THIS WEEK

Meet Bishop Lanette | March 18 & 19
    Dakotas United Methodists are invited to choose one of the remaining locations and meet Bishop Lanette, hear some of her story, worship together, enjoy warm hospitality and good conversation, and leave with renewed hope for the future. The remaining dates are: Fargo: March 18, 11:30am, Watertown: March 18, 4pm, Sioux Falls: March 19, 9am, Brookings: March 19, 3pm

UMCOR Sunday | March 19
    You still have time to order printed pew cards for UMCOR Sunday, which is March 19. And don’t forget the Special Sunday envelopes. You also have time to download resources from the pastor and leader kit to promote UMCOR Sunday or incorporate resources into your service or classes. Use the how-to guide for more ideas.

SPRC Online Training | March 21
    If you have new members of Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC), have recently received a new pastor, or haven't been through a training in a while, join Diane Owen, Area Director of Clergy Well-being, Dan Bader, District Superintendent, and Rev. Susan Nienaber, Director of Congregational Vitality for the Minnesota Annual Conference, for an online (Zoom) training.  They will cover how to support your pastor's well-being, the role and responsibilities of the SPRC and the SPRC chair, nominating members of SPRC, staffing structures, providing feedback, dealing with conflict and concerns, and the SPRC role in the appointment process. The SPRC on-line training is March 21 at 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.  CT/ 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. MT. Registration is available - HERE.

COMING UP 

Discernment Retreat | March 25 and April 29
    A discernment retreat is the entry point for those exploring a call to pastoral and lay ministry. Participants are equipped and inspired to serve as a leader in various ministry areas inside and outside your congregation. This Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It explores: personal spiritual gifts, servant leadership, each leader's role in developing future leaders, the importance of consistent spiritual practices, the core ministries of leading, caring, and communicating, and much more. Register here.
Dates and time:
Part I:  March 25, 2023, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. central time; 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. mountain time.
Location:  Conference Office, Mitchell, SD, and Zoom
Part II:  Saturday, April 29, 2023, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. central time; 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. mountain time.
Location: Conference Office, Mitchell, SD, and Zoom

Clergy Well-Being Grants
    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.

Clergy Candidate Forum | March 28, 2023 at 3pm CDT
    Rev.  Sara McManus, the registrar for the Dakotas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, is hosting another  forum for clergy candidates for ministry on Tuesday,  March 28, 2023, at 3 p.m. CDT, 2 p.m. MDT. Get the details to join by Zoom.

AC Call for Petitions, Resolutions, and award nominations | Due March 31
    It is time to gear up for the 2023 Annual Conference. Do you have a resolution, petition, or specific legislation you would like to have considered at the 2023 Dakotas Annual Conference, being held June 8-10, 2023, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota? All proposals for petitions and resolutions for the Dakotas Annual Conference Session must be submitted electronically, by March 31, 2023. Several awards will be announced at annual conference. Some are chosen by the cabinet, some by CCYM, and some via open nominations.

Dakotas Foundation scholarships | Apply today
    Several scholarships are awarded to seminary students, clergy, and undergraduate students by the Dakotas Conference and the Dakotas Methodist Foundation including the Merit Scholarship, Excellence in Clergy Leadership Scholarship, United Methodist Dollars for Scholars and endowment scholarships. There are several due dates approaching. Get the details here. 

Camp Registration is open
    Registration is open for the 2023 camping season! Check out the upcoming camp sessions at www.dakcamps.org. Check at your local United Methodist Church for the 2023 camp flyer arriving soon. See you at camp!

Builders Club Winter 2023 | Piedmont Grace UMC
    Grace UMC in Piedmont invites everyone to join them on their journey in following Christ and discovering God’s grace. One way they want to do this is by installing a new digital sign that will help invite people to events and church, as well as share God’s love through scripture and messages of hope. Join the Builders Club and donate today.

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.

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.

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

Parables From the Underside | 2023 Lenten study week three
    In Week three of our 2023 Lenten series, Rev. Dan Bader, Southwest District Superintendent, takes us back to an early Sunday School recollection where he heard the parables. He recalls how the parables would come to life as he watched his Sunday School teacher place the characters on the flannel board. One of those parables and flannel board stories that stuck out for him, dealt with the event that happened on the road to Jericho. Rev. Bader asks, "In what ways am I like each of the characters or each of the objects in the parable?"

Camp Sunday resources available 
    The 2023 Camp Sunday worship resources are available online and ready for download! Updated resources include a new promotional video, worship service elements (call to worship, prayers, sermon and children's moments suggestions), song ideas and playlists, social media images, PowerPoint slides, bulletin covers, and decorating ideas. Check out Worship Resources here.

Youth Ministry Coaching Program coming to the Dakotas
    The Youth Ministry Coaching program is the premier coaching program for youth workers. It’s a yearlong whole-life leadership development program for youth workers. We've had more than 700 people go through it in cohorts of 10 (all over the country). outcomes are things like: growth in your depth of thinking about ministry, learning to create and lead from values, understanding and leading change, and growth in self-knowledge. We meet six times (every other month) for 2 days (all dates are collaboratively chosen by the group but are on weekdays). + participants get 10 1on1 coaching sessions, and a group of ministry friends that normally lasts well beyond the yearlong experience together. The program cost is $3000, but youth workers in Dakotas Conference UMC church can apply for a cultural of call grant to help offset the cost; And we're super flex with payment plans, including paying over two budget years. Location will be tentatively at Fargo First UMC in Fargo, ND. For more information, or to download an overview brochure look here. 
Questions? Contact Mark Oestreicher (marko@theyouthcartel.com), or Andrea Plueddeman (youth@firstumcfargo.org)

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. 

Sioux Falls First | Facilities Director
    Sioux Falls First is looking for a Facilities Director. The Facilities Director will be responsible for the church building, grounds, and day-to-day facility and security needs. Get the details here.