Tuscarawas Connexions
District News
The District Office is working primarily remotely. If you have something to drop off, there is a mailbox outside of Megan's door in the Conference Office. Mail is checked on a regular basis.
Cara's Weekly Calendar

February 14: Sabbath

February 15: Cabinet

February 16 Cabinet

February 17: Cabinet

February 18: District Strategizing

February 20: Worship on the District
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25: Becky Evanoff
Lay Servant News
Hello Lay Servants and future Lay Servants!

We are almost ready to post our Spring Training courses. Don Gibson has agreed to instruct the Advanced course entitled:  Teaching Biblical Faith: Leading Small Group Bible Studies. It just became available a few weeks ago. The date for training is April 23, 2022, at Bolivar UMC,. We have 21 Certified Lay Servants who need to renew in 2022, (that’s this year)

We will also be offering Basic, April 29 & 30, at Bolivar UMC. Basic is offered on Friday evening and all-day Saturday. Gary and Ann Kreider will teach that unless someone else would like the opportunity to be the instructor. Instructions on registration will be sent very soon. It will be posted on our Tusc. District site and the eocumc.com site. We will again use Eventbrite for our registration. More information is below...

Our Tuscarawas District Lay Servant Ministries Committee has dwindled in number so if you know of someone who would be interested in serving on the team please forward their name to us and we will notify the District Nominating Committee.
Gary and I will be meeting with our District Superintendent, Rev. Cara Stultz Costello, on February 22, so if you have any concerns or good ideas for our Lay Servant Ministries, we will pass them on at our meeting.

Because there is such a large number of Certified Lay Servants who need to renew this year it is our thought that Tusc. District LSM should offer many courses this year.
Tusc. District has four Certified Lay Speakers; and two Certified Lay Servants who need two more required Advanced courses to qualify to be Certified Lay Speakers.
Melanie Thomas, at the Conference Office, will post the courses being offered in all the EOUMC Districts. Courses can be taken in any district or online. She has posted the new 2022 catalog for Lay Servant Ministries which shows all the approved courses that can be offered and also those courses that are on the way.

Hopefully the Nominating Committee for Tusc. District will find our replacement since we are interim at this time.

Stay safely under His Wings,
Gary & Ann Kreider, Interim Directors for Tuscarawas District Lay Servant Ministries
Cell – Gary – 330-806-4648   Ann – 330-806-5247
Basic Course Offering April 29-30, 2022 - Bolivar UMC
This course is foundational for all courses in lay servant ministries. Participants are encouraged to discover and employ personal gifts as God intended and to consider the importance of exercising servant leadership, developing future leaders, remaining rooted in consistent spiritual practices, and being part of a group that holds members accountable in their discipleship. The Basic course is the first step required for becoming a certified lay servant. Step 2 requires taking an advanced course.

The Basic course is:
Friday evening, April 29th, 6pm-9pm, AND Saturday April 30th 8am-4:30pm
  • Required book: "Lay Servant Ministries - Basic Course Participant's Book" by Sandy Jackson with Brian Jackson. 

The course is available to anyone who would like to be a Lay Servant, or to be renewed as a Lay Servant if they haven’t taken a course for three years or anyone just interested on learning about The UMC, not necessarily wanting to be a Lay Servant.

To register please click here.
Spring District Conference
Mark Your Calendars! The Tuscarawas District Spring Conference and Leadership Training will be held on Saturday, April 23 at Crossroads UMC.

More information will be announced soon.
Annual Conference 2022 ~ June 9-11 ~ Akron OH
Annual Conference 2022 is June 9-11 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron. This year’s theme is Let Us Live Love and the theme scripture is 1 John 4:7-13 (NIV). In preparing for this year’s sessions and services, the Annual Conference Program Committee is planning ways it will serve attendees in love while also creating opportunities for East Ohio clergy and laity to serve others in love.
 
NEED: If you are interested in serving others by volunteering as a greeter, usher or part of the AC hospitality team, please e-mail Megan.
 
IMPORTANT: Let Megan know if you (clergy or laity) will need childcare while attending or volunteering at Annual Conference 2022.
 
