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February 24, 2020
"Transformed Lives Transform Lives
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Prayers of the People
Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday, February 26, when Christians across the world will begin to respond to a Lenten call of confession and repentance. As part of the Lenten experience, churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference are invited to participate in a journey from head to heart that explores "
Who Are We as the People of the Baltimore-Washington Conference."
Members of the BWC are also invited to a time of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, and of prayer inspired by Isaiah 58:6-7. Learn more.
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Discipleship Council Endorses Protocol
The BWC's 14-member Discipleship Council is charged with ensuring conference resources and ministries align to its mission, vision, and priorities, and guiding the conference's strategic direction. At its Feb. 18 meeting, the Council voted to support the work and spirit of The Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation as a faithful step for the future of The United Methodist Church.
Their statement asserts that the Protocol "provides a way forward for the church's mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, while also acknowledging the deep division, pain, and conflict within our church in recent decades." It goes on to say that, "While we lament a separation of any kind within the body of Christ, we believe that The Protocol represents a call to a renewed life for the church and its people."
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Registration for PreCon Session opens Wednesday
Registration for the Pre-Conference Session of Annual Conference opens Wednesday, Feb. 26. The Pre-Conference Session will be held Saturday, April 18, at the Ranson Civic Center at 432 W. 2nd Ave. in Ranson, W.Va. from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The doors open for registration at 8:30 a.m. The briefing is designed to prepare lay and clergy members for the 236th session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference,
which
will be held May 27-29 in Baltimore.
The laity and clergy sessions will be held after the Pre-Conference Briefing from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The laity will meet at the Ranson Civic Center. J
odi Cataldo, director of Laity in Leadership at Discipleship Ministries, will be the speaker.
Clergy will meet at Asbury UMC at 110 W. North Street in Charles Town, W.Va.
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The BWC's Center for Clergy and Laity Development is piloting an initiative for clergy care that will soon incorporate every active clergy in the Conference on their fifth-year anniversaries of ministry. Those who wish to participate in the pilot program will discover means of renewal in the key areas of heart, soul, mind, and strength. Learn more at
www.livingcompass.org/assessment-introduction.
For more information, contact the
Rev. John Nupp,
Executive Minister of Call and Clergy Care.
Refresh 2020 Youth Leader Retreat
:
Join youth workers from across the BWC for a weekend to Refresh, March 20-22. Attendees will spend a weekend at Manidokan Camp and Retreat Center for worship, training, and intentional reflection and restoration.
The c
ost is $225 per person for lodging, meals, and a weekend of worship, reflection, and restoration.
Register online
by March 6; contact
Cheryl Cook
with any questions.
Taste of West River: The West River Center, at 5100 Chalk Point Road in Churchton, is holding its inaugural Taste of West River fundraising event March 1. Enjoy a seven-course gourmet meal prepared by new West River Food Service Director, Chef Matthew Frederiksen. $50 tickets are available at
https://tinyurl.com/tasteofwestriver. All proceeds will go to support camperships.
Communications training: United Methodist Communications will hold a Local Church School for all those interested in church communications on Monday, March 16, from 2 to 6 p.m., at Clarendon UMC in Arlington, Va. The training will cover marketing, photography and videography, social media, web sites, and e-mail best practices. The cost is $15.
Learn more.
Discipleship Opportunities
Leadership Development
The BWC's
Leadership Days are being
transformed into a new format that takes training for local church leaders to the next level.
The Connect Leadership Summit will be held March 7, in the Baltimore and Washington Regions, and March 14 in the Southern and Western Regions. Leaders will be inspired and equipped to connect more people to Jesus with a plenary presentation from Daniel Im, author of "No Silver Bullets," specialized learning in one of six ministry area tracks, and several specially designed workshops tailored to specific needs.
The tracks for specialized learning will cover Abundant Health, Deepening Discipleship, Generosity Generators, New Level Leaders, New Faith Expression and Young People's Ministry.
Learn more and register.
- There is still time to apply to start your Doctor of Ministry at Wesley this year! Wesley's latest Church Leadership Excellence cohort, offered in cooperation with the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, will begin May 2020. Due to a number of requests, Wesley has extended the application deadline to February 29. Admissions can assist you to fast-track your application. Contact Admissions at admis...@wesleyseminary.edu. More information on this and all the Doctor of Ministry areas of focus can be found at www.wesleyseminary.edu/doctorofministry/
Advocacy and Action
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Advocacy Days: Join the United Methodist Women and the BWC's Advocacy and Action Network on March 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., for Legislative Advocacy Day. The event begins at Asbury UMC, 87 West St. in Annapolis, for worship, followed by workshops, lunch and a visit to the Maryland State House for legislative hearings and visits. Choose one of three workshop tracks: climate justice, immigration reform, or the school-to-prison pipeline (restorative justice). Participants are asked to wear red as a color of solidarity. The event is $12.
Register online. For more information, contact
Linda Yost.
- The BWC's Native American Ministries is seeking to rebuild its team and expand its work. If you are a member of a native tribal community, are linked ancestrally to a tribe, and/or desire to further First Nation or indigenous people's justice, contact the Rev. Stacey Cole by March 15.
