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BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

'This is not just any symposium, this is a gift from God dropped in our laps,' said Sandy Ferguson, speaking about the Ministering to Individuals with Cancer event that will be held at the Baltimore-Washington Conference Center Dec 2.

The symposium, which will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is a continuation of the partnership between the conference and the American Cancer Society.

'Every being on this earth is, at one time or another, impacted by cancer,' said Ferguson, the conference director of justice ministries, who is coordin-ating the event.

This year alone, according to the American Cancer Society, 25,870 people from Maryland, 2,680 from the District of Columbia and 11,280 people from West Virginia will receive a diagnosis of cancer from their doctors.

More than 16,000 people in the Baltimore-Washington Conference region are estimated to die in 2006 from cancer.

'If we are to be in ministry to the people in our pews and communities, we can?t ignore cancer,' Ferguson said. 'The symposium will provide essential information about preventing and living with the disease and, in this case, knowledge is power. It will save lives.'

According to Ferguson, the partnership between the American Cancer Society and the Baltimore-Washington Conference opens doors to thousands of people for invaluable, state-of-the-art resources.

'You?re huge,' Gretchen Derewicz, a state mission delivery director with the American Cancer Society, said of the church. 'Through the Baltimore-Washington Conference we are able to reach the masses. It?s the connection. We?re not able to do this ourselves.'

At the symposium, participants will learn about a vast network of free resources available to them.

Through a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week free telephone service (800-227-2345), people with cancer and their caregivers can receive individualized, expert information so that they can better understand their disease and make informed decisions about their care, Derewicz explained.

The American Cancer Society also offers, free of charge, a wide range of patient services, from connecting patients with other survivors, to providing a place to stay when treatments are far from home, to a dietician service and beauty services to people struggling with hair loss and diminished pallor from chemotherapy.

Education is another important topic when addressing cancer, Derewicz said. Often knowledge about what and how people eat, drink, exercise and work can lead to lifestyles that prevent cancer.

The free 'Body and Soul' program, which can be tailored to every local church, is available to those who want to help their congregations live such lifestyles.

In addition, early detection of cancer, through a variety of screenings and tests, increases the chances of surviving cancer, and the symposium will address how churches can reach out with life-saving information.

Several cancer survivors from the Baltimore-Washington Conference will also participate in a panel discussion about the faith dimensions of their experiences with the disease.

'The symposium will allow us to come together, face-to-face, and explore the many resources available to us as we learn how to best minister to each other and the community,' Ferguson said. 'It will be an opportunity to connect with professionals and experts in a meaningful way.'

SIDEBAR:
For more information about the event, contact Ferguson at www.bwcumc.org or call (800) 492-2525, Ext. 431.

For more information on the American Cancer Society and the resources it provides see www.cancer.org.