Mental Health First Aid Training

Rural Missouri Connection is partnering with Compass Health to offer a free, virtual Mental Health First Aid course on December 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. This 8-hour training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to appropriate care. The course is free and open to the public but is limited to 20 participants. Register with Autumn Newman at [email protected] by November 1. More information at https://www.moumethodist.org/eventdetail/14323191?month=12&year=2020&day=1&display=m.

Action Required: Local Churches with Chartered Boy Scout Troops (Past or Present) – BSA Bankruptcy

General Counsel for GCFA, Bryan Mills, issued guidance requesting that any church that has ever chartered or otherwise sponsored a Boy Scout Troop, Cub Scout Pack or Venturing Crew should take action to preserve any potential claims they may have. The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy to protect itself against a growing number of sexual abuse claims made against it. This bankruptcy process is intended to allow the BSA to deal with these claims – through the creation of and payment from a victim’s compensation trust fund – and still continue its operations. As is typical in bankruptcy proceedings, the court has established a “Bar Date,” which is the deadline for potential creditors to file claims against the BSA. The deadline in this case is November 16, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. CT. Please note that proof of claims must be received by that time, not postmarked. Moreover, the online application can take up to 48 hours to verify new accounts electronically. An email was sent on Friday, October 23, to the senior pastor, church administrator and scouting coordinator at every church where the Conference has knowledge of a chartered troop. If you have a chartered troop and did NOT receive the email, please contact Christa Edwards at [email protected].

Job Postings

• Missional Strategist – Missouri Conference, Columbia
• Connect Coordinator – First UMC, Jefferson City
• Director of Student Ministries – Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, KS
• Director of Youth and College Age Ministries – Chillicothe UMC

For complete job descriptions, application instructions or to post a job opportunity at your church go to www.moumethodist.org/classifieds.