Rev. Maidstone Mulenga
Mary Blair Buchheister, surviving spouse of the late Rev. John Paul Buchheister, died Jan. 28. Receiving of friends will take place at Ruck Towson Funeral Home, 1050 York Road (Beltway exit 26) on Thursday, Feb. 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. A memorial service will take place on Friday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m., at Oak Crest Chapel, 8820 Walther Blvd., in Parkville.
Please keep Pastor Doug Fraim, Harper's Ferry Charge, in your prayers, as he is recovering from a fall a few weeks ago. You may send your prayers and well wishes to him at dougfraim@aol.com.
Please keep the Rev. Bill Merki, a retired Elder in the BWC, in your prayers. He fell Jan. 28 and was hospitalized in West Virginia. Send notes and well wishes to him at papmommurk@gmail.com.
The Rev. Sarah Dorrance's sister, Marian, is still in ICU but hopes to be released soon to rehab. Sarah has asked that everyone continue to pray for a great recovery for her sister. You may contact her at revsarahmumc@gmail.com.
We offer a prayer of thanks for the ministry of the Rev. Maidstone Mulenga , assistant to the bishop and director of Connectional Ministries, who was recently named president of the denomination's Association of Directors of Connectional Ministries (ADCM).
Prayers are lifted for the thousands of youth and their leaders headed to Ocean City, Md., this weekend, for the annual ROCK retreat.
The Rev. Fred Crider, a retired Elder in the BWC, recently wrote this doxology, based on Ephesians 2 and Jude 1:20-21. The suggested tune is St. Denio 11.11. 11.11 (cf. tune for "Immortal, Invisible..." #103 UMH) We share it as a gift for you and your congregation.
"Lift praise to the Father, give thanks to the Son,
and sing to the Spirit in whom all are one.
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer through grace,
receive lives and off'rings in this holy place."
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Latest News and Information
Check out #highlights for a complete list of news and updates
Vital Conversations: This Thursday, Feb. 4, at 9 p.m. ET, the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) will premier the Rev. Cynthia Moore-Koikoi's vital conversation talk on the ways in which churches can build bridges in surrounding communities. Moore-Koikoi is superintendent of the Baltimore Metropolitan District in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Join in after the video premier to engage in dialogue with Moore-Koikoi. You may submit your questions and comments by chat, Facebook or Twitter. http://ow.ly/XGFiL
Council of Bishops outline key values: The Council of Bishops Task Force on Human Sexuality, Gender and Race has issued a report outlining a list of seven core values formulated by the task force for episcopal leaders and for the denomination. "From the beginning, we focused on the question how we as bishops live faithful to the call 'to guard the faith, to seek the unity, and to exercise the discipline of the whole church'" the report states. Read the full report.
One Great House of Sharing, a special Sunday with offering that benefits the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), will be held Sunday, March 6. A special collection of resources has been created to help local leaders promote this opportunity for giving.
B-WARM meets: The Baltimore-Washington Association of Reconciling Methodists will meet Feb. 13 from 10 a.m. to noon, at Northwood Appold UMC at 4417 Loch Raven Blvd. in Baltimore. Dr. Jeffrey Diamond, senior investigator at the Porter Neuroscience Research Center (a division of NIH), will speak on "The Science of Sexual Orientation."
Evolution Weekend panel discussion: WesleyNexus, a conference approved non-profit organization, will hold a discussion on "Technology and Biomedical Ethics," Feb. 14, at 3 p.m., at the Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center, 11711 East Market Place in Fulton. Dr. Sondra Wheeler, a professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Seminary, will moderate the discussion. Bios of each panelist and more information is on the website.
Legislative Advocacy: The Conference Board of Church and Society and United Methodist Women are hosting an Advocacy Day, Wednesday, Feb. 17, at Asbury UMC, 87 West St. in Annapolis. The training event will focus on the Greenhouse Renewal Act, legislation surrounding criminal justice, and paid sick leave, and will include office visits with legislators. For more information, contact Judy Smith, UMW Social Action coordinator; the Rev. Kevin Slayton, Sr., advocacy coordinator; or the Rev. Julie Wilson, chair of the Board of Church and Society.
Leadership Days: A number of great training opportunities for local church leaders are being offered at the upcoming regional Leadership Days. The Southern Region will hold its training Feb. 20 and a session with missional speaker Reggie McNeal on March 5. The Western Region's Leadership Days will be held Feb. 27; The Washington Region's, "Dare to Lead," event and the Baltimore Region's, "Therefore Go," session are March 5. Learn more.
Optimizing Annual Financial Campaigns: The Lewis Center at Wesley Seminary is offering a Conference and Live Stream to assist pastors and congregations in annual financial campaigns. The event will be held Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Oxnam Chapel at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C. Early bird registration through Feb. 9 is $35 per person and $50 per person after Feb. 9. Register online .
UMM Training: The Conference United Methodist Men will host a leadership training event Friday, March 11, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 12, fromm 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at First UMC in Hyattsville. The guest speaker will be Bishop James E. Swanson. The cost is $30. Registration will open soon at http://www.bwcumm.org/Home/events . For more information, call 888-413-8251.
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Disability Awareness Sunday is Feb. 7
The Commission on Disability Concerns of the Baltimore-Washington Conference reminds congregations that this Sunday, Feb. 7 is Disability Awareness Sunday. For ideas for how to observe this day, the disability commission has created a Disability Awareness Sunday Church Kit for your use.
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The Southern Region is sponsoring a two-partLeadership Day event with administrative and mission-centered workshops Feb. 20, and a session with missional discipleship expert Reggie McNeal on March 5. The workshops will be held at NIchols-Bethel UMC in Odenton and Trinity UMC in Prince Frederick. The session with McNeal will be at Westphalia UMC in Upper Marlboro. The registration deadline is Feb. 6. 
