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Joshua Scott Shumaker, 28, the son of Rev. Scott Dale Shumaker and his wife Tracey, died on March 4. Visitation will be held Thursday, March 16, from 10 a.m. until the memorial service at noon at Mt. Carmel UMC in Parkton. Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Mt. Carmel UMC, 2533 Mt. Carmel Road, Parkton, MD 21120. A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help pay for the unexpected funeral costs and future care of Joshua's son who is now under their care.

Anthony L. Martucci, Jr., a member of the BWC staff, died on March 7. A time of visitation and a prayer service will be held today, March 13, at Donaldson Funeral Home in Laurel. Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m., the service is at 6 p.m. Read a memorial tribute. See his obituary.

The Rev. Dr. Carroll Doggett, an Elder in the BWC who served as a district superintendent, will be 100 years old on March 23. He is a resident at Homewood, Crumland Farms in Frederick. Birthday wishes can be sent to 7407 Willow Road, AL #242, Frederick, MD 21702.

The Park It Market Mobile Food Pantry is ready to roll: Glenelg UMC is launching a new ministry to provide food and household necessities to hard-to-reach families experiencing food scarcity in Howard County. The new mobile food pantry, the Park It Market, will debut on March 23, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Lisbon Elementary School. The new food van will provide fresh produce and staples to more than 30 families in partnership with Howard County schools. The ministry grew out of the need to help feed more children in the area who go hungry when school is not in session.

United Methodists are urged by the Native American International Caucus to reintroduce and pass legislation to re-establish the Truth and Health Commission. Learn more and take action.

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 receive new appointments and the congregations they will serve. See the appointment list.

"Love is the answer, the rest is commentary," was the message Bishop LaTrelle Easterling and Rev. Jacqui Lewis, author of Fierce Love, brought to the Next Level Speaker series last week. See the story.

Award winners will be recognized at the Annual Conference session. The deadline for award nominations is April 1. Learn more and see the application forms.

Summer Camp staff and volunteer opportunities available: Spend time this summer changing the lives of young people at Camp Manidokan, near Harper's Ferry, and West River, near Annapolis, where staff and volunteers are sought. Contact the office or call 800-922-6795 for more information. Apply online today.

Breathe: Strengthening the Black Church will hold a Leadership Forward webinar called Breathe on Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. The workshop will be led by the Rev. Twanda King. Register.

Webinar: In Defense of Asylum: Join people of faith to listen to asylum seekers at the border and make a collective call to Congress to change President Biden’s asylum policy trajectory, which seeks to detain immigrant families at the border. The webinar is on March 20 at 3 p.m. Register.

Project Transformation DC will hold its Flipping Flapjacks Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to noon at Emory Fellowship UMC in Washington, D.C. The breakfast, which will raise funds for 2023 summer camps, is free, but generous donations are accepted. Project Transformation DC transforms communities by engaging children, college-age young adults, and churches in purposeful relations and literacy. RSVP.

Seven Last Words of Christ: Glen Mar Church in Ellicott City will present the cantata “The Seven Last Words of Christ” by Theodore Dubois during its Good Friday service on April 7 at 7:30 p.m. About 50 singers, accompanied by an orchestra, will perform this choral work. This service will also feature dramatic readings and prayers.

The Seeds of Security Annual Golf Tournament, which raises funds to assist victims of domestic violence, will be held Monday, April 24, at 9 a.m. at Hobbit’s Glen Golf Course in Columbia. You can register one player or a team of four: single players pay $150, and foursomes $500. Register here.

Registration is now open for Camp Joy, which will be held July 9 - 15 and July 16 - 22, Camp Joy is an opportunity for youth to serve in mission in the Appalachian region of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia by providing home repair to those who do not have the means to take on the repairs themselves. Beyond repairing homes, this mission ministry provides a transformative, immersive community experience amid God’s beautiful creation, demonstrating how our lives and faith intersect. For more information on how you, your youth, and your church can participate, contact Pastor Becki Wessinger.

Annual Conference registration is now open. Learn more.

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 open through March 10 for $100. If you want 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.

Discipleship Pathway: A Mastermind group is forming to help you create your church's Discipleship Pathway. The 12-month, cohort-based course is designed for churches ready to develop and implement an intentional discipleship pathway. If accepted, the pastor and a person in lay leadership will work together to learn Discipleship Pathway concepts and principles and discern the best way to apply them to their ministry context. The application deadline is March 24, and the program will begin the week of April 24. There is no cost to participate in this program. Space is limited to five pastor/layperson pairs. Learn more and apply now.

IDEA Internships: The Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Conferences offer summer internships to college students seeking to work in inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism. Interns can engage in direct social justice action, learn from social justice experts, and connect with United Methodist advocates. These internships run from June 5 - July 28. The stipend is $2,500. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis from Feb. 20 to March 31. Learn more and apply.

Reclaim, Revive, Renew: In a Mid-Term State of Church Address, Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, president of the Council of Bishops, called United Methodists to “be the architects of a renewed, revived and reclaimed United Methodist Church.” Hear the address and join United Methodists as they embrace a hope-filled beloved community. Read a transcript. Dive into Scripture readings and converse with other United Methodists on crucial points from the address using the Reclaim. Revive. Renew. discussion guide.

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling has been selected to serve as chaplain for the opening session of the Chautauqua Institution in New York, June 24 - July 1. That week, which will focus on friendship, includes six preaching engagements. The week will include several entertainers, like Bonnie Raitt; and special lectures by people such as Cornel West and his friend Robert P. George, Atlantic staff writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Senior, and actor Sean Astin.

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