight.

To last leg of the race was a one-hour wait at midnightwith the plane fully loaded and the door open while we werestuck at the loading ramp waiting for the baggage crew. Wefinally arrived in Grand Rapids at 2:30 a.m.

You can only imagine my sheer joy at seeing my wife pullup to the curb at 3 a.m. (My suitcase was finally in my pos-session 60 hours later.)

It was so good to just be home!Along the way I thanked the many persons who helped me

arrive home.I had never met them

before; I may never meetup with them again. Butthey each had an impor-tant role in my safetyand the completion ofmy journey.

I thought of our mis-sion as the Church;Making Disciples ofJesus Christ for theTransformation of theWorld. Another way toput it could be, Guidingpeople home and help-ing them live life as fully as possible in the complete reign ofGods realm on this earth.

I have a plaque on my wall that serves as a constant re-minder. It reads: If you make my word your home, you willindeed be my disciples. You will know the truth and the truthwill set you free (John 8:31).

Every person has an inner call from God, a yearning to beat home. John Wesley characterized it as prevenient grace.

As disciples I believe our role is to help nurture that call,to invite its unique expression.

We need to facilitate the possibilities for God to speakdeeply into persons lives. We are instructed to introducethem to the Scriptures and explore those timeless words to-gether for the meaning, insight and hope they possess for ustoday.

We need each other on the journey through life and weneed each other as we journey toward life eternal.

The Church has been given the privilege and responsibilityto help persons experience the blessing of forgiveness, the joyof grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, the comfort of commu-nity and the deep meaning and purpose found in serving Godin Christ in all we do.

The Church is called to help persons get home. Jesustaught us in John 14:2 that he has gone before us to preparesuch a home for us.

Who are you and your congregation helping to find theirway home?

May we be faithful to that commission, journey and Godstruly Amazing Grace!

As disciples Ibelieve our roleis to help nurturethat call, to invite its uniqueexpression.

BENTON HEISLERWEST MICHIGAN

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR OF

CONNECTIONAL MINISTRIES

Bishop Keaton urges participationin immigration reform campaign

! At United Methodist Church La Nueva Esperanza in GrandRapids there will be a meeting and workshop on theinitiation of the formation of the West Michigan ConferenceHispanic/Latino Ministry Committee on Feb. 23 from 9:30a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Make a Resolution! Fill out a pledge card (which can be downloaded at

www.interfaithimmigration.org) and return itto [email protected] so it can be sent toWashington, D.C., and shared with members of Congress tohelp them understand that people of faith care deeply aboutthis issue.

Prayer! Pray daily for immigrants and their families.

Faith leaders from around the country have been participat-ing in the New Years Resolution campaign, and their stories canbe viewed by visiting www.youtube.com/Faith4immigration.Participants in the campaign also have the option to post theirown video stories. A toolkit, which contains bulletin inserts,worship resources, and other information to help you partici-pate in the campaign, can be downloaded by visiting the DetroitConference website.

According to The Book of Discipline of the United MethodistChurch, 2008, the rights of immigrants should be a concern forall United Methodists. The Social Principles of The UnitedMethodist Church states that as a church, we recognize, em-brace, and affirm all persons, regardless of country of origin, asmembers of the family of God. We affirm the right of all personsto equal opportunities for employment, access to housing,health care, education, and freedom from social discrimination.We urge the Church and society to recognize the gifts, contribu-tions, and struggles of those who are immigrants and to advo-cate for justice for all. (162.H)

For more information on the New Years Resolution cam-paign visit www.interfaithimmigration.org.

This photo of urban artwork by an artist known as DASIC in South Bronx,New York is an example of the attitude held by the United MethodistInterfaith Immigration Coalition.

For More Information:Campaign website: www.interfaithimmigration.org

Video stories on immigration: www.youtube.com/faith4immigration

Immigration board game: http://allianceforajustsociety.org/issues/immigration/board-game/


By RJ WaltersEditor

The Rev. Anita Hahn calls herself just a normal ladywho enjoys being outside, sledding and playing in the snow.

She loves camping with the family or taking a nice bikeride on a warm Michigan day, and she especially likes toconnect with people of all ages wherever theyre at in life.

But to call her ordinary is to overlook the significantministry gifts Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keatonrecognized in Hahn when, on Jan. 20, he named her the nextdistrict superintendent of the Grand Traverse District.

The lead pastor of New Life UMC in Six Lakes, Mich.,will take her 14 years of local church leadership to thewest side of the state, starting as the new superintendenton July 1.

Hahn said Bishop Keaton shared with her that when hewas going through the list of possible superintendent can-didates, none of them really felt right until he came to hers.

And oddly enough, Hahn can thank her high school sonWesley for a bit of influence.

He didnt really know who I was except my son had told(Clergy Assistant to the Bishop, the Rev.) Bill Dobbs a joke whenhe was a DS, and Bill told that joke to the bishop, so Bill said,You know her, this is her son. So I looked at my sophomore inhigh school and realized, this is your fault, she said jokingly. Itold Wesley that his job when I go to Cabinet is to give me agood joke each time I encounter the bishop. Im not sure we cankeep that up.

Keaton said Hahn is a welcome addition to the West Michi-gan Cabinet.

Hahn will broaden our collective experience and add to the

depth of our conversations, Keaton said. She brings gifts forpreaching, teaching, pastoral care and administration alongwith a history of fruitful ministry in the local church, service asChairperson of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry,and more than 10 years of experience as a teacher of the hearingimpaired.

Hahn holds a Masters of Divinity from United TheologicalSeminary, a Bachelors of Science in Special Education Centeringwith the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and a Masters in EarlyChildhood Education from Grand Valley State University.

She says she doesnt see herself as being above anybodyelse and she tries to carry that attitude into her profes-sional calling.

As you start new ministries, I see myself as a starter, butbringing others with me so eventually they can carry on,she said. There are other doorways and needs you can thentend to and you are always equipping and encouraging peo-ple to use their ministry gifts.

She said some of the fruits of her time at New Life UMChave included encouraging parishioners to successfully payoff a $1.7-million mortgage and seeing the growth of thechurchs Wednesday night childrens programs.

Over the years, were seeing growth not only in our chil-dren, but growth in their parents, she said. Were seeingmore and more come into the life of the church on Sundaymornings for worship, whereas when I started Sundaymornings were often one group of folks and Wednesdaynight was another.

