Welcome to the Washington Region Blog! In an effort to reduce the number of emails sent from the region, the blog will be updated on a weekly basis. You will receive an email reminder every week to come and check out the blog.



Tuesday, September 28, 2010

New Washington Region Administrative Assistant
We are pleased to announce that Darryl Campbell has joined the Washington Region as the new regional administrative assistant. Darryl was previously the facilities assistant at the conference center. Darryl can be reached via email at dcampbell@bwcumc.org and by phone at 410-309-3484. Welcome Darryl!

Conference Mission Center Open House!
A special celebration will take place on October 19 to praise God and commemorate this historical event for the Baltimore-Washington Conference and also to welcome our new partner, Cokesbury, who will have a store on the ground floor of the new Mission Center.  Please join clergy, laity and leaders from across the conference for an open house from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Fellowship, tours of the new space and a book signing will be enjoyed by all. Check out the website for a coupon from Cokesbury. http://www.bwcumc.org/newbuilding

Charge Conference Information...
The following hymns will be sung at the Charge Conference Worship Services:
Marching to Zion
Lord make me a sanctuary
We are one in Christ Jesus
Together we serve

Voting Ballots: Each church is responsible for bringing their own ballots to be used for voting. It is recommended that the names of those needing to be voted on be added onto the ballot prior to the Charge Conference.

User names and Passwords: If you still need your user name and password or have a committee member who needs them, please contact dcampbell@bwcumc.org.

Thursday Sept. 30th Faith Collaborative Meeting in Washington DC
You are cordially invited to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Administration (IDEHA) Maryland-Washington DC Faith Based Community Collaborative Meeting.

New Samaritan Baptist Church
1100 Florida Avenue, NE Washington DC
THURSDAY, September 30, 2010
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Discipler Groups Next Week
Just a reminder that Discipler Groups will be held next week on October 5, 6 & 7. Make up groups will be held on the third Tuesday of each month beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Conference Mission Center.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Hispanic Heritage Celebration
The 4th Annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration and Cultural Service will be held on October 3 at 5 p.m. at Millian United Methodist Church, 13016 Parkand Drive, Rockville, MD. The guest preacher is The Rev. Dr. Ediberto Lopez, Professor of New Testament, Seminario Evangelico de PR and the music minister is The Rev. Lydia Muñoz, Pastor of Plumbline Fellowship United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, PA. For more information about the event, please contact Edgardo Rivera at erivera@bwcumc.org.

Special Sundays - World Communion Sundays Support Material
If you are looking for support materials to help educate your congregation about World Communion Sunday, please go to http://www.umcgiving.org/site/c.qwL6KkNWLrH/b.3833897/k.D8EA/Special_Sundays__World_Communion_Sunday__Support_Materials.htm

United Methodist Women Event
The Annual Meeting of The United Methodist Women of the Central MD District will be 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 16, 2010, at the Baltimore Washington Conference Center, 11711 E. Market Place, Fulton, MD.  Reservations for lunch are $10 and due by October 9 to Precious Morrison, 529 Martz Road, Sykesville, MD 21794.  All UMW members--including clergy, are invited to attend this annual celebration of UMW.

GBHEM Announces Online Consortium with 13 UM Theological Schools
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church is pleased to introduce an Online Continuing Education Consortium in collaboration with the 13 United Methodist Theological Schools. The vision of the consortium is to provide theologically sound, financially affordable, and easily accessible continuing education programs to clergy and lay Christians around the world so they may grow in their theological understanding and leadership skills.
These non-academic credit courses provided by the participation of the 13 United Methodist theological schools ensure the quality of classes offered. Each school designs the course, provides the instructor, handles registrations and payment. They will manage the technological aspects of providing online courses. Costs of these courses will vary, with tuition or fees set by and paid directly to, the theological school that is hosting the online class.
The online consortium catalogue will serve as the gateway, providing a single entry point through an online catalogue and Web links to each theological school that is offering the classes.  It will be open all year round so you will be able to take courses according to your schedule.

Now get started and enjoy learning!


Conference Center Name
As we settle into our new home, it’s a good opportunity to reflect upon why we’re here. As Bishop Schol said the day we broke ground, “We journey upward to a God who seeks to be in love with us and outward toward a world God calls us to love.”

With that journey in mind, we are naming this new building something that reflects our true purpose – The BWC Mission Center. Please be sure to make your church leaders and administrative staff aware of this new name.

