10,000 Hour Miracle Offering
For the past three years the Dakotas Annual Conference has collected a Miracle Offering during the annual conference session—a gathering of United Methodist clergy and laity from across both states.
The theme of the 2016 Annual Conference session, taking place June 9-11 in Sioux Falls, SD, is “Living Generously Unleashing God’s Gifts.” This year’s offering, the “10,000 Hours Miracle Offering,” has both a hands-on and financial component. We invite you and your congregation to live generously by investing your time to impact lives through our conference ministries. We invite generous giving by investing in opportunities for young adults to explore ministry through our Elisha Project.
The hope is to have 10 people from each church pledging 10 hours of service to one the conference ministries and to raise $100,000 to fund 10,000 hours of internship.
10,000 Hours of Service
The 2016 Miracle Offering calls for giving 10,000 Hours of service to Dakotas Conference ministries. Each is asked church to identify 10 or more people who will each give 10 hours of their time to one of these ministries in our conference:
Bakken Oil Rush Ministry—Watford City, ND
Jim and Kathie Konsor – 605-268-0058
Join Jim and Kathie Konsor in serving the people of the Watford City area. Help is needed with sorting donations and also with some of their feeding events such as spaghetti feeds and picnics. There are also several major clothing giveaways throughout the year. Jim and Kathie do need some time to coordinate dates and places for these events, but should be able to make adjustments to fit schedules.
Out in Faith—Bakken Oil Rush Ministries—Williston, ND
Katie Peterson — 906-630-1519, 701-572-7694
Katie Peterson has been serving as our Church and Community worker in Williston for almost three years. Volunteers are invited to come for a Saturday to be a part of the GIFT (God In Faith Tonight) worship service and meal. This includes handing out invitational brochures, preparing and serving the meal, and handing out donated goods.
**Joint projects between Watford City and Williston can be coordinated.
Glenda Gerlach — 605-990-7780
Live Generously by serving at one of our three Dakotas Camps:
Wesley Acres Camp—Dazey, ND—Paul & Brenda Lint, Site Directors
Lake Poinsett Camp—Arlington, SD—Christy Heflin, Site Director
Storm Mountain Center—Rapid City, SD—Scott Jensen, Site Director
One of the best ways to serve is as a summer camp counselor. Bring some children or youth from your church and serve in a way that impacts their lives as well as your own. Volunteers are also needed throughout the year to keep our camps beautiful and ready to host people of all ages as they encounter Christ.
Spirit Lake Ministry Center - Sheyenne ND
Mike and Libby Flowers — 701-799-1174
Join Mike and Libby Flowers in being the hands and feet of Christ to the people of the Spirit Lake Nation through Service Projects including community meal preparations and worship experience and/or Service Projects geared for Ministry Center needs. As a part of the experience, Mike and Libby can also include Mission/Ministry Orientation and Cultural Awareness Education with the Service Project (at least a two day event). Summer 5-day mission trip opportunities available. All projects will be geared toward the size of the group and teams must be prepared to provide funding for food and project materials. On-site housing is available.
Rick Jost — 605-695-0783
Led by Rick Jost and a group of dedicated volunteers, Solar Oven Partners
Help is needed from individuals or small to mid-sized groups at workshop sites in North and South Dakota to assemble and package oven components as well as general maintenance and upkeep. Volunteers can also serve at the main Volga, SD, office by helping out with mailings and other administrative duties. For a joy-filled, faith-strengthening, mind-expanding experience, join a SOP Volunteer in Mission team to build ovens in the Dominican Republic.
Linda Garriot — 605-828-5078
Located in Mission, SD, on the Rosebud Reservation, Tree of Life serves the Lakota and Dakota people. Serving opportunities can include construction/painting projects, food preparation and distribution, sorting of donated goods, and interacting with the people of the community and surrounding area to bring the love and light of Christ. On-site housing is available.
10,000 Hours of Internship
Fund 10,000 Hours of internship for young people exploring the call to ministry through our Conference's Elisha Project. The goal of $100,000 to fund 10,000 Hours of internship or just over 30 interns.
The Elisha Project is an internship designed to assist young people as they sense God’s call in their life. Interns spend one semester of their college or summer working with a local church under the leadership of a clergy mentor. Students receive a stipend of $3,000.
The goal is to raise $100,000 to fund 10,000 hours of internship or just over 30 interns. This will help launch the next generation of clergy leaders in the Dakotas Conference.
Over 60 percent of the Dakotas Conference clergy are eligible to retire in the next five years. Currently, 12.3 percent of the United Methodist clergy serving in the Dakotas are under the age of 40.
The 10,000 Hours Miracle Offering will be received at worship on the morning of June 10 in Sioux Falls. Each church will soon receive a packet of additional information regarding our 2016 Annual Conference Session and the 10,000 Hours Miracle Offering.
Click here to read Bishop Ough’s invitation letter
