| NEWS 2003-2004 Evangelism
Training and Faith-sharing
events This is a partial list. Please visit the conference Web site, www.bwcumc.com, read e-connection, the conference e-mailed news bulletin, and UMConnection for updates and more events.
Academy for Initiative Leaders (Leadership development seminars for selected lay and clergy teams.) Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Jan. 10, Feb. 7 and March 6. Contact the Rev. Edwin C. DeLong at (800) 492-2525, Ext. 436, or
. Sponsored by the Board of Congregational Life.
Share Life, Share Faith, Good News in Action (An evangelism convocation and training event.) Nov. 22 at Good Shepherd UMC, Waldorf, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact the Rev. Bill Brown at (410) 667-6054 or wgbrown@ epworthalive.com. Sponsored by the Board of Evangelization.
Leadership Days (Regional church leadership classes in evangelism and other topics.) Jan. 10, 17 and 31. Sites to be announced. Contact Vivian McCarthy at (800) 492-2525, Ext. 434, or
.
ROCK 2004 Youth Retreat: Miracles in Our Midst Jan. 23-25 at Ocean City Convention Center. (Includes Jan. 24 confirmation celebration.) Contact Tom Price at (800) 492-2525, Ext. 472, or tprice
. Sponsored by the Conference Council on Youth Ministries.
FaithFest 2004 An Uplifting Spiritual Retreat for Adults (A retreat for adults of all ages, married and single, with a focus on young adults.) Feb. 20-22 at the Carousel Hotel in Ocean City. Contact the Rev. Edwin C. DeLong at (800) 492-2525, Ext. 436, or
. Sponsored by the Board of Congregational Life. ConnectingMaking God Real in a Fragmented World (An evangelism and discipleship training event.) March 26-28 at First UMC, Hyattsville. Contact Craig Kennet Miller at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7081, or
, or visit www.gbod.org. Sponsored by GBOD and the United Methodist Publishing House. | Evangelism emphasized in bishops letter to clergy By Erik Alsgaard
UMConnection staff Bishop Felton Edwin May, episcopal leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, has sent a letter to every clergyperson in the conference stressing the importance of evangelism and church growth. In the letter, dated Sept. 16, Bishop May wrote, Our number one priority for the work of this conference remains evangelism, sharing the good news and inviting others to share in our ministries and faith experiences. Using Jesus words found in Matthew 9:35-38, Bishop May noted that the fall season of harvest is also a time to work in the various mission fields, seeking, inviting and welcoming the unchurched into United Methodist congregations. If your church is not actively engaged in evangelism, I urge you to begin now, the letter reads. Every church can grow spiritually and numerically. Indeed, every church must grow in order to be faithful to its calling from Christ. Some churches, Bishop May said, are sponsoring activities during September to celebrate Open House Month and to coordinate with the Igniting Ministry spots being shown on national television. Others are planning something for October, during Thanksgiving, Advent or Christmastide. It doesnt matter when you do it; but I do encourage you to plan some creative activity. The letter ends with a note of thanksgiving for all that churches have done to make new disciples for Jesus Christ, and promotes this years evangelism convocation, scheduled for Nov. 22, Sharing Life, Sharing Faith, Good News in Action. The complete text of Bishop Mays letter is found at http://www.bwcumc.com/bwc_news/umconnection/2003/Oct01-03issue/p5-News-BishopsLtr.html , and is also available at www.bwcumc.com. |
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