#BeUMC
East Ohio Conference laity and clergy are invited to be part of – and spread the word about – the grassroots #BeUMC campaign that is built upon powerful stories of congregations and people living their faith through The United Methodist Church.
When you share your one- to two-minute story you will be a powerful witness to others of the many ways The United Methodist Church continues to change lives and transform our communities and the world. E-mail Brett Hetherington, EOC Communications specialist, to arrange a time to share your #BeUMC story.
View #BeUMC stories & the EOC #BeUMC website.
Each episode of our East Ohio Conference podcast, Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation, explores what it means to #BeUMC.
Episode 14 is titled “Disciple Making: Loving God, Loving Neighbor, Building Community, Transforming Lives.” The episode features conversation with leadership of Crossroads UMC and Canton for All People about how the local church is forming disciples of Jesus Christ, expanding its reach in the community, and initiating and collaborating with faith leaders, community leaders, and civic leaders to make lives better for the people of Canton, Ohio.
For questions about Communications ministries such as the #BeUMC campaign, live-streaming, licensing, social media and more, please e-mail Rick Wolcott, executive director of Communications, or visit the Communications pages of the Conference website.
Clergy
Bishops’ Retreat with Black Clergy – October 4-6
The Bishops’ Retreat with Black Clergy is a joint retreat for the Black clergy of the East Ohio Conference and the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church hosted by Bishop Tracy S. Malone and Bishop Gregory V. Palmer. The theme of this year’s retreat is “Preach! Preacher, Preach!” The retreat is October 4-6 at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center, Ohio.
The guest facilitator is the Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman, Ph.D., who will appear with a team from WomanPreach! Inc. Rev. Dr. Bridgeman is the dean and vice president for Academic Affairs at Methodist Theological School in Ohio and the founder, president, and CEO of WomanPreach! Inc.
Cost is $200/person double occupancy. Single room and commuter rates are also available. Registration includes dinner on Wednesday, October 4, three meals on Thursday, October 5, and breakfast and lunch on Friday, October 6. Overnight accommodations for Wednesday and Thursday night are for rooms at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center. If you have any questions about the event, please e-mail Melanie Thomas, EOCUMC Connectional Ministries office administrative assistant, or call her at (330) 499-3972 ext. 102.
Learn more and register on the Events Registration page of the Conference website.
Ordination Celebration at Lakeside Chautauqua – August 14
As part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Lakeside Chautauqua this summer Lakeside leadership will honor the hundreds of United Methodist pastors from the East Ohio Conference and the West Ohio Conference who have been ordained in Hoover Auditorium. A special ordination celebration is planned on Monday, August 14 at 7:30 p.m. inside Hoover Auditorium with a reception to follow. A special gate fee of $10 per person will be offered for clergy and spouse/significant other and a parking pass for the South lot will be included. The cost for children and youth will be $5. Normal gate fees are $30/person, $17/youth, and a parking pass is $8.
With this special gate pass, you may arrive anytime on Monday and stay until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 15. All facilities of Lakeside Chautauqua, including the pool, will be open for your enjoyment. Both Hotel Lakeside and the Fountain Inn are offering a special rate of $109 pre-tax, which includes breakfast. Come, relax, and reconnect with fellow pastors and families and enjoy this special time at Lakeside.
RSVP for the Ordination Celebration to receive more information.
Missions & Community Engagement
Midwest Mission Collection at Annual Conference 2023
Thank you to everyone who brought in donations for the Midwest Mission truck at Annual Conference 2023. The Mission collected 6,866 lbs. of items. Churches also donated a little over $2,000 to the Midwest Mission Conference Advance (EOC 9944).
Learn more about Midwest Mission.
Donate to support Midwest Mission Fund 9944.
Bridges Out of Poverty Cohort – September 6
The Bridges Out of Poverty virtual cohort hosted by Missions & Community Engagement of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church will meet twice a month from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning September 6.
Participants will meet via Zoom to read and discuss Bridges Out of Poverty Strategies for Professionals and Communities (5th Edition) and to investigate opportunities for Bridges implementation within their communities. The cohort is free, but participants are required to purchase the Bridges book. E-mail Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement director, with any questions about this opportunity.
Register to participate in the virtual cohort on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
UMVIM Team Leader Training – October 1
A United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) team leader training will be held on October 1 at 1:00 p.m. at First UMC of New Philadelphia. Participants will: share best practices for leading a mission team locally, nationally, and internationally; connect with others who have a heart for missions; discover the many resources and locations available through The UMC to lead mission journeys with youth and adults; develop a strategy for sharing the mission story, and become equipped for reaching new, young, and diverse people to be a part of your next UMVIM journey. We do this so that we can be God’s agents of transformation in our communities and around the world!
