e-connection 9|29|2025

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September 29, 2025 | "Transformed Lives Transform Lives"

Prayers of the People

We pray for the families of those killed or injured in the shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, on September 28. We pray for peace, as this horrific act came a month after the shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic Church school. Lord, help us keep places of worship as sanctuaries of hope and love.

We pray for all whom Super Typhoon Ragasa has impacted. As the storm hit Hong Kong and China’s southern coast on September 24, it left a trail of devastation across the Philippines and Taiwan, including the loss of 19 people. We pray especially for those who have lost loved ones and livelihoods.

We also pray for those who are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, one year later. Learn more about how the United Methodist Committee on Relief offers hope and healing to the most vulnerable.

News

The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) of The United Methodist Church has officially launched the search for its next General Secretary, the chief executive officer responsible for guiding the agency’s mission of resourcing the denomination through faithful stewardship, trusted administration, and professional service. Read the press release and apply.

Emory Grove UMC in Gaithersburg has embraced advocacy as ministry, pioneering affordable housing and justice work that honors its historic roots while securing a vibrant future. Read more.

Today's episode of the Justice Takes Courage podcast features Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling discussing the challenges of today’s political landscape with host Bishop Julius C. Trimble. They discuss moving beyond prayer to action, giving voice to issues that touch our communities, sustaining justice work over the long haul, and more. Listen now.

News from the Peninsula-Delaware Conference

Born from a conference-wide request after a season of painful division, the Peninsula-Delaware Conference gathered September 27 for a Service of Lament. Through song, prayer, and the striking act of dropping stones into baptismal waters, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling called the church from grief to revival: ‘God’s people always rise.’ Read more.

Mark your Calendars

New this week

Join United Methodists around the globe in celebrating World Communion Sunday on October 5. As we share in the bread and cup, we also share in a mission: supporting diverse leaders through scholarships and training. Your gift empowers students from underrepresented communities to serve and lead the church into the future.

Learn more. Download resources. Give now.

Church conferences are fast approaching. Please be reminded that all church conference reports are due Wednesday, October 1. To help you prepare, be sure to explore the 2025 Church Conference Training video playlist for guidance on timely and accurate report submissions. Additional support resources are also available on the Church Conference webpage.

Wesley Nexus presents the 2025 Faith & Science Weekend on October 10-11. On Friday, October 10, at 7 p.m. (Trinity UMC, Germantown), astrophysicist Dr. Jennifer Wiseman presents New Discoveries in Our Universe: Stars, Earth, and the Future of Faith. On Saturday, October 11, at 4 p.m. (BWC Mission Center, Fulton), Dr. Francis Collins will speak on the Harmonies of Science & Christian Faith. These events are free and open to all. Learn more and register. Download the flyer.

In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

Our 28 Days of Prayer begin on October 1.

How to Join:

Get your copy of Dynamite Prayer (if ordering 10 or more books, use code INNOVATE50 for 50% off your order).
Commit to pray daily from October 1–28.
RSVP and let us know you’re ready to pray boldly, listen deeply, and move forward together in love.
Optional: Join others in live prayer from 7 to 7:30 a.m.via Zoom.
If joining the 7 a.m. Zoom, download the calendar reminder to add the daily prayer time directly to your schedule.

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 - October 15. Local church resources have been provided by the General Commission on Religion and Race, including a book study on “Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity” by Robert Chao Romero. See Hispanic Heritage Month Resources.

The Ministry Innovation (MI) internship is a one-year, cohort-based, paid internship for adults aged 23–29, which includes community formation, spiritual direction, graduate-level courses, and hands-on experience in leading innovation. The internship, sponsored by The Hub for (Re)imagining Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary, is designed to accommodate full-time or part-time work, school, and other commitments. The 2026 MI applications are open until September 30, with the cohort beginning in January 2026. Learn more and apply.

Spark interest and community about the IGNITE Youth Conference being held in March 2026 in Ocean City by attending an IGNITE bonfire. While each site will have its own unique twist, youth, young adults and chaperones will find fun, fellowship, s’mores and camp activities. Bring friends from the community and start fanning the flame toward the IGNITE Conference. RSVP.

Locations:

Camp Manidokan - Saturday, October 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Please bring your own chair)

Camp Pecometh - Sunday, October 19, 4 to 7 p.m.

Congregational Development Grants are now available. Do you have an innovative idea for a new ministry? The BWC's Congregational Development Grants can assist you in launching your new ministry initiative, congregational renewal project, or leader development ministry. All materials must be uploaded by October 1.

Learn more and apply.

Missional innovation uses principles of design thinking and some of the best practices of the corporate and nonprofit worlds to explore what God is calling you to invent. Area churches and individuals have experimented with missional innovation to create a spirit of entrepreneurship mixed with faith. Apply for a Missional Innovation Grant by October 1.

The Council of Bishops ecumenical staff has announced the availability of two opportunities for United Methodists interested in Christian unity and interfaith engagement. These include three Local Initiative Grants for conference groups as well as a scholarship for a young adult to attend the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute at Bossey in Switzerland. Scholarship applications are due on October 1, and grant applications are due on November 3.

Learn more and apply.

Training Tuesdays return on October 7. Training Tuesdays offers accessible and practical training to clergy, laity, and ministry teams. These sessions are designed to foster church vitality, deepen spiritual leadership, and inspire innovative responses to the evolving needs of our communities.

See the fall lineup. Download flyer.

Deaf Ministries is offering a seminar: "Introduction to Signing Music." This seminar will be held on October 11, 9:30 a.m. to noon at St. Mark United Methodist Church, 1440 Dorsey Rd. Hanover, MD 21076. Download the flyer. Register.

Join us for our Annual Confirmation Pilgrimages on Saturday, October 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday, March 8, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You will see four historic sites and learn about your Methodist Roots. New this year: Junior Circuit Rider Program and interactive touch boxes. Please RSVP to Rev. Bonnie McCubbin, Director of Museums & Pilgrimage. Groups are limited to 40 people from multiple churches.

The key to effective leadership is the ability to be a non-anxious presence. This is deceptively simple, but tremendously difficult. We invite you to embark on this journey, where you can lead change in even the most challenging contexts. The Non-Anxious Leader: Family Systems Basics is a four-week online course, beginning October 13, that will help you learn the principles behind this approach, as well as how to put them into practice. There is no cost to lay and clergy members of the BWC.

Learn more and register.

Wesley Theological Seminary invites you to the Yu-Lee Lecture on Tuesday, October 28, at 11 a.m. in Oxnam Chapel. This lecture celebrates the contributions of the Asian American community. This year’s speaker, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, Bishop of the Ohio Episcopal Area, will deliver a lecture titled “Messianic Hope and Liberating Missions Among the Korean Diasporas.”

Download the flyer.

Registration is LIVE for the IGNITE Conference in Ocean City

Too many of our young people feel disconnected, unseen, and uncertain of their worth in a divided world. IGNITE 2026 responds with "belong" - a theme that grounds youth in their identity as God’s beloved, equips them to embrace their own sacred worth, and calls them into a just and loving community with others.

"You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”

– 1 Corinthians 3:23

Learn more and register. Watch the video.

Featured Resource: MAP