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The Revs. Chris and Katie Bishop (and Eden and Bethany) welcomed their son/brother Abraham Bishop, age 4, home from Haiti last week as his adoption was finalized. Abraham will be baptized at the Easter Vigil Service at Middletown UMC at 5 p.m., Saturday, April 8. All are welcome in person or online. The Bishop family is thankful for the prayers and support of the Baltimore-Washington Conference community in this adoption and homecoming process. 

Lilly Ann Thomas Owens died Jan. 17 after a long illness. She was related to the Rev. Gertie T. Williams. She was a faithful and active member of the former Mt. Zion UMC in Ellicott City and Mt. Olivet UMC in Catonsville, and an active member of the district and conference United Women in Faith. Condolences may be sent to her granddaughter, Candace Owens Brown, 1107 Pomelo Court, Catonsville, MD 21218.

Last week, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling spoke to students and faculty at American University at the start of Black History Month. See the story.

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling and the Cabinet have begun making clergy appointments, which will go into effect on July 1. We pray for all those who will be changing appointments and the congregations they will serve. New appointments are posted most Mondays. See the appointment list.

Also, see a statement on gun control from the Federation of Asian American United Methodists.

Bishop Easterling will host a Next Level 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. Clergy participants will receive 0.5 CEUs.

The course will be offered March 6 through April 2. The registration deadline is March 1. The course, offered by The Center for Vital Leadership, is free to lay and clergy members of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conferences.

Get more information and register. In addition, more information on this topic can be found at Jack Shitama's blog, The Non-Anxious Leader.

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. 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 BWC and 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. For more information contact Bill Brown or Lauren Harris. Learn more. Register.

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.

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.

Learn more about 100% of churches at 100% vitality.

See the church classified ads, now online.