On October 29 in Dayton, an interfaith team is sponsoring a conference to equip people of faith with information about domestic violence & human trafficking and how they can faithfully respond, creating communities of peace and non-violence. The keynote speaker will be Ohio Representative Teresa Fedor, primary sponsor of human trafficking legislation in the State of Ohio, pictured at left. The conference features a panel of faith leaders, the latest information on domestic violence & human trafficking, dynamic workshops and action plan design. More information

The West Ohio Conference is having its first Virgin Pulse HealthMiles District Challenge. The district that takes the most steps from October 13-November 30 will win bragging rights and be champions of the 1st West Ohio Virgin Pulse Challenge!  To be a part of this challenge you need to be eligible to enroll in Virgin Pulse. Virgin Pulse is open to all clergy and spouses, whether enrolled in the West Ohio insurance plan or not. (All lay employees  and spouses that are enrolled in the West Ohio health insurance plan are eligible as well!) If you have not signed up for the Virgin Pulse Health program it's not too late to sign up and get in on the challenge.  Click here for more information on Virgin Pulse. Deadline to sign up for the HealthMiles Challenge is October 12. 

Bolivia is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere and a place were disabled children are often neglected, abused, cast aside and not provided with decent education, medical attention or job possibilities. Their families and school teachers are often at a loss on how to care for, love and teach children with special needs. To address these issues, an ongoing mission called Embracing Disabilities in Bolivia was formed to help Methodist schools improve the lives of disabled children in Bolivia.  Read more

The Ebola crisis is demonstrating that in this new age of pervasive technology, no one on the planet is so isolated that she or he can exist outside the global web of connectivity that delivers life-enhancing and lifesaving, information. The ability to communicate and the quality of the information delivered are matters of life and death. Pure and simple, communication is aid. And humanitarian aid, like so many other necessary daily functions, is becoming digitized. This means that globally, communication infrastructure, messaging and personal communication devices will become essential for daily affairs, much as they already are in the global North.The Rev. Larry Hollon, United Methodist Communication's top executive, writes that those concerned with humanitarian assistance in crisis situations must be at the forefront of this new era of technology. Read more

What would happen if 600 Methodist college students gathered together to listen to God's call on their lives and to discern the futures where God beckons them? What if the doors of 'vocation' were thrown wide-open to include creative arts, mission and service, theological education, and radical hospitality? Imagine What's NEXT is designed to facilitate this fertile ground for imaginative work, focused specifically on the spaces where church/world and present/future meet. The event is organized by a launch team of college students, campus ministers, and other creative disciples from across the United Methodist connection. Check out Next details

Otterbein Portage Valley Senior Lifestyle Community is sponsoring a seminar this October, lead by Dr. William Randolph, Director of the Center for Aging and Older Adult Ministry for The United Methodist Church. The daylong exploration of the dynamics of ministering to seniors includes Dr. Randolph's presentations, breakout sessions and lunch and is designed for pastors and lay leaders in the church. Dr. Randolph will be works with annual conference leaders and leaders in congregations to identify the needs of older adults, advocate for older adults and identify ways older adults come to faith and deepen their faith throughout their days. Brochure

Rural, urban, along with town & country landscapes are changing socially, with neighborhoods and communities shifting and diversifying. As we continue to receive an influx of poor and disenfranchised from other states, middle-class Americans do not understand those who hide among the back roads or temporarily live-in with others. These are God's children. Jesus calls us to go forth in his name. At this November workshop at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, hear how to reach out from Jeff Stewart, Program Coordinator of Starting Point Outreach Center, Karen Brantley (photo at left), Director of Hispanic Ministries at the West Ohio Conference and Kelly Brown, Director of Congregational Vitality for the East Ohio Conference. Brochure

As a leader in the church influencing worship and music within the United Methodist Church, we need your input on a joint project of the General Board of Discipleship and the United Methodist Publishing House that will help us look ahead to the needs of the church in the areas of music and worship. As a part of the project, we are conducting a survey regarding current and future worship and music resource use within churches, including the types of media used. Your response to this survey will help us gain a better understanding of the resource needs related to music and the practice of worship of United Methodist Churches in your area and enable us to provide resources relevant to the current and future needs of the church. We estimate the survey to take approximately 10 minutes to complete. To complete the survey online, please click on the following link: http://www.surveymk.com/s/NDJQCLR

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