The West Ohio Conference office will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29. Regular office hours of 8 am - 5 pm will resume on Monday, December 2. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Distinguished leadership awards

The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of The United Methodist Church (GBPHB) presented four distinguished leadership awards during its November meeting in Chapel Hill, N.C: Two West Ohio leaders were among the recipients - Rev. Stan Sutton for The Charles L. Calkins Award and Rev. Cyndy Garn for the General Secretary's Distinguished Service Award. Recipients and spouses are pictured in the GBPHB photo. Rev. Sutton is in the middle of the back row, Rev. Garn is on the right in the first row.

Church reaches out to Philippines after typhoon

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) delivered food packages last week to six storm-ravaged communities in Leyte Province in the Philippines. For many it was the first substantial emergency relief aid there since Typhoon Haiyan struck nearly two weeks earlier. The food packages were assembled by UMCOR staff and volunteers in Manila and driven 36 hours by truckload. (continued)

A United Methodist Communications-led team is providing communications relief in the Philippines, assessing needs and identifying ways to reconnect churches and communities after Typhoon Haiyan, destroyed much of the communications infrastructure across a wide swath of the central Philippines when it hit Nov. 8. (continued)

Visit UMCOR on Facebook to see what else they are doing.

Your gifts to International Disaster Response will help provide immediate relief.

Diverse group of young adults considers God's call to ordained ministry

Speaker after speaker told the 429 young adults gathered at Exploration 2013 to explore ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church that God is calling them to go change the world and the church. The Nov. 15-17 event, sponsored by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, aims to help young adults hear, discern, and respond to God's call to ordained ministry and to explore their gifts for service as a deacon or elder in the UMC. West Ohio's Rev. Anna Guillozet and Rev. April Casperson were among the leaders of the event. (story continued) Photo gallery

UMCmarket

Support your church, for free! Do your online shopping through www.UMCmarket.org and generate donations every time you shop!The United Methodist Church, in partnership with some of the largest online retailers, has built a shopping tool called UMCmarket that provides a 1-9% cash benefit for your church when you purchase items -- items you'd probably be buying anyway. The retailer does not markup the price any - you still pay what you'd pay as you did before. How does it work? Simply create an account at UMCMarket.org and designate the church of your choosing.

Church responds to midwest tornadoes

By Rod Rose Lebanon Reporter

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has issued an initial grant and is working with affected conferences to assist with immediate relief needs after tornadoes left widespread damage on Sunday, November 17. In Illinois, the most widespread damage occurred in the town of Washington where a powerful EF-4 tornado destroyed or damaged an estimated 250-500 homes. Photo shows Lebanon, Indiana, where Indiana Conference churches are responding with help.

Bishop Keaton visits Ground Zero in Gifford, IL

United Methodist early responders from Illinois Great Rivers Conference are in the field assisting as Bishop Keaton visited the area to view the damage and speak to residents. (continued) Your gifts to US Disaster Response will help provide immediate relief.

Council of Bishops issue statement on retired bishop's action

The United Methodist Council of Bishops met the week of November 12 for their annual meeting. Bishop Palmer writes of the variety of work on the agenda for the week and provides some context for the Council of Bishops statement as they respond to the controversial recent action of one of our retired bishops. (continued)

United Methodist jury finds pastor guilty of violating doctrine

A jury of ordained United Methodist clergy has found the Rev. Frank Schaefer guilty on both counts of violating his vows as an ordained United Methodist elder not to perform same-sex marriages and disobedience to the order and discipline of The United Methodist Church. The jury decided on a 30-day suspension that will be followed by stripping him of his clergy credentials if he cannot agree to obey the denomination's law book "in its entirety." (continued)

United Theological Seminary to Offer Sports Chaplaincy Program

Sports are so much a part of American culture that they help define who and what we are as a society. United Theological Seminary has assembled a team of educators to develop a new program that will address holistically a populace that has previously been underserved: Our world's athletes. The program, United's Doctor of Ministry in Sports Chaplaincy program, launched in August 2013 and is the first Doctor of Ministry Program in Sports Chaplaincy in U.S.

Upcoming Events

On December 1 observe the 15th anniversary of World AIDS Day by raising awareness of the HIV & AIDS crisis and committing to save a child from contracting the disease.

On December 3 United Methodists are invited to participate in UMC #GivingTuesday, when gifts made online through The Advance will be matched dollar for dollar.

December 1-25, Behold! Cultivating Attentiveness in the Season of Advent, online e-retreat
December 1-January 5, The Uncluttered Heart: Making Room for God during Advent and Christmas, online e-retreat
December 4, Best Practices for Teaching and Implementing Creation Care and Appreciation, webinar
December 6, The Second Holy Spirit Seminar: Signs and Wonders, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, Tipp City
December 9, Regional Meetings on Health Insurance, West Ohio Conference Center, Worthington
December 27-29, Winter Camp for Youth, Camp Otterbein, Logan *Don't miss the December 1 date for the registration discount*
December 28, United Methodist Women Limitless, Christ United Methodist Church, Kettering
January 3-4, Candidacy Summit Retreat, Delaware
January 16-18, Shift Happens: Hope in the Midst of Transition, Houston, Tx
January 27, Ohio Ministries Convocation, Broad Street Presbyterian Church, Columbus
April 25-27, 2014 United Methodist Women Assembly 2014, Louisville, Ky

Passages

Rev. Dr. Joseph Henson, Nov 17, survived by wife, Barbara. Obituary Messages of condolence will reach the family at the following address: Mrs. Barbara Henson, 21 Residence Drive, Washington CH, OH 43160

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