Mission and Vision of the CAS District Our Mission: The Mission of the Capitol Area South District is to encourage and equip United Methodist congregations in their mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Our Vision The vision of the Capitol Area South District is that all local churches are to be disciple-making centers that mirror the demographic composition of the community in which they are located in terms of age, ethnicity, and cultural background; and that the congregations continually grow and reach new people for Christ and strive to be open and inclusive of all God's children. Read the Revised CAS Strategic Plan by clicking HERE |
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MTSO & Lake Institute Share Program on Best Practices in Church Giving
Is "money" a four-letter word in your congregation? It doesn't need to be. Methodist Theological School in Ohio and the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving are pleased to offer a unique opportunity for church leaders to learn and implement the best faith-based fundraising practices available today.
In partnership with the Lake Institute, MTSO is hosting a three-part seminar, titled "Creating Congregational Cultures of Generosity," on April 27, June 6 and Sept. 19. The nonprofit Lake Institute, a program of the nationally renowned Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, specializes in congregational fundraising. It provides a safe and neutral environment for religious and philanthropic practitioners, scholars, and the public at large to engage in reflection and conversation about the role of religion's ultimate taboo topic: money.
This seminar is designed to help pastors and their leadership teams rethink their role in congregational finances, become better stewards of their donors' gifts, and awaken an ongoing spirit of generosity within their communities. It will provide valuable learning material, training, theological reflection and ongoing plans of action for participants.
The first session will include discussions of the changing landscape of religious giving; strategies for creating a culture of cooperation and collaboration; and the differences between meet-the-budget congregations and share-the-vision congregations. An overview of all session topics, along with detailed seminar information and online registration, appears at www.mtso.edu/lake.
"The Lake Institute is the gold standard for the development of effective church giving programs," said Rev. Stan Ling, special assistant to the president for advancement at MTSO. "As we've assembled this seminar, we've heard unsolicited glowing reviews of the Lake Institute's outstanding work."
Tuition for "Creating Congregational Cultures of Generosity" is $150 per person, which covers all three full-day seminar sessions, an accompanying notebook, lunch and two CEU credits if requested. Multiple representatives of individual congregations are encouraged to attend together.
Methodist Theological School in Ohio prepares leaders of many faith traditions for lives of significance in service to the church and the world. The school offers master's degrees in divinity, counseling ministries, theological studies and practical theology, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree. For more information, visit www.mtso.edu.
CONTACT:
Danny Russell, director of communications
drussell@mtso.edu, 740-362-3322
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Caution on Shale Leases
Questions and inquiries about oil and gas contracts have begun to pop up from time to time, In anticipation of more questions from churches as development ramps up, we have taken some steps to make clear what to do with inquiries you get:
1. Local church inquiries should be directed to the district superintendent. Attention should be paid to the role of entering into contracts and the role of their trustees and district boards in committing to leases and land rights.
2. The conference has retained an attorney who specializes in oil and gas. His name is Jim Maniace and he's a partner with the Taft law firm in its Columbus office. You can access his expertise by contacting the conference treasurer's office.
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Upper Room Prayer Guide in Preparation for and During General Conference
The Upper Room has prepared a devotional guide for all United Methodists to use in preparation for and during General Conference.
The guide is called Fifty Days of Prayer Before & During General Conference 2012.
The guide starts on Friday, March 16. It is intended for either individual or small group use.
Click HERE to download the guide.
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Mark Your Calendar
May 6 3:00 pm CAS District Conference June 10-13 Annual Conference
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Check Out These Events Designed to Help Your Congregation to Minister "To The Least of These"
The West Ohio Conference is sponsoring two training events during March that can assist your congregation in ministry to the "least of these."
Journey to Become an Immigrant-Welcoming Congregation
The purpose of the training is to equip congregational leaders to build upon their faith in Jesus Christ to express incantational friendship with their neighbors.
Date and Time: Thursday, March 1, 2012 or Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Location: Stony Brook UMC, 485 Cherry Bottom Rd, Gahanna, OH
Cost: Free
Click HERE to download a flyer about the event.
A Faithful Response: Facing Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence
Human trafficking and domestic violence are prevalent in communities across Ohio. At this conference, you will hear real stories from survivors and learn how you and your church can respond appropriately with tools provided by this training and with the love of Jesus Christ.
Date and Time: Saturday, March 17 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Location: Normandy UMC, 450 W Alex Bell Rd, Dayton, OH 45459
Cost: $25.00 (includes lunch and materials
Click HERE to download a flyer for the event.
Register online for either of these events at http://www.westohioumc.org. Click on "Register for Events."
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Jim's Tool Box
Is Your Congregation a
"Faith Soaring" Congregation?
Church consultant George Bullard is out with a new book entitled FaithSoaring Churches. In the book Bullard explores the characteristics that make congregations (and denominations) "FaithSoaring."
Read Jim's article to find out if your congregation is "FaithSoaring," and how you can get a copy of Bullard's new book.
Click HERE to read Jim's article.
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News from United Methodist Community Ministries
Building Strong Relationships with Local Schools
Does your congregation have a relationship with the school in your community? Or would you like to build a stronger connection? Capitol Area Community Ministries is hosting a Round-table Luncheon on Wednesday, March 21, from 12-1:30pm called "A Presence in the Schools," at North Broadway UMC (48 E North Broadway Columbus OH 43214). Please note the change of location from our earlier announcement due to the high number of registrations! Pastor Kathi Herrington and others will share their experience of working with the schools: tutoring, meals, after-school ministry, events etc. Come if you are interested in sharing ideas to strengthen your relationship with a key anchor institution in your community. Lunch provided. Register by clicking HERE.
