e - connection – Friday, February 22, 2008
JOYS AND CONCERNS
The Rev. George R. Allen, a retired Elder of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, died Feb. 13. Prayers are requested for his family. A wake service will be held Friday, Feb. 22, from 6 - 9 p.m., at Mt. Olivet UMC, 823 Edmondson Ave. in Catonsville. Family hour will be Saturday, Feb. 23, from 12 to 12:30 p.m. at Mt. Olivet, followed by a homegoing service. Condolences may be sent to his wife Shirley Allen, 5906 Leewood Ave. Catonsville, MD 21228.
Elizabeth "Betty" Rowe, a member of LaPlata UMC, and an aunt to the Rev. Ramon E. MacDonald II of Mt. Oak UMC, died last week. Her funeral service was Wednesday, Feb. 20 at LaPlata UMC. Prayers are requested for her family. Condolences may be sent to the family through Mt. Oak UMC, 14110 Mount Oak Road, Mitchellville, MD 20721.
OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS
UPDATE –Multi-ethnic Celebration at Annual Conference: The multi-ethnic celebration committee people to share their ethnic /cultural heritage at this year's annual conference session during the dinner hour, Friday, May 23. The event will provide an opportunity for hands-on-experiences to give a more in-depth understanding of different cultures around the world. For more information, contact Edith C. Williams at 301-933-3681 or williamsedth40@aol.com.
NEW – Connectional Table meeting: All people elected to the Conference boards, committees and commissions are invited to attend the Connectional Table, Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Conference Center in Columbia. Resolutions to be sent to the Annual Conference will be addressed. Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact the Rev. Rod Miller at rmiller@bwcumc.org.
NEW – Reminder: Lay employees' medical plan: All churches with lay employees in medical plan must have a current 2008 HealthFlex Sub-adoption agreement on file in the Conference Benefits Office. The agreement form can be found on the Conference Web site. Mail or fax your agreement to the Benefits Office immediately in order to be in compliance. with HeathFlex contract. For more information, contact the Benefits Office at 410-309-3479.
NEW – Calling on Volunteers to New Orleans: First UMC of Hyattsville is sending a VIM Team to New Orleans to help rebuild property damaged by hurricane Katrina. The team will be in New Orleans from April 5-12. There are still spaces available for anyone interested in joining the group. The of cost $400 covers air fare, room and board. For more information, contact Martha Shrader at 301-277-5574 or the church at 301-927-6133.
UPDATE–Bishop to lead missionary cruise into History: Bishop John R. Schol will lead a Baltimore-Washington Conference cruise that follows Paul's fourth journey to Greece and Italy in November. The Bishop invites pastors, teachers, church leaders and church members to join him in the travel study program, which will enrich their understanding of the Christian faith. The tour will depart from New York by an overnight flight to meet the Orient Queen Cruise ship. The cruise ends Nov. 22, but can be extended with either pre or post-tours. Stops and explorations of sights include Athens, Corinth, Malta, Sicily, Rome, Naples and Pompeii. Bishop Schol will lead the lecture series,"The Studies of Paul's Life and Teachings." Costs vary according to cruise cabin choice, ranging from $2,298 to $4,148 including roundtrip airfare to New York. Discounts are available for early registration. For more information and registration forms, go to www.eo.travelwithus.com.
BWC Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) will hold a visioning session Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to noon at Chevy Chase UMC, 7001 Connecticut Ave. in Chevy Chase. The group's short and long-term objectives will be discussed. The Rev. Kathryn Johnson, National MFSA executive director will facilitate. RSVP to Rachel Cornwell at rachelcornwell@verizon.net.
Mission event: Calvary UMC at 403 S. Main St. in Mt. Airy, will hold a seminar March 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with speaker Tom Telford. The will event will focus on four areas of the global church: Christianity today, business as missions, how to become involved in mission, and how people outside the church can support mission. He will also preach during worship March 2. Reservations are encouraged. Call the church office at 301-829-0358 or visit www.calvary-mtairy.org.