Hahn admits she was surprised when Keaton called herto set up a time to discuss the superintendent position, fig-uring it was just a meeting to address an issue related to her

role as a member of the District Board of Ordained Ministry.She said she has a lot to learn about her new responsibilities

and the people she works with, but she just loves loving people.To be honest Im probably clueless about what a DS

doesbut Ive had some conversations with people and when Iread the job description (the bishop) gave me I was like, oh, thatdescribes me, she said. If the bishop sees something that is af-firmed by others who know me, then this is a door that Godopened so Im being real open to seeing what God is wanting meto do.

New DS for Metro Detroit is a diverse woman readyto embark on a multi-cultural missionBy RJ WaltersEditor

From being part of a family that adopted ayoung boy from Guatemala when she was stilla child, to spending some of her college yearsin Spain and Costa Rica, the Rev. MelanieCarey has always embraced multiculturalismwithout regard for borders.

Now Carey hopes to tear down cultural di-vides and barriers standing in the way ofprogress in Detroit area as the district super-intendent for the new Metro Detroit district,effective July 1.

Carey has flourished as the lead pastor ofYpsilanti: First UMC for the past 12 years,starting a weekly Spanish language worshipservice and shepherding a pair of KingdomAssignments (www.kingdomassignment.org)that have provided grant money to help morethan 20 Detroit Conference churches starttheir own Kingdom Assignment projects.

The Kingdom Assignment utilizes $100gifts within congregations with a focus ongrowing that money for whatever type of min-istry is near and dear to a recipients heart.

Careys penchant for local-church missionsand meeting the needs of others caught the at-tention of Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D.Keaton.

Melanie combines fruitful pastoral min-istry, a wide variety of conference responsibil-ities done well, and a passion for socialjustice, Keaton said. Whenever and whatevershe has been asked to do has been done with

excellence, enthusiasm and attention to detail,and I am confident that she will bring thosesame attributes to her work as superintendentfor this new district in the Detroit metropoli-tan area.

Carey said she feels privileged to be part ofbuilding Gods kingdom in the city and sub-urbs with everyone together and she feels likeher background fits the calling appropriately.

I guess my story would be that BishopKeaton asked me to serve this particular dis-trict because its a very diverse district interms of every way you can think ofnot justracial, ethnic diversity, but theres economicdiversity, theres a lot of diversity in the sizesof churchesbasically any way you define di-versity, the new metro area is that, she said.

She grew up in Chelsea, Mich., which sheadmits, was not a very diverse place. How-ever, during her childhood, her parents hostedseven international exchange students for ayear at a time.

In 1978 her parents adopted her youngerbrother from Guatemala, where the familyspent weeks waiting for his paperwork tocome through.

That greatly influenced me, so I kind ofgrew up where multiculturalism was normal,she said. It was weird for me to just bearound people who were exactly like me soIve always been kind of attracted to that.

Carey has been actively involved in helpingcreate Hispanic/Latino ministries in the con-ference. She is also a member of the regional

advisory board for Justice for Our NeighborsSoutheast Michigan, a program that providesfree legal immigration services, education andadvocacy.

Since 1994, Carey has served as a nationalfacilitator with the General Board of GlobalMinistries National Plan for Hispanic/LatinoMinistry.

She acknowledges that being a vital part ofa new district is one of the largest challengesshe has taken on, but she said she will lean onthe local churches and leaders of Detroit tohelp create and cast a new vision.

Having churches and ministry sites worktogether, there all sorts of wonderful possibili-ties, she said. Plus we have such rich re-sources in the district in its people, who bringamazing gifts, so I think thats another waysitting down and talking about what peoplecan bring to the table will help.

Carey calls her leadership style very colle-gial.

Some of her mentors include the Rev. SaulTrinidad, a National Hispanic Plan missionarywho helped Carey practice her Spanish-speak-ing skills after college when he was serving atEl Buen Pastor UMC in Detroit; FUMC ofBirmingham pastor, the Rev. Jack Harnish, thefirst person to really encourage Carey to con-sider the ministry when she was younger; andthe Rev. Jerry Parker, the pastor at ChelseaFUMC during Careys childhood.

Carey said she cannot wait to do ministryin new ways with new people in Detroit, but

she is reminding people to be patient as freshideas and many years of history come to-gether.

I would to say that whenever we formsomething new theres a lot anxiety aboutwhat its going to be. Its important that we allgive each other extra, what I call, Space forgrace, she said. I would connect it to, you doa lot of wandering in the wilderness when youfirst start something brand new, but its also avery exciting time because things pop up thatwerent possible before because you did some-thing a certain way.

Newly appointed Grand Traverse DS just loves loving people

Rev. Melanie Carey

The Rev. Anita Hahn (top right), who will take over as the GrandTraverse District DS on July 1, poses for a photo with her husbandKevin (top left) and her their four children last November.


West Michigan Annual Conference keynote speakers announcedBy Mark DoyalWest Michigan Conference Director of Communication

The West Michigan Conference has an-nounced its keynote speakers for the 2011Annual Conference, June 14 at Calvin Col-lege in Grand Rapids.

This years theme is Take My Hand, cen-tered around engaging in ministry with thepoor.

Featured speakers include author, pastor,street ethicist, and global humanitarian RudyRasmus, and General Secretary of the GeneralBoard of Global Ministries for The UnitedMethodist Church, Thomas Kemper Rasmuswill lead worship services Friday and Saturdayand deliver a keynote address Friday.

He is pastor of St. Johns DowntownChurch in Houston, Tex., a congregation ofover 12,000 members, 4,000 who are home-less or were formerly homeless.

St. Johns is considered one of the mostculturally diverse congregations in the coun-try.

For the past three years Rasmus has ap-peared in Oprah Winfreys O Magazine in an

ethics column entitled Now What Do I Do?and hes currently featured monthly in Epit-ome Magazine.

He recently began taking his Ask PastorRudy street ethics to the world via SiriusXMradio. He provides answers to listenerstoughest challenges and is also the author ofthe book, Touch: Pressing Against theWounds of a Broken World. Rasmus foundedthe Bread of Life, Inc. non-profit with his wifeand co-pastor Juanita in 1992, providing ninetons of fresh food weekly to hungry families,12,000 hot meals monthly and housing tohundreds of chronically homeless men andwomen each night.

