Order of Elders MeetingThe Order of Elders will meet on Thursday, June 9, 2011 from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Conference Mission Center in the Fiesta Center. The “order” for our time together will be The Call to Action & The Ministry Study Plans. An RSVP to cumchurch@verizon.net c/o Pastor Smith-Horn is requested so we will have an idea how many persons will be in present.


Clergy Case Study (1.5 C.E.U.)
Clergy Case Study is an opportunity for clergy to present and discuss difficult and unique situations that occur in our congregations. During each session, a case will be presented and together the group will discuss and share thoughts and insights about the case.
Clergy Case Study will be led by Rev. Steven T. Cochran, MDiv, M.S., Pastoral Counseling

Where: ~ Reisterstown United Methodist Church
When: ~ Each Tuesday, September 23 ~ October 25, 9:00-11:00 am
Cost: ~ $125
C.E.U. ~ 1.5

Registration is by email ~ revstc@comcast.net
Payment is due by first session. Checks should be made payable to Rev. Steven T. Cochran, 1402 Mt. Carmel Road, Parkton, MD 21120



Bulk Energy Procurement Interest for Churches in DC
PURCHASING TOGETHER SAVES CONGREGATIONS MONEY
Earlier this year, the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) and The DC Project organized eleven faith-based institutions and one non-profit youth organization to purchase electricity together. They leveraged their group purchasing power and engaged in a competitive bidding process with six alternative electricity suppliers. The reduced electricity rate will save the institutions $97,000 over the course of the year.

The hope with this initiative is to grow and create a formal buying cooperative that in the longer-term can provide meaningful savings for all institutions as well as a return to fund organizing.

2012 ELECTRIC & GAS JOINT PROCUREMENT
This year’s successful electricity purchase opens up the doors to expand this initiative and increase the group’s negotiating power. To kick off the second round, on Wednesday, May 18, the group will hold a conference call for all interested participants. During the call, organizers will present an overview and timeline for the next joint electricity buying opportunity and answer any questions. Following the call, any interested institutions will be requested to provide copies of current electricity and gas bills and fill out an online application.

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION
1) Tax-Exempt Status
2) No existing electricity supply contract OR a current contract that ends in 2012.

For more information, please go to http://bit.ly/ElectricityInterestForm and fill out the interest form.




Office Administrator Needed
Part-time office administrator needed for a church office in Clarksville, MD. A candidate for the position will need to be a personable self-starter with a comfort and familiarity with Microsoft Office suite and a willingness to be trained on our membership database software. The position is for 25 hours per week, Monday - Friday. Tasks include answering phones, production of printed materials, membership database maintenance, and management of our building space. Interested parties should send cover letters and resumes to Karen Lowrey at ktlowrey@verizon.net by June 6, 2011.




Mount Zion is sponsoring a workshop entitled, 'Starting a Small Group Ministry.' (.3 CEU's)
Are wondering how to start a Small Group Ministry in your church? What kind of small groups do we need and want? How do we figure that out? This is the workshop for you.

How to cultivate an awareness and affirmation among the existing groups about how they already have many aspect of being small groups in our congregations and can also be places of faith formation and disciple making.

We will also learn how to work with our congregations to develop a mind set and culture that values small group.

The facilitator of our workshop is Rev Dr. Diana Hynson, director of Learning and Teaching Ministries for the General Board of Discipleship.

The workshop will be held on June 18 from 9-12. Deadline for registration is June 16th. Cost for the workshop will be $20 payable at the door on the day of the workshop. Doors open at 8:30am for registration, fellowship and light refreshments. To register, go to

http://216.198.218.183/~mtzionhi/?q=content/sign-small-group-ministry.

Church Safety Practices
A few weeks ago, a man with a gun came into a sanctuary of an open church and confronted the persons there, stole cash and keys, and fortunately, did not injure anyone.

This is a reminder to us about the desperate plight of brothers and sisters in our communities and our need to hold them in prayer and continue to find ways to serve the poor. It also is a time to practice common sense at church just as we do at our homes.

It seems prudent to remind the Trustees about the importance of locking the doors at the end of the day and most especially making sure no one is at the church building alone without locking the building. Most local church safe sanctuary policies include statements pertaining to this. Please remind your folks about the policy of your church.

Also, please note the following workshop which is being sponsored by our regional administrators:

Church Office and Church Safety Workshop will be held on August 25, 2011 – 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. We encourage your church staff and members of Trustees to come. The workshop will be presented by the Howard County Police Department and will be held at the Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center, 11711 East Market Place, Fulton, Md. There is no charge for this event.




