District Conference Announcements: April 2016

This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song: Looking Ahead to District Conference

Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, Moderator

A Special Invitation
When we gather for District Conference, August 5-7, 2016, we will be gathering for our 150th recorded “big meeting.” This is a significant milestone. I would like to extend a special invitation to each of our congregations, fellowships, and projects, to send delegates and representatives to District Conference to celebrate this milestone, to strengthen the bonds of fellowship, and to share in the work of the church in the Northern Plains District. We are each—individually and as congregations—members of the body of Christ, and the body is not complete when some are missing.

To mark the milestone, strengthen the bonds of fellowship, and embody God’s Story and Song by serving together as Christ’s hands and feet in this time and place, everyone is invited to participate in several special activities before and during District Conference.

Special Opportunities for Fellowship at District Conference
When we gather for our 150th recorded District Conference, August 5-7, 2016, we will gather to do the work of the church and to worship our God together, but we will also enjoy times of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This fellowship is an important component of our time together, strengthening the bonds of unity. Not only will we break bread together, sharing fellowship around the meal tables, but both Friday and Saturday evenings there will be special times of fellowship. On Friday evening, conference-goers are invited to support our youth as they host their annual ice cream social, sharing conversation with old and new friends while engaging in a favorite Brethren pastime—eating ice cream. On Saturday evening, after a festival of story and song celebrating the ongoing ministry of God’s people in the Northern Plains District, we will celebrate our 150th anniversary with cake and another opportunity to share in casual conversations with one another.

150 Random Acts of Kindness
In the months leading up to District Conference, the District Conference Planning Committee also wants to remind congregations of the challenge to collectively engage in 150 random acts of kindness—or to put it another way, 150 acts of ministry—within your surrounding communities. We are celebrating a significant milestone in our life together, but we don’t want to focus solely on the past. As God’s people we are part of a continuing story. What better way to celebrate that than to actually embody our identity as a “sent people” and to reach out in service to those in need. As you engage in your random acts of kindness, take pictures of your efforts. Send your pictures and stories to Hannah Button-Harrison communications@nplains.org for publication in the district newsletter and possibly on the website AND bring a copy of your pictures to District Conference for inclusion in a collage that will celebrate the ways we are still engaged in vital ministry in the upper Midwest.

Symbols of Congregational Ministry
The District Conference Planning Committee also invites each congregation to bring something that represents your congregational story to District Conference. The Northern Plains District is comprised of its congregations; without the congregations there wouldn’t be a district. We are not sure if we will use these items as part of the worship center or as part of a different display, but we know we want to create a visual representation of the congregations that make up our district. The possibilities are endless. The item you choose to bring might be an historical artifact, it might be a piece of art, it might be a symbol of a long-time and continuous ministry in which you are engaged, it might be a symbol of new vitality. Hopefully the selection of the item won’t be a unilateral decision made by the pastor or a small committee, but a decision made by the congregation as you reflect together about your story and the ways your story intersects with God’s story.

Moderator Visits
Just a reminder, as a transplant to this district I now call home, I have a strong desire to visit as many congregations as possible between now and District Conference. During those visits, I want to talk about the importance of remembering and faithfully living into God’s Story—in word, song, and action—and I want to listen to the ways in which your own stories have intersected with God’s Story. To schedule a visit, please contact me at 612-239-6214 or rpgingrich@yahoo.com