MAY 14, 2018

EOC News

Appointments and Changes of Status

Appointments
Bishop Tracy S. Malone, in the past two weeks, has announced the following East Ohio Conference clergy appointments:

  • Peter Bellamy, Greenwich UMC | FL
  • Josh Bender, South Amherst First UMC | FL
  • Kristen Buchs, Sycamore & Union-Salem UMCs | FL
  • Jeff Calkins, Conesville, New Moscow & Tyndall UMCs | TR
  • Richard Carpenter, Newport & Sand Hill UMCs | SH
  • Wayne Clark, Lisbon UMC (West Ohio Conference ¶346.1) | MV
  • Jean Cooper, Barnesville Main & Pleasant Ridge UMCs | SH
  • Richard Cox, Morristown UMC | SH
  • Lori Douglas-Weaver, West Salem UMC | FL
  • Wendy Erb, Hills UMC | SH
  • Nicholas Gliha, Chagrin Falls UMC, Assoc. Pastor | NC
  • Carolyn Greene, South Vernon & Green Valley Chapel UMCs TR
  • John Idoine, Danville UMC | TR
  • Mikayla Kovacik, Wellsville & Highlandtown UMCs | MV
  • Liz Krall, Perry UMC, WR
  • Sam Martin, Firestone Park UMC | CN
  • Dave McGrath, York UMC | CN
  • Sean McLeod, North Bloomfield & Orwell UMCs | WR
  • Marcus Mills, Cory UMC (Susquehanna Conference ¶346.1) | NC
  • Matthew Phipps, Henrietta UMC | FL
  • Amy Shipley, Bennetts Corners & Brook Park UMCs | NC
  • Carolyn Smith, Columbiana & North Lima Calvary UMCs | MV
  • David Smithey, Nevada & Liberty UMCs | MO
  • Jan Sprague, Edison & Iberia UMCs | MO
  • Barbara Stephens-Rich, Milan Edison Memorial UMC | FL
  • Mike Ward, Cuyahoga Falls First UMC, Associate Pastor | CN
  • Joel Weekley, McConnelsville Trinity UMC | SH
  • Ben Weisbrod, Johnsonville Grace & Steam Corners UMCs | MO
  • Bob Welch, Lakeshore UMC | NC
  • Mark Zimmer, Somerton & Jerusalem UMCs | SH

Concluding Ministry

  • Floyd Costello, West Salem UMC | FL
Districts Key: (CN) Canal, (FL) Firelands, (MO) Mid-Ohio, (MV) Mahoning Valley,  (NC) North Coast,  (OV) Ohio Valley, (SH) Southern Hills, (TR) Three Rivers,  (TW) Tuscarawas,  (WR) Western Reserve

View the entire list of appointments and changes of status.

Constitutional Amendments

New Vote on Constitutional Amendment 1
After voting results were released last week, an error was discovered in the wording of Constitutional Amendment 1: Gender Equality.  Secretary of General Conference the Rev. Gary Graves said that the correct wording of Amendment 1 will be sent to Conferences this week for a new vote on the Amendment.

Voting on Constitutional Amendment 1: Gender Equality has been added to the agenda for East Ohio Annual Conference 2018.

“Members of the Annual Conference will now have an opportunity to make a faithful, just and informed decision as they re-vote on Amendment 1 that will add language to The United Methodist Church constitution that will claim that both women and men are created in the image of God and that our church will work for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls.”

There is no change in the announced voting results of the other four Constitutional Amendments.

Read Bishop Malone’s reflection If Not Now, When!? If Not Us, Who!?

Read GCSRW Statement Regarding Proposed Constitutional Amendments 1 and 2

Lay Leaders

Kimberly Green headshot

Kimberly Green Named EOC Lay Leader
Bishop Tracy S. Malone has named Kimberly Green lay leader of the East Ohio Conference.  Effective July 1 she will succeed Greg Rentsch, who is stepping down after serving six years in the position.

“Kimberly brings a strong passion and personal faith commitment to Christian discipleship and mission,” Malone said.  “Her various leadership roles in the local church, and at the district- and Conference-levels demonstrate her ability to work and serve with lay and clergy to advance the Church’s mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

Green is the lay leader at Celebration United Methodist Church (North Coast District) and a lay member to Annual Conference.  She also is co-chair of the North Coast District Strategy Committee, a member of both the North Coast District Leadership Development Committee and the North Coast District Strategic Funding Committee, and serves on the Conference Committee on Episcopacy.

“I am very excited and honored to serve in a greater capacity in The United Methodist Church,” Green said.  “It is prayer that gives me the ability to be a bold and courageous leader.  I am committed to do all that God has blessed me to do in making disciples for Jesus Christ.”

