2010 Apportionments
The finance department has been reviewing the 2010 apportionment results. We would like to finalize this information for reporting. Please review your 2010 apportionment payment status and if you find any discrepancies let us know. Please respond by Friday at noon to pkhanna@bwcumc.org with any discrepancies.

Wading Through Many Voices: Toward a Theology of Public Conversation
Edited by Harold J. Recinos (Harold is an elder in the Conference and now at SMU in Texas.)
A stirring performance of the complex solidarity of difference, this conversation models a fresh honesty for 21st century political theology in the USA. The authors, unafraid of the tensions between pluralism and the common good, lead us beyond competing identities into the creativity of a thriving manifold.—Catherine Keller, professor of constructive theology, Drew University; author of God and Power; On the Mystery

Wading through Many Voices brings together the voices of Latino/a, African American, Asian American, Native American, and Euro-American scholars to produce a dialogue of public theology: how faith-communities, divided by race, class, ethnicity, and gender, can find a common ground for life together. The authors articulate a multiethnic perspective on public theology that counters the divisive identity politics of U.S. public life with systematic thinking that strengthens the commitment to critically transform social relations in light of a shared vision of public good.

The contributors develop a shared public theology that addresses social divisions while offering readers a broad vision to collaborate and struggle for an improved understanding of the common good for our pluralistic society. In light of emerging social issues, the contributors suggest that a fundamental respect for difference is a required first value for living together in a common social and political space.

About the Authors & Editors: Harold Recinos is professor of Church and Society at Southern Methodist University.
$59.95 Cloth 1-4422-0583-0 978-1-4422-0583-3
Mar 2011
372 pp.

$59.95
Electronic
1-4422-0585-7 978-1-4422-0585-7
Mar 2011
To order the book, go to http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com/Catalog/SingleBook.shtml?command=Search&db=^DB/CATALOG.db&eqSKUdata=1442205830


Gateway records
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes it happens that pastor’s names get changed in Gateway when the pastor logs into Gateway and then attempts to register a lay person for an event and in the process puts that lay person’s name in the field that says “Badge name”. When that happens, the badge name becomes the name on the record. This not only changes the record in Gateway but also changes the name in pension and medical benefits as well.
If you have a lay person who needs to register for an event and that person does not have an account, please have them create their own account and then register. Creating an account is free and takes little time. If the person is not comfortable using a computer, then you as a pastor or your church administrator can create an account for that person. Information to do that can be found on the BWC website; go to http://www.bwcumc.org/content/gateway-resources then click on the Introduction to the Gateway system 2010.

Worship Design Studio
If you have not signed up yet, here is the information you need. The BWC has paid for the year subscription to this service, so it is free to you. Remember to use the coupon code below when you sign up. This is information from an email sent out to all pastors and churches in December. Many of you have already signed up but many of you have not done so yet. Please do so as soon as you can. We do want folks to take advantage of this service. Later in the year we will be contacting you to learn if you did find the resources useful in your ministry.
The website address is: http://www.marciamcfee.com/studio.htm When you log on you will be asked for a coupon code. Once you enter this the website will recognize you as a member of BWC and will allow you to continue with your log in and proceed. The coupon code is: D8355E3F9F.
Interpreter Subscriptions
As UMCommunications has shared previously, each church is eligible to receive FIVE free print and FIVE free digital copies of Interpreter magazine courtesy of the World Service Fund. For the pastor and church leaders to receive the magazine; however, they must enroll. UMCom provides four easy ways for churches to enroll:

* Enroll online at http://www.umcom.org/subscriptions
* Fax updated forms to (615) 742-5499
* Mail updated forms to Interpreter, P.O. Box 440229, Nashville, TN 37244-0229
* If there are no changes from last year’s enrollment, the pastor can simply e-mail “no change” to Customerservice@umcom.org

Since new church leaders in your church may have begun their terms January 1, you may want to update the subscription information so the new leaders will receive this helpful publication. If churches have problems with the process or have questions, please ask them call customer service at (888) 346-3862.

Discipleship Academy
Lay Speaking and classes on church leadership are being offered this March and April.