Debt Reduction Immersion Series
A new Immersion Series Resource is now available for our churches to assist their congregations to reduce personal debt - Faith-based Finances: Reducing Debt & Increasing Depth. This immersion resource is designed to help our churches jump-start small group studies on debt reduction and contentment.

Fifteen BWC pastors participated in this resource by providing their successes with three difference programs: Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, Adam Hamilton’s Enough and Willow Creek’s Good Sense. This resource provides a review of each program, core classes and a description of the author along with a series of accompanying resources. There are also podcasts by two pastors discussing the programs and a list of churches available by phone for guidance.

In addition to the program reviews, Bishop Schol provides an introductory video of “Living Simply” and Daryl Williams provides a video on “Being happy with what you have”. PLUS, Three members of our BWC Finance team: Paul Eichelberger, Pier McPayten and Frank Robert each produced a 10-minute video to give their professional views on reducing debt, budgeting and investments along with a list of resources to be used to follow through on their discussions.

Additional resources include excerpts from the Book of Discipline, Book of Resolutions, financial resources for children and reference material from umc.org. There are also resources for facilitator training, online classes for a more personal debt reduction session and training resources for one-on-one counseling. Several resources are available in Spanish.

This new Immersion resource is available to our congregations free of charge and can be viewed at: www.bwcumc.org/immersionresource/faithbasedfinances.




Peace with Justice Sunday
Peace with Justice Sunday is June 19, 2011. I hope you will consider again to help promote Special Sundays.

Graphics can be found under Website Advertising:

http://www.umcgiving.org/site/c.qwL6KkNWLrH/b.3833885/k.D6D4/Special_Sundays__Peace_with_Justice_Sunday__Support_Materials.htm



Scholarship Deadline Approaching
The Scholarship deadline is approaching soon so be sure to pass on to your congregations the information about the opportunity to apply for scholarships. For more information on the scholarship program, go to http://www.bwcumc.org/finance/college-scholarships.



Thomas Kemper will deliver the sermon at Foundry United Methodist Church on June 19, at the 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, and 5:30 PM services.
Foundry United Methodist Church, 1500 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
"Jesus Outside the Gate" Hebrews 13:12-16

Thomas Kemper, a native of Germany, is the chief executive of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. As a former missionary in Brazil, he is the first general secretary of a United Methodist general agency who is from outside the United States. Kemper has led the Board of Missions and International Church Cooperation of the United Methodist Germany Central Conference since 1998. He is also served as a director of Global Ministries, a 190 year-old organization with personnel, projects, and mission partners in 136 countries. Kemper has traveled extensively, done field work in Africa, worked with Vietnamese boat people in England, and can communicate in five languages.


Congratulations!
HiRho Yoon Park received her doctorate from Boston University.

Mary Dennis received her D. Min degree from Wesley Theological Seminary.

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 following the service. The theme is Mardi Gras so wear your beads, comfortable clothing and anything else Mardi Gras related – masks, hats, etc.

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.



Scholarship Deadline Approaching
The Scholarship deadline is approaching soon so be sure to pass on to your congregations the information about the opportunity to apply for scholarships. For more information on the scholarship program, go to http://www.bwcumc.org/finance/college-scholarships.



Annapolis District West River Work Day - Sat. May 21
Join the UMM of the Annapolis District to help the West River Retreat Center at 5100 Chalk Point Rd West River, MD 20778 on Sat, May 21 from 8am to 3pm. Help is needed to re-shingle the roof on the picnic pavilion. It is a fairly low angled roof and there will be a need for folks on the ground as well as on the roof. If we can get some good weather and enough folks we can tackle the whole thing in a day.

There will be other projects as well. We could use upwards of 15 or 20 (team of 2-3) for this roofing project. There is also a need of air compressors and nailers. So join us and give back to the Retreat Center that has made a difference in some many lives, young and old. Lunch will be provided but we need a count by May 18.

Call 443-302-9866 or email AnnapolisUMM@gmail.com ...Ed Gray, District UMM President and Greg Witte, District UM Secretary.



Church Service and Lunch with our Zimbabwe Guest - Sun. May 29
Nancy Randers-Pehrson, UMW's President, will be hosting The Conference Lay Leader's Zimbabwe guest on May 28 and 29, 2011. The Randers-Pehrson's, their pastor and congregation invite you to worship with them at Cokesbury UMC, 1304 Abingdon Road, Abingdon, MD 21009 at their 10:30 am worship service on Sunday, May 29. Afterwards, we, will have lunch at Bayou, Rt. 40, Harve de Grace, MD.

In order to plan, please let Deloris Oden, Conference Lay Leader, know whether you plan to attend worship and or lunch with us on the 29th. Spouses or others are invited to accompany you. Each of us will pay for our meal.