Rasmus also developed the Temenos Com-munity Development Corporation. Thanks toa generous donation from longtime friendsTina, Mathew, Beyonc, and Solange Knowlesthe $7 million Knowles-Temenos Place Apart-ments opened in 2009 providing 43 formerlyhomeless residents permanent-supportiveapartments to take significant steps in im-proving their lives after personal and naturaldisasters. As a part of his global humanitarianefforts, Rasmus coordinates domestic and

global anti-hunger initiatives in conjunctionwith Beyoncs concert tours.

Kemper will deliver Saturdays specialDrive-in Day keynote address.

He is a former missionary in Brazil, whohas strong United Methodist roots in his na-tive Germany and broad ecumenical and in-ternational experience.

He has led the Board of Missions and In-ternational Church Cooperation of the UnitedMethodist Germany Central Conference since1998.

He is also in his second four-year term asa director of Global Ministriesa 190 year-

old organization with personnel, projects, andmission partners in 136 countries.

He is the first general secretary of a UnitedMethodist general agency who is from out-side the United States.

Kemper and his wife Barbara Hfner-Kemper spent eight years as missionaries inBrazil through the German United MethodistBoard of Missions. For six of those years, hetaught in the Brazilian Theological Seminaryin Sao Paulo and also engaged in ministrywith the poor and new church development.

Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan Keaton,Wesley Kalamazoo Director Reverend LisaBatten and Grand Traverse District Superin-tendent, the Rev. Robert Mayo will also leadworship services during Annual Conference.

Other speakers include UMCOR DeputyGeneral Secretary Cynthia Fierrio Harvey andMr. James Salley, Associate Vice-Chancellorfor Institutional Advancement for Africa Uni-versity.

This article was compiled with the assistance of the General Board of Global Ministry andPastorRudy.com

Rudy Rasmus Thomas Kemper

By Frank WassilakUMC of Farmington

Ten adults from the FUMC of Farmington and the FUMC ofVassar had a gratifying experience in Mississippi in the middleof January, continuing the work of rebuilding homes and livesfor families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

This was the fifth mission team Farmington has sent to theGulf Coast since 2007.

The teams satisfaction in completing the projects was multi-plied many-fold by the appreciation and hospitality we receivedfrom our host families, the fun and fellowship within our teamand the new friendships we made.

At Camp Hope in Vancleave, teams joined us from the BathUMC in Michigan and New Covenant UMC, from The Village re-tirement community in Florida.

Our team was assigned to work on three homes.At each home we heard unique stories about how the fami-

lies coped with the hurricane and its aftermath.At Jeffery and Monikas home in Moss Point, they rode out

the storm by climbing on top of their furniture, to avoid the five-foot storm surge.

At Shawn and Heathers home in Pascagoula, they evacuatedbefore the four-foot surge arrived, but left their pets. When theyreturned, they found their animals hungry and frightened onthe kitchen counter, but unharmed.

Stanleys home in Moss Point had the roof torn off by either atornado or high winds.

The team at Shawn and Heathers painted the exterior siding,installed baseboard moldings and applied drywall compoundand paint to an interior beam.

Some team members spent a few hours painting exteriortrim at Stanleys home.

At Jeffery and Monikas, the team installed tile paneling,molding and bath accessories in the master bath, replaced themaster bath door, removed four large windows and damagedwood from a side porch, and began replacing water-damagedflooring and joists in the master bath.

After five years, its becoming difficult to differentiate dam-age caused by Katrina from damage due to other causes.

At Jeffrey and Monikas, what Camp Hope initially thoughtwas water damage in the porch walls turned out to be termite

damage. Water from Katrinas storm surge could have attractedtermites to the wet, untreated wood.

While removing the damaged main bath floor, one of ourmembers accidently broke the drain line from the kitchen sink.While attempting to repair the line, we discovered that not onlywas the drain lying on the crawl space floor, supported at only onepoint from the floor joists, but it also was disconnected from theelbow below the sink, allowing water to drain into the crawl space.

When the Camp Hope staff brought in a plumber to repairthe line, he observed that it had been in this condition for sometime.

Over the past five years, over 170,000 Methodists have volun-teered, over 13,000 homes have been rebuilt and 115 completelynew homes have been constructed, making the Mississippi UMCConference the third largest homebuilder in the state.

Michigan volunteers have contributed 2,928 servant-hours todatejust at Camp Hope.

The team saw frequent evidence that much more work is re-quired to fully restore the Gulf Coast.

Local churches continue to help re-build lives of those affected by Katrina

In January tenadults from theFUMC ofFarmington andFUMC of Vassarrepaired housesand builtrelationships withMississippiresidents affectedby HurricaneKatrina.

Two blocks south of Jeffery and Monikas home stood ahouse untouched since the hurricane, with the roof and most ofthe back wall missing and a You Loot, We Shoot sign scrawledon plywood.

Across the street and next door to Cynthias home inPascagoula (work site of our first mission team in 2007), emptyhome lots remain.

Not far from there, expensive new homes are slowly begin-ning to fill up empty lots along Beach Boulevard. Along once-busy U.S. 90, between Biloxi and Gulfport, acres of open lotsgreatly outnumber rebuilt homes and businesses.

In the section of New Orleans Ninth Ward that we visited,brightly painted new homes are equally matched by ruinedhomes, untouched since the hurricane.

Camp Hope will be closing down operations in March, 2012.If anyone is interested in forming a team to return to Missis-sippi, contact Frank Wassilak at [email protected].

More information about the recent trip is available atwww.fumcmissionteam.blogspot.com.

MARCH 4, 2011THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER6A THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER 7A

By Paul ThomasDetroit Conference Director of Communications

Churches and leaders in the Detroit Conference willbe learning about Ministry with the Poor in March dur-ing the annual Bishops Day events, which will take placeat seven district sites across the conference. Each districthas arranged for keynote speakers and workshops tohighlight Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keatons an-nual continuing education event.

Faith Stories: A Transformation Experience is thetitle of the Ann Arbor District Bishops Day, which fea-tures the Rev. Faith Fowler as the keynote speaker.Fowler, the pastor at Detroit: Cass Community UMC(casscommunity.org) and the executive director of CassCommunity Social Services, will speak on ways to helpcongregations see the needs of those who live in theircommunities, and how the local church can engage thoseneeds in a way beyond just writing checks. UnitedMethodist Communications will be also be presenting onthe Change The World event, which will take place onMay 1415.

