e - connection – Friday, February 29, 2008
JOYS AND CONCERNS
Dr. Joe Anderson, father of Communications Commission Chair, Kevin Anderson, died Feb. 25 after a four-year battle with cancer. A memorial service and reception will be held Friday, Feb. 29 at 3 p.m., at St. Luke’s UMC, 480 South Highland in Memphis, Tenn. Condolences may be sent to Kevin and Carol Anderson, at 901 6th St., S.W., Apt. 809, Washington, D.C., 20024.
Hellen G. Lewis, 91, the widow of the late Rev. William E. Lewis, died Feb. 8. The Rev. Ira Barr officiated at the funeral service Feb. 11.
OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS
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.
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.
Baltimore Washington Conference 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.
NEW –Great Hour of Sharing: Sunday, March 2, will be the day for honoring one Great Hour of Sharing, the single offering that provides support for UMCOR’s work in the U.S. and around the world. UMCOR does not receive apportionments or World service funds and depends on this offering to run its projects.
NEW –Gathering of the order of Deacons: The order of the deacons will be meeting at St Matthew Presbyterian church Monday, March 4, at 9:45 a.m. RSVP to Konni Brantner at 301-598-4400 brantek@msn.com.
Multi-ethnic Celebration at Annual Conference: The multi-ethnic celebration committee invites 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 an in-depth understanding of different cultures around the world. For more information, contact Edith C. Williams at 301-933-3681 or williamsedth40@aol.com.
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.
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 that 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 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 http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/.
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 http://www.calvary-mtairy.org/.
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 http://www.advocacydays.org/.
UPDATE-Free youth worker 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 2: 30 p.m. For more information on Burke’s Ministry, go to http://www.davidburke.org/downloads/brochure.pdf.
RSVP to ray@mtoak.org.
Activists for Advocacy ministry are invited to the Baltimore-Washington Conference Center in Columbia, March 6, April 8 and May 8, from 6 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.
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, http://www.worshipartsbwc.org/, or contact the chapter president, the Rev. David Roberts, at pastor@carolls-gills.org.
Western Region Church leadership training will be held Saturday, March 29, beginning 9:30 a.m. at Otterbein UMC 108 E. Franklin St., 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.
NEW –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, 90 Church St., in Prince Frederick. The afternoon session will be at Calvary UMC, 301 Rowe Blvd., in Annapolis from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The classes and the assigned trainers are listed below:
• SPRC- Ianther Mills.
• Trustee- Chris Holmes.
• Finance –Jim Farmer.
• Church Council- Clarence Davis.
• Evangelism- Rodney Smothers.
• Visioning- Susan Keirn Kester.
For more information, contact Pam Neidig at Pneidig@bwcumc.org.
UPDATE-The Baltimore Region leadership training will be held Saturday, March 15. The meeting will start with a gathering 9 a.m. followed by a worship session at 9:30 a.m. The classes will begin at 10 a.m. at the locations listed below:
• Bethany UMC, 2875 Bethany Lane in Ellicott City. C. Anthony Hunt will train on SPRC, while Eugene Matthews covers Church Council.
• Bethesda UMC, 6300 Harford Road in Baltimore. Martha Knight will train on Finance.
• West Baltimore UMC, 5130 Greenwich Ave. in Baltimore. Wayne DeHart will cover Stewardship while William Chaney trains on Worship.
• Timonium UMC, 2300 Pot Spring Road in Timonium. Karin Walker will train on Conflict Resolution.
• Perry Hall UMC, 9515 Belair Road in Perry Hall. Rod Miller will train on “Discerning God’s Call,” while the person to lead training on Trustees is to be assigned.
Baltimore West District Lay Speaking - Spring classes will be held at Mt. Olive UMC, 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, 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 http://www.wesleyseminary.edu/.
