| Leadership Days
locations Baltimore-Annapolis region Jan. 11 Kenwood High School 501 Stemmers Run Road, Baltimore
Very limited accessibility Western region Jan. 18
North Hagerstown High School 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown Washington region Feb. 1
Northwestern High School 7000 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville | Choices abound in Leadership Days topics BY DAVID E. BOHNERT UMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT Practical ways to use gospel music in worship and learning about contemporary music that speaks to young people are just two of 67 topics planned for church leaders of the Baltimore-Washington Conference to explore at the 2003 Leadership Days. The annual training event will be held in January and February in three locations. In all worship settings, you always have a vision that you set, said the Rev. William E. Butler Jr., a Leadership Days teacher and pastor of the Churchville Charge. If the vision is to encourage people, then the music one selects must encourage, he said. Gospel music always runs parallel to the Gospel, and in this case, it must prepare the way for a message on encouragement, he added. Butlers course is titled Gospel Music in Worship. A different focus will be provided by Rob Morris, youth minister and worship leader at First UMC in Berkeley Springs, W. Va. Soon after he arrived last July, Morris established a praise band, which has played at the worship service of First UMC and at the Sunday evening youth group meetings. The newer music has been well received by the congregation, he said. He is now putting together a band for a third worship service that will be held at the local high school. That service will be very contemporary, and Morris hopes that the modern rock music and hip hop music he specializes in will be a primary motivator. The new service will start in March or September next year. One of the biggest things in young peoples lives is music. Music is one of the most powerful tools for ministry, Morris said. It is not just about exciting people but leading people into the presence of God, he said. His course is titled Were Not in Kansas Anymore Using Music to Lead Youth to Worship. Another course, Street Evangelism a Two-Part Course will be taught by Marsha Gilreath and Wanda Smith, members of A.P. Shaw UMC in Washington, D.C. The course will emphasize practical methods of street evangelism, according to the Rev. Vivian McCarthy, associate council director. The 67 courses offer classes for many areas in the church: administrative board or church council, basic training for leaders, Christian education, communications, evangelism, missions, stewardship, United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, worship, youth and youth leaders. Most courses are offered in all three locations, but a few are limited to one or two locations. Registration will begin at 8 a.m., and the sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to McCarthy. Each day, there will be three workshops and one plenary session with worship , she said. Early-bird registration, postmarked by Dec. 12, will cost $15 per person, including lunch. The cost will be $20 after that date. McCarthy emphasized that the Dec. 12 date is earlier than in previous years and that the deadlines are certain. A packet of 10 registration booklets has been sent to each church, and booklets have been sent by bulk mail to individuals, McCarthy said. On-line registration with a credit card is available at the conference Web site, www.bwconf.org . Registration forms may also be downloaded from that Web site and mailed with a Dec. 12 or earlier postmark for the early-bird registration. We want to be sure that people get the skills they need to be leaders in The United Methodist Church, McCarthy said. Understanding who we are and what makes us United Methodists is very important. Last year, a great many participants were new to leadership positions, she said. |
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