Below you'll find upcoming events, helpful information, and mission highlights for the West Ohio Conference and Maumee River District. Please visit our website using the link below for additional resources and info.

GO AWARDS Celebrate Innovation In Ministry

Last Sunday evening, 95 churches in the West Ohio Conference received more than $650,000 in grants celebrating innovation in ministry. The Bishop’s Go Awards recognized over 120 new ministries throughout the conference.

Music filled the air. “God is on the move in West Ohio,” said Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, who greeted each award recipient.



“When we care, when we love, when we really relate to each other, when we are confident in Christ Jesus, we can be the hands of God. We can be ambassadors of Jesus Christ. We can be seed planters in the world,” he said.

Click here to read more.

Service to Celebrate Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Rescheduled for Feb 23

The East and West Ohio Conferences of The United Methodist Church are coming together to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a joint worship service on Sunday, February 23, at Garfield Memorial United Methodist Church in Pepper Pike. Themed “Living the Dream: Bold Faith, Hopeful Future,” the event will focus on building Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community rooted in justice, love, and hope.

The service, scheduled from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., will open with gathering music at 3:45 p.m. and feature retired Bishop Julius C. Trimble, General Secretary of the General Board of Church & Society of The United Methodist Church as the keynote speaker. Known for his commitment to justice and reconciliation, Bishop Trimble will offer a message of inspiration and challenge.



Music will be provided by Garfield Memorial UMC’s praise band. The service will be live-streamed.

Carpool To the MLK Event February 23

Did you want to attend the MLK event on Feb 23, 2025 and didn't want to drive alone? We have an option for you.

CARPOOLING with three easy steps:

·   Review options below

·   Click on District/Church that works best for you.

·   Register (please provide contact info for updates)

The address of the event is: Garfileld Memorial UMC, 3650 Lander Rd, Cleveland, OH 44124 Please notice in the location on the registration section that we have provided the approximate driving time it should take from the location you have chosen to Cleveland.

Should you have any questions, please email Lesley Moore at lmoore@wocumc.org

Sign up to carpool here

Expanding Connection Book Club to read “Becoming Kin”

The invented history of the Western world is crumbling fast, Anishinaabe writer Patty Krawec says, but we can still honor the bonds between us. Settlers dominated and divided, but Indigenous peoples won't just send them all "home."

Weaving her own story with the story of her ancestors and with the broader themes of creation, replacement, and disappearance, Krawec helps readers see settler colonialism through the eyes of an Indigenous writer.

You are invited to read the book and join the discussion via Zoom on Tuesday, February 18 from 7-8:30 pm.

Click here to learn more and register

Nominations For Harry Denman Award Are

Now Being Accepted

The Harry Denman Evangelism Award program honors United Methodists in each annual conference whose exceptional ministry of evangelism – expressed in Word (what), Sign (why), and Deed (how) – brings people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

Evangelism occurs in many contexts and settings, impacts and engages all generations, and requires relationships among a variety of people.

What distinguishes a Harry Denman Evangelism Award recipient is the commitment to consistently introduce others to the Good News of Jesus Christ in all ministry settings. Their ministry is exceptional for the number of new Christ Followers who credit encounters with this person as critical in helping to start or reignite their faith journey.

Each year, the West Ohio Annual Conference and the Foundation for Evangelism seek to recognize one youth, one clergy, and one layperson for this award. 



To nominate someone for the 2025 Harry Denman Evangelism Award, click here to download and complete the form with your nomination. Please submit the form and supporting documents to mgrace@wocumc.org, or mail them to West Ohio Conference, Attn. Mariellyn Grace, 32 Wesley Blvd, Worthington, OH 43085. Nominations are due by March 15, 2025.

Clergy Renewal Scholarships Offered

at Lakeside

As people of faith, keeping “Sabbath” is essential to maintaining one’s relationship with God. For clergy to truly have a Sabbath, it is often necessary to get away from home! However, the cost of travel is always a consideration.  

