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News for West Ohio Conference Congregations
June 24, 2014 - Vol 7, Issue 24

  

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Mission U registration closes June 30. Register today!

New workshops added to the Walking with Palestinian Christians conference

Palestinian boys play in front of the Israeli separation barrier which has sealed off Bethlehem from nearby Jerusalem. 
 
The United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries has announced the full schedule of workshops for the upcoming "Walking with Palestinian Christians ... for Holy Justice and Peace" conference. The Aug. 7-8 conference is being hosted and co-sponsored by Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio. Through prayer, fellowship and study, we as United
Methodists in partnership with Palestinian Christians, will seek to put God's call to love all our neighbors into action for justice & peace. Conference participants will covenant with one another to demonstrate love as action as we undertake ongoing educational and advocacy actions within our respective Annual Conferences and in partnership with Palestinian Christians. Following the event on August 8-9 will be the UMKR (United Methodist Kairos Response) Summit. Learn more

Special needs summer camp
Click for Acorn Camp photo gallery

Acorn Camp is a week of full activities for campers  ages 9-23 who are physically challenged or have special needs. An annual tradition at  Camp Widewater, this year's Acorn Camp is July 20-25 and pairs a trained buddy one-on-one with each camper to give assistance, offer companionship and experience all of camplife together. Camp Widewater is accessible for wheel chairs. Offered as a joint venture with the Detroit Conference of The United Methodist Church, registration is by phone only to 800-334-0544, ext 35. For more information visit Acorn Camp or Acorn Buddy Camp

Mexico medical team blessed by God's presence

Blessed by God's presence! That is how mission team leader, Chad Stoltz, described the May medical mission to Mexico. The team saw hundreds of patients in clinics and house calls, held Vacation Bible School and passed out over 1000 sandwiches and 150 New Testaments in Spanish. They developed and implemented an EMR charting system that will give all teams a new and more efficient way of charting during each clinic. They prayed with townspeople, clinic patients, pastors and team members. Read more of the team's story in Chad's words and learn how you could be a part of a Volunteer in Mission team.  Continued

Achieving our mission: barriers vs opportunities 

UMNCJFor veterans and newbies to the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) movement, the UMVIM RoundUP this August in Indiana is packed with great speakers, workshops and times for fellowship. Speakers include missionaries, leaders from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), and mission team leaders from across the Connection who will share experiences on medical mission teams and sustainable healthy community models, mobile Vacation Bible School missions, Disaster Response ministries, Justice ministries and team leader training. The new Mission Volunteer Handbook will be featured in several of the workshops to help you enhance your mission experience to do no harm, do good and stay in Love with God! Find out more.

Accessibility Is another word for hospitality 

In the May-June edition of New World Outlook magazine, Lynn Swedberg, disability consultant, offers resources for raising the awareness of the needs of people with disabilities. Swedberg, who serves with the DisAbilities Ministries Committee of The United Methodist Church, also offers a survey that helps discern the level of disability awareness present in your annual conference. She provides links to church accessibility audits to determine what percentage of the building meets basic accessibility standards, presents ideas for worship service planning, fairs, and much more.   Read the article

Ohio Wesleyan hunger campaign recognized  

Ohio Wesleyan University's 2013-2014 "OWU Better Together" campaign was selected from among 162 applicants nationwide to receive the Interfaith Youth Core's "Best Overall Campaign" Better Together Award. The United Methodist-related university's initiative, overseen by its Office of the Chaplain and Community Service Learning, focused on food supply and hunger issues. "In food-justice specific efforts, (the student body) served 1,225 meals, built two community gardens and recycled 5,670 bags of garbage and 87,264 bottles and cans," the judges noted. Read news release  Visit the Better Together Facebook page

Kung Fu Grandmaster Pastor 

Kung Fu Grandmaster Pastor (UMTV)Once a star of martial arts movies, the Rev. Leo Fong - now 86 - still spars with people half his age and teaches seven fitness classes a week. 
 
This retired United Methodist pastor now sees his calling as helping other seniors stay fit and inspires people much younger than himself every day.

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

 

Rev. Albert E. Tomer who passed away June 20. His wife, Margaret, survives. Rev. and Mrs. Tomer were in a car accident on May 20 and both have been hospitalized since. Rev. Tomer served in England and Massachusetts before coming to West Ohio where he was pastor at Epworth (Kenton 1960); Broadway (Toledo 1964); Church of the Saviour (1971); Mason (1988); and Clifton (2000) United Methodist Churches. He was appointed superintendent of the former Cincinnati District in 1985 and retired in 1994. A memorial service will take place in late July or August. Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Margaret Tomer at 1126 Meredith Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231.

 
 
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