Update 5/13/2010:

If you or a group from your church would like to ‘adopt’ a project or just come out and help where needed, please give me a call or send me an email so I can count you in for lunch. We plan to start by 9:00 a.m. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

-Steps on deck of director’s suite-adopted by Ankeny CC
-Stain front deck and chapel deck
-Hookup a kitchenette in basement of lodge
-Paint trim on Cabin 3 & 4
-Cut, split, and chip wood
-2 dining covers in ChiRho- 1 needs shingles and 1 needs whole roof
-New placement of flowers in prayer path and chapel area
-Mulching of all plants around lodge

-Storage room addition – take down of fence and moving of the shed

These and other things which may come to mind in the next week. Thank you for your labor, thoughts and prayers as together we strive to continue doing God’s work here on Holy Ground.

Bert
641-792-1266
bb@uppermidwestcc.org

Saturday, May 15th, will be the “Get Holy Ground Ready for Campers” day! We will begin at 9:00 a.m. and have plenty of projects for many hands. There will be painting/staining of decks, wood chipping, ChiRho cleanup, moving of flowers, 2 dining covers still needed in ChirRho, cleanup of pond area, work on the waterfall, and other things as I think of them. (smile) Lunch will be provided and all help is greatly appreciated. Pray for sunshine, gather a group of friends and plan to come and spend the day at the Conference Center. My grandmother use to say, “Many hands make light work”. I look forward to working side by side with you, enjoying good work and great fellowship.

Fri, May 7, 2010 7:00 PM – Sat, May 8, 2010 4:00 PM

$15 covers everything except lodging cost.  To register please call or email Dave Clark, Dean of the LMEP, Ankeny Christian Church: davedayna@gmail.com or 515-964-1083.

Please mark your calendar, and let Dave know if you are interested in attending or helping to organize this event! If any of you have any musical skills you’d like to share such as playing the guitar or piano for the worship times, please let Dave know.

This will be a very practical, “nuts and bolts” session on preaching. We will discuss various forms for effective sermons, resources for preaching, preaching weddings, funerals and holiday and how to use new technology in sermons. How does one develop his or her own style as a preacher? You will also learn how to better listen to sermons and offer meaningful feedback to other preachers.

The most exciting part of this workshop is that you will be invited to prepare and preach a 7-10 minute sermon (so we can hear everyone and to practice our focusing skills). You will receive positive feedback and insights on the things you are doing effectively and gain some insight into how you can take your preaching to a higher level. In addition to the preaching workshop, we will also have conversation about the LMEP program, what we might do for the remainder of the year and the changes that are in store for Licensed Ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

August 28, 2010 – West Des Moines Christian Church

Update (8/25/2010): Important things to remember for Saturday:

	Schedule for the Day
	Map

Update (6/30/2010): Registration forms, workshop schedules and promotional documents are all available!

	Biography – Jose Morales, Keynoter		Registration Form
	Biography – Jose Morales, Keynoter		Registration Form
	Bulletin Insert – Registration Form		Workshop Descriptions
	Bulletin Insert – Registration Form		Workshop Descriptions
	Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)		8.5×11″ Workshops Poster
	Map		8.5×11″ Workshops Poster
	Promotional Ideas and Information		2010 SCL Press Release
	Promotional Ideas and Information		2010 SCL Press Release

Update (4/14/2010): while the planning team still finalizes the workshop offerings / schedule for the day, we wanted to share another of the videos Jose Morales (our keynote speaker) prepared for the event. “Living in the Hyphen”!!!

Jose Morales – Living in the Hyphen from Adam Frieberg on Vimeo.

This event is still being planned. We have Jose Morales confirmed for our keynote speaker / worship leader / workshop teacher. Jose is the Transitional Regional Minister for the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). As the video below shows, he will being some promising (and challenging) words for us as we continue to try and be Disciples Together

Jose Morales – School for Congregational Learning from Adam Frieberg on Vimeo.

Check this page in the coming months for a workshop schedule, promotional posters for your congregation, registration options and more videos from Jose.

