District News

Puzzling Through: Just A Slice

Posted on by Fuller

               On Sunday November 5th, the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals met in their first NFL game following Damar Hamlin’s collapse on the field in January.  After what looked like a routine play by both teams, Damar stood up and then fell.  Medical personnel began caring for him immediately, and after he was stabilized, he was rushed to the hospital.  Players and coaches from both teams, as well as fans, knelt in prayer.  The good news is that Damar was able to receive the medical care he needed.  He has already played a few times this season.

               Before that night, I am not sure if anyone outside the team and the loyal Bills fan base knew who Damar Hamlin was.  At the time, like most NFL players, Damar had a charity to raise money for toys for children.  He set a goal of $2,500 for the year. After his collapse on the field, the fund received over $8 million, along with prayers and messages of support for Damar’s recovery.

               Over the Summer, Damar began to consider new ways to make a difference.  He now sponsors CPR training and awareness as a result of those generous donations.  The team’s ambulance displays his jersey.   He continues to find ways to raise awareness of essential medical support for athletes of all ages.

               I honestly can’t tell you much about Damar’s college or high school career or when he was drafted by the Bills.  Like most of the country, I only became aware of him when he collapsed on January 2, 2023.  But from those slices of his life, I am able to see how he has been inspired to make a difference in the lives of others.

               As Advent approaches, we will begin to share how our Lord became one of us in order to save us.  The four Gospels provide us with many details of Jesus life and how his ministry changed and continues to change the world.  And yet, these moments are just a slice of who our Savior is. 

               Parts of Jesus’ life are not included in any of the Gospels. What was his life like while his family lived in Egypt? What items did they take back to Nazareth with them when it was safe for them to return? What happened in Jesus’ life after his visit to the Temple? If he met with his cousin John prior to that moment in the Nile River, what did they talk about? Or more importantly, what didn’t they talk about? If he apprenticed with Joseph, was he a good carpenter?

               These are not the slices of our Savior’s life that we relive and remember through the Gospel narratives.  We have wondrous accounts of how Jesus transformed the world by who he was and what he did.  Through the authors of the four Gospels, we become witnesses to all that Jesus did as he walked among us.  Miracles of healing and feeding, calling persons from the margins to become his disciples and those he sent out to spread the Good News, parables that changed the letter of the law, while affirming the spirit of the law are only a few of the ways that Jesus brought a new light into the world and into our lives. 

               As we gather in our worship spaces, over the next several weeks, I invite and encourage each of us to tell the story of how our Savior is the greatest gift of all. Let’s take time to unwrap God’s amazing present of love and of love everlasting.  And Amen.

Puzzling Through, A Few More Thoughts

Posted on by Fuller

First, I want to thank everyone who was able to attend the District Conference on Saturday, November 4, 2023. Whether you were with us in person or in spirit, it was wonderful to spend some time in fellowship, sharing a meal and planting seeds for our future.

               I especially want to express my gratitude for our host church, Grand Blanc UMC, Pastor Brian, the United Women in Faith, and the support of all those who helped make our time together a blessing, including the tech support, music, clergy and laity who were part of the morning presentations, Worship Service and Business Session.

               As is usually the case with sharing a message, other thoughts come to mind just as we attempt to place one sermon to rest. During the Key Note Address, I shared that jigsaw puzzles were an analogy for the mystery of the Lord’s work.  I lifted up the story of Jacob and the ministry of Jesus as examples. 

               There are so many ways that God’s mystery is being revealed to us, changing our understanding of what it means to be Christians in today’s world.  I invite each of you to spend time exploring the way God’s presence with us unfolds in amazing and wondrous ways.

               Moses’ story begins with him being released into the Nile to escape Pharoah’s edict, and yet, when rescued by Pharoah’s daughter, he doesn’t become the next ruler of Egypt, but the Deliverer of Abraham’s descents. We are witnesses of his wilderness journey, and how God calls him to do more than watch over his father-in-law’s flock.

               Consider how David, Jesse’s youngest son and the one tasked to watch the sheep, is anointed king by Samuel. David’s story doesn’t begin in 1 Samuel 16, but in the Book of Ruth where we learn of his paternal great grandmothers. The way our Lord works is full of surprising and amazing turns that declare God is with us in all ways, at all times and in all things. 

