You are probably hearing that the General Conference of the United Methodist Church is coming up very soon. In fact, delegates from around the world will gather in Charlotte, NC from April 23 through May 3.
Your delegation – seven clergy and seven lay people plus alternates – have been preparing by meeting together, worshipping and praying for one another and the work ahead of us and by taking a deep dive into the legislation that will be dealt with in those two weeks.
The question I want you to think about is this: how can your church prepare for the upcoming General Conference?
I’ve included some ideas that you might want to consider.
Read and reflect on “THE WORD,” our weekly email focusing on the Gospel of John. In addition to a weekly devotion on a chapter of the Gospel of John, these Monday emails provide you
with a prayer guide to pray for all of our local churches as well as one of the delegates to the General or Jurisdictional Conference and our various extension ministries.
By reading and reflecting on these weekly emails, you are joining United Methodists across Oklahoma doing the same thing. There is spiritual power in our connection. In addition, pastors and church leaders can share those devotions with your church or on your social media pages. Focus on disciple-making. It is tempting to get so focused on what is happening in Charlotte or the decisions that might be made there that we can say, “Well, we’ll just wait and see what happens.” Don’t do that! Continue your focus on disciple-making and community transformation.
This might be a good time to evaluate your own discipleship system and make changes that will allow you to remain focused on our mission, “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” We provide many great resources at our website to
help you with this.
Keep up to date on news you can trust. The best place to get information on the General Conference and the various petitions is through the United Methodist New Service and through this publication, the weekly edition of The Contact. Our Communication and Council staff will be bringing live updates from the General Conference, but you can find anything you want to know at this website.
Spend some time learning about the General Conference. Pastors, use this opportunity to teach about what the General Conference is and its responsibilities. Maybe that is a one-time course or a longer adult confirmation style course.
It’s always a good time to learn about what it means to be a United Methodist. It is confusing that the General Conference being held in 2024 is actually the “2020 General Conference.” Here is a helpful video and article explaining that. There is also a great instructional video about the General Conference
itself.
Talk to a delegate to the General Conference. While those who are attending the General Conference are busy leaders just as you all are, they are more than willing to talk to you about this important meeting. For reference, I’ve included a list (right) of the clergy and lay delegates from Oklahoma who will be representing you:
Rev. Derrek Belase is the Executive Director of Connectional Ministry at the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Dr. Don Kim, head of delegation
Barbara Perry
Kent Fulton
Kyla Powers
Courtney Blacksten
Sharri Hiller
Chantelle Foster
Rev. Dr. Joe Harris, co-chair
Rev. Derrek Belase
Rev. Dr. Sam Powers
Rev. Jessica Moffatt
Rev. Charla Gwartney
Rev. Valerie Steele
Rev. Dr. Carol Cooke Moore
Legislation to provide for Worldwide Regionalization reflects the strong values of equity, respect for contextual mission settings, effective mutuality in mission, and legislative equality for regional bodies of the church. Recognizing the effects of colonization, the guiding principle for the regionalization legislation is to empower each region to make certain context-specific decisions in real-time, without being dependent on General Conference, as well as de-centralizing the influence of the United States on General Conference.
The Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters collaborated with The Connectional Table and The Christmas Covenant team to submit one set of eight revised petitions that call for the creation of a US Regional Conference; amend the Constitution to establish regions around the denomination with the ability to legislate; and creates an interim legislative body in the United States. The legislation also creates a committee to discern other opportunities that emerge from regionalization. Once approved at General Conference, the legislation will require approval in the annual conferences.
The regionalization legislation puts an end to imposing cultural views of one region of the world onto another, fostering a sense of identity and belonging that’s essential in our global connection. By celebrating the diversity of our respective mission settings, regional governance offers a vibrant
and hopeful vision for The United Methodist Church now and into the future.
To learn more, view petitions, or see translations, click here.
The following are values expressed by the Standing Committee for regionalization:
Equity
Agency—Being able to legislate/make decisions that are appropriate without having to wait until General Conference
Decolonizing our mission, relationships, and structure
Unity that is redefined and strengthened. Stewardship—providing ways for the gifts and resources of the whole church to emerge and impact the whole
Focus on mission and ministry
Practicing trust across regions without having to dictate from our own region to other regions of the denomination
Maintaining our Wesleyan theological identity
The following are values expressed by the Connectional Table for regionalization:
De-centering U.S.
Centering theology and mission
Simplicity
Worldwide and contextual
Increased relevancy
Consistency in all regions around the opportunity to adapt the Discipline
Honoring each region’s cultural and context
Increase missional effectiveness
Steps towards decolonizing our structure and decision-making processes
Removes dominant culture
Better stewards of resources
Paragraph 9
Establishes regional conferences for the work of the worldwide church. None can be established outside geographical criteria.
