AN District News......UMC Buzz....September 1, 2023
Please see the links below to assist you this church conference season.
Training videos:
• Clergy Compensation
• Certified Lay Report Submission
• Nomination and Committee Leader Toolbox
• Nominations Report
• BWC Website & CC Landing pages
• Arena Log-in
Important links:
• Visit the church conference webpage for forms and worksheets.
• Download the checklist to guide you thru the process.
• Print the prior year's reports, log-in to Arena as the church.
• Log-in to Arena to upload this year's reports.
• Get instructions to update the Nominations Report (including the Unified Board)
• Learn about the Unified Board (aka One Board Model)
• Check out the Frequently Asked Questions page.
• Remember to print and share the meeting Agenda.
DISTRICT NEWS & EVENTS
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Your Impact Starts With a Meal Join the Celebration in Zimbabwe Five partner schools in Gokwe North, Zimbabwe, are now cultivating school gardens to provide children with daily meals. Children around the globe are waiting for their chance to receive nourishment like this, and your support is urgently needed. |
Lay Servant Academy Fall 2023
Certified Lay Servants, Speakers, and Ministers, Please see the link below to register for your lay servant classes to gear up for the Fall 2023 church conference season. Please use this link here to register.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Annapolis District Director Kim Walker at .
Job Openings
Organist - Friendship United Methodist Church, Friendship, Maryland https://friendshipmethodist.org/ “Love all. Serve all. Follow One.”
Friendship United Methodist Church in Friendship, Maryland is seeking an Organist to play our beautiful pipe organ, built in 2006 especially for Friendship. A strong candidate will have experience in church music for the organ, good teamwork and collaboration skills, and an enthusiasm for contributing to the worship experience. The Organist plays for Sunday morning worship and other congregational services; works with the Pastor and the Worship Committee on hymn selection; accompanies the choir, soloists and others as needed for special music.
Interested candidates should contact Rev. Rudy White at
Sanctuary Choir Director - Friendship United Methodist Church, Friendship, Maryland https://friendshipmethodist.org/ “Love all. Serve all. Follow One.”
Friendship United Methodist Church in Friendship, Maryland is seeking a Sanctuary Choir Director to lead our balanced adult choir, capable four-part harmony in making a joyful noise unto the Lord! A strong candidate will have experience in church music and choir direction, piano skills, good teamwork and communication, and an enthusiasm for leading the choir and enhancing worship. The Director of Sanctuary Choir works with the Worship Committee and the Pastor to enhance the experience of the worship service; directs the weekly rehearsals and all performances of the Sanctuary Choir scheduled during Sunday worship services and for special/seasonal services in coordination with the Pastor.
Interested candidates should contact Rev. Rudy White at
Other News
Sept. 12 (7pm)—Training Tuesday - Developing Missionally Vital Leaders
This webinar will provide information about our new Leadership Development Academies: Fresh Expressions Academy, Church Planter Discernment Academy, Journey to Beloved Community, Certificate in Congregational Leadership Program and the Non-Anxious Leadership Training. We will also share Leadership Development Resources available to members of our local congregations. Register online.
Sept. 13—Congregational Vitality Pathways
The Congregational Vitality Pathways are a place to start – a place to take the first or the next steps – toward more vitality. Just like learning to walk is a process, so is increasing vitality rooted in our discipleship. The Pathways guide leaders and churches to discover their next faithful step. No two churches are exactly alike and that is wonderful. Likewise, the journey isn’t the same or set in stone and the destination depends on each church and its context. We all have to start somewhere. Consider taking your first step today. Intent to apply opens September 13: https://www.pdcbwc.org/vitality-pathways.html
Oct. 1 (Deadline)—Application for Congregational Development Grants
Do you have an innovative and exciting idea for a new faith expression or new worship service? Do you have a plan for a new ministry that will help your congregation go to the “next level?" Are you developing a way to reach new people who are not yet a part of any church? If you answered yes to any of these, the BWC's Congregational Development Grants may be able to assist you with a grant to launch your new ministry initiative, congregational renewal project, leader development ministry and/or to reach new people. Learn more and apply.
