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.



Thursday, March 31, 2011

Pre-Conference Booklets

The Pre-Conference booklets have been printed and are currently being mailed. It will take three to four weeks. You can expect them by mid April. You can also download the booklet online on the Annual Conference page or at this link: http://www.bwcumc.org/files/PRECON%202011_web.pdf.



Volunteers Needed!
The Baltimore-Washington Conference is in need of volunteers! We are seeking any individuals that have a desire to get involved with the ministries we have at the BWC Mission Center. The areas where we have the greatest need are with our hospitality staff as front desk attendants and librarians, and with various large events throughout the year. If you feel you might be interested in being a member of our volunteer staff, please contact John Gauthier, Coordinator of Radical Hospitality via email jgauthier@bwcumc.org or phone (410) 309-3406. Also, feel free to use our volunteer form on the BWC website www.bwcumc.org/content/volunteerapplication. Thank you for your continuing support of the important ministries in our conference!


April Discipler Group Information Available
The April Discipler Group information is now available for download. Clergy: Please download the session 46 participant’s guide at http://www.bwcumc.org/content/discipler-groups-curriculum.
The April make-up session will be held on Tuesday, April 19 at the Conference Mission Center from 9:30 a.m. – noon.


Annual Conference Registration Closes soon
Time is running out!! If you haven’t registered yet, please take a few minutes to register. The registration process is quick and easy. Don’t wait. After online registration closes (April 8th), onsite registration is your only option and tickets to special meals will not be available. Avoid the lines and the additional charge ($50) for registration at the event by registering today!

Visit http://www.bwcumc.org/content/2011annualconferenceoverview for more information.


Change The World!
Imagine 15,000 United Methodists all working together in mission in their communities. Plans are now underway for a conference-wide event on October 8, 9 & 10, 2011. The Change the World Mission Day will celebrate the spirit of United Methodism, a faith built on social action.

Congregations will be encouraged to move outside the walls of their local churches to serve in their communities. More details will be announced as they become available. If your church would like a practice run, you are encouraged to participate in the denomination’s Change the World event, which is expected to draw 500,000 people across the nation into 3,500 mission projects May 14-15. www.bwcumc.org/events/changetheworld


Prayer Requests (Due to an issue with Google Blogspot – it won’t let me update the prayer listing without crashing the program. Until this is resolved, the prayer requests will be listed in the regular section of the blog.)
Please pray for the following:

Mrs. Amity Monroe (wife of Art Monroe – pastor at the Morgan Chapel/Mt Olive Charge in Woodbine) has been found to have two bad discs in her neck and will have fusion surgery on Friday. Prayers are needed for a successful surgery and recovery. Well wishes can be sent to amonroejr@hotmail.com.



Mrs. Martha Ann Bishop (wife of James Bishop – pastor at Goshen UMC) had both knees replaced about 3 weeks go. Well wishes can be sent to jabmab1@comcast.net.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Discipleship Academy – Last few days to register for the Central Maryland District classes
Lay Speaking and classes on church leadership are being offered on April 9 and 16 at the Conference Center. Detailed information can be found on http://www.bwcumc.org/microsites/g/discipleship-academy. Registration is online. Due to space and food constraints, we will not allow walk-in registrations on the day of the event.

Registration closes on March 26 for the April 9 and 16 classes in the Central Maryland District. Please be sure to register on Gateway as soon as you can. Please share this information with your congregation!


Funding Conference registration deadline extended through Thursday; Funding Resource preorder discounts end Saturday.
The registration deadline for the Lewis Center’s Funding Your Ministry in Changing Times event this Saturday in Washington, DC, has been extended through Thursday. If any of your church leaders are planning to attend but have not yet registered, please let them know they may register online or by phone through March 24 at http://www.churchleadership.com/Resources/FCV11/FCV11event.html. On-site registration is also available the day of the event, but attendees who register beforehand will save time and have better selection of conference workshops.
Also, preorder discounts for the Lewis Center’s Funding DVD/CD Resources end Saturday. These Resources include video recordings of plenary presentations from Funding Conferences as well as workshop PowerPoint presentations, templates, handouts, and other resources which are useful in congregational settings. To save up to $45 over regular prices, please click to order today: http://www.churchleadership.com/Resources/FCV11/FCVresources.asp.
For more information about the Funding Conference and Resources, please email Ann Michel, Lewis Center Associate Director, at amichel@wesleyseminary.edu or call (202) 885-8757.


