East District E-News
August 14, 2020
|
|
Mailing Address:
Eastern PA UMC
Attn: East District
PO Box 820
Valley Forge, PA 19482-0820
Phone Number: 610-666-9090 ext. 1500
Summer Office Hours are 8:00 AM – 5:15 PM
|
|
Physical Address:
980 Madison Avenue
Norristown, PA 19403
|
|
Michael is working from home on Mondays and Wednesdays, and in the Office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. |
|
Register for Annual Conference Rule Change Vote by August 24
All clergy and lay conference members who are eligible to vote at Annual Conference have been invited to participate in the online voting on proposed rule changes for the 2020 Annual Conference.
During the Zoom webinar on August 26, at 6:30 PM, members will learn about the proposed conference rule changes and ask questions. Then they can vote either electronically or by raised hands at in-person locations, where votes will be counted and promptly reported. The voting outcome will be announced at the webinar’s conclusion.
Members who are eligible to vote must register for the webinar by August 24. Instructions for joining the webinar and online voting will be sent on August 25. Non-voters will have the opportunity to watch the webinar via livestream without registering.
|
|
Pastors: Please ensure your Lay Delegates have seen this information. We have been advised that some of the emails with this information to our voting members have ended up in their spam/junk or promotions folders. |
|
Installation Service for DS Rev. Dr. Andrew L. Foster, III |
Save the date!
Sunday, September 27
4 PM to 6 PM
Montgomery Square UMC
The service will be livestreamed and in-person. Meet and welcome our new East District Superintendent!
|
|
|
EDUCATION SOCIETY GRANT PROGRAM |
|
Grant Applications to be accepted until September 4th |
Please notify your congregation of the following:
Alfred Adey, the Chairperson of the Education Society, has announced that the Society has decided to delay the Education Society Grant Program and move the application process to late August. Any grants that students receive will be delayed until the spring semester of 2021. Read his letter to pastors here.
From August 17 to September 4, the Education Society will have a 3-week period where it will accept grant applications and combine them with applications it received in early May. Selection of recipients will happen in September and awards will be made to be credited to spring semester 2021. The dollar amount will not be changed; it just will not be divided over 2 semesters.
|
|
2020 Charge Conferences
This year, Charge Conferences for the East District will begin on September 1st, and end by December 19th. Dr. Foster will be meeting the majority of churches individually: if the location is in a Yellow or Green phase, the meeting will be in person, unless a charge conference by Zoom is requested. Pastors with a 2-point charge may also request to have 1 combined meeting.
Charge Conference documents MUST be submitted via Google Drive at least 2 weeks prior to the charge conference.
If your charge conference is in December, the documents MUST be submitted by Nov. 15 instead.
|
|
PLEASE NOTE
The SPRC or equivalent committee is to meet with Dr. Foster one hour before the charge conference time:
- 6 PM for evening meetings
- 9 AM for morning meetings
- 2 PM for afternoon meeting
If there is a conflict with an assigned date, that church needs to coordinate an exchange of times with another for their assigned date, then notify the East District office when finalized.
|
|
Dismantling Racism Level II Workshop, Sept.19 |
The conference Healing the Wounds of Racism Core Team will offer the next Dismantling Racism Level II workshop via Zoom on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 9 AM to 12 PM.
"The Experience and Impact of Racism on People of Asian Ancestry" is the theme. Please register online now. The cost is $15, and scholarships are available.
The Rev. Doris Kung Chi Pui Dalton, a Deacon and former conference staff member, will keynote the interactive discussion. All Eastern PA Conference clergy are required to take a Level II workshop within the quadrennium.
Dalton currently serves as Director of Leadership Development and Intercultural Competency in the UMC’s New York Annual Conference. Ordained a Deacon in this conference, she served on the HWR Core Team for several years before moving to White Plains, NY.
|
|
Attend Leadership Launch 2020 Event, October 3 |
Get ready to launch an exciting new year of leadership for your church and for the Eastern PA Conference. As we enter a new year for our annual conference and a new quadrennium for The United Methodist Church, leadership training and teamwork become crucial to fulfilling our mission with excellence, especially in these challenging times.
Invite your church leadership team to join you in this brief but vital online training event, using Zoom, so you can work together to maximize the new information and insights you will receive about doing fruitful ministry.
Register now for this morning leadership training event, scheduled for October 3, from 9 AM to 11:30 PM. This Interactive Zoom Event is Free, but registration is required. All are welcome and encouraged to attend, especially: Connectional Ministry Team Members; Lay Leaders; CSMs, CLMs; Anyone in a church leadership role.