Upcoming Community Ministries Workshops for 2012
Community Ministries has scheduled a several training events for 2012. Among the events are Community Ministries Liaison Training, Healthy Serving Day Apart, and Bridges out of Poverty among others.
Click HERE to download a copy of the schedule.
United Methodist Community Ministries Prayer Calendar
Pray for mission projects and ministries supported through the United Methodist Community Ministries. Click HERE to download a prayer calendar for January and February (there is a different project listed and described for each week).
Did You Know You Are Supporting Over 70 Different Outreach Ministries?
Click HERE to download a brochure that lists all the ministries that your Community Ministries Apportionment dollars help to support.
Beth is now on Twitter, and you can follow her tweets at twitter/umcommin.
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Registration Now Available for Lay Speaking Classes
 The CAS Board of Laity will offer Lay Speaker Training agin this spring. The classes will be held on Friday evening, May 18 and all day Saturday, May 19 at Christ UM Church, 1489 Zettler Rd, Columbus, OH.
The following classes will be offered:
Basic Lay Speaker Training is a required class for those persons who want to enter the ministry of lay speaking.
The Advanced Class is offered for those Local Church Lay Speakers or Certified Lay Speakers who wish to need to renew their certification or take an elective class. The class is entitled "Next Church.Now."
A ONE DAY refresher class will be held on Saturday for Local Church Lay Speakers who need to renew their certification (Certified Lay Speakers need to take the Advance Class to be re-certified). The Class is "Opening Ourselves to Grace.
The deadline for registration is Monday, May 7.
Click HERE to download a flyer with more details about the training and registration form. |
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Methodist Theological School Announces 2012 MIssion and Evangelism Institute for March 19-20
 This year's Mission and Evangelism Institute seeks to present the church's identity and calling as "missional." With the theme "Missional Church in Many Contexts," it offers pathways toward becoming a missional congregation in rural, suburban and urban settings. The three institute speakers are proven missional leaders who have had breakthroughs in transforming congregations from inward-oriented to mission-focused.
Two of the speakers at this year's event are pastors in the CAS District:
The Rev. Kevin Koske: Kevin is the pastor of Church in the Mall in Heath. An outreach ministry of Centenary UMC in Granville, Church in the Mall aspires to become a fully chartered United Methodist Church.
The Rev. Bill Lyle: Bill is the senior pastor at Peace UMC, Pickerington. Bill was just appointed at Peace after having served as the lead pastor at Greenville Evangelical UMC where he led the church in growing from a church attendance of 126 to 770. He reinvigorated a defunct Sunday school. The church initiated three new styles of worship, utilizing innovative multimedia and integrated multi-site ministry.
The other leader is the Rev. David Hood who is the campus pastor at Fort McKinley Church, the urban branch of Ginghamsburg Church in Dayton. Fort McKinley is a church "restart" that was on the brink of closing in 2008. In just three years, it has grown from 40 attendees to 400, with three Sunday morning worship celebrations.
Click HERE for a link for information about this event on the MTSO website.
Click HERE for a flyer about the event.
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S.O.W.E.R. Update for Building A Home at the Henderson Settlement This Summer
 S.O.W.E.R. (Sharing Our Witness -- Enriching Lives) will reach out to those in need of decent housing again this summer in the mountains of southeast Kentucky. The SOWER VIM Team is in the planning stages for constructing the 11th home for a family in 2012. The cost of materials to build one of the 28' x 28' or 28' x 32' houses from the ground up is approximately $36,000 to $40,000. The SOWER VIM Project has received about 80% of both the funding to cover material costs and volunteers for the build. Click HERE for more information about the plans for this summer and how you and your church can be involved in this Volunteer in Mission project. |
More Than an Airplane
 Wings of the Morning is more than just an airplane. It saves lives. It saves souls. The North Katanga Conference, where this critical aviation ministry is located, is a geographically remote area of the
Congo that is the size of Texas. In a place where there are no paved roads, the main forms of transportation are walking and riding a bicycle.
Click HERE to see how you and your church can be involved in the efforts to raise the funds to purchase a new airplane for this vital ministry in the Congo.
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West Ohio Annual Conference June 10-13
The West Ohio Annual Conference will meet in session during June 1-13 at Lakeside on Lake Erie. The theme this year addresses the focus area of "Global Health" though a number of initiatives including the Miracle Offering that will raise funds to purchase a new airplane for the Wings of the Morning ministry (see the article above this one).
Click HERE to read the Bishop's Miracle Offering Letter.
Click HERE for instructions about items to include in health kits that will be collected at annual conference.
Click HERE for a schedule of the major events that will take place at annual conference. |
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It's Time to Register for Camp!
 Informational brochures about camping opportunities at West Ohio Camps is now available online.
Click HERE to go to the camping website.
Click HERE to view an online version of the camping brochure. |
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Recent Appointments
The following are recent appointments by Bishop Bruce Ough to congregations in the Capitol Area South District:
The Rev. Nathan Custer fo Columbia Heights UMC, Galloway. The Rev. Shawn Morris to Neal Avenue, Newark. The Rev. Steve Buskirk (PTLP) to Brice UMC, Brice. |
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Apportionment Update
The apportionment update will be back next month. |
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Prayer Concerns
 Our prayers are with the Rev. Jeff Perry. Jeff continues to be hospitalized at Mt. Carmel East.
The Rev. Sue McClelland is recovering from surgery.
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