Your weekly news & information
June 12, 2018
|
|
IMPORTANT DISTRICT OFFICE SCHEDULE & INFORMATION
If you are dropping something off,
please call before coming to the office to ensure someone is here as the DS and DRA attend off-site meetings. There is no external drop box or mail slot at this time.
- Summer Hours in effect NOW - Monday - Thursday, 8am-4:45pm
- Closed Fridays through Labor Day
- No one will be in the office tomorrow, Wednesday, June 13 through Monday, June 18. Someone will be back in the office on Tuesday, June 19.
Please be sure to read the entire e-alert so you don't miss things. Things are often rotated weekly to ensure enough coverage.
|
|
2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND
|
We're looking forward to seeing you there! Don't forget about the ability for mobile giving this year.
This year at Annual Conference, you will have the option to contribute to the 3 Offerings via text message! These text codes are live now and can be used to make contributions before, during, and after the Annual Conference.
- Text 610-463-0244 with the offering code:
a. BOOM Scholarships, use code
Ord
b. EPA Scholarships, use
Sch
c. Puerto Rico Relief, use
PR
d. Youth & Young Adult ministries, use
YYA
.
We also have a Mobile App this year. It's a handy tool. Share pictures throughout the event. Earn points in some fun games! Download the app today.
1.
Download
UMCmeet
from your App Store (compatible with Android & Apple)
2.
Enter
epaumc18
in top search bar
3.
Click the blue “+”
a.
User name – the
email address
used to register for conference
b.
Password –
epaumc18
(you’ll be required to change this)
|
|
THE VITAL CHURCH (FORMERLY VITAL CHURCH MERGERS AND MORE)
|
When:
September 15, 2018
Time:
8:30 arrival to 12:00
Where:
Christ Church Lansdale, 1020 S. Valley Forge Rd., Lansdale, PA 19446
Who Should Come:
Churches identified by Your DS or if you feel the Holy Spirit is moving you to take a serious look at your future.
Why: How can our church fulfill the Great Commission and of our mission as a United Methodist Church—make disciples for the transformation of the world? What are some radical changes we need to look at in order to do our mission.
Cost:
$10 per church—make checks payable to Eastern Pa. Conference of the UMC. You can bring the check to the workshop.
Homework:
1.
Each church should read and discus the following attachments which will be sent to you upon registering: Summary Presentation of a Redevelopment Model, Eight Quality Characteristics of a Healthy Church, Revision Congregational Development, See, Know, Serve, and The Four Stations of the Holy Spirit.
2. Prayer: please begin to daily pray for vision from the Holy Spirit to help you see where God is leading your church.
Registration: Please email me your desire to come and I will send you the attachments for your homework.
|
|
YOU'RE INVITED ON A HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE
|
Pastor Tom Fries, Leola UMC, invites you to join him on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land October 29 - November 8, 2018.
This trip that will expand your knowledge of the Bible and this sacred land. A journey following in the footsteps of Jesus will change the way you read the Bible, and you will learn why scholars refer to the land as the "Fifth Gospel." This is truly an adventure in faith and to walk where Jesus walked is the experience of a lifetime.
If you or someone you know is interested, contact Pastor Tom for brochures that contain detailed information. Also, feel free to ask any questions.
Phone: 717-656-7600
|
|
NOW SCHEDULING CHARGE CONFERENCES
|
Dates and instructions on scheduling Charge Conferences have been sent to Mission ConneXion Facilitators.
If you still have NOT heard from your Mission ConneXion Facilitator, please contact the
office
so we can follow up with your Facilitator.
Once Charge Conferences are scheduled, we will begin scheduling Clergy Interviews to take place at least 1 week prior to your scheduled charge conference.
|
|
WALTER KING AWARD 2018
This award was named for Walter King, who was an active member of our Conference and of the Christ Servant Ministry. He was Lay Leader of Camphor Memorial UMC in West Philadelphia and he was the treasurer of the Laity Academy staff. He served on Conference Committees, most notably the Central District Committee on Ordained Ministry and on United Methodist Men, where he was vice-president. He joined the saints departed nine years ago, and he was remembered by our attaching his name to this award which is given to a lay person who exemplifies volunteer service to our Conference and to the Academy, this award helps keep the memory of the Academy’s history alive over these 35 years.
The Academy Planning Team is seeking input for a recipient of this award for 2018. The only requirement to be nominated is the person should exemplify volunteer service in their local church, in their district, or in our Conference and to the Laity Academy.
For each nominee send a bio about the nominee and a description of why you think they should receive this award.
The award will be presented Saturday evening during the Laity Academy at Quakertown UMC on Aug 4, 2018.
|
|
WEST DISTRICT BISHOP'S DAY
Where:
Ruhl's United Methodist Church, 4810 Elizabethtown Road, Manheim, PA 17545
When:
Thursday, September 27, 2018, 6:30pm - 8:30pm - Clergy and Laity invited. We will not be doing separate sessions this year like last year.
Attendance for appointed clergy is mandatory.
Light refreshments/fellowship from 6:30pm - 7pm. We will promptly begin at 7pm.
