Discipleship Opportunities

The Baltimore-Washington Conference offers a number of opportunities for learning and growing in faith and discipleship. Scroll down this list of some of the offerings to put your faith into action.

Local Church EventS

  • Community Paper Shred Event : Mays Chapel UMC is hosting a Drive-Thru Community Paper Shred on Saturday, September 13, 10 a.m. to noon (or until the trucks fill up). Two trucks will be on site for safe and secure shredding. This is a residential-only event (no businesses). Paper only, please—no CDs or discs. Location: Mays Chapel United Methodist Church 11911 Jenifer Rd, Timonium, MD 21093 Donations are appreciated to support this service.

  • Church Picnic : Christ Deaf Church and Deaf Shalom Zone invites you to a Chruch Picnic on Sunday September 14, at 1040 S. Beechfield Ave Baltimore, MD 21229. Weather permitting worship will be outside at noon followed by a potluck picnic. Deaf Shalom Zone will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and ribs. Members and guests are invited to bring a dish to share. Some suggestions: potato salad, pasta dish, hot or cold vegetable dish, caprese salad, fruit salad, fruit and cheese plate, pastries and desserts. 

  • Wellness Retreat: Clinton UMC in Clinton will host Beauty For Ashes: Healing through Creativity Wellness Retreat on September 19 at 7 p.m. and September 20 9 a.m. to noon. please pre-register by submitting your registration form either by mail or  Early Bird Registration: $20.00 per person, after August 30: $25.00 per person. Learn more and register.

  • Westward Road City of Light Concert : UMC of Savage, 9050 Baltimore Street, Savage, MD 20763, would like to invite you to a community worship event featuring Westward Road gospel trio on September 20 at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served after the concert.

  • High Tea Fundraiser : Journey of Faith invites you to its high tea fundraiser on September 27 from 3 to 5 p.m. contact Linda Harris 804-497-9948 or Rosemary Pinkney 301-233-3916 to register.

  • Fall Festival : Union UMC, 14418 Old Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro MD, 20772, invites you to Fall Fest, a Fall Festival for everyone, on September 27 from noon to 6 p.m. There will be live music, vendors, food trucks, health screening, and childrens activities. For more information visit www.uumchurch.com.

  • The Sanyuka Children’s Choir : Ames United Methodist Church is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting the Sanyuka Children’s Choir from Uganda on Sunday, September 28, at 3:30 p.m. at our Bel Air campus (112 Baltimore Pike, Bel Air, MD 21014). This vibrant, joy-filled choir is on their U.S. “Ebenezer Tour” and will be sharing songs of hope, powerful testimonies, and the lively spirit of Ugandan worship through music and dance. Their visit promises to be a moving experience that unites faith, culture, and global compassion.

  • 190th Church Anniversary : Jerusalem-Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church will celebrate its 190th Church Anniversary on the weekend of October 4–5. The anniversary celebration will feature a community cookout on Saturday, October 4, from 12 to 5 p.m. on the Church grounds (21 Wood Lane, Rockville, MD 20850).  The cookout will feature children’s activities, music, line dancing, blood pressure screenings, information tables and a car show.  On Sunday, October 5 there will be two worship services, one at 10 a.m. where Rev. Jane Wood, a former JMPUMC Pastor who grew up in the Church will serve as the guest preacher and at 2 p.m. service devoted to music. Former pastors, community leaders, and friends of the church are invited to join in recognition of this historic milestone. 

  • Trunk or Treat and Fall Fun Day : Sunday, October 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. Taylorsville United Methodist, 2456 Ridge Road, Mt. Airy is having a trunk or treat and many activities such as: fishing for apples, petting farm, mini pumpkin golf, fall crafts and more. All are welcome to attend.

  • Halloween Game Day Saturday : Christ Deaf Church and Deaf Shalom Zone invites you to a Halloween Game Day Saturday October 25 noon to 3 p.m. at 1040 S. Beechfield Ave Baltimore, MD 21229.  Admission is any donation to our Food Pantry. Table Games and activities will be available as well as a Picture Bingo game.

  • Church Bazaar : Taylorsville United Methodist (4356 Ridge Road, Mt. Airy, MD 21771) invites you to their Church Bazaar Saturday, November 15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Enjoy crafts, a train garden, puzzles, books and more. We are known for our great fried oyster luncheon, homemade soups, cakes, pies, and candy.

  • Tag Team Revival : The Journey of Faith, 2900 Smallwood Drive W., Waldorf, Maryland, invites you to join us for our Tag Team Revival on Friday, November 21, 2025.

