Here's the August news for you!

New MRD Appointments

Dan Kim (FE), Trinity UMC (Smithfield)

Tim Tate (FE), Fredericksburg UMC

Intek Oh (FE), Trinity UMC (Poquoson)

Rebecca Rumburg (FE), Central UMC (Mathews)

Jung Ho Kim (OE), Holy Cross International UMC

Loretta Benninghove (RE), Ebenezer UMC (Oldhams)

Archana Samuel (PE), Wesley UMC (Hampton)

Young Min Kim (FL), St. Matthias UMC

Kay Carter (FE), Woodland UMC

Kwangmin Shin (FL), West Point UMC

Kristie Askew (FL), West Mathews Charge

Mark Miller (RE), Urbanna UMC

Dinah Bondzie (SY) Bethany UMC (Reedville)

Jennifer A. Mercer (FL), New Kent Charge UMC

Nancy Yarborough (SY) Christ UMC (Newport News)

Fred Okello (FL) Melrose

Barb Jacobs (RE), Zion UMC (Spotsylvania)

Charles Moore (RE), Salem (Matthews)

Corey McConville (PL) McKendree

Michael Liskiewicz, (PL) Montross Charge

Leah McGlynn (SY), Phoebus UMC

Valerie Bass (SY), Bethel Mathews

George Brown (SY), Liberty UMC

Gerry Headley (RE) Heathsville UMC

Korri Williams (SY) Uzzell UMC and Oak Grove/Riverview

New Clergy Orientation

New clergy moving into and around the Mission Rivers District were invited to an orientation coffee on Thursday, July 27, 2023 at Wellspring UMC in Williamsburg.

Not everyone was able to join us but for those who were able to attend, it was an opportunity to meet other clergy as well as one of our District Directors of Connectional Ministries, Rev. Dr. Clarence Brown, as well as the two district administrators, Lynn Manley and Lisa Jones.

Many, many thanks to Pastor Edward Hopkins and Director of Ministry Ronda Williams at Wellspring for their warm welcome.

Trinity Smithfield: Dan Elmore (Leave)

Fredericksburg: Gina Anderson-Cloud (moved off district)

Trinity Poquoson: Trisha Riggs (retired)

Holy Cross International: Yoon-Seok Choi (moved off district)

Wesley: Gretchen Nelson (moved off district)

St. Matthias: Burt Cloud (moved off district)

Woodland: Daniel Na (moved out of conference)

West Point: Betsy Basehore (retired)

Urbanna: Bruce Johnson (moved off district)

Central Mathews: John Choi (Leave)

Bethany Reedville: Derek Tomek (moved, secular position)

New Kent: Tim Porter (retired)

Christ: Matt Stevens (retired)

Melrose: Spencer Black (moved off district)

Zion: Gerry Burkholder (retired)

Salem Mathews: Jesse Blythe (retired to serve one church)

McKendree: Libby Hadley

Montross Charge: David Lagerveld (retired)

Phoebus: Ellis Crum

Liberty: Debra Straughter (retired)

Oak Grove/Riverview & Uzzell: Michael Guminsky

'Next Steps' campaign seeks to address needs of members seeking to stay UMC during local church disaffiliations

For those whose congregations have voted to disaffiliate, but who wish to remain United Methodist, the Virginia Annual Conference and the Cabinet offer Next Steps, a website with resources to remain connected as they discern where God is calling them. At Next Steps, individuals and churches may

access resources for small group gathering and other means of discipleship.

As part of this Bridge Churches offer one possible next step for persons who choose to remain United Methodist after their church disaffiliates, providing pastoral care, assistance in gathering, and invitations to share in ministry opportunities with their congregations. These churches are not recruiting members; they offer a safe space of support, nurture, and opportunities for connection during this time of transition. Individuals may choose to join Bridge churches, on their terms and at their own pace of discernment; or they may choose to join elsewhere. Learn more...

Urgent Need for All God's Children Camp

We are still in need of mentors for the summer. Below is a list of what is needed. Please consider joining us this summer for an amazing time of fun, food and fellowship with some pretty awesome campers! So grab a group of friends and come play with us for a week and help some kids along the way!

Aug. 6-11 at Occohannock on the Bay, 3 male mentors needed!

Aug. 13-18 at Camp Chanco on the James, 5 males and 11 females needed!

Looking for a low key mission trip for folks ages 16 and up? Or perhaps your church small groups are looking for a local mission to participate in where you can be in ministry as a group and grow together in faith. Do you have any high school or college students that need service hours? If so, All God's Children Camp is the place to be this summer! We are looking for mentors to join us for a week long overnight camp designed for children who have an incarcerated parent. The best part is this is a low to no cost week of mission where you will encourage campers to understand that they truly are somebody! So come be a part of the All God's Children Camp team this summer and we promise you will have an excellent time! We look forward to seeing you there. For more information contact Lori Smith at agcc@vaumc.org

Hello S/PPRC Chairs and Members:

We are excited to announce an in-person S/PPRC training day to be held on Saturday, August 19, 2023. The training will be held from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at three different locations around the district. You can pick the location closest to you. The training is open to chairs and members alike.

