e - connection – Friday, March 7, 2008
JOYS AND CONCERNS
Harrison Johnson, a prayer advocate for the Baltimore-Washington Conference, was inducted into the John Wesley Society during a Feb. 28-March 2 meeting of the National Association of Conference Presidents of United Methodist Men. Johnson leads the only conference prayer center in the denomination, a ministry that provides a 24-hour a day hotline to anyone in need of prayer. The center receives approximately 35 calls a day.
The Rev. Henry A. Silva, 83, a retired Elder, died March 4 in Washington, D.C. The funeral will be Wednesday, March 12, at 11 a.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 113 6th St., in Charlottesville, Va. Viewing will take place prior to the funeral at 10 a.m., at the J.F. Bell Funeral Home, 108 6th St. NW, in Charlottesville, Va. Condolences may be sent to his daughter, Cherryle Hooks, 516 Jefferson St., NW, Washington, DC 20011.
Forney Ray Stevenson, mother of the Rev. Douglas Moore, pastor at Elijah UMC in Poolesville, died last weekend. The funeral will be Saturday, March 8 at Hartzell UMC in Hickory, N.C. Condolences may be sent to the Rev. Moore and his family at 7114 Alaska Ave., NW, Washington, DC.
OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS
NEW – Annual Conference exhibitors: Applications are being received now for Annual Conference exhibitors. There is plenty of space available this year and it is in close proximity to other activities. For more information and to apply, contact the Rev. Jeannie Marsh at 301-729-3340 or pjmarsh205@aol.com. Applications must be received by April 1.
CANCELLED – CCYM/ROCK Meeting, scheduled for March 8, has been cancelled due to the absence of several CCYM officials who are attending the Northeast Jurisdictional meeting in Pennsylvania on the same day. The next meeting will be April 10, at 10 a.m., on a regular schedule. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
NEW – World day of prayer service will be held Friday, March 7,at Mt Zion UMC, 603 Main St., in Myersville. Those interested can join the group for prayer and song and learn more about the women of Guyana. For more information, contact the Rev. Mary K. Worrel at 301-293-1258 or revworre@msn.com.
NEW – BMCR Black History Month Celebration will be held at First UMC, 6201 Belcrest Road in Hyattsville, March, 8 at 4 p.m. There will be discussions on the scholarship program and new ways to rejuvenate BMCR. For more information, contact Larry E. McCrae at 443-515-0757 or 443-527-5822.
NEW – Serving like Christ: All church liturgical dance groups and drama teams are invited to submit a 10-15 minute DVD clip of their ministry which uplifts the 2008 Baltimore-Washington Conference theme "Serving Like Christ." One or more of the selected teams will be chosen to present their piece at one of the Annual Conference services. All submissions should be mailed by March 14, to the Conference Center with Attention: #111 Christine Kumar/Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson. All churches and VIM Teams are invited to submit digital photos of members "Serving Like Christ" on a disk to by March 14, Conference Center, Attention: Christine Kumar/Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson
Multi-ethnic Celebration at Annual Conference: The multi-ethnic celebration committee invites people to share their ethnic /cultural heritage at this year's annual conference session during the dinner hour, Friday, May 23. The event will provide an opportunity for an in-depth understanding of different cultures around the world. For more information, contact Edith C. Williams at 301-933-3681 or williamsedth40@aol.com.
Reminder: Lay employees' medical plan: All churches with lay employees in medical plan must have a current 2008 HealthFlex Sub-adoption agreement on file in the Conference Benefits Office. The agreement form can be found on the Conference Web site. Mail or fax your agreement to the Benefits Office immediately in order to be in compliance with HeathFlex contract. For more information, contact the Benefits Office at 410-309-3479.
Ecumenical advocacy days will be held March 7 to 10, in Washington D.C. The theme this year is: "2008, Claiming a Vision of True Security." Workshops will be organized into several "tracks," among them Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, global economic justice and global security. Cost is $175. Register online at www.advocacydays.org.
