District Lay Leader, Lori Roof, introduces ways lay people in local churches can serve at the District and Conference levels.
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Lay Leadership
District Lay Leader. Lori Roof
District News
Meet the new District Superintendent
To all who are part of the Greater Southwest District, I joyfully send to you greetings and blessings this day. I am looking forward to getting to know you and celebrating the amazing ways you are responding to the love of Jesus Christ. What a journey this will be, as we travel the road of faith together.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Dean. I was born and raised in Troy, Michigan. I am the youngest of nine children. My mom (Phyllis, 88 years old) and dad (Hugh, 93 years old) live in Wyoming, Michigan in the house next to the church I have served for thirteen years, Wesley Park UMC.
My son’s name is Will (William Manuel Alexander Parada Salvador Prentiss). Will is an amazing person. He turned 19 on June 27. Will was born in Guatemala, where Adrianne and I moved for five months to complete his adoption. When I had to return home, members of Williamston UMC flew down to help. Will is deaf and on the autism spectrum. He has a great sense of humor, an incredible connection to God’s Spirit, and an intuitive way to sense what others do not sense. Adrianne and I are no longer married, but are deeply committed to raising Will. This requires some understanding and even flexibility by all on the District as we work on the best ways to keep Will safe and cared for. I will be staying in my home in Grand Rapids, which will help Will during this time of transition. While this may limit my availability for evening meetings, I will be in the office, visiting as many churches as I can each week, and will be reachable by phone, text, and online to be present with you.
I find joy in simple things. I love a good story. I bring my glove to baseball games with the eternal hope that a foul ball might come my way (I caught two on August 5 several years ago at Comerica Park). I don’t have a TV but do my best to stay connected and informed. I try to close the exercise rings on my watch as often as I can. I thank God for grace, forgiveness, and for opportunities to grow in love each day. Luke 10:27 is one of my favorite verses.
I care about you. Dwayne and Mandana, along with Bishop Bard and the Cabinet, have helped me and are entrusting me with this beautiful privilege of prayerfully being United Methodists in the Greater Southwest District together. Let us love God with heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves.
Peace,
Dean
Southwest Michigan Latinx Community Ministry Update
My name is Cesar Garcia-Rodriguez, I am appointed to the new Latinx Church Plant of the Greater Southwest District. Working in the mission of The United Methodist Church is the most exciting work and purpose of life; to be witness of the transformation that the grace of God brings to our community as we visited the migrant camps and the Hispanic families who are already established in Van Buren County.
One of the most impactful moments of this past year, was when leading a Spanish Bible study at the parsonage, God working in the unity of the families, by studying about the grace of God working in every person and how to bring families together; even through games and a dinner we could experience the Holy Spirit restoring the bonds of parents and children.
And the ministry is just beginning; we are so excited to announce that this summer even more things are going to happen with the Hispanic Ministry in our district.
Miriam Peralta De Garcia is appointed to work full-time along with me in the new Latinx Church. Thanks to the support of the Michigan Conference and generous donors, this will be possible starting the first of July; along with the establishment of the Hispanic Community Center in the facilities of Paw Paw United Methodist Church who has opened their doors to host this ministry.
Through this Center we will be offering classes and services to the Spanish-speaking community. We are currently in need of equipment: such as 15 padded folding chairs, a whiteboard, and office supplies (white paper, printer ink, pencils, tape, etc.).
This summer once again, we are working closely with the Van Buren Intermediate School District’s Migrant/Multilingual office, which offers a summer program to migrant children. This year again we will support them with 300 reusable plastic water bottles that they need during the summer school hours.
Along with that, we continue the partnership with the Department of Labor of Michigan State, Migrant Agricultural office to support the Bienvenidos Event, which welcomes migrant seasonal workers and their families. Several agencies come together to offer services; we are going to put together a welcoming kit, which includes hygiene products for the entire family: shampoo, soap, deodorants, sunscreen, etc.
If you or your church wants to support or donate to the community center, the summer program, or the welcoming kits, please contact me (269-569-4962 or [email protected]) or send a check to the district office.
