The Connector

New News!

As always, your local church audit is due to the District office no later than Friday, March 31.


Be sure to find look at the new news below:

  • Appointments in Canal District
  • Redeemer North Hill - Feed My Sheep program
  • ReNew: Imagining New Ministries in New Ways with New People

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2023: The 54th session of Annual Conference is June 8-10 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron.


Canal District Spring Conference 2023: The Canal District will meet on Saturday, May 13 at Centenary UMC in Akron, OH.

District News

Seville Community Food Pantry


Date: Third Saturday of each month

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.


74 West Main Street, Seville, OH 44273

Wedgewood Community Food Pantry


Date: 2nd Monday of the month

Times: 11 am - 3:30 pm


2350 Wedgewood Dr., Akron

Feed My Sheep - Redeemer

North Hill UMC


The "Feed My Sheep" program at Redeemer North Hill UMC is still going strong every Friday after 25+ years. We have a FREE LUNCH, FREE Clothing Room, as well as household items, such as dishes and comforters. The Free Clothing Room is open every Friday beginning at 10:30 a.m. and the Free Lunch is served every Friday beginning at 11:30 a.m.


We work hard as a congregation to allow our faith, hope, and love to spread to our local community and beyond.


If you are interested in experiencing worship from other cultures, please join us at 1:00 p.m. every Sunday for our Burmese worship service in our Sanctuary, and our Congolese "The Way Gospel Church" in the Educational building.


If you are interested or know someone who would benefit from more information on a 12-step program, we have a different group meeting every weeknight at the Church. Please call the church at 330-923-1191 & leave a message or call Pastor Fast at

330-414-5519. Donations are always welcome and accepted!

First United Methodist Church of Akron is a Community Partner with

One Warm Coat


We are accepting donations of new and gently used coats of all sizes for children and adults in need. All coats collected will be donated locally to our neighbors in need who attend our Free Lunch program or anyone who identifies they have a need for a coat. Coats should be clean, wearable, and free of holes or stains. We hope you will support our coat drive and help us warm our neighbors in need. One Warm Coat believes in each person’s right to shelter from the elements and is committed to sharing warmth, without discrimination, one coat at a time.

 

Donations may be dropped off at First United Methodist Church of Akron at 263 East Mill Street Akron, Ohio 44308 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 10-3 pm. Please contact the Church at 330-376-8143 before dropping off coats or if you host a One Warm Coat Drive collection and need us to pick up coats, we will arrange to pick up your donation.


Churches are welcome to share our information in their newsletters and bulletins.

For more information, please Contact Gena at 330-376-8143 or by email. You can learn more about One Warm Coat by visiting their website

As leaders in our local congregations I know we are always looking for ways to lead our faith communities into connectional missions both locally and globally. We may also be discouraged because lack of resources (money, people, or time) can make us feel like we can’t make the impact we would like to for the kingdom of God. Friends this simply is not true, we are reminded in 1 Corinthians 12:12 that we are one body in many parts. Leaning into our connectional heritage we can do great things when we come together under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.


We have several great local ministry opportunities right here in the Canal district, one specific one that the Holy Spirit has been putting on the hearts of those here in the Canal District is the work that is being done at South Street Ministries and their reentry ministry. They focus on reentry, redirection and restoration with those coming out of incarceration. Every Tuesday they host support meetings where the goal is to, “provide a community where short-term needs can be addressed quickly, while long-term aspirations are developed.” One of the biggest needs is for the dinner that is provided at these meetings. This is a great way to have a big impact on this

ministry and those they serve. If your church or community group would like to help meet this need by providing for or sponsoring a Tuesday night meal, please contact Rose Nall from South Street Ministries by email and she will coordinate with your group.


To learn more about South Street Ministries and how your church can partner with them please visit their website at https://southstreetministries.org/.

Trinity Action Project (TAP) Grants
Application Process for TAP - Any program/project from a Canal District local church that very clearly relates to the mission and vision of the Conference may submit an application. Funds for mission purposes are intended as “Seed Money” to be used as start-up funds to help initiate ministry and mission outreach. Programs/projects will be funded for a maximum of 3 years. Applications will have a specific plan and/or strategy for a program/project, a clearly defined method(s) in which the funds will be used, and a method for decreasing the “seed money” funding over the 3 year period. TAP Grant funding may not be used for capital expenditures or clergy salaries. Churches applying for a multi-year grant will submit a new application each year.