Oct. 5 (10am)—The Gender, Race, and Ministry Study
This is a two-year effort to explore how one’s race and gender impact one’s experience of ministry. The study, conducted by the Board of Ordained Ministry, included an online questionnaire, personal and group interviews, and an analysis of ministry settings and salaries. Our final report offers a window into ministry experiences in our conference as well as key recommendations for strengthening our collective capacity to flourish in ministry. We invite all members of the annual conference to learn more about the study and its findings through an online presentation, which will include time for questions and discussion. Please join us for a webinar presentation of the report findings. Register now.
Oct. 9 (7pm)—Church Planter's Discernment Academy
This 9-Week Discernment Academy is designed to help participants discover their leadership style, strengths and weaknesses, intercultural competency and learning style, and then to incorporate those discoveries into their leadership practices in a Post-Christendom context. Participants will also learn more about our fear of innovation, the kinds of new things that can be started within or outside of an existing appointment, the importance of guesting and hosting, and how to gather and equip the right team for the right ministry setting. The 9-Week Virtual Academy begins Oct. 9th and ends the week of December 4th. Each class will last approximately 75-90 minutes. This academy is designed to inspire, evaluate, and equip clergy and laity to innovate and start new things. Register now.
Oct. 26—Clergy Day Away
Beloved clergy, are you looking for opportunities to reconnect with other clergy friends and colleagues? Would you enjoy a day away to be refreshed by good company, the beauty of creation, and spiritual practices? Join us at Camp Manidokan (1600 Harpers Ferry Road, Knoxville, MD) for a day of fellowship and play. Learn more and register here.
Nov. 4 (9am)—Fresh Expressions Academy
Most church leaders tend to ask themselves two questions, one focuses on the past and one focuses on the present. Questions like: “What happened?”, “What led up to this?”, or “Remember when…” all focus on the past. Questions like: “What’s important right now?”, “How do we fix this?” or “What are our current challenges?”, tend to focus on the present. Innovative leaders ask questions focused on the future, without dismissing the past or being rooted in the present. If you’ve been asking the question, “What’s next?”, then this academy may be for you. The Fresh Expressions Academy launches November 4 and lasts for 12 months. It combines presentations, regular coaching, peer-to-peer discussions, immersion experiences, and an online group to help facilitate the cultivation of Fresh Expressions. It is designed to equip clergy and laity to innovate and take risks to engage people who are not yet part of a faith community. New information, including IMPORTANT DATES, has been added to the Registration Page. Click HERE to learn more.
Nov. 9 (9am)—Clergy Ethics & Boundaries Virtual Training
The Board of Ordained Ministry invites clergy of the Conference to a virtual workshop entitled "Impact of Pornography and the Intersection with Child Sex trafficking and Abuse". This workshop is presented by Linda Crockett, Director of Safe Communities and will delve into the world of pornography and its impact on congregants, children, our communities, and ourselves. Participants will explore the deep connections between pornography and the growing problem of domestic child sex trafficking and child sexual abuse in our own communities. Learn more and register now.
Level Up: A Piece at a Time Masterclass in Leadership
Rev. Jack Shitama, director of the conferences' Center for Vital Leadership, helps leaders grow. In these short videos, church leaders will discover some of the best and most influential principles in today’s secular writing about leadership. Learn, step-by-step, from the masters, to transform yourself and the world. A new Level Up video lesson appears each Monday in the e-Connection.
Mission-Shaped Church & MissionInsite
Rev. Dr. Tom Bandy will share monthly wisdom on how you can best use MissionInsite to support outreach and evangelism. See his first post on how MissionInsite can help you plan for September ministry events and welcome people back to church. Bandy is an internationally-recognized consultant and coach. He has made himself available for free one-on-one consultations for members of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware conferences. If you are a member of either of these conferences, you can schedule a time to meet with him. Need the basics on MissionInsite? Start here.