Archive for the ‘Goodland United Methodist Church’ Category

Now serving with Rev. Dr. Shelly Petz!

August 24, 2009

Dustin & ShellyAs many of you know, Shelly and I are both ordained clergy in the UMC.  In December I was appointed to Goodland and Shelly was placed on Family Leave.  However, we are very excited that the Goodland congregation and Bishop Jones took action to have us both appointed here.  Thus, as of July 1, 2009, we are both serving the Goodland community!  We appreciate the faith and vision of the congregation to hire both of us, and we look forward to what God will do in and through our ministries together!

Shelly and I will be co-pastors and will share in all aspects of our ministry.  We each have different sets of gifts and graces, and so we will seek to employ them to be most effective.  Actually each of our various gifts complement well the other’s and so it ought to be a joy to work together again on the same team.

Posted in Church Leadership, Clergy Couples, Goodland United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church, Young Clergy | Leave a Comment »

40 Days of Prayer

May 18, 2009

Starting today the 18th of May, there is a prayer campaign – 40 days of prayer – for the purpose of renewal of the United Methodist Church, and I pray for the whole church.  It is being facilitated by Ben Simpson, who has organized forty young clergy authors to write prayers, then to organize themselves and others to be in prayer for direction, confession, and purpose.

I am blessed to be able to include these prayers within my weekly radio devotions (see the page with links).

I see this as an important ministry as we near the end of the Easter season, as we celebrate and remember Christ ascending, calling the early church to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit….and to pray!  They were to wait and pray, so that they might be given direction and purpose.  As we move towards the Day of Pentecost may we be open to the power of the Holy Spirit, that it might convict us, mold us, and call us forward into renewal and transformation.

God, use us and these forty days to ignite a fire of purpose and vision!  Amen.

Posted in Church Leadership, Goodland United Methodist Church, Ministry, United Methodist Church, Young Clergy | Leave a Comment »

Small Group Home Visits

February 9, 2009

One of the relational practices that we are doing in these first months at Goodland is organizing small group home visits.  They consist of about 10-16 people who gather for a meal or desert in someone’s home.  So far we have participated in four of these gatherings, with four more scheduled, and few not yet scheduled. 

During our time together we share in food and fellowship, getting to know one another better.  It is so life-giving to break bread with one another!  We also spend some time discussing three sets of questions:

  1. What do you like best about our church?  Why are you connected to our congregation?
  2. How can I best serve as your pastor?
  3. What do you want our church to be known for in five years?  What kind of church do you want us to be?

I have found that these questions are helpful to get us talking about the vision of who God is calling us to be.  It has been a joy to be in conversation about the various ministries and ways we might sharing in making disciples and working to transform our lives, our community, and our world. 

If you are a part of the Goodland congregation (or if you are visited this site and don’t attend our congregation, but have thoughts to add), please comment and offer your reflections on these questions!

Posted in Church Leadership, Goodland United Methodist Church, Kansas, Ministry | Leave a Comment »

Bishop Jones comes to Goodland

January 22, 2009

Bishop Scott Jones, of the Kansas Area of the United Methodist Church, will be in Goodland on Saturday and Sunday of this week, January 24th and 25th.  He will be here to connect with the congregation and to lead in worship.  Here are the details of his schedule:

  • Saturday evening worship – on January 24that 5:30pm (in the sanctuary).
  • Sunday morning Q&A session with the Bishop from 9:15am to 10:15am (in the parlor).
  • Sunday morning worship – on January 25that 10:30am (in the sanctuary).
  • Community Potluck following worship, approximately at 11:45am (in the fellowship hall).

Here is a link to learn more about Bishop Scott Jones. 

I hope that you will come and join me in welcoming him and growing with his leadership!

Posted in Church Leadership, Goodland United Methodist Church, Kansas Area, United Methodist Church | Leave a Comment »

How are you called?

January 19, 2009

This past Sunday, I preached about how we are all gifted for ministry and called by God to be in service to/with others (you can listen to the sermon here).  I shared my call story and invited everyone to be open to God’s Spirit leading them to recognize and live out their own callings. 

I included in the bulletin the following list of opportunities to be in ministry, hoping to help the congregation discern God leading them in their lives.  May it also spark better understanding for you in your calling!

Possible means of being Gifted and Called by God

 Below is a brainstorming list of ministries within the local church ministry and beyond it, to which God may be calling you to use your spiritual gifts.  Some of these ministries are already in place and you are invited to join them.  Others are opportunities for us, as God calls us, to use our gifts and graces.  May you be open to God’s leading! 

