District News

DISTRICT NEWS & EVENTS

Oct. 1 (11am)—Bishop Easterling on the Annapolis District

Bishop Easterling will be preaching at Asbury-Annapolis on Sunday, October 1^st at 11:00 am.  Feel free to join and fellowship with Asbury- Annapolis UMC.  The address is 87 West Street, Annapolis, MD 21401-2426.  Look forward to seeing you there!

 

Join for our second Annual Meal Packing! We will be packing rice meals from Harvest Pack, and sending them around the world through Orphan Grain Train.  Set up: Friday, October 6th- 2-4pm Meal packing: Saturday, October 7th 9am-11am Last year, we had over 60 people who packed 20,000 meals that were shipped to several locations in west Africa. (Check out a video about last last year's event here.) Join us as we make this an annual tradition! Click the button below to sign up, or check out the sign up sheets on the welcome tables in the Lighthouse and the Sanctuary.

 

Sign up now!

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 Oberlinger pipe organ, built in 2006 especially for our sanctuary. https://pipeorgandatabase.org/organ/64885. 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

 

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 Choir Director to lead our balanced adult Sanctuary Choir, capable four-part harmony in making a joyful noise unto the Lord, as well as to work with children, youth, and parents to facilitate choral activities. A strong candidate will have experience in church music and choir direction, piano skills, good teamwork and communication, and an enthusiasm for leading choir and enhancing worship. The Choir Director 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  .

 

CHURCH CONFERENCE

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.

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LAY SERVANT MINISTRIES COURSES

Find a full listing of Lay Servant Ministry trainings HERE.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference Lay Servant Ministries program is still accepting applications for the 2023-2025 cohort of Certified Lay Ministers. The new deadline is September 30, get full details.

Find the worksheet you need and bookmark the Ministry of the Laity webpage to get started on the annual lay servant ministry report for church conference.  CLSs and CLSps to re-certify, use this form.  CLMs, to recertify, send your certificate of completion to your DCOM chair.  And, when you're ready to upload your report and certificate of completion, watch a quick tutorial.  Want to know more about the three types of certified lay servants?  View this chart.

 

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     .

 

OTHER NEWS

The Bulletin:  Issue 7 
In the most recent issue of The Bulletin, a reproducible resource for local churches, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling offers a word of gratitude for the United Methodists serving faithfully in a vast array of mission and ministry. This bulletin also features Hispanic Heritage Month; a remembrance of Fannie Crosby, who wrote more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs; and a reflection on how United Methodists are "Sent to Love." Download issue 7 of The Bulletin for your church. 

New Downloadable BWC Resources Available

• BWC Leader Directory -- Connect the Dot Poster
  • Congregational Development Learning Opportunities Brochure
  • Missional Action Planning for Congregations (iMap) Flyer

 

Training Tuesdays Webinars (7pm)—Virtual Learning Opportunities for Clergy, Leaders and Laity
Visit the Training Tuesday webpage for a list of upcoming webinars.  If you miss a live presentation, visit the YouTube Playlist to play-back the recording and learn at a time and pace that works best for you.

Now-Oct. 1—Congregational Development Grants
These grants assist churches in launching new ministry initiatives, congregational renewal projects, or leader development ministries. Learn more and apply.

Now-Oct. 18—Congregational Vitality Pathways - Intent to Apply form available NOW
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 form is now available in Arena. Learn more at https://www.pdcbwc.org/vitality-pathways.html

Now-Nov. 1—Missional Innovation Grants

Discipleship Ministries has $40,000 to award to faith communities pursuing creative and innovative ministries. Applications for Missional Innovation grants are being accepted through Nov. 1. Grants will be awarded in the areas of Advocacy and Action, Wellness and Missions, and Young People's Ministries. Read a story about some of last year's winners.



Oct. 1 (Deadline)—A Diverse Church by Design: Cross-Racial and Cross-Cultural Leadership Program
A biblically-based experimental approach to diversity and inclusion. The program aims to increase churches' diversity and inclusion and develop ways to create God's Beloved Community where justice, equal opportunity, and love can embrace all.  Learn more and register.

 

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.

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