NEW –HIV/AIDS issues and minorities: The National Minority AIDS Education Training Center at the Howard University School of Medicine will hold a symposium on “HIV and Minorities: Cultural competence and quality care,” Friday, March 28. It will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, 1201 K St. N.W., Washington, DC. Registration fee is $150 through Feb. 29 and $170 later. Registration is available online. For more information, call 202-865-8146 or go to http://www.nmaetc.org/.
NEW –Break the Silence: Clergy and laity interested in ministering to victims/survivors of domestic violence will be meeting at the Conference Center in Columbia, March 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The participants will receive the information, resources and toolkits to develop domestic violence ministry in their churches and network with others. Those interested in the training materials are required to register by March 24. For more information, contact Sumayya Coleman at 240-268-4122 or bwcumcadvocate@aol.com.
NEW –Conference delegation dinner: Those attending the General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, are invited to attend the Baltimore-Washington Conference delegation dinner Wednesday, April 30, in the Crystal Ballroom in Hilton Hotel. Those who wish to attend can send a check for $45 to Darlynn McCrae at 112 Bright Oaks Drive, Bel Air, MD 21015 before April 1.
NEW –Update from GBCS: The Rev. Neal Christie, the associate general secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, will be making a presentation on issues of legislation that will be raised at the upcoming General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. The event will be held Sunday, April 13 at Grace UMC, 5407 North in Baltimore. For more information, contact the Rev. Nancy Webb at njwebb@verizon.net or call 410-433-6650.
Camp Joy Mission: For those 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 Ext. 202, 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 http://www.deepshift.org/.
NEW – Body and soul: All clergy are invited to fellowship and exercise at Mt. Oak UMC, 14110 Mount Oak Road in Mitchellville, Thursday, March 6, 9:30 to 11 a.m. For more information, contact Ray McDonald at ray@mtoak.org.
Calling on Volunteers to New Orleans: First UMC of Hyattsville is sending a VIM Team to New Orleans to help with rebuilding property damaged by hurricane Katrina. The team will be in New Orleans from April 5-12. There are still spaces available. The cost of $400 covers air fare, room and board. For more information, contact Martha Shrader at 301-277-5574 or the church at 301-927-6133.
NEW –Calling on Volunteers to Juarez, Mexico: St. Matthew’s UMC in Bowie is sending a VIM team to Anapra colony in Juarez, Mexico, to help build a house for a family, May 11 to 16. There are spaces for those interested in joining. Cost is $450 for airfare, room and board per person. For more information, contact Roy Hikes at 301-352-0860 or royanddeb@comcast.net.
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 – Women’s History Month: March is designated in The Methodist Church as Women’s History Month. Various approaches may be used in celebrating and honoring women. One is to include hymns, prayers, and liturgy written by women in worship. The other is to use hymns and resources about women in the Bible and history. For more information, go to
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?loc_id=733,1151,1137&act=nav_loc.
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 http://www.biglittle.org/.
NEW – Young advocates against hunger: Bread for the World is searching for young advocates to become Hunger Justice Leaders. They should be between ages 18 and 35 and commit to leading advocacy to overcome poverty and hunger. There will be an all-expense paid training in Washington, D.C., from June 14 to 17. For more information, go to www.bread.org/be_a_leader.
NEW – Interfaith peace witness: There will be interfaith prayers held Friday, March 7, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Upper Senate Park across from the Russell Senate office building in Washington, D.C. The gathering will precede the 6th Annual Ecumenical Days for Global Peace with Justice Conference, scheduled for the weekend.
CLASSIFIEDS
Project coordinator is 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.
NEW – Administrative financial secretary is needed at Mt. Zion UMC in Mechanicsville. Applicant must be computer literate. Knowledge of Quick Books, Publisher and MS Word is required. For more information, contact Bette Sparks at betteandsparky@comcast.net.
NEW – Summer interns: There are two positions available for summer internship at Calvary UMC Annapolis’ youth ministries. Applicants must have completed two years of college by June and should be available from early June to mid August. Application deadline is April 15. For more information, contact Julie Tisinger at 410-268-7729 or education@calumc.org.
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