Paragraph 16.17
General Conference will have authority to legislate what is non-adaptable for regional conferences by a 60% majority vote, while respecting the powers given in the Constitution, in particular Par. 31.
Paragraph 28
States clearly that powers, duties, and privileges of regional conferences are to be exercised equitably across the regional conferences.
Creates the US as a regional conference and all central conferences become regional conferences.
General Conference can change the number and boundaries of regional and provisional regional conferences.
Paragraph 31
States that each conference level has legislative functions, within Constitutional limits. Delineates constitutional powers and duties conferred to regional conferences. These powers already exist elsewhere in the constitution and BOD but are included to provide clarity regarding regional conferences’ constitutional powers.
Paragraph 31.5
Gives regional conferences the ability to legislate as well as provide for rules and regulations for administration.
Establish a regional Discipline that contains legislation pertaining to the regional, annual, district, and charge conferences within its boundaries, including qualifications & educational requirements for clergy and specialized lay ministers.
Set standards and qualifications for admission of lay members.
The Annual Conference is the basic body of the church, having the authority to add to requirements set forth in the regional Discipline regarding credentialing of lay and clergy.
Establish and publish a regional hymnal with freedom to develop their own marriage and burial rites in accordance with country laws and cultural understandings.
Allow the annual conference to adopt structures adequate to their mission while upholding mandated entities.
Paragraph 31.6
Gives regions the authority to adopt rules of procedure governing the investigation of clergy, bishops, and laity.
Regions can change the chargeable offenses and their penalties.
The 2024 session of the Oklahoma Annual Conference is scheduled for Thursday, May 30, through Saturday, June 1, in Oklahoma City. Sessions will be held at Oklahoma City University and Chapel Hill United Methodist Church.
Remembering that this year is the 240th anniversary of Methodism coming to America, our theme is based on one of John Wesley’s most famous sayings, “The World FOREVER Our Parish.” Our scripture text is Matthew 28:16-20, one of the great pillars of our faith –The Great Commission.
To expedite processes, registration closes May 15. Please ensure you have registered by then so that credentialing can be completed.
A schedule overview is available online here, along with much more information.
Please note: registration will close at 4 p.m., Friday, and will not be available on Saturday. All sessions will be live streamed; however, there will be no hybrid or off-site voting options.
Worship services will include the Memorial Service with Holy Communion on Thursday evening, Retirement Worship on Friday morning and the Service of Ordination and Commissioning on Saturday afternoon. There will also be a special Friday evening worship service to celebrate the current districts, and then there will be a time for the new districts to have a social hour. Special guest choirs and performers include Chapel Hill UMC, New Light Korean UMC in
Preachers include Bishop Nunn, Joe Harris, Connie Gibson and Carol Cook Moore.
There will be a time to greet Bishop Nunn and his wife, Mary, following the Ordination and Commissioning Service on Saturday afternoon. Please do not go home early and miss this important event!
We are still working out details for childcare at this year’s conference session. On the registration form, you will find a place to check if you will need childcare. If you do, please mark that and we will be in touch with you once the details are finalized.
The Clergy Executive Session will take place on Thursday morning
at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary at Wesley UMC. All those participating in the clergy session will need to be registered before entering the sanctuary.
The Laity Session will take place at 9 a.m., Thursday morning, in the Freede Center at OCU. There will not be a laity luncheon this year.
Registration for alumni lunches for Perkins School of Theology and Saint Paul School of Theology are available with conference registration.
Retirees
The annual retirement banquet will take place at Noon, Friday, in the Great Hall of the McDaniel Student Center. Registration is available during conference registration.
In honor of Bishop Nunn’s retirement, this year’s Conference offering will support a new STEM Makerspace at Lydia Patterson Institute. This space will be a dynamic environment where students can unleash their creativity,
collaborate on projects, and solve real-world problems. Imagine library shelves, once barriers to innovation, replaced with state-of-the- art amenities: 3D printers whirring to life, computer stations humming with research and design, workshop tables buzzing with activity, and TV screens illuminating presentations and demonstrations. This is what our offering will support!
If you want to support a great project and honor Bishop Nunn, this year’s special offering is a way to do that. Churches are encouraged to take up a special offering prior to Conference and to bring those gifts to add to the offering taken during the course of Conference worship services.
Day of Learning – Wednesday, May 29
The Mission and Service Ministry Team and Let’s Do This, Oklahoma are sponsoring a Day of Learning on Wednesday, May 29, at Oklahoma City University. You can register for this event which will feature Treasure McKenzie, Director of Muskogee Bridges Out of Poverty. Lunch will be included for $15, which will also include materials from that day.