Lakeside Chautauqua provides a place and also helps with the cost. United Methodist clergy may apply for a Renewal Scholarship that will provide hotel lodging (up to 3 nights) in the Fountain Inn. You are invited to take time with God along the beautiful shores of Lake Erie for rest and renewal. You can use this unstructured time for prayer, planning and mediation. The time is yours. Lakeside Chautauqua provides the hotel room free of charge. Deadline to submit applications is February 15, 2025.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

ALL IN COMMUNITY - Wellness Wednesdays

We cannot do this thing called life without God and without one another. And so, we want to continue undergirding you personally with education, tools and techniques that promote well-being in mind, body, and spirit.

Wellness Wednesdays provide a safe online space, a brave space, to receive a good tip on how to maintain health and well-being in the midst of life’s challenges. Focused on living out the Scriptures and being present for those who are impacted by criminal justice systems, this time together provides real-time conversation and relevant education around creative ways to care for ourselves as we co-labor in “doing justice.”

Join this online community as we addresses and uplift the critical need for nurturing among our All In ministry servants and community partners.

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH

ONLINE 12:30-1:30PM (ZOOM ROOM OPENS @ 11:30AM)

ZOOM REGISTRATION: HTTPS://WOCUMC.ZOOM.US/MEETING/REGISTER/5TOA3DKASQGAMW6T7B3XGA

Presenter: Dr. Camisha Chambers, AIC Nurturing Communities Coordinator nurturingcoordinator@gmail.com

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VBS Mini-Grants Available Through

UM Foundation of West Ohio

Applications for VBS mini-grant applications are currently open thanks to the generosity of a major donor who invested her resources into honoring her family’s legacy through an endowment with the United Methodist Foundation of West Ohio. Grants of $250-$1000 will be available for curriculum materials, supplies, staff costs, or other expenses.

Applications are due by February 28th. Please contact Maddy DeWitt at 380-223-9229 or mdewitt@wocumc.org for more information.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Statistical Year End Reports

The 2024 Statistical Year End Reports are still being prepared for our churches. Once they are ready, they will be sent to the appropriate people. Thank you for your patience.

Annual Conference 2025!

The 56th session of the West Ohio Conference will be held May 28 through May 31 at Capital University in Bexley. This will be the first Ohio Episcopal Area annual conference in which Bishop Hee-Soo Jung presides. The theme for this year's session is Rise Up, Beloved: Trust in God’s Promises, inspired by Mark 5:35-43, where Jesus encourages Jairus, a synagogue leader, to have faith that his deceased daughter will be raised from the dead. 



Registration will open on March 1. For more information, click here. 

Maumee River District At-Large Members to Annual Conference are needed! if you are interested in serving as a delegate to the Annual Conference and representing the district, please complete the ATTACHED FORM, have it signed by your pastor, and return it to the District Office.

West Ohio Green Church Training is February 23

The West Ohio Conference is excited to present the first Green Church Training for local churches, coming Sunday, February 23, from 4:00-7:00pm at the Urban Farm Church, 3901 Maize Road, Columbus. Green Church Training provides a solid foundation for moving your church toward green solutions. The training includes Biblical, Wesleyan, and United Methodist teachings on creation care; tips for forming a Green Team at your church; and plenty of ideas and suggestions for creative ways to green your church - plus time to plan and dream with your church team! The training must be attended by at least two people from each church (either two lay or one lay, one clergy). After completing the training, churches will either create a Green Team (if they do not already have one) or complete a green project at their church. Cost of the training is $50 for a church team of two people (additional church members are welcome to attend at $10 per person). Scholarships are available for churches with financial need. Please register all participants from your church at the same time. For more information, contact mgrace@wocumc.org. Register here: Green Church Training - February 23 | West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church

Monroe Street UMC Celebrates 200th Anniversary

Monroe Street UMC is celebrating it's 200th year throughout 2025. The Toledo Blade ran an article on this accomplishment. it can be read HERE. The article below shares a special event for couples that got married in the church over the years.

