AN District News......UMC Buzz....November 11, 2022
Asbury UMC in Jessup took on a Halloween spirit on Oct. 30 with their "Boolievers Sunday." More than 30 youth and young adults attended the service with the Rev. Gay Carden as the scarecrow preacher. The service centered on how no matter what costumes one wears on the outside, being a believer begins in the heart.
The BWC’s immigration ministry is holding a drive to collect winter coats and sweaters for adults in sizes small, medium and large for migrants new to the US. Drop these items off at the Mission Center, 11711 E. Marketplace in Fulton, on Nov. 16, 23, 30 and Dec. 7 and 14 from
3 to 7 p.m. All items must be new or gently used. Share the details on how to give: download the flyer.
See a video about this mission opportunity.
Winter Youth Retreat
The youth groups of Annapolis District churches are invited to participate in a Winter Youth Retreat at West River UMC hosted by Calvary UMC Annapolis. The retreat will be held January 13-15, 2023 and will be an opportunity provide a place to celebrate Christ’s love with other youth in the area to build a stronger community of faith. The cost per participant is $165 and includes lodging for your group and meals. Each church is responsible for providing appropriate adult chaperone coverage for your youth. For more information or to register, contact Joe Gryder ( ).
Annapolis Lay Servant Academy is now open. Please click here to register. Please take a look at our vital classes being offered this winter.
The three Congregational Vitality Pathways for churches in the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Conferences are designed to help congregations engage in missional action planning and doing. Learn more about the Readiness, Catalyst and Launch initiatives. Churches must submit their intent to apply to one of these Pathways by Nov. 1 to be eligible to apply by November. 15. Learn more and submit your intent to apply.
We encourage you to check out the e-Connection. If you don't receive the e-Connection, you can sign up to receive it. Additionally, the Conference website (www.bwcumc.org) for the most up-to-date Conference information. It contains a wealth of information, including, but not limited to, COVID-19 resources, BWC events, grants and awards, leadership development opportunities, and much more.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming Events: Please do not register for events using the church's Arena account.
Nov 12th: Emergency response training for certification and re-certification will be held at five locations this summer and fall. The training is designed for those wish to work in disaster response ministry. The cost is $35. Learn more and register through the links below:
- Nov. 12 – BWC Mission Center, Fulton
November 12th from 1 pm- 3 pm: Tacos, TikTok, and Talk with Bishop Easterling: One and at Calvary UMC in Annapolis. A conversation on the future of youth ministry. RSVP here.
November 15th: Training Tuesday: Live and Love Like Jesus: Living and loving like Jesus moves us from the seats to the streets as we take the gospel beyond the walls of our buildings. Once we are outside the four walls of our buildings, we are called to proclaim good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, set the oppressed free, and comfort all who mourn. Join us as we learn what this looks like in our various contexts. Register.
November 29th from 7 pm-8:30 pm: Training Tuesday: Multiply Your Impact: Measure What Matters: Using simple tools to measure progress, and reflect on opportunities for improvement, participants will leave with a framework for applying the ideas shared within their own contexts. Presenter: Naomi Annandale is the Executive Director of Research and Strategic Evaluation Stakeholder Relationships of the denomination’s Discipleship Ministries. Register.
More events listed here.
To see the church classified ads, click the following link: https://www.bwcumc.org/resources/classified-ads/
The BWC’s immigration ministry is holding a drive to collect winter coats and sweaters for adults in sizes small, medium and large for migrants new to the US. Drop these items off at the Mission Center, 11711 E. Marketplace in Fulton, on Nov. 16, 23, 30 and Dec. 7 and 14 from 3 to 7 p.m. All items must be new or gently used. Share the details on how to give: download the flyer.
See a video about this mission opportunity.
The three Congregational Vitality Pathways for churches in the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Conferences are designed to help congregations engage in missional action planning and doing. Learn more about the Readiness, Catalyst and Launch initiatives. Churches must submit their intent to apply to one of these Pathways by Nov. 15 to be eligible to apply by Feb. 15. Learn more and submit your intent to apply.
The annual mission innovation grant applications for advocacy and action, wellness and missions, and young people’s ministry are now open. Grants up to $5,000 will be awarded to faith communities that have a proven ministry idea in one of these ministry areas. The deadline to apply is Nov. 15. Learn more and apply.
We are the Church Resource: Ask the UMC recently issued a resource that provides good information on What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? The denomination also offers a new "We are the church together" resource that helps congregations dig into shared beliefs, history, mission and ministry to stand firm and face the future — together. This Google slide presentation aids leaders in walking their church through what it means to be United Methodist and answering questions that members are asking.
Living Well Clergy Retreats is a seven-month program for clergy that provides a holistic understanding of their life and ministry and a personal development plan, and the steps pastors can take to make incremental and significant improvements in selected aspects of their life and ministry. The program is comprised of two retreats, one in the fall of 2022 and one in the spring of 2023. There are also monthly cohort meetings between the retreats to process learning and support each other. Learn more and register. Please contact Hilary Golden at if you are having issues registering.
The BWC Gun Violence Prevention team offers resources to those wishing to work to end gun violence. Learn More.
The Land of Jesus – Then and Now: Join Bishop LaTrelle Easterling on a Holy Land pilgrimage Jan. 29 – Feb. 7, 2024. The 10-day trip to Israel and the West Bank is $3,439. Register with the Society for Biblical Studies.
We want to remind you that e-mail scams continue to be on the rise. If you receive an email from the Bishop or Conference staff, we kindly ask that you do not forward the email to the district office. Please report it by forwarding the suspicious email to . For additional information, please visit https://www.bwcumc.org/news-and-views/what-you-need-to-know-about-fake-e-mails-from-conference-leaders/.
Revenue opportunities for churches: The BWC Trustees are encouraging local churches to learn more about the ATP Network, a company that provides revenue-generating opportunities for local churches. The ATP Network recently introduced their new partners, REEF Technology, that provides new platforms for ministries by taking advantage of unused parking lot capacity.
Training Tuesday Archived Webinars: We want to remind everyone that all of the past Training Tuesday Webinars are archived and easily accessed via the Training Tuesday page, which also includes a link to access the YouTube playlist of all archived webinars; past trainings included Trustees, SPRC, Finance, and much more. The Training Tuesday page will also list upcoming training webinars and links to register to participate.
The Setting the Record Straight Town Hall Meeting recording is available. A video of the recent Town Hall meeting, Setting the Record Straight, with Bishop LaTrelle Easterling and leaders of the Peninsula-Delaware and Baltimore-Washington Conferences is available to view online. See the video. An FAQ with questions raised at the Town Hall is also available.See this resource.
UPCOMING TRAININGS & DEADLINES:
Nov. 15 – Live and Love Like Jesus
Nov. 29 – Multiply Your Impact: Measure What Matters
Dec. 1– Evaluations are due in Arena
Dec. 13 – Statistical Report Training (save the date)
Jan. 10 – Change Management (save the date)
Jan. 30, 2023 – Statistical Report Deadline
Feb. 9, 2023 – Maryland Advocacy Day
Mar. 8, 2023 – Next Level Speaker Series with Jacqui Lewis
Mar. 29, 2023 – National Advocacy Day
Apr. 23-May 3, 2024 – United Methodist General Conference (save the date)