Discipleship Opportunities

The Baltimore-Washington Conference offers a number of opportunities for learning and growing in faith and discipleship. Scroll down this list of some of the offerings to put your faith into action.

Local Church EventS

• On March 27, Camp Chapel UMC in Perry Hall will host an in-person live streaming of the 2025 National Faith + Climate Forum. See the inspiring keynotes and learn about practical resources that will equip you and your congregation to integrate climate care into your faith practices. Select Camp Chapel when you RSVP.

• Grace UMC in Fort Washington will celebrate Women’s History Month by hosting the Honorable Glenda Hatchett, a judge, author, and television personality, on March 30 at 10 a.m.

•  Westminster UMC will host a short-term Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic with The Least of These Ministries on April 21-26. The team will serve with impoverished communities in Barahona on a service project and in a food distribution program. The trip is $645, which covers everything except airfare. Learn more. 

• Taylorsville UMC, at 4356 Ridge Road in Mt. Airy will host the Ernie Couch & Revival Concert on May 3 at 7 p.m. This gospel group from Nashville will share 20th Century Gospel and original music.

• Want to learn how to play a band instrument? Want to dust off your old clarinet or horn and play with a group of folks who are doing the same thing?! The Timonium-Phoenix Cooperative Parish at Timonium UMC, in partnership with Towson University, is offering a new outreach program: Band Camp for Adults ages 50+. The camp will be held  June 16-27, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Across the Connection

Help Us Celebrate What We Want More of: Love in Action! Don’t forget to nominate or apply for one of the Annual Conference Awards! These include Advocacy and Action, Evangelism, Wellness and Missions, and Young People’s Ministry Impact. Learn more.

Washington Conference Pilgrimage Bus Trip: On June 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Conference’s annual Pilgrimage Bus Trip will explore the former racially segregated old Washington Conference as we wrestle with questions about race, justice, and equality. This year’s trip focuses on Baltimore sites. Free parking is available at Lovely Lane UMC at 2200 St. Paul St. in Baltimore, where the day will begin and end. The cost is $50 (scholarships are available), which includes the bus, lunch catered by a Black-owned catering company, admission to all sites, interpretation, and a lesson on pilgrimage theology. Full participants can earn 0.6 CEUs. Learn more and register.

The 241st session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference will be held Tuesday through Thursday, May 13-15, 2025, at the Hilton Hotel in Baltimore. Registration for the conference is expected to open in mid-February. 

Bridging Visions: Prophetic Voices, Pastoral Hearts, a national event honoring the ministry and legacy of Rev. Dr. William Bobby McClain, will be held April 10-12 at Colesville UMC in Silver Spring. The event will feature preaching, teaching, and fellowship that builds on McClain’s legacy as a theologian and civil rights leader. Learn more and register.

The Network of Biblical Storytellers will hold their international conference Aug. 6-8 at the Maritime Center in Linthicum. The theme of the event is “Searching for Peace in Troubling Times: The Abiding Wisdom of 2 Kings 5-6." The keynote speaker is Tavis West. Learn more and register.

Advocacy and action

A workshop on Models of Faith-Based Engagement with Public Life will be held April 5 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.  Religious leaders, scholars, and community activists to explore different strategies for engagement, from faith-based organizing to populist movements. Also take a special workshop on an issue that draws your passion for faithful witness and advocacy, from immigrant rights to environmental justice.  Co-sponsored by the Interfaith Conference Metropolitan Washington and the Interfaith Power and Light, DC. Learn more and register.

A Federal Legislative Advocacy Day will take place on March 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Capitol Hill UMC in Washington. The event is an opportunity for United Methodists to meet their representatives and advocate for United Methodist values. Registration closes on March 23.

 

A D.C. Legislative Advocacy Day will be held on April 30 at Asbury UMC in Washington.

Learn more about Critical Race Theory: The BWC’s United Women in Faith will host a Critical Race Theory Workshop on April 26 at 1 p.m. at the BWC Mission Center in Fulton. Learn more and register.

The Seeds of Security Charity Golf Tournament will be hled at a new location this year, at Renditions Golf Club, in Anne Arundel County, on *Monday, June 16. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seeds of Security supports the Area’s ministries with victims of intimate partner violence and develops safe havens for them. There are a number of opportunities for sponsoring support, including a hole for $250. For information, contact the Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson.

Urban Ministry Conference: Wesley Theological Seminary will host its inaugural two-day conference on urban ministry on March 27-28 at the Hyatt Place BWI Airport Hotel in Linthicum Heights. The theme is “Fostering Urban Vitality and a Heart for the City. The cost is $160. Register.

The BWC’s 2025 Immigration Border Immersion is a transformative experience open to clergy and lay people, especially young adults, seeking to learn more about migration. Participants will have the opportunity to listen to God through the voice of the immigrant and be part of the change as they implement and take action in their local communities. The trip to San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico, is April 23 to 27. The cost, which includes airfare, is $1,480. To learn more about scholarships for young adults, contact Christine Taylor. Register.

Suicide Prevention webinar: The BWC's Gun Violence Prevention ministry team will host a webinar, "Talk Saves Lives: an Introduction to Suicide Prevention," on May 5 at 7 p.m. It will cover the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide.

Building Beloved Community: Throughout the nation, DEI programs and initiatives are under attack. The Baltimore-Washington Conference has long been committed to upholding the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These core principles are not only grounded in our lived experience as the Body of Christ, but they are also deeply embedded in the theological teachings of Scripture, our United Methodist traditions and the broader Christian call to justice. The pursuit of equity, diversity, and inclusion is integral to living out the Gospel’s radical message of love, unity, and justice for all people, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, ability, or social status. See our Call to Prayer and Action.

Green Team Initiative Sign-Up: The Baltimore-Washington Creation Care is launching a Church Green Team Initiative — an effort aimed at promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship within church communities. All interested congregations are invited to sign up. Meeting dates and other ways to be involved will be emailed to those who sign up. To learn more about the initiative, visit the BWC Creation Care Website. For more information, contact Sharee Wharton.