September 30, 2024

EOC News

#BeUMC

To download the video above, first click the share button in the upper right corner of the video window, then click the Vimeo link. Then, on the Vimeo page click the download link underneath the video window.

“I feel like I have been mentored, supported, included, and I feel like I do belong in The United Methodist Church. As the Conference lay leader, I want to spread that and share with others a sense of inclusion and belonging in The United Methodist Church,” said Kimberly Green, Conference lay leader.

She is one of many people in the EOC who’ve shared how The UMC has transformed their lives. To schedule a time to record your story, e-mail Brett Hetherington.

View #BeUMC stories & the EOC #BeUMC website.

Our EOC podcast, Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation, explores what it means to #BeUMC.

Episode 44 is titled “Influence, Connection & Impact: Better Living Through Better Nutrition”. The food we eat impacts every part of our lives, including our connection with God. In This episode we feature a panel discussion with both UMC and community leaders who are involved in leading Dine & Discover, an outreach program designed to educate about the importance of making wise choices on what we eat so that we can live healthier lives.

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

Installation Service for Bishop Hee-Soo Jung – October 19
Laity and clergy of the East Ohio Conference are invited and encouraged to attend The Service of Installation for Bishop Hee-Soo Jung on Saturday, October 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Wooster UMC, 243 N Market St., Wooster, OH 44691.

The service will be followed by a reception at the church. This is your opportunity to greet Bishop Jung and his wife Im-Hyon and welcome them to the East Ohio Conference and the new Ohio Episcopal Area.

Love Your Neighbor

We are Christians called to love our neighbors, and United Methodists on a mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We invite you to be part of the Love Your Neighbor movement begun at Garfield Memorial Church. Join United Methodists across the State of Ohio in modeling the love of Christ and making a difference in your community. Show the world you love your neighbor by downloading these files to post to social media or print to display as a yard sign.

Download PDF file (for sign printing)
Download JPG image (for social media)

Disaster Response

Responding to Hurricane Helene
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is working with disaster coordinators and Early Response Teams (ERT) in annual conferences to assist local churches impacted by the deadly Hurricane Helene.

“Thank you for your continued prayers for the people of Florida who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. Approximately 50 of our United Methodist churches have been impacted in some way, but more importantly, our communities have been impacted in every way,” said Bishop Tom Berlin of the Florida Conference in a video message shared across the denomination.

In his prayer for the people of Western North Carolina Bishop Ken Carter stated, “O God, we place our trust in you. In the aftermath of ravaging wind and surging flood, inspire those who give themselves for others. Let that work be done justly, wisely, safely, generously. Help us to turn toward one another in our need. Strengthen our bonds of connection and love for each other.” 

As we pray for those impacted, please remember

Learn more about EOC Disaster Response.

Early Response Team (ERT) Training – November 9
An Early Response Team training and recertification class is being offered to all clergy and laity of the Ohio Episcopal Area, which is comprised of the East Ohio and West Ohio Conferences of The United Methodist Church. The eight-hour basic class ERT training will teach you how to assist survivors of natural disasters in their time of need. You will learn how to provide a Christian presence while taking steps to prevent further damage to individuals’ personal property, which may include tarping, debris removal, cleaning out flooded homes, etc. Proof of having completed this training is required by the Federal Emergency Management Association to gain entrance to a disaster area.

The recertification class will take place during the morning session and is only for those who have completed the basic course and are within one year of the date of their badge expiration. A background check is required to receive the United Methodist Committee on Relief ERT badge. The costs to register are $40 for the basic class and $35 for the recertification class.

Learn more and register for ERT training.

Missions & Community Engagement

Get Involved in Missions
You are encouraged to visit the new Get Involved in Missions page of the East Ohio Conference website that can be accessed from the sidebar of the Missions & Community Engagement page. The page brings together in one place all missions opportunities in Ohio as well as those across the country and around the world. It also provides links to each of the five new Advance Specials ministries, the Listening Church resource, and offers resources for Welcoming Strangers: Immigration/Migration.

Disability Awareness resources have also been moved to be a standalone link on the sidebar of the Missions & Community Engagement page of the website.

Visit the Get Involved in Missions page.
Visit the DisAbility Awareness page.

October 1 Deadline to Register for Building Bridges Event
Registration closes Tuesday, October 1 for the 2024 Building Bridges Community Experience, the annual gathering of the Ohio reentry community. The theme for the October 16-17 event is “Bridging Pathways to Hope”. October 16 is a virtual State of Reentry Roundtable that will layout emerging opportunities for building hopeful pathways for community reintegration, and the Lunch & Learn Talk, “Soliciting Victims Voices”. October 17 is an in-person event at a regional gathering. The Community Experience is free to attend. If you have questions about the event, please e-mail Reba Collins.

Learn more and register.

AIC Ministry Monday – October 28
All In Community (AIC) Ministry Monday October 28 will discuss how to get involved with Christmas Miracle, an annual event through the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) that is held at various state correctional facilities. In conjunction with The Four Seven Ministries out of Cincinnati, ODRC has created a beautiful opportunity for families to experience the Christmas holiday with their incarcerated loved ones.

Join us online at 7:00 p.m. on October 28 to learn more about Christmas Miracle and ways you can help to make Christmas magical for those who are often forgotten and left out of holiday celebrations.

Register to receive the Ministry Monday Zoom link.
Download the Ministry Monday flyer.

