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September 9, 2024 | "Transformed Lives Transform Lives"

Prayers of the People

‘Lord in your mercy:' United Methodists are in prayer for an end to gun violence in light of recent school shootings in Joppatown, northeast of Baltimore, where a high school student died, and in Georgia, where two students and two teachers were shot and killed. Since the Columbine shooting in 1999, there have been 417 school shootings in the United States, affecting 383,000 students. Learn more about how your congregation can work for gun violence prevention.

Donna Marie Bennett, who attended Wesley Seminary and served as pastor of Ayers Chapel in Norrisville from 1988 to 1997, died Sept. 4. A viewing will be held Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. at West Liberty UMC in White Hall. A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. at the church, and an interment will follow.

The Rev. Rachel Cornwell, pastor of Dumbarton UMC in Georgetown, will be the featured guest on the Virtual Porch on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. She’ll share her thoughts on “As Brave as Them.” The Virtual Porch is a production of the Parents Reconciling Network (PRN), an extension ministry of the Reconciling Ministries Network. Register.

As the school year begins, students, teachers and churches are focused on new starts. The Rev. Theresa Thames, an Elder in the BWC, is experiencing a new beginning as she begins her ministry as Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel at Princeton University in New Jersey. Read about Thames and her innovative approach to leadership.

Hub questionnaires for restructuring due Sept. 15

While the response has been good, pastors and local church leaders are reminded that the deadline to complete the Hub formation questionnaire is Sept. 15. Your church's input will be used to connect congregations in Collaborative Hubs as a part of our BWC's restructuring process.

The Collaborative Hub assignments will be announced in January, with five to 12 local churches grouped in a shared, geographically-based mission field. Then, starting on July 1, 2025, the Hubs will begin working together. Each Hub will have a designated Connecting Church, which will help facilitate collaborative work and vitality.  Learn more.

Innovation grants available to local churches

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? The Baltimore-Washington Conference Congregational Development Grants, offered through the Unified Funding Task Force, 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 opens Sept. 3 and closes Oct. 1. Learn more and apply.

New and Featured Ministries

A Federal Legislative Action Day will be held on Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Capitol Hill UMC in Washington, D.C. Participants will meet with members of Congress in the afternoon and advocate for Supporting the Call for a Ceasefire in Israel and Palestine and

Prioritization of SNAP in the 2024 FARM Bill Reauthorization. Learn more and register.

Youth will have a chance to shine this fall at the IGNITE bonfires, each designed to light the sparks that lead to the IGNITE youth conference in Ocean City, March 7-9, 2025.

• On Sept. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m., the bonfire at Camp Manidokan, near Harper's Ferry, will include the 75th anniversary celebration of the camp.
• 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 Camp Manidokan, West River Center, or Camp Pecometh. Registration for IGNITE 2025 in Ocean City opens on Sept. 15.

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 training, 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.

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

In 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.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference's Advocacy and Action Ministries invites you to join them for the Building Beloved Relationships Training Webinar Series led by K Scarry of the People's Supper.

This series of four webinars will provide a pathway to leading amidst change and having brave conversations, along with time for further discussion so that you can best understand how to build beloved relationships within your congregations and wider communities. Each class begins at 7 p.m. and will have a unique Zoom login.

• September 12 | Let’s Talk About It

How to have a conversation across political lines in your congregation

• September 26 | Let’s Talk About It

How to have a conversation about gender/sexuality in your congregation

• October 10 | Let’s Talk About It

How to have a conversation about race in your congregation 

See a listing of local church events.

Discipleship Ministries Fall Calendar

Additional Discipleship Opportunities

A quilt show featuring Baltimore Album quilts will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 10:30 a.m. at Lovely Lane UMC, 2200 St. Paul Street in Baltimore. The largest private collection of Baltimore Album Quilts, owned by Lovely Lane Museum & Archives, will be on display, and a lecture on the history of quilt making will be given by Baltimore quilt expert Marylou McDonald and her team. Registration is $25. Register. For more information, contact the Rev. Dr. Bonnie McCubbin.

Creation care legislative seminar: The Greater Washington District United Women in Faith will hold their Annual Legislative Seminar on Sept. 21 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.

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.

Celebrating the Latino story in Baltimore: The congregation of Salem UMC in Baltimore invites everyone to attend the movie premiere of “We Are Baltimore," the Baltimore Latino story, on Oct. 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Senator Theater, 5904 York Road in Baltimore. Learn more at www.nuestrasraicesinc.org.

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.

Level Up! -- The Susquehanna, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia annual conferences are sponsoring Level Up, a two-day learning experience designed to empower your ministry as you take your next steps in 2025 and beyond. The event will be Nov. 8-9 at Christ UMC 44 Highland Road in Bethel Park, PA, near Pittsburgh. Learn more and register. If you have questions, contact the Rev. Bill Brown.

Registration is now open for the second Fresh Expressions Academy, which launches in November. The year-long experience will combine presentations, regular coaching, peer-to-peer discussions, immersion experiences, and an online group to help facilitate the cultivation of fresh expressions. It is designed to equip clergy and laity to innovate and take risks to engage people who are not yet part of a faith community.

Important Dates Include:

• Gather: Nov. 2 -- The opening training day provides an overview of Fresh Expressions and the blended ecology.
• Grow: Feb. 27 to March 1 -- Together, we will travel to The FXUMC National Gathering 2025 in Atlanta, Ga. for a deep dive into practical guidance and shared learning as we are actively engaged in cultivating fresh expressions and other innovative forms of ministry.
• Go: Nov. 1, 2025 -- The closing gathering will be a day of “reverse mentorship” in which students will deliver a presentation on their new expression and share key learnings.

Learn more and register.

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