NEW –Ecumenical Advocacy days will be held March 7 to 10, in Washington D.C. The theme this year is: "2008, claiming a vision of true security." Workshops will be organized into several "tracks" among them Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, global economic justice and global security. Cost is $175. Register online at www.advocacydays.org.
Free Youth Training: David Burke, a youth trainer and mentor of youth workers will be at Mount Oak UMC, 14110 Mount Oak Road in Mitchellville, March 8 from 9 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m. For more information on Burke's Ministry, go to http://www.davidburke.org/downloads/brochure.pdf.
RSVP to ray@mtoak.org.
Easter egg hunt-: Clarksburg UMC, 23425 Spire St., near the intersection of Routes 121 and 355 in Clarksburg, will hold an Easter egg hunt Saturday, March 22, at 10 a.m.
UPDATE –Activists for Advocacy ministry invited: Advocacy will be held at the Baltimore-Washington Conference Center in Columbia, March 6, April 8 and May 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Participants are asked to bring information on issues they are passionate about and would like to educate others on. For more information and registration, contact 410-268-4122, Ext. 4, or bwcumcadvocate@aol.com.
NEW –Conflict resolution training: The North Baltimore lay speaking ministries will be conducting their continuing education course at Loch Raven UMC, 6622 Loch Raven Blvd., in Baltimore. The course to be held April 6, 13, 20, and 28, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. It will be led by the Revs. Steve Cochran and Karin Walker. Course objectives include: Learning about your individual conflict management style, how to embrace the role of a peace builder, conflict management skills for leaders, health church conflict and how to empower your congregation when conflict arises. Registration is required. For more information, contact Sarah Ford at 410-466-7605 or svford1@verizon.net.
Art and Music inspired worship: The Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts will sponsor "For Everything There Is a Season," a time to share anthem and worship ideas, Saturday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to noon, at Towson UMC. The cost is $5. For further information, visit the chapter's Web site, www.worshipartsbwc.org, or contact the chapter president, the Rev. David Roberts, at pastor@carolls-gills.org.
CCYM 2008 fundraising challenge -The youth groups of the Baltimore-Washington-Conference are being challenged to raise funds for the new dining facility at West River Center.
• The youth group that raises the most amount of money per youth member will have free pizza lunch with evangelist Reggie Dabbs at Rock 2009.
• The top 10 fundraisers will receive free Rock 2009 DVDs featuring their youth group.
• The group that raises the most amount of money will receive a 50 percent refund on registration to Rock 2009.
• Every group that raises at least $100 will get a group picture with Dabbs.
• All participating groups will be invited for a celebration at West River in the summer of 2009. For more information, contact West River Center at westriver.center@verizon.net or 800-900-6795 or go to www.bwcumc.org/camping.
Western Region Church leadership training will be held Saturday, March 29, beginning 9:30 a.m. at Otterbein UMC in Hagerstown. The courses to be offered include: SPRC, Finance/Stewardship, Vision and Mission Strategy among others. For more information, contact Tonia Bennett at tbennett@bwcumc.org.
The Southern region Leadership training will be held Saturday, March 15. The morning session from 9 to 11 a.m., will be at Trinity UMC in Prince Frederick. The afternoon session will be at Calvary UMC in Annapolis from 1:30 to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Pam Neidig at Pneidig@bwcumc.org.
NEW –The Baltimore Region leadership training will be held Saturday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to noon. The classes and locations are as listed below:
Bethany UMC, 2875 Bethany Lane, Ellicott City MD – SPRC and Finance.
Bethesda UMC, 6300 Harford Road, Baltimore – Church Council.
West Baltimore UMC, 5130 Greenwich Ave., Baltimore – Stewardship and Worship.
Timonium UMC, 2300 Pot Spring Road, Timonium, MD – Conflict management.
Perry Hall UMC, 9515 Belair Road, Perry Hall, MD – Trustees and "Discerning God's Call."