For MSUMC's 200th Anniversary, we are celebrating Monroe Street Church as a place where love is affirmed and marriage is honored for all. Following the 10:30 a.m. worship service on Sunday, February 16, there will be wedding cake and Pastor Joshua Wynn will perform a short vow renewal service for any couples in attendance who are interested.  

If you can make it home or not, please send a wedding photo to include in a slide show during the service. If you have a photograph you’d like to share, please email it, with the date, your names and pastor's name, if possible, by February 6 (digital copies only/taking a picture of it with your phone will work) to msumc200thcommittee@gmail.com.  

Please send any Celebrations or special ministry stories that you would like to share with the District.

Souper Bowl of Caring Chili and Soup Lunch & Annual Ping-Pong Tournament!

Bring your friends and family for an afternoon of fun, food and fellowship...and a great way to support the LIGHT Neighborhood Pantry at Elliston Zion! Sunday, February 9th at 11 AM Join us inside for a selection of homemade soups and sub sandwiches (made by Woodmore Boy Scouts!) All are welcome to play ping pong at Noon!

AND If you are hosting a Super Bowl Watch Party …...You are gonna need some CHILI! 

Some lady Pastor over there (lol) is making chili and cornbread which will be available between 11 AM and 1 PM. (or until sold out). Simply watch for the signs and drive thru!! Suggested donations: Small (16 oz.) $5.00  Large (32 oz) $10.00 with fresh cornbread included!  

Elliston Zion UMC is located off Elliston Trowbridge Rd N of Hellwig Rd. (Ottawa County) 

We will be taking pre-orders…the link is: https://forms.gle/EnpLFcfdTXYESopT7

All proceeds benefit the LIGHT Neighborhood Pantry (a free choice food pantry serving all of Ottawa County) and will help offset the cost of installing a new $12K HVAC unit on the “pantry end” of our building.  

LOVE THY SELF: 

Vicarious Trauma Self-Care Workshop

Our lives are constantly being bombarded with images and experiences of seismic shifts, suffering, loss, chaos, and hopelessness to change the situation. Whether being done to us or around us, our inevitable absorption of these “traumatic stressors” shows up in our psyche, behaviors, and relationships in unhealthy ways. The bottom line is that showing up as our best selves in ministry and service takes self-care. 

This two-hour workshop prepares ministry servants, pastors, community service providers, and justice professionals to recognize the mental and emotional signs that we are in need of some self-care in the face of exposure to life’s traumatic stressors. This workshop offers you education, tools and practices for self-protection against vicarious trauma and for healing from it when experiences overwhelm.  

FEB 14 | NOON-2PM | ZOOM 

ZOOM REGISTRATION:

HTTPS://WOCUMC.ZOOM.US/MEETING/REGISTER/QQTJGVKHQDABRU8HJ1TS2A



Presenter: Dr. Camisha Chambers, AIC Nurturing Communities Coordinator nurturingcoordinator@gmail.com

 

Printable Flyer 

Volunteers in Mission (VIM) Team Leader Training

Are you planning a mission journey in 2025 or beyond? Consider this leader training being held at Aley UMC on March 8, 2025. With an experienced team leader as instructor, you will learn how to plan and lead a mission experience in Ohio, the United States, or around the world. You will also be provided with checklists, timelines, team forms, and practical resources for nurturing the spiritual life of your team. A background check is required. Click here to learn more and register.

Workers' Compensation Trainings

In conjunction with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the West Ohio Conference will host three Zoom meetings about important topics for clergy and local churches. 

The next training will be: March 18 - Time: 10:30-11:30

Topics Covered: ·   Slips, Trips and Falls ·   Safe Driving

Speaker: TBD

Zoom Link: https://wocumc.zoom.us/j/85481770294

Click here for the entire schedule.

Emerging Generations Resources

With a new year, some new and exciting things are happening within the area of Emerging Generations.

