| |
February 10, 2020
"Transformed Lives Transform Lives
"
|
|
|
Prayers of the People
Ethan Tiao, 17, of Chevy Chase UMC, and Abbey Duncan, 17, of Frostburg UMC, were the recipients of the 2020 Youth Moral Courage Award. They received their award Saturday during the annual ROCK retreat. We praise God for them and their ministries.
Learn more about these amazing young people in this
short video.
We thank God for the experiences more than 3,500 youth and their leaders had a
ROCK in Ocean City last weekend. It was a holy time. Among the many special experiences was the Polar Bear Plunge by the youth at
Grace UMC in Aberdeen. The youth group dove into the Atlantic Ocean to raise funds to make fleece blankets to give to those who attend the church's Wednesday night suppers.
On Feb. 15, the Baltimore Region begins its month of prayer and fasting for the denomination as we approach the General Conference Session in May.
Learn more.
|
Register now for Connect Leadership Summit
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.
|
'Finding Fellowship' documentary premieres
Jason Green and Kisha Davis recently released their documentary film, "Finding Fellowship," about the Quince Orchard Community and the hope our faith and history can provide
.
"Finding Fellowship" will be shown Feb. 15 at the Gaithersburg Museum at 10:30 a.m., noon, and 1:30 p.m.; Feb. 21 at Asbury Methodist Village from 6 to 8 p.m.; Feb. 25 at Quince Orchard High School from 6 to 8 p.m.; and Feb. 28 at Goshen UMC at 7:00 p.m.
|
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.
"
Parable of the Brown Girl: The Sacred Lives of Girls of Color,
" will be
the
topic of conversation when the author, the Rev. Khristi L. Adams, speaks at Kay Chapel at American University in Washington this Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 1 to 2 p.m.
The Baltimore-Washington Area Reconciling United Methodists will meet Feb. 29 from 9:30 a.m. to noon, at John Wesley UMC in Baltimore. The BWARM meeting will include a discussion of the "Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation" and other plans coming before the General Conference. The featured speaker is the Rev.
Will Ed Green, associate pastor and director of discipleship at Foundry UMC in Washington, who has been part of the organizing team for
Resist Harm.
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.
"And Know that I am God:" Several resources have recently been released to assist United Methodists as they consider the 2020 General Conference.
Discipleship Opportunities
- Registration is now open: On Feb. 18, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling will host the clergy of the Baltimore-Washington Conference in a Lenten Day Apart at Glen Mar UMC. The speaker will be Dr. Teresa L. Fry Brown, the Bandy Professor of Preaching at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta.
-
Applications for the next class of
Certified Lay Ministers are now being accepted;
learn more (Click "Learn More" under Certified Lay Minister for information and application pack). The deadline is July 1. The next class, which is a two-year commitment, will start in September. Questions can be directed to
Linda Flanagan ,
Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministries.
Advocacy and Action
- Maryland Legislative Advocacy Day, sponsored by the Conference Advocacy and Action Network and the United Methodist Women, will be held March 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Asbury UMC in Annapolis. Participants will learn about and advocate for issues surrounding criminal justice and environmental care, and visit with legislators. Those attending should wear red and bring a photo ID. For more information, contact Jeannie Lee Panesi, the UMW's social action coordinator.
- April 22 is Earth Day. The theme for this year, which marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, is climate action. Learn more.
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. The 2020 studies will be on Finding Peace in the Midst of Anxiety, and Mass Incarceration: School to Prison Pipeline. Learn more. Registration will open soon.
- 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 Feb. 21, 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.
Young People's Ministry
- Refresh 2020 Youth Leader Retreat: Join youth workers from across the BWC for a weekend to Refresh. Attendees will spend a weekend at Manidokan Camp and Retreat Center for worship, training, and intentional reflection and restoration. \Cost 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.
- 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.
- Spaces are available for Camp Hope for this summer: Camp Hope, based in Frostburg, is a Christian youth ministry program that assists homeowners with needed repairs. Teams of senior high youth (aged 14 - 18) work with adult leaders from their church for one week to serve a homeowner with a home improvement need they are physically or financially unable to complete on their own. Learn more.
-
Registration for overnight summer camp is open.
Learn more.
|
Nominations open for BWC awards
Peace with Justice Awards: nominate your congregation today. Peace with Justice is a way United Methodists can reflect God's shalom. It calls the church to "strengthen its capacity to advocate publicly in communities and nations" throughout the world. Hence, the BWC Peace with Justice grant is for witnesses to God's demand for a faithful, just, disarmed, and secure world. If you are a part of congregation that is missionally increasing God's Shalom, or you know of one that is,
learn more.
United to Love Moral Courage Awards for ADULTS: The United to Love Moral Courage Awards celebrate people who put their faith into action, especially when doing so is uncomfortable or unpopular for the sake of justice despite risk, comfort, and or societal silence. Do you know someone who does the right thing even when it is a difficult thing to do? Are you someone who advocates to improve the lives of others? Do you know that person?
Learn more about this award, and/or to nominate this faithful individual. All are invited to apply.
Discipleship Awards Nominations Now Open: The BWC celebrates leaders and faith communities who are doing excellent ministry and transforming lives. One of the ways we do this is through an annual call for nominations and applications which are due April 1 and will be revealed at Annual Conference unless otherwise noted. The awards that will be presented are:
- Wellness & Missions - $1,000 to a faith community that exemplifies the fostering of spiritual, physical and mental health;
- Advocacy & Action - $1,000 for partnerships that advocate to transform systems which disenfranchise, marginalize and oppress;
- Harry Denman Evangelism Award - recognition for exceptional ministry of evangelism;
- Moral Courage Award - recognition for the pursuit of justice, loving-kindness, and walking humbly with God; and
- Youth Group Leader of the Year - honors a BWC United Methodist who exemplifies inviting, inspiring and strengthening youth skilled servant workers.
|
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
This year, the
Pre-Conference Briefing, along with the Clergy Session and Laity Session traditionally held at Annual Conference, will be April 18 at the Ranson Civic Center in Ranson, W.Va., and Asbury UMC in Charles Town, W.Va.
The
236th Session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference will be Wednesday through Friday, May 27 to 29, at the Waterfront Marriott Hotel in Baltimore.
|
|
|
Melissa Lauber, Director of Communications
11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
