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As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we pray that the joy of Christmas lights your life with love and wonder.

Read a Christmas message from Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, who wishes you the thrill of hope. "May that thrill be yours," she wrote, "not because all is as you would desire, but because the Prince of Peace is with us, we have the gift of everlasting love, all oppression shall cease and every promise made shall be fulfilled."

Churches throughout the BWC are celebrating Christmas by putting their faith into action. Solley UMC in Glen Burnie prepared 55 gift bags for the men and women they regularly serve at the House of Hope and provided a local grandmother and her seven grandchildren with everything needed for a full holiday meal and gifts for all of the children, said the pastor, Kate Snyder. “Our church is small; however, we are a mighty presence reflecting God’s love.”

Pearl Cole, the mother of the Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson, died on Dec. 14. A viewing will be held on Dec. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Vaughn Green Funeral Services in Randallstown. A homegoing celebration will be held at Set the Captives Free Outreach Center, 6901 Security Blvd. in Windsor Mill, where the family will receive friends from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., with services to follow. Condolences can be sent to Rev. Cole Wilson, who serves as the BWC’s Executive Minister of Beloved Community, at 13300 Cormorant Place, Bowie, MD 20720-4762.

The Rev. Dr. Jeanne Adams Daniels, the mother of the Rev. Joseph Daniels of Emory Fellowship, died Dec. 17. Her homegoing service is Tuesday, Dec. 20, at Emory Fellowship, at 6100 Georgia Ave. NW in Washington. The viewing will begin at 9 a.m. and the funeral is at 11 a.m. Condolences can be sent to Rev. Daniels at 14629 Stonewall Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20905-5857.

General Conference news: The United Methodist Church’s highest court ruled last week that new delegate elections “are not required” for the long-delayed and potentially pivotal General Conference, now set for 2024. “The delegates duly elected to the 2020 General Conference for the 2020-2024 Quadrennium stand as submitted and certified by the annual conference secretaries,” the Judicial Council said in Decision 1451. Read the story.

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling invites you to join her for her new podcast, Thursdays at the Table, which premieres Jan. 5. In this monthly conversation, she will be joined by leaders from across the connection, serving up new insights and interesting and vital ways of experiencing our lives together. See and share the promotional video. In the first episode, the bishop speaks with church leaders whose anti-racist work changed their lives.

You will learn how to have contextual, brave conversations that matter, learn evidence-based strategies for bias reduction, and become rooted in theological and Wesleyan principles that undergird this work. The spring iteration of Journey to Beloved Community begins on Feb. 2, 2023. Learn More & Register.

Blue Christmas: During this holiday season, some people feel less than festive as they suffer from grief, loneliness, depression, or illness. Blue Christmas services, traditionally held on the year's longest day, allow people to learn about and experience God's abiding and comforting love. See a number of liturgical and other resources your church can use to better understand and observe Blue Christmas.

Epiphany worship: United Methodist Communications offers ideas for Worshipping on New Year's Day, and Discipleship Ministries is offering a series on worshipping during the season of Epiphany, titled "Glimpses of Kin-dom." The series explores how “we are now the epiphany, the light shining forth for the world to see.”

The Training Tuesday webinar, which will focus on the new statistical reporting system, will be held Jan. 10 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Everyone who will work on church statistics is encouraged to attend. Learn more and register.

VIM teams to serve locally: The Conference's VIM Ministry team needs your help to get ready for Second Saturday Serve. Gather with VIM teams from across the Conference to be a blessing to a community each second Saturday of the month starting in March 2023. You're invited to share a project idea for VIM teams to work on in your district. Ideas should be submitted no later than Jan. 15. Final decisions about the projects will be posted in the e-connection on Jan. 30. All submissions may be emailed to VIM@bwcumc.org. #VIMpossible

Disabilities Ministries gathering: The General Board of Church and Society, General Commission on Religion and Race, and the Disability Ministries Committee of The United Methodist Church invite you to join them for a gathering of all Disability Ministry chairs and coordinators, Church and Society chairs, Peace with Justice coordinators, and other disability rights advocates for a one-hour, Connection-wide online discussion. The conversation will be held Jan. 18, from 3 to 4 p.m. on Zoom. Register.

BWC College Scholarship Process now open: The Baltimore-Washington Conference awards scholarships for qualified students currently attending college, and high school seniors who plan to attend college in the fall of 2023. A variety of scholarships are offered to fit the diverse needs of our students. To be considered for a scholarship, students must complete an online application, which includes uploading their current transcripts. In addition, the student must provide contact information for their pastor and one additional church reference. The pastor and reference will be contacted and asked to submit information on the student’s participation in the local church. The entire process, which closes March 30, will be conducted online. Learn more.

Wesley Seminary’s online Heal the Sick certification program will be conducted Jan. 15 - March 25. The registration deadline is Jan. 3. Scholarships are available through the BWC's Health and Missions Board. For more information, visit www.wesleyhts.org, and click “Online Health Minister Certificate.”

Mental First Aid: The Wellness and Missions Team will host Adult Mental First Aid with United Methodist Churches on Feb. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Register. Additional sessions will be held March 17-18, and April 20-21.

Living Our Principles: A Look at The United Methodist Church's Social Principles will be the topic of the online Lay Servant Discipleship Academy class, Feb. 6 through March 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. The Rev. Neal Christie will be the instructor. Register.

Addressing Violence in Church: Eastport UMC in Annapolis will host a class on Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events. The CRASE presentation by the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management and the Annapolis Police Department is designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend (ADD) strategy and provides guidance and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event. All are welcome to attend this training on Jan. 15 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Rollerskating: Asbury UMC in Jessup will host a roller skating event for youth and young adults on Friday, Dec. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Skate Zone, 1082 Route 3 South at Capitol Raceway Road in Crofton. Tickets are $20. Contact Shanita Pearson at 240-342-1722.

St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute in Baltimore invites people of all denominations to explore theological studies in a serious, open-minded, and supportive environment, offering graduate certificates and master’s and doctoral degrees to part-time students with full-time lives. Contact Galen Zook for more information.

Winter Youth Retreat: Youth groups of Annapolis District churches are invited to participate in a Winter Youth Retreat at West River UMC, hosted by Calvary UMC in Annapolis. The retreat will be held Jan. 13-15 and will provide a place to celebrate Christ’s love with other youth and build a stronger community of faith. The cost per participant is $165 and includes lodging for your group and meals. Each church is responsible for providing appropriate adult chaperone coverage for its youth. For more information or to register, contact Joe Gryder.

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