Reconciling United Methodists (RUM's),
friends in NE and beyond:
After a week of Annual Conference in the NE UMC In Lincoln May 31 - June 4 at St Marks UMC and with General conference coming in the spring of 2012 -- we have some Celebrations, some Lamentations and some Actions for the future : for a more inclusive church and world -- spiritual Awakenings!!
Celebrations: 1) THANKS to ALL who helped at the Reconciling table/booth for info and support with Betty Dorr as the main volunteer; all who helped at the UM Global AIDS fund table/booth as Volunteers : Bill Black, Display; Vicki McDermott, Basket / volunteering Wed; Megan from NWU Thurs; Liz Bady and Maureen Vetter, Friday morning, Becca Wolfe, Friday afternoon; Maureen Vetter and Bill Black organizing - thanks to STOP AIDS NE for copying and giveaways! Thanks to RTMJT for helping with support and the table!
2) Celebrate: Dr Don Messer, Chair of the UM Global AIDS Fund, who came and spoke at the MFSA Dinner May 31 -- Don shared the gospel of Christ through the stories of those struggling with HIV AIDS and our response with the UM Global AIDS fund! Thanks for coming from Denver area to share with us DON!
2) Celebrate : Special Offerings of $4005 for UM Global AIDS Fund that were given at the MFSA dinner (spontaneous offering of $900 May 31 at the MFSA dinner - and the Special Offering June 3 at 8:30 am worship! One fourth of this will stay in NE for local aids projects in local churches: www.umcneb.org/AIDS for our new URL with info!
We are Grateful to ALL persons who responded in FAITH to offerings for ministries to those who are marginalized in our world - persons with HIV AIDS -www.umglobalaidsfund.org
3) Celebrate : the UM Global AIDS fund brings persons with HIV AIDS out of the closet and onto the Radar screen of God's work in the world : MISSIONS -- being missionaries / AIDS ambassadors! We now have about 58 AIDS Ambassadors in NE - if you want to sign up : write to Andrewb@nap.org today!
4) Celebrate: Becca Preisendorf, Trinity UMC, Grand Island, a student at Hastings College as the 12th Recipient of the Jimmy Creech Profile of Justice Award receiving a $1000 Scholarship and the honoring Jimmy for his courageous witness among us in NE and his new book!
5) Celebrate: Rainbows of HOPE ART SHOW this June at Christ UMC, Lincoln!
Go see the art show and do in your local church in June next year or this summer! Thanks to everyone at Christ UMC who put this together on the ART show team! Check out the new community orchard too!
6) Celebrate: The new HIV AIDS Resolution : approved encouraging the 20/20 Visioning an AIDS Free World by 2020 Campaign - give $20 to UM Global AIDS Fund whenever you can each year! Send gifts / offerings to the Conf Treas in Lincoln and mark it for NE Advance # 578 Global AIDS - so that 25 % of all of our gifts and offerings stay in NE for local AIDS projects!
7) Celebrate: the 70 Clergy in the MN UMC who signed onto a statement to do Same Sex unions - see the articles below and thanks to Rev Bruce Robbins of Hennepin AVE UMC for initiating this justice and advocacy work :
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/06/02/same-sex-marriage-clergy/
http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2789393&ct=10860667&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+umnsheadlines+(United+Methodist+News+Service+Headlines
http://wjon.com/40-united-methodist-clergy-pledge-to-marry-gay-couples/
http://www.hrc.org/issues/religion/4955.htm?gclid=CJi2jpLmnqkCFQM6gwodVCMhuA
8) Celebrate : newly elected delegates going to General conference, April 2012 - who are Reconciling United Methodists from NE!
Lamentations: 1) the GLBT legislation from NE that was not approved to go to General Conference in 2012 -- thanks for all the efforts writing, submitting them, speaking on the Conference floor, advocacy and amendments - Petitions can be sent to General Conference this summer by local churches and members -
we hope to have some Petitions for folks to sign onto via email or our blog ... or send Petitions from your local churches / local members.
Actions: 1) Give to Inclusive Ministries : Give to our SUMMER EMAIL Offering in NE for our yearly commitment to Reconciling Ministries Network - our Ne STATEWIDE Reconciling Network is an "official reconciling community" now for six years - we are growing the circle of friends in the faith locally and statewide through sending our our reconciling emails and info!
Give Love Gifts / Write Checks to : RMN and send to : Maureen Vetter, 4422 Drake Lane, G Island, NE 68801 Maureen will send them on to RMN.. we have no membership per se or account other than being an RUM - this Summer Email offering is our way of supporting the RMN ministries through our NE group and a way to thank all of our emailers who VOLUNTEER their time and energies on home computers for many moons!
So far we have gifts from Cathy Denman for Maureen Vetter's birthday, Jim and Donna Lightbody, Wendy and Eric, Jenna and Brian Smith, Maureen and Jay Vetter for the birthdays of all friends - Lloyd and Joan Byerhof too!
We are to $120 so far for the Summer Email offering - and we need $250 this summer for our yearly commitment to RMN for ministries - to help with General Conference 2012 and the many ministries of RMN and staff, events, resources to create change and do justice work ~
2) Give to local reconciling groups, the GSA in your town or the PFLAG in your area - have a birthday party fundraiser and raise funds for RMN for our NE Statewide Reconciling Network yearly commitment!
3) Sign onto the gay ordination statements through Church Within A Church and RMN .. the statements are also on our blog along with a RECAP of Annual Conference and the archives or summer events! www.nebraskarum.blogspot.com
4) Become a Facebook friend on our newly formatted Facebook page that is more public!
Go to Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network and find us! Send info on to your friends! WE are starting all over on Facebook with new friends so find us if you were friends before!
5) Get friends together this summer for a meetup - have a summer book group with an inclusive book share : read "Adam's Gift" the new book out by Jimmy Creech, have a BBQ with Reconciling friends this summer or promote dialogue in your local church with Telling our stories! BELIEVE OUT LOUD : give to RMN, share stories, sign up folks as RUM's
6) Go to a PRIDE event this summer : see events on the blog!
7) Do a fundraiser for UM Global AIDS fund this summer like GETTING ACTIVE 4 AIDS 4 an AIDS Free world - we went the attach earlier and will send again this summer! or make your own pledge sheet to pledge yourself or have an event that also raises funds for UM Global AIDS Fund and those battling HIV AIDS!
8) Remember that AIDS walks are coming in NE on Sept 18 - www.nap.org
Get together a team at your church this summer and start making plans!
9) Make plans to attend SING A NEW SONG the Convo planned by MFSA and RMN this summer - www.RMNetwork.org Let us know if you are going to SING A NEW SONG CONVO!
10) Become a Reconciling United Methodist today! Go to the website and sign on to become involved and share your faith of diversity and being inclusive!
11) Ethnic festival, Grand Island, NE promote diversity and missions pf outreach and justice : June 24 - 26, 2011
12) Coming Out Day Oct 11 - start making plans for summer and fall -
12) Lighten the burden IV Conference on HIV AIDS, April 23, 2012, Tampa, FL
www.umglobalaidsfund.org NE: www.umcneb.org/AIDS for info on UM Global AIDS fund
Find ways to share God's love that is inclusive love -- for All God's children!
Maureen Vetter, Wendy Smith, NE RMN Contacts, PRN contacts, Local contacts and Email contacts! Recruit Reconciling youth and young adult contacts locally!
www.RMNetwork.org
www.nebraskarum.blogspot.com Facebook: Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network
www.umcneb.org/AIDS www.umglobalaidsfund.org
www.cwac.us
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