The director of Nursing Services at The MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Green is involved in several ministry initiatives that link her life’s work in healthcare with helping families and communities thrive.  She is passionate about serving and helping others outside the church walls.

Green earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science in Nursing, with a concentration in Leadership and Management, from University of Phoenix.

She and her husband Anthony are the parents of two adult daughters.

Thank You East Ohio Conference - Hand with envelope

Finance and Administration

General Church Apportionments
The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) has recognized the East Ohio Conference for paying our General Church Apportionments at 100% in 2017.  This is the 12th consecutive year that the Conference has paid 100%. View certificate.

Communications

Microtrainings Available Online, Anytime
United Methodist Communications (UMCom) offers affordable online training courses, with professional instruction available on your time. Microtrainings are a learning method designed to deliver effective content in a timeframe ranging from 15 – 20 minutes.  These “burst of knowledge,” or micro-trainings, will equip you with communication practices that you can start applying to your congregations today.

Current trainings include Facebook Outreach, Sharing Your Church Through Pictures, and Sharing Your Church Through Video.  Learn more and register.

Council on Ministries

Summer Administrative Intern
East Ohio Conference Council on Ministries is accepting applications for persons interested in serving as an administrative intern. Start date for the paid Summer Administrative Intern position is June 1.  The chosen intern will work at least 30 hours per week, with work concluding in August.

The administrative intern will be responsible for organizing administrative, accounting, and clerical tasks, as well as communications, answering the telephone, responding to e-mail, and other duties as assigned.  Candidates must be capable of exercising initiative and being motivated for excellence.  The person chosen for this position will represent The United Methodist Church in all that they do.

Applicants must e-mail a letter of interest and a current resume to scourt@eocumc.com by May 25, 2018.

Missions

Change the world logo

Change the World Day is May 19
Change the world with the Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland.  Come by yourself, bring a friend, or come as a church.

The day is about serving others and making a difference.  Plan to arrive at 8:30 a.m., have lunch at your worksite, participate in a 4:00 p.m. worship service at the Nehemiah Mission, and head home at 4:30 p.m.

Participants are asked to make a donation of $20/person to help cover the cost of lunch and the supplies and materials that will be used. Learn more and register.

Drivers Needed
The Midwest Mission Distribution Center is in need of at least two drivers to drive a 24’-26’ rental truck from Lakeside, Ohio to Pawnee, Illinois to deliver mission supplies to the distribution center.  The cargo will include cleaning buckets and supplies, health kits, school totes and supplies, layettes, and miscellaneous items donated during West Ohio and East Ohio Annual Conferences.

Midwest Mission Distribution Center will cover the cost of renting the truck.  It is looking for drivers to:

  • Pick up a truck on Sunday, June 3 and drive it to Lakeside Chautauqua, and then leave at noon on Wednesday, June 6 and drive the truck to Pawnee, Illinois – and/or
  • Pick up a truck on Sunday, June 10 and drive it to Lakeside Chautauqua, and then leave at noon on Wednesday, June 13 and drive the truck to Pawnee, Illinois.

Drivers must be licensed – but DO NOT have to have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).  Drivers must also have a vehicle to return home.

To volunteer, or for more information, please e-mail the Rev. Jeff Coggins at pastorjeff@netscape.com.

Multicultural Vitality

Ministerial Recruitment Institute is July 15-20
Ministerial Recruitment Institute (MRI) is a spiritual retreat for youth ages 12-18.  It offers a space and an environment in which young people can hear, question, consider, struggle, and respond to God’s call and claim on their lives to become true Christian disciples, leaders, ministers, pastors and evangelists.  The MRI experience helps teens move from knowledge of God to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

MRI 2018 will be held July 15-20 on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University.  During that one week’s time, the youth and their Christian adult mentors, teachers, pastors and staff become a community of faith as they live, sing, play, worship, study, pray, laugh and cry together.

Regular-price registration ends May 21.  Learn more and register.

Camps and Retreat Ministries

When it comes to faith development, we need to make the most of the elementary and youth years. The Barna Group states that two out of three Christians – 64%- make their commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday.  And most kids develop their entire idea of who God is and choose whether or not they’ll have a relationship with Christ before leaving the 5th grade.   A life-changing experience is right around the corner for the young people in your congregation and community at Aldersgate, Asbury and Wanake!

Check out each site link above or at www.EOCSummercamps.org to find out more or to register. For a brochure call 1-800-831-3972 ext. 108.

Health and Welfare

Copeland Oaks Honored
Copeland Oaks, one of our five EOC Health and Welfare agencies, recently received the United Methodist Association (UMA) and EAGLE Best Practice Award.  The UMA Best Practice Award is given to organizations doing standard practices in an outstanding way.

