Bishop’s Office
The season of Advent provides a blessing and an opportunity to reflect on and embrace how the greatest gift of God’s love … Jesus Christ … can heal the brokenness and loneliness in our lives, in our Church and in the world. As we journey through Advent and prepare for Christmas, let us not forget this fact … this promise … this hope. The fleeting distractions in the marketplace and in the media can easily beset the true meaning and joy of the miracle of Christmas but we must choose to claim Christmas … Christ’s coming in the world … as our eternal gift to behold. And, we must choose to walk in the promise of Christmas, the light of Jesus Christ.
Living the promise of Christmas and walking in the light of Christ is the work of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Be Love! Be Peace! Be Joy! Be Hope!
Read Bishop Malone’s entire Advent Message.
Multicultural Ministries
Perspectives: Understanding Poverty
Join us Saturday, January 5 for an Understanding Poverty simulation and discussion.
You are invited that day from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. to gather at Dueber UMC in Canton for an interactive experience that is designed to help participants begin to understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month to month.
This poverty simulation is the second Conference event hosted under the Perspectives focus that assists participants in learning from a different perspective. The simulation is free and includes a lunch and time for reflection and discussion.
Learn more and register by December 28.
Clergy
Migration Sunday
January 6
The Order of Deacons and Bishop Tracy S. Malone invite and encourage the pastors, congregations, and faith communities of the East Ohio Conference to participate in our inaugural Migration Sunday on January 6, 2019 by preaching and teaching that day about the social justice issue of migration.
“I celebrate the Order of Deacon’s commitment to provide leadership and to collaborate with others in planning a Migration Sunday to provide an opportunity to pray about the global migration crisis and to encourage pastors and congregations to discern ways to be in ministry with migrant communities,” Malone said.
Migration Sunday is a collaborative effort between the Order of Deacons, the office of Multicultural Vitality, the Board of Church and Society, and young clergy of the North Coast District.
Download Migration Sunday resources.
Missions
UMVIM Team Leader Training
Is 2019 the year you answer God’s call to lead a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission journey? Join East Ohio Conference UMVIM Coordinator Kathy Dickriede on February 2, 2019 at Damascus UMC for Team Leader Training. It will be a day of fellowship and conversation to learn about leading an UMVIM mission team locally, nationally or internationally!
Liberia UMVIM Journey, July 2019
A group of youth and young adults are coming together for a mission trip to Ganta Hospital and Camphor Mission in Liberia.
We’re looking for a medical team (pre-med students, doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, biomedical engineers, etc.) to go to Ganta Hospital. Camphor Mission is in need of anyone interested in building relationships, teacher training, VBS, and more!
An informational team meeting will be held on Sunday, January 6 at 2:00 at a location to be determined in the Akron area. E-mail Kathy Dickriede at kdickriede@gmail.com for more information.
Project Hope for the Homeless
The folks at Project Hope for the Homeless, Ecumenical Shelter Network of Lake County, EOC Advanced Special 9143, thank the East Ohio Conference for our support in making a difference in the lives of its guests.
The only emergency shelter in Lake County, Project Hope for the Homeless operates Families Moving Forward. The 12-bed, enclosed wing for families with children served 89 children and 54 parents last year, 90% of whom made a successful transition to secure a positive housing transition and/or secure behavioral health care or chemical dependency treatment. Families who live in the shelter make positive transitions thanks to referrals to more than 20 community partners, the care of countless volunteers, the expertise of staff members, and contributions from the East Ohio Conference.
Financial and Administrative Services
2019 Mileage Rates
The IRS announced it is revising the Standard Mileage Rates as of January 1, 2019. The standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
- 58 cents per mile for business miles driven
- 20 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
Pastoral Care and Counseling
Bi-weekly Resources
In the December 17 edition: We honor the waiting of Advent, the patience of our souls long, and the practice of Peace in ourselves and in the world.