The Ann Arbor Bishops Day will be held on Saturday,March 12, from 8:30 a.m.2:00 p.m. at Dexter UMC.

Fowler will also be the keynote speaker for the De-troit East District Bishops Day event, which takes placeon Saturday, March 5, from 8:30 a.m.2:15 p.m. at Troy:First UMC. In addition to Fowler, at least 12 differentworkshops dealing with ministries with the poor, stew-ardship, urban ministries and missions will be con-ducted.

The Rev. Dr. Walter L. Kimbrough will be highlightingthe Detroit West District Bishops Day, which will ex-plore the theme Seeking Jesus in the Least of These.

For more than 40 years evangelism, pastoral care,teaching, preaching, and community service have charac-terized Kimbroughs ministry. He has provided leader-ship at all levels of the United Methodist Church in theNorthern Illinois and North Georgia Conferences.

After successfully leading Chicago congregationsthrough racial transition, he was appointed to the Cas-cade Church in Atlanta in 1974 where he moved Cascadefrom a dying congregation of less than 100 members to avibrant one of more than 7,000 members. He retired

from this pastorate in 2006. The event will also feature workshops designed to en-

courage, equip, and excite local church leaders about de-veloping ministries that address the needs of the least ofthese. Southfield: Hope UMC will be the host of theevent, which will run from 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m. on Satur-day, March 5.

The Flint District Bishops Day will take place in twoparts. Part I was a series of workshops from 4:008:15p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8., at Flint: Asbury UMC. The work-shops were divided into two categories: tools for ministryand Bishops Day. Part II of the Flint District Bishops Daywill take place on Saturday, March 19, when members ofthe district gather to perform service and outreach proj-ects in the communities of Argentine and Byron.

The staff of Crossfire UMC (www.bikerchurch.com) inNorth Wilkesboro, N.C., will headline the MarquetteDistrict Bishops Day, which is entitled Engaging inMinistry with the Poor.

The Rev. Alan Rice, senior pastor at Crossfire, will bethe keynote speaker. Chartered in 2004, Crossfire aver-ages over 100 in worship and is involved in many min-istries with the poor and un-churched. A former districtsuperintendent, Rice is also the director of rural ministryand community development for the Western North Car-olina Conference. The Revs. Dwight Bubba Smith andDuncan Overrain, associate pastors at Crossfire, will beon hand to lead workshops. Escanaba: Central UMC willhost the event from 10:00 a.m.2:00 p.m. EDT.

The Rev. John Edgar, founding pastor of the UnitedMethodist Church For All People (www.4allpeople.org)and the United Methodist Free Store in Columbus, Ohio,will speak to those gathered at the Port Huron DistrictBishops Day, which will take place from 8:45 a.m.noonat Brown City Elementary School in Brown City, Mich.

Viral Christianity is the title of the Saginaw BayDistrict Bishops Day, which will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Midland: First UMC on Saturday, March 12.Minnesota Area Bishop Sally Dyck(www.bishopsallydyck.org) will be the keynote speaker atthe event, which will also feature several break-out ses-sions, including a session specifically designed for mid-dle and high school youth.

By RJ WaltersEditorGrand Rapids District

Big dreams are the spirit of Bishops Day 2011 at GrandRapids FUMC on March 12, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Pittsburgh Area bishop Thomas J. Bickerton will engagepeople with the Imagine theme, talking about how heshelped tackle the malaria epidemic all over the world thepast couple of years.

He is the lead bishop and spokesperson for the UnitedMethodist Global Health Initiative, including the ImagineNo Malaria campaign, and hes participated in missionwork worldwide.

Bishop Bickerton, 51, has been the denominationsglobal point man for wiping out malaria, stated an articlein the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in May 2010. In May helaunched a new $100 million Imagine No Malaria cam-paign that also will include other methods of prevention,education and treatment of malaria.

His plenary session will be the launching point for 29workshops for people of all agesyouth through long-time church members.

Each attendee will take part in two workshops.Their messages range from strategic church planning

to stewardship and financial discussions to looking at con-flict and challenges through a variety of lenses.

Youth participation in the event (sixth- through 12th-grade) is free.

The event is $15 for adults, including lunch, and peoplecan register online at www.grdistrictumc.org.

Albion and Kalamazoo DistrictsThe free store revolution has picked up steam in the

United Methodist Church and it doesnt appear to be slow-ing down anytime soon.

Leaders of the Church for All People and UnitedMethodist Free Store in Columbus, Ohio are coming backto the West Michigan Conference after presenting at the2010 annual conference.

Lead pastor John Edgar, lay pastor Donita Harris andWest Ohio Conference Director of Connectional MinistriesGeorge Howard will speak and lead breakout groups aboutstarting and running free stores on March 12 at BattleCreek FUMC from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is free, with donations being accepted forlunch and for the United Methodist Free Store. Capacity islimited to 500 people and online registration is available atwww.albiondistrict.org and www.kazoodistumc.org.

Free stores are church-run entities that provide clothing,household items and basic necessities to those in need, freeof charge, with an emphasis on building community.

The Intersection Free Store in Evart and The Open

Door Free Store in Concord are examples of Michigan Areastores that have recently opened.

The Ohio trio has been instrumental in taking a cornerstore that opened in downtown Columbus in 1999 andshaping it into a United Methodist congregation and hubfor human services, as well as a free store that serves over100,000 in a city of around 750,000 people.

Grand Traverse and Heartland DistrictsAnthony G. Pappas, the area minister for the American

Baptist Churches of Massachusetts and the editor of TheFive Stonesa newsletter on small church ministryisbringing a message of hope centered on the concept thatevery church matters, regardless of its size.

He will be the keynote speaker at Cadillac UMC, with apresentation, a Q&A with Pappas, lunch, small group ses-sions and worship making up the 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.event on March 26.

As the author of the books Inside the Small Church andEntering the World of the Small Church Pappas is passion-ate about the mission of less populated churches in bothurban and rural settings.

There will be 10 small group sessions for attendees tochoose from, focusing on everything from leadership tostewardship to building relationships with the poor.