Southwest Michigan Latinx Community Ministry
Our Sunday worship is an extension of our home, the experience of the warm welcome, along with familiar music and faces we have grown to know over time and faith. But for some, worship does not represent an extension of their home or their lives. “Everyone has an innate need to connect and belong. It’s an idea grounded in theology (think God’s radical connection with humanity in the person of Jesus) and in science (think Brene Brown’s new academic research on how we are wired for – and the importance of cultivating – connection).” -Anne Nelson
The Hispano/Latino community represents 12% of the total population in the Greater Southwest District. And every year more than 200 migrant camps receive temporary Hispanic families for seasonal work. Just within the limits of our district!
That’s why we are creating a new place for new people; reaching more diverse people who become more like Christ in the world: a Hispanic/Latino New Church in Van Buren County. Making New Disciples in New Places is one of the Four Areas of Ministry Focus of The United Methodist Church. We have a vision to create a unique community – a place for engaging, transformative worship, and fellowship to all generations.
We have launched a Tuesday evening worship which is held in two languages, Spanish and English. It starts with bilingual music, scripture, reflection, and prayers. This means that if you don’t speak either of the languages, you can still worship. Join us Tuesdays at 7:00pm livestreaming on Facebook or in person at Lawrence UMC.
We have been working to get to know the Hispano/Latino Community of the area through partnerships and connections with the State Department of Labor, the School District, the Health and Human Services Department, and the Van Buren County fair board.
SUMMER PROJECT:
One of the local schools has asked for the support of 300 reusable water bottles for the children of migrant seasonal workers and its summer program. The cost of 50 plastic water bottles is approximately $100; for that reason, we are looking for sponsorship from the churches of the district on this project.
If you’d like to support this project, send checks to:
Greater Southwest District
2350 Ring Rd N, Suite B
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
Memo: Migrant Project
Fresh Expressions – what exactly is it?
~Jessica Cobb
A Fresh Expression (FX) is a form of church that is designed to reach those who might not typically attend a traditional church service. It is about taking ministry to people where they are already gathering, rather than attempting to attract people to your church’s gatherings. Fresh Expressions invite Christian disciples to gather with those already in their social circles and to ask “How can I help my friends connect with God?”.
Fresh Expressions can take many forms, from small groups meeting in homes to coffee shop gatherings to outdoor worship services. They are often led by laypeople who are passionate about connecting with others in their community. A Fresh Expression can build around a meal (Dinner Church) or around a common activity (imagine a Fresh Expression built around soccer, ultimate frisbee, video games, or yoga), and as relationships are built, they start to incorporate at least one element of discipleship, such as prayer or scripture reading.
What distinguishes Fresh Expressions from other church groups is that these are not gatherings of church members in outside spaces (a Bible study at Starbucks). These are groups of people from outside the church already gathered, and church members connected to those people and groups. One of the key benefits of Fresh Expression is that they allow churches to engage with people who might never set foot inside a church building. They provide an opportunity to meet people where they are at, and to build relationships and connections that can lead to deeper conversations about faith and spirituality.
Fresh Expressions are not intended to replace traditional forms of church. They are designed to reach people who are not currently being reached by traditional forms of church, and to create new opportunities for people to connect with God and with each other.
As we continue to seek new ways to connect with our communities and to share the love of Christ, Fresh Expressions offer a different approach to consider. By going to where people are and starting this new form of church, we can build meaningful relationships that can transform lives. If you’d like to learn more about Fresh Expressions, or have ideas to start a Fresh Expression, contact your pastor or the district office.
Keep on Rising from the Dead
by Rev. Dwayne Bagley
Dying and rising have been on my mind a lot throughout this Lenten season. In one of our Cabinet devotion times in March, we were invited to take a deep dive into the story from John 4 about Jesus’ meeting with the woman at the well. In that encounter, Jesus challenges assumptions the woman holds about which side of a very clear dividing line she is on, the proper way to worship God, and what to expect from a Savior. During what seems to be a chance encounter, Jesus’ words convince the woman to lay all her preconceived notions about the way things are to rest so that a new understanding of God’s grace can rise in their place. Because she does this, everyone around her similarly lays their own assumptions to rest and begins to embrace the possibility that they too are heirs of God’s promise. A tradition that has been cherished and formative, which includes their interpretation of the scripture, bars the way to this new way of understanding who can be counted among the people of God. An experience of Jesus and God’s Holy Spirit choosing to move wherever, however and among whomever it chooses transforms all these preconceived notions in such a powerful way that the people reconsider the foundation of their belief in light of the new thing God is doing.