- A Way Forward: Resisting the full flow of Love
- Advent, Dare to feel the Depth
- How Do We Make a Lasting Impact in a Culture of Instant Gratification?
- Praying for Peace in Advent: Praying with Elizabeth and Mary
- Walking with the Wise Men: A Meditation on the Feast of Epiphany
- 5 Tips for Holiday Stress Management
- Audio Meditation: 10 Minutes to Defuse Holiday Stress
- Spiritual Enrichment Groups
- Listings of our Spiritual Directors
Contact Us
If you have any questions or issues you would like for us to address or would like to get email 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:
- Fierce Marriage; Radically Pursuing Each Other in Light of Christ’s Relentless Love is a call to couples to put Christ at the center of their marriage, measuring everything they do and say to each other against what Christ did for them.
- Parables of Jesus examines several parables of Jesus, exploring the rich truths they reveal about who Jesus is and what He came to achieve through His life, death, and resurrection.
- I Declare War; Four Keys to Winning the Battle with Yourself shows how God has called each of us to an important assignment–to win the battle and claim the prize–but to fulfill that calling we first have to win the war within.
- Taste and See; Discovering God Among Butchers, Bakers, and Fresh Food Makers explores those metaphors focusing on a few examples that take us full-circle in the experience of harvesting a relationship with Christ.
- Along the Road; How Jesus Uses Geography to Tell God’s Story highlights how the land provided talking points, how Jewish teachers used the hills and valleys as a lesson plan.
To reserve these or other resources, call the Media Center at (800) 831-3972 x139 or send an e-mail to sarnold@eocumc.com. Browse the resource catalog here.
Message in the Movies
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
This film’s title does a good job describing the thesis of this movie, for it presents the true-life story of Lee Israel (McCarthy), a writer of celebrity profiles, who found herself at rock bottom in the early 1990’s. Her last book on Estée Lauder was a commercial flop and her agent (Jane Curtin) was disinterested in her pitch for a biography of Fanny Brice. Israel’s drinking was out of control and she was unable to keep other jobs in the workplace. In addition, she was a bit of a social curmudgeon and not welcome in the inner circles of the publishing world.
Credit Union
December Closings
On Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25cCr, all offices of The United Methodist Financial Credit Union will be closed for the Christmas holiday. Visit www.umethodist.com to access home banking where members may view share account balances, transfer funds, and pay bills anytime.
Events: December 17 – January 6
Click to view East Ohio Conference Calendar.
- Thurs, Dec 20
The Smithville High School Choralettes & Debonairs Luncheon @ Smithville UMC - Fri, Dec 21
Gospel Blue Grass Jam @ Manchester UMC - Fri, Dec 21
Blue Christmas Worship @ Coalburg UMC - Sat, Dec 22
Blue Christmas Worship Service @ Christ Woodland UMC - Sun, Dec 23
Adult Choir Cantata @ Smithville UMC - Sun, Dec 23
Blue Christmas @ Crossroads UMC - Mon, Dec 24
Christmas Eve in the Circle @ University Circle UMC - Mon, Dec 24
Christmas Eve Services @ Smithville UMC - Mon, Dec 24
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service @ Winfield UMC - Monday, Dec 31
Ashland Community New Years Eve Party/Watch Night @ Jennifer Whitmore - Fri, Jan 4
Tuscarawas District Youth Leaders – Coffee & Conversation @ Four Kids Coffee - Sat, Jan 5
Poverty Simulation @ Dueber UMC
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.)
Obituaries
Please pray for the family of:
Melissa Sue Stoddard, spouse of Everett Stoddard, died December 8.
Classifieds
Details of listings may be found here.
Positions Available
- Childcare Coordinator – Willoughby UMC
- Director of Youth Ministry – UMC of Uniontown
- Director of the Tots Learning Center – First UMC of Ravenna
To submit a classified ad please email swilliams@eocumc.com
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The next scheduled edition of the E-News is Monday, January 7, 2019. Deadline for submission is Wednesday, January 2. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.
