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The Rev. Mary Jane Coleman, a retired BWC Elder, died peacefully Saturday, May 6. She served congregations in the BWC and as district superintendent of the Washington East District until her retirement in 2005. 

We welcome Marsha Culler as the new Executive Assistant for Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling. Her first day will be May 9.

Mt. Olive builds beloved community through broadcast: Calvert: A Connected Community is a public access program sponsored by Mt. Olive UMC in Prince Frederick in partnership with the Calvert County government. The program is an outgrowth of research and civic engagement led by the Rev. Dana M. Jones and the Mt. Olive community as they promote concepts of the beloved community. The latest panel discussion, moderated by Wilson H. Parran, a certified lay minister, is on mental health. See the show.

Registration for the Second Saturday Serve Kickoff is now open! Second Saturday Serve is an initiative of the Baltimore-Washington Conference Volunteers in Mission to engage more people in service. Bring the entire family to West River Camp on Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to put your faith into action.

Volunteers In Mission teams will clear and blaze trails; clean sleeping areas and play spaces; organize, sort, and stage equipment; and paint. The cost is $25 per person, which provides project materials, lunch, and insurance. Scholarships are available for VIM team leaders registering with a team. For more information, contact  VIM@bwcumc.org.

Annual Conference hotel registration closes tonight at midnight for the reserved block of rooms at the Hilton Hotel in Baltimore.

Love in Action: Churches and individuals are invited to put Love into Action through service by purchasing school supplies that will be distributed to students at eight Baltimore schools during the Annual Conference session. Select the items you wish to give on the Amazon wish list by May 15. When checking out, you'll be prompted to choose a shipping address. Scroll down to the "other addresses" heading and select: "Heart of America/United Methodist School Supplies Gift Registry Address."

Campus Ministry Chaplain Sought: Applications for the campus ministry chaplaincy at Frostburg State University are being accepted through May 22. See the job description.

Wespath is hosting an interactive, virtual event for clergy on May 17 at 2 p.m. to provide information and insights about benefits, well-being and investments to help pastors better navigate their career and retirement. Learn more and register.

'Hope is invented every day': Check out the latest episode of Thursdays at the Table, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling's podcast, which features an intriguing conversation with guest Joel Goza, the author of America’s Unholy Ghosts: The Racist Roots of Our Faith and Politics.

The Epworth House Mission Project Committee will hold its annual spring virtual celebration to benefit their Wesley Seminary Missioner-in-Residence on June 17 at 11 a.m. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Alexis Faith Brown. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82845384079. A $20 donation may be sent to Epworth House Committee, 7008 Whitney Avenue, Forestville, MD 20747

'Here I Am': The BWC seeks to discover people whom God might be calling to use their gifts to serve and lead in district and conference ministries so that "more transformed lives, transform lives." Learn more about opportunities to live out your discipleship. The deadline for submitting a Leadership Interest Form is May 10.

Level Up is a video series that provides lessons in church leadership from the Rev. Jack Shitama of the Center of Vital Leadership. This week, Shitama explores the power of vulnerability. A new video premieres each Monday.

What footprints are you leaving in this world? How are you living and loving like Jesus? Explore these and other questions at Mission-Shaped Church, a weekly blog that helps leaders grow in discipleship. Written by the Revs. Bill Brown and Lauren Harris, who lead the BWC's innovative evangelism ministries, the blog is an important resource for those seeking to grow in their understanding of faith and "move from maintenance to mission."

Bayside Big Band Concert will perform in Glen Mar UMC’s free Summer Concert Series on May 19 at one 7 p.m. Three food trucks, Greek on the Street, Kona Ice, and Breaking the Borders, will be available from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bayside performs the music of famous big bands from the 1930s to the present day.

Blessing of the Bikes: Nottingham Myers UMC in Upper Marlboro and the Rev. Shemaiah Strickland will host a Bike Blessing of motorcycles on May 21 at 11 a.m.

Church bazaar: West Baltimore Unity UMC in Baltimore is looking for vendors for their bazaar on June 24 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact blountr2002@yahoo.com.

Assisting migrants with personal needs: As migrants continue to arrive in Washington, DC, we ask you to support our new neighbors. Donate now to help purchase much-needed undergarments for children and adults.

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Celebrating History: Strawbridge Shrine, near New Windsor, celebrates its annual Colonial Days on June 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This free, family-friendly event features skill demonstrations, music and tours of the shrine where Methodism began in America in 1760. The Shrine needs temporary tour guides to help during Colonial Days. They will provide a script that you can read to the visitors. Contact Helen at ledug2001@yahoo.com.

Partnerships between clergy and laity is the key to starting a sustainable, intentional discipleship pathway in a local church, said the Rev. T.J. Mount, a United Methodist local licensed pastor in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Mount offers four steps that can help get the job done. Read the commentary

Learn more about 100% of churches at 100% vitality.

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