District News

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.

 

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.

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

Sept. 12 (12pm, ET)—GCFA Accountable Reimbursement Policies Webinar
Are you looking to establish sound financial practices within your ministry or church? Do you want to ensure that your reimbursement policies are transparent, accountable, and align with best practices?  Join us for an enlightening webinar on "Accountable Reimbursement Policies for Ministries and Churches" and take a significant step towards financial excellence! Register now.

Sept. 12 (7pm)—Training Tuesday - Developing Missionally Vital Leaders 
Do you want to develop and equip your current leadership team, while providing training for new leaders? Would you like to learn how to launch new ministries and reach new people while creating the kind of faith community reflective of God’s love? 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. 


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.