Tabernacle UMC (Fredericksburg), 7310 -A Old Plank Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407 - taught by Rev. Jim O'Quinn, District Director of Connectional Ministries

Grace UMC (Newport News), 1209 Country Club Road, Newport News, VA 23606 - taught by Rev. Clarence Brown, District Director of Connectional Ministries

Carmel UMC (Kinsale/Northern Neck), 5729 Sandy Point Road, Kinsale, VA 22488 - taught by Rev. Charles Ledlum-Bates, District Superintendent

Please click this link to register: https://forms.gle/YEP93gbNnUmD9GiL8

If you have any questions, please let us know. We look forward to seeing you there!

Lynn 757.879.9472 or Lisa 757.596.3476

Sign up for virtual August Lay Servant Academy

The next Virginia Annual Conference Lay Servant Academy will occur virtually on August 18-19, 2023. Online course offerings will be:

• United Methodist Heritage (Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, instructor)

• Basic Course (Richard Speirs, instructor)

• Spiritual Gifts (Joseph Plemmons, instructor)

• Leading Well in Conflict Transformation (Sarah Calvert, instructor)

• Called to Preach! (Nathan Decker, instructor)

• Introduction to Simplified Accountable Structure (Instructor TBD)

• Certified Lay Minister Orientation (Joanna Dietz and Jennifer Robinson-O'Brien, instructors).

Cost is $35 for all courses except CLM Orientation, which is $15. For more information, follow this link.To register, click here. Contact Tianna Durbin, Lay Servant Academy Director (tiannad@arcolachurch.org) if you have questions.

FROM UM BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS:

It was announced in the Board of Communications report on June 15 that the board has partnered with T-Mobile to offer access to 5G Business Internet. We are excited to offer this opportunity for churches in this Conference to have internet access. If you are interested and would like more information please fill out the attached form.

You can find the form "T-Mobile 5G Business Internet Interest" at: https://form.jotform.com/231634820711045

Wesley United Methodist Church, Hampton offers a Chair Yoga class every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 AM in the fellowship hall. Please bring a yoga mat and stretch band or old tie. (If you don't have either of these, there are extras at Wesley). Class is free.

Tappahannock Memorial UMC, 345 Earl St., Tappahannock, 22560 is looking for a part-time administrative assistant. The job would be approximately 20 hours a week. Applicants must be able to work well under supervision of the Pastor and independently. Competency in the use of all computer programs and office equipment used by the church, including Word, Excel, Publisher, Servant-Keeper, etc. Interested applicants may contact rev. Rebecca Minor at the church email tappmethodist@gmail.com, where they can receive a more detailed job description.

Wesley United Methodist Church, 2510 North Armistead Ave., Hampton 23666 is hosting Tidewater Friends of Acoustic Music on August 25th at 7 PM. The Harris Creekers will be performing. A merry band of old friends playing fun acoustic tunes and grabbing every harmony possible! Donations for performers ($5) is appreciated. Snacks provided, donations welcome.

Religion is often cast in opposition to science. Yet both are deeply rooted in the inner workings of the human brain. Advances in cognitive neuroscience and brain imaging technology have given rise to the growing field of “neurotheology,” the scientific study of religious and spiritual phenomena.

Breakthrough research tells us much about:

The positive impacts of religious and spiritual practices on mental health, well-being, and the aging process

The psychology and neuroscience of profoundly meaningful experiences

Why religious practices and belief in God are among the most powerful tools for helping the brain do its thing — self-maintenance and self-transcendence

How do findings from neurotheology inform personal ministry to our communities and circles of care, especially as we meet the dual challenges of decline in religiosity and an epidemic of mental unwellness?

Join us as we explore these topics and their practical applications to our areas of ministry.

Registration Information

Students, faculty and staff of Randolph-Macon College attend free of charge (must have an rmc.edu email address).

Admission for clergy, United Methodist laity and community members at large is $25. A box lunch may be ordered for an additional $15. CEUs are available for United Methodist clergy.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can also participate in the symposium virtually via Zoom.

LOCAL CHURCH NEWS

As a way to increase our exposure in the community, White Stone UMC in White Stone, VA, held a FREE HOT DOG DRIVE-THRU GIVE-AWAY on Friday, July 14th from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. We gave each person in the vehicle a lunch bag with a hot dog, condiments, a bag of chips, a bottle of water and a prayer square. Volunteers helped to cook the hot dogs, prepare the lunch bags, and distribute the lunches as vehicles drove thru our parking lot. We gave away almost 50 hot dog lunches and received many positive comments. We plan to do this again on the second Fridays in August and September. It is our way of thanking the people of our community for their support of our church for over a hundred years!

Warsaw UMC received the Sustaining Green Church award at Annual Conference for their work to green their church environment and be a model for their community in the importance of caring for God's Creation and for supporting the Conference Green Church Initiatives. They received the first Green Church award made by the Annual Conference in 2014. Their current and on-going projects include recycling children's books, advocating for climate justice, using recycled paper products, fair-trade coffee, recycling plastic bags to make mats and for produce distribution, moving from an oil-fired boiler to heat pumps, planting a tree to replace a diseased one, changing to LED bulbs in their sanctuary, and recycling paper in the church office.

We are thrilled to report that Christ United Methodist church (Newport News) and Light Nuru Free Methodist church enjoyed another collaborative 5^th Sunday service 7/30/23. CUMC recorded twice as many people as our regular weekly in-person attendance. We look forward to our next combined service the 5^th Sunday in October.