Charge Conference Information

Charge Conference Host Church Reminders

With Charge Conferences just around the corner we wanted to thank the Host Church for letting us use their church. The host church is responsible for providing breakout space for meetings space, worship space, music, and refreshments if you are able.
All participating churches are expected to worship together and should plan on allotting TWO hours to hold your charge conference and to worship with the churches in your cluster.
This means if your charge conference is scheduled for an EARLY hour, you and your leaders should stay after your charge conference to participate in worship. Or if your charge conference is scheduled for a LATER hour, you and your leaders should arrive in time to participate in worship before your charge conference.
If by chance your church is scheduled for an individual charge conference then your worship will be held at your church before your charge conference.
Please remember to give the congregation 10 days notice and publicly announce the Charge Conference on the two Sundays PRECEDING  the meeting.
You may request a Church Conference which extends participation and gives voting privileges to all of the members. This requires preparation ahead of time with your Church Council. All reports should be brought before your Church Council prior to the Charge Conference, so that they simply need affirmation at the Charge Conference.


Forms
All charge conference sample forms are available online at the conference website http://www.bwcumc.org/content/charge-conference-landing.

Forms not completed online

Many people think that ALL Charge Conference forms MUST be completed on-line. Actually there are five forms which are really PDF documents.
These Documents include:
·        Clergy Sexual Misconduct Form
·        Certification of Compliance Form
·        Charge Conference Signature Close-out Form
·        Lay Leadership Development Form
·        Laity Sexual Misconduct Form (DO NOT TURN IN at charge conference.)
To access them, go to the BWCUMC website, then under Resources go to Charge Conference. You will download the forms, and save them to your hard-drive.
Then go through the form, answering the questions. Once you are satisfied with the content, proofread and spell check the document then print it out and submit them with the rest of your printed copies for the Charge Conference. 
Please make sure your church name and church ID number is on ALL Charge Conference forms.


Charge Conference FAQs

Last year we received a number of calls about completing the Charge Conference Forms. The most frequent calls are listed below. Before you start to complete your forms please read.


Q.   How do I log into the Gateway system?
A.   You should go to the web site at www.bwcumc.org then click Sign In.

Q.   How do I get my log-in information?
A.   Click Sign In then click the Forgot Your Password tab. It is important to only use your last name and the email address that is associated with your Gateway profile. If you do not have an email address in the system then you cannot use this function. In this case, please contact the Washington Region.
Q.   Where do I go once I have logged in?
A.   Once logged in you should go to Member Information on the left hand side of the screen. Then click Charge Conference.
Q.   When I look under Member Information I don’t see Charge Conference? Why?
A.   Does the box to the left of the of Charge show a +? That means the box is closed. Click on the + and it will open and you will see Committee Information and the Charge Conference forms.
Q.   How do I add someone to a committee?
A.   After Administrators have logged onto the system they should click on Committee Overview then Committee Participation and Update then Local Church Leadership Committee. Once your committee members are visible, you can add someone by clicking on the addition sign located at the bottom of the page.
Q.   How do I take someone off a committee?
A.   You cannot delete a person from the list. When a persons committee service ends the Administrator puts an end date. When you reopen your list that person is not visible but they will show on Gateways database. You can enter a future date in this space.
Q.   How do I add someone to a committee? When I look at the Local Church Leadership Committee I dont see the paper w/ pen or the paper w/+ logos they talked about in Gateway Training? Why not?
A.   Only the administrator will see the two icons you talked about. So if you dont see those logos you dont have administrator privileges. If you need the rights to make changes please contact the Washington Region.
Q.   How will my SPRC chair, trustee chair, treasurer and lay speakers get their log-in information?
A.   They can go to the Baltimore-Washington Conference website, click Sign In then click Forgot Your Password. It is important to only use the last name and email address. If they do not have an email address in the system then they cannot use this function. If they are not in the system then they can be added under Create New Account. BUT be careful we dont want duplicate profiles. If in doubt call the Washington Region to check to see if they are in the system.
Q    Why cant I fill out my lay speakers annual report?
A.   Only the lay speaker can fill out their annual report. If they do not have access to a computer, they can give someone their log-in information and that person can fill out the form for them.
Q.   I am the pastor and cant see my compensation form. How can I fill it out?
A.   Only your SPRC chair, treasurer and administrator can fill out your compensation form.
Q.   How do I fill out the Compensation Form if I have more than one church?
A.   You should fill out a compensation form for each church. Bring a copy of each form and the charge conference total with you to your charge conference BUT the charge total shouldnt be put on-line.
Q.   What if my contact information is wrong in Gateway?
A.   To change your information, you can click on My Contact Information then on Edit. Make your changes then click Save. It is going to ask if your information is correct. Just click the Correct button.
Q.   What if I need to make a change to a form and I have clicked the Complete Your Response button?
A.   I am sorry, but you cannot make any changes once you have click the Complete Your Response button. You will need to start a new form. If you start a new compensation form please contact Penny to let her know you have a duplicate form.
Q.   What about Signatures? Where do we sign the forms if they are online?
A.   Most of the forms have a space for you to type in the name of the person responsible for the information on that form.
     You will also need to bring the Signature Close Out Form with you to your charge conference. This form will be signed by the Pastor, SPRC Chair and the elders conducting your charge conference.
     Please make sure they sign AND PRINT their name and the date they signed the form. This form is a laundry list of the forms that were submitted by your church.  If your church doesnt have a Lay Speaker and are not submitting that form just put N/A on the Close Out form so we dont need to check to make sure you didnt just forget to bring it to the meeting.
Q.   What do I need to bring with me to charge conference?
A.   Please bring hard copies of the forms you filled out online including the Certification of Compliance, Clergy Sexual Misconduct Questionnaire and the Lay Leadership Development Form. 
     You also need to bring the completed Signature Close Out Form but MAKE SURE you put the name of your church, the region your in, and your church 4-digit ID number at the top of the form.
TIP:  Please make sure to keep a printed copy for your files!