If your church is interested in
future grants for impacting your communities regarding poverty, this workshop will be required. Please make plans to attend. McKenzie will focus on a framework for understanding poverty in your communities. The day begins at 9 a.m. and ends by 4 p.m.
There will not be a live preconference briefing this year. However, we will have a pre-recorded informational video online by May 10. You will be notified when that video is available and you will be free to share that with anyone who might be interested.
We know you will have questions so please direct those to the email address ac2024@okumc.org and we will get answers as quickly as we can.
You will find every piece of information you need at our website . While the pre-conference workbook is not yet published, it will be available here when it is ready. Be sure to download the Conference materials and bring your digital device with you to Conference.
Beyond the obvious - that Easter is about Jesus and not a rabbit or plastic eggsthere are many concerns about holding an Easter egg hunt that go beyond simply throwing some eggs in the grass and releasing a gaggle of sweettoothed, pastel-clad children to hunt them in a quick, momentary frenzy of candy craving.
There’s the weather, of course.
Picture it: You’ve planned your Easter event for months. The eggs are filled, the baskets are prepared. Games and volunteers are set; the lawn is mowed.
But it’s spring.
In Oklahoma.
You’ve done all you can to prepare - you might even have set a rain date. But what if it rains on that rain date? What if it rains and rains and muddies your playground, floods your church lawn, and makes it impossible to have a traditional Easter egg hunt this year?
In Oklahoma - especially in spring - this is not a farfetched possibility. In fact, it’s likely one you’ve encountered in the past.
So what do churches do when it’s raining or storming or flooding outside on Easter? Do you give up on the egg hunt? Do you toss the eggs around the sanctuary and let the kids go wild and pick them up, an air of disappointment hovering over the whole affair?
Likely, you’re searching for something that can still be fun - still give the kids that sense of Easter excitement - without having to
completely reinvent the wheel.
McFarlin UMC offers super fun activities like a bubble dance party, face painting, balloon twisters, animals, and more.
“Our activities are typically hosted outside, but we’re always sure to have spaces inside that can host those activities, just in case,” explained Katie Lanier, associate director of children and family ministries at McFarlin UMC in Norman. “Sometimes it’s helpful to have classrooms or other spaces reserved and set aside, just in case.”
An indoor event can be just as fun!
When the weather threatens - or worse - respond with creativity. Different age and ability groups can be given access to the same space at different times. Rooms can be assigned to different groups based on the number and accessibility of hiding places.
If open spaces are not available or suitable for egg hunts in your building, an alternative is a scavenger hunt. Kids or family groups can move from place to place with clues or riddles. When all the clues are found, each child receives an Easter basked filled with goodies that would have been on offer at a more traditional egg hunt. This can be made more interesting by staggering the clues so
everyone isn’t moving as a whole group.
“To protect against potential weather issues - too hot for candy, too cold for people, or rain! -, we host all of the [egg] hunting inside with designated age-specific areas throughout the church in an effort to keep our littlest ones safe and give them an opportunity to actually find eggs before the big kids get there,” explained Lanier.
Be inclusive.
While holidays like Easter and
Last year’s Easter egg hunt at Checotah UMC had blue skies and lots of young ones excited for the hunt. Submitted photos.
Halloween are super fun candy-fests for most kids and their families, it can really stress others.
Consider a child with a nut allergy, or a child with diabetes. These children might have a difficult time when they continually open treats they’re not allowed to eat.
Other children might find candy that just isn’t suitable for them - like a toddler with a choking-hazard Atomic Fireball, for instance.
An innovative solution to this problem is to create a candy exchange. Parents can bring toddlers and children with dietary restrictions to a candy exchange table to hand in their candy for small prizes - the type found in many treasure boxes. Younger children can trade their hard candy for softer chocolate, cookies, or even fruit.
After those with health concerns have had a chance to make exchanges, consider inviting others to come and choose from candy that has been handed in - or to trade in candy for something less likely to cause cavities.
“It has been valuable to our ministry to consider non-candy options in our Easter egg hunt,” said Amber Staehle, Christian education and family life director at Bartlesville First UMC. “This prevents an overwhelming
amount of candy or sweets, especially for those that do not consume a lot of sugar.” She added that their children’s ministry had several children who fit the low-sugar category.
“Because this is such a wellattended community event, we make sure we have a variety of items to stuff in eggs, such as bracelets, small toys, tattoos, stickers, and stamps to name a few,” added Lanier. “We do have candy, but we are sure to have a wide variety of options so that we have a little something for everyone.”
Ceili Community in Mustang and Southern Hills UMC in Oklahoma City are partnering this year for an adaptive egg hunt.