Your feedback is requested by February 14.
Clergy Day Apart 2022
Bishop Tracy S. Malone invites all East Ohio Conference clergy actively serving in ministry to come together for a day of rest and renewal on Saturday, April 2 from 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Faith UMC in North Canton.

Clergy are serving and leading in stressful, exhausting, and difficult times. This Clergy Day Apart, designed by a team of active clergy, is an opportunity to feed your soul through reinvigorating worship, fellowship, self-care, and conversation. Clergy will hear a validating and empowering message from featured speaker the Rev. Twanda Prioleau and will participate in engaging breakout sessions designed to help you reflect, reconnect, re-center, and revel in your ministry. Rev. Prioleau is pastor of Christ UMC in East Baltimore, MD and author of the book Breathe: A Pastor’s Journey to Wholeness.

For more information click here!
EOC Office of Finance and Administration
Local Church Audits due March 31
All local church audits are due to the District Office no later than March 31.

Lay Servant Ministries
Each January, new lay servants enter into ministry with the church through our committees and teams. Providing training for persons who generously serve in this way honors their gift of time, energy and resources.

In this link you will find some helpful guides for training.
Multicultural Ministries
East Ohio Conference Celebrates Black History Month in February
We encourage pastors, congregations, and faith communities to take time personally and in your communities to celebrate and reflect on the contributions of Black Americans. Whether it’s reflecting personally, learning on your own or with a group, or having conversations with African Americans the opportunities to grow are abundant.
 
You are invited to participate in an East Ohio Conference learning opportunity that will benefit you, your family, and your church small group. On four consecutive Mondays, beginning January 31, the Multicultural Ministries office will release a new installment of a study guide designed to teach elementary school-aged students, with adult help, to celebrate Black History. The guides will use material from “All In God’s Image: A Celebration of Black History and Diversity” which is a Sunday school resource released in 2021 that was written by Corinne Dunn an East Ohio lay person who is a professional Diversity Learning consultant and trainer. “I am excited that more people can engage in this revised format and different ages can learn together about African American history,” Dunn said.
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.
Spiritual Formation Trainings
Trainings Available for Your Local Congregation
The purpose of the East Ohio Conference Spiritual Formation and Christian Education Committee is to support the discipleship ministries of East Ohio congregations in the areas of Christian Education and Spiritual formation for all age groups. We currently have the following topics available for training in your local congregation:
1. Safe Sanctuaries for the Local Church
2. Getting Messy Church Started in Your Setting
3. Offering Worship Engagement Manipulatives in Your Congregation
4. How Can Your Congregation Offer Sensory Sensitive Inclusiveness?
5. Creating a Race and Religion Forum in Your Congregation
6. Offering Outdoor Discipleship as a Way to Reach More People in Your Community
7. Hitting the Milestones with Children and Youth in Your Congregation
8. What Every Child and What Every Youth Should Experience
9. Training Effective Teachers
10. Developing a Discipleship Pathway for Your Congregation
A few other topics are in the works and will be available in the future:
1. Spiritual Formation and Christian Education in the Small Membership Church
2. Digital Discipleship
If you are interested in any of the above topics/training opportunities, please reach out to Rev. Gary Jones, Director of Spiritual Formation in the Connectional Ministries Office - gary@eocumc.com or 330-499-3972 ext. 120.
UMVIM
Please click on the below picture to access the registration link.
Around East Ohio
Teach • Reach • Bless Campaign Reaches Goal of Collecting $1.5 Million; New Resident Hall for Female Students to be Built at Africa University
Laity and clergy, working together, exceeded the goal of raising and collecting $1.5 million in support of the East Ohio Conference Teach • Reach • Bless campaign. The funds will be used to build a new residence hall that will house 90 female students on the campus of Africa University in Zimbabwe. By generously supporting the East Ohio Conference Teach • Reach • Bless campaign, donors showed their commitment to improving the education and wellness of women today for a better Africa tomorrow.

To read the entire article please click this link.
The story of summer 2021 did indeed include some challenges and changes, but it was also a summer of great fun, faith formation, and renewal! Thank you for participating in and supporting Summer Camp 2021! At East Ohio Camps, we want every kid to have summer story full of fun, faith formation, adventure, and growth! Our hope is when your child tells the story of what they did this past summer they include a week of camp where, “I connected with great friends and great counselors, had fun adventures, learned new things, experienced God in nature, and now my faith is soaring!” And that is what we are planning for summer 2022! My hope is that you and your family will include East Ohio Camps as a chapter of the story of Summer 2022.

