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Site Director Position at Pictured Rocks Camp and Retreat Center
The Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church Board of Camp, Conference and Retreat Ministries is seeking a full time Site Director for its Pictured Rocks Camp and Retreat Center near Monticello, Iowa.
This position will provide leadership, supervision, administration, and visioning for the year round ministry and operations of the Pictured Rocks site. This includes providing guidance and supervision to full-time and part-time staff and volunteers at the camp as well as ensuring a safe environment and hospitality to over 300 summer campers and many other retreat groups and guests during the course of the year. The site director is responsible for providing innovative leadership as it relates to developing unique ministry programs for people of all ages that will allow for faith development and growth as Christian disciples.
Please click here for more information on how to apply
Board of Church & Society Essay Contest
The Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church is conducting an essay contest and will present three $500 scholarships.
The essay contest is open to students who are high school juniors or seniors during the current school year (2011-2012) and who live in Iowa or attend an Iowa high school. Students need not be members of an United Methodist Church or any other religious body.
"The Road to Peace between Israelis and Palestinians" is the topic for this year's contest.
Essays must be less than 1,000 words.
Send essays to: Paul Linn by e-mail at pjlinn@msn.com before March 23, 2012.
Also include a brief summary of activities that you participated in your school or community including efforts for social justice.
Awards will be presented during Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, June of 2012 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Call to Action Study Guide
A study guide has been prepared by the Council of Bishops so United Methodists can prayerfully consider changes proposed for the 2012 General Conference. The Iowa delegation to the General Conference urges the use of the “Call to Action Study Guide” for prayer, reflection, and conversationleading up to General Conference. Phil Carver, a lay member of the delegation, said, “We want to invite United Methodist people, especially in Iowa, to learn about the proposals coming before the 2012 General Conference. We ask for your prayerfulsupport as the delegation prepares for the quadrennial meeting of The United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, this April 24 to May 4.”
“The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” (2008 Book of Discipline, ¶201) Legislation related to the Call to Action seeks to help us all align around that mission. Proposed legislation would result in changes to the top level denominationalstructure in aneffort to improve alignment and accountability in the Church. The Rev, Brian Milford, chair of the delegation, said, “The legislation also calls for a focus of energy and resources on creating and sustaining an increase in the number of vital congregations and this particular study guide will help leaders and members of congregations across the conference discover what a vital congregation looks like according to extensive research conducted by the Call to Action Team. We encourage all United Methodists to be informed about the proposed changes.”
Academy for Spiritual Formation Scholarships Available
How is it with your soul? Are you desiring to deepen your life with God and to seek more fully God's desire for you? Here is your opportunity.
Scholarships are available for candidates for the Academy for Spiritual Formation, a two-year covenant learning environment which combines academic learning and experience in spiritual disciplines. Each Academy is two years in length. Participants meet in residence for 5 days each calendar quarter.
Five scholarships of $1,000 from The Upper Room will be matched by $1,000 grants from the Spiritual Formation Steering Committee of the Iowa Board of Discipleship – available to either clergy or laity. The next academy is Academy #33, beginning February 7, 2012 at the Lindenwood Retreat Center, Donaldson, Indiana. Other academies begin July 31 in Alabama and January 13, 2013 in California. For more information about the academy, go to http://upperroom.org/academy/. For information about the scholarships and grants, contact Sheri Daylong at sdaylong4peace@gmail.com
Women at the Well—5th Anniversary Special Offering & Art Show
Did you know Women at the Well is the ONLY actual United Methodist congregation based inside a prison? There are about 17 similarly situated congregations, but we are the only one in the United Methodist system. And we are celebrating our fifth anniversary! On February 8, 2007, Bishop Palmer consecrated us as a congregation. We’ve done a lot of ministry in these five years!
To celebrate, we are inviting all Iowa United Methodists to join in a special offering on behalf of Women at the Well. Maybe you’ll want to do that on a Sunday morning in February. Maybe you’ll want to send a gift directly to us at Women at the Well, P.O. Box 93241, Des Moines, IA 50393. We hope you’ll seize this opportunity to join in supporting this congregation that shines the light of God’s love in this place where we might least expect to find it. More information about our ministry can be found at www.womenatthewellumc.org.
We hope you’ll also mark your calendar to stop by and view our art show, “Thirst,” which is comprised of art created by women inside the prison and men and women outside. The show starts this Saturday at the conference center and then will travel to four locations in Iowa, as outlined below, with special receptions at each location when Pastor Lee and others will be present to share the story of Women at the Well. All of the art has been donated and will be offered through a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting Women at the Well. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Pastor Lee Schott at 515/360-3977 or revlas333@gmail.com.
Art Show Schedule
Feb. 6-8 Iowa United Methodist Conference Center
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily
2301 Rittenhouse St., Des Moines
Feb. 10-14 St. Timothy’s UMC, Cedar Falls
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. daily
Reception on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Feb. 16-20 Shueyville UMC, Shueyville
Noon-4:00 p.m. daily
(between Cedar Rapids & Iowa City)
Reception on Saturday, Feb. 18, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Feb. 22-26 St. John’s UMC, Davenport
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. daily
Reception on Sunday, Feb. 26, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Feb. 29-Mar 4 First UMC, Atlantic
Reception on Sunday, Mar. 4, 3:00-3:45 p.m.
Beje Clark Award
Nominations are now being received for the 2011 Beje Clark Justice Award.
Because of Beje Clark’s initiatives, priority will be given to work in restorative justice. Restorative Justice is an approach to restore all those involved in a crime – offender, victim(s) and society – in processes of reconciliation and the rebuilding of community with one another.
The honoree will be an Iowa individual, group or congregation whose efforts have had an impact in Iowa — to restore all to wholeness and community, change attitudes, educate and encourage others to work for justice.
Honorees need not be United Methodist.
Please contact Jim Pemble (515.250.5063 / mjp150@msn.com) with any questions.
****** NOMINATIONS ARE DUE March 5, 2012 ******
Email your nomination and and two reference statements (in addition to the nominator) to:
Jim Pemble, Chair of Restorative Justice Standing Committee
Please Note: Your nomination should be a direct email using the following numbered items as a guide for information needed:
- Name, address, phone number and email of nominee (individual, group or church)
- Areas of work (Challenging root causes of injustice, restoring all to wholeness and community, changing attitudes, educating and encouraging others to work for justice)
- Describe the efforts of the nominee on behalf of the work of restorative justice.
- What impact has this work of restorative justice had in Iowa?
- Please attach a single page with background information about the nominee
- The nominator’s name, email and phone number
RETURN YOUR NOMINATION AND REFERENCES VIA EMAIL BY March 5, 2012
January 2012 School Teachers for Nigeria
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2301 Rittenhouse St.
Des Moines, IA 50321
(515) 283-1991
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