There is no cost for the training, but participants need to register online in advance. If you have questions about the training, e-mail Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement director, who will lead the team leader training.
Register to participate in the training on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
OPEN M Ministry of Faith, Health and Hope
OPEN M Health Services Director Shannon Barney shares about OPEN M (EOC 9102):
“OPEN M is a Christian non-profit organization that serves more than 50,000 individuals annually with food, health, and employment services – all intended to create pathways out of poverty. Located in the Summit Lake neighborhood of Akron, OPEN M leverages a community alliance of churches, businesses and more than 2,000 volunteers to offer programs to those in need residing in the Greater Akron Area and Summit County. Our Health Services mission is to provide compassionate, quality medical care, dental care, health education and prescription medications free of charge to adults who are uninsured. Our services are made possible through grants and community donations though we rely on a team of healthcare providers who volunteer their time and expertise to serve our clients. With the complexity of healthcare and the need for good quality care for our patients, we continuously need to expand our reach, increase our services, and lengthen our hours of operation. As we continue to serve our community, we desire to incorporate all aspects of health and human services from modern western medicine to holistic arts of healing.
“If you or someone you know wish to join us in our mission to serve, we are currently seeking volunteers in the following specialties: Acupuncture, Social Services, Chiropractor, Dental, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Ophthalmology, Optometry, Orthopedics, Podiatry, Psychiatry, Pulmonology, Urology, Women’s Health, Yoga Instructor, Massage Therapist, Dentist, Dental Hygienist, and General / Family Medicine. If you have questions about these opportunities, please e-mail Shannon Barney or call her at (330) 434-0110 ext. 406 for further information.
Learn more about OPEN M.
Donate to support OPEN M Fund 9102.
For questions about Missions & Community Engagement ministries and opportunities, please e-mail the Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement director, or visit the Missions & Community Engagement pages of the Conference website.
Young People’s Ministries
AC 2023 T-Shirt Sale Supported the Youth Service Fund
Thank you to everyone who purchased an Annual Conference 2023 t-shirt! Your generosity raised a little over $3,500 for the Youth Service Fund (EOC 9162). For every dollar raised, $.10 supports the General Church Youth Service Fund and $.90 supports the East Ohio Conference Youth Service Fund (EOC 9162). Those funds are used at the discretion of the Conference Council of Youth Ministries with oversight by Executive Director of Connectional Ministries Rev. Edward Fashbaugh.
Donate to support Youth Service Fund 9162.
For questions about Young People’s Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Pastor Christy Suffecool or e-mail Tim Beck, Connectional Ministries office Young People’s Ministries co-directors, or visit the Young People’s Ministries pages of the Conference website.
United Women in Faith
You are invited to the installation service of Sally Vonner as general secretary and CEO of United Women in Faith. View the service live online at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 29. The service will be held at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX.
“My primary focus is to continue and expand the mission and reach of United Women in Faith as we put our love and faith in action to change the world, and work to improve the lives of women, children, and youth around the world,” Vonner said. “I commit to lead with faith and trust in God, the support of the directors, the Program Advisory Group, my colleagues, and most of all, the members of United Women in Faith.”
Register to view the installation service live online.
Message in the Movies
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
This is the seventh film in the franchise, but you do not need to remember or rewatch every episode that came before. Like the best James Bond films, the first scene introduces a sinister adversary. It’s The Entity, an A.I. program that has the capacity to infiltrate every computer system in the world. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) will need to find two interlocking pieces that create a master key that can change the programming of The Entity and save the planet from major catastrophe.
Others want to possess this key for their own purposes, so the race is on!
This is silly and generic plotting, but just enough to set up some of the most entertaining action sequences in recent years. Tom Cruise spent weeks in rehearsal to perform some of his most dangerous feats, assisted by dozens of professional stunt actors.
Classifieds
Details of listings may be found here.
Positions Available
- Organist – North Olmsted UMC
- Children’s Education Coordinator – Willoughby UMC
- Sports Ministry Coordinator – Rocky River UMC
- Youth Ministry Coordinator – Medina UMC
To submit a classified ad please e-mail swilliams@eocumc.com.
To Subscribe
To subscribe to E-News and all East Ohio Conference news updates, enter your email address in the “Follow News via Email” widget on the right sidebar. Information from this E-News may be copied and used in your local church. The next scheduled edition of the E-News is Monday, August 7, 2023.
Deadline for submission is Thursday, August 3, 2023. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.
East Ohio News 