- "True Justice" Screening: The United Methodist Women of Mount Olive UMC will hold a screening of Bryan Stevenson's film, "True Justice," on Saturday, March 23, at 2 p.m. For more information, contact Cynthia Taylor
Wellness and Missions
- Mission u: Interrupting the School to Prison Pipeline, an event co-sponsored by the United Methodist Women and the BWC's Wellness and Missions team, will be held July 24-26 at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel. The 2020 studies will focus on Finding Peace in the Midst of Anxiety, and Mass Incarceration: School to Prison Pipeline. Learn more.
- When disasters happen, it is local churches that provide the first response to their communities. This basic understanding -- that disaster response is local -- forms the foundation for UMCOR's U.S. disaster training and response efforts. The BWC UMCOR ERT trainers are available to provide ERT trainings on March 22 and May 16. If your church is interested in hosting a training event on one of these dates, contact Pastor Fred Sipes, BWC Disaster Response Coordinator, to discuss the logistics of being a host site.
- The BWC's Wellness and Mission Team recommends the following resource for Lent from "Living Compass," titled, "Practicing Courage with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind."
Young People's Ministry
- Youth Member at Large: Every year, three youth per district have the opportunity to serve as youth members at large to Annual Conference. As a member at large, youth get to experience and participate in all the sessions and vote on resolutions and reports. If you are interested in serving, fill out the application online. Applicants will be notified by April 1 if they are selected to serve. Contact Cheryl Cook with any questions.
- BWC Scholarships: The BWC awards scholarships for qualified students currently attending college, as well as high school seniors who plan to attend college in the fall of 2020. The application process closes March 5. Learn more and apply.
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The Mission of Peace
(MOP) is a yearly international journey of discovery and shalom sponsored by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Council on Youth Ministries. Every conference in the jurisdiction may select up to four high school youth for this experience. The approximate dates for the 2021 MOP to China are Dec. 27, 2020 to Jan. 15, 2021. The estimated cost is $5,000 per person. Each youth must raise the money to support his/ her MOP and is expected to share their experience at least five times upon returning. Applications are due March 1.
Read a story
about this year's Mission of Peace trip to India.
- Focus on Wellness: Following increased interest by BWC youth, the Conference is expanding its wellness resourcing with and for youth and those who love them. Visit bwcumc.org/YPMWellness. Also make sure to see the new suicide prevention video and accompanying resourcing, unveiled at ROCK. If you are a youth who wants to be involved in working with experts to develop peer resourcing, complete the Student Leadership Cohort Interest Form.
- Save the Date for the Manidokan I-KAN 5K Obstacle Adventure Race Sep. 12. Run as an individual, make a team, run competitively or just for fun. A kid-size race will also be available for those ages 4-11. The event will raise funds for site improvements and camperships.
Other Opportunities
- The Baltimore-Washington Area Reconciling United Methodists will meet Feb. 29 from 9:30 a.m. to noon, at John Wesley UMC at 3202 W. North Ave. in Baltimore. The featured speaker is the Rev. Will Ed Green, associate pastor and director of discipleship at Foundry UMC in Washington.
- Best of Baltimore: Good Shepherd UMC in Baltimore has been nominated for two Best in Baltimore awards by the Baltimore Sun's Reader Poll. The first is for the best pastor, the Rev. Bonnie McCubbin, and the second is for best summer camp in Baltimore. These were the only United Methodists nominated. Votes are being accepted through March 6.
- The Baltimore-Washington Conference's Wesley Covenant Association will hold a "WCA-101" town hall meeting Sunday, March 15, from 4 to 6 p.m., at Emmanuel UMC, 24 Humbird Ave. in Cumberland. Questions? Call 301-722-8101.
Classifieds
The Incredible Race Vacation Bible School 2019 kit, plus six adult T-shirts,
in extremely good condition, for sale at half of original purchased price by Cheverly UMC in Cheverly. Inquire by e-mail to
jerryl...@gmail.com.
Glen Burnie UMC is need of a part-time secretary to work Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A full job description will be provided for interested applicants by calling
Donna Haehl, SPRC chairperson, at (410) 969-0541.
Pew are Free to Good Home: Centenary UMC in Shady Side has two pews to give away. The pews are 10-feet long and 18-inches deep. They have white ends with wood seats and were recently refinished. Contact
centenaryum...@gmail.com.
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The Baltimore-Washington Conference will serve as the host conference of the
2020 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference, July 13-17, 2020, at the Delta Hotel in Hunt Valley. People in this area are being asked to volunteer. Some of the servant opportunities include greeting, welcoming (at the airports/train stations, and light rail), pages, tellers and runners, and much more. The
Rev. Patricia Allen of St. Paul's UMC in Kensington is chairperson of volunteer coordination. Contact her at
pasto...@gmail.com and provide your name, best email contact, your region or district, and how you are willing to serve.
Other Conference-related news
The
236th Session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference will be Wednesday through Friday, May 27 to 29, at the Waterfront Marriott Hotel in Baltimore.
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Melissa Lauber, Director of Communications
11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759
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