For an application go to: www.eocumc.com/canal/grants-scholarships

East Ohio Conference News & Happenings

EOC Appointments - Effective July 1, 2023

Pastor

New Appointment

District

Matt Anderson

Bucyrus UMC, co-Associate Pastor

Mid-Ohio

Abby Auman

Strongsville UMC

North Coast

Dawan Buie

Aldersgate UMC

North Coast

Abby Caseman

Westlake UMC

North Coast

Cara Stultz Costello

District Superintendent

Tuscarawas/Mahoning Valley

Steve Stultz Costello

Mentor UMC

Western Reserve

Donald Ebert

Galion St. Paul UMC

Mid-Ohio

Nathan Howe

Kent UMC

Canal

Thom Kalb

Crosspoint UMC

Tuscarawas

Hyun-Suk Kim

Wadsworth UMC

Canal

Stephen Knisely

Berea UMC

North Coast

Allison LeBrun

Boardman UMC

Mahoning Valley

Angela Lewis

District Superintendent

Canal/Mahoning Valley

David Rittgers

Wooster UMC

Canal

Shannon Sampson

The Vine UMC

Tuscarawas

Sondra Snode

Fields UMC

North Coast

James Spatholt

Ohltown UMC

Mahoning Valley

Rebecca Stephens

Bucyrus UMC, co-Lead Pastor

Mid-Ohio

Shannon Trenton

Church Hill and Youngstown Trinity UMCs

Mahoning Valley

Christine Ulman

East Rochester & New Franklin UMCs

Tuscarawas

Scott Walsh

Willoughby Hills UMC

Western Reserve

Michael Ward

Crosspoint UMC

Tuscarawas

East Ohio Ministry Micro Grants Application


East Ohio Ministry Micro Grants are sponsored by the Board of Congregational Development and Connectional Ministries Office: Strategic Ministries. The grants are for Fresh Expressions, small groups, and/or new ministry that seek to reach those not within the current church community. The deadline to apply is April 3rd by the end of the day and awardees will be announced by April 21. These micro grants, which may be awarded to $2000 as determined by Board of Congregational Development, must be spent in totality by Dec 31st, 2023.  


Contact Rev Beth Ortiz, Connectional Ministries Office Director of Strategic Ministries, at bortiz@eocumc.com, to submit your application or with questions. 


Requirements: Must be a ministry of a local United Methodist Church in East Ohio.

Must be a new ministry (either under 2 months old or not yet begun) that seeks to reach those not yet in the church. Church/charge cannot be currently receiving any other conference level grant funding (this does not refer to coaching, trainings or other such support). Church/charge cannot receive more than one microgrant per 12 months and cannot receive a microgrant for the same ministry more than once.

Must have at least one lay involved in the planning/implementation. Funds must be spent for this ministry within 6 months or returned. A report must be submitted within 6 months (details about reporting will be supplied to awardees with the payment dispersal in early Dec 2022). 


Please note: Application for funds does not guarantee funds.  

Summer Camp 2023


Take advantage of the Early Bird Savings for Summer Camp 2023!

If you register by March 15th, campers will receive a limited-edition 2023 Summer Camp t-shirt that is not available in the camp store (Aldersgate, Asbury or Wanake). Plus, a $20 discount will be taken off their summer camp fee. If you register by April 15th, campers will receive a limited-edition 2023 Summer Camp t-shirt that is not available in the camp store (Aldersgate, Asbury or Wanake). Find all you need to register online at www.EOCSummercamps.org or contact us for a brochure or questions at camp@eocumc.com or (330) 499-3972 ext. 108. 


Cost of Camp Stretching Your Budget? Camperships are available to ensure that all people have an opportunity to attend camp. The Conference and the District have campership applications, email the district office!


Want to Become Part of our Summer Camp Staff?

The staff is a cornerstone of the ministry of East Ohio Camps. Our summer program requires a great number of staff to be successful. We are looking for outstanding Christian women and men for summer staff positions. We offer great Christian Community, excellent training, free room and board, opportunity for ministry, and growth in leadership skills. We are looking for counselors, lifeguards, program staff, food service, administration and maintenance. Go to www.EOCSummercamps.org and click on the “Staff & Volunteer” tab.

East Ohio Conference E-News
Find the information about what is happening throughout the East Ohio Conference through the biweekly newsletter. From appointments to mission opportunities to events....

See the latest E-News from HERE.

Global Ministries


How does your congregation care for God’s creation? Do you regularly conduct an energy audit to minimize wasted electricity and water in your church building, reuse resources that would otherwise be tossed in a landfill, encourage biking to church by installing a bike rack in the parking lot or teach sustainable gardening practices through community gardening? Have you found a creative new way to be good stewards of our natural resources? We want to hear your story and celebrate the impact your ministry has on God’s world. Contact Kate Colbow, Conference Secretary to Global Ministries via email to share how your congregation cares for creation. 