Coaching Calls
If you have not scheduled your coaching call with your guide, please contact them as soon as possible to get on their schedule.

Open House Information
As you all know, we will be having our Open House on October 19 to invite everyone to explore the new space and also to welcome Cokesbury. The link below is a bulletin insert you can use on Sundays. It gives a run down of all that will take place on October 19 and also a 30% off coupon to Cokesbury.  Please go to www.bwcumc.org/newbuilding for more information about the Open House and the bulletin insert.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

What to Keep, What to Cut  by John W. Wimberly, Jr. (Excerpt from the Alban Institute website)

Like many congregations and organizations, at the beginning of 2009 Western Presbyterian Church faced a serious budgetary shortfall. To deal with this painful situation, our session (governing board) needed to exhibit both leadership and management skills: leadership skills to bring our congregation along with us, management skills to work the numbers. We also needed to develop a transparent decision-making process.
As a session, our first challenge was to create a process to make the tough decisions we had to make. A flawed decision-making process could divide the congregation and us. Much to my surprise, a rather heated debate developed over this question. We were far from united about how to move forward.

Some elders wanted to move quickly to cut the deficit. If we were going to reduce staff, we needed to do so quickly so that some salaries and benefits would stop being paid. If we were going to reduce benevolences, they needed to stop immediately before the treasurer dispersed them.
Other elders wanted to take a slower planning approach. They said we needed to pray about and meditate upon the overall direction of the congregation and that we needed input from the congregation.
By the end of our January session meeting, the elders merged the two approaches. Wherever possible, they froze payments that didn't need to be made until May. They asked committees to look for immediate cuts they could make to their budgets. They also authorized a condensed five-month planning process—complete with time for prayer and reflection—that would end no later than the June session meeting.

To finish reading the rest of the article, please go to http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=9208.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Charge Conference
The charge conference schedule has been emailed to each pastor and church office. If you did not receive this information, please go to http://www.bwcumc.org/ChargeConference2010 to view the schedule. The charge conference forms for this fall’s season are up on the website. http://www.bwcumc.org/content/charge-conference-landing Please remember that you will need your username and password to log onto Gateway. If you do not have your login information, please contact Pam Mullay at pmullay@bwcumc.org. To log into Gateway go to www.bwcumc.org and sign in. Once you have signed in the menu will appear on the left of the screen (your name should be above it). Scroll down to charge conference, please click on the words “Charge Conference” not the + sign beside the words. If you click on the words the landing pages with the instructions and the list of forms will appear. If you click on the + sign the instructions will not come up. Please remember that you MUST have your forms completed one week on-line prior to the scheduled charge conference, except for the forms that require a vote at the meeting. These forms (clergy compensation, lay speaker vote, Certified Lay Ministers voting form, Ministry to Disciples and candidate for ordained ministry) must be completed except for the vote count one week prior to the scheduled charge conference.