Detailed information can be found at
http://www.bwcumc.org/microsites/g/cls/clswashington (lay speaking) or http://www.bwcumc.org/microsites/g/scl/sclwashington (church leadership)

Registration is online. Due to space and food constraints, we will not allow walk-in registrations on the day of the event.


Prodigal Worship
April 2, 2011 at Glen Mar UMC from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. This was a very successful program that was first offered last year. The expectation is that this second program will be as helpful to you and your church leaders as you work together to increase the effectiveness of the worship experiences offered by your local churches. Detailed information and registration can be found at: http://www.bwcumc.org/prodigalworship

Any questions should be directed to Christine Kumar ckumar@bwcumc.org.

Clergywomen’s Consultation
The NEJ Clergywomen's Consultation is scheduled for February 27 - March 2, 2011 (Pre-conference Racial/Ethnic Clergywomen's Forum starts on February 26) at the Lancaster Host & Conference Center in Lancaster, PA. You can print the brochure and register online at http://www.epaumc.org/nejclergywomen.


"Domestic Violence: Legacy? Choice? Faith Communities Respond to Abusers"
The Interfaith Community Against Domestic Violence (IFCADV) 13th Annual
March 30, 2011 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
The People's Community Baptist Church
31 Norwood Rd
Silver Spring, MD 20905

Keynote Speaker: Rev. Donald Pfouts, "The Making of an Abuser"

Workshops to include:
* Female offenders
* Abusers as parents
* Lethality Assessment Training for clergy
* Victims: How Faith Communities can help
* Sexual Abuse in Domestic Violence
CEU's available.

Early Registration Deadline Feb. 11- $60
Full Registration- $75
Walk-ins $85
For more information go to http://www.ifcadv.org/ or call 240-777-4203.

Are You Planning on Starting A New Worship Service?
On March 10, 2011 from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Andy Lunt will offer a workshop on the nuts and bolts of effective start-ups .5 CEU's will be offered. Location is Fallston UMC, 1509 Fallston Road, Fallston, MD.
Please email scockrell@bwcumc.org; to reserve a spot. A fee of $15 will be collected at the door for lunch and refreshments.
“The King James Bible: Exploring Its Impact after 400 Years”
Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards, professor of biblical studies and practical theology, will address this topic as part of the “Fridays with the Faculty” series sponsored by the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary & University. The event, free and open to the public, will be held Friday, February 11 at 7 p.m. in Laubacher Hall on the St. Mary’s campus. Pre-registration is suggested. Call 410/864-4208, or email eisupport@stmarys.edu.


VIM LEADERSHIP TRAINING
VIM Leadership Training will be held at the Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center, 11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD on March 19, 2011 from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m. This is a free event with registration for lunch. Special guest is Greg Forrester, UMVIM NEJ Coordinator.
A free-will offering will be accepted. To register go online at the BWC website http://bwcumc.org/microsites/f/events or contact Neil Moores at neilbmoores@gmail.com or call Sandy Ferguson at 410-309-3431 or Olivia Gross at 410-309-3430.

Please Make Sure to Use our NEW Address . . .
We are still receiving quite a bit of mail at the Columbia address. The correct mailing address is: The Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, 11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759-2594. This will greatly reduce the amount of mail that must be forwarded to our new address. Please share this with your Newsletter editors. Of course if sending in the apportionment payments that should still go to the PO Box in Baltimore.

Electronic Billing – Apportionments/Pension/Medical
It is expected that you will be getting medical and pension billing through the Gateway System. A monthly reminder will be sent via email. With the email reminder should also be an attachment describing how to access the payment history and make payments through gateway. This information has been sent with each electronic billing. The bills will be sent to the treasurer of record. NOTE: If you have a new treasurer or the treasurer’s email address has changed, please have the church’s gateway administrator make the appropriate changes, so that the church will receive the bills in a timely manner.

Washington Region Administrative Assistant
Darryl Campbell has left the Conference Center to continue his education full-time. We wish him well.

We are now in the process of accepting applications for the Administrative Assistant position. For more information, please go to http://www.bwcumc.org/employmentopportunities. Resumes should be sent directly to Debbie Albrecht at dalbrecht@bwcumc.org.