               God’s greatest mystery isn’t that He sent His son to us for our salvation.  The greatest mystery isn’t that Jesus came to earth to be one of us, while sharing the Good News of what it means to be loved by God. The greatest mystery isn’t the parables our Savior shared, the miracles he performed or the sins he forgave. The greatest mystery isn’t the new covenant that our Savior brought to us during the Passover Meal. The greatest mystery isn’t that Jesus went to the cross so that you and I could be saved.

               All of these events and more lead us to the greatest mystery of the empty tomb, when our Lord declared that nothing would stop Him from His salvific acts for our lives.  We are called to share the significance of our Risen Savior and the ways that God has moved and is moving in our lives. 

               This is our task, our challenge, our duty and our call.  To spread the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord, so that everyone will know why we are dedicated to being God’s instruments in and for one another as wee seek to accomplish all that the Lord requires of us.

               Persons received jigsaw pieces of a Michigan map puzzle made of Petosky stones, to remember our time together. I want each of the members of the East Winds District to know that the work we do for our Lord and Savior is holy work, marked by the stones we placing in our communities now and into the future.  May we all be blessed.  And Amen.

After The Storm

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When disaster strikes who is there to help? We Are! Let us learn more about the new program birthed by the Michigan Annual Conference called: After the Storm.

We pray that a natural disaster will never happen to us and that it never happens to those we love. Yet, as we hear on the news natural disasters are happening more and more frequently. None of us will go through life without being affected by a natural disaster, directly or indirectly.

Response to a natural disaster comes in waves. We are all aware of the immediate response to any crisis. The clearing of trees from roads, tarping of roofs, and finding emergency shelter after a tornado are all examples of an immediate response. This is when the media is highly engaged, and concern is high. Government, Emergency Response, and Non-Governmental organizations such as the United Methodist Committee on Relief trained volunteers called ERT (Emergency Response Teams) to work together through a highly coordinated system to make sure that immediate needs are met.

Yet the need goes on, and on, and on. Believe it or not, this next step is where we as the Michigan Annual Conference have found a real strong affinity for the work that needs to be done. This work is called Disaster Case Management. This is the work that continues for months or even years after the initial disaster has taken place.

We have set up Disaster Case Management in communities impacted by flooding across the State of Michigan. Such as Northwest Detroit in 2014 and 2019, Midland County in 2017, Houghton & Hancock in 2018, and the Great Lakes Bay region in 2020. In each case we collaborated with community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and municipal, county, State, and FEMA officials. We are the only entity in Michigan providing this type of Disaster Case Management in Michigan. At that time all funding was through UMCOR and Community Foundation grants along with donations to the Michigan Disaster Response Fund.

Because of our good work and faithful work in these many communities, we have gotten the attention of the State of Michigan and FEMA. Because of this, the Michigan Conference was awarded a large grant to do the work of Case Management following the flooding in Southeastern Michigan in 2021. It was decided that a separate organization would be better to manage while keeping it connected to the Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church. So in 2022 After the Storm was officially launched.

So why give to After the Storm? Because there are needs that are greater than any grant can provide. We have to be ready to respond and the only way to be ready is to be prepared. Your gift today helps us be and stay prepared to respond to the next disaster in Michigan.

http://www.afterthestormmi.org/

Meet the Board of Church Location and Building Chair

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By Bob Wyatt

The Board of Location & Building is charged by our discipline to review local church plans to buy or sell property, buy, lease or sell buildings or remodel a building when the cost of remodeling exceeds 25% of the value of the building.  The board also is required to review new construction and remodeling plans for energy efficiency and equal access for people with disabilities.  The board reviews the reasons and benefits to sell buildings or property.  The board also is charged with reviewing the need for a building, addition or remodeling and plans for defraying the costs.  The board supports our District Superintendent and is involved when a church contemplates closing.

The board also works with churches to review the benefit of selling no longer needed surplus property and parsonages.  A church being served by a pastor owning their own home may have avoidable expenses maintaining a parsonage. The local church reviews the benefits to their ministry of selling no longer needed property which is reviewed by the board. 

Bob is a licensed professional engineer with work experience in Civil Engineering and building maintenance.  He has served on his church's Board of Trustees, Staff Pastor Parish and Finance Committees.  He serves on the Board of Directors of Asbury CDC, East Winds District's EngageMI charity, and on the Board of Directors of our Michigan Conference Camps.  