UPDATE-Free youth worker training: David Burke, a youth trainer and mentor of youth workers, will be at Mount Oak UMC, 14110 Mount Oak Road in Mitchellville, March 8, from 9 a.m. to 2: 30 p.m. For more information on Burke's Ministry, go to http://www.davidburke.org/downloads/brochure.pdf.
RSVP to ray@mtoak.org.
NEW –UMCOR in great need of relief "Kits": UMCOR's Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La., is in great need of a variety of kits for its global work. Donations are requested for 33,000 layette kits, 64,000 sewing kits and 1.000 bedding kits. These kits are for immediate relief supplies, as well as preparation for future relief efforts. For more information, contact Michelle Scott at 212-870-3815 or mscott@gbgm-umc.org. For a detailed description on UMCOR's projects and needs go to www.gbgm-umc.org/getconnected/supplies.
NEW – Taking care of your finances: New Covenant Worship Center UMC located at 700 Wildwood Parkway in Baltimore, will hold an informational workshop called "Stability in times of uncertainty," Saturday, March 8, at 10 a.m. The workshop will cover topics on insurance, investments and financial planning. For more information, contact James D. Claiborne, Jr., at 410-852-9660/410-566-6335.
NEW –Global praise emersion: Damascus UMC, 9700 New Church St. in Damascus, is hosting a "Global Praise Emersion," April 4-7. The event is in partnership with General Board of Discipleship. For more information, contact the church at 301-253-0022 or Damascus.umc@verizon.net.
NEW – Voices of prayer: The Upper Room is sponsoring a prayer consultation Saturday, April 5, at the conference center, to hear the voices of pastors and lay people as Upper Room staff prepare to develop new prayer resources. Identical sessions will run from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. A light lunch will be served for both groups. The cost is $20. To register, contact Beth Wakefied at 877-899-2780, Ext. 7212 or Chris McCormick at cmccormick@upperroom.org. Registration deadline is March 28.
NEW – Concert for Life:" That's Amor! Songs of Love," an all-volunteer choir, will perform to benefit people living with HIV/AIDS Friday, April 25 at 8 p.m. The concert will be held at Foundry UMC, 1500 16th St. Washington, D.C. Concert tickets are $50. There is a discounted rate of $25 for seniors, students and people living with HIV/AIDS. Tickets including reception at 6:15 p.m., are $75. To inquire about sponsorship or purchase tickets, call 202-332-4010 of go to www.concertforlife.org.
NEW – Know the latest gadgets: The Baltimore-Washington Conference and Konica Minolta invite you to an annual event displaying the latest technologies, with illustrations on how to use them. The event called "PowerHouse," will be held March 19, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 7750 Teague Road, Suite 401, Hanover, across the street from Anne Arundel Mills Mall. For more information, contact Ken Sessoms at 410-712-4144 Ext. 212.
NEW – Youth Day celebration: Union Memorial UMC, 2500 Harlem Ave., in Baltimore, will be celebrating Youth Day 2008, Sunday, March 30, 11 a.m., under the theme: "Youth surviving within the world today." For more information, call 410-945-2723.
NEW –Youth annual fashion show: The youth ministry at Union Memorial UMC will hold an "International Fashion Show, Saturday, April 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Union Memorial UMC, 2500 Harlem Ave., in Baltimore. For more information, call 410-945-21216
Activists for Advocacy ministry are invited to the Baltimore-Washington Conference Center in Columbia, April 8 and May 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants are asked to bring information on issues they are passionate about and would like to educate others on. For more information and registration, contact 410-268-4122, Ext. 4, or bwcumcadvocate@aol.com.
Conflict resolution training: The North Baltimore lay speaking ministries will be conducting their continuing education course at Loch Raven UMC, 6622 Loch Raven Blvd., in Baltimore. The course on Conflict Resolution and Management will be held April 6, 13, 20, and 28, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. It will be led by the Revs. Steve Cochran and Karin Walker. Registration is required. For more information, contact Sarah Ford at 410-466-7605 or svford1@verizon.net.
