News.NET March 21, 2011

What's Your Calling? continues the discussion begun by the recent PBS miniseries, The Calling, by exploring notions of "calling" from both religious and secular perspectives. Profiling individuals from diverse backgrounds and career choices - What's Your Calling? shares what people have been called to do with their lives and how they hope to change the world.

The West Ohio Conference, in partnership with Ohio Northern and Otterbein Universities, will sponsor two screenings of this engaging documentary. The screening will be followed by a short panel discussion and refreshments will be provided. This event is open to the community free of charge.

March 28, 2011 7-9pm Ohio Northern University

May 2, 2011 7-9pm Otterbein University

Please RSVP on Facebook (facebook.com/westohioumc) or email Tiffanie Shanks at tshanks@wocumc.org if you plan on attending.

West Ohio Missionary in Tokyo

When the earthquake hit Japan on Friday, Paul Shew was in a meeting at Aoyama Gakuin University where he serves as a UM missionary. Dr. Shew serves as Chaplain and Associate Professor in the College of Literature at the university. Two other Methodist missionaries who work at the university have also survived the quake. Paul and family are members of Middletown First UMC along with his parents, JC and Anita Shew. [more]

Disciple Making Churches Grant Training for 2012

Is your church thinking of applying for a Disciple Making Churches Grant? To qualify for a DMC grant application, a representative from each church or group must attend one of the pre-application workshops. The grant writer is strongly encouraged to attend. Each workshop is designed to provide a clear understanding of the mission and vision of the West Ohio Conference Disciple Making Churches Team, and the criteria used to evaluate grant applications. Register here at least 2 days prior to the workshop you plan to attend. [more]

Fanning the Flames of Hope in the Urban Setting - The Rev. Dr. Zan Holmes

Bringing 28 years of ministry in an urban context, The Rev. Dr. Zan Holmes will speak at Parkview UMC on Fanning the Flames of Hope in the Urban Setting on Monday, March 28, 2011. Participants are invited to think together and to learn from each other about reaching the God-given potential within their congregation for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Registration deadline is March 21.

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Hoops open doors to higher authority

A Lima church brings children closer to god through basketball. Forest Park United Methodist Church had a special service this weekend for their kids. They recognized those involved with their 'Upward Basketball' organization. Ipward Basketball is a national program that invites children to learn about God while playing. Participants ran through a tunnel of lights to be greeted by roars of applause from the church patrons. [more]

Romeo del Rosario coming to West Ohio - April 8-10, 2011

Come and meet a real missionary providing exciting and creative leadership in Cambodia. Hear stories of the incredible way in which the church is creating disciples and transforming the world. See pictures that will make the people and the incredible ministry real. Come and experience the powerful way in which God's Spirit is moving in Cambodia. Romeo del Rosario serves as the Country Director for the United Methodist Church in Cambodia, the District Superintendent in two provinces and teaches at the Cambodian Methodist Bible School. [more]

Free Store Networking Conference

Free stores across the country are invited attend a Free Store Networking Conference on April 1-2. The Conference is hosted by the Parsons Avenue UM Free Store and Community Development for All People. It is designed to pool best practices from those currently running a free store, and to better equip people who wish to start a free store ministry. Those who desire to develop additional ministries or community from an existing free store are encouraged to attend as well. [more]

United Methodist Men's Retreat

Creating a Men's Ministry For Every Man In Your Church will be the focus for West Ohio's UMM Retreat on Saturday October 8, 2011 from 8:30-4 p.m. at North Broadway United Methodist Church, 48 E. North Broadway, Columbus, OH 43214. Gil Hanke, General Secretary UM Men from Nashville, TN will be the keynote speaker. Contact: John Sherer, Retreat Director at Shererjw@aol.com; 937.477.4106; or 937.372.2204.

Vietnam Twice - Don Mundy's travel story

"This is the retelling by a Marine of his two visits to the beautiful country of Vietnam. Both trips are now behind me; with the first over forty years in the past and the other visit now a year behind me. As anyone near my age knows, it was a war, confrontation of political ideas and a historical event that many now see as possibly something that America really didn't need to get involved in. But we did and I did. My first trip there was because I had enlisted in the Marines and was trained as an M-60 machine gunner. Forty years later, with a lot of life's experiences behind me, I now desired to go to Vietnam for far greater reasons than the first time." [more]

Exploration 2011: Passion and Possibilities

Sponsored by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Exploration 2011 is open to young adults age 18 to 26 who feel God's call to ordained ministry as a deacon or elder in The United Methodist Church. The event will take place November 11-13 in St. Louis, MO. and provides attendees a chance to explore the call to ordained ministry through worship, prayer, workshops, networking, and small groups. [more]

College athletes connect with churches

During a recent Saturday basketball game, a team from United Methodist-affiliated Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., was greeted not just as basketball players but also as "Athletic Ambassadors." They are part of Project Athletic Ambassador, sponsored by the denomination's Black College Fund, which pairs local churches with teams from the 11 United Methodist-related historically black colleges and universities during away games. [more]

United Methodists promote 'Alcohol Free Lent'

The United Methodist Board of Church & Society has issued a call for United Methodists to have an "Alcohol Free Lent," inspired by Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC, whose members responded to their own "Alcohol Free Lent" challenge several years ago. The congregation created a "Spirit Fund" to which members could contribute the equivalent cost of "spirits" that they did not drink during Lent. [more]

Church seeks to heal relationships with native peoples

History has not been kind to the documented 320 million indigenous peoples in the world. These communities have experienced decades of colonization, racism, intolerance, development, theft of identity and lands, and downright cruelty, not to mention violation of human rights and cultural genocide. Methodists have played an unfortunate role in this past. Our recognition and acknowledgement of this truth is long overdue. [more]

UMCOR, donors work to rebuild Sudan

Independence for South Sudan will mean rebuilding a country where both people and structures have been worn down by several decades of war. The United Methodist Committee on Relief - through its nongovernmental organization, a variety of donor partners and church members from Sudan and around the world - has already embarked on the rebuilding effort by constructing schools and providing for water and sanitation needs. [more]

New dates of note

Mar. 27, 28, 29...Reaching for Spiritual & Social Renewal in the Lenten Season, Glenwood UMC; 3 nights of worship and prayer featuring The Rev. Dr. Zan Holmes.

Apr. 9...Moving Toward Self-Advocacy - Community Ministries Workshop, Columbus; how to empower your neighbors to find their own voice and tell their own story - how to have listening conversations, create a community forum and do legislative visits and letter writing.

Apr. 30...Bridges out of Poverty Training - Community Ministries Workshop, Plain City.

July 27-31...Aldersgate 2011, Dayton; National Conference on Spirit-filled Living.

Passages

Mrs. Grace Wendt, surviving spouse of Rev. Bruce Wendt (deceased 1993), died on February 22, 2011. Messages of condolence may be sent to her daughter Mrs. Becky Leonard, 576 Deerfield Drive, Harrison, OH 45030. Memorials are being requested to the Twin Towers Benevolent Care Fund.

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