It is a foundational belief of mine that the Spirit of the Living God continues to do new things. But because I am only human, I am motivated to hold on to what has been, believing all the while that I am doing so to keep a grasp on something essential. In moments of dire need, God grants me enough grace to wonder if what I consider essential is the same thing God counts among essentials. And I wonder if I am holding on too tightly to things I should lay to rest so that God can raise up something new in me.
I wonder the same thing about our United Methodist Church and its congregations. In this Age of Disaffiliation, we all are trying to keep a grasp on what has been at the expense of what might yet be. Whether we hold on to the hope of preserving The United Methodist Church or seek to keep a grip on our traditional understanding of scripture, we may be holding on too tightly. Our focus on what we are trying so hard to hold on to may keep us from seeing where the Spirit is moving. While may we say, “let go and let God,” our actions are less motivated by the Hand of Sweet Release than shaped by the Spirit of the Age. This continuing practice is all the more questionable when we consider our call to live as Easter People. Amidst the hope and promise of the Resurrection, there is this core assertion at work: Jesus did not die and Christ was not raised just so that everything could remain the same.
Trusting that conviction is among the essentials, I raise this question for us, for our churches and for all the people called United Methodist: “What do we need to lay to rest so that God might raise up something new?” As we consider that question throughout Eastertide, let this verse from our hymnal serve as inspiration and invitation: “The Church of Christ in every age, beset by change but Spirit led, must claim and test its heritage and keep on rising from the dead.” Happy Easter. Christ is Risen. Come, Holy Spirit, come.
A Jubilee that Keeps on Giving
Stevensville UMC Partners with Riverside School
by Kellie Meyer
In the fall of 2020, Stevensville United Methodist Church started working on a weekend food program with Riverside Hagar #6 School in Riverside, MI. Riverside is a public school with an enrollment each year of 70-75 students. One teacher works with two grades in one classroom, making Riverside a unique school setting.
The weekend food program provides three meals a day for both Saturday and Sunday. SUMC provides food for lunch and dinner and Riverside School provides food for breakfast. Some food items include, SpaghettiOs, macaroni and cheese, soups, fruit, yogurt, Nutra-grain bars, and fruit snacks. We started the program with 24 students receiving weekend packs and we had about 10 volunteers helping to pack, deliver and purchase food.
When the District announced that 2020 would be a year of jubilee and that money from ministry shares could be used to start a new mission, SUMC Administrative Council thought this weekend food program would be a great way to use the jubilee money.
For the current 22/23 school year (which is our 3rd year with the program), we are packing 36 weekend bags every week. We created 4 teams of packers, a team of delivery drivers, and a team of food purchasers involving around 25 members of our congregation every month. We have been told that the children enjoy receiving the bags and the food they get to eat.
In the last year, Stevensville United Methodist Church has changed its Mission Statement to say: Growing Connections to God, to Each Other and to the Community. We believe our weekend food program is an example of this new vision and we know that 36 children are able to eat comfortably every weekend because of this new ministry.
Hopkins UMW Provides Re-Entry Kits
Hopkins UMC United Methodist Women initiated a project to provide “re-entry” kits to inmates being released from the Allegan County Jail. Each kit contains personal care items, a pocket calendar, a pair of socks and/or gloves, a small treat and a card from our church. Funding for the project came from private donations, loose change offerings and a Fresh Expressions Grant from the District. The first 20 kits (10 men and 10 women) were delivered to the jail in early January 2022.
The Living Legacy of an Idle Tale
The Living Legacy of an Idle Tale
by Rev. Dwayne Bagley, Greater Southwest District Superintendent
When I was young and full of grace and spirited as a rattlesnake, I was given the opportunity to become a filmmaker. As some of you already know, “opportunity” is probably the wrong word to use in this case. Since I really didn’t have the option to refuse, it was more like being given the assignment to become a filmmaker. It was part of the coursework in my New Testament interpretation class on the Gospel according to Mark. The movie-making assignment was given to every student in the class by our wacky professor who had a wacky name to match. I kid you not, his name was Dr. Boomershine. That name, and his odd way of approaching the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, opened itself up to being subjected to all sorts of abuses. The most frequent of which was that certain wits at the seminary, even among his professorial colleagues, would refer to him as “Dr. Monkeyshines”. Behind his back, of course.