The cost for the event, including a box lunch, is $15.Registration materials are available at

http://www.umcheartland.org/events.html.

Lansing DistrictDr. John Ed Mathison knows a thing or two about grow-

ing churches.As the senior pastor of Frazer Memorial UMC in Mont-

gomery, Ala. for 36 years he helped develop the congrega-tion from 400 members to almost 9,000.

That church had the largest average Sunday school at-tendance of any church in the denomination at one point.

After retiring from Frazer Memorial in 2008, he feltcalled to found John Ed Mathison Leadership Ministries, toshare the best practices hes learned over the past 45 years.

On March 12, Holt UMC will host Mathison from 9:15a.m.3 p.m. with musical praise and lunch mixed in.

Mathison is renowned for his seminars that strive toequip, train and inspire pastors and laypersons.

He has authored several books on church growth andhe is a seminar speaker at the Billy Graham Training Cen-ter at The Cove in North Carolina.

The cost for the Bishops Day gathering is $10, includinglunch.

People can register for the event by calling Holt UMC at517-694-8168 or by sending an e-mail [email protected].

Detroit Conference Bishops Day EventsSaturday, March 5

Detroit East District8:30 a.m.2:15 p.m., Troy: First UMC, www.umc-de.orgDetroit West District9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m., Southfield: Hope UMC, www.gbgm-umc.org/detroitwestPort Huron District8:45 a.m.noon, Brown City Elementary School, www.gbgm-umc.org/port-huron

Saturday, March 12Ann Arbor District8:30 a.m.2:00 p.m., Dexter UMC, www.gbgm-umc.org/annarbordistSaginaw Bay District8:30 a.m.3:00 p.m., Midland: First UMC, www.saginawbaydistrict.org

Saturday, March 19Flint District1:007:00 p.m., Fenton UMC, www.flintdistrictumc.comMarquette District10:00 a.m.2:00 p.m., Escanaba: Central UMC, http://mqtdistrict.com

West Michigan Conference Bishops Day EventsSaturday, March 12

Grand Rapids District8:45 a.m.2:45 p.m., Grand Rapids FUMC, www.grdistrictumc.orgAlbion and Kalamazoo Districts10 a.m.3 p.m., Battle Creek FUMC, www.albiondistrict.org or

www.kazoodistumc.orgLansing District9:15 a.m.3 p.m., Holt UMC, http://lansingdistrictumc.org

Saturday, March 26Grand Traverse and Heartland Districts9:30 a.m.3:15 p.m., Cadillac UMC, www.gtdistrictumc.org or

www.umcheartland.org

Detroit Conference events to focuson ministry with the poor

Speakers from all over the countryhighlight WMC sessions

Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton started Bishops Day in 2005 as a continuing education event for the clergyand leaders of churches in the Michigan Area. He created it to help support and affirm the opportunities UMCmembers have to make a difference through discipleship, evangelism and stewardship.

2011

People packed the house at Mt. Pleasant FUMC for a day-long Bishops Day event in 2010.

Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton is shown speaking at a Bishops Day engagement in Mt. Pleasant last year, where Mike Slaughter was thekeynote speaker.

Bishops Day


By Rev. Scott ManningWest Michigan Conference Commission on Religion andRace Chairperson

The great commission Jesus gave the discipleswhich ex-tends to uswas and is to go and make disciples of all nations,sharing the good news.

Part of the process of wrestling with the great commissionand the call to share the gospel includes monitoring for inclu-siveness, sensitivity, and the care of justice.

The United Methodist Church communications office cameup with a catchy slogan that has been a mantra of the church formore than two quadrennial terms now: Open Hearts. OpenMinds. Open Doors. The people of The United MethodistChurch.While simple and cute, this slogan packs a powerfulpunch in understanding the call of ministry in a way that is in-clusive, sensitive, and building the justice of shalom in faith,community, and our collective life. It is our mantra of buildingthe Kingdom of Goda kingdom that John Wesley always saidwas a future state and a present state in formationthat wehave a hand in bringing to life now and into the age to come.

This year the West Michigan Annual Conference MonitoringTeam will be monitoring inclusiveness and reporting back itsfindings to the Session. We look at the demographics of thechurch and we look at the actions and interactions of the Ses-sion gathered at Calvin College.

One thing we are looking for is open hearts.Are we opening our hearts to allow the Spirit of God to speak

to us in ways that we may see the vision of a message of love,building a diverse kingdom where all Gods people may findwarmth? A call to inclusiveness is an opportunity to have thosestrangely warmed heart experiences, where people can findthe blessed assurance of the Holy Spirit present.

Monitors observe the interactions to see if we are openingour hearts in ways that allow people opportunities to bewarmed to Gods nudging and to be unified in community.

We also monitor open minds. Not only are open minds im-portant for civil discourse, but they are essential for further de-velopment of the commission to go make disciples of JesusChrist for the transformation of the world. This year at annualconference this call to inclusiveness continues as we wrestle

with Gods nudging through the Holy Spirit to be in ministrywith the poor and to find ways our hearts may warmed throughsuch experiences.

Monitors observe, listen, and discern how open our mindsseem to message and call.

Lastly we will be looking for open doors.Are we opening doors that all may engage in praise, fellow-

ship, leadership, spiritual discernment, and the call to ministrywithin the life of the United Methodist Church

Are our doors open or locked? Can someone from the outsidefind the entrance to the Church?

Our hearts? Our collective journey of faith?Are we opening doors to engage one another that God may

engage us, enliven us, and call us into a new life together?Our call to inclusiveness is like that of a Jewish child at a

Passover Seder.Early in the service the child is called to search out all leaven

bread so it may be removed from the home; monitoring is a callto remove barriers and blinders to the light of Jesus Christ thatwe may be nourished with the light and love of the gospel.

Later in the service, the children ask questions about plaguesand the exodus; in monitoring, we are called to search for com-mon understanding of who we are, where we have been, andwhere we are called to be.

And, when the meal takes place, a child is called upon to goto the door and call for Elijah; in monitoring we are called uponto open the door for understanding, dialogue, and the call for in-clusivenessinclusive meaning those whom God has called tothe table and all he asks us to invite as children of the light.

As children call for Elijah at the door they are instructed(and excited) to invite and welcome a stranger (or friend) whocomes to the door thirsty and hungry. That meal ends with a callfor Shalom and all to be restored through the coming Messiah.

