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September 23, 2024 | "Transformed Lives Transform Lives"

Prayers of the People

The Revs. Jenny Smith and Central Maryland District Superintendent Dawn Hand celebrate a river baptism earlier this month as Wesley Freedom UMC welcomes new disciples into their congregation in Eldersburg.

The Rev. Nancy Webb died Sept. 16. Before her death, she made a video for the BWC's Disabilities Committee. The Rev. Leo Yates shares a portion of the video and a tribute page for Rev. Webb.

Cristin Cooper, the creator of the innovative ministry Coop's Soups, was recently featured by the denomination's Rethink Church. See the video.

A book launch and panel discussion for Adelle Bank’s new book, Becoming a Future-Ready Church: 8 Shifts to Encourage and Empower the Next Generation of Leaders, will be held Sunday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. at Asbury UMC in Washington, D.C., and online. Banks is a member of Asbury and an award-winning reporter for the Religious News Service.

We welcome Fidel Green who joined the BWC staff as the new part-time archives administrator, working primarily in the Lovely Lane Museum and Archives in Baltimore.

Celebrating a new day in ministry: On Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. at Severna Park UMC, the people of the new Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area will join in a worship celebration, lifting up our shared ministries and our vision for the next four years as we grow together in faith and vitality. We'll also welcome back Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, who was assigned to serve as the Area's episcopal leader. The celebration service will be held at Severna Park UMC at 731 Benfield Road in Severna Park, Md.

Camp Manidokan, near Harpers Ferry, W.Va., celebrated its 75th anniversary Sunday and youth gathered for an IGNITE bonfire.

New and Featured Ministries

Voter engagement: As people of faith, our responsibility to participate in the democratic process is deeply intertwined with our call to love our neighbors and seek the common good. Churches are encouraged to use the new Sacred Votes resource, written in part by members of the BWC.

A So(ul)journ Invitation: Westminster UMC invites all United Methodists to join them each Tuesday from now until election day in November for a bipartisan opportunity for prayer, fasting and discernment. Learn more.

Innovation 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”? The BWC's Congregational Development Grants can 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 closes Oct. 1. Learn more and apply.

Youth will have a chance to shine this fall at the IGNITE bonfires, a preview leading up to the IGNITE youth conference in March in Ocean City. On Oct. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., the West River Center bonfire in Churchton will include traditional camp activities. On Oct. 20, from 4 to 7 p.m., the Camp Pecometh

bonfire in Centreville will feature a time of mission.

Each event will include a worship experience and opportunities for fellowship and revival. Register today for the bonfire at West River Center, or Camp Pecometh. Register for IGNITE 2025.

Season six of Training Tuesday, an online learning experience for United Methodists, kicks off Oct. 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. with the Rev. Michael Beck, the denomination’s director of Fresh Expressions. A Fresh Expression is a form of church for our changing culture. When these new kinds of faith communities commit to reaching new people, in new places, and in new ways, revitalization and communal transformation take place. Register.

• On Oct. 15, the Training Tuesday class the Revs. Chelsea Spyres and Lucinda Kent will discuss how to build effective community partnerships and adopt creative modes of worship and building use. Register.
• On Oct 29, the webinar, with superintendents Sarah Schlieckert and Tina Blake, will focus on training for Staff-Parish Relations Committee leaders. Register.

Methodist Heritage Presentation: David Worthington, the United Methodist Global Ambassador of Methodist Heritage Sites, will speak at Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. and at the Log Meeting House at Strawbridge Shrine in New Windsor on Oct. 10 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. His presentation is entitled “Wisdom from the Past, Hope for the Future; A Story of Methodist Heritage.”

Meaningful Conversations: Bishop LaTrelle Easterling will speak with Joel Goza, author of Rebirth of a Nation, on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m. at Busboys and Poets at 2021 14th St., NW, in Washington, D.C. They will discuss how to dismantle the deep-seated myths that perpetuate white supremacy. Learn more and register.