Nancy needs to make reservations at the restaurant, so let Deloris know your availability and intention by May 18 (email: deloreso@hotmail.com or phone: 410-647-0218).



Thomas Kemper Sermon
Thomas Kemper will deliver the sermon at Foundry United Methodist Church on June 19, at the 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, and 5:30 PM services.

Foundry United Methodist Church, 1500 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
"Jesus Outside the Gate" Hebrews 13:12-16

Thomas Kemper, a native of Germany, is the chief executive of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. As a former missionary in Brazil, he is the first general secretary of a United Methodist general agency who is from outside the United States. Kemper has led the Board of Missions and International Church Cooperation of the United Methodist Germany Central Conference since 1998. He is also served as a director of Global Ministries, a 190 year-old organization with personnel, projects, and mission partners in 136 countries. Kemper has traveled extensively, done field work in Africa, worked with Vietnamese boat people in England, and can communicate in five languages.



Annual Conference Credential Cards
Please download and print the appropriate Credential Card http://www.bwcumc.org/content/2011annualconferenceoverview#credential and bring it with you to the Registration Desk at Annual Conference. You will need to turn in the Credential Card to receive your registration packet. There will be forms available at the Registration Desk, but please fill it out before getting in line to eliminate any additional delays. Please do NOT mail the card to the Conference Mission Center.

Lay Members representing the local church MUST have the pastor sign the Credential Card BEFORE coming to the Registration Desk. No Registration Packet will be distributed unless a Credential Card is turned in for those who are required to do so. Only the Lay Member who is the ‘voting’ member from their church needs to have the pastor sign the credential card.



URGENT - PLEASE GO IN AND UPDATE YOUR COMMITTEE LISTINGS
The Washington Region office has received many calls from officers in the local church because they are receiving e-mails and calls from the conference office for positions that they haven’t held in two to three years. It is the responsibility of the local church to update these records each year. This region does not update these records. This also applies to keeping e-mails, addresses and phone numbers updated in Gateway.



Prayer Requests/Celebrations

Please pray for the son of Rev. Phil Ayers, pastor at Covenant UMC Montgomery Village. His son Justin and is going through severe kidney pain.

Jane Wood, pastor of Jerusalem-Mt Pleasant, gave the opening prayer for the US Congress on May 10, 2011. Her prayer can be found at http://chaplain.house.gov/chaplaincy/display_gc.html?id=1564.

Flohrville United Methodist Church 100th Anniversary Celebration

Flohrville United Methodist Church is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year: a 100-year tradition of serving Jesus Christ. But tradition is just the foundation on which to build, it is not something that binds us to the past. Flohrville UMC is seeking to build (or maybe rebuild is the right word) a church that is not only a place to worship Go, but also a place that will give glory to God's name. We want to make our church a joyful and exciting place, arousing a fire in the hearts of those who seek Jesus Christ.  

On May 15th we will have a re-dedication service at 9:30 a.m.  Bishop Schol will re-dedicate the building and give the message that morning. At 2:00 pm we will have a Celebration Cookout (free of charge) with hot dogs, music and a marshmallow roast (or burning the way I do it). Come join us and help us celebrate. Hope to see you there!  

For more information go to flohrvilleumc.org or contact me, Pastor Rick Nace at pastor@flohrvilleumc.org. Event goes on rain or shine. (PS:  If anyone would like to perform at the afternoon celebration, that is sing for hot dogs, please let me know.)  

Bonnie Scott Wins National Award

Bonnie Scott, soon to be associate pastor at Wesley Freedom United Methodist Church has received a very prestigious preaching award, becoming the first Methodist woman to receive it. Details can be found here: http://divinity.duke.edu/news-media/news/20110427bscott.

Job Openings at the Conference Mission Center

The Baltimore-Washington Conference staff is a great team of committed believers who are making a difference in our conference and the world. We seek to hire the best to serve God and you with excellence. We need your help in identifying outstanding candidates for the following positions:

·          Senior Accountant

Full descriptions of these may be found at https://gateway.bwcumc.org/bwcssa/ecmssamsganalytics.click_through?p_mail_id=E36616A655631B1C2552.

You can help us best serve God and you by passing this information on to people that may be interested in the positions and posting the following announcement in your bulletin, web page or any other communications resources you use.

Employment Opportunities that offer a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be in ministry. The Baltimore-Washington Conference, located in the Columbia, Maryland area, serves the 650 United Methodist congregations in this region and has several positions open. These include: IT/Property Manager; Administrator for Connectional Ministries; Administrator for Communications; Washington Region Administrative Assistant; and Director of Archives and History.