Featuring a Keynote address by: The Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, our new Director of Connectional Ministries. After that, we’ll have break-out sessions on various key topics, led by Connectional Table Members
"As leaders, we are often pulled between purpose and relationships,” says Rev. Taylor-Storm. “Jesus never lost focus of his mission and he was willing to make difficult choices to live out his vocational calling.” In this interactive, informative, inspirational gathering, participants will be challenged to stretch their leadership potential and lean in to the current ministry vineyard. Hope you will join us." More information to come soon!
|
|
Domestic Violence Seminar, Oct. 9-10 |
'When Home Hurts'
Domestic Violence and Families: The Church Responds
October 9-10, 2020. Friday, 7 PM to 9 PM; and Saturday, 9 AM to 12 PM. A Zoom video-conference event. Register online to receive access information. Cost: $10.
|
|
Emotional Intelligence & Diversity training Oct. 31 & Nov. 7 |
This recurring workshop can help any church leader improve their communication, teamwork and conflict management skills, while creating an inclusive, welcoming environment. It’s a must-learn for leaders who want to abide in and lead like Christ.
The workshop provides insight into Jesus’ life and approach to managing conflict, creating believers, and teaching others about living life with God at the center. It provides answers to those who perceive and experience oppression, inequality and violence. The skilled trainers are the Revs. David Piltz and Anita Powell of the Eastern PA Conference Commission on Religion & Race (CORR).
Register now for this Zoom video-conferencing workshop, scheduled for two Saturday afternoons, October 31 and November 7, from 12:30 to 3:30 PM, just 3 hours each day. The registration fee is only $10. More information coming soon!
|
|
District Resources:
2020 Annual Conference:
- 2020 Annual, District conferences to meet mostly online
-
August 10: An email was sent to all conference members to register for the Rule Change vote. Register here.
-
August 24: Registration deadline for the Rule Change vote
-
August 25: Online voting credentials and Webinar access information will be sent to all registrants.
-
August 26: Rule Change vote, via Zoom webinar.
COVID-19 Supplies:
Conference News:
|
|
|
|
Intercultural Competency Workshop. Zoom meeting.
9 AM – 12:30 PM. Registration deadline has passed.
|
|
|
|
Advanced Sexual Ethics Workshop. Topic: Celibacy, Sexual Ethics and Boundaries. Registration is now closed.
|
|
|
|
“Perfect Vision 2020” Youth Rally. August 21 from 8 PM - 9:30 PM, & August 22 from 3 PM - 4 PM. Zoom meeting. Register online.
|
|
|
|
Voting on proposed Rule Change for Annual Conference.
|
|
|
|
Basic Sexual Ethics Workshop. 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM, Conshohocken UMC. |
|
|
|
District Conference. Zoom webinar. 6:30 PM. |
|
|
|
Dismantling Racism Level II Workshop. Zoom. 9 AM - 12 PM. Theme: "The Experience and Impact of Racism on People of Asian Ancestry." Register online.
|
|
|
|
East District Superintendent Installation Service.
4 PM to 6 PM, at Montgomery Square UMC.
|
|
|
|
Connectional Ministries Leadership Training Event.
|
|
|
|
Practice Vote & Information Session for Annual Conference. 3 PM, Zoom webinar. Demonstration and Q&A with the Bishop. |
|
|
|
Domestic Violence Seminar. October 9-10, 2020. Friday, 7 PM to 9 PM; and Saturday, 9 AM to 12 PM. Zoom video-conference. Cost: $10. Download the flyer. Register online.
|
|
|
|
2020 Annual Conference. Zoom webinar and livestreaming.
|
|
|
|
ERT/VIM Training. 8 AM – 4 PM, Eastwick UMC. |
|
|
|
Dismantling Racism Training. Friday 5 PM – Sunday 3 PM, Desmond Hotel. |
|
|
|
Emotional Intelligence and Diversity Training. Part 1: 10/31 at 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM. Part 2: 11/7 at 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM. Zoom meeting. Register online.
|
|
|
|
Annual “Celebrating our Cultures” Event. Zoom meeting. |
|
|
|
Tools for Ministry. Time and Place TBD. |
|
The East District E-News is published on Fridays. Previously published issues will appear on the E-News Archive page. The E-News is sent to Pastors and Church Offices on the East District, and to lay people who have requested to be added to the distribution list. Appointed clergy may not unsubscribe. Please feel free to copy any article for your church’s bulletin or newsletter.
All articles and announcements should be sent to the District Resource Assistant at [email protected] by 4:00 PM on Wednesday for consideration. Articles should be in the body of an email or an attached Word document. Submissions made by telephone will not be accepted. Articles may be edited for clarity and space. The District Office makes all decisions regarding publication.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
