Annual Conference Registration opens March 1st

The 24th sessions of the Dakotas Annual Conference will be held in Bismarck, North Dakota, June 8-10, 2017. Rev. Junius B. Dotson, general secretary of UMC Discipleship will be our teaching speaker on June 9th. All the details, schedule, hotels, and more are here.

Register on our Annual Conference webpage beginning March 1st.

Proposals for petitions and resolutions must be submitted by March 30, 2017. Find out the details here.

Adam Weber announces after Easter series

Hey, Pastors & Church Leader friends!  I hope this finds you well. Are you looking for a solid series to preach after Easter this year?

Prayer is something that I regularly get asked about but is often a topic that’s overlooked in preaching. My new book on prayer is releasing next month and I’m providing all the Talking With God graphics, 3 different Talking With God bumper videos, & message series notes for free here!

Praying for you and your church as we get closer to Easter,      -Adam

P.S. Buy 10 or more copies of Talking With God for your church or small group for $10.49 per copy (48% off) here! Offer ends March 6th!

Communications Workshop April 2nd - Register Now

If you’ve ever wondered about how to effectively market your church, what makes a good e-newsletter, or whether live streaming worship makes sense for your congregation, then don’t miss our upcoming communications workshop! This workshop, specifically for churches in the Dakotas Conference, will be held on April 2, 2017, from 2:30pm - 6:30pm, at Huron First UMC. It will also be live-streamed to a few selected sites.

This breakthrough workshop is designed to give you tools to communicate more effectively with your congregation and community. We’ll spend the first part of the afternoon focused on marketing and branding for your church—and then, we’ll deliver mini workshops on e-newsletters, social media, photography, and live streaming. The live streaming session will not only help you assess whether this technology makes sense for your church, but also how you would go about setting it up.

Click here to register for the workshop or to request your church to be a streaming location.

March 11: Passionate Worship Design workshop

Register now for the Passionate Worship Design Workshop happening on Saturday, March 11, 2017, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Watertown First UMC, Watertown, S.D. All pastors, laity, youth, worship leaders, worship committee members are invited to attend.  The workshop is designed for every size church and encompasses traditional as well as modern worship experiences. The presenter will be Rev. Laura Barlett of the Oregon-Idaho Conference (click here for her resume). Laura was the designer of worship at the 2016 General Conference.

This day-long experience is for people who are passionate about worship…and for people who long for worship to be passion-filled! The event will include participatory worship, as well as plenty of opportunities to dig into both the theology and the practicality of designing creative worship, no matter what style a congregation prefers. Attendees will learn about and practice team-based worship planning and examine how music, visuals, movement, and words can be layered to create deeper meaning and to provide a variety of portals through which various congregation members can feel connected. This is a day for getting past perceived obstacles (it’s not about style or size!) and claiming the creativity and resources that are gifts from God.

Lodging is available on Friday, March 10, 2017, at Lake Poinsett Camp and Retreat Center.  Cost is only $20 to cover lunch and snacks.     Click here to register.

Men’s retreat

Calling all MEN!!!  Join us for a men's retreat at Storm Mountain Center on Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4.  We will begin with registration on Friday from 6-7 pm and conclude on Saturday around 3:30 pm.  We will use the DVD-based study "Uncommon" from Tony Dungy as our primary teaching material. During the retreat, we will share meals and fellowship, learn about living a high-impact, character-filled life for God, worship and praise God, and enjoy the beauty of one of our great camps.  If you need a little time away to recharge your life and to get started on the path to living with true significance, join us for this great retreat.

Pastors - please display this poster at your church and encourage men to attend this retreat.  If you or someone from your church has any questions, there is contact information at the bottom of the poster. Please RSVP to Pastor John Britt via e-mail by February 27th so SMC can plan for accommodations and food and so that we can prepare the correct supply of materials for the retreat. Thank you!! - Pastor John Britt and Pastor Karl Kroger

Church break-in prompts security review

"Maybe they found themselves at rock bottom. My only hope, honestly, is that they join us on Sunday. Whoever it is, we have 'welcome' on the door, honestly, no kidding – it would be an amazing honor to have that person come and worship with us," said embrace church's pastor, Adam Weber.  Click here for the full story and video from Keloland TV.

Fusion jobs

Mitchell Fusion UMC is hiring a part-time Worship Leader. More details here.

Mitchell Fusion is also hiring a part-time Director of Children’s Ministry. More details here.

Walk to Emmaus

Dakotas Walk to Emmaus will hold a Women's Walk #56 on March 30 - April 2, 2017, and a Men's Walk #55 on March 23 - 26, 2017, at Inspiration Hills in Canton, SD. The program, Walk to Emmaus, is a 72-hour experience starting Thursday evening and ending on Sunday. Participants are asked to separate themselves from their daily activities for this time period. There is no “physical walking distance”, but rather a “walk” with others in fellowship, learning and fun.

Click here for WOMEN’s Walk details

Click here for MEN’s Walk details