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Elizabeth Hammersla, the widow of the Rev. Ed Hammersla, died Jan. 20. The service is expected to be at Riderwood Senior Living Community at a later date. Condolences may be sent to her son, Mark, at PO Box 267, Saint Leonard, MD 20685, and to her son, Jeffrey, at 130 Beacon Place, Stevensville, MD 21666. See her obituary.

The Rev. Steven Cho, of Wards Chapel UMC in Randallstown and his wife, the Rev. Dong Eun Lee of Glydon UMC have published a six-week study, Bible 101 Acts: The Early Churches and Paul’s Mission Journey, as part of the “Bible 101 Series, Introduction to the New Testament.” Order your copy.

The Rev. Bob Paulen, a retired Elder, was elected by the USA Track and Field Awards Committee as the 2022 Men's 85-89 Age Group Athlete of the Year for America. This award was based on his athletic performance last year. Paulen won five events at the National Indoor Championships and six events at the National Outdoor Championships and set three new American records. He will be going to Poland in March to represent the USA at the World Masters Athletic Indoor Championships. His accomplishment is all the more impressive given the fact that, in 2017, Paulen beat bladder cancer.

As churches of the BWC work to become more vital, Gethsemane and First UMCs, and others, are growing in innovative ways in their outreach to their communities after finishing the Source Collaborative with Wesley Seminary. See the story.

Members of Glen Mar UMC, who received a $1,000 grant from the BWC's Young People's Ministry, recently celebrated their annual MLK Day of Service. Read about the difference they're making in people's lives.

In this month's episode of Thursdays At the Table, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling explores the importance of a variety of theological perspectives with guests the Rev. Drs. Shively Smith, an Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Theology, and Theresa Thames, Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel at Princeton University.

Bishop Easterling and her guests delve into “the radical boldness of saying yes." Together, they explore overcoming biblical illiteracy and moving beyond a fairy-tale faith to capture the truth and implications of the Gospel message through the lived life of Jesus. Join us at the Table.

The deadline for individuals and groups to submit resolutions to the 239th Session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference is this Wednesday, Feb. 1. Resolutions may be sent to the Conference Secretary, Kevin Silberzahn, at bwcsecretary@bwcumc.org. Information about the format and information to include is online.

The Annual Conference session is Wednesday, May 31, through Saturday, June 3, at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Baltimore. Registration opens in late February.

Rooted, Renew and Restore, a retreat for youth and children's ministry leaders, will be held March 24 - 25 at Wesley Freedom UMC in Sykesville. Early bird registration is now open through March 10 at a cost of $100. If you would like to stay overnight on Friday, there is a guaranteed room rate of $104 at the Hampton Inn in Owings Mills; the code is YWC. Learn more and register. Scholarships are available.

The BWC’s Gun Violence Prevention Team and the Maryland Chapter of Moms Demand Action will gather for a rally and meet with legislators tomorrow, Jan. 31. The day begins at 9 a.m. with a rally followed by legislative meetings at 11 a.m. The legislative priorities this year include strengthening Maryland’s concealed carry permitting laws, ending gun manufacturer immunity, repealing qualified immunity for police officers, and improving safe storage laws. United Methodists can gather as a group at the Thurgood Marshall statue on Lawyers’ Mall at 9:20 a.m. For more information, contact Susan Bender at susanbender@comcast.net or 301-379-4561. RSVP.

Second Saturday Serve: Does your church need a new ramp or a fresh coat of paint? Does your local church or community have a community garden or green space in need of care? Consider submitting a project for Second Saturday Serve. These projects are opportunities for VIM teams across the conference to be in ministry together on a one-day mission journey. Starting May 2023, each "Second Saturday," we will gather on a district in the Conference to complete a selected project. All are welcome to submit projects and to serve. Share your project idea no later than this Wednesday, Feb. 1. All submissions should be emailed to VIM@bwcumc.org.

Accessibility Conversations: The BWC’s Commission on Disability Concerns invites you to an upcoming Accessibility Conversation this Friday, Feb. 3, at 11 a.m. The topic is "Mental Health Ministry." This overview will provide recommendations and best practices for implementing a mental health ministry. Register for the webinar. Accessibility Conversations are held the first Thursday of each month on Zoom.

The Ordering of Moses is an art-faith-justice experience made in collaboration with Stanley Thurston's Heritage Signature Chorale, and the faith communities of Foundry, Asbury, and Mount Vernon Place UMCs. The embodied and worshipful performance of a seminal work in the civil rights journey of the 20th-century brings together D.C. musicians, painters, and dancers in a musical worship experience of truth and reconciliation. Performances are presented by IN Series, Feb. 4, 5, and 11 at Mount Vernon Place UMC. Learn more.

