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News for West Ohio Conference Congregations
April 15, 2014 - Vol 7, Issue 15

  

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Easter message from Bishop Palmer

2014 Easter Message for Bishop Palmer

 

Please know that you are in our prayers as together we anticipate the joy of Easter through the recognition of God's goodness in sending His Son to die for our salvation. Walk with Jesus through this Holy Week. Thank you for being his hands and feet.

Blessings, The West Ohio Conference

United Methodists raise 80 percent of funding goal

Imagine No Malaria announced last week that United Methodists are 80 percent of the way toward reaching their goal of raising $75 million by 2015. In the past year alone, the people of The United Methodist Church have made contributions and pledges of more than $28 million, boosting the total raised to more than $60 million. Since 2006, United Methodists have focused on the challenge of saving lives at risk from malaria - a preventable disease that still kills a child every 60 seconds. In the past eight years, the church has helped cut the death toll in half.  Donations have been raised one dollar at a time, one member at a time, one church at a time. Learn more
Seminarian debt proposals considered
Shown, from left: Melanie Overton, Wade Giffin, Tom Choi, and Meg Lassiat. Photos by Vicki Brown.

Rev. Wade Giffin, Director of the Office of Ministry for the West Ohio Conference, was part of an advisory group for the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) to suggest ways to address the issue of seminarian debt. Proposals include making sure seminary students understand the debt they are taking on, whether the master of divinity should be the normal path to ministry and how more money could be raised in the denomination to alleviate seminarian debt. Learn more

The Importance of the Egg: Children and Easter
The Importance of the Egg: Children and Easter (UMTV)Experts from the age of five to ten, as well as The Rev. MaryJane Pierce Norton from the General Board of Discipleship, talk about the traditions of the Easter egg -- from hunting eggs, to coloring them, to the egg as a symbol of new life. The egg became associated with Easter somewhere near the 400s and was often a food that was given up at Lent. According to Rev. Norton, "In some of the early church traditions, people brought their eggs to the church to be blessed before they ate them, as the first joyful food of Easter." 
The dark world of chocolate

Easter is the season of resurrection, renewal, and for many, chocolate. The sweetness of chocolate bunnies and eggs is often only matched by the faces of little ones opening their baskets on Easter morning. But for many, the world of chocolate is much darker and is often a world of abuse and hopelessness. The cocoa industry is one that employs a multitude of unethical and unjust labor practices, including child labor, forced labor or slavery, unsafe working conditions, and wages far below the cost of living (if the laborer receives any wages at all). This year, let the joy of redeeming freedom extend to those beyond the Easter basket. Fair trade certified chocolate provides those who grow and harvest your cocoa a safe, sustainable living free of abuse and exploitation. Learn more

Breakthrough churches are a powerhouse of prayer

On Saturday, March 29, ten West Ohio Conference churches participated in the second half of Breakthrough Prayer Lab training. The training was hosted at Scioto Ridge United Methodist Church in Hilliard and included a full day of training in best practices led by West Ohio's Rev. Sue Nilson Kibbey, Director of Missional Church Initiatives with powerful stories from leaders within the West Ohio and Dakota Conferences who are transforming their communities through breakthrough prayer. It all culminated in the first ever West Ohio Breakthrough Prayer Worship Gathering with Pastor Curnell Graham, a dynamic breakthrough prayer leader from Gaines United Methodist Church, preaching. The seventy-five Breakthrough Prayer Lab participants were challenged to consider what might happen if each church in the Breakthrough Prayer Lab passed on this prayer movement to another West Ohio congregation. Learn more

Finding teenagers on social media ... again

Nine out of 10 teenagers use social media. They see it as a way to connect with one another. They share their thoughts and feelings. It gives them an outlet to express themselves and creates a sense of community. According to a Pew Research report, 94 percent of all teenagers have a Facebook account however teens are slowly leaving the Facebook platform. So...where are they going?

2015 Disciple Making Church Grants Available

The 2015 grant applications and timelines for New Church Starts, Revitalization/Capacity Building, and Hispanic/Latino ministry grants are posted on the West Ohio Conference website. Also posted is a video webcast for New Church Starts and Revitalization grants. (Any questions on Hispanic/Latino grant applications should be directed to Karen Brantley.) The webcast video will take the place of having various training sessions. The actual grants have had only slight changes, and we believe the webcast will answer the majority of the questions. If not please direct questions to Grace Gerber-Bennett at the West Ohio Conference office. Disciplemaking Churches Grants

Camp isn't just for kids!

