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Tomorrow, on Ash Wednesday, Lent begins. Bishop LaTrelle Easterling invites area United Methodists to explore Struggle to the Cross, a book by Bishop Sharma Lewis. “The myriad circumstances of the last several years held a mirror up for all of us to see ourselves more authentically. In coming to terms with our reflection, we yearn to engage in a deeper, more transformative spirituality. This insightful Lenten resource, with its call to the practice of contemplative study and prayer, provides the means to achieve that depth,” Bishop Easterling said. 

The Rev. Steven Cho and the congregation of Wards Chapel UMC in Randallstown also invite you to read their Lenten devotional.

Ethel C. Honemond, a lifelong member of West Montgomery UMC in Dickerson and the grandmother of the Rev. Jason Jordan-Griffin, celebrated her 102nd birthday on Feb. 14. She is active in her congregation and choir.

Sharon Skinner, a member of Hughes Memorial UMC who served on the BWC’s Buildings and Locations and Moving Committees, died Feb. 7. Her funeral service is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, at 10 a.m. at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Va.

Tom Flinn, Sr., a former Lay Leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference and member of Catonsville UMC, died Feb. 15. During the past year, Flinn lived at Lorien in Taneytown. He is survived by his son, also named Tom, who is an active member of Westminster UMC. A memorial service is planned for a later date.

Feb. 24, is the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. Join General Board of Global Ministries General Secretary Roland Fernandes on Friday at noon for a responsive prayer, asking God to bring peace and comfort to the Ukrainian people. Connect to the Facebook event link. Learn more and see the prayer.

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling and the Cabinet have begun making clergy appointments, which will go into effect on July 1. We pray for all those who will receive new appointments and the congregations they will serve. See the appointment list.

Registration for the in-person session of the Next Level Speaker Series closes tomorrow.

Bishop Easterling will host this thought-provoking conversation on March 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Severna Park UMC. Her guest will be Jacqui Lewis, author of Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World.

Make the decision to join Bishop Easterling as she explores how Fierce Love can impact our lives, the church and the world. Register today. Clergy participants will receive 0.5 CEUs.

Listen to excerpts from the last Next Level Speaker Series, with Tempered Resilience author Tod Bolsinger, which can be found on a special edition of Bishop Easterling's podcast, Thursdays at the Table.

The application deadline is March 24, and the program will begin the week of April 24. There is no cost to participate in this program if accepted. Space is limited to five pastor/layperson pairs. Learn more and apply now.

Implementing a Discipleship Pathway is offered by The Center for Vital Leadership.

To celebrate the 2023 theme, the General Commission is asking local churches to submit their histories for consideration to be one of a dozen histories highlighted on the agency website, social media channels and in Heritage Sunday resources. Church histories may be submitted in a variety of formats, including written, video, audio, timeline, or other creative forms. Send all submissions to aboggan@gcah.org and type “Local Church History” in the subject line. Submissions are due March 1.

This week's Training Tuesday focuses on the power of a Non-Anxious Presence: Jack Shitama, Director of the Center for Vital Leadership, will share principles from his book, Anxious Church, Anxious People: How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety to help you grow as a non-anxious leader. Join us for this Training Tuesday webinar tonight, Feb, 21, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Register.

Pathways registration: For those churches that have already submitted an Intent to Apply Form for one of the Congregational Vitality Pathways, the application deadline has been extended to Monday, Feb. 27. Learn more about the Vitality Pathways.

Pastors of rural churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference are invited to join Bishop LaTrelle Easterling for a conversation on March 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at Otterbein UMC in Hagerstown. Register.

Conversations with the Bishop: On March 25, at the BWC Mission Center in Fulton, Bishop Easterling will meet with local pastors at 10 a.m., with Deacons at 1 p.m., and clergy serving beyond the local church at 3 p.m.

Rooted, Renew and Restore, a retreat for youth and children's ministry leaders, will be held March 24 - 25 at Wesley Freedom UMC in Sykesville. Early bird registration is open through March 10 at a cost of $100. If you would like to stay overnight on Friday, there is a guaranteed room rate of $104 at the Hampton Inn in Owings Mills; the code is YWC. Learn more and register. Scholarships are available.

Unified Funding Grants application process: Baltimore-Washington Conference Congregational Development Grants, offered through the Unified Funding Task Force, help local faith communities by providing grants to launch new ministry initiatives, congregational renewal projects, leader development ministries and opportunities to reach new people. The application period closes April 1. Learn more.

Faith in Action: Join BWC and Pen-Del members for the 2023 Legislative Advocacy Days in Annapolis on March 16, and Washington D.C. on March 29, to advocate for United Methodist legislative priorities. Learn more.

Celebrating Black History: The Charter for Racial Justice Committee of the BWC’s United Women in Faith will host an online program on the music, art and poetry of the Harlem Renaissance on Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Join the Zoom call at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4386560427; Meeting ID: 438 656 0427; Passcode: 834521.

Non-Anxious Leadership Course: A four-session course on being a non-anxious leader will be offered March 6 through April 2. The registration deadline is March 1. The course, offered by The Center for Vital Leadership, is free to lay and clergy members of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conferences. Get more information and register. In addition, information on this topic can be found at Jack Shitama's blog, The Non-Anxious Leader.

IDEA Internships: The Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Conferences are offering several summer internships to college students seeking to work in the areas of inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism. Interns will have the opportunity to engage in direct social justice action, learn from social justice experts, and connect with United Methodist advocates. These internships run from June 5 - July 28. The stipend is $2,500. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis from Feb. 20 to March 31. Learn more and apply.

The United Methodist National Planters Gathering will be held April 24 - 26 in Denver. The conference is a chance to learn the best of who we are and what we are creating from one another. The BWC’s Congregational Development ministry will cover the registration cost of some participants, and scholarships are available. For more information contact Bill Brown or Lauren Harris. Learn more. Register.

Clergy Finding Resilience: Inspirit Counseling Services invites the clergy of the Baltimore-Washington Conference to this year’s program, Clergy Finding Resilience in Unimaginable Times featuring Dr. Robert Wicks, on May 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Grace UMC in Baltimore. Learn more and register.

Sign up now to join Bishop LaTrelle Easterling on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Jan. 29 - Feb. 7, 2024. This sacred journey to Israel and the West Bank will be hosted by the Society for Biblical Studies and costs $3,439. The theme of the trip is, "The Land of Jesus: Then and Now."

Learn more and register.

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