Our call as United Methodists is not complete until all tribes,nations, races, ages, and genders have been invited to the table.

For those attending the 2011 West Michigan Annual Confer-ence, you are invited to witness an inclusive body of Jesus Christassembled.

What do you see? What do you hear?Is your heart being warmed? Is your mind being opened,

challenged, and enlightened?And, what doors do you need to open for your heart and

mind and soul to be transformed?Younot just the organized monitoring teamare called to

monitor and hold one another accountable in the life of theChurch, both at the Annual Conference Session and within thelocal church.

You are called to monitor and engage one another for spiri-tual discernment, reflection, and encouragement. It is a power-ful opportunity to witness the Holy Spirit in action.

This is why we monitor Annual Conference and report whatwe hear, see, and sense. This is why we speak, challenge, pray,and preach. Jesus calls us to make disciples of Jesus Christ forthe transformation of the world. May we walk in this transfor-mational light and see the glow that is all around us in our fel-low community of faith.

$1,000 prize being offered in United Methodist Women video competition By Ang HartDetroit Conference Director of Youth and Young Adults

United Methodist Women (UMW) has been impacting livesworldwide for more than 140 years, and this fall the Rev. FaithFowler wants to bring attention to the organization by impact-ing a young adults pocketbook.

The pastor of Cass Community UMC is offering $1,000 toanyone under the age of 30 who produces the best video on thehistory of UMW and how it continues to change lives today.

At last Octobers Detroit Conference UMW Annual Celebra-tion and Meeting Fowler enacted the challenge as part of a pas-sionate speech that invited people to consider how they lookedat womens rights and UMW in the 21st century.

Fowler referenced a poem that included names of womenwho throughout history helped pave the way for women every-where today.

She said that most women under the age of 30 might notknow a lot of the names, but if they didnt, they should lookthem up and learn about them.

Fowler then showed a video that informed the audienceabout often-overlooked truths, like the fact that still todaywomen only make 77 cents for every dollar that a man makes.

After the video, she talked about how women in the youngergenerations forget to be passionate about such issues.

She said something like a video competition utilizing someof the brightest young minds in the conference would be a greatway to bring attention to the legacy of the organization and

show how people can be involved in womens rights issuestoday.

Fowler said the video could include UMW history, an invita-tion to join the organization and/or a look at the mission ofUMW.

The video should be a maximum of four minutes long andcannot be posted on the Internet prior to Nov. 11, 2011.

The deadline for entry is Sept. 1 and submissions should besent to: Cass Community Social Services, 11850 Woodrow Wil-son, Detroit, MI 48206.

An initial screening will be held on Sept. 11 and videos thatmake the final cut will be viewed and voted on by attendees ofthe Detroit Conference UMW Annual Celebration and Meetingon Oct. 29.

Finalists must be in attendance.

The competition represents another partnership betweenthe UMW and the conferences youth and young adults.

For almost two years now, the Detroit Conference UnitedMethodist Women has been working hard to focus on being inministry with youth and young adults.

Detroit Conference UMW vice president Mary Fox asked meto help plan the annual UMW Celebration and Meeting after Igave a presentation to the organization.

She wanted to include more of a focus on young people andwanted to get more people under the age of 30 excited aboutwhat UMW is doing in the conference.

Over time the board solidified a more formal partnershipwith the Conference Council on Youth Ministries and what wasformerly the Young Adult Task Force, by attending events andmeetings, supporting fundraising efforts for new initiativesand building relationships.

For the 2010 Celebration and Meeting we invited the CCYMto do the installation of officers, and asked the young adults tobe involved in various ways throughout the day.

This encouraged some new faces to appear at the meeting. Fowlers video competition was just the icing on the cake

and a new way for young people to look at how they can be in-volved in a missional community that has over 800,000 mem-bers around the globe.

Those interested in more details on the competition can e-mail Ang Hart at [email protected] or Rev. Fowlerat [email protected].

A call for inclusiveness at the West Michigan Annual Conference

Continued from page 12Awill look like. Every Bishop I have served as a pastor, super-intendent and clergy assistant over the last 39 years has hadto make difficult leadership decisions that local congrega-tions have not liked. That is not a new phenomenon for the21st century. Often that decision has been not to do some-thing that someone thought the bishop should do.

The advantage of the longer view of history is that we canoften see the handiwork of God, which we cannot see whenwe are too close to the situation. All across this Area I seelocal churches, for instance, that were not propped up artifi-cially but who were allowed to find the path to healththrough merger with other congregations, which, at the time,surely must have felt like death and resurrection for many ofthe members.

Today, these merged congregations are signs of life andhope even in these difficult days for Michigans economy.

For a more in-depth version of this months Burning Ques-tions with Bill with supporting evidence from Scripture, checkout www.michiganareareporter.com later this month.

Burning Questions with Bill


DAC Leadership Team Outlines District Renaming ProcessBy Paul Thomas Detroit Conference Director of Communications

Fulfilling legislation passed at the 2010 annual conferencesession, the Conference Leadership Team has developed aprocess for the renaming of the districts of the Detroit Confer-ence, which will be reduced to six on July 1, 2011.

The resolution passed at the 2010 annual conference sessionstates:

Be it resolved that the number of districts comprising theDetroit Annual Conference be reduced from seven to six, effec-tive no later than July, 1, 2011. Pursuant to 415.4 of the Disci-pline, the resident bishop shall determine the boundaries of thenew districts, after which the conference leadership team shallname them.

Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announced thenew district alignment in January.

The new alignment combines the current Detroit East andDetroit West districts into one metro Detroit area district andmakes minor alterations to the other five districts.

Now that the lines for the new district alignment have beendetermined, the process shifts to the Leadership Team deter-mining the names of the new districts.

Naming, in many cultures and families, is declaring anidentity rooted in relationships, said the Rev. Dr. Jerome (Jerry)DeVine, the conferences director of connectional ministries.The reduction of districts has created an opportunity to ex-plore identity and purpose through considering existing andpotentially new names for each of the newly drawn six dis-tricts.

The Leadership Team submitted questionnaires to each dis-trict, asking the district superintendent, along with their dis-trict council on ministries/leadership team, to complete theinformation by March 31. The questionnaire guides districtsthrough a potential name change and asks each district to dis-cuss the prospect of changing their name, review their currentmission/vision statement, and make a recommendation to theLeadership Team.

