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October 2, 2024 | "Transformed Lives Transform Lives"

Prayers of the People

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling offers a blessing to Bishop Julius Trimble during a service celebrating his installation as General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society on Sept. 27 at the Methodist Building in Washington. During the next quadrennium, Bishop Easterling will serve on the GBCS Board.

In light of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the BWC's disaster response team calls upon United Methodists to offer a response that can help relieve the suffering. In addition to prayer, you and your congregation are invited to:

• Give to The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMOR) UMCOR
• Build UMCOR Kits – View this short video on how to assemble a kit
• Assemble Hygiene Kits – Assembly video

The Rev. Vicki Dotterer, a retired pastor in the BWC, died Sept. 26. A celebration of her life will be held at Wesley Chapel UMC, 3519 Urbana Pike in Frederick, on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Vicki's name to The Alzheimer's Association, Western Maryland Chapter, 108 Byte Drive, Suite 103, Frederick, MD 21702 or online at www.alz.org.

A service for the Rev. Nancy Webb, a retired Elder in the BWC who died on Sept,16,

will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. at Grace UMC in Baltimore. Clergy who wish to process are invited to arrive by 12:30 p.m. Please wear white albs. Rev. Webb has gifted her stoles to be shared among her clergy colleagues, so stoles will be available for wearing and taking home. The service will be live-streamed on Grace’s YouTube channel. Memorials may be made in Nancy’s memory to the Reconciling Ministries Network or Methodist Federation for Social Action.

A recent email from Nan McCurdy, a United Methodist missionary and member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, announced that she and her husband, Miguel Mairena, will be retiring this winter. Nan also shares that she was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. The pair are currently serving at Give Ye Them to Eat in Mexico. Read their email. Contact Nan at nanmigl@yahoo.com and Miguel at nanmig@msn.com.

Members of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference have a unique and life-changing partnership with the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Providing leadership is Susie Kiefer, a laywoman with a heart for Africa. Read her story.

The United Methodist Building, the construction of which was funded entirely by women, celebrates its 100th anniversary as a landmark for temperance and justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. See the story.

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.

BWC offers innovation grants to local churches

Each year, the Baltimore-Washington Conference offers Missional Innovation Grants to individuals, groups and churches that are making a vital difference in their communities and the world. Learn about how, for example, a grant awarded last year enlivened Mt. Nebo UMC's youth group.

The missional innovation grants recognize that discipleship often has the most impact when it is done at a local church level, with people living out their faith assisting people in their communities. The conference seeks to support these efforts by enabling creative and vital expressions of God’s love as it inspires and enables discipleship.

Receive up to $5,000 to support your best ideas in the fields of Advocacy and Action, Wellness and Missions, or Youth Ministries. The deadline is Nov. 1. Learn more and apply.

New and Featured Ministries

Bonfires for young people will offer a preview of 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 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. During the webinars, United Methodists will engage with subject matter experts and discover new ways of being and doing church,

• On Oct. 8, the Rev. Michael Beck, the denomination's director of Fresh Expressions, will explore how new forms of the church can reach our changing culture and bring about transformation in your congregation and community. Register.
• On Oct. 15, 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.

Other Training Tuesday sessions include:

• November 12: Your Church Doesn’t Need More Volunteers (Nominations)
• November 19: The Work of the Local Trustees
• December 5: Living Well
• December 10: The Work of the Church Council

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.

Addressing Domestic Violence: The BWC and Seeds of Security will be a sponsor at the Interrupting Violence Together Interfaith Solutions Forum on Nov. 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 9750 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia. Register.

Discipleship Ministries Calendar

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.”

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.

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.

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

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