Favorite Bible Verse   John 13:34-35   

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Favorite candy/snack      Hersey's chocolate and ginger cookies

Favorite Drink                  Apple cider

Top 3 Favorite Movies     Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Air Force One

One fun fact about yourself   I enjoy sailing and spending time with my 2 grandsons.

 

A helpful link: Trustees Toolbox

Meet the Coordinator of Applied Mission

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Coordinator of Applied Mission

I’m Rev. Carol Blair Bouse, I currently serve as the Coordinator of Applied Mission here in the East Winds District. I also serve the pastor at Millington United Methodist Church; I am an Elder in the Michigan Annual Conference having been ordained in 1995 as a Deacon and 1997 as an Elder (back when we had a two-step ordination process). I have served churches from Owendale in the now expanded East Winds district down to Dearborn Mt. Olivet, which closed some years ago. My home church is Fairgrove UMC, right here in the East Winds District. I have been married to Allen for almost 24 years and have two boys, Jacob is 20 and Andrew, who is days from being 16. We live in an unused parsonage in Flushing due to my husband’s mobility issues. We also have a very rambunctious 2 ½ year old golden retriever named Daphne.

Having been in ministry for close to 30 years it is amazing to see all the ways we continue to grow and change. The role that I play in the district is unique, you might see me do any or all of the following: offer pastoral care to a pastor who is in need; creating programs for pastors in the wake of the disaffiliation process to process feelings and help move forward; mentor and coach new DSAs and part-time Licensed Local Pastors; preside over Church/Charge conferences; administer Local Church Assessments; be the certified Simplified Accountable Structure coach for any churches in our district, if desired (extra cost); arranging district wide day or overnight mission trips; connect with each of our district Engage projects – serving as a board member if asked and possible; help to create district missional focus; connect with the Emergency Response Team when needed and other things as needed.

I love the diversity of the work that I do, some days the task list is long, other days it is not. I enjoy working with the diverse people of our East Winds district. I continue to serve the local church as well in Millington. My free time is taken up with helping my kids. Andrew (16) is very active in the Flint School of Performing Arts including the Flint Youth Orchestra, a string quartet, while also being a junior at Flushing HS in the Marching Band, orchestra, and the student assistant for the elementary orchestras. To say I’m a music mom is an understatement. When I’m not working or helping my kids I love to do jigsaw puzzles and engage with music. One of the bonus questions everyone is answering is “what is your favorite Bible verse?” For me I often connect it back to music I have sung. I was a vocal performance major, many moons ago, so music connected to scripture resonates deep within my soul. I was thinking about Craig Courntey’s Be Not Afraid, it is based on Isaiah 43:1-4. It was sung at my deacon ordination service in 1995 and I have sung it many times since while singing in the conference choir. The idea of being called by name, knowing God is with me through all the trials of ministry has helped me through countless times.  

Some fun facts about me…. I love chocolate, I love to find chocolate stores when I travel. Because I love chocolate so much, you will not be surprised to know that my favorite drink is a really good quality cup of hot chocolate. I’m not much of a movie watch, many because I’m not good at sitting still, but for the past 20 years most of my watching has been Disney cartoons. So I must admit I do really love me some Disney Toy Story! A fun fact about myself is that I am a trained Intentional Interim Ministry Specialist within the United Methodist Church. Which means I am trained to help churches that have been through a trauma, had a long-term pastor who has left, or just need to make a transition. It was an interesting training course to take, it was filled with lots of family-systems theory work.

East Winds District Lay Leaders

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In the East Winds District, we are lucky to be served by several co-lay leaders. Our current District Lay Leaders are Bonnie Potter, who will be stepping down from the role in the next few weeks, Cynthia Rossman, and Dayne Walling, who has just recently stepped into the roll.

 

Getting to Know Bonnie Potter:

I began serving as Lay Leader for the Crossroads District (now East Winds District) in February of 2012.  Over these past eleven years, I have worked with five District Superintendents:  Rev. Dr. Andrew Allie, Rev. Dr. Eugene Blair, Rev. Dr. Tara Sutton, Rev. John Hice, Rev. Dr. Margie Crawford and also, two-co-lay leaders:  Mike Schlusler and Cyndy Rossman.  God has richly blessed me in my relationships with each of these fine people.  All have different gifts and graces, and each love God and we have developed some great friendships. 

