October 2, 2023

EOC News

#BeUMC

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Rev. Gerald and Pastor Sheena Cameron share why they are United Methodist:

“As someone who comes to the Methodist Church from a different denomination, I was included and felt as if it was home for me. So, I am UMC because of its intentionality on inclusion,” said Rev. Gerald Cameron.

“I’m UMC because it is a place where my calling is affirmed. Being a Black woman in ministry it’s important to me to not only include me at the table but the diversity of the denomination, the diversity of churches, the diversity of ministry expressions, and definitely the diversity of initiatives that we take part in as a church,” said Pastor Sheena Cameron.

Make plans now to tell the story of how your life has been changed through the ministries of The United Methodist Church. To share your one- to two-minute #BeUMC story, e-mail Brett Hetherington, EOC Communications specialist.

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 19 is titled “Belonging and Inclusion: Building a Community Ecumenical Youth Ministry”. The episode features conversation with Rev. Becky Evanoff of Northampton UMC and Pastor Jim Steingass of St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church about the ‘Verge youth ministry they are building with a Bhutanese congregation in their shared community.

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.

Bishop’s Office

EOC Transitioning from 10 Districts to Four Effective January 1
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” – Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

God is doing a new thing in the East Ohio Conference and preparing a way for new vitality within our structures and local churches and making provision for a future with hope.

During the 2023 East Ohio Annual Conference members made a courageous and faithful decision, voting to transition from 10 districts to four, effective January 1, 2024. The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church gives the Annual Conference the responsibility for determining the number of districts and gives the bishop and Cabinet the responsibility to draw the district boundaries. The Cabinet and I spent three days in retreat and have done the intentional work of remapping the district boundaries.

We continue to be confident that by reducing the number of districts, remapping the areas of each district, creating a new district leadership structure, and deploying superintendency teams to each district, we will strengthen, support and further the resourcing of pastors, local churches, and faith communities. This restructuring of the districts will also help us provide greater stewardship and alignment of resources. Having four districts instead of 10 will allow for us to re-direct more attention to the local church, provide greater flexibility with resources, generate more opportunity for creative ministries and the possibility for starting fresh expressions and new faith communities.

There is more work to be done. On October 25, I will announce the assignments of the superintendents, and they will begin ministry in the new districts January 1.

This is a time of remarkable opportunity! I invite us to be in prayer together as we live into this exciting new way of being connected in ministry and mission.

Read Bishop Malone’s message in its entirety and visit the re-districting website.

Naming the Districts
You are invited to submit names for the new districts for Conference leadership to consider. As you pray and consider the new movement in Christ in the East Ohio Conference, you are encouraged to dream and imagine new district names:

  • that celebrate that we are one body in Christ and that our oneness transcends boundaries, and
  • that recognize that we are one in relationship to Christ, one in relationship with each other, and one in relationship with our shared vision and mission.

Proposed district names that emphasize the mission and ministries of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church should be submitted to Executive Director of Communications Rick Wolcott via e-mail at wolcott@eocumc.com by Friday, October 6. The submitted names will be shared with the bishop and Cabinet.
 
Churches in Each District
New district boundaries were created with a focus on mission. In most cases, all East Ohio Conference churches in a county are in the same district. But in a few cases, because of mission, a church in one county has been placed into the district of a neighboring county.

View the churches in each new district, listed alphabetically by county.

Financial & Administrative Services

Online Payments from Churches
The Conference offers the ability to make online donations and apportionment payments. To use this service, churches need to pay using an electronic fund transfer from their bank account. Payments cannot be made using a credit card. If you have any questions about online payments, please e-mail Eva Casey, accounts receivable, or call her at (800) 831-3972 ext. 135.

For questions about Financial & Administrative Services ministries and opportunities, please e-mail Vera Rebrovich, executive director of Financial & Administrative Services, or visit the Financial & Administrative Services pages of the Conference website.

Communications

Church Website 411 & Social Media 411
People will visit your church online to determine if they will visit in-person. Visit the Communications pages of the East Ohio Conference website to learn best practices for using your church website and social media platforms to share how the ministries of your church are transforming lives in your community and beyond.

Visit the Church Websites 411 page to learn about:

  • information that should be included on every church website and church office phone message,
  • the types of photos to post on the church website,
  • UMC-themed WordPress website templates that are available to your church.

Visit the Church Websites 411 page of the EOC website.

Visit the Social Media 411 page to learn about:

  • best practices for creating social media posts that do no harm and that do good,
  • best practices for posting to Facebook, and guidance for how many times per day that you should post to your ministry page on that platform,
  • best practices for posting to Instagram, and guidance for how many times per day that you should post to your ministry page on that platform,
  • best practices for posting to Twitter, and guidance for how many times per day that you should post to your ministry page on that platform, and
  • best practices for posting to TikTok and Snapchat.

Visit the Social Media 411 page of the EOC website.

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.