  • Christmas Bazaar : Christ Deaf Church and Deaf Shalom Zone invites you to a Halloween Game Day Saturday November 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1040 S. Beechfield Ave Baltimore, MD 21229. Vendor Tables available for $10. Church sponsored Tables include: Women's Clothes, Baked Goods - donations accepted on Friday, and Holiday/Home Decor. Any questions, please call the church, 410-242-6303.

  • Winterfest Craft Bazaar : Liberty Grove is hosting Winterfest craft bazaar on Friday December 6th and Saturday December 7. Applications are currently being accepted for local crafters who want to be vendors at this event.  Crafters may contact Joyce or Debbie for more information or to request an application at  .

  • Sight & Sound Theatre - “Joshua” : Christ UM Church Outreach Ministry, has planned a bus trip to Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre in Lancaster, PA on April 25, 2026 to see “Joshua”. The cost for the 11:00 a.m. matinee is $225.00 with a deposit of $45.00  (Non-Refundable). The cost includes Coach Transportation, a floor seat at the theater, Family Style Buffet lunch at Hershey Farms, and refreshments, games and drawings for prizes on the bus.  If you have any questions, please contact Phyllis Slater (301) 653-7345 and Summer Broadwater (240) 419-9328.

Across the Connection

The Network of Biblical Storytellers will hold their international conference Aug. 6-8 at the Maritime Center in Linthicum. The theme of the event is “Searching for Peace in Troubling Times: The Abiding Wisdom of 2 Kings 5-6." The keynote speaker is Tavis West. Learn more and register.

See all People

Early Educators Conference: The BWC's Directors Roundtable will host an Early Childhood Educators Conference on Aug. 7 at St. Andrews UMC, at 48 Wallace Manor Road in Edgewater. The cost is $75. The theme is "Choose Joy." Registration opens May 1. Register.

The Global Young People’s Convocation will be held this year July 7-11 in Dublin, Ireland. Learn more and pre-register.

Deepen Discipleship

Patterson scholarships: St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute is offering two Patterson scholarships for United Methodists in the greater Baltimore area to explore Scripture and theology at the seminary level. The scholarships cover two-thirds of tuition for six courses—or full tuition for students with demonstrated financial need. Students may choose foundational courses, electives, or the Certificate in Biblical Studies. (The six courses could count as one-third of an EI master's degree, or 25% of UMC ordination requirements through our MDiv partnership.) Contact Galen at for details.  

Love like Jesus

Building Beloved Community: Throughout the nation, DEI programs and initiatives are under attack. The Baltimore-Washington Conference has long been committed to upholding the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These core principles are not only grounded in our lived experience as the Body of Christ, but they are also deeply embedded in the theological teachings of Scripture, our United Methodist traditions and the broader Christian call to justice. The pursuit of equity, diversity, and inclusion is integral to living out the Gospel’s radical message of love, unity, and justice for all people, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, ability, or social status. See our Call to Prayer and Action.

Join the 2025 Baltimore County Christian Workcamp on July 20-26. Volunteers of all ages and skill levels are needed to assist with providing home repairs. Register.  |  Learn more.

The Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area Mission u 2025, sponsored by the United Women of Faith and the Wellness and Missions Ministry, will be held Aug. 1-2 at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Annapolis. The theme is “Practicing Hope Together.” 

Multiply your impact

Develop Leaders

New Certified Lay Minister Class Applications are now being accepted – Applications for the next class of Certified Lay Minister, the Baltimore-Washington Conference Class of 2025-2027 are now being accepted.  Learn more and see the online application.  The deadline to submit your application is July 1. The next cohort will start in September and is a two-year commitment. Questions can be directed to Linda Flanagan, Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministries.  
Please Note: Those interested in taking the CLM modules online through Beadisciple.com must also complete the application process above before registering for the online modules and meet the BWC requirements during the training.

A new Certificate in Congregational Leadership (CCL) program uses online learning to provide a comprehensive approach to developing leadership excellence in the local church. It is designed to accommodate the busy schedules of bi-vocational pastors, Certified Lay Ministers, and others interested in growing in their knowledge and faith. The courses, which take about 10 hours of work, can be taken for either personal enrichment or certification. Participants seeking certification must take the four required courses and at least one elective.  The courses focus on church administration, sacraments, pastoral care, Wesleyan theology, time management, and United Methodist history and doctrine. To access the core courses, you will need an account in  Assembly, the conference's electronic learning platform. If you do not have one, you can register directly on the site.