NEW – Many Languages, One message: Participants are invited to Oxnam Chapel at Wesley Theological Seminary, Friday, April 11, 4500 Mass Ave., NW, Washington, DC., to learn different ways arts can be integrated in worship. Six different workshops will be offered. There is no registration fee, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, go to www.wesleyseminary.edu/worship. For questions and clarifications, contact Sara Shepppard ar 202-885—8688 or Sheppard@wesleyseminary.edu
Art and Music inspired worship: The Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts will sponsor "For Everything There Is a Season," a time to share anthem and worship ideas, Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Towson UMC. The cost is $5. For further information, visit the chapter's Web site, www.worshipartsbwc.org, or contact the chapter president, the Rev. David Roberts, at pastor@carolls-gills.org.
Western Region Church leadership training will be held Saturday, March 29, beginning 9:30 a.m. at Otterbein UMC 108 E. Franklin St., in Hagerstown. The courses to be offered include: SPRC, Finance/Stewardship, Vision and Mission Strategy among others. For more information, contact Tonia Bennett at tbennett@bwcumc.org.
The Southern region Leadership training will be held Saturday, March 15. The morning session from 9 to 11 a.m., will be at Trinity UMC, 90 Church St., in Prince Frederick. The afternoon session will be at Calvary UMC, 301 Rowe Blvd., in Annapolis from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The classes and the assigned trainers are listed below:
• SPRC- Ianther Mills.
• Trustee- Chris Holmes.
• Finance –Jim Farmer.
• Church Council- Clarence Davis.
• Evangelism- Rodney Smothers.
• Visioning- Susan Keirn Kester.
For more information, contact Pam Neidig at Pneidig@bwcumc.org.
The Baltimore Region leadership training will be held Saturday, March 15. The meeting will start with a gathering at 9 a.m. followed by a worship session at 9:30 a.m. The classes will begin at 10 a.m. at the locations listed below:
• Bethany UMC, 2875 Bethany Lane in Ellicott City. C. Anthony Hunt will train on SPRC, while Eugene Matthews covers Church Council.
• Bethesda UMC, 6300 Harford Road in Baltimore. Martha Knight will train on Finance.
• West Baltimore UMC, 5130 Greenwich Ave. in Baltimore. Wayne DeHart will cover Stewardship while William Chaney trains on Worship.
• Timonium UMC, 2300 Pot Spring Road in Timonium. Karin Walker will train on Conflict Resolution.
• Perry Hall UMC, 9515 Belair Road in Perry Hall. Rod Miller will train on "Discerning God's Call," while the person to lead training on Trustees is to be assigned.
NEW – Lay Speakers' Convocation: The first lay speakers' convocation will be held in Frederick District Saturday, April 12, at Trinity UMC, 703 West Patrick St. , in Frederick, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $10 including lunch. There will be workshops and plenary sessions. Afternoon speaker will be the Rev. Rodney Smothers. Advanced registration is required. For more information or registration, contact the Rev. May K. Worrel at 301-293-1258 or reworrel@msn.com.
Baltimore West District Lay Speaking - Spring classes will be held at Mt. Olive UMC, 5115 Old Court Road, in Randallstown. Basic and Basic Refresher classes will be Mondays from 6:30 to 9 p.m., April 7, 14, 21, 28 and May 5, 12. Advanced and Advanced Recertification Classes will be Saturdays, April 12, 9 to 11:30 a.m., April 19, 9 to 11:30 a.m. and May 3, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 14. For more information, contact Pat Dorsey at 410-751-2562 or psdorse@comcast.net.
Lay Speaking Classes to begin soon: The Washington Region will offer basic and advanced Lay Speaker courses March 29, April 5 and 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. A spiritual leadership course will also be taught as a refresher course for local church lay speakers March 29 and April 5, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The courses will be held at Ashton UMC, 17341 New Hampshire Ave. in Ashton. For more information, contact Joan Thomas at 301-622-7048 or cats_20904@hotmail.com or go to www.gbgm-umc.org/wwdmd/.
HIV/AIDS issues and minorities: The National Minority AIDS Education Training Center at the Howard University School of Medicine will hold a symposium on "HIV and Minorities: Cultural competence and quality care," Friday, March 28. It will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, 1201 K St. N.W., Washington, DC. Registration fee is $150 through Feb. 29 and $170 later. Registration is available online. For more information, call 202-865-8146 or go to www.nmaetc.org.
