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Annual Conference Session 2017

The 2017 Great Plains Annual Conference session was conducted June 7-10 at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island, Nebraska. The theme, "Therefore Go: Know God" marked the start of a four-year theme meant to help clergy and laity of the Great Plains live into active discipleship.

Daily recaps

• Wednesday, June 7 
• Thursday, June 8 
• Friday, June 9 
• Saturday, June 10

Videos

Videos from the plenary sessions, worship services and some of the workshops are available for watching and for downloads.

Wednesday, June 7

• Opening Worship musical intro
• Service of Remembrance
• Baptisms
• Children singing during offering for education partnerships
• Sermon by the Rev. Claudia Bakely
• Service of Communion

Thursday, June 8

• Morning worship time
• Laity address
• Episcopal address
• Episcopacy Committee report
• Connecting Council report
• Laity Session 
• Laity session - sharing of ministry highlights
• Board of Ordained Ministry report
• Commissioning of interns
• Southwestern College report
• Clergy Excellence report
• TeamMates mentoring program video
• Council of Finance and Administration (report 1 of 2)
• Pension and Health Benefits report (report 1 of 2)
• Trustees report (single conference office proposal)
  • Read the executive summary of the Wimberly report.
  • See the presentation from the location consulting firm.
• Archives and History report
• Recognition of retirees

Friday, June 9

• Morning worship time led by the youth
• Workshops 
  • Keynote speaker, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady - "A Problem of Magnitude: Worship in the UMC"
  • Rev. Dr. Hal Knight - "How to Grow Closer to God: Advice from John Wesley" (with link to presentation)
  • Rev. Dr. Steve Manskar - "Disciples Making Disciples"
  • Rev. Dr. Phil Maynard - "Membership to Discipleship"
  • Rev. Marjorie Thompson - "Sabbath as Center in an Unstable World"
• Justice for Our Neighbors Nebraska report
• Living Hope United Methodist mission report
• Personnel Committee report
• Congregational Excellence and New Church Development report
• Camping ministry report
• Campus ministry report
• Commission on a Way Forward report
• Church closings resolutions
• Pension and Health Benefits report (straw poll about clergy health insurance)

Saturday, June 10

• Morning worship time
• St. Paul School of Theology report
• Motion regarding election of the 2020 General Conference delegation
• Resolutions offered by the Mercy and Justice team and constitutional amendments
• Denman Award winners
• Nominations Committee report
• Treasurer's report (includes "passing of the tie" from Rev. Gary Beach to Scott Brewer)
• Council on Finance and Administration report (report 2 of 2; includes passing of conference budget)
• Closing worship and fixing of appointments

Foundation Reports

Time constraints didn't allow for presentations this year from the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation or the Nebraska United Methodist Foundation. Their written reports and PowerPoint presentations are available for download below:

Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation written report
Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation PowerPoint presentation

Nebraska United Methodist Foundation written report
Nebraska Area United Methodist Foundation PowerPoint presentation

Photos

View more than 550 photos taken over the four days of the 2017 Great Plains Annual Conference session via our Flickr gallery. Download any photos you want from the annual conference album.

Mission Partnership Lunch presentation

Susan Burton, director of women and children's advocacy for the General Board of Church and Society, served as the guest speaker during the annual Mission Partnership lunch during the annual conference session.

Read the text of Burton's remarks.