District News

Jan. 21 deadline for clergy to sign up for required sexual misconduct 

and boundaries training

Three one-day workshops on Sexual Ethics and Boundaries will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 29 at Brook Hill UMC in Frederick, Jan. 30 at Arnolia UMC in Baltimore, and Jan. 31 at Westphalia UMC in Upper Marlboro.

 

The training is required for all clergy and laity assigned to pastoral roles. Lay staff from local churches or other conference leaders are encouraged to attend. Participants are free to choose which date and location they would like to attend and will need to register accordingly by Jan. 21, 2019. Requests for excused absences are to be made in writing to Bishop Easterling by Jan. 21. Those who are excused from on-site attendance will be required to receive the training through viewing of a video presentation by March 1.

 

The training will focus on understanding, establishing, and maintaining healthy boundaries for ministry, with a particular emphasis on sexual ethics. Becky Posey Williams, senior director of sexual ethics and advocacy for the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, will lead the training, based on the Book of Discipline, Book of Resolutions, and best practices and understandings of these topics as applied in the local church setting.

 

The $35 registration fee will include lunch and .5 CEUs.  Register online.

Discipleship Opportunities

 

Leadership Development

• The Laity Fix, a workshop on church growth with Lynda R. Byrd, will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, and again on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the BWC Mission Center. There is no cost for this event, sponsored by the Office of Leadership and Congregation Development. Register online.  For more information, contact Jo Chesson.  

• Southern Region Advanced SPRC Training

The Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee is the administrative unit in the local church where staff/pastor and congregational interests are integrated to focus on the mission of the church.  The SPRC has more components to operating that personnel and clergy compensation issues.  This is a critical Committee in the life of the local church. 

This advanced training will prepare local church SPRCs not only regarding personnel and clergy compensation, but the role of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry, Certified Lay Ministers and Certified Lay Servants, how to conduct a comprehensive and effective evaluation, how to resolve conflicts, and what to do when an area needs improvement.  It will also address the role of the District Superintendent and when to involve them in areas of unresolved conflict or concern.

The class will be held at Centenary UMC, 6248 Shady Side Rd., Shady Side, MD 20764 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. You are strongly encouraged to attend this training as a Team. The cost is $5 per person. One person should be assigned to register each team.

Registration is now open Register.

Statistical Report Training

 

STATISTICAL REPORTING TIPS

Ÿ    January 1 -- EZRA opens for 2018 Stats

• Statistical Reports are due in EZRA by noon Monday, January 28, 2019.  Please remember, these reports are NOT entered into Arena. Instead, you will log into EZRA to enter the information.
• Receiving all stats data by the date required is extremely important to enable setting the 2020 budget that is initially reviewed by the Council on Finance and Administration (CFA) on the first week of February.
• Proper planning is essential for your church to meet the data entry deadline. 
• Visit the Statistical Reporting webpage for resources.
• A second Statistical Report training will be held on the  Wednesday, January 16, 2019.  The training will be held at Messiah UMC located at 7401 E Furnace Branch Rd., Glen Burnie, MD 21060-7243.  There will be two sessions. The first session is at 10:00 am and the second at 6:30 pm. I hope to see you there.

 

 

Advocacy and Action
 

• The Convocation for Pastors of Black Churches will be held Jan. 8-10, 2019, in Atlanta. To inquire about BWC scholarships, contact Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson.  

Abundant Health

• Asbury UMC in Arnold will be going on a Volunteers in Mission trip to Puerto Rico, June 13-17, 2019. The cost of the trip is $900. For more information, contact the trip coordinator, Eric Bowman, at  .

Young People's Ministry  

• College Scholarships: The Baltimore-Washington Conference awards a variety college scholarships. The application process opens Jan. 3, 2019, and closes March 7. To be considered for a scholarship, students must complete the full online application, which includes uploading their current transcripts. In addition, the student must provide contact information for their pastor and one additional church reference. Learn more.    

SAVE THE DATE: Southern Region Annual Leadership Day April 13, 2019

The Southern Region will host our annual training for clergy and laity on April 13, 2019 at Nichols-Bethel UMC, 1239 Murray Rd, Odenton MD.  This year our keynote speaker will be Matt Lake, Lead Pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Williamsport, PA—an urban congregation that consists of a mix of traditional and contemporary worship experiences.  First Church also currently hosts a network of fresh expressions of ministry called the Acts Network in which people meet in places such as homes, gyms, and coffee shops.

Registration will open later this month.