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| 2010 Annual Conference
Love in Action: Building Bridges Out of Poverty |
Recommendations: DEADLINE IS MARCH 15, 2010. Please send recommendations electronically to the conference secretary, Cean Wilson at lcwilson@wocumc.org
with "2010 Recommendation" in the subject line. Questions? Email or call her at 614-764-1632. | |
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| Greetings! |
 And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8 (NIV).
For 70 years, the United Methodist Church has responded to the Micah challenge through the United Methodist Committee on Relief. With the recent major earthquakes in Haiti and Chile combined with the losses of Sam Dixon and Clint Rabb, the General Board of Global Ministries, and specifically, UMCOR have weathered quite the storm this year. I am thankful to you for your outpouring of prayers and gifts while encouraging the church to respond in a powerful way to the needs of those most affected throughout the world.
The gifts to UMCOR supporting Haiti relief efforts is expected to be more than $25 million, with the people of West Ohio contributing $709,000 of that total as of the end of February. 100% of the donations made to the UMCOR Haiti Emergency advance will benefit God's most vulnerable children in Haiti. The same will be true of gifts for the Chile Earthquake response. As you know, UMCOR is able to make this promise because administrative expenses are covered through the One Great Hour of Sharing.
Because UMCOR does not receive World Service funds or any other apportionments, the costs of doing business are underwritten by One Great Hour of Sharing. I encourage you to receive the One Great Hour of Sharing offering in your church this Sunday, March 14 and to lay the foundation for UMCOR to seek justice and mercy for suffering people everywhere.
Thanks be to God for the people of the United Methodist Church in West Ohio who continue to answer the call to be the hands, the heart and the hope of the church wherever people are suffering.
Grace and peace, Bishop Bruce R. Ough
West Ohio Conference
President, General Board of Global Ministries | |
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| UMCOR sends aid to Chile |
 The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has sent an initial emergency grant to its relief partners in Chile to help them respond to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked the South American country last weekend. The grant, in the amount of $10,000, will help the Methodist Church of Chile (IMECH) and its relief arm, the Methodist Humanitarian Action Team (EMAH), conduct needs assessments and bring food and clean water to survivors. "At this time, the situation continues to be extremely urgent," said Juan Salazar, president of Methodist Social Ministry, also of IMECH. So far, the disaster, which struck in the early hours of Saturday morning, has taken more than 700 lives and wiped out more than half a million homes. [more] |
| Offering is UMCOR's 'backbone' |
 Eight days after the January earthquake in Haiti, Melissa Crutchfield led a small team to the island to start assessing emergency needs for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The ability of her team to get to Haiti quickly was due in part to One Great Hour of Sharing, an annual churchwide offering for UMCOR taken on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This year's offering is on March 14.To Crutchfield, who coordinates international emergency response for the relief agency, One Great Hour of Sharing "is the backbone of what makes everything possible." [more]
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| Youth Leadership Symposium: Building Leadership, Fostering Faith |
 Attention youth leaders: The West Ohio Conference Office of Next Generations Leadership and the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Ohio Northern University are co-sponsoring a conference about youth ministry on Wednesday, April 28 from 10am - 4pm at Ohio Northern University's McIntosh Center (525 S. Main Street, Ada, OH 45810). Registration is $15 for adults and $5 for youth. For adults, it will a day of speakers addressing current issues faced by youth ministers. For youth, the day will be part leadership conference and part campus visit. For more information please go to www.onu.edu/ylsymposium, email Jill Moore or call 1-800-437-0028 x 230. |
| Piggy-backing for the Kingdom |
 Forward/Reverse Piggy-Backing: Pastor Jay Moyers from Thurman Ave UMC tells a story of his visit with a small a furniture refinishing business on the corner near his church. For many years the employees of the business would only encounter the church at spaghetti dinners.Turns out Melvin, who runs the business, has a ministry with at-risk and homeless teenagers in the neighborhood, which meets every Saturday right in the shop! Pastor Jay asked him, "Is there any way that our congregation could help your ministry?" [more] |
| New dates of note |
March 28, 30 April 11...Cantata for Easter Time ..."Let God Arise", Cincinnati/Columbus; performed by The Unity Choir; performance proceeds to UMCOR for Haiti Relief.
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| Passages |
| Rev. Evan Dwight Jones (retired 1979) died on February 19, 2010. Messages of condolence may be sent to his wife Ruby at 909 Montrose Avenue, Columbus, OH 43209.
Rev. Cecil Curley Nichols (retired 1974) died on March 1, 2010 at the age of 102. Messages of condolence may be sent to his nephew Steve Ridenour at 3873 Tucker Road, Lucas, OH 44843.
Paul W. Freshour, father of James Freshour who is pastor of Maize Manor UMC, died on March 6, 2010. He was instrumental in the purchase of the property and the development of Camp Otterbein over 50 years ago. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 20 at 2 p.m. at the Parkview Presbyterian Church, 6969 Livingston Avenue, Reynoldsburg, OH. Memorials may be sent to the West Ohio Conference Office for Camp Otterbein. Messages of condolence will reach Jim and Mary Kay Freshour at 1010 Janet Drive, Columbus, OH 43224. |
| 'Wesley' may be coming to a theater near you |
 A Moravian preacher is bringing the film "Wesley" to a movie theater near you. The two-hour movie that is slowly building a platform in theaters across the United States not only brings to life John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, but also his mother, brother, Georgia girlfriend and an assorted group of uptight religious leaders and hired thugs. [more] |
| Black churches meet in 'Great Gathering' |
 For the first time in more than 45 years, the historic black Methodist denominations gathered at a March 1-3 summit known as the "Great Gathering." The African Methodist Episcopal, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion and Christian Methodist Episcopal churches pledged attention to the plight of black males. The churches relate to The United Methodist Church through the Pan-Methodist Commission. Coverage of the event can be found here and at CNN. |
| Native American Ministries Sunday - April 18, 2010 |
 Native American Ministries Sunday recognizes and supports the contributions of Native Americans to the church and society. The observance, approved by the 1988 General Conference, is one of six special church wide Sunday offerings. The funds collected will allow The United Methodist Church to partner with existing native ministries and create programs on behalf of Native Americans. Money collected also supports seminary scholarships for United Methodist Native Americans.Click here for more information and resources. | |
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