CHARGE CONFERENCE UPDATE – This will be posted at the top of the blog each week until Charge Conference Season is over.

Please use the following links to access the Charge Conference Information you may need.
For charge conference schedules which list the dates, times and locations, please go to: http://www.bwcumc.org/sites/default/files/pdf/WashRegionChgConf2011.pdf.

For Charge Conference Sample Forms, please go to: http://www.bwcumc.org/gateway/chargeconferencemain and scroll down to the appropriate section.

For information on Clergy Housing and Compensation, please go to: http://www.bwcumc.org/gateway/chargeconferencemain and scroll down to additional resources.

For information about how to update your committee listings, please go to: http://www.bwcumc.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2011GatewayManual.pdf.

For information about Call to Action Numerical Goals, please go to:
http://www.bwcumc.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Call%20to%20Action%20Numerical%20Goals%20Training%20Guide.pdf.

For information about the charge conference agenda, please go to: http://www.bwcumc.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2011%20charge%20conference%20agenda.pdf.


Instructions for 2011 Charge Conferences
The theme for the 2011 Charge Conferences is GO DEEP!

Here are some key things to you will need to know to have a successful Charge Conference.

NOW
* Host churches will provide beverages and paper products. All other churches are asked to bring finger foods (desserts or appetizer-type items).
* The goal of having charge conferences in clusters is to share with and learn from neighboring churches. The sharing time during worship is crucial to this process, and it depends on your preparation for that time. Therefore, Please ask ONE lay person from your church to be prepared to answer the following question – and to speak for no more than 2 minutes:

Share a witness of how your small group did one of these things:
• Deepened your faith;
• Helped you to connect in a meaningful way with another person; and/or,
• Showed you something new/unexpected about God.

* Review the agenda. http://www.bwcumc.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2011%20charge%20conference%20agenda.pdf.
* Share the date, time and location of the charge conference with your church council. To view the charge conference schedule, go to http://www.bwcumc.org/sites/default/files/pdf/WashRegionChgConf2011.pdf. Each church is expected to attend worship and charge conference. Please be sure to view the schedule details on the day of your charge conference to determine if your charge conference is before or after worship.
* Be sure that the appropriate team in your church is ready to handle the assigned reports. Pastors – please work with your church administrators to review the Committee Listing in Gateway and ensure that it is correct and up-to-date. For information on how to update the Committee Listing, go to http://www.bwcumc.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2011GatewayManual.pdf.
* Use sample reports to collect charge conference information. Sample reports can be found at http://www.bwcumc.org/gateway/chargeconferencemain. We suggest that you document the answers to the reports in a Word document and then when you are ready to complete the report in Gateway, use the Word document to cut from and paste directly into the Gateway form.
* Be sure that all candidates (ordained ministry, lay speaking, CLM) to be recertified (or voted on in any way) are present at the charge conference. If they are not present, the will not be eligible to be voted on. If there is a compelling reason that a candidate cannot attend the charge conference, prior permission must be obtained from the guide or district superintendent.

ONE WEEK PRIOR TO CHARGE CONFERENCE
* All reports are to be completed and ready for your guides to review in Gateway one week prior to your charge conference. If there is an omission and forms are incomplete, you will be contacted by your guide.
* For more information about completing the reports, please see the training documents at http://www.bwcumc.org/resources/training.
* If your charge conference is being held on the weekend of October 8 and 9, please see be sure to bring non-perishable food items and toiletries for collection at the host churches for Change The World Mission Weekend. More details about the event can be found at http://www.bwcumc.org/events/changetheworld.

FINAL PREP FOR CHARGE CONFERENCE
* Only enter whole digits on Gateway forms. Do not use decimals, percent signs or dollar signs.
* Print the following documents for all attendees at charge conference so they can see what they are voting on. Please be sure they are in the order as it appears on the agenda:
o Pastor’s Report
o Call to Action Numerical Goals
o 2012 Congregational Goals
o Ministry to Disciples
o Clergy Compensation Report
o Finance Committee Report
o Lay Leadership Development Form

* Prepare a folder to give to your guide with all of the forms listed above. Be sure that this folder is in the order of the agenda.
* Prepare ballots for all categories of lay speakers, with names, candidates for recertification as CLM’s and recommendations of ministerial candidates.

