Washington East District News & Updates 5_10_2019
DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO SAY FAREWELL TO DS REBECCA IANNICELLI
Farewell Celebration of Service Rev. Dr. Rebecca Iannicelli
Sunday June 2, 2019 at the
Charles County Fair Grounds
(8440 Fairground Road, La Plata, MD 20646).
Festivities start at 3PM
Register here
******The Committee also needs your help with the gift. This gift is a scrapbook depicting all the churches in our District. In order to complete the book, we need you to send a digital color photograph of the outside of your church building, or a picture of your congregation, or both along with a message of two sentences or less. Please email the picture(s) and text to Pastor Kevin Brooks at . Please send the photo as a JPEG formatted file titled “YourChurchName.jpg.” and the message in a text file titled “YourChurchName.txt.” Please include in your correspondence the name of a contact person and the name of your church. We will need the photo(s), text, and attendance estimate no later than May 17, 2019.**********
FUND BALANCE REPORT ARE DUE JUNE 30th
The Committee on Finance is required to make provision for an annual audit of the records of all the financial officers (including the financial secretary or church business manager and treasurers) of the church and all its organizations and shall report to the Charge Conference. Guidelines for handling of an accountability of funds can be found in the 2017-2020 United Methodist Church Financial Records Handbook and in Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: FINANCE
WASHINGTON EAST DISTRICT LAY SERVANT ACADEMY
Lay Servants are to serve the local church or charge in any way in which their witness or leadership and service inspires the laity to deeper commitment to Christ and more effective discipleship. This includes the interpretation of scriptures, doctrine, organization, and ministries of the church. While one doesn't have to be certified to serve, there are opportunities for those who feel called to become Certified Lay Servants, Certified Lay Speakers or Certified Lay Ministers. One of the strengths of our connectional system is the trainings we offer.
The classes offered may be taken by anyone: member of a congregation, local church leader, or lay servant. All class offerings except Introduction to Lay Servant Ministries: The Basic Course may be used as a re-certification class for Certified Lay Servants, Certified Lay Speakers and Certified Lay Ministers.
You may attend classes outside of your district, based on your own needs. We have opening in the following upcoming classes:
Conflict Resolution - Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution
Instructor: Vernona Colbert, CLM
Location: Mt. Hope UMC, 145 Dalrymple Road, Sunderland, MD 20689
Dates and Times: Friday, June 7, 6:30-9:00 pm AND Saturday, June 8, 9 am-4:30 pm
Registration Deadline: Friday, May 24, 2019.
Prayer (Good Shepherd) - Leading Public Prayer (new course)
Instructor: Linda Flanagan, CLM
Location: Good Shepherd UMC, 305 E. Smallwood Dr., Waldorf, MD 20602
Dates and Times: Friday, Aug. 2, 6-9 p.m. AND Saturday, Aug. 3, 9 a.m.-4 pm
Registration Deadline: Friday, July 19, 2019
Course Fee: $35
Annual Conference Information
Annual Conference Pre-Conference Briefing scheduled for Saturday, May 18. -- All members to Annual Conference are invited to attend the Pre-Conference and Annual Conference meetings.
There are two opportunities to attend the Pre-Conference Briefing. The morning session will be held at Jackson Chapel UMC, at 5609 Ballenger Creek Pike in Frederick from 9:30 a.m. until noon. The afternoon session is at St. Johns United Church in the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, at 10431 Twin Rivers Road in Columbia from 2 to 4:30 p.m. To learn more about the 235th Session of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference "We Are One United to Love".
Annual Conference (AC) Registration -- Everything is handled by Darlene Washington, Registrar, 2019 Annual Conference Registration Office, 1.800.492.2525 ext.498 and direct line: 410.309.3498; e-mail: If you get her voice mail, she will return your call.
2019 Mission Focus -- RISE AGAINST HUNGER -- On May 30, you are invited to join the Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church's Meal Packaging Event at this year's Annual Conference, in the movement to end hunger by the year 2030. Learn more. (A bulletin-sized flyer art is attached.)
CREDENTIALS -- When checking-in all CLERGY and Lay Members to Annual Conference must present a completed and signed credential form in order to receive their voting unit.
~ CLERGY -- Click, download and complete BLANK Clergy Credentials
~ LAITY -- Click, download and complete BLANK Lay Credentials
YOUR PASTOR MUST SIGN THE LAY CREDENTIAL FORM BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT AC. It is very difficult to track them do for their signature during Annual Conference!
FIRST-TIME LAY MEMBERS TO AC --- This event can be a little over-whelming if this is your first time attending but never fear there are lots of resources available BUT check them out BEFORE you get to AC:
- Lay Member to AC Job Description -- The entire job description from the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) is attached. More job descriptions can be found at that link too.
- Annual Conference Primer – This is a great overview of the event and gives you tips of what to report back to your church AFTER attending AC. Be sure to read it before attending.
- Dailies Newspaper -- During the conference make sure to pick up a “Dailies” newspaper early each day – they go very fast. They list daily schedule and other pertinent information but they go fast so make sure to get one.
- Annual Conference Laity Report Form template -- One of the assignments for the Lay Member to AC based on the BOD ¶251.2 is to … “Report to the congregation in the week following the annual conference session and to the church council at its next meeting after the close of the conference session. The Discipline states that the report to the church council must be within three months of the close of the session.“
Here is a Word document template to give you some guidelines in preparing your report and what to watch for during the Conference. Feel free to edit it as you see fit. I suggest you print an outline of the key topics/ points of the report to help you take notes. Many more resources can be found on the BWC website.
- AC Overview – In previous years, a press release is posted on the website following Annual Conference, containing details about petitions that passed and other highlights from 2019 AC BUT this is not posted until AFTER the event.
Hope to see you at Annual Conference.