I believe the role of a lay leader is to be supportive and encouraging, finding out each person’s strengths and also weaknesses and being there to help with whatever needs arise.  I was able to help organize district conferences and events, as that is one of my gifts.  It’s important to get to know the DS on a personal level, learning about their family, and vision for the district. 

While we have lived through some difficult times, which include Covid and disaffiliations, I believe that God has us each in this time and place for a reason.  I continue be a strong supporter of the laity and also pray for the East Winds District of the United Methodist Church, remembering its mission:  Equipping churches to serve Christ through quality communication, collaboration, and training. 

Five Questions: 

  1. One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
  2. Some of my favorite snacks are baked goods, including carrot cake and cinnamon rolls. 😊
  3. I like to drink water and milk. Also marguerita-on-the-rocks-with-no-salt on occasion.
  4. I love worshiping my Lord and God through music. While I find meaning, celebration, and joy in so many songs, I love “Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone.”  It’s really hard to single out a favorite book/movie, but I have read and also watched The Shack many times and gain new insights each time.
  5. My grandson, son, daughter-in-law and I recently went to Zehnder’s Splash Village and rode the Four Person Family Raft Ride on which we “twisted and turned down 6 stories on the thrilling Tantrum Twist slide.” I screamed all the way down—and loved it!

 

Getting to Know Cynthia Rossman:

Lots of changes have taken place in the East Winds District. We are a much larger district in our geographic size, which means communication within our Mission Zones is more important than ever to stay connected with one another. As a district lay leader I am working to encourage laity to participate, to be creative, to share ideas, and to work together. To be in mission not only at their home church, but to reach out and connect with other churches within their mission zone and within the community.

I am looking forward to working with our new District Superintendent Rev. Margie Crawford to help her achieve the vision she has for our district.

Answers to five questions:

My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6.

My favorite sweet treat is a German Chocolate Brownie and popcorn for snack.

My favorite drink is coffee.

Movie/TV shows anything Star Trek!

One fun fact: I met Gene Roddenberry (the creator of Star Trek) at a “Head Start” convention at Cobo Hall, in the 1980’s and a got his autograph.

 

 

Getting to know Dayne Walling:

Hello! I’m Dayne Walling in Flint where I currently serve as the lay leader at Court Street UMC. Court Street has been our spiritual home for nearly forty years. Carrie and I were married in Court Street’s sanctuary even though we lived in DC at the time. Our church family has been a model of love and support for us through the challenging years of serving as mayor and all the ups and downs of life. I’ve drawn a great deal of inspiration from this amazing community and I’m motivated to share this spirit of love with those across our wider church and all of our communities. 

Professionally, I started a new job this year with the Insight health network. I lead the government relations work as we expand into Illinois and Iowa. We also have two sons, one just graduated from the University of Michigan, and one on his way to Trone University, so it’s the beginning of a new chapter for us in a lot of ways.

The first Bible I read was The Good News version. It was given to the elementary school aged kids at Grand Blanc UMC, where my family attended when I was a few years younger than I am today! The best part of that Bible was Jesus’s words recorded in Scripture are bright red. I liked to “read” the Bible by only looking at the red. It doesn’t take that long to read the words this way but grasping their meanings is enough to fill a lifetime. From this early age I was fascinated by statements such as the first being last and the focus on finding the lost sheep. 

With all of the tumultuousness in our society, politics, and church, I’ve again been studying and reflecting upon the “red” passages from Mark to try to get some answers directly from Jesus. When Jesus was asked which commandment is the first of all, Jesus answered, as recorded in Mark 12:30-31, “'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. ' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ' There is no other commandment greater than these.” Nearly identical words are contained in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In John 15: 12, Jesus also said, ““This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus did not qualify his response when asked about the greatest commandments, and neither should we. When we give all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength to love, then I don’t see how there is room for hate, or inflicting harm, or exclusion of any kind. For me, at this time, these are my favorite Bible verses.

As for my favorite drink and snack, I have to admit that it’s coffee with whatever is on hand that goes nicely with a mug of dark coffee—cinnamon Belvitas, lightly salted pecans, any kind of chocolate, cherry scone, you get the idea. I do like to mix it up. I’ll enjoy a regular drip brewed coffee one morning, then pull out some fresh cold brewed coffee another day. Through the pandemic I took over part of the kitchen counter with my French press, pour-over, and espresso stuff. One fun fact about me is that I look for local cafes to visit as I’m always on the lookout for new coffee roasters and preparations. 