Blessings!
Rev. Gary W. Jones
Director of Spiritual Formation/Camps & Retreat Ministries
East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church

Registration is now open and camperships are being accepted! Please follow the links below to register for camp and download a Tuscarawas District Campership application.
Wanake Camp & Retreat Center (in Beach City, Ohio) is seeking positive, flexible staff who love God, love people and love the out-of-doors to help share the Good News of Jesus in maintenance, housekeeping, lawn care, and food service (kitchen assistants and dish washers). These are year-round, part-time (20 hours or less/week) positions with flexible hours. Wages are based on skills and experience. Wanake serves retreat guests year-round and runs an overnight summer camp program.

To Apply/For more information visit www.campwanake.org. Have questions? Contact Wanake at info@campwanake.org or call 330-756-2333.
Now Hiring for Summer Positions at Wanake – Full-Time – Must be 18 years old or older – May through Early-August – applicants must be positive, flexible people who love God, love children/teens, and love the out-of-doors to help share the Good News of Jesus as counselors, lifeguards, support staff, and food service workers.

To Apply/For more information visit www.campwanake.org. Have questions? Contact Wanake at info@campwanake.org or call 330-756-2333.
Positions Available
Christ (Louisville) UMC is actively seeking two positions:
Director of Music Ministry. Responsibilities include leading two vocal choirs, and three hand bell choirs both for weekly rehearsals and one Sunday morning Worship Service. 

Organist. Responsibilities would be to provide worshipful music for Sunday morning services and as requested play for special services. The organist may be asked to play for weddings, funerals, or other occasions.

Please send resume and references to: Christ United Methodist Church, Attn: Nancy Russell, 600 East Gorgas Street, Louisville, Ohio 44641
Crosspoint UMC seeks a part-time Director of Youth Ministries who will develop and lead our Youth Program. A qualified applicant will be a spiritually mature person who has a solid understanding of the foundations of the Christian faith. Strong communication, organizational, leadership skills and a desire to directly work with, relate to and nurture youth in Christian faith is essential. A college degree in education or background in Christian education is preferred. Please send a cover letter and resume via email or 9687 Portage St. NW Massillon, OH 44646. A job description may be found on our website.
Dueber UMC in Canton is seeking a Pianist to assist in leading Sunday morning worship. This position would involve playing for Sunday morning and other special worship services with an Organist. Duties also include playing for choir rehearsals on Wednesday evening and playing with the choir on Sunday mornings. It is not necessary, but would be preferred, if this position could also fill in on keyboard with the contemporary worship team when needed. Interested candidates may contact the church via e-mail or by calling (330) 456-8357.
First (Dover) UMC is accepting resumes for our Church Pianist/Organist position. Responsibilities include (not limited to): accompanying and leading the congregation in the ministry of music and singing of hymns; accompanying the choir; working with the choir director on special music pieces; and choosing and playing appropriate and varied styles of organ/piano selections for Sunday Worship and special services. If you are interested, please e-mail your resume to the church Pastor. If you have questions, please contact the church office at (330) 343-1322.
First (Massillon) UMC is seeking a Pianist that accompanies and rehearses with the Sanctuary Choir at weekly Thursday evening rehearsals. Accompanies the Sanctuary Choir at the 2nd service, three times each month. Does not play in June, July, or August (29 week schedule). If interested, please send your resume to: 301 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, OH 44646 or send via e-mail.
Simpson UMC in Canton is actively seeking an Organist. Please contact Simpson via email.
Items Available
Dueber UMC has 3 HP Inkjet print cartridges – C6602A free to anyone who needs them. Please email Dueber for more information.
Fairhope UMC has a free Black Toner Print Cartridge MP6054, for a Ricoh MP 4054 Copy Machine. Please email Fairhope for more information.
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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
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Please share this newsletter widely and encourage those that would like to receive it directly to share their contact email with the District Office.
Tuscarawas Connexions
Official Publication of the Tuscarawas District East Ohio Conference —
The United Methodist Church

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