Every year at West Ohio's Camp Widewater in Liberty Center a camp is held for grandparents to get away with their grandkids. Come and celebrate your generation and reflect your love for God through your families and the time you can spend with them. Fishing, swimming, crafts and more fun is to be shared by all. Will Grandma actually get in the mud pit?  The Lodge provides comfortable lodging and air conditioning so bring as many grandkids as you can but register early, this event fills fast.  Learn More

Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

For 2010 to 2013 the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit program allows small nonprofit organizations like churches to recover up to 25% of their expenditures on health insurance. Many West Ohio Conference churches have filed for the credits and received a refund. Be sure and file by May 15, 2014 to secure your credit. Learn more

Fire at Timothy House

Good Works Timothy House in Athens had a fire on April 7th when the dryer in the laundry room caught fire. The damage to the laundry room/downstairs bathroom is extensive and there is significant smoke and soot damage throughout the entire facility. Thankfully no one was injured, but at the time of the fire, ten residents (now relocated) were living at The Timothy House. Learn how you can help.

I was there, by Gene Wagner

"I was there" is a beautiful Holy Week poem written by Gene Wagner, Lay Leader from Trinity United Methodist Church in Milford, Ohio. 

 

Thank you Gene for sharing this.  

 

Read and share the poem 

Appalachian Ministry Network

With 17 of its counties located within Appalachia, the West Ohio Conference is a partner with the Appalachian Ministry Network (AMN) whose mission is to develop and support leaders within the United Methodist Church in Appalachia. Rev. Roger Grace, Assistant to the Superintendent in Capitol Area North, is on the executive team and attended AMN's recent meeting where a new Executive Coordinator was elected and grants were award. Harvest for the Hungry, a food pantry located at First United Methodist Church in Ironton was one of the grant recipients. Press Release

How do I help someone with a drinking problem?

This story at first may seem off-track for Easter, but is this not the season of resurrection, forgiveness and renewal? For people who have struggled with their own or a loved one's substance abuse, as one-third of all United Methodists have, the Easter message can be life changing. If you view the problem through Easter eyes, what do you see? What does Christ call you to do? Would you intervene?   Learn more

Upcoming EventsUpcomingEvents

Urge Congress to Prioritize the Smarter Sentencing Act for May (learn more)

Passages
Let us remember in prayer those grieving the loss of their loved one, and remember in thanksgiving the life of:

 

Mrs. Betty Jones-Duvall, 93, who died on April 8. Betty was the wife of Rev. James "Jim" Duvall and the late Andrew Jones. In addition to Rev. Duvall, Betty is survived by two sons, a sister, 10 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and stepchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Cynthia O'Connor. Her husband, Rev. Duvall, served at Pyrmont (1950), College Hill (1952), Park Ave (1962), First Kenton (1971), Trinity Swanton (1978), Grant (1991), and Trinity Dunkirk (1999) United Methodist Churches. Obituary. Condolences may be sent online at  Paul R.Young Funeral Home. 

 

Rev. Lawrence (Larry) L. Hard, 82, who died on April 11. Larry is survived by his wife, Alice, one son, two daughters, seven grandchildren, one great-grandson, a sister and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty, and sister, Maryann. Rev. Hard served at Edon (1956), Sixth Avenue (1961), Shawnee (1967), Church of the Messiah (1976), Christ-Kettering (1986), Church of the Good Shepherd (2000), and Powell (2002) United Methodist Churches.   Obituary. Condolences may be expressed online at the Moreland Funeral Home. 

 

Tshala Mwengo, a United Methodist missionary, who died on April 9 from injuries sustained in a bus accident in the Republic of Zambia in southern Africa. Mwengo is survived by his wife, Betty Tshala, also a United Methodist missionary and two children, Lans (age 9) and Shone (age 6). A graduate of Africa University, Mwengo served as the director of the Mujila Falls Agricultural Project in Mwinilunga, Zambia.  News story

 
 
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