Break the Silence: Clergy and laity interested in ministering to victims/survivors of domestic violence will be meeting at the Conference Center in Columbia, March 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The participants will receive the information, resources and toolkits to develop domestic violence ministry in their churches and network with others. Register by March 24. For more information, contact Sumayya Coleman at 410-268-4122 or bwcumcadvocate@aol.com.
Conference delegation dinner: Those attending the General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, are invited to attend the Baltimore-Washington Conference delegation dinner Wednesday, April 30, in the Crystal Ballroom in the Hilton Hotel. Those who wish to attend can send a check for $45 to Darlynn McCrae at 112 Bright Oaks Drive, Bel Air, MD 21015 before April 1.
Update from GBCS: The Rev. Neal Christie, the associate general secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, will be making a presentation on issues of legislation that will be raised at the upcoming General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. The event will be held Sunday, April 13, at Grace UMC, 5407 North Charles St., in Baltimore. For more information, contact the Rev. Nancy Webb at njwebb@verizon.net or call 410-433-6650.
Camp Joy Mission: For those looking for a mission trip for a youth group this summer, Camp Joy has a few openings for July 13-19 and July 20-26. Campers perform home repairs for the needy in Hancock and the Morgan County area in West Virginia. For more information, contact the Rev. Sheldon Reese at 301-373-2500 Ext. 202, or e-mail revsmr@juno.com. Applications are available online at www.bwcumc.org/campharmison .
Bishop to lead missionary cruise into History: Bishop John R. Schol will lead a Baltimore-Washington Conference cruise that follows Paul's fourth journey to Greece and Italy in November. The Bishop invites pastors, teachers, church leaders and church members to join him in the travel study program that will enrich their understanding of the Christian faith. The tour will depart from New York by an overnight flight to meet the Orient Queen Cruise ship. The cruise ends Nov. 22, but can be extended with either pre- or post-tours. Stops include Athens, Corinth, Malta, Sicily, Rome, Naples and Pompeii. Bishop Schol will lead the lecture series,"The Studies of Paul's Life and Teachings." Costs vary according to cruise cabin choice, ranging from $2,298 to $4,148 including roundtrip airfare to New York. Discounts are available for early registration. For more information and registration forms, go to www.eo.travelwithus.com.
RESOURCES FOR MAKING DISCIPLES.
NEW – Outdoor Stations of the Cross at Manidokan: Worshipers are invited to walk through the outdoor Stations of the Cross at Camp Manidokan Saturday, March 22. Visual images to enact the final moments of Jesus' life are displayed including prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. There will be information to guide the walkers. For more information, contact Manidokan at 301-834-7244 or manidokan@wildblue.net.
NEW – Convoy of Hope: Those interested in a multi-church outreach program in the low income areas of Washington DC, are invited to a one day community event designed to meet the physical and spiritual needs of more than 5,000 guests. Volunteers are expected to serve unconditionally. The vision casting meeting will be held at Ebenezer's Coffee House, 210 F St. NE., Washington, DC. For more information, go to www.convoyofhope.org.
Everything must change: Tour 2008, an interactive book tour by Brian McLaren, is scheduled for March 7-8, in Vienna, Va. The event will focus on issues raised in McLaren's new book, "Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises and a Revolution of Hope." For more information, contact Linnea Nilsen Capshaw at 410-381-1310 or LinneaNC@gmail.com, or go to www.deepshift.org.
UPDATE- Body and soul: All clergy are invited to fellowship and play basketball at Mt. Oak UMC, 14110 Mount Oak Road in Mitchellville, every Thursday, 9:30 to 11 a.m. For more information, contact Ray McDonald at ray@mtoak.org.
Calling on Volunteers to New Orleans: First UMC of Hyattsville is sending a VIM Team to New Orleans to help with rebuilding property damaged by hurricane Katrina. The team will be in New Orleans from April 5-12. There are still spaces available. The cost of $400 covers air fare, room and board. For more information, contact Martha Shrader at 301-277-5574 or the church at 301-927-6133.