When I sit down to watch a movie, I’ll go for a Marvel favorite like one of the Thors. When Carrie and I are watching something together for some light entertainment we’ll look through the latest Netflix original rom-coms. I do enjoy traveling vicariously through movies set in places around the world. The setting of a movie isn’t the easiest to search for, so please send me suggestions!

Meet the East Winds dCOM Chair

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District Committee on Ordained Ministry (dCOM)

by Jeffery Jaggers, Chairperson

Each district has a District Committee on Ordained Ministry (dCOM). The dCOMs are sub-committees of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. Our responsibilities include interviewing people who have experienced a call to the ministry of Local Pastor, Deacon, Elder or Certified Lay Ministers. We annually meet with candidates for Deacon and Elder as they progress through seminary and then recommend them to meet with the Board of Ordained Ministry. We also meet annually with local pastors to renew their credentials for ministry. The membership of the dCOM includes lay people, Local Pastors, Deacons and Elders.

As the chair of the East Winds District Committee on Ordained Ministry, I get to work with THE BEST dCOM in the North Central Jurisdiction – if not the entire denomination! We take our work seriously because it is holy work, and it is work that shapes not only the candidates and pastors, local church, and the district, but also the kingdom of God. Much of the credit for keeping our dCOM on track and moving forward goes to our Vice-Chair, Rev. Ann Emerson, and our registrars, Rev. Carol Blair-Bouse and Rev. Barbara Benjamin. While the details of our meetings are confidential, I can say that we have very high quality Local Pastors in ministry in our district, and very high quality candidates for ministry coming through the process towards ministry. It is not easy to become a Local Pastor, Elder, Deacon or Certified Lay Minister, and the work that these folks do is nothing less than amazing. If you, or someone you know, are sensing a call from God to some form of ministry, please let your pastor know. She or he will set you on the path toward discerning that call and how God might use you, your gifts and your graces to spread the love, grace and kingdom of God through the United Methodist Church.

God Bless, Jeffery Jaggers

Meet our Finance Team Chair

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by Barry Trantham, East Winds District Finance Team Chair

The East Winds Finance Team reviews grant and loan requests from churches in our District.

Loans are limited to $50,000 with terms up to 10 years.

Grants are available following guidelines from the attached brochure.

About Me:

My wife, Denise, and I have been members of Flushing UMC since 1988. We have been blessed with three sons, Matthew, Kyle and Eric and daughters in law Andrea, Jessica and Meghan and five grandchildren.

My “ go to” Bible verse is Matthew 6:25-34.  It always gives me peace during stressful times.

Favorite drink is an Arnold Palmer

Favorite snack is Salted Caramel ice cream.

 

Top 3 favorite movies: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.  I like all three spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood. The original 3 Star Wars movies. The Godfather I and II.

Fun fact: My ancestors were Vikings who settled in Normandy  and later accompanied William the Conqueror in the Norman invasion of England in 1066.

Prayers for Peoples of Israel

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As I begin this week’s blog, I ask for your prayers for the peoples of Israel.  I have visited the Holy Land twice.  I am heartbroken as the images I’ve seen over the past few days have forever changed the places I remember. 

At this time, there are tour groups that are unable to return to their homelands as they take shelter throughout Israel, watching as the war unfolds around them. I have heard about one group from the United States that was interviewed early this morning.  I am not sure who may be visiting the Holy Land from other places around the world.  If they are able to speak with reporters from their homeland, I am certain each one is sharing a similar story of shock and fear.

There are also Christians who are caretakers of the holy places that are part of our faith’s history.  Whether they are at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem, they too are at the heart of this conflict.

All people are God’s creation. We are all part of the same family. The suffering that we have witnessed and heard, recounted from both Jewish and Palestinian families, calls all of us to turn to our Lord, praying for a way forward that doesn’t result in more deaths, destruction and devastation. 

I have found some solace with Psalm 46.  May these or other passages in the Bible help each of us know that God is with the peoples who call Israel and Gaza home, as well as everyone around the world who is watching.  God be with you.  And Amen.

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East Winds District