PASTOR’S FORUM – EMERGENCY APPEAL TO HELP WOMEN VETERANS
Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 10 AM
Douglas Memorial United Methodist Church
800 11th Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002
202-397-1562

The Pastor’s Forum is sponsored by the Urban Connection of Greater Washington, a group of 13 United Methodist Churches, who have opened their doors to service meet the needs by providing essential services and programs. We are asking for your support. Many women Veterans experience mental and physical trauma during their deployment or military service. The number of homeless women is increasing and a great number are unable to find employment post deployment, as a result, they are losing their children.

Currently, there are 13 Women Veterans Resource Center satellites in the Washington area offering a variety of services for women Veterans. We are asking churches of all denominations to join in this ministry of serving women Veterans and their families by becoming a satellite.

The Women Veterans Resource Center satellites allow us to minister to these women Veterans with counseling, food, career clothing closet, job readiness skills, housing, drama therapy, computer services and a host of other services.

The Center for Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnership, the Mayor’s Executive Office of Veterans Affairs, the Center for Minority Veterans, the Veteran History Project and other Veteran Agencies are working collaboratively with us to provide information on services available to our women Veterans, and how to access these resources. Our goal is to have you, our churches adequately informed so that you churches can pick up a part of the responsibility to help our women Veterans and their families.
STAND WITH US......

......We are called of God to serve the least, last and the lost.....


Prayer Requests (Due to an issue with Google Blogspot – it won’t let me update the prayer listing without crashing the program. Until this is resolved, the prayer requests will be listed in the regular section of the blog.)
Please pray for the following:
Mrs. Amity Monroe (wife of Art Monroe – pastor at the Morgan Chapel/Mt Olive Charge in Woodbine) has been found to have two bad discs in her neck and will have fusion surgery on Friday. Prayers are needed for a successful surgery and recovery. Well wishes can be sent to amonroejr@hotmail.com.

Mrs. Martha Ann Bishop (wife of James Bishop – pastor at Goshen UMC) had both knees replaced about 2 weeks go. Well wishes can be sent to jabmab1@comcast.net.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Tips on welcoming new comers to your church
This information is from the Lewis Center which should be helpful as your church welcomes folks to worship. www.churchleadership.com/leadingideas/leaddocs/2011/110316_article.html

Hope you and your local church finds the suggestions helpful.

Prodigal Worship – Last change to register
Today is your last chance to register for Prodigal Worship Conference. If you are looking for assistance in creating worship that provides 180-degree change by transforming individuals, congregations and communities, you won’t want to miss the Prodigal Worship Conference. The day is filled with dynamic speakers, 19 powerful and practical workshops and a number of resources to empower you to build life-transforming worshipping communities.

Registration price is $119 at Glen Mar UMC. Learn more about our speakers and register at www.bwcumc.org/prodigalworship.

Discipleship Academy
Lay Speaking and classes on church leadership are being offered April 9 and 16 at the Conference Center. Detailed information can be found on http://www.bwcumc.org/microsites/g/discipleship-academy. Registration is online. Due to space and food constraints, we will not allow walk-in registrations on the day of the event.
Registration closes on March 26 for the April 9 and 16 classes in the Central Maryland District. Please be sure to register on Gateway as soon as you can. Please share this information with your congregation!

Help Needed in New Jersey
New Jersey needs help. Three northern communities are under water. All UMCOR ERT trained workers are asked to contact Rev. Jay DeMent for possible 3-day deployment the week of March 21.
Anyone not trained is invited to register for the class this Saturday 8am - 4pm at St. John's UMC Lutherville. Upon completion class members will receive a certified UMCOR identification badge. The cost is $25. To register contact Jay at 410-790-8935.

Special Sunday
Our next Special Sunday is April 3rd. This one is really critical. It's for One Great Hour of Sharing which basically underwrites the "costs of doing business" for UMCOR so that 100% of donations go to projects (like Japan). Graphics are found under http://www.umcgiving.org/site/c.qwL6KkNWLrH/b.3904011/k.CDAA/Special_Sundays__One_Great_Hour_of_Sharing__Support_Materials.htm.

Here is a bit more about One Great Hour of Sharing:

Dear Friends:
Every year you are there, sharing hope through your congregation's generous gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing. Contributions to One Great Hour of Sharing underwrite United Methodist Committee on Relief’s (UMCOR) "costs of doing business," so that every penny of every gift made to a specific UMCOR project will be spent on that project-not on office administrative costs.

