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BY BISHOP JOHN R. SCHOL

As Liana walked down the church aisle she had to walk under four ceiling fans and by two high powered wall unit air conditioners. A virtual wind storm. An acolyte's nightmare.

Liana skillfully and carefully made her way down the aisle without the light going out. I noticed as she walked she kept her eye on the light.

"That's it," I said to myself, as we keep our eye on the light, the light of Christ, we can make our way when the challenges are great.

As disciples in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, we have been making our way toward God's vision of what it means to be the church for more than 200 years. As we enter the fall and a new quadrennium, this is an important time to lift up the light and vision we claim God has for us.

Our vision is that we will become like Christ, literally be the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), as modeled in the early church and witnessed in Acts 2. This vision is of a church that is:

• Spirit-filled and led (Acts 2:1-4),
• Welcoming all people (Acts 2:5-13),
• Building on tradition and hopeful about the future (Acts 2:14-21), and
• Worshipping passionately, connecting disciple to disciple through radical hospitality, developing through intentional faith formation, serving like Christ through risk-taking mission, and

sharing God's extravagant grace (Acts 2:41-47).

The vision is built on a firm foundation laid by faithful disciples who have gone before us. They have enthusiastically grown mission, disciples, spiritual leaders and congregations.

Today, we build on a holy and bold Wesleyan legacy that has been courageous in its mission and passionate in telling the story of salvation. It is this legacy that supports and sustains everything we do.

We are experiencing hopeful signs and wonders across the conference that are building on our history and creating a legacy for new generations:

In the Western Region, children splash through puddles on their way to Grace UMC in Hagerstown after school where they are welcomed by Harold and Roger to Camp Reach. Camp Reach began six years ago as an outreach of Grace UMC. The afternoon consists of a quick snack, time to care for homework, some rowdy games to work off energy, a "life-lesson" from the Bible, and then dinner when their parents arrive to pick them up. This ministry has grown to more than 100 and the congregation is growing in disciples, worship and mission outreach.

In the Baltimore Region, a team of laity and clergy developed and are implementing a comprehensive strategy for Baltimore. The Hope for the City Plan outlines 10 actions that will grow congregations and their ministry in the city. It is a collaborative approach engaging urban and suburban congregations and church resources such as the Board of Child Care, conference camps, and the national Shalom Zone Initiative. It has received funding from the Patterson Foundation, started training seven new Shalom sites and sent 60 children who were impacted by murders in Baltimore to Manidokan or West River Camps.

In the Washington Region, the Rev. Donna Claycomb began as the pastor of Mt. Vernon Church in Washington, D.C., two years ago. She built on a vision developed before she arrived of what this historic church would mean to its community and the region. She worked to strengthen partnerships for the vision with nearby Asbury UMC, city agencies, Wesley Theological Seminary, and a for-profit developer. She also added growing a young adult ministry to the vision. This month, the church celebrates a doubling of

worship attendance (35 to 70), new young adult members and leaders, a renovated main sanctuary building, plans for new outreach ministries and new facilities for children, youth, adult and community ministry.

In the Southern Region, Westphalia UMC in Upper Marlboro is growing its ministry, particularly with children. This summer, its Enrichment Camp served 100 youth, using the Prince Georges County school system's summer curriculum. The camp is conducted in partnership with Forest Memorial UMC in Forestville, which provides the space for the camp. Many of the families have joined Westphalia UMC which is recognized throughout the area as a leading community servant. The church also has a vision to plant the camps at several church campuses in the region.

This is our vision in action.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference has set a spiritual BHAGG, Big Holy Adventurous Godly Goal, to grow and support at least 600 congregations by 2012 that are becoming like Christ, embody the early church model and bear three of the fruits found in Acts 2:

1) making new disciples,

2) growing worship, and

3) engaging in and giving to mission.

In the past three years, 272 congregations have evidenced all three fruits in the same year. That's more than half way toward our goal. It is a 300 percent increase from where we started.

In addition to these congregations, several hundred additional congregations are bearing significant fruit in one or more of these areas. We are on track for our BHAGG, but more importantly we are transforming lives and communities through the Gospel's radical love. We are becoming more like Christ!

Like Liana though, we face strong winds that seek to blow out the light. Our challenges include:

• A changing economy that is forcing all of us to make hard decisions.
• A growing suspicion within society of the motives and agenda of the church.
• Some of our congregations are shrinking and they are fearful about the future.
• A decline in new spiritual leaders to pick up the mantle of pastoral ministry.
• Our differences sometimes get in the way to work as one to grow mission, disciples, spiritual leaders and congregations.

These and other challenges create disorientation and even fear within the church. Today's messengers from God, just like the first century angels heralding Christ, call out, "Fear not!"

We need not fear as we keep our eye on the light of Christ, focus on our vision, and celebrate the progress God is making in our midst.

You are invited to share in this Discipleship Adventure. For those who are experiencing God's fruitfulness, reach out to your sister congregations with prayer, encouragement and support. Share your learnings and how God is helping you to overcome your challenges.

For those who are working hard but the harvest has not generated the fruit you anticipated, do not give up. Focus on what God is providing. All things will happen in God's time. Pray for God's fruitfulness and continue to work the plan God has laid on your heart.

For those who are discouraged, or fearful about the future, we want to walk with you. Contact your Adventure Guide to set a time to explore how God can rekindle your hope and courage to face your challenges.

This is a time for each of us personally and as congregations to review our ministry and identify and recommit to how we will celebrate passionately in worship, connect as one through radical hospitality, develop through intentional faith formation, serve like Christ in risk - taking mission, and share God's extravagant grace.

During the worship service Liana leaned over to me and told me she liked being an acolyte. I had the sense that bearing the light of Christ was special to her. May your joy be full as you bear the light of Christ in your congregation and community.

Be adventurous and re-capture the spirit of an 8-year-old, the courage of a 28-year-old and the wisdom of a 78-year-old.