Dr. Boomershine was one of the founders of something called the “Network of Biblical Storytellers”. These learned lay and clergy folks devoted themselves to the notion that the Bible was full of stories that God’s people told one another to help them keep and increase their faith. They thought that it was a crying shame that the stories of the Bible had ever been written down, believing that capturing them on a printed page was the equivalent of putting these life-giving and life-affirming stories in an empty tomb. The Network of Biblical Storytellers sought to rectify this by telling the stories of scripture, right out loud, from memory to anyone who would listen. They elected a president each year to facilitate their annual meetings, but Dr. Boomershine was their king. He had memorized the gospels of Mark, Matthew, John and Luke along with Acts, and certain parts of Paul’s letters. He could begin at chapter one, verse one of the Gospel of Mark and tell the rest of the story, right straight through, from memory. It was rumored that, instead of bedtime stories, he told his children stories from the Gospels – a rumor his long-suffering offspring confirmed when asked with a sighing and shaking of their heads. As a lark, he staged a production of the Book of Revelation in the form of an epic tragedy of the Greek Theatre.
These things alone would have branded Dr. Boomershine with a reputation for a certain kind of wackiness, but he took his storytelling approach to the gospel one giant leap further when he insisted that there would come a day when people wouldn’t sit still long enough to read books or even listen to well-crafted and executed sermonizing. Instead, according to his reckoning at least, the good news of Jesus Christ should be translated into a visual form that would appeal to people’s senses, capture their imagination, and connect with them in a way that communicated to a generation raised on television. He was working with the American Bible Society to do a translation of the New Testament in a video format suitable for playing on VCR. He actually thought there would come a time when some people’s primary connection with Christian faith would be through a screen. How wacky is that? You can see why people called him Dr. Monkeyshines.
I approached his assignment to translate a passage from the Gospel of Mark into a video presentation with all the gusto of someone who needs the course credits to graduate. Because I possessed hubris beyond my years, I chose Mark’s story of the resurrection from chapter 16 – the resurrection story – as the subject for my no-budget visual retelling. Because I was short of two resources most necessary to produce a visual epic, money and time, I had to make some compromises. As a stand in for the empty tomb, I chose a large, neo-gothic style, downtown church located in the city of the Wolverines that shall not be named. Its impressively thick oak doors seemed representative of barriers barring entrance that would need to be rolled away. And let’s face it, if you’re looking for something empty and tomblike, there’s nothing emptier and more devoid of life than a church sanctuary on a weekday.
In the role of the women who went very early on the first day of the week after the sun had risen to pay their respects to Jesus, I cast three college co-eds. Instead of bringing spices to the neo-gothic tomb, I had them tote daffodils. I encountered a continuity problem when my rigorous filming schedule conflicted with one of my three women’s final exams, and she had to leave. I had another difficulty when I was trying to find the right person to play the angelic messenger in Mark’s story. Because I couldn’t convince or coerce anyone else, I had to play the part of the bright angel myself. Needless to say, it was not typecasting.
There wasn’t anything particularly innovative or insightful about any of this. It was all just sort of a heavy-handed attempt at updating the old, old story. But my no-budget epic did step out of the tomb we try to keep the good news of the resurrection in when it imagined where Jesus might call his disciples to join him if the Easter story happened today. I couldn’t recreate the Galilee where Jesus called his followers to join him. Instead, I imagined places where Jesus might be found living and working in our world. I chose scenes of midnight basketball leagues and homes for the elderly and soup kitchens and clothing banks and shelters for people on the street. I thought then that if Jesus were going to rise up, go on ahead of us and ask us to join him, those were the kinds of places where we would find him. I still believe that.
One Easter Sunday when I was just a baby pastor, a woman came up to me after I had given an impassioned Easter sermon that had left me breathless, tearful and sweaty. I had left my body, soul, mind and spirit up on the altar of God after letting that one fly. She surprised me by asking, in a voice that sounded like she should have her hands on her hips, “You don’t really believe all that, do you?” I have spent the last twenty years wondering how I could have responded to her better. I’ve concluded that I should have just told her that faith in resurrection of Jesus Christ is less about believing and more about doing.
