Plan of ActionBelow you can find the Northeastern Jurisdiction Native American Ministries Committee Plan of Action for 2017-2020 including goals, purposes, activities and timeline, and the responsible person(s).
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The work of the committee will include training, leadership development, identifying native people, updating the website, fund raising/grant writing, updating the membership list and developing and updating native american ministries (NAMS) resources.
Goal |
Purpose |
Activities/Timeline |
Responsible Person(s) |
To have a CoNAM in all ten conferences of the Jurisdiction. |
To have an entity in each conference to work on Native ministries and concerns and determine distribution of NAMS funds. |
To establish a CoNAM in the Western PA Conference if not done in 2016 |
Members of the Executive Committee and other committee members |
To start and strengthen Native American Ministries. |
To begin to work on ways to develop ministries through starting churches, fellowships, small groups, etc. |
Review the recommendations from the Native American Ministries subcommittee |
CoNAMs, Executive Committee, and Native American Ministries subcommittee |
Support Native American Pastors, seminary students, local pastors, and lay servants. |
To get more Native people to go into ministry. |
Revamp the Lay Missionary Planting Network to fit the needs of Native communities in the Jurisdiction as well as review the recommendations from the Native American Ministries subcommittee |
CoNAMs, Executive Committee, and Native American Ministries subcommittee |
Work with seminaries in the jurisdiction |
To have classes/programs that will enable seminary students to be more aware of Native American theology and culture as they may now, or in the future, be involved with Native communities |
Continue to support the Native American Theology and Culture class at Drew and to have this program also implemented at the Boston and Wesley Seminaries |
CoNAMs, Executive Committee, and Native American Ministries subcommittee |
All conferences to include a NAMS representative designation on church/charge conference forms |
To provide a database of Native American representatives in each conference |
Write letters to Bishops, DCMs, and others in the conferences asking them to utilize the Church/Charge Conference forms. Target New England, NY, Susquehanna, W. VA, and W. PA |
Committee Chair and CoNAM Chairs |
Act of Repentance Service |
Help people in the conferences understand how history relates to how they need to develop a relationship with Native people |
Services have been held in ten conferences of the Jurisdiction; service to be held in W. PA Conference this quadrennium |
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Support CoNAMs to become more informed and involved with Native American Ministries Sunday |
CoNAMs will continue to be a resource for NAMS within their conference |
Utilize document "Roles and Responsibilities of a Native American Ministries Sunday Representative" |
Communication Committee |
Provide and identify training opportunities to assist CoNAMs |
Open opportunities for Native people |
One meeting in the quadrennium will be a training session for the CoNAMs. Support training/events set up by NACP, NAIC, UMW, boards and agencies, and other entities of the UMC |
CoNAMs and Executive Committee |
Leadership development |
To encourage Native people to attend meetings and events and to utilize internship programs through the quadrennium |
Continue to support Peg-Leg Flamingos Program, encourage people to attend the Native American Comprehensive Plan CoNAM training, encourage people to attend Family Camp, a program of the Native American International Caucus, in 2018 |
CoNAMs |
Continue to develop a policy which will identify Native Americans using an inclusive definition which goes beyond Federal identification |
To respect encrollment policy of tribes in the Jurisdication and increase understanding of identity for church members, boards, and agencies |
Review the recommendation from the subcommittee working on this issue |
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Place items at Drew University under direction of the Archive Committee |
To keep the work of this entity together |
Items to be place will be approved by the Executive Committee or NEJNAMC |
Executive Committee |
Hiring an Executive Director |
If this position is needed and if we have the funds to hire an Executive Director, a subcommittee will be setup to develop the job description, salary package, and funding sources |
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Identify an issue that is of concern to Native people |
To be responsive to the needs of the Native communities in the Jurisdiction and each CoNAM |
At each Annual meeting we will decide on the issue to work on for the following year. |
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Update and develop public relation information pertaining to NEJNAMC |
Let people and entities know who we are |
To include: brochure, website, and other resources |
Communications Committee |
Develop awareness of Native people's own gifts and talents |
To increase participation of Native people in the life of the church |
Ongoing: Identify Native people as resources in the conference, Jurisdiction, and internationally. They can be asked to be worship and music leaders, speakers, workshop, worship, and Bible Study leaders and writers, etc. |
CoNAMs and NEJNAMC |
Fundraising |
To maintain the work of NEJNAMC |
Ongoing: Continue with silent auction. Look at ways to sustain the organization as well as find funds to develop events and resources |
Treasurer Executive Committee, and NEJNAMC |
| Nejnamc POA 2017-2020.pdf |
Our MissionWith God’s grace and guidance, the NEJ Native American Ministries Committee will serve as the body that helps to guide Native Americans in the Northeastern Jurisdiction to develop and maintain a relationship through The United Methodist Church.
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Our GoalTo unite Native Americans residing within the bounds of the Jurisdiction in order to show strength and solidarity in Ministry with God and to make this presence known throughout the jurisdiction and the Church.
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Our Objectives
- Educate the Conferences on the purpose of Native American Ministries Sunday (NAMS).
- Establish and support Committees on Native American Ministry (CoNAMS) in all the Annual Conferences of the NEJ.
- Encourage each of the Annual Conferences to continue the journey toward healing and wholeness established by the Act of Repentance.
- Start and strengthen Native American Ministries.
- Establish resources to increase awareness and encourage interaction with Native Communities.
- Maintain a website that shares stories, resources and events that relate to Native communities, ministries, and Peoples.