AN District News......UMC Buzz.....January 27, 2022
Registration is now open for the Journey to Beloved Community course.
The orientation is Feb. 24. The course begins Feb. 25.
Every moment presents an opportunity for us to decide whether to create more inclusion, diversity, equity and antiracism or less.
This innovative course will focus on six actions that you and community partners can take to grow in building beloved community and hence create spaces of belonging and becoming. You will learn how to have contextual brave conversations that matter, learn evidence-based strategies for bias reduction, become rooted in theological and Wesleyan principles that undergird this work, and participate in brief spiritual practices that are designed to deepen your capacity to build better bridges, heal divisions and participate in holy reconciliation as disciples of Jesus Christ.
For more information and registration, visit the Journey to Beloved Community webpage.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR NEW DISTRICT LAY LEADER
Hello Annapolis District,
My name is Kim Walker and I am so excited to be your new Director, Annapolis District Lay Servant Ministries.
We, the Annapolis District Lay Servant Ministry Team, and our DS, Sarah Schlieckert are so excited to announce that we are re-igniting our Annapolis District Academy and planning to offer our first class in March 2022 at our Spring Academy. Details, (classes to be offered, dates and times, instructors) are being prepared and discussed and will be shared once finalized.
So pull out your certificates, your re-certification records, your thinking caps, and your school supplies because it is time to learn and move into the plan that God has for each one of you.
All Annapolis District Lay Servants, Lay Speakers, Certified Lay Servants, and Certified Lay Speakers and definitely anyone interested in this ministry, get ready because the Annapolis District Academy train is revving up.
We plan to offer the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Academy, so GET READY...GET STARTED and LET"S GROW AND GO...............where God has willed us to go according to His plan--learning together and being and making disciples.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at or 443-534-1549.
Love, Peace, Hope, and Blessings to all of you.
CLM Kim Marie Walker
Director, Annapolis District Lay Servant Ministry
Apply for a new Congregational Vitality Pathway
Are you ready to work toward 100% vitality? Apply to be part of one of the four opportunities for your congregation to take its next faithful step.
The four Congregational Vitality Pathways include the Launch Initiative, the Catalyst Initiative, the Readiness Initiative and the Legacy Church Conversation Initiative. Each cohort-based training opportunity is specifically designed with a particular congregational readiness factor in mind. Each Initiative provides the opportunity for training and conversation to help congregations discern and take their next faith step in ministry.
To get started, you will need to request a Readiness 360 link by Feb 7. To learn more about each pathway and apply, visit the Congregational Development page on the BWC website.
Resolutions Due Feb. 21
The deadline for resolutions to the 2022 Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference Session has been extended to Monday, Feb. 21. Individuals and groups who wish to submit a resolution may send it to the Conference Secretary Kevin Silberzahn. All resolutions must follow the format outlined on the BWC website.
Annual Conference will be held Wednesday through Friday, June 1-3. Makers of the resolutions will present them on the morning of Feb. 26 to the Connectional Table for a vote of concurrence, or non-concurrence.
New & Featured
Statistical Reports are Due Monday, Jan. 31. Visit the webpage for general information, downloadable resources, and to view a recent Training Tuesday webinar on statistical reporting.
Metropolitan UMC will be hosting vaccination clinic on Feb. 5th from 9-12. The shots will be administered by Anne Arundel County Health Department.
Here are the registration links:
Pfizer Booster (for those 12years+): https://www.marylandvax.org/appointment/en/reg/6012756169
-Moderna Booster (for those 18 years+): https://www.marylandvax.org/appointment/en/reg/2616575109
Let's Talk About _____
As our context changes rapidly, the church is struggling to keep up with the next generation. The Millennials and Gen Zers often come to an impasse with the United Methodist Church.
The Young Adult Ministry Team believes that young adults are the present and the necessary people who can bridge the gap between the young and the old as we keep a relationship with God a priority. Engaging with young adults across the Baltimore-Washington Conference provides not only opportunities for holy fellowship but also offers an opportunity to express our full humanity.
The “Let’s Talk About _____” open discussions will create a non-judgmental space to ask each other tough questions about the issues we face and the concerns around us and reflect on where God is in all of it.
The “Let’s Talk About _____” is a tour that symbolically opens the doors of the churches of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Annapolis District
“Smashing Grapes” Annapolis, MD
https://www.smashinggrapes.com/
Upcoming Events Opportunities for Discipleship and Transformation/Discipleship Opportunities
Faith, Science, & Ministry:
How Perceptions of Faith-Science Conflict Diminish Our Ministry
and What We Can Do About It.
Saturday, February 12, 2022, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) via Zoom
Hosted by the Frederick District of the Baltimore-Washington Conference (UMC) and WesleyNexus
Many pastors and churches assume that the faith-and-science dialogue is just an interesting academic discussion, unaware of how significantly it impacts the effectiveness of our ministry. Perceptions of conflict between faith and science contribute to the “drop out” problem—the loss of 60% of our young persons from the church and the faith after the age of fifteen—and present obstacles to faith formation, witnessing, and evangelism. This workshop will explore the challenges that we face in our mission and ministry as a result of the faith-science relationship and how we can meet those challenges within our already existing ministry areas (and budgets!).
To learn more, please contact Jennifer Secki Shields ( ).
To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtf-mrqDwoHdCC6ZOpr__lDQ90qzsaarM3
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing
information about joining the meeting.
Classifieds
Manidokan and West River are gearing up for summer and looking for dedicated volunteers and paid staff to partner in ministry. Volunteers serve hundreds of campers over the summer. They stay in cabins with campers, lead them to activities, build relationships, lead Bible study, manage camper conflicts and missing home, and play lots of games.
Paid summer staff may serve as in-cabin counselors or program staff. Our camps hire staff to stay all summer and help lead activities like archery, the rock wall, low ropes, kayaking, and rafting. They are trained to lead activities for campers of all ages and may help with daily worship or Bible study.
To find out more about our camps and opportunities to serve, contact or . Apply for staff positions at Manidokan or West River or to find out more.
Pasadena UMC is seeking a part-time (25-30 hour) administrative manager to work between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Pasadena is a congregation dedicated to intentional relationships with the community and relies on a well-organized office to handle day-to-day operations with a focus on digital communication. To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to Ginger Atchison. Questions? Call 410-647-3090.