Please note: It is the responsibility of the local church to maintain the files of the Laity Sexual Misconduct Questionnaire and to verify lay speaker reports. Please do not give these forms to your guide.

ONE WEEK AFTER CHARGE CONFERENCE
* Be that sure that the online clergy compensation report is correct (accurate as to what was voted on at charge conference) and SUBMIT.
* Record votes for lay speakers, CLM’s and ministerial candidates and SUBMIT.
* Send minutes to washregion@bwcumc.org within two weeks of charge conference.
* Remember to update any new officers and end terms of retiring officers in Gateway under the Committee Listings.



CLM Report at Charge Conference – From Sandra King-Shaw
As you are completing your CLM Report to the Charge Conference, we want you to know the following:
Certified Lay Minister and Certified Lay Speaker are two different roles in the United Methodist Church, and they are to be accounted for separately.

Here are the answers to some questions you may have:
1. The location of original certification is the site where you met with the DCOM. The date of original certification will be the date you received your letter informing you that you were being recommended for certification by DCOM.
2. Recertification: The only course for recertification for this year is the course based upon the book Five Practices for Fruitful Congregations. This means the classes taught spring and late summer 2011. Please remember that all the work must have been completed successfully -- including the paper that was to be sent to the instructor at the end of the session. Any student who did not submit the paper did not satisfy the training requirement.

The place where the course was held refers to the actual site (the name of the church or the Mission Center) where the course was taught.

I hope all this is helpful. Please do not hesitate to email or call me if I can help.

Peace,
Sandra M. King-Shaw
Conference Director of Certified Lay Ministry
sandraumc@verizon.net



For non-registered churches—Change the World Mission Work Day
On Saturday, Oct. 8-10, more than 11,000 people have registered to Change the World during a conference-wide mission work weekend. Projects range from health screenings, to flood bucket assembly, to food drives and even a manicure for residents of a nursing home. Everyone is reaching out to serve outside the walls of the church as a powerful witness to God’s love in our communities and the world.

If your congregation has not yet registered, I wanted to let you know that there is still time to do so. The dates of this service project have been extended through Saturday, Oct. 29. While the goal was to engage our conference in mission during the weekend of October 8-10, we don’t want to discourage any church in the Baltimore Washington Conference who has a call to serve. Perhaps your church is planning to do mission during Oct. 8-29, but you haven’t yet registered. Our goal is to have 15,000 United Methodists joining hands and hearts Oct. 8-29 to serve our communities and we need your help to achieve this.

Won’t you prayerfully consider registering a mission project so we can unite together as one in witness to our communities and achieve this God-sized goal? You can register by visiting: http://www.bwcumc.org/events/changetheworld or contact me and I will take care of your registration, ogross@bwcumc.org or 410-309-3430.

I look forward to serving with you in this great mission project that will touch so many lives.
WE CAN DO THIS!
Blessings, Olivia Gross



ERT TRAINING
The Washington Region of the Baltimore-Washington Conference needs you to volunteer to be trained as an ERT member.
What is an ERT? An ERT is an Early Response Team.
What does an ERT do? Provide a caring Christian in the aftermath of a disaster. Take steps to prevent further damage to a person’s property i.e. tarping, debris removal. Cleaning out flooded homes, manage donated materials, observe survivors’ needs

Training date: OCTOBER 22, 2011
Location: FAIRHAVEN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
12801 Darnestown Road, Darnestown, MD 20878
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Contact/RSVP:REV. GERARD “GERRY” GREEN 301-330-9828 OR 301-216-4339
E-MAIL – Ggreen@asbury.org
He will answer any questions, provide details, and sign you up for training.
Cost: $25.00
Registration ends October 16, 2011



Pre-Retirement Seminar
Open to clergy age 50 and above
Wednesday, November 16
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center
11711 East Market Place
Fulton, Maryland 20759

The Board of Ordained Ministry will be hosting the Pre-Retirement Seminar for clergy and their spouse, age 50 years and older. Spouses are encouraged to attend due to the nature of the information provided.

Topics Include:
• Pension benefits
• Non-Pension benefits
• Health Insurance Benefits
• Housing Allowance
• Resources for Social Security & Medicare Benefits
• 1:1 Pension Consultation

The cost is $15 per person. Lunch will be provided.