Safe Sanctuaries


Join in on this online course that covers the basics of Safe Sanctuaries. Rev Gary Jones walks participants through the what is it, the why we do it, and common elements. This is a great course for churches reviewing or creating their policies, for ministry team leads, and for anyone working with vulnerable persons in your faith community.    


Enroll anytime at https://eocumc.myabsorb.com/#/online-courses/409157e8-86de-49c2-b36a-306010758353

Strategic Ministries


Simplified Structure Training: Many in church life realize the practical benefits of moving into a more simplified committee structure. Join together via Zoom in Jan with other congregations around the conference to learn about this model and to have opportunities to continue learning throughout the year. These classes would also be good for churches already in a simplified structure who would like a tune up or want to continue learning. For more information and to register go to: East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church (eocumc.com).  This training is on Zoom but we do recommend you gather together and stream it as a group to help with conversations.  


New Online Learning Platform

We are excited to share with you about another tool that your Connectional Ministries Office now has to help resource you and your church as we invite all to join our online learning platform! Designed for both lay and clergy this is a way to have learning happen on your own schedule. There are already many courses available from other conferences that we are in partnership with and in coming months we will be adding more and more of our own content. 

Registration is at: https://eocumc.myabsorb.com/?KeyName=EO%20Sign%20UP


We just launched our Charge Conference course. This course would be particularly helpful to new clergy or lay who have not dealt with the paperwork before. The chapters can be done in any order so they can just engage with the parts that they want. https://eocumc.myabsorb.com/#/online-courses/62d66c8a-512d-4b47-8587-349480a00f86



Among the courses, make sure to check out Rule of Christ. This resource helps learners to explore how to manage conflict in their church. While churches with new pastoral appointments should make sure to review this class, it can bring value to every faith community. https://eocumc.myabsorb.com/#/online-courses/8ba13648-889e-411c-857d-099495709b69


Rule of Christ Trainer Training - If you are interested in becoming a trainer for Rule of Christ please register here.

Positions Available
Grandview UMC in Cuyahoga Falls is looking for Volunteers (Missions Teams, Youth Groups, Sunday School Teachers, Confirmation Classes, etc.) to lead children's Sunday school in our Nepali language worship service Sunday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. This could include a Bible lesson, games, snacks, music, etc. and your lessons will be lead in English. Interested? Contact David Hull-Frye by email.

GREEN VALLEY UMC in Green has an opening for a 10 hour per week ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. Responsibilities include communication, supply management, scheduling, and deployment of volunteers. At least 3 hours on two different days of the week in the office are required. The remainder of work hours may be done off-site. Candidates must be proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Calendar, and Facebook. Organization, proofreading, and a willingness to learn are also required. Contact the pastor at 216-978-2132 or gvumcpastor@gmail.com with questions or to submit a resume. 

Johnson UMC in Norton is looking for a Part-Time Youth Leader. The position would be 15 hours per week, $17.00/hr. They are looking for a savvy and energetic person to lead our youth in the ministry and belief of the Christian faith with a Wesleyan emphasis. If you are looking for a great part time job and enjoy working with youth, please send your resume to Sandy Guy via email.

Macedonia UMC is looking for a Maintenance Manager. Click this link to access the job description. If interested, please email the church.

NORTHAMPTON UMC in Cuyahoga Falls is seeking a part-time ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT to handle communications, general office duties, and daily interfacing with the congregation and our guests. This is an onsite, 15 hour, position, weekdays between 9 am and 12 pm. Candidate must be proficient in Microsoft Office, Facebook, and graphic design. Excellent organization, proofreading, and written and verbal communication skills are required. Contact the church office at 330-929-0015 or the SPRC Chair at sprc@numchurch.org with questions or to submit a resume.

Items Available

First UMC in Cuyahoga Falls has over 100 chairs they would like to give to any church(s) that can use them. First come, first serve - pickup only. If interested please email Carolyn Stroud, cstroudcf4@gmail.com.

Hudson UMC has 18 Gojo soap dispensers that they can’t use. They are new and they would like to give them to any churches who might need them. Can you send an email out, or put something in the newsletter? First come first serve. If interested, please contact Gary by email.

Uniontown UMC has choir robes available to whomever needs some. If interested, please email the church.

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Please submit your request for publication of an event, job ad, or announcement to Megan at canaltuscdistoffice@eocumc.com by Thursday at 12:00 noon to run in the following Monday's newsletter. Please be aware that the less words the better and please note that flyers are not always easily readable in this format.

Please share this newsletter widely and encourage those that would like to receive it directly to share their contact email with the District Office.
The Connector
Official Publication of the Canal District East Ohio Conference —
The United Methodist Church

Canal District Office
8800 Cleveland Avenue NW, North Canton, OH 44720
Phone: (330) 499-3972 ext. 106