UPDATE- Calling on Volunteers to Juarez, Mexico: St. Matthew's UMC in Bowie is sending a VIM team to Anapra colony in Juarez, Mexico, to help build a house for a family, May 11 to 16. There are spaces for those interested in joining. Cost is $450 for airfare, room and board per person. For more information, contact Roy Hikes at 301-352-0860 or hakessr@comcast.net.
Explore and serve Africa: Ebenezer UMC in Lanham is planning a journey to Africa, to reach out to those affected by HIV/Aids and to build partnerships. There will be a little time to explore the beautiful treasures of Africa. Destinations include Cape Town, Zimbabwe Africa University, and Victoria Falls. For more information, contact Michelle Miles at 301-806-5664 or eumc_africa2008@verizon.net.
NEW – Seeking Volunteers to Nicaraguan VIM trip: Metropolitan Memorial UMC is looking for volunteers to travel to Nicaragua, June 14 to 22. The group will work under the direction of United Methodist Missionaries, Nan McCurdy and Miguel Mairena. They will stay in Managua and Masaya. The cost of the trip is $1350 per person. For more information, contact Ann Michel at 202-885-8582 or amichel@wesleyseminary.edu.
Women's History Month: March is designated in The Methodist Church as Women's History Month. Various approaches may be used in celebrating and honoring women. One is to include hymns, prayers and liturgy written by women in worship. Another is to use hymns and resources about women in the Bible and history. For more information, go to
http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?loc_id=733,1151,1137&act=nav_loc.
Join the Mentoring program: The Big Brothers Big Sisters organization is looking for churches to partner with them in promoting faith based adult mentors to the youth with an incarcerated parent. An Amachi symposium is planned for March 27. For more information, contact Steve Fulkrod at 410-243-4000 Ext. 218 or sfulkrod@biglittle.org or go to www.biglittle.org.
NEW – Faithpoint Golf tournament: FaithPoint UMC will host its Annual Gold Tournament benefiting Maryland Sheriff's Youth Ranch, June 2, at Glade Valley Golf Club in Walkersville. Cost is $85. For more information or registration, call 301-473-7181 or call www.faithpointum.org.
Young advocates against hunger: Bread for the World is searching for young advocates to become Hunger Justice Leaders. They should be between ages 18 and 35 and commit to leading advocacy to overcome poverty and hunger. There will be an all-expense paid training in Washington, D.C., from June 14 to 17. For more information, go to www.bread.org/be_a_leader.
CLASSIFIEDS
NEW –SPRING Forward: Remember to move your clocks ahead by one hour this Saturday night to be in time for Sunday's services.
NEW –Assistant General Secretary is needed by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Division of Ordained Ministry. The search committee is requesting nominations of qualified candidates. For a detailed job description and requirements, go to www.gbhem.org. The deadline for application is March 14. For more information, contact hr@gbhem.org.
NEW –Clinical psychologist/Social worker (LSWC) or professional Counselor is needed by Interfaith Pastoral Counseling group practice in Catonsville, for a part time contractual position. Experience is required. Mail resume to Joyce MacCauley, P.O. Box 3274, Catonsville, MD 21228.
Project coordinator is needed at the Baltimore-Washington Conference, to manage projects that support the conference mission, vision and strategy. Requires organizational and event-planning skills, applicant should be a team player with the ability to develop project budgets, intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office and working knowledge of the denomination's culture and structure. For more information, contact the Human Resource Director. For consideration e-mail a resume and cover letter to the human resource director, at hrbwc@bwcumc.org.
Administrative financial secretary is needed at Mt. Zion UMC in Mechanicsville. Applicant must be computer literate. Knowledge of Quick Books, Publisher and MS Word is required. For more information, contact Bette Sparks at betteandsparky@comcast.net.
Summer interns: There are two positions available for summer internships at Calvary UMC in Annapolis' youth ministries. Applicants must have completed two years of college by June and should be available from early June to mid-August. Application deadline is April 15. For more information, contact Julie Tisinger at 410-268-7729 or education@calumc.org.
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