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Annual Conference checklist

1. Open and read the Bishop’s Invitation to Annual Conference.
    
2. Download and read your pre-conference packet from the conference website.
    
3. Visit the conference website’s Annual Conference pages for up-to-date information on worship services, offerings, conference business and special activities planned for the session.  You can also find information on relevant submission deadlines for materials and presentations. 
    
4. Make your hotel reservation. For a list of hotels with blocks of rooms for our event, visit the Annual Conference Hotel Information page.
    
5. Complete the Annual Conference registration online by May 4, 2009. Paper registrations, for those without Internet access, must be completed and sent to Kansas West Conference, 9440 E. Boston Suite 110, Wichita KS 67207 by May 4, 2009.
    
6. Carefully add up your meal total. Checks should be made payable to Kansas West Conference and sent with your completed registration form to the address listed in #5.
    
7. Read the materials in the pre-conference packet.
   • A condensed schedule may be found in the front of the pre-conference workbook. You can also find the schedule online.
   • The Enabling Motion contains the rules for speaking on the conference floor, the Consent Calendar, steps to remove an item from the Consent Calendar and the steps for introducing new legislation on the conference floor.
   • Reports and resolutions received by April 8 are included in the pre-conference workbook. In addition to these reports and resolutions, additional business items may be handed out at Annual Conference.
      
8. Send business items to be considered at the 2009 session to Anita McMillan, conference secretary by April 8  for inclusion in the online pre-conference workbook. 
   • Before conference, business may be e-mailed to Anita at teammac@sktc.net.
     During conference, business must be submitted in writing to the Conference Secretary.
   • Any matter requiring action by the Annual Conference shall be printed and in the hands of the members of the conference at least four session hours prior to action.
      
9. If you are unable to download materials from the web, contact Anita McMillan at teammac@sktc.net or call her at 620-545-7755.
    
10. Collect offerings for the Annual Conference offerings in your congregation.
    • Offerings will be:
      • Opening Worship: United Methodist Open Door, United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican American Ministries, GraceMed
      • Ordination: Seminary Scholarship Endowment Fund
      • Youth Devotions: Youth Service Fund.
    • Offerings collected in advance may be sent to the conference office by your church treasurer. Checks should be payable to Kansas West Conference and mailed to 9440 E Boston, Suite 110, Wichita KS 67207. The offering should be clearly marked on the memo line. If more than one offering is mailed in on the same check a note listing the offerings collected and the amounts should be included with the check.
       
11. Read the Annual Conference related articles in the Kansas West Connection or online at www.kswestumc.org in the Annual Conference area. News stories are found on the Annual Conference News page.
     
12. Place your 2009 Journal order by June 30. When it's available, a Journal order form may be downloaded HERE.
     
13. Plan to dress in layers during the conference. The room is sometimes hot and sometimes cold.
     
14. Come with a heart and mind open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in shaping the direction of the Annual Conference.