Your support of One Great Hour of Sharing enables UMCOR to respond to natural or human made disasters. Without you we would not be able to continue this important ministry of The United Methodist Church.

In 2011, in many churches around the country, One Great Hour of Sharing will be celebrated on April 3, 2011. We are asking you to please encourage increased giving from your congregation so that UMCOR can do more to offer restoration, healing and hope to the many people in need around the world. The One Great Hour of Sharing offering makes UMCOR’s ministries available in the United States and across the globe. It is on your behalf that UMCOR works to alleviate human suffering in more than 80 countries. Jesus teaches us to bring healing and restoration wherever we can. That's what you and your congregation do through the work of UMCOR and your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing. Please encourage your congregations to give generously to this vital work.
Thank you for your ongoing investment in our mission through One Great Hour of Sharing. If you would like more information about how this offering allows UMCOR to reach out to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, call (888) 346-3862 today. For liturgical resources, please visit One Great Hour of Sharing at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/give/oghs/?tr=y&auid=7911196.

Grace and peace,

The Reverend Cynthia Fierro Harvey
Deputy General Secretary
United Methodist Committee on Relief

Annual Conference Registration Now Open!
We are excited to announce that registration for the 2011 Annual Conference of The Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church is now open. Again this year, the conference will be held at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Baltimore Maryland and will be on Thursday through Saturday, May 26 – 28, 2011. Six pre-conference workshops are scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Detailed information about the conference and workshops can be found at http://www.bwcumc.org/content/2011annualconferenceoverview.

Registration closes on April 8, 2011.

Details regarding the arrangements for the Ordination at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church on Friday, May 27, 2011 are still being worked out. You are encouraged to check the BWC website regularly as we expect to add new features and will continually provide updates on important information regarding the conference schedule along with other details as they are made available.

We’re looking forward to having a spiritually renewing conference this year as we “Connect as One.”

“Prepare for Heaven in 2011” – Stewardship Workshop
A Stewardship Workshop on: Planned Giving, Wills and Legacy Giving. Promote Transformational Giving at your Church!
The Mid-Atlantic United Methodist Foundation is sponsoring a two-part Pre Conference workshop:

Who: Endowment, Trustees, Treasurers, Stewardship, Mission, Outreach and Finance committee members or anyone interested in learning about Stewardship. (You do not need to be attending Annual conference to attend).

What: Session A. Planned Giving
          Session B. Wills and Legacy Giving

Where: Marriott Baltimore Waterfront, 700 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
When: Wednesday May 25th, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Workshop is part of Pre Annual Conference).

How: To Register, go to the conference link at http://www.bwcumc.org/.

Questions on registering? Call 410-309-3491.Deadline for Registering April 8th on Website.

PASTOR’S FORUM – EMERGENCY APPEAL TO HELP WOMEN VETERANS
Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 10 AM
Douglas Memorial United Methodist Church
800 11th Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002
202-397-1562

The Pastor’s Forum is sponsored by the Urban Connection of Greater Washington, a group of 13 United Methodist Churches, who have opened their doors to service meet the needs by providing essential services and programs. We are asking for your support. Many women Veterans experience mental and physical trauma during their deployment or military service. The number of homeless women is increasing and a great number are unable to find employment post deployment, as a result, they are losing their children.

Currently, there are 13 Women Veterans Resource Center satellites in the Washington area offering a variety of services for women Veterans. We are asking churches of all denominations to join in this ministry of serving women Veterans and their families by becoming a satellite.

The Women Veterans Resource Center satellites allow us to minister to these women Veterans with counseling, food, career clothing closet, job readiness skills, housing, drama therapy, computer services and a host of other services.

The Center for Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnership, the Mayor’s Executive Office of Veterans Affairs, the Center for Minority Veterans, the Veteran History Project and other Veteran Agencies are working collaboratively with us to provide information on services available to our women Veterans, and how to access these resources. Our goal is to have you, our churches adequately informed so that you churches can pick up a part of the responsibility to help our women Veterans and their families.

STAND WITH US......

......We are called of God to serve the least, last and the lost.....

Celebration Service for David Argo

Join us as we celebrate A. David Argo as he completes eight years of service as District Superintendent for the Washington Region.

Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 3 p.m.
Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
3401 Nebraska Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016

Light refreshments will be served.

Cards or letters of appreciation can be sent to Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, 11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP by May 30, 2011 to the Washington Region at washregion@bwcumc.org. A formal invitation will be sent out in the next week.

Prayer Requests (Due to an issue with Google Blogspot – it won’t let me update the prayer listing without crashing the program. Until this is resolved, the prayer requests will be listed in the regular section of the blog.)
Please pray for the following:

Mrs. Martha Ann Bishop (wife of James Bishop – pastor at Goshen UMC) had both knees replaced about 2 weeks go. Well wishes can be sent to jabmab1@comcast.net.

Virginia Wilson passed away Friday night. She was the wife of the late Rev. John Wilson. The funeral was held at Damascus UMC on Wednesday, March 16 at 11 a.m. with internment at Parkwood Cemetery in Baltimore. Condolences can be sent to Ginger Wilson, 19621 Gunners Branch Road, Apt D, Germantown, MD 20876.

Rev. Michelle Holmes Chaney’s Aunt Lily Williams, 89, passed away Saturday morning. Michelle is the associate pastor at Wesley Freedom in Eldersburg. The funeral was held in New York on March 16. Condolences can be sent to Michelle at mhchaney@wesleyfreedom.org.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Discipleship Academy
Lay Speaking and classes on church leadership are being offered this March and April. Detailed information can be found on http://www.bwcumc.org/microsites/g/discipleship-academy. Registration is online. Due to space and food constraints, we will not allow walk-in registrations on the day of the event.
Registration closes on March 5 for the March 19 and 26 classes in the Greater Washington District. Please be sure to register on Gateway as soon as you can. A flyer was sent out last week and yesterday to all pastors and churches. Please share this information with your congregation!


Annual Conference Registration Now Open!
We are excited to announce that registration for the 2011 Annual Conference of The Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church is now open. Again this year, the conference will be held at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Baltimore Maryland and will be on Thursday through Saturday, May 26 – 28, 2011. Six pre-conference workshops are scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Detailed information about the conference and workshops can be found at http://www.bwcumc.org/content/2011annualconferenceoverview.
We encourage you to take advantage of early-bird registration rates through March 8, 2011. Registration closes on April 8, 2011.

Details regarding the arrangements for the Ordination at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church on Friday, May 27, 2011 are still being worked out. You are encouraged to check the BWC website regularly as we expect to add new features and will continually provide updates on important information regarding the conference schedule along with other details as they are made available.
We’re looking forward to having a spiritually renewing conference this year as we “Connect as One.”

Dare to Imagine Art Contest
Imagine what the world would be like if there was no more malaria, no more suffering or death because of a mosquito. Imagine there being clean water in a third world country safe to drink. Imagine how we get there from here—how would you tell that story?

Children and youth grades K-12 are invited to participate in an art contest to help illustrate what the world would be like if there was no more malaria. Sunday school classes, youth groups and individuals alike are all invited to join in.

It’s more than a one-of-a-kind piece of art, it’s more than buying a net, it’s more than saving one child from this deadly disease, it’s “nets plus”— prevention, education, medication and treatment across all of Africa as mosquitoes know no borders.

Can you imagine what the world will look like if we synergize all of those components together to rid malaria from this earth?

Ages Groups
• Elementary school grades K-2
• Elementary school grades 3-5
• Middle School grades 6-8
• High School grades 9-12

There will be one winner from each age group. Each winner will receive:
• A cash donation to “Imagine No Malaria” in their name
• Imagine No Malaria t-shirt
• Lunch with Bishop John Schol

The contest will run February 1 through April 11, 2011 and the winners will be announced on World Malaria Day, April 25, 2011.

All entries should be submitted to:
Baltimore-Washington Conference UMC
11711 East Market Place
Fulton, MD 20759
Attn: Imagine No Malaria Art Contest

Each art piece should not exceed 11”x14” and the student’s name, grade, church name and church phone number should be attached to each piece of art. A registration form should also be completed and sent in with the art work.

We encourage creativity and therefore any medium is welcome— paper or canvas with watercolors, charcoal, oils, color pencils, pencil, chalk, markers, photography, etc. Please remember to have students sign their art pieces.

Please note that all art submitted will become the property of the Baltimore-Washington Conference to be sold at The Annual Conference in May with all proceeds going to the Imagine No Malaria campaign. For more information contact Jo Chesson at jchesson@bwcumc.org.