- The Upper Midwest Regional staff and the Congregation Vitality Unit

Tomorrow’s topic is church camp. If you have any questions or suggestions or wonderings about camp, this is your chance to ask the person in charge in the Upper Midwest. Bert Burns will be sharing about the summer camp program and will be available to take questions about the different camps and/or about sending campers.

She will also be able to share about the other ways you could take advantage of the the Christian Conference Center through a church retreat or the offer for all clergy to stay for free when you just need a little retreat…

Click this link to enter the conversation on Tuesday. You can enter anytime between 11:45 am and 12:30 pm (central standard time) ….

http://my.dimdim.com/bsdumw/

Then enter your name and you can see and listen in. No webcam necessary.

Submitted by Sara Galindo

In February some of the Chi Rho kids that I work with expressed concerns about the racist comments they were hearing regarding the aid requests for Haiti.  They were struggling with how to respond.  We talked it over and decided to sponsor a lock-in and begin some activities that might open the conversation further.

The hope of this event is that the kids who attend will leave with 1) an answer from the scriptures that they can refer to, and 2) a project that they can share – their own interpretation of the story of the Good Samaritan.  We are invited your kids to join us on this adventure.

Below is an information sheet and registration for the lock-in for 3rd-8th grade that we are putting together.

• We are asking for each participant to pay $5 or bring one item for Church World Service Health kits (listed on the information sheet) and $2.00 for food expenses.
• I am still working on schedule and need volunteers.
• We will begin at 6:30 p.m. with arrival and team building activities.  Dinner will be a 7 p.m.
• I’m also in need of a videographer in the early morning to video what the kids put together.  We can then provide churches and individuals with DVD’s to show what we learned from Jesus’ story of the good Samaritan.
• We will dismiss at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.

FCC Laurens IA – Lockin Registration

For more information, contact:

Sara Galindo
FCC Laurens
324 West Section Line Road
Laurens, IA
712.841.2455

What ya’ doin’ Pastor?: Worship; board meeting; choir; finance, property, personnel, education, mission, committees; youth event; hospital calls; nursing home visits; marriage counseling; funerals; regional meetings; worship planning; sermon study/prep; bible study; fellowship dinner, dashing here and there – oh did I mention that’s just today?

How can you keep going if you never take time to rest?

Sunday April 25th – Tuesday April 27th

Our busy schedules keep us gong 24/7 with very little time to regain our strength and renew our bodies and souls for the ministry we have been called. We make time for what we believe is important. Jesus took time to get away to rest and pray to regain his strength for the ministry he was called. Lead by his example, we too need time away for rest and prayer. So get out your calendar and mark these dates then go online and register to attend. We look forward to your presence this year!

	Poster
	Registration Form

To: All Ministers and Men of the Church:

The men of the Region will gather at the Christian Conference Center on Saturday, April 17th and Saturday, May 1st, working on the miniature golf course. The plan is to remove all of the pea gravel, kill the grass underneath, install a weed barrier, and replace the pea gravel with mulch (which we have in supply).

The gravel will be moved to the Chi Rho area to help with paths there.

If is possible for you and the men of your congregation to attend one or both days, please call or email Bert Burns (515.255.3168) at the Conference Center for food number purposes.

Roger Poage, coordinator for the event, plans to start work at approximately 9:00 a.m. each day.

And a huge thank you for thinking of us at the Christian Conference Center.

P.S. You may remember, the golf course was created by the CCUM Men’s Group several years ago.

Update 4/23/2010: Video from event:

Tex Sample – Find the Yes Beneath the No from Adam Frieberg on Vimeo.

Update 4/19/2010: Pictures from the event are online at: http://picasaweb.google.com/amfumw/ComeSampleSimplyStories#

Saturday, March 20, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m.,
First Christian Church, Ames, Iowa

- Come tell and hear stories of how God is transforming our congregations.
- Write a story (no more than 250 words) to be shared with others. The story can be of an event, or you can use a symbol to help frame your story. You might use a character (from your congregation or the Bible) to help tell the story of God’s transforming Spirit in your church.
- Please attend even if you do not bring a story or symbol. -Motivation, ideas, and encouragement can occur when listening to stories of God transforming our congregations.