We live in a world that is asking the same question that my nemesis posed to me all those ago, “You really don’t believe all that, do you?” For them the resurrection madness we proclaim seems to be just another idle tale. What they require is for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be translated into a form that they can understand, not in some no budget video presentation or even a television epic with a multi-million dollar budget. Instead, we should be about the work of meeting Jesus in the places where he has gone on ahead of us and translate the Good News into actions that help by offering hope and into deeds that declare the truth of the Easter story through the good we do.
As people of faith we believe, along with the Apostle Paul, that God’s grace, revealed to us in powerful signs in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, hasn’t been for nothing. As people who believe that truth, we’re left with a challenge. After we’re done with the singing of our alleluias, when the Easter lilies have left the building, and the choir has hung up their robes, we’re left with the challenge of crafting a living legacy out of what, to many, seems to be an idle tale.
We witness to this living legacy not only when we raise our alleluia, not just when we arrive at the end of life holding on to the assurance that we are heaven bound, but when we join Jesus in whatever Galilee presents itself in the world today. We give testimony to the fact that God’s mighty acts in Jesus Christ are not for nothing, not only when we say that we believe, but when we live like we believe. The testimony Easter people have to proclaim is simply and powerfully this: “I serve a risen savior. He’s in the world today. I know that he is living whatever foes may. We are his hands of mercy. We speak with his voice of care. And just the time I need him he is always there. He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me when I walk with him. He talks to me when I speak for him. Wherever life’s narrow way takes us, we discover that he lives! He lives- Salvation to impart. You ask me how I know he lives, and I will tell you that the world will know he lives when they see He lives within our hearts.”
Happy Easter. May God grant you grace to live like you believe in the power of the Resurrection.
4 Churches 4 Jesus
By Diane Grimm (Paw Paw UMC) & Leanne Fader (St. Paul’s UMC)
September 2019… It all started over a cup of coffee, a prayer and four willing UMC lay people to think a bit out of the box. The first meeting was pre-pandemic and it was lead by Bob Graham, Administrative Council Chairperson at Paw Paw UMC with representatives from Almena, St. Paul’s Lawton, and Lawrence attending. The group openly shared and agreed that each church has a more senior population, attendance is not growing, financial budget and income are stretched, and the same people do the majority of tasks within the church and are burning out, sustainability for the churches was in question.
The group again, through prayer and guidance, asked what we collectively might be able to share together. Then, COVID and the pandemic hit. The group did not reconvene until February 2021.
In February, it was determined we needed to focus on our community. It was hurting, it was broken, and it was reflecting a poor attitude towards all people. So, the team quickly named themselves, The Community Kindness team. We started meeting monthly, and also asked our pastors to attend the meetings. It was determined we would provide a quarterly community event. One of the four churches would “host” the event and the other three churches would “support.”
We conducted a survey of attendees from all four churches in September. The results of the survey have given direction for our future actions. We renamed our team to “4 Churches 4 Jesus.” We have a joint Facebook group (4 Churches 4 Jesus); we post a monthly message/update in each church’s newsletter; we are hosting community events, but expanding deeper in planning, giving and serving. We are looking at partnering within the community for a Homeless Shelter. Currently, we are in the gathering information stage. It may or may not happen. We feel strongly that when a person serves one another, both people grow. So our mission is to be humble like Jesus, to serve others like Jesus, and love others like Jesus. We seek God’s direction for the future of 4 Churches 4 Jesus and our ministry in our communities.
Our 2021 community events included: a summer outdoor worship service and afternoon event with live music, a food truck, and community information booths. We raised over $2000 for United Christian Services, a local organization that helps with emergency needs. We hosted a Halloween Trunk ’r’ Treat event with refreshments and pumpkin painting. In December, we held a live nativity event with local singers, actors, and live animals from Chamberlain Farms.
Plans for 2022 events are underway. So far we have planned a drive-through Ash Wednesday blessing with free coffee, a Red Cross Blood Drive, a joint Good Friday service, a music concert featuring Jean Watson, and we are planning another live nativity.
4 Churches 4 Jesus meets at 6:30pm the third Wednesday of each month at Paw Paw UMC.