  • Be a part of a vision team for big picture and future direction of the church.
  • Offer coordination for the nursery care on Sunday mornings.
  • Be part of a team to offer lay congregational care – visitation, prayer, phone calls, etc.
  • Join those who prepare the elements for communion and organize servers.
  • Join the hospitality (Shepherd) team for welcoming new people.
  • Be part of the team organized to follow-up with new visitors.
  • Join the website team as we work on a new site – help create content & multi-media.
  • Help to follow up with persons who have not been present in worship to check in.
  • Organize opportunities for people to get connected to our ministries.
  • Connect with the students and staff of the Northwest Kansas Area Technical College.
  • Facilitate a cassette tape and CD ministry for people who cannot attend worship.
  • Help the church with better communication through a newsletter – be the editor!
  • Organize a prayer team and prayer ministries – prayer room, prayer vigil, chapel – etc.
  • Be a Parish Nurse – working to strengthen the health of our congregation.
  • Be the Camp Lakeside coordinator for our congregation – to help students participate.
  • Become a team to actively organize service opportunities in our community – and doing so in connection with other groups: Genesis, other churches, the city, etc.
  • Join to strengthen our ecumenical connection – be the person of contact
  • Organize a spiritual retreat – a Sabbath Retreat
  • Teach and facilitate discipleship classes – Disciple Bible Study, and others
  • Be a part of a fellowship team – organizing sports and recreation opportunities.
  • Take the lead to organize a mission trip – near by or further away.
  • Join to find best options to have projection in our worship space with a screen.
  • Get trained and facilitate equipment within the technology booth.
  • Be a sponsor and/or chaperon for the youth ministries with the directors
  • Be a mentor for a future confirmation class.
  • Join a ministry to strengthen the stewardship (financial, energy, etc.) of our church.
  • Help lead or facilitate in the worship ministries at Good Samaritan & Wheat Ridge – Sunday worship (within the ministerial alliance) or 3rd Thursdays.
  • Be our Disaster Response Coordinator.

 How might God be calling you to use your gifts and graces for others?

Posted in Church Leadership, Goodland United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church | Leave a Comment »

I’m Back!

January 9, 2009

Hello all!  It has been a little crazy moving this past month, celebrating the Advent and Christmas seasons, getting to know many of my new congregation in Goodland, and trying to get unpacked.  We still have a lot of boxes to go through.  Thanks for everyone who offered us so much care and support in this transition!  We appreciate you!

I look forward to getting back into the flow of blogging and communicating about my ministry, what is going on at Goodland UMC, and sharing my reflections about discipleship on the way!  Sorry for the long break.

Website:  We are working on a new website for the Goodland United Methodist Church, which is in its early stages, but I am hopeful!  I just made it live, so here is a link.  We will get our church’s domain name connected soon.

Radio Spots:  I will begin on Monday, the 12th of January, a new radio ministry – new to me.  On KKCI and KLOE at 6:10am MST each day of the week, I will have a short devotion as part of the Good Neighbor Hour programing.  I have recorded the first week’s sessions, and have plans to connect those recordings to this blog and the church’s new website, so that people can listen to them again or hear ones that they missed. 

Shaylin’s Baptism:  Shaylin was baptized on January 4th by the United Methodist Clergy of her family: Jenny, John, Shelly, and myself.  It was quite a site to see.  I don’t have all the pics ready, but will get them up soon.

Shaylin’s First Christmas:  Don’t you just love this cute pic!

Posted in Church Leadership, Family, Goodland United Methodist Church, Kansas, Ministry | Leave a Comment »

“Go West young man”

October 1, 2008

It was officially posted to the Kansas West Conference website this past Monday, September 29th, that I am receiving a new appointment.  As of December 1, 2008 I will be serving as the pastor of Goodland United Methodist Church of Goodland, KS.  Here is a google map of where it is located.  Shelly will be on family leave until July 1, at which time she will plan to receive a part-time appointment. 

Shelly, Shaylin, and I will be selling our home in Olathe and moving west in late November.  We have been blessed in our time of ministry and leadership at Grace and will miss the people and connections we have nurtured.  Yet we are also excited about this new path on the journey of pastoral ministry. 

Transitions are hard – holding the spectrum of emotions (which ebb and flow) of excitement, frustration, grief, possibility, and just plain stress.  May God’s mercy and peace be with all of us as we move into the newness of each day.  We appreciate your prayers in this transition.

There are three things that we are called to do: 

  1. say good-bye and end well, 
  2. say hello and begin well, and
  3. tend to self-care and groundedness with God along the way. 


Reflection Questions (for your comment): What suggestions do you have for us as we transition?  How might a pastoral change invite us to think of other changes and losses that we experience in life?  Who do you find that helps you get through change and transition?

Posted in Church Leadership, Clergy Couples, Family, Goodland United Methodist Church, Grace United Methodist Church, Kansas, Kansas Area, Ministry | 2 Comments »

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