Training Tuesday to focus on the power of Non-Anxious Presence: We live in challenging times. The pandemic, economic uncertainty, political division and a pending denominational split have raised anxiety in the church and in the world. Now more than ever, we need people who can lead as a non-anxious presence. Jack Shitama, Director of the Center for Vital Leadership, will share principles from his book, Anxious Church, Anxious People: How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety to help you grow as a non-anxious leader. Join us for this Training Tuesday webinar on Feb, 21, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Register.

Pastors of rural churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference are invited to join Bishop LaTrelle Easterling for a conversation on March 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at Otterbein UMC in Hagerstown. Register.

Faith in Action: Join the BWC & Pen-Del members for the 2023 Legislative Advocacy Days in Annapolis on March 16 and Washington D.C. on March 29 to advocate for United Methodist legislative priorities. Learn more.

Mental Health First Aid: The Wellness & Missions Board invites you to attend a virtual Mental Health First Aid class. Upon completion, participants will be certified for three years. CEUs are available for clergy. Review the choices below and follow the registration link next to your selection. Registration deadlines are not flexible; this ensures participants have adequate time to complete the pre-class work.

For more information, contact abundanthealth@bwcumc.org.

29 ways you can participate in Black History Month: Black History Month is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate and reflect upon the remarkable contributions African Americans have made to American history. No matter who we are or what our background is, Black history is a part of our history. Through its R2 Hub, The General Commission on Religion and Race has provided 29 unique ways to participate in Black History Month and make a difference in your community. Discover new ways to participate.

Darlene R. Taylor is a Washington, D.C.-based multidisciplinary artist, writer, and lecturer at Howard University. In a mixed-media art-show at Asbury UMC, titled “Memories of a Dusty Road,” she combines prose and textiles in visual verse to examine the ways ancestors passed memories and stories. She will give an artist talk at Asbury UMC in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 5 from noon to 2 p.m. 

Appointments to see the exhibit may be scheduled with Carol Travis at carol6303@aol.com.

Bishop Easterling will host a Next Level Leader conversation on March 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Severna Park UMC. Her guest will be Jacqui Lewis, author of “Fierce Love: a Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World.” Registration for in-person attendance closes Feb. 22.

Every moment, we make decisions to create either more or less inclusion, diversity, equity and antiracism (IDEA). This eight-session course will focus on six actions that you and your community partners can take to build beloved community and create spaces of belonging and becoming. You will learn how to have contextual, brave conversations that matter, learn evidence-based strategies for bias reduction, and become rooted in the theological and Wesleyan principles that undergird this work. The spring iteration of Journey to Beloved Community begins this Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. The course's facilitated Zoom sessions occur Thursday nights, 7 to 8:30 p.m. If you are unable to attend at that time, contact Fathima Rifkey for alternatives. Learn More & Register.

Disability Awareness Sunday: Churches of the BWC are called to observe Disability Awareness Sunday on Feb. 5 by celebrating the gifts and graces of people with disabilities and calling the Church and society to full inclusion of persons with disabilities. Learn more.

Unified Funding Grants: Do you have an innovative and exciting idea for a New Faith Expression or new worship service? Do you have a plan for a new ministry that will help your congregation go to the “next level”? Are you developing a way to reach new people who are not yet a part of any church? If you answered yes to any of these, then the Baltimore-Washington Conference Congregational Development Grants, offered through the Unified Funding Task Force (UFTF), may be able to assist you with a grant to launch your new ministry initiative, congregational renewal project, leader development ministry or to reach new people. The application period opens Feb. 15 and closes April 1. Learn more.

The United Methodist National Planters Gathering will be held April 24 - 26 in Denver. The conference is a chance to learn the best of who we are and what we are creating from one another. The BWC’s Congregational Development ministry will cover the registration cost of some participants and scholarships are available. Learn more. For more information contact Bill Brown or Lauren Harris.

Appalachian Service Project invitation to serve: Cedar Grove UMC invites you and your church's VIM team to join them on an Appalachian Service Project mission trip to Eastern Kentucky, July 16 - 22. Learn more. Email Pastor Fred Sipes to sign up. Also, let us know where your VIM teams are serving by sending an email to vim@bwcumc.org.

Access Wesley's sermons: The Rev. John Wesley was a prolific writer and powerful preacher. His sermons are great teaching tools for people interested in better understanding Methodism. ResourceUMC now has a free database of Wesley's greatest sermons indexed by number, title and scriptural reference. Read the words of Methodism's founder and learn more about our unique beliefs and practices. Learn more.

Sign up to join Bishop LaTrelle Easterling on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Jan. 29 - Feb. 7, 2024. This sacred journey to Israel and the West Bank will be hosted by the Society for Biblical Studies and costs $3,439. The theme of the trip is, "The Land of Jesus: Then and Now.

Learn more and register.

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