Rev. Levi Duggan, pastor at Ceili Community, said, “It’s important to remember people of all abilities in any Easter activities.” He explained, “Some ways to do this are by ensuring egg hunts are wheelchair accessible, placing eggs at varying heights for access, considering an indoor egg hunt for increased accessibility and sensory friendliness, and offering alternative activities for those who do not prefer the noise and chaos of hunts. This could include family arts and crafts or an Easter experience with Empty Tomb Rolls.”
Reach out!
Is Easter an outreach opportunity for your church? Do you hope to get more families involved in your programming by luring them with Easter candy?
It’s OK to say yes to that question! Many families need an event like an Easter egg hunt to ease the anxiety of visiting a new church. But be ready to reach out.
When people are visiting your church, they should neither be ignored nor fauned over. It’s very likely that you have people whose personalities are perfect for the role of ambassador.
“An introduction and a simple conversation goes a long way,” suggested Rev. Derrek Belase, Connectional Ministry executive director at the Oklahoma conference. “Enact the ‘circle of ten’ rule, that says members should greet anyone, member or guest, who comes within ten feet of them.”
Empower members to give tours of your church facilities. Give them talking points and a list of frequentlyasked questions. Make sure your upcoming events are printed or
visible online so members can invite visitors to return.
“Kick off the next sermon series and offer people a reason to come back,” advised Derrek Belase, Connectional Ministry executive director at the Oklahoma conference. “There is the temptation to take a few weeks off following Easter, but if people are there and looking to get involved, invite them to do just that. Have a new class ready to launch or maybe a new small group. Maybe it’s a ‘Next Words from Christ’ focusing on the post-resurrection stories.
Another way to encourage return attendance is to focus on the next special Sunday, Mother’s Day. “This is another time when church attendance can see a spike,” added Belase. “Think intentionally about what you will do during the next six weeks to keep people engaged.”
Click here for 50 Ways to Welcome New People by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
Love the prodigals
New faces are common on special holidays, but so are long-lost ones. It may be tempting to point out those who have been absent for a while. Belase advises against that.
“There is no shame in coming to church,” intoned Belase. “Don’t use the announcement, greeting or welcome time as a moment to shame, but as a moment to make everyone feel like they are part of the community.
Examples of shaming include saying things like, “Good to see some of you we haven’t seen since Christmas.” While this sort of comment might feel strangely satisfying in the moment, it runs counter to Jesus’ lesson in the story of the prodigal son. Celebrate returns! Love the prodigal sons and daughters who have come home!
“Sometimes we might be flippant about those “Christmas and Easter” Christians, but it can take a lot of courage to come back,” said Rev.
Dr. Sam Powers, Crossroads district superintendent. “We can be agents of God’s prevenient grace and try to welcome people in, or we can not be,” added Powers. “I think I know which one God wants us to do.”
Capture the moment
Churches like Piedmont UMC and Lindsay UMC do all-church photos on Easter Sunday to capture the whole “family.”
Others offer Easter family portraits, sometimes with the Easter Bunny.
One easy way to ensure families an opportunity to remember their Easter events is to offer a backdrop. “A balloon arch is a good, simple idea,” said Kathryn Witzel, member at New Hope UMC. She also suggests getting the church’s name into the photo backdrop in a subtle way. Even if it’s not an “advertisement” for the church itself, a reminder of the location can help remind the subjects of their church home. Another inexpensive option is a tinsel curtain, available where you buy party supplies.
Going all out is definitely an option, adding flowers, watering cans, giant Easter eggs, rocking chairs, and more.
If your church has a way to capture contact information, whether from a church raffle, a special Easter pew card, or even a guest book, Powers said it’s important to reach out.
After capturing information, be sure to follow through and reach out to visitors after the event.
Don’t forget the Easter story!
Many children know all about the Easter bunny, but how many know the Easter story? Many resources are available for churches to buy or
create an Easter story time.
A captive audience indeed is one with Easter baskets, ready and listening for the starting bell.
It’s important to share the Easter story with children every chance we get. Coloring and activity books are great ways for children to remember the Easter story as they go into the spring season.
“Bartlesville First UMC will be hosting an egg hunt that takes children through God’s great creation,” explained Staehle. “As they walk on our beautiful trail and around the lake, they will not only find great rewards within their eggs, but in their scenic journey, as well.” She added that they begin the event with a reading of the Easter story and praise music, and
they conclude with a family reception featuring refreshments.
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Did you order your palm leaves for Palm Sunday? Find a last-minute source, if necessary. Check with neighboring churches to see if they over-ordered. Florists might still have some - but don’t wait until Sunday to ask! Hobby stores may have reusable artificial leaves, if all else fails.
Send Easter photos to us! We want to see your cute kiddos, fun events, and church families! Email us at editor@ okumc.org.