Connectional Ministries

New Phone Extension
Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement director Rev. Kathy Dickriede has a new phone extension. Please update any phone list(s) you may have to reflect Kathy’s new extension, 114. The phone number of the Area Center remains the same: (330) 499-3972 or (800) 831-3972.

View the staff page on the East Ohio Conference website.

Connectional Ministries Office Facebook Page
Follow the Connectional Ministries office on Facebook to find updates, valuable links, events, pictures and more from: Strategic Ministries, Multicultural Ministries, Missions & Community Engagement, Young People’s Ministries, Spiritual Formation, Camps & Retreat Ministries, and Higher Education.

Visit the new Connectional Ministries Facebook page.

For questions about ministries of the Connectional Ministries office, please e-mail the Rev. Ed Fashbaugh, executive director of Connectional Ministries, or visit the Connectional Ministries pages of the Conference website.

Multicultural Ministries

Anti-Racism Sunday – October 15
The East Ohio Conference and The United Methodist Church stand against racism. On Sunday, October 15, EOC churches, pastors, and faith communities are invited by the Ohio Council of Churches to join in solidarity with other congregations across the state to observe Anti-Racism Sunday. If you are unable to participate on October 15, the Council encourages choosing a different Sunday on which to observe Anti-Racism Sunday.

“We believe Jesus came to offer abundant life, a flourishing life to all of humanity,” said Ohio Council of Churches Executive Director Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan Jr. “Racism is a public health threat that is in clear and active opposition to the values and vision of Jesus Christ. We Christians are compelled by the love of God to detect, disrupt, and dismantle racism in all of its forms.”

Register on the Ohio Council of Churches website.

Black Theologian Day – November 18
This year’s Black Theologian Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 18 from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Cory UMC in Cleveland. The theme, Perspectives: Just Economy, will focus on economic development and the church’s role in creating communities in which everyone thrives economically.

The guest theologian for Black Theologian Day is the Rev. Dr. Sidney S. Williams, Jr. pastor of Bethel Church of Morristown, New Jersey. Since 2005, Rev. Dr. Williams, a husband, father, educator, author, and non-profit leader, has been training leaders of faith communities using the proprietary F.I.S.H. model he developed for churches. Dr. Williams’ scholarship is focused primarily on an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how theological and marketplace frameworks interact — and more significantly, how they should interact.

East Ohio Conference Perspectives events highlight another perspective by centering voices we do not often hear. Black Theologian Day is open to EVERYONE to come and learn how your church and community can thrive by hearing from a Black theologian.

Learn more and register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.

For questions about Multicultural Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Will Fenton-Jones, Connectional Ministries office Multicultural Ministries director, or visit the Multicultural Ministries pages of the Conference website.

Strategic Ministries

SAS Leadership Visioning Day Retreat – November 4
Clergy and laity of churches utilizing a simplified structure are invited to join Simplified Accountable Structure (SAS) coaches Pastor Rick Oaks and Rev. Jeff Croft on Saturday, November 4 for a day of visioning and workshopping to prepare your leadership board for the upcoming year. Visioning and preparing is crucial to starting the new year well and focusing forward with your board.

Hosted at beautiful Camp Wanake, the SAS Leadership Visioning Day Retreat is designed for incoming board members and their clergy. The cost is $10/person for the event, which is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on November 4.

Learn more and register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.

For questions about Strategic Ministries opportunities, please e-mail the Rev. Beth Ortiz, Connectional Ministries office Strategic Ministries director, or visit the Strategic Ministries pages on the Conference website.

Missions & Community Engagement

Grant Writing Seminar – October 23
Are you dreaming a God-sized dream for the work of building the kingdom of God and need help funding that dream? The Connectional Ministries office, the Board of Missions, and the Health & Well-Being Committee of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church are working together to resource and equip our churches, agencies, and mission sites for stronger ministry.

On Monday October 23 Ashland First UMC will be the host site of a grant writing seminar that will offer participants an opportunity to discover how to connect with a giving stream beyond local church tithes, gifts, and offerings. The keynote speaker for the seminar will be Rev. Don Ackerman of Canton For All People. Small group workshops will be led by:

  • Constance M. Clark, founder and president of MISSION POSSIBLE: Nonprofit Solutions, LTD.
  • Rev. Joy Fenton-Jones, UCC pastor and Rev. Gregory Kendrick, Elder at Jubilee Co-op Parish
  • Pastor Brian Sheetz, executive director of the Methodist Foundation of Ohio
  • Susan O’Donnell Black, executive director of the UM Foundation of West Ohio

The cost is only $10 to cover lunch and refreshments. The seminar will be on Monday, October 23 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Ashland First UMC, 220 Sandusky Street Ashland, OH 44805. If you have questions about the seminar, please e-mail Rev. Kathy Dickriede.

Learn more and register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.