Baltimore West District Lay Speaking - Spring classes will be held at Mt. Olive UMC, located at 5115 Old Court Road in Randallstown. Basic and Basic Refresher classes will be Mondays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. April 7, 14, 21, 28 and May 5, 12. Advanced and Advanced Recertification Classes will be Saturdays April 12, 9 to 11:30 a.m., April 19, 9 to 11:30 a.m. and May 3, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 14. For more information, contact Pat Dorsey at 410-751-2562 or psdorse@comcast.net.
Lay Speaking Classes to begin soon: The Washington Region will offer basic and advanced Lay Speaker courses March 29, and April 5 and 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. A spiritual leadership course will also be taught as a refresher course for local church lay speakers March 29 and April 5, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The courses will be held at Ashton UMC, 17341 New Hampshire Ave. in Ashton. For more information, contact Joan Thomas at 301-622-7048 or cats_20904@hotmail.com or go to www.gbgm-umc.org/wwdmd/.
Equipping Lay Ministry course is scheduled to begin at Wesley Theological Seminary, 4500 Massachusetts Ave. NW, in Washington DC. The course title is "Churches in Transition: Getting your Church in Gear." The course will explore changes in church leadership, demographics and cultural environments among other topics. Classes will be Saturdays, March 1, 15 and April 5, 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The instructor will be the Rev. Jacqulyn Thorpe. Students can register online. For more information, call 202-885-6482 or go to www.wesleyseminary.edu.
I Am Mission coming: Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century is sponsoring an I Am Mission event for youth and young adults, Saturday, March 1,10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Sharp Street Memorial UMC, Dolphin & Etting streets in Baltimore. The program is designed to help youth and young adults understand Volunteers in Mission and how to be involved in Katrina recovery work in New Orleans. To receive a brochure and register, contact Sandy Ferguson, 410-309-3431 or e-mail sferguson@bwcumc.org. Call the church at 410-523-7200 or e-mail sharpst@qls.net.
Camp Joy Mission: For those still looking for a mission trip for a youth group this summer, Camp Joy has a few openings for July 13-19 and July 20-26. Campers perform home repairs for the needy in Hancock and the Morgan County area in West Virginia. For more information, contact the Rev. Sheldon Reese at 301-373-2500 x202 or e-mail revsmr@juno.com. Applications are available online at www.bwcumc.org/campharmison .
RESOURCES FOR MAKING DISCIPLES.
Everything must change: Tour 2008, an interactive book tour by Brain McLaren, is scheduled for March 7-8, in Vienna, Va. The event will focus on issues raised in McLaren's new book, "Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises and a Revolution of Hope." For more information, contact Linnea Nilsen Capshaw at 410-381-1310 or LinneaNC@gmail.com, or go to www.deepshift.org.
NEW –Explore and serve Africa: Ebenezer UMC in Lanham is planning a journey to Africa, to reach out to those affected by HIV/Aids and to build partnerships. There will be a little time to explore the beautiful treasures of Africa. Destinations include Cape Town, Zimbabwe Africa University, and Victoria Falls. For more information, contact Michelle Miles at 301-806-5664 or eumc_africa2008@verizon.net.
NEW – Join the Mentoring program: The Big Brothers Big Sisters organization is looking for churches to partner with them in promoting faith based adult mentors to the youth with an incarcerated parent. An Amachi symposium is planned for March 27. For more information, contact Steve Fulkrod at 410-243-4000 Ext. 218 or sfulkrod@biglittle.org or go to www.biglittle.org.
CLASSIFIEDS
Project Coordinator needed at the Baltimore-Washington Conference, to manage projects that support the conference mission, vision and strategy. Requires organizational and event-planning skills, applicant should be a team player with the ability to develop project budgets, intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office and working knowledge of the denomination's culture and structure. For more information, contact the Human Resource Director. For consideration e-mail a resume and cover letter to the human resource director, at hrbwc@bwcumc.org.
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