This year, Copeland Oaks was recognized for the Health and Wellness – Lifestyle Change and the Senior Slimfest Program.  Participants partner with students enrolled in the Exercise Science Program at the University of Mount Union and they meet twice a week in one of the Copeland Oaks Wellness Centers or at the Athletic Complex at the University. These sessions include cardio, flexibility and strength training. Participants focus on maintaining a healthy weight, as well as improving their strength and balance.

“This program is a wonderful experience for the students to improve the quality of life for older adults in the community,” said Dr. Katherine Clark, associate professor of Exercise Science in the Department of Human Performance at UMU.

Pastoral Care and Counseling

Bi-weekly Resources
In the May 14 issue we address:  Be Still and Know. . . These words guide us into a contemplative experience of God, the world, ourselves and others from which grows a deepening sense of community. This issue celebrates the connecting contribution of James Cone, ourselves and God’s gift of calm.

• A Way Forward: Community and the Spiritual Journey
• Celebrating the Life of the Founder of Black Liberation Theology
• YouTube: Tribute to James Cone
• Audio: Meditation for Listening to Your Many Selves
• Calm Racing Thoughts with this Energy Practice
• Train Your Nervous System for Calm
• The One Relationship We Can Never Leave
• Spiritual Practice Groups and Listings of our Spiritual Directors

Contact Us
If you have any questions or issues you would like for us to address or if you would like to receive e-mail alerts when new resources have been posted, please contact Howard Humphress at hkhumphress@gmail.com or use our quick contact form.

Media Center

The Media Center recently acquired the following resources:

  • Pursuing God; Encountering His Love and Beauty in the Bible will awaken participants to the Lord’s beauty and love in a fresh and transformative way through the books of Genesis and the Gospel of John.
  • Grace, Not Perfection; Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy describes the journey that lead the author to pursuing a simpler life–one that allowed her to breathe, laugh, and grow–and provides ways for others to simplify their lives.
  • Know the Creeds and Councils explains key statements of faith and its historical context, provides a simple overview of the statement’s content and key points, and reflects on its contemporary relevance.
  • Heaven by Randy Alcorn answers common questions about heaven based on Biblical Truths.
  • Friend of Sinners shows that following Jesus’ example, we can have the same clear conviction and compassion for the lost that He did.

To reserve these or other resources, call the Media Center at (800) 831-3972 x 139 or send an e-mail to sarnold@eocumc.com. Browse the resource catalog at www.rqmweb.com/eocumc

Message in the Movies

Message in the Movies banner (colorful film strip

Tully Before watching Tully (the third comedy-drama from writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman who also collaborated on Juno and Young Adult), I was already persuaded that pregnancy and child raising was a difficult and challenging task, beginning with nine months of creating a child followed by another solid nine months of caring for an infant. And, no matter how much I tried to help my wife with our two sons, the brunt of the work was my wife’s to do.

After watching Tully, I was convinced that I should have been horrified about parenting. Read entire review.

Credit Union

Memorial Day Closing
On Monday May 28, 2018 all offices of The United Methodist Financial Credit Union will be closed in observance of Memorial Day. Members may check account balances, pay bills, or transfer funds anytime through our website, www.umethodist.com or on our mobile app.

Events: April 30- May 14

Click to view East Ohio Conference Calendar.

To submit your event to the East Ohio calendar use this form.
(The East Ohio Conference only accepts East Ohio United Methodist local church, conference and general UM events for listing on the conference calendar.)

Classifieds

Positions Available
Details of listings may be found here. 

  • Administrative Intern, East Ohio Conference Council On Ministries Office
  • Youth Group Leader, Chardon UMC 05.10.18
  • Part-time Director Men’s Ministry/Congregational Care Ministry, Church of the Lakes
  • Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Carrollton First UMC
  • Director of Christian Education, Carrollton First UMC
  • Worship Leader/ Organist, Niles First
  • Part-time Secretary, Harpersfield UMC
  • Connection/Family Ministry Coordinator, New Beginnings UMC
  • Pianist, Winfield UMC

To submit a classified ad please email sue@eocumc.com

Obituaries

Please pray for the families of

  • Christine E. Germaine, spouse of John M. Germaine, retired elder, who died May 5, 2018.
  • Judith K. Reinke, spouse of Daniel Reinke, retired local pastor, who died May 4, 2018.
  • Richard L. Burns, retired elder, who died May 1, 2018.

Obituary notices may be found here.

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The next scheduled edition of the E-News is Tuesday, May 29, 2018.  Deadline for submission is May 23.