Woodland United Methodist Church

05/31/2026

Sunday Service 5/31/2026

05/31/2026

Appointments were set today, and spoiler alert - Woodland, you’ve got me for another year! Today we also commissioned, ordained, and licensed clergy, heard from a few more of our shared ministries, and approved the strategic plan and budget. Pictured is our cabinet, including our beloved District Superintendent, Chali!
It was a long but good week, and Benni and I were eager to get home!
Edit: also pictured are the youth from Annual Conference along with the bishop.

05/29/2026

Today at Annual Conference, the youth led our morning worship (hey! We know that usher!), which is always a treat. We heard reports from our shared ministries, a laity report, and a youth report.

Before the business session, some folks organized a glitter blessing to show our love and support for our trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming community. It was lovely.

For our business, we voted on and passed three resolutions:
1. Supporting migrants, immigrants, and refugees
2. Answering the call of Kairos Palestine II (basically condemning the genocide and land annexation of the Palestinian people)
3. Support for the transgender community

It was obvious the youth had been practicing parliamentary procedure, and they had some things to say! I'm here for it y'all. Keep leading.

There is always debate on such matters, but now it really does feel like holy conferencing. It's amazing what we can get done when we have a better sense of our identity and a commitment to stay true to who we are as a church and where God is inviting us next!

A few awards were given, and one of my new friends, Michael Park, was recognized for the amazing growth his churches have seen.

We then welcomed two new members through the sacrament of baptism, including the cutest little guy who kept trying to steal bishop's mic! (I don't have permission to share pictures from parents, so sorry!). We finished by recognizing our retirees, and Trudy Kenyon Anderson, my mentor, was one of the presenters.

It was a long but good day.

One more half day, then we will be Kansas bound!

05/29/2026

The Rev. Dr. Charlotte Abram brought THE WORD today in opening worship!

05/28/2026

Clergy session of Annual Conference is underway!

05/24/2026

Sunday Service 5/24/2026

05/21/2026

Thank you, bishops.

The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church is acutely aware of, and deeply concerned about, the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to deny protection to Section Two of the Voting Rights Act.

05/20/2026

Remember this, Woodland and friends?

So, what's the deal with the goose?
In April, we had a goose make her nest on top of our terrace roof. For weeks, church members and staff checked on her, watched her, and fed her, hoping to someday see her babies! When we realized how much joy she was bringing us, we wanted to share it with our neighbors but in a way that wouldn't disturb our resident. We borrowed the camera we got to live stream our services and set up a place where people can tune in to check on her from time to time.
Our neighborhood also voted on her name . . . this is Lucy Goosey! Due to time limits set up by FaceBook, we can't do an uninterrupted live stream, but we do our best to keep it rolling throughout the daylight hours. Below, you will find a place to connect with Lucy, and hopefully someday soon, her babies.

05/20/2026

We are so thankful for Woodland’s own Brian Irwin! His willingness to serve our community by applying for the vacant WPS Board Member position demonstrates his investment in our community. Though another person was selected to serve on the Wichita School Board (and that is a lovely story, too, check out the link), we are grateful for his love and care for the youth of our city.
https://www.kansas.com/news/local/education/article315777064.html?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6a07c8ad5402f7000196e002&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawR6iI9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFGWFQ5V3BOcTI3MGowTmNhc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkSbDp4Z4Ycgd1cQwLaVVx3GVUZcVi5Cb21jY2C6r0doNq0zDpvq9k3sB9AS_aem_YWdncwA2nWec_OmVAZwCUuy_Q7wN

“I will give it my best, you better believe, I’ll give it my best effort.”

05/19/2026

Hi all! Pastor Valecia has had an unexpected schedule change and will be in the office Thursday instead of Wednesday. We apologize for the inconvenience!