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December 20, 2010 - Vol. 3, Issue 60
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In This Issue
Human Relations Day
2011 Elections
Exploring best practices
Short-term youth missions
Bridges out of Poverty Training
Domestic violence awareness
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Churches without buildings
New dates of note
Passages

HUMAN RELATIONS DAY

January 16, 2011  

Your gifts to the Human Relations Day offering provide support for the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program, Community Developers, and United Methodist Voluntary Service advocacy programs. [more]
2011 Election Information
In June 2011 at Lakeside, the members of the Annual Conference will elect West Ohio delegations to the 2012 General and Jurisdictional Conferences. Elected will be:
  • A General Conference delegation of 9 clergy and 9 laity.
  • A Jurisdictional Conference delegation of 9 clergy and 9 laity. (these delegates also serve as alternates to the General Conference)
  • Alternates to the Jurisdictional Conference.
We encourage all qualifying lay and clergy members of the Annual Conference to prayerfully consider becoming candidates for election to our West Ohio delegations.

Please visit the election information webpage at www.westohioumc.org/2011election to learn about the qualifications for candidacy, the responsibilities of a delegate and the election process.

People who wish to declare their candidacy for election in time to be included in the Voter Guide have until January 15, 2011 to register. You will find a link to all 2011 Election information, including how to register to become a candidate, on the West Ohio Annual Conference website. 

Members of the Conference Elections Team are committed to a process that honors Christ and honors one another. We believe God is an active partner in our election process and ask that all West Ohio United Methodists would surround this election with prayer.

          Rev. Rae Lynn Schleif and Rev. Philip D. Brooks
          Co-Chairs, West Ohio Conference Election Team
Best practices for developing young clergy

panelRachel Billups grew up in a church of 50 members that was part of a two-point charge served by local pastors, but she said those pastors in that small church "stirred within me a sense of call."

 

West Ohio pastor Rachel Billups and conference Next Generations leader Tiffanie Shanks were among about 70 people from 25 annual conferences who attended the November Annual Conference Recruiters Network meeting. The panelists, all young clergy who had completed the candidacy process recently, talked about what worked for them. [more]

Short-term missions available for youth in 2011

ythwrksYouth from United Methodist Churches around the nation can learn what it means to serve others next summer by participating in week-long mission work experiences in Nashville that help children, the elderly, the homeless and people with special needs.

 

For the second year, the youth mission trips will be sponsored jointly by Young People's Ministries, a division of The General Board of Discipleship (GBOD), and YouthWorks!, a multi-denominational youth mission organization. [more]

Bridges out of Poverty Training

umcmIn January, 2011, Rev. Lou Seipel, Director of Supportive Services, Community Properties of Ohio will lead a Bridges out of Poverty Training Event in Groveport, Ohio. Included will be Poverty Simulation and Training.

 

Register at www.umcommunityministries.org or call Beth Weisbrod at 877-228-0521 for more information. This workshop will also be offered in March in Plain City and April in Columbus.

Do you know enough about Domestic Violence?

sad womanEvery year, 3-4 million women in the U.S. are the victims of domestic violence, and every 18 seconds another woman is battered. 

 

To learn more about domestic violence, how to spot it, and what you or your congregation can do to help, read the Interfaith Newsletter of the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence by clicking here.

Celebrate "Week of Prayer"

wkprayerThe Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25, 2011, invites the whole Christian community throughout the world to pray in communion with the prayer of Jesus "that they all may be one" (John 17:21). The 2011 theme is: One in the Apostles' Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread and Prayer (Acts 2:42).

 

Find resources 

Day 1: Prayer and Meditation

Church without building offers adventure 

chbuildingWalking into a church building for the first time can be intimidating. That's not the case with Grace Adventure United Methodist Church. The congregation doesn't have a building -and doesn't plan to have one.

 

Church leaders meet in places where people already congregate: hotel lobbies, bars, coffee shops, and they have been aggressively using social media networking to invite people to participate. [more]

New dates of note
Jan. 11...Imagine No Malaria Webinar: Saving lives together in 2011; Imagine No Malaria is preparing for a great 2011. Please join us for a sneak peek at what we're planning for the coming year. Together, we will save millions of lives!
Passages

Mrs. Charlotte Yarbrough, wife of Rev. Garry Yarbrough (S. Liberty UMC), died on December 10, 2010. Messages of condolence may be sent to Rev. Yarbrough at 461 W. Lytle Street, #254, Fostoria, OH 44830.

 

Mrs. Barbara E. McGranor, wife of Rev. Thomas V. McGranor (retired 1996), died on November 25, 2010. Messages of condolence may be sent to Rev. McGranor at 3912 Oakmont Lane NE, Lancaster, OH 43130.

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