#BeUMC
“There’s so many people in our world who need community, need belonging, need love, need hope and The United Methodist Church has that for them. So that is why I am United Methodist and I will remain United Methodist,” said Rev. Allison LeBrun. “Because of the people of The United Methodist Church, because of the women in my family, and because of the many people who call themselves United Methodist I know that I am a beloved child of God.”
LeBrun is one of many East Ohio Conference clergy and laity sharing how their lives continue to be transformed through The United Methodist Church. To share your #BeUMC story of transformation 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 23 is titled “Influence, Connection & Impact: The Strength of the Connection”. The episode features conversation with East Ohio Conference clergy who share that relationships fostered through the connection of The United Methodist Church are empowering pastors, congregations, and faith communities to connect with individuals and small groups, make disciples of Jesus Christ, and transform lives and communities.
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.
Communications
Important Dates in the EOC and Across The UMC in 2024
January 1, 2024
Central Valley, Northern Waters, South Forest, and West Plains districts become effective in the East Ohio Conference.
January 8, 2024
The first E-News of the new year will be published on the East Ohio Conference website.
January 23, 2024
In accordance with ¶521.1 and ¶521.3 of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2016, the North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops will convene a special session of the North Central Jurisdictional Conference at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The online special session is for the sole purpose of approving new episcopal areas for episcopal assignments to be effective September 1, 2024.
January 27-28, 2024
First gathering in each new district; a time of worshipping, connecting, and celebrating together.
April 23 – May 3, 2024
The next General Conference of The United Methodist Church will convene at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina with delegates from Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States participating. The theme of the conference is … And Know That I Am God.
June 13-15, 2024
Annual Conference 2024 will convene at the John S. Knight Center in Akron. The conference will again use the quadrennial theme Faith Hope Love.
July 10-13, 2024
Lay and clergy delegates from the conferences of the North Central Jurisdiction will convene in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the next Jurisdictional Conference.
Bishop Tracy S. Malone Narrates Book of Ephesians
The People’s Book is an ever-expanding audio Bible narrated by Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous voices. Produced by Friendship Press and The National Council of Churches, The People’s Book is a landmark new audio project featuring dynamic readings of scripture by the Church’s most powerful communicators. In this new audio book Bishop Malone narrates the Book of Ephesians.
“The Book of Ephesians has become one of my favorite books of the Bible because it teaches and reminds us of our belovedness in Christ Jesus, and how this love ought to be manifested in and through our lives and relationships,” Malone shared.
Learn about The People’s Book.
Access Bishop Malone Narrating the Book of Ephesians.
December 11: Last E-News of 2023
The deadline to submit items for that issue is Thursday, December 7.
January 8: First E-News of 2024
The deadline to submit items for that issue is Thursday, January 4.
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.
Re-Districting for 2024
District Office Administrators Announced for the Four New Districts
The district office administrators for the four new districts have been determined and they will transition to their new roles on January 1, 2024. The four new administrators were identified through a process in which all eight current administrative assistants were invited to apply for the four new positions. All those who applied were interviewed by members of the Cabinet and Executive Staff Team on Tuesday, November 14.
The district office administrators for the new districts are:
- Megan Myers – Central Valley
- Lisa Huston – Northern Waters
- Joy Snyder – South Forest
- Renee Davis – West Plains
While the exact locations of the new district offices have not been determined yet, the Cabinet has identified that: the office for the Central Valley District will be in the North Canton area; the office for the Northern Waters District will be in the Macedonia/Solon area; the office for the South Forest District will be in the Cambridge area; and the office for the West Plains District will be in the Mansfield area.
The administrative assistants who will not be continuing with the Conference will remain in their current roles until January 31, 2024, to help in the closure and transition of district offices and will be given severance packages as an expression of gratitude for their faithful work and dedication.