You can learn more about these positions by going to Fuller descriptions of these may be found at https://gateway.bwcumc.org/bwcssa/ecmssamsganalytics.click_through?p_mail_id=E36616A655631B1C2552. We invite you to prayerfully consider if you are called to this work.

Annual Conference Credential Cards

Please download and print the appropriate Credential Card http://www.bwcumc.org/content/2011annualconferenceoverview#credential and bring it with you to the Registration Desk at Annual Conference. You will need to turn in the Credential Card to receive your registration packet. There will be forms available at the Registration Desk, but please fill it out before getting in line to eliminate any additional delays. Please do NOT mail the card to the Conference Mission Center.

Lay Members representing the local church MUST have the pastor sign the Credential Card BEFORE coming to the Registration Desk. No Registration Packet will be distributed unless a Credential Card is turned in for those who are required to do so. Only the Lay Member who is the ‘voting’ member from their church needs to have the pastor sign the credential card. 

QUEST SCREENING AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

This is a friendly reminder.  If you are planning on taking the Quest screening at Annual Conference, you must register by today, Friday, May 6, 2011.  Quest Diagnostic will be on-site at Annual Conference on Thursday, May 26 and Friday May 27. 

Since this is a new program for Quest, we require that you preregister to take the screening.  When you register, an order will be placed in the Quest system before your appointment.

The Blueprint for Wellness screening can also be done at a Quest facility near you – you can find one when you call to register.  

Registration can be done by Phone: 1-866-908-9440, employer/group: “HealthFlex” or “United Methodist Church”; or Online: at www.gbophb.org log into “HealthFlex/WebMD.” Under “HealthFlex Vendor Links, choose “Quest Diagnostics”, registration key: umc2011, click submit and complete the necessary steps to register.

To receive your $100 HealthCash, you must be enrolled in the Virgin Healthmiles program (see attached) and the screening must be done between April 1 – July 31, 2011 either at our on-site location or at a Quest Diagnostics facility.

THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON CONFERENCE MISSION CENTER NEEDS 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, the Coordinator of Radical Hospitality by email: jgauthier@bwcumc.org or by phone (900-492-2525 x406). 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!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

If you are interested in serving as an usher or a marshal at the 2011 annual conference session, call the Rev. Yvonne Mercer-Staten at 202-882-2122. If you are interested in serving as a page or teller, contact the Rev. Paulette Wilkins at 410-362-8547.

MISSION INSITE TRAINING - May 18 - 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

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. You’ll get desktop, web-based access to demographic data to help you grow your congregations and enhance your ministries.

• 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:

Location of Training

Washington and Baltimore Region Clergy and Laity
Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center
11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759

To register go to the BWC website (www.bwcumc.org) and click on MissionInsite training under the highlights box.

URGENT - PLEASE GO IN AND UPDATE YOUR COMMITTEE LISTINGS

The Washington Region office has received many calls from officers in the local church because they are receiving e-mails and calls from the conference office for positions that they haven’t held in two to three years. It is the responsibility of the local church to update these records each year. This region does not update these records. This also applies to keeping e-mails, addresses and phone numbers updated in Gateway.

Workshop on Evangelism

Dear Brothers and Sisters: "Please make plans to attend Saturday, May 21st at 9:00am our first Workshop on Evangelism at Pleasant Grove UMC. There will be refreshments for those attending. Everyone from any church is welcome to come and enjoy the workshop. The Rev. Jenny Smith from Mt. Carmel UMC will be leading the workshop." We want to reach to those in our community that have no church, and everyone who wants to build community.

Rev. Eliezer Valentín-Castañón

Gateway Training Schedule for 2011

Mark your calendars for Gateway training! Gateway training will be available to those you register. Each class will max out with 50 registrants. Online registration will be available in the coming weeks. The Gateway training schedule is as follows:

General Gateway Training for church administrators and pastors as administrators:

August 16, 2011 9-11 a.m. & 1-3 p.m. at the Conference Mission Center

Gateway Training on Clergy Compensation for SPRC chairs and treasurers:

September 7, 2011 2-4 p.m. at the Conference Mission Center

September 9, 2011 2-4 p.m. at the Conference Mission Center

Gateway Training for Lay Speaker and CLM Reports:

September 13, 2011 3-4 p.m. & 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Conference Mission Center

Gateway Training on Statistical Reports for pastors, church administrators, and anyone else involved in the statistical report process at your church:

November 29, 2011 9-11 a.m. & 1-3 p.m. at the Conference Mission Center

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. http://www.blogger.com/www.bwcumc.org/events/changetheworld