The 24th session of the Dakotas Annual Conference will kick off in 30 days—June 8-10, 2017 in Bismarck, North Dakota. The three-day conference session is a time for Dakotas United Methodists to worship and enjoy fellowship, learn from teaching sessions, seek God’s guidance as we make decisions about ministry direction, determine budgets, ordain and commission clergy and receive the bishop’s clergy appointments. Register by May 19 to avoid a late fee of $25 - click here to register.

The venues for this year’s conference will include the Bismarck Event Center, Sertoma Park and Legacy United Methodist Church.  Hotel rooms are available the Radisson Hotel (the conference headquarters), Expressway Inn, Expressway Suites, and Ramkota Hotel.  Watch the video tour below or click here to learn about all of these places in Bismarck.

New this year is SCHED.  SCHED is an app that allows us to publish a electronic schedule with details including: contact information for speakers, presenters, coordinators and moderators, handouts, directions, maps and photos for each session.  Click here to go to SCHED for AC 2017. If you would like to receive updates and changes, sign up as an attendee and encourage others to do the same. You will be able to save the schedule to your home screen (the icon at right will appear on your mobile device), and you can also receive up-to-date schedule information as a text or e-mail.

Several special events and sessions will take place again this year. You can register for these events when you register for annual conference.

Wednesday, June 7: In the morning, wellness checks will begin at 7:00 a.m.  Contact Leana Stunes if you have questions. Throughout the morning, various boards and agencies will be meeting. The Dakotas Conference Commission on Archives and History will host a luncheon featuring Rev. Bruce Forbes as the speaker. Pre-conference workshops will take place at 1:30 and 3:15 p.m. There will be a special presentation by Stephanie Caro, of Youth Ministry Architects, at 6:30 p.m. Wespath and EY Financial Planning Services will hold a financial planning presentation at 7 p.m.  Orientation to annual conference will be available for new participants or anyone interested at 7 p.m. A dessert gathering will be held for anyone involved in lay servant ministry at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 8: Wellness checks will begin at 6 a.m. and end at 9 a.m., contact Leana Stunes if you have questions. At noon several seminary luncheons have been scheduled including Asbury, Garrett and Sioux Falls seminaries. There will be a luncheon for those in extension ministry, clergy spouses, local licensed pastors and certified lay ministers.  Sign up for a box lunch and go to a learning session on “Church marketing” or “Communicating Faith in the 21st Century,” led by United Methodist Communications. Attend the Festival in the Park with food, games, music and a walking challenge. Sign up for the walking challenge – 1 mile, 2 miles or more – at the registration area.   New clergy will meet with the featured speaker, Rev. Junius Dotson, and Bishop Bruce R. Ough at 8:30 p.m.

Friday, June 9: Wellness checks will begin at 6 a.m. and end at 9 a.m. Contact Leana Stunes if you have questions. Those being commissioned and ordained will have a luncheon with invited guests and Bishop Bruce R. Ough.  Retirees and spouses are invited to a special lunch beginning at 12:15 p.m.—Bishop and Char Ough will join this group for dessert.  Sign up for a box lunch and a learning session on “Facebook: best practices for churches,” or “Your church website: Rethinking your new front door,” led by United Methodists Communications.  Attend the Celebration of Life in Ministry service at Legacy UMC beginning at 7p.m. where we will honor those who are retiring, remember those clergy and clergy spouses who have entered eternal rest and celebrate those being commissioned and ordained as clergy.