When choosing a new name, the Leadership Team has sug-

gested three guidelines for each district: 1) Choose a name thatsets it apart; 2) Choose a name that is simple to remember; and3) Choose a name that expands potential.

After completing the questionnaire, if a district does notwish to change its name, the Leadership Team has asked for thedistrict to provide a rationale for its decision.

The Conference Leadership Team created a tool that invitesdistrict leadership to consider what name best gives directionand identification to the gathering of local churches withintheir bounds, DeVine said. It also provides a means for thosecongregations, agencies and leaders that have been realigned toenter into those new relationships with ownership and belong-ing. We exist in a full community of the annual conference,with distinct expressions within every district.

The districts will return their completed questionnaires byApril 1, after which time the Leadership Team will determinethe names of the six districts. The names of the six districtswill be announced by April 15, and the names will become ef-fective on July 1.

PHOTO BY TOM BRAAK

This tree nursery, developed and nourished through the help of Faith in ActionInternational has been providing fruit trees for Haitian families who are struggling tomake ends meet.

Ministry with UMC connections making a difference in HaitiBy Pam MettlerCorrespondent

Faith in Action International (FIAI), aChristian-based mission program in Verrettes,Haiti, has been quietly serving the poorest-of-the-poor for 13 years.

With each tree sapling planted, every mealdelivered, and every water filter installed, theHaitian people have come to say Mesi, Creolefor thanks for making a difference.

Michigan native Tom Braak founded FIAIin 1998.

Braak made an initial mission trip to Haitiin 1997 to see the countrys needs first hand.Upon hearing Gods call, he set up headquar-ters in the hills north of Port-Au-Prince andmarried a Haitian woman named Ficilta. To-gether, they have a 16-month-old son, Ryan.

It was when Braak was asked to present onFIAI at the United Methodist Church of theDunes (UMC-Dunes) in Grand Haven, Mich.that he made a longstanding connection to theUnited Methodis Church.

At the conclusion of Braaks presentation,one of the UMC-Dunes church members or-ganized a mission trip to Haiti in April 2007. Itincluded 16 people who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with FIAI missionaries.

Braak is also connected to the MichiganArea through Dr. Bill Cansfield, a strong advo-cate for Haiti and member of UMC-Dunes.

Cansfield is a member of the MichiganHaiti Task Force, which works through UnitedMethodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) tosupport churches, schools, orphanages andagricultural improvement projects in Haiti.

Cansfield also serves as the chairman of theFIAI board of directors.

As its sole missionary, Braak, 48, hasbrought FIAI to the people day-by-day throughteaching sustainable development.

A tree nursery was established; animal hus-bandry programs were introduced, providinggoats and chickens to help Haitian farmerslearn how to start a business, sell milk andeggs at market; literacy programs also helpchildren and adults learn to read the Bible.

Currently, the FIAI fruit tree nursery has

12,500 saplings growing in plastic bags. Soil is mixed with bat guano and the plants

are thriving. Some 23 species will bear fruit that can be

a source of $80 of increased income potentialeach year. This $80 is a welcome addition tothe annual $200 income the farmers currentlyearn, Braak said.

Trees are set for distribution in May, witheach Haitian villager receiving 20 plantings.

FIAIs tree nursery species include: Mango,avocado, lemon, kenep, sour sop, lamapen,guava, orange, cacoa, apricot, pumelo andchocolate pudding plants.

We also started growing five childrens treenurseries and we anticipate over 350 kids willbenefit from this aspect of our ministry, Braaksaid.

Recently, the mission has also made head-way with continued distributions of goats,food and water filters.

We took delivery of two more buck Boergoats this week, said Braak. The 19 bucks wegave out last year are now all producing off-spring, which will help create income for vil-lagers at market.

Braak also received 47 boxes of food, whichcontained 36 meals eachto be distributed tothe homeless, elderly and handicapped.

Rice, soybean flour, corn protein and driedvegetables are at a premium to many people.

A chronic problem is the need for cleanwater. Cholera continues to spread throughcontaminated water and food.

FIAI is addressing this epidemic by provid-ing 300 water purification systems to schoolsand villages throughout the Artibonite Valley,some 40 miles north of Port-au-Prince.

In January we gave out 74 water filtersthroughout six communities and each filterwill provide clean water to 60 people, Braaksaid.

In February, Toms father, Larry Braak,M.D., brought 200 Sawyer Point One filters, oneof the fastest, most cost effective ways to de-liver clean water.

Each filter system will clean up to 100 gal-lons of portable water every day. The filters re-

move the protozoa and viruses using technol-ogy adapted from kidney dialysis filters.

People are still dying in the mountainsand all around Verrettes and Port-au-Princebecause of the cholera pandemic, Braak. saidWe are praying for continued supportthroughout 2011 to help us sustain our broth-ers and sisters throughout Haiti.

FIAI has faced several major challenges inthe wake of the 2010 earthquake, hurricaneand cholera pandemic. Rocky roads left withhuge potholes by the disasters have taken theirtoll on the FIAI truck used to transport sup-plies and people to and from the regional hos-pital. Funds are being sought to help purchasea new vehicle.

Homes that collapsed have left people with-out shelter and FIAI has helped with the re-construction process.

Braak has grown FIAI through donationsfrom family, relatives, friends and supportersattending largely United Methodist, Presbyte-

rian, Christian Reformed, Reformed, Baptist,Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches inMichigan, California, Iowa, South Carolina andWisconsin.

People can donate by sending checks madepayable to: FIAI, P.O. Box 171, Spring Lake,Michigan or by donating electronically on theFIAI website at www.faithinactionint.org.

A spring mission trip, led by Braak, isplanned for March 29 through April 5 to theFIAI mission in Verrettes, Haiti.

Another one is being considered for Sep-tember.

Participants will work in the tree nursery,deliver water filters to schools and homes, plusparticipate in church services with Haitian vil-lagers.

To contact Faith in Action Internatio nalreach Tammy Davison [email protected] or 616-842-8951,or Pam Mettler at [email protected] or 616-402-3144


OverlookThe Lighthouse Let your light so shine

Hurdles to clear, a passion to share at Faithway ChurchBy RJ WaltersEditor

Michael Sawicki is the lead pastor of a of a congregation thatmeets at a resort, but that title might be a bit misleading to peo-ple unfamiliar with his story.