RSVP by Friday, September 21, 2018.
|
|
- Mission U - July 20-21 - Inn at Reading, Reading, PA [Directions]
- Laity Academy - August 3-5 - Quakertown UMC [Directions]
- Worship Workshop - Saturday, August 18
- Basic Sexual Ethics - Saturday, August 25 - Conshokocken UMC, 10am - 3:30pm [Directions]
- Vital Church Merger Workshop - Saturday, September 15 - Christ Church, Lansdale, PA [Directions]
- West District Bishop's Day - Thursday, September 27 - Ruhl's UMC, Manheim, PA [Directions]
- Claiming Sabbath for Clergy Spouses - Saturday, September 29 - Black Rock Retreat Center, Quarryville, PA, 9am - 5pm [Directions]
- Laity Sunday - Sunday, October 21 - YOUR CHURCH!
- Extraordinary Give 2018, Breakfast for Dinner - Friday, November 16 - Anchorage Breakfast Ministries at Lancaster: First UMC [Directions]
- Domestic Violence Workshop - Saturday, November 17 - West Lawn UMC [Directions]
2019 Events
- Equipping Church Leaders - Saturday, January 19, 2019
- Tools for Ministry 2019 - Saturday, March 2, 2019
- Anchorage Breakfast Ministries Giant Yard Sale - March 30, 2019
- Annual Conference 2019 - Thursday, June 13 - Saturday, June 15, 2019
|
|
For our “Helping Puerto Rico Rise Again!” campaign, please make checks payable to the Eastern PA Conference and indicate “Fund #0345PR–Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief” in the MEMO line and mail the checks to the conference office. Thank you!
|
|
HEALTHY TRANSITIONS FOR CLERGY SPOUSES - DATE CORRECTION!
A workshop
FOR clergy spouses, BY clergy spouses
- Safe, sacred, small group learning
- Real-life clergy spouse transition scenarios to solve
- Practical, personalized strategies for transition
- Lunch included
NEW THIS YEAR!
Three 45-min. individual coaching sessions also included!
Clergy spouse participants say:
- "You get a chance to envision what good can happen in the transition."
- "The workshop is packed with useful and practical info that can be used right now -- all good!"
- "Even if you think this won't/doesn't pertain to you, you will get something out of it."
- "I felt a solidarity with other clergy spouses going through transition."
When:
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Where:
Black Rock Retreat Center, 1345 Kirkwood Pike, Quarryville, PA 17566
Cost:
$10.00 (includes workshop, lunch and three individual coaching sessions)
Deadline:
July 14, 2018
|
|
LAITY ACADEMY AUGUST 3-5, 2018
Quakertown UMC
Class, Registration & Hotel Information will be posted after April 1
|
|
LOCAL CHURCH & MISSION CONNEXION EVENTS
Please don't forget that we love sharing the events you have going on in your churches and Mission ConneXions. Be sure to share them with the district either on
Facebook or via
email. We can't share what we don't know is happening!
|
|
DISTRICT E-ALERT NAME CHANGE WINNER
|
Voting has closed. We ran the poll for 4 weeks and came up with a winner!
West District Chronicles - 30
West District Dispatch - 23
West District Newsbites - 10
West District Weekly - 84
Thank you for voting. Effective July, we will change our
E-Alert to the
West District Weekly.
|
|
PULPIT SUPPLY LIST
If you would like to be added to this list, please contact the
district office with your name, which category you're in, phone number and area you can cover. We have limited names for the Lebanon area, if you are interested, please contact us as soon as possible!
|
|
IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION
|
|
Rev. Tim Smith, Chair of District Committee on Ordained Ministry
-
ts3707@gmail.com
Mrs. Lynn McCord, District Christ Servant Minister Coordinato
r,
Conference Office
- 610-666-9090 / 800-828-9093
|
|
MISSION CENTRAL HUBS IN OUR DISTRICT
|
1)
Elizabethtown: St. Paul’s
(Liz Helm, coordinator), 398 N. Locust Street, Elizabethtown, PA. 717-367-1889 **call to make sure someone will be there**
2)
Lebanon: Covenant
(Mariellen Lantz, coordinator), 346 N. 9
th
Street, Lebanon, PA. 717-272-0672
3)
Cleona: Immanuel
(Jeanne Earnshaw, coordinator), 29 E. Maple Street, Cleona, PA. 717-926-2305 **call to make sure someone will be there**
|
|
Editorial Policy of the West District E-Alert: The West District E-alert is published on an as-needed basis on Wednesdays. Articles will appear once as new information; thereafter, they will be Reminders or Calendar Items. Spaghetti dinners, fundraisers, concerts, VBSs, bazaars, etc. are included only on the
Local Church and ConneXion Events page. Job postings can be found in the
Classifieds section of the website. The E-Alert is sent to Pastors and Church Offices on the West District and to lay people who have requested having their names added to the distribution list. Please feel free to copy any article for your church’s bulletin or newsletter. Appointed clergy may not unsubscribe. All articles and announcements should be sent to the District Resource Assistant at
epawestdistrict@comcast.net by 3:00pm Tuesday afternoon for consideration. Articles should be in the body of an email or an attached Word document (please no PDFs). Submissions made by telephone will
not be accepted. Articles may be edited for clarity and space. The District Office makes all decisions regarding publication.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