·      We have an Emerging Generations tab on the West Ohio Conference website! This is where you can find information about ministries connected to children, youth, and young adults. Check back often as this page will grow as the year goes on.

·      Looking for a Family Ministry based Lenten Devotional? We’ve got that on the Emerging Gen website ready for your congregation. If you need this resource in a different language, we are happy to provide you with that as well.

·      Emerging Generations Connections is a new monthly way for those working with children, youth, and young adults to connect with upcoming events, resources, and support one another through stories of celebration. 

If you would like to be added to the distribution list for the Emerging Generations Connection email or would like assistance in any other area that engages children, youth, or young adults contact Rev. Ann Marie Carley, Director of Camps, Retreats, and Next Gen Engagement for the West Ohio Conference (amcarley@wocumc.org or 380-223-9369). 

Foundation for Evangelism Grants

The Foundation for Evangelism Equipping the Local Church grant initiative seeks to empower pastors, laity, and smaller local congregations to dream, take risks, and partner with God in the transformation of lives and communities.

Grants will be "awarded to small and medium church congregations, or clusters of churches working together, in a Wesleyan-tradition denomination. The grant is intended to help launch an experiment or initiative to share the Gospel in word and deed, build relationships, and invite others into a discipleship journey with Jesus."

For the 2025 grant cycle, up to 50 grants of $5,000 or $10,000 will be awarded. Applications are open through February. Click here for more information.

The GBHEM Scholarship Portal Is Now Open

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) scholarship application portal is open for United Methodist students seeking scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study at colleges, universities, and seminaries in the United States. On average, potential scholarships awarded range from $500 to $1,200.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The New Zenler Platform

The West Ohio Conference provides an on-demand learning platform for local church leaders to engage in training to help them lead successfully. The New Zenler platform includes courses on pastoral transitions and Leadership Labs for justice involved ministries. 

LEARN MORE

New Clergy Financial Wellness Resource Guide

Financial issues can be a serious problem for clergy at all phases of their ministry and can adversely impact their effectiveness, health, and spiritual well-being. The United Methodist Foundation of West Ohio has partnered with the WOC Office of Ministry, the Office of Benefits & HR, Communications and Wespath to create a new resource guide that is meant to be a comprehensive source of information on the many resources available to assist clergy with their financial health. The guide can be accessed online here or can be requested from the Foundation or District offices.

Rev. Charles Amon Shook

Mrs. Peggy Shimer

Findlay St Andrew's UMC: Choir Director - St. Andrew’s Church is seeking a passionate and skilled Choir Director to lead and develop the church’s music ministry. The Choir Director will work collaboratively with the pastor, musicians, and congregation to enhance worship through inspiring and meaningful music. This individual will oversee the church choir, plan rehearsals, provide musical direction for Sunday services and special events, and plan special music to enrich the worship experience. JOB DESCRIPTION

Sylvania First UMC: Childcare Worker - Sylvania First is looking for a childcare worker for Sunday mornings from 9am-11am who will tend their nursery and assist with children's church. The candidate must be at least 18 years old, have experience working with young children and able to pass a background check. Occasional opportunities for extended hours outside of Sunday mornings is also a possibility. Direct inquiries and/or resume to Heather Robbins at hrobbins@sylvaniafirst.org or 419-882-2205. Job Description

Toledo Hope UMC: The Children/Youth Director is a new part-time position at Hope. This person should have leadership and decision-making skills, be willing to build a team of servants, and love being around young people. If you are interested in more information about this exciting position, please send your resume to: Hope UMC, 4069 W. Sylvania Ave., Toledo, OH 43623 or send it via email to SPRC Chairperson Marilyn Waite: m_waite@att.net Questions? Contact Marilyn Waite @ 419-704-3227.

The Maumee River District Office is open from 9:00am-4:30pm Monday-Thursday. The office may be closed on Fridays, but Michelle will still be working from home and available by phone and email. Office appointments can be scheduled on Fridays if needed.