Poverty Simulation – November 9
Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. But unless you’ve experienced poverty, it’s difficult to truly understand. To aid in understanding, make plans now to participate in the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) at the United Methodist Church of Macedonia from 9:00 a.m. – noon on Thursday, November 9. CAPS is an interactive, immersion experience that sensitizes participants to the realities of poverty and bridges the gap from misconception to understanding that is based on real Community Action clients and their lives. CAPS is not a game. It exists to promote poverty awareness, increase understanding, inspire local change, and transform perspectives.

There is no cost to participate in the poverty simulation, which will be hosted by the Nordonia Hills Community Connection and facilitated by Connectional Ministries office team members Will Fenton-Jones and Rev. Kathy Dickriede.

Learn more and register on the Event Registration page of the EOC website.

Early Response Team (ERT) Trainings – November 11 or November 12
The Disaster Response Committee is offering United Methodist Committee on Relief Early Response Team (UMCOR ERT) trainings on Friday, November 10 at Wanake Camp & Retreat Center and on Saturday, November 11 at Chardon UMC.

ERT training teaches best practices for responding as a volunteer when disaster strikes. Members of these teams are not first-responders; they are trained to assist survivors, remove debris, clean out flood-damaged homes, place tarps on homes, and prevent further damage, all while providing a caring, Christian presence. ERT is a collaborative effort of UMCOR and United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM).

Learn more and register on the Event Registration page of the EOC website.

Estonia UMVIM Journey – July 2024
Rev. Kathryn Adams will lead a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) team to Estonia in July 2024. Members will participate in a week-long camp and interact with children at an orphanage. The camp is in the town of Aa, Estonia on the Gulf of Finland and the sponsoring organization is The United Methodist Church of Estonia. The cost of the trip is approximately $3,000 and the deadline to register is March 1. An informational meeting is scheduled for October 22 at 4:00 p.m. at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Canfield. If you are interested in more information about this opportunity, please e-mail Rev. Kathryn Adams.

Learn about this and other UMVIM journeys on the EOC website.

Trials For Hope and Calvary UMC Offer Free Community Meal
Trials For Hope is one of our new Advance Mission Partners (Fund 9982) and it is collaborating with Calvary UMC in Lakewood to offer a free community meal on October 14 and October 28, and then on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. The ministries will also give away household items, clothing, and diapers.

View the Community Meal flyer.
Donate to Trials for Hope (Fund 9982).

Thrive 10:10 Fall Events
Thrive 10:10 is an East Ohio Conference Mission Advance Partner (Fund 9979) located in Girard. It provides clothing, hygiene, and beauty items to women and families who otherwise cannot afford them.  Thrive 10:10 has a full calendar of fall events in which East Ohio Conference churches, clergy and laity can participate including Ruth’s Boutique on October 16 and a Lunch & Learn on November 4 with Mark Vivacqua from Generations Behavioral Health.

View the Thrive 10:10 Fall Events flyer.
Donate to Thrive 10:10 (Fund 9979).

Gay Street UMC is an Official Midwest Mission Collection Site
The East Ohio Conference has supported Midwest Mission (Missions Advance partner Fund 9944) for many years by collecting donations at Annual Conference and organizing drive-through collections for Christmas during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, we are happy to announce that Gay Street UMC has become the first permanent collection site in Ohio for the Midwest Mission.

This means that year-round donors can bring items for Midwest Mission to Gay Street UMC, 18 N. Gay Street, Mount Vernon, OH 43050. Items can be dropped off at the site between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on non-holiday Mondays or make an appointment to do by calling (740) 694-1603.

Learn more about the Gay Street UMC Midwest Mission Collection Site.
Donate to Midwest Mission (Fund 9944).

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.

Message in the MoviesMessage in the Movies banner (colorful film strip

Dumb Money
In an early scene of the “based on a true story” Dumb Money, we follow multimillionaire hedge fund manager Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogan) walking through an empty mansion. He is not planning on furnishing the place, but of tearing it down so that he can have a tennis court for his house next door. We see his net worth flashed on the screen. Are you paying attention? He’s rich and selfish.

We then meet Keith Gill (Dano), his wife Caroline (Shailene Woodley) and their infant daughter. Keith’s net worth is just a little over $50,000 and he has just invested it all in shares of GameStop – the videogame store in countless malls that sells used and new videogames. Keith’s confidence in this decision is informed by his full-time job as a social media influencer, providing financial advice on his You Tube channel as Roaring Kitty and also on a Reddit channel (with a more profane and hip alias). Keith has a wacky brother Kevin (Davidson) who is a Door Dash driver. Since this all takes place in 2020 -21 during the final days of the pandemic, Kevin keeps busy with food deliveries. They’re young and living day-to-day.

Read entire review.

Events: October 2 – October 15

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

Details of listings may be found here.

Positions Available

  • Choir Director – LaPorte UMC in Elyria
  • Organist – The UMC of Macedonia
  • Audio/Visual Technician – Christ Woodland 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, October 16, 2023.

Deadline for submission is Thursday, October 12, 2023. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.