He leads worship at the Midland Resort and Convention Cen-ter, the home of Sunday services for the new church start Faith-way Church, but the current location is just the latest remedy foryet another roadblock Sawicki has encountered.

In Saginaw, Sawicki started in a storefront that he called rel-atively ineffective for ministry before securing a building thatwas all but a done dealuntil word arrived that the townshipsopinion was we could use it for anything except Sunday morn-ing worship.

Then he found a prime location at Delta College, but theThursday before the first service was to be held the schoolsboard of directors told Sawicki the church couldnt use it.

One transition led to anotherwith Sawicki losing severalfamilies along the wayand eventually a location nearly half anhour away with different demographics and new challenges washis landing spot.

Saginaw Bay District Superintendent Jeff Maxwell says thegiving and ministry participation has exceeded the benchmarksfor a church that has regular worship attendance of 55-60 peoplewith roughly 85 people involved, but the worship attendance isfar from the critical mass of 225250 the Detroit Conferencewas hoping to see in the post-launch phase of ministry.

Sawicki likens the journey to a rollercoaster. He said itsoften difficult to balance the excitement of seeing new people

serving the Lord and joining in Christian community with thereality that the church is woefully inadequate to where I wantedto be at this point.

Weve got a few small groups going and youve got peoplethere who know nothing about the Bible, literally, and these areadults who are coming to their very first Bible study and explor-ing faith for the first time. They have so much enthusiasm, pas-sion and excitement that they bring, he said. Yet on the otherside of that there is the side of discouragement and just notbeing where I want to be. Psychologically it has much more to dowith expectations over reality than it does reality.

His ministry is 100 percent portable. Sawicki hauls a trailerto the resort each Sunday, setting up for worship starting at 8:45a.m. and tearing equipment down roughly four hours later.

The Rev. Brad Kalajainen, lead pastor at Cornerstone Church inCaledonia, has been Sawickis coach through the ups and downs.

He said Sawicki is wonderful at networkingevident by hismonths spent engaging people at a kiosk at Fashion Square Mallin Saginawbut there are a lot of variables that determine thesuccess of a newly planted church.

A lot of times weve tried to put planters in places where no-body checked to see if there was any rental spaceweve hadthat happen 100 times, he said. Somebody really needs to go inahead of time and say, Ok this, this, this and this are available,so theres like five rental spaces that are good options. That typeof stuff has the chance to make or break a start.

Kalajainen said its also essential to remember the emotionalturbulence new church start pastors go through.

I think fear is one thing that a lot of existing pastors dont

relate to because they walk into established things almostwhether they do nothing or not, he said.

One bright spot for Faithway Church is its youth program,which Sawicki said has about a dozen committed members whocan now take full advantage of a racquetball court, basketballcourt and swimming pool at the resort.

Maxwell, who has attended several services at the church andpreached there once, said the youth involvement is wonderful tosee because many churches struggle to integrate the youngergeneration.

Theres a lot of signs of life and theres a high percentage ofworshippers involved in ministry and that too is a good sign ofvitality and life, he said.

Valley Church Pastor, the Rev. Matt Bistayi chats withseveral young adults at a service in the fall of 2010.

Valley Church on the path to self-sufficiency in 2011By RJ WaltersEditor

The Rev. Matt Bistayi is the kind of guy who isnt afraid to sayhes wrong and youre right.

Hes the type of team player every coach would pick first.And hes thrilled to be spreading the gospel in a place where

he finds people searching for something more as they endurethe struggles of everyday life.

Based on the community being built at the Valley Church inAllendale less than 20 months into the new church start, thefruits of his engaging labor are evident.

The West Michigan Conference church plant is averaging120140 adults in worship each week, with 3040 kids tagging

along each Sunday.Valley Church is comfortably meeting benchmarks set forth

by the conference with the counsel of their Director of NewChurch Development Barb Flory and Bistayi said the church hashigh hopes of being self-sufficient and accommodating 150200regular worshippers by years end.

District Superintendent Laurie Haller said the 39-year oldBistayi not only has a certain It quality needed to succeed as achurch planter, he is also extremely teachable.

That is a great gift because if something doesnt work Mattwill try something else, she said. If I see something or BarbFlory sees something or (the Rev.) Brad Kalajainen (of Corner-stone Church) sees something that hes not doing that maybe heshould (Matt) isnt defensive, he doesnt say he knows it all andhes very open.

Haller said his out-going personality draws in young familiesand young adults and he is committed to studying new churchtechniques and taking risks.

Bistayi has leaned on the spiritual influence of small housechurchesgroups of churchgoers who meet regularly and en-gage in service opportunities togetherand he has attemptedto cater to the college students at Grand Valley State, while try-ing to stay transparent about where the church is financially andwhat the future may hold.

The word that pops into my head (through this experience)is humble, youve just got to learn to stay humble. For me thatmeans just continuing to be real and authentic through thisprocess, he said. (When something doesnt go right) youve gotto have the courage to say, Well, that didnt work out so, so letstry it a different way next time or simply not try it again.

He said some of his greatest moments have been connectingwith new people who have eventually become energizers andleaders of his young congregation.

There are a lot of families and college students that are justtrying to make it week-by-week, day-by-day in their busy lives; Ithink thats huge in this area, I hear about it all the time, hesaid. Sometimes its a struggle to get from one day to the nextwith everything that life demands from you.

He said the support and encouragement of Flory, the loveand support of his family and the collegial conversations withhis father who is a retired United Methodist pastor cannot beoverlooked in the churchs development.

The next step for Valley Church is figuring out how muchlonger their home next to Byron Bank will be large enough tomeet its needs.

If we want to grow beyond 150 or so were going to need toconsider either adding a third worship service or moving to adifferent location, he said. Its always about encouraging peopleto bring friends with them to worship and to be sharing ourjourney with others. You never want to stop doing thatits achurch-long and lifelong journey.

Haller said success is never guaranteed for new churchplanters and one of Bistayis biggest challenges will be to re-de-fine his role as his congregation expands.

(Right now) it probably still feels like its all on his shoul-ders, but as the church grows and theres more money to per-haps spend on staff his role is going to b

Documents

March 2011 edition of the Michigan Area Reporter