Registration must be done online. Payment is by credit card only. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN – deadline to register is Friday, November 4th

To register, please go to http://www.bwcumc.org/events/preretirementseminar.

CEU’s of .6 will be given to clergy participants.
If you have any questions, please contact the Benefits Office at 410-309-3479.



Help Spread the Word: Bells Across America Will Ring To Honor Fallen Firefighters
• Special video message to the fire service from NFFF executive director Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCPMpXa91Pc.
• Let your community know about Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters, the first nationwide remembrance for firefighters who died in the line of duty on Sunday, October 16. Learn more at http://www.bellsacrossamerica.com/
• Carry FireHero Network live stream of 2011 Memorial Weekend events on your department’s website & encourage local media to do the same ‐ http://weekend.firehero.org/media/live.html
• Also, honor the fallen by embedding the National Fallen Firefighters Tribute Widget on their websites, blogs or social media pages. Go to http://weekend.firehero.org/widget.

EMMITSBURG, MD – For the first time in the 30‐year history of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend the bells of the Memorial Chapel will ring on Sunday, October 16 to honor the fallen. As part of this tribute, fire departments and places of worship and other community organizations will join the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters, the first nationwide remembrance for firefighters who died in the line of duty.

The NFFF created the website, http://www.bellsacrossamerica.com/ which explains the program. A letter of invitation, frequently asked questions about the program and a response form are all available on the website. Fire department representatives are encouraged to work with their clergy and community leaders to decide what type of remembrance is best. Some suggestions include: ringing chapel bells, a moment of silence, a brief prayer, a hymn, tolling a ceremonial bell by members of the Fire Department, or any combination of these. The remembrance can occur at any time on Sunday, October 16.

“When a firefighter dies in the line of duty, the sadness resonates through an entire community. Through Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters, everyone across the country has the opportunity to pay tribute to the lives of these brave men and women who willingly take risks to protect and serve their communities,” said Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki, executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

In addition to Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters, departments and individuals can add the National Fallen Firefighters Tribute Widget to their website, blog or Facebook page. The widget is a small box that will appear on the site, continually scrolling the names of firefighters honored in Emmitsburg.

The photos of seven firefighters who will be honored are rotated each day for one week leading up to Memorial Weekend. Go to http://weekend.firehero.org/widget to copy and embed the widget.

The Fire Hero Network will be in full operation during Memorial Weekend. The Candlelight Service and Memorial Service will again be televised and sent around the world via satellite and the Internet. Departments can be a part of the network by streaming the events on your department's website. (http://weekend.firehero.org/media/live.html) The NFFF invites all departments to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and to encourage local news media to do the same.

In addition, there will be a Fire Hero Radio webcast from Memorial Weekend and continuous updates on social media, including the Foundation's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/NationalFallenFirefightersFoundation) and Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/NFFF_News)

For more information about the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, go to weekend.firehero.org.

About the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

The United States Congress created the NFFF to lead a nationwide effort to remember America's fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the nonprofit foundation has developed and expanded programs to honor fallen fire heroes and assist their families and coworkers. The NFFF also works closely with the U.S. Fire Administration to help prevent and reduce line of duty deaths and injuries. For more information on the Foundation and its programs, contact us at 301-447-1365 or visit http://www.firehero.org/.



Connect with Your Neighbors Conference
You are cordially invite you to the Connect with Your Neighbors Conference from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary. The conference is for both laity and clergy and features insightful presentations and practical workshops to help you roll up your sleeves and connect with new disciples.

As the conference title conveys, we want to help you connect with those around you. These connections include not just individuals in your neighborhoods, but also those from other Greater Washington-Baltimore area congregations you may meet at the conference. It is our hope that we are able to foster relationships between congregations to help all of us strengthen our ability to make new disciples throughout the region.

The Connect with Your Neighbors Conference is Saturday, November 5 from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on our campus at 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

Presentations:
• Discovering the People God has Given Us by Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary and Director of the Lewis Center
• The Theology of Welcome by Dr. Amy Oden, Dean of Wesley Theological Seminary

Workshops:
• Discovering Who Your Neighbors Are
• Ways to Understand Your Neighbors Better
• Using Social Media to Reach New People
• Your Website Is Your Church's Welcome Mat
• Needs-based Community Outreach

For more information, please visit http://www.churchleadership.com/newdisciples/default.asp?id=cc13.