Gateway Training Events
The regional administrators are conducting training for those who are new to the Gateway system (the database system used by BWC) or who want a review of the requirements to access the forms and navigating the system. The events are free and do not require online registration. On September 8, at Mt. Zion UMC, (12430 Scaggsville Road, Rt. 216, Highland, MD) we will have training specifically for SPRC chairs and treasurers covering evaluations/advisory; clergy compensation, and paying bills. There are several trainings for lay speakers on completing their annual reports online. All of these trainings are in September from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. A lay speaker may attend whichever event is most convenient. The training dates are September 14 at Messiah UMC in Glen Burnie; September 15 at Towson UMC in Towson; September 16 at Melvin UMC in Cumberland; September 21 at First UMC in Hyattsville; September 22 at Christ UMC in Frederick; and September 23 at Good Shepherd UMC in Waldorf. Please share these dates with the lay speakers in your church. Please share with your congregation all of these learning opportunities.

Clergy Benefits for 2011
As your local church begins to look at budgeting for 2011, you will need to consider the obligations of the local church for the pastor, not only cash salary, but also medical insurance and pension. Please go to http://www.bwcumc.org/files/2011PensionHealthFlexRate.pdf to view the information from the BWC benefits office with specific information for the local church in regard to their pastor’s benefits for the upcoming calendar year. If you have further questions, please contact Francess Tagoe (ftagoe@bwcumc.org) in the benefits office.

Apportionment Postings
You may access the chart summarizing the apportionment payments on the BWC website under “Finance.” Click on “apportionment contribution report”. That chart is updated with each posting. ACH payments are recorded immediately, whereas check posting takes more time. The goal of the treasurer’s office is to complete posting for the previous month by the 10th of the following month (e.g. all September payments should be posted by October 10. However if there is a delay in the mailing of a check to the lock box and then from the lock box bank recording to BWC, there may be a delay in the posting.) If you think there is an error in the report, we need to know the check number, the date of the check, and the amount of the check before we can ask the treasurer’s office to research the error.

Special Sunday Offerings
General Conference created six unique Special Sundays to help congregations work with communities, rebuild shattered lives, strengthen self-sufficiency, encourage partnerships, nurture Native American ministries, model peace and justice, provide scholarships and loans for United Methodist students, and much more.

In The United Methodist Church, we have six annual opportunities to share beyond our regular gifts through church-wide Special Sundays with offerings.

The Special Sundays remaining for 2010 are as follows:
· World Communion Sunday: October 3, 2010
· United Methodist Student Day: November 28, 2010

You can go to the United Methodist Communication website at http://www.umcgiving.org/ and select Special Sundays to download the order form OR you can call 888-346-3862 to place an order. It takes about one week to get the order!

Useful resource for local churches for Special Sundays: The 2009-2012 Pastors' Guide lists ALL of the dates, leaders’ resources, and related information for the Special Sundays through the end of 2012. This is FREE download but will not be sent out via the US Mail.

'Youth Life After ROCK’
The second of four video resources developed for youth to follow up on their weekend experiences at the ROCK Retreat last January is now available. The video, designed to strengthen the connections and commitments made that weekend, are available free online or on a DVD for $10. This resource builds on the preaching and teaching of the Rev. Stephen Gallaher of Salt and Light Ministries. To download or order, go to http://www.bwcumc.org/youthministryresource. For additional information, contact Pam Bowen at pbowen@bwcumc.org.

UPCOMING REGIONAL EVENTS
Discipler Groups begin again September 7, 8, 9. The groups will meet from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. For more information about Discipler Groups, please go to http://www.bwcumc.org/files/Final_Discipler_Groups_2010_2011.pdf.

Fall Discipleship Academy registration is online. For more information go to: http://www.bwcumc.org/microsites/g/discipleship-academy.

OTHER UP COMING CONFERENCE EVENTS
Bishop Day Apart with Laity: September 25 at Bethany UMC. More information can be found by clicking on this link to the BWC website: http://www.bwcumc.org/bishopsdaywithlaity.

Be sure to keep up with events and news through the econnection, an online newsletter than can be accessed through the BWC website, by clicking on “news”, then scroll to “econnection”.