Ed Coates publishes book of letters

What do you do when you want to remind people that God loves them, and that somebody cares for them? How do you address the issues that affect people day by day? You might write a letter.

Ed Coates has been doing that for fifty years. A few of those letters have been compiled into this little book. It can be ordered from Amazon Books here.

Call for 2017 Annual Conference Petitions and Resolution

The 24th sessions of the Dakotas Annual Conference will be held in Bismarck, North Dakota, June 8-10, 2017. Proposals for petitions and resolutions must be submitted by March 30, 2017. Find out the details here.

Sidewalk Prophets play concerts in Arlington, SD Feb. 26

The Sidewalk Prophets will be playing two concerts in Arlington, SD on February 26th at the Arlington High School Gym. Their 7pm concert is sold out, but at this time tickets for the 3pm concert are still available.

Provided by the Lake Preston and Arlington Ministerial Associations

You can buy tickets at United Methodist Arlington, SD, UCC/UMC Lake Preston (605) 983-5471.

Tickets Range from $10-40 and can also be purchased here.

Rev. Adam Weber announces book release

Rev. Adam Weber of Sioux Falls’ Embrace church has authored a book for everyone.

In Talking with God, Adam focuses on “What does it look like to pray in the midst of your life, and what do you say when you don't know how to pray?  Prayer seems like it should be so simple. Yet, when it comes to actually praying, often it feels awkward and complicated. The truth is, prayer is simple. It's like talking with a good friend. And what we may not know is the best part: no matter where we are in life, God can't wait to talk with us.”

Talking with God will be published by Waterbrook Press for release on March 1, 2017, and is available for pre-order here.

Listen to the Iowa Conference UMC interview with Adam Weber here.

Communications workshop -  Register Now

If you’ve ever wondered about how to effectively market your church, what makes a good e-newsletter, or whether live streaming worship makes sense for your congregation, then don’t miss our upcoming communications workshop! This workshop, specifically for churches in the Dakotas Conference, will be held on April 2, 2017, from 2:30pm - 6:30pm, at Huron First UMC. It will also be live-streamed to a few selected sites.

This breakthrough workshop is designed to give you tools to communicate more effectively with your congregation and community. We’ll spend the first part of the afternoon focused on marketing and branding for your church—and then, we’ll deliver mini workshops on e-newsletters, social media, photography, and live streaming. The live streaming session will not only help you assess whether this technology makes sense for your church, but also how you would go about setting it up.

Click here to register for the workshop or to request your church to be a streaming location.

Lenten Study 2017 based on Dare to Dream

The 2017 Lenten video study, featuring the cabinet members of the Dakotas Conference, is based on the book Dare to Dream, by Rev. Mike Slaughter.  Each week, starting on March 1, one of the six chapters will be highlighted in videos. Here are some ways to use the 2017 videos:

• Have weekly lunch and learn sessions—a small or large group gathering where people bring his or her lunch, watch the video and discuss their insights.
• Hold weekly informal worship gatherings—begin with song and prayer, play the video as the message for the evening, discuss the video and end with prayer.
• Use the videos as a conversation starter at coffee between services each Sunday during Lent. 
• Open (or close) worship each Sunday during Lent with the videos. Copy or post the message with some intriguing questions to ponder during the week.
• Have a weekly soup supper (or lunch) invite people from other churches and the community to view the videos and discuss them.

Join us this Lent. 

The videos are now posted here on our Vimeo page for downloading.

Bulletin inserts will also be available for download soon.

Men's Retreat coming soon  -  March 3-4, 2017

Calling all MEN!!!  Join us for a men's retreat at Storm Mountain Center on Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4.  We will begin with registration on Friday from 6-7 pm and conclude on Saturday around 3:30 pm.  We will use the DVD-based study "Uncommon" from Tony Dungy as our primary teaching material. During the retreat, we will share meals and fellowship, learn about living a high-impact, character-filled life for God, worship and praise God, and enjoy the beauty of one of our great camps.  If you need a little time away to recharge your life and to get started on the path to living with true significance, join us for this great retreat.

Pastors - please display this poster at your church and encourage men to attend this retreat.  If you or someone from your church has any questions, there is contact information at the bottom of the poster. Please RSVP to Pastor John Britt via e-mail by February 27th so SMC can plan for accommodations and food and so that we can prepare the correct supply of materials for the retreat. Thank you!! - Pastor John Britt and Pastor Karl Kroger

Passionate Worship Design Workshop

Register now for the Passionate Worship Design Workshop happening on Saturday, March 11, 2017, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Watertown First UMC, Watertown, S.D. All pastors, laity, youth, worship leaders, worship committee members are invited to attend.  The workshop is designed for every size church and encompasses traditional as well as modern worship experiences. The presenter will be Rev. Laura Barlett of the Oregon-Idaho Conference (click here for her resume). Laura was the designer of worship at the 2016 General Conference.

This day-long experience is for people who are passionate about worship…and for people who long for worship to be passion-filled! The event will include participatory worship, as well as plenty of opportunities to dig into both the theology and the practicality of designing creative worship, no matter what style a congregation prefers. Attendees will learn about and practice team-based worship planning and examine how music, visuals, movement, and words can be layered to create deeper meaning and to provide a variety of portals through which various congregation members can feel connected. This is a day for getting past perceived obstacles (it’s not about style or size!) and claiming the creativity and resources that are gifts from God.

Lodging is available on Friday, March 10, 2017, at Lake Poinsett Camp and Retreat Center.  Cost is only $20 to cover lunch and snacks.     Click here to register.

Job Announcements

Mitchell Fusion UMC is hiring a part-time Worship Leader. More details here.

Mitchell Fusion is also hiring a part-time Director of Children’s Ministry. More details here.