A Diverse Church by Design: Cross-Racial and Cross-Cultural (CRCC) Leadership Certificate Program is a biblically-based practical and contextual approach to advancing multicultural ministry in the 21st century with cultural humility. Click here to learn more and register for the upcoming orientation on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.

Fall Day Away for Clergy: The Board of Ordained Ministry's Culture of Call Committee is hosting a Day Away for Clergy on Oct. 17 at Camp Manidokan near Harper's Ferry. The day will include time for fellowship, relaxation, renewal, and optional art, hiking, and zip-line experiences. It can also be extended for an overnight stay. Learn more and register.

On Fire … or Burned Out? Clergy Renewal Day - Nov 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Calvary UMC in Annapolis

During this day of renewal and self-care, led by physician-theologian Dr. Pat Fosarelli, pastors will learn the difference between good stress and bad stress, how bad stresses affect people physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and what they can do to address their reaction to stress. In addition to the presentations, there will be time for solitude, prayer, and conversations with others experiencing similar challenges. Register by Nov. 13.

If you are working or want to work in the area of wealth/health equity or affordable housing, you’re invited to connect with the BWC’s Wealth and Health Equity Team as they seek to expand their team. One of our focus areas is affordable housing. For more information, please contact Kathleen King.

Discipleship Ministries Calendar

The Baltimore-Washington Conference's Advocacy and Action Ministries invites you to join them for the Building Beloved Relationships Webinar Series led by K Scarry of the People's Supper. Each class begins at 7 p.m. and will have a unique Zoom login. On Sept. 26, they'll focus on Conversations on Gender and Sexuality, and on Oct. 10, they'll explore How to Talk About Race.

The next EarthKeepers class will be held Oct. 3-6 at the Maritime Center in Linthicum. This opportunity from Global Ministries enables people to live out their passion for the natural world, God’s creation and environmental justice. Global Ministries EarthKeepers is a training and incubator program that provides a collaborative space for United Methodists to develop and grow environmental projects in their communities. Topics include eco-theology, antiracism, community organizing, and project planning. During the training, all participants will plan a bold, action-oriented project. Youth, ages 13-18 may participate with an adult. Learn more and apply.

Deacon News: Members of the Order of Deacons will meet via Zoom on Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. Among other items, they will discuss some of the legislation pertaining to Deacons that was passed at the recent General Conference. Register. On the next day, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. there will be an exploration session on Zoom for candidates exploring the ministry of deacons. Register.

Non-Anxious Leader Course: The key to effective leadership is the ability to be a non-anxious presence. This is deceptively simple but tremendously difficult. If you take this journey, you can lead change in even the most challenging contexts. The Non-Anxious Leader: Family Systems Basics is a four-week online course, held online Oct. 7 through Nov. 3, that will help you learn the principles behind this approach, and how to put them into practice. Three CEUs are awarded for successful completion. There is no cost for lay and clergy members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Learn more and register.

The workshop C.A.L.L.E.D. (Challenging And Leading Laity Every Day) sponsored by the Cumberland-Hagerstown District, will be held Nov. 6, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Otterbein UMC at 108 E. Franklin Street in Hagerstown. The workshop, led by Cindy Reeder, will explore the concept of call and how to more fully engage the laity. Learn more and register.

Clergy Sexual Ethics and Boundaries Training will be held Thursday, Nov. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Mission Center in Fulton. The training will focus on “Boundaries, Power and Well-Being: Approaches for Healthy Leaders and Congregants,” presented by Linda Crockett with Safe Communities PA. This is an in-person class, with two hours of asynchronous learning required prior to the training date. This will be the last Conference-provided Ethics Training for the quadrennium. Register here by Oct. 18.

Creation care legislative seminar: The Greater Washington District United Women in Faith will hold their Annual Legislative Seminar on Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Silver Spring UMC Chapel and via Zoom. The theme will be creation care. For registration and questions, contact Tijuana M. Irons at 301-821-0966.

See a listing of more discipleship ministries and and local church events

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