THIS WEEK

Bishop Easter messages
    Bishop Lanette Plambeck shares a message of Easter transformation, based on John 20:1-18. As Mary Magdalene unknowingly encountered the risen Jesus at the tomb on Easter morning, he asked her, "Who is it you are looking for?" Through Mary's encounter, Bishop Lanette says, "Mary was never the same again, and neither are we." View the message here.

Good Friday | Office closed
    The conference office will be closed on Friday, April 7, Good Friday. We wish everyone a joyous Easter!

April 4 EARLY BIRD DEADLINE FOR LAY ACADEMY TRAINING | Preaching & Leading Worship
    Are you a Certified Lay Minister (CLM) or a lay person who would like to learn more about preaching and leading worship? The upcoming Lay Academy will help strengthen your understanding and skills for preaching and leading the spoken parts of worship. Please CLICK HERE to register your interest by  Tuesday, April 4th to help us set the location for the April 28-30 session. Event is scheduled to be held in Pierre, but if early registrants are primarily from Rapid City area, it will be relocated. Registration is allowed through April 14. Questions? Please call or text Pastor Michele Slott at Open Heart UMC, Rapid City. 605-390-8757. Click HERE to see a sample of a previous agenda for this training.

Dakotas Walk to Emmaus | Register deadline approaching!
    The Men's Walk #65 is April 20th - 23rd, 2023. The Women's Walk #66 is April 27th - 30th, 2023 Both are to be held at Lake Poinsett Camp. The registration deadline is April 7th for men and April 14th for women. Start registering Pilgrims now!  Click here for new forms!

COMING UP 

Clergy Well-Being Grants | Apply now
    The 2023 Clergy Well-Being Resource Grant is now accepting applications! The Dakotas-Minnesota Area offers our clergy this grant of up to $1,000 for first time applicants and up to $500 for those who received a grant in 2022. Funds could be used for a health coach, spiritual director, gym membership, hiking boots, a creative arts experience, a course on resilience or trauma, and more.

Date changes | Codependent No More
    The date has changed for Codependent No More: Group Coaching for Clergy to Mondays, May 1-Aug. 14 (except May 29, June 12, and 19), noon-1 p.m., online. Clergy, take this time for your own health. For 12 sessions, join this small group and gain tools to end codependence.Mondays, April 17-July 3, noon-1 p.m., online. Clergy, take this time for your own health. For 12 weeks, join this small group led by Stephanie Moore, mental health counselor, and gain tools to end codependence.

Education Debt Reduction Workshop | April 18
    Explore the Latest on Education Debt Reduction in a virtual workshop on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, from 1:00 – 2:15 pm CT. Anyone with Educational Debt is Invited. LSS Financial Counseling and the Dakotas-Minnesota Area UMC are providing ongoing support and workshops on federal student loans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Loan forgiveness is actually happening, and Individuals in our annual conference and beyond have had their loans forgiven. This workshop will provide information, explore your options in repayment, and help guide your next steps. Bring your questions and a friend. We are here to answer questions, listen to your concerns, and share success stories. All are invited. No charge for this informative workshop. Zoom link for the workshop registration. More info.

Scripture Circles | Starting in April
    A scripture circle is a sacred time to stop, turn aside, to marinate in the original language and context. This space allows pastors to savor the Spirit without critique or agenda. Pastors’ busy schedules demand so much! The Dakotas annual conference wants to pour back into you. So we are offering a facilitated, zoom discussion based on the needs and thoughts of each clergy in the group. We have set them up as cohorts for depth of relationships and discussion. Get the details here.

Out of the Ashes | A Service of Lament in a Season of Disaffiliation
    Join Discipleship Ministries, Thursday, April 20 at 11 a.m. CDT for an online worship experience intended to help us speak into the pain of the moment. This worship experience is the beginning of a series of opportunities to gather and share and look forward to a renewed expression of our faith and our church.

Incubator Training | April 26-28
    Join this online training, April 26-28, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., central time, for an onboarding discovery process to prepare new church planters or those exploring restart church projects. Learn the skills and tools of a church planter. You will make a plan that can be put into action.

Practical Church Leadership Program |July 2023-July 2024
    Applications for this graduate certificate program through Dakota Wesleyan University are now being accepted; 85 percent of the $7,500 tuition cost is funded. Apply by May 1.

Clergy women's retreat | April 30-May 2 
    Come and enjoy the serene surroundings, worship, conversation and company of other United Methodist clergywomen at this year’s retreat. Located outside Marvin, SD, the Abbey of the Hills. Bible women: Their stories of art will be the theme, April 30 to May 2, 2023. Get the details and register here.

Festival of Homeletics | May 15-19
    “Preaching Hope for a Weary World” is the Festival’s response to the hardships and heaviness that have been our reality the last few years. Members of the Dakotas Cabinet invite you to join them in Minneapolis, May 15-19 to hear from outstanding preachers from diverse backgrounds, traditions, and ministry settings. For those who might be interested in coming in a day early, are invited to join Bishop Lanette and some of the cabinet to attend the Minnesota Twins / Chicago Cubs game on Sunday (Mother's Day). Get the details here.

Bishop calls special session | Aug. 15
    After consultation with the Dakotas Appointive Cabinet, Bishop Lanette Plambeck is calling a special session of the Dakotas Annual Conference for August 15, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m. central time and 6:00 p.m. mountain time. The session will be entirely virtual. This will be the final called conference for disaffiliation in 2023.

RESOURCES

Crucified with the Outlaws | Week Six 2023 Lenten Study
    In week six of the 2023 Lenten study, Rev. Joel Winckler, Northwest District Superintendent, shares the unusual and uncommon attribution of Jesus the outlaw. An outlaw who was crucified with other outlaws. In Luke 22:37, following his last supper with his disciples, we hear Jesus saying, “I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in relation to me: ‘And he was counted among criminals.’ Indeed, what’s written about me is nearing completion," states Rev. Winckler.

Ask The UMC | More disaffiliation questions answered
    Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, continues to receive questions related to local church disaffiliations and the future of the church. In Part 11 of its “Is The United Methodist Church Really…?” series, the team addresses questions about the process of voting on disaffiliation in local churches.

Native American Ministries pastor and leader kit
    Explore these resources to learn how and why United Methodists celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday. Invite your faith community to give generously, knowing that half of the gifts remain in the conference to support local Native American ministries; create programs and resources; and educate and support seminary scholarships for United Methodist Native Americans. Core resources are available in multiple languages.

In Our Hearts

In our hearts | Henry Carlson
    We extend sympathy to the friends and family of Henry Carlson. Henry is the son of Rev. Annie Carlson who serves the United Methodist congregations at Center and Washburn in North Dakota. A Celebration of Henry's life will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at Legacy United Methodist Church, 4600 Durango Drive, Bismarck. The family will greet family and friends from 9:00 AM until service time on Saturday at the church.  Read a full obituary here.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS | View all Ads

Dakota Wesleyan University | Campus Pastor
    Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota (a university affiliated with the United Methodist Church) invites applications for the full-time position of Campus Pastor. Start date is negotiable, but a June or July 2023 start date is highly desirable. See the job description and application here.