Special Sundays Information
One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) (April 3, 2011) is one of the six church-wide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church. OGHS enables the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to live out its mission to alleviate human suffering.

UMCOR is the humanitarian arm of The United Methodist Church. OGHS gifts underwrite UMCOR’s “costs of doing business,” meaning that every penny of every gift you make to a specific UMCOR project will be spent on that project—not on office administrative costs. This enables UMCOR to respond to natural or human made disasters.

The OGHS offering makes ministries available in the United State and across the globe. In 81 countries in all, you assure the United Methodist Church is in the lead to alleviate suffering through OGHS.

Restoration. Healing. Hope. Jesus teaches us to bring healing and restoration wherever we can. That’s what you and your congregation do through the work of UMCOR.

Join United Methodists everywhere by encouraging your congregation to participate in the special offering that supports UMCOR’s vital work. Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing lay the foundation for UMCOR to bring restoration, healing and hope for tomorrow.

Call (888) 346-3862 today to order envelopes and other resources so your congregation can participate in this church-wide offering. They will be sent at no cost to your church! Find more at www.umcgiving.org/specialsundays.
MissionInsite Training – New Demographics Tool
MissionInsite is a powerful, new online tool to help equip congregations with information about their community demographics. The Baltimore-Washington Conference has purchased a subscription for this tool for all local churches in the conference. With this tool you will receive desktop, web-based access to demographic data to help you grow your congregations and enhance your ministries. In addition you will have:
• flexible web-based information system
• comprehensive socioeconomic and lifestyle data
• interactive mapping platform
• responsive system to answer individual questions
• strategic information resource for ministry
You’re invited to attend a free training that will help get you started with this user-friendly and versatile tool. Peter Wernett, co-owner of MissionInsite, will train you at three convenient locations:

May 18 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. (Washington and Baltimore Region Clergy and Laity)
Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center
11711 East Market Place
Fulton, MD 20759

May 19 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. (Western Region Clergy and Laity)
Emmanuel UMC
802 Summit Ave
Hagerstown MD, 21740

May 19 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. (Annapolis-Southern Region Clergy and Laity)
Mt. Oak UMC
14110 Mount Oak Rd
Mitchellville MD, 20721-1208

Registrations are required to attend this free training. Please go to http://www.bwcumc.org/content/missioninsite and click on the register now for training link at the bottom of the page.

PASTOR’S FORUM – EMERGENCY APPEAL TO HELP WOMEN VETERANS
Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 10 AM
Douglas Memorial United Methodist Church
800 11th Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002
202-397-1562

The Pastor’s Forum is sponsored by the Urban Connection of Greater Washington, a group of 13 United Methodist Churches, who have opened their doors to service meet the needs by providing essential services and programs. We are asking for your support. Many women Veterans experience mental and physical trauma during their deployment or military service. The number of homeless women is increasing and a great number are unable to find employment post deployment, as a result, they are losing their children.

Currently, there are 13 Women Veterans Resource Center satellites in the Washington area offering a variety of services for women Veterans. We are asking churches of all denominations to join in this ministry of serving women Veterans and their families by becoming a satellite.

The Women Veterans Resource Center satellites allow us to minister to these women Veterans with counseling, food, career clothing closet, job readiness skills, housing, drama therapy, computer services and a host of other services.

The Center for Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnership, the Mayor’s Executive Office of Veterans Affairs, the Center for Minority Veterans, the Veteran History Project and other Veteran Agencies are working collaboratively with us to provide information on services available to our women Veterans, and how to access these resources. Our goal is to have you, our churches adequately informed so that you churches can pick up a part of the responsibility to help our women Veterans and their families.
STAND WITH US......

......We are called of God to serve the least, last and the lost.....
Celebration Service for David Argo
Join us as we celebrate A. David Argo as he completes eight years of service as District Superintendent for the Washington Region.

Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 3 p.m.
Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
3401 Nebraska Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016

Light refreshments will be served.

Cards or letters of appreciation can be sent to Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, 11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP by May 30, 2011 to the Washington Region at washregion@bwcumc.org.

Renewal 2011
This is a great way to train and support worship arts leaders (musicians, worship committees, preachers) in the local church.

Journey to the Mountain
July 11-14, 2011
Colorado Springs, CO
For more information, go to www.UMFellowship.org/Convocation.