Missions & Community Engagement
#GivingTuesday Match for Advances – November 28
For the third year, the Board of Missions will match donations made to any of our Mission Advance Partners. The maximum match per Advance is $500 and donations must be made online through the Conference on #GivingTuesday, which is November 28. Donations by check or directly to the Advance will not count towards a match. Last year, the Conference matched over $5,000 to many of the Advances!
Learn more about EOC Advances.
Christmas Giving Opportunities for East Ohio Churches
There are many charitable organizations that vie for our attention this time of year. While their intentions may be good, East Ohio Missions seeks to develop relationships and partnerships that are healthy and seek justice for the recipients. The Board of Missions encourages all East Ohio Conference congregations to support our Advance mission partners!
We asked all our Advances to share their Christmas wish lists and their respective needs are posted on the sidebar of the Missions & Community Engagement pages of the Conference website. Financial gifts may be made online or sent directly to the mission through their designated conference Advance Fund. If you have questions about Christmas giving opportunities, please e-mail Melanie Thomas, administrative assistant in the Connectional Ministries office.
View the Christmas wish lists of our Advance mission partners.
UMVIM Team Leader Trainings in December and January
At United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) Team Leader training, you will connect with others who have a heart for missions, discover the many resources and locations to serve 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.
Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement director, will lead a refresher training via Zoom on December 6. When registering for the refresher you can choose either the 9:00 a.m. session or the 7:00 p.m. session. If it has been more than three years since you took the full training, you are due for this refresher. If you are not sure when you last took Team Leader training, before registering for this refresher e-mail Melanie Thomas and she can check the Conference records.
If you have never taken Team Leader training, Rev. Tammy Kuntz, UMVIM NCJ coordinator, will lead a free, in-person training on January 13 at Mentor UMC. Come and learn about UMC missions and get involved!
Learn more and register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
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.
Higher Education
2025 Collegiate Ministry Grant Application
Each year, the Board of Higher Education and Campus Christian Ministry (BHECCM) awards grants to undergraduate campus ministries to empower them to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The application for 2025 funding is due on January 31, 2024. If you have questions about the grant, please e-mail the Rev. Dr. Tim Morrison, BHECCM chairperson.
View and download the 2025 Collegiate Ministries Grant application.
Learn about EOC UMC scholarships, grants, and financial aid.
For questions about Higher Education ministry opportunities, please e-mail Pastor Christy Suffecool, Connectional Ministries office Young People’s Ministries co-director, or visit the Higher Education pages of the Conference website.
Message in the Movies
The Burial
The first thing we see onscreen is part of a sermon preached at a Baptist Church in 1995. It’s about hope and home and the joys of “Black Church” where a person knows they are a child of God. But the preacher isn’t the pastor, but a guest speaker: Willie E. Gary (Foxx), a high-profile personal injury lawyer who specializes in multimillion dollar settlements. He lives in a mansion, has a private jet, and aspires for the media acclaim of Johnnie Cochran.
We then meet 75-year-old Jeremiah O’Keefe (Lee Jones), owner of eight funeral homes and a burial insurance company in Biloxi, Mississippi who is having financial trouble due to a bad investment decision. He is close to bankruptcy but receives an offer from a Canadian funeral company CEO Ray Loewen (Bill Camp) to sell off a couple of his funeral homes as well as his burial insurance business.
Events: November 27 – December 10
Click to view East Ohio Conference Calendar.
- Tuesday, November 28
#GivingTuesday Match for Advances - Saturday, November 9
Free Community Meal in Lakewood
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.)
Celebrations of Life
Please pray for the families of:
- Joyce V. McCleery, clergy spouse, died November 18.
View obituaries.
To submit the obituary of an EOC clergy, clergy spouse, or surviving spouse, family should contact Melissa McGee, executive secretary to the Bishop, by phone at (330) 499-3972 ext. 112 or via e-mail.
Classifieds
Details of listings may be found here.
Positions Available
- Youth Coordinator – Greensburg UMC in North Canton
- Office Administrator – Vermilion Grace 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, December 11, 2023.
Deadline for submission is Thursday, December 7, 2023. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.
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