AN District News~ UMC Buzz....May 4, 2017
Charge Conference
Thank you to the Southern Region Clergy who attended the meeting at West River on May 3, 2017. It was a pleasure to get together and fellowship as a region. As many of you heard yesterday, the Annapolis District has begun the execution of planning the 2017 Charge conference season. As mentioned by both region District Superintendents, the districts are using SignUp Genius for church registration. Please sign up here to register for the 2017 charge conference.
What's coming up?
This week's Annual Conference devotion centers around the theme of action, doorways, and the story of The Good Shepherd. Read the variety of pieces, including a liturgical dance video by the BWC's Young Adults, and a guide into Praying the Hours. We encourage you to explore and share this rich mosaic with your family and church as you prepare to attend the 2017 Annual Conference Session.
UMW Retreat: The United Methodist Women of the Baltimore-Washington Conference are sponsoring a "Refreshing Ourselves for Mission" spiritual retreat on Saturday, June 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Potomac UMC at 9908 Glen Road in Potomac. The Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson will be the speaker. The cost is $25. Registrations are due by June 1. Checks should be made payable to BWC United Methodist Women and mailed to Sabrina White, 2042 Knotty Pine Drive, Abingdon, MD 21009.
New appointment? Pastors preparing to begin ministry in a new setting may be interested in The Lewis Center for Church Leadership's The Right Start Video Tool Kit. Churches receiving a new pastor should see "50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor."
Also, please note New Pastor Transition Training is May 6, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Davidsonville UMC.
Annual Conference
Annual Conference: You can find pre-conference materials - 2018 proposed budget, resolutions, constitutional amendments - on our website. Please review the information and use the Q&A page (the large red button) to ask any questions you may have. We will answer questions as we receive them and post in a timely manner. There will also be a paper supplement of these documents in the May UMConnection.
Racial justice grants: The General Commission on Religion and Race recently announced that its CORR Action Fund will be releasing the United States Program Grants for 2017-2020, with $750,000 in available funding. Applications will be accepted starting this May with a deadline of August. GCORR is seeking to fund innovative and bold initiatives that will support vital conversations about race, cultural diversity, xenophobia, and systemic equity. Learn more about the GCORR Action Fund grant.
Order your 2016 Journal
This year's Conference Journal is being printed and produced by an Amazon-owned company. The process for ordering is similar to other online purchases. The cost is $20. Payment will be made at the time you place your online order. The text of the Journal, minus the Alphabetical Clergy, Lay Member and Surviving Spouse listings, (which contain personal contact information) is posted online. Order your 2016 Conference Journal online.
Mission Experiences
Mission Consultation: The 2017 Eurasia-Central Asia Consultation will be held Friday, May 5, beginning at 8:30 a.m., through Saturday, May 6, until 2:45 p.m., at the BWC Conference Center in Fulton. The Rev. Charles Harrell and Pastor Rob Pierson encourage everyone interested in learning more about the church in Eurasia to attend. A special registration discount rate for those who live in the bounds of the Baltimore-Washington Conference is $105. Learn more.
Pre-Conference Q&A
If you haven't yet had a chance, take a moment to visit the Session Documents tab within the BWC Annual Conference website. You will find proposed resolutions, budget and stewardship information, constitutional amendments, credential forms, reports, and rules of the session.
Submit your questions and review previously submitted questions and answers here.
Administrator's Workshop - Register Today!
Are you finding that a weekly bulletin or monthly newsletter is no longer sufficient to share your church’s message? Relying on a paper-based contact sheet is likely adding unnecessary work to your already full plate. Come to the session we’ve developed to explore the Administrator's role as a storyteller and the shifts
that need to be made in order to communicate relevantly in our information-overloaded culture.
We’ll also share some practical lessons on web design and database management that support our ability to share the message with God’s people.
Download the flyer here!
BWC Mission Center / May 11 / 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Cost: $30 (Lunch included)
To register, click here!
Questions? Contact Willine Kamara
Fund Balance Report (Audit) - Submit by June 30, 2017
In accordance with Book of Discipline paragraph 258.4d:
"The committee [on finance] shall make provision for an annual audit of the financial statements of the local church and all its organizations and accounts. The committee shall make a full and complete report to the annual charge conference. A local church audit is defined as an independent evaluation of the financial reports and records and the internal controls of the local church by a qualified person or persons.
The local church annual Fund Balance Report is due by June 30, 2017. Updated forms are available on the BWC Forms, Reports and Requests website under "Finance and Administration". Please submit your completed form to Willine Kamara any time between now and the June 30th deadline.
Clergy Appreciation
Your Southern Region team appreciates all that you do for the church and the Baltimore Washington conference. To show our appreciation, we have planned two baseball games for the region:
August 30: Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
August 31: The Bowie Baysox
Please reach out to your District Administrator for ticket pricing and further information. The Washington East District or the Annapolis District .