AIC Trauma-Resilience Worship Arts Workshop – October 15 or November 6
The trauma-resilience worship arts workshop offered through All In Community (AIC) ministry is designed for pastors, worship leaders, and music ministers who are responsible for creating worship environments. The workshop will explore ways in which we can use scripture, music, and liturgy to promote resilience among those gathered so that they may leave their worship services with a sense of healing from the pain and suffering of living in today’s world.

The workshop is offered twice: October 15 at Bexley UMC in Columbus and November 6 at Wedgewood UMC in Akron. Time of the workshop is 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on both days. The cost to register is $20 and includes lunch and material. If you have questions about the workshop, please e-mail Dr. Camisha Chambers.

Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.

Poverty Simulation Experience – November 12
Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families but unless you’ve experienced poverty, it’s difficult to truly understand. The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) on November 12 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Thrive 10:10 in Girard will move participants from misconceptions to understanding about poverty. CAPS is an interactive, immersive experience that sensitizes community participants to the realities of poverty. This is a simulation, not a game.

Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
Download the Poverty Simulation flyer.

Donation Match for Advances on #Giving Tuesday – December 3
The Board of Missions is encouraging United Methodists to support #Giving Tuesday on December 3 by offering to match up to $500 donations to EOC Advance Specials made on that day. In 2023, 13 Advances received about $4,500 in matching donations. We hope to see more missions and ministries benefit from the match this year!

Learn about EOC Mission and Ministry Advance Specials.

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.

Multicultural Ministries

Winter Anti-Racism Cohort – December 4
This cohort will be a time for honesty and authenticity, vulnerability, and courage as we spend time learning, being accountable, coaching, and creating a safe space for intentional learning and sharing. It will be a time of discovering how to do the anti-racism work of re-telling our stories, building relationships and connection, and repairing and reinvesting with people in our past and current world. Cohorts will operate under a covenant of confidentiality. The winter cohort will focus on the book Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm: The American Methodist Church and the Struggle with White Supremacy by John Elford.

The first cohort meeting will be in-person on December 4 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the East Ohio Area Center in North Canton. Other meetings will be online on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month January through March. The cost for the cohort is $50 and includes the Intercultural Development Inventory, lunch during the first meeting, and a repair and reinvest project to be determined by the cohort. November 25 is the last day to register for the cohort. If you have any questions about the cohort, please e-mail Will Fenton-Jones, Multicultural Ministries director, or e-mail Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Missions & Community Engagement director.

Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website by November 25.
Read the article highlighting the September 21 “Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm” event.

Anti-Racism Sunday – October 20
The Ohio Council of Churches invites you to join churches across the state in participating in the 4th annual Anti-Racism Sunday. This year’s theme is “Dismantling Racism – Building Community”. Churches are invited to dedicate their worship time or to participate in an online service at 1:30 p.m. that day. Churches are welcome and invited to utilize any resources to celebrate their own Anti-Racism Sunday on ANY Sunday!

Learn more about Anti-Racism Sunday.

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.

Young People’s Ministries

Project Feed – November 10
Come join us at Northampton UMC at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 10 for Project Feed! Together the youth of East Ohio will pack meals for families experiencing food insecurity. This is a great chance for youth to serve together in a one-day mission project. You will meet other youth groups from around the Conference while we help make the world a little better, one meal at a time. Our time will be filled with music, laughter, an occasional shenanigan, and concluded by joining together for dinner. You won’t want to miss it!

Space is limited, so register early. The registration deadline is November 3, and October 18 is the last day to pre-order a Project Feed t-shirt. If you have questions about the event, please e-mail Deena Wolfe.

Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.

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.

Camps & Retreat Ministries

Will Fenton-Jones: Summer Camp Makes an Impact for Life
Will started college feeling pretty good about himself. He felt strong in his faith from attending Christian Youth Fellowship and his church’s youth group regularly and was excited for his community that he found while playing racquetball.

When it came to Will’s senior year of college, he dropped out and felt his faith coming unraveled before his very eyes. Earlier he took a philosophy seminar that stressed knowing that you know something, and he began to doubt the reasoning behind his faith, if he really knew what he believed. “I learned about critiques to my own faith,” he shared, “that rocks your foundational beliefs to the core.”

Once summer came around, Will was still searching for answers and decided to join Wanake’s summer staff for the second year, even though he was still feeling doubtful. “I fell into the rhythm of camp,” he shared, “being in nature, studying and reading scripture, practicing prayer, and being in a Christian community. It helped me to place my feet back on solid ground. I went through this metamorphosis away from an adolescent faith to a more mature one.” Camp was filled with deeply spiritual and vulnerable moments that helped Will to rebuild and strengthen the framework to his faith.

Will’s self-confidence grew as his confidence in his faith grew. He has used the spiritual practices he had learned at camp as a chaplain’s assistant in the Army, a youth pastor, and now, the director of Multicultural Ministries in the Connectional Ministries office of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church. He even still carries around the fruit of the spirit cards that he got at camp which serve as a reminder to him to show others those traits through his actions.

For questions about Camps & Retreat Ministries opportunities, please e-mail the Rev. Gary Jones, Connectional Ministries office Camps & Retreat Ministries / Spiritual Formation & Christian Education director, or visit the Camps & Retreat Ministries pages of the Conference website.

Spiritual Formation & Christian Education

Spiritual Formation Network Gatherings
If you are involved in spiritual formation and Christian education, you are invited to join your friends and colleagues via Zoom for devotions, support, question-asking and -answering, and sharing ideas. We will next gather online on October 8 at whichever time (9:00 a.m. or 7:00 p.m.) is convenient for you. Invite your friends involved in spiritual formation and Christian education ministries to join you and us for this time together.

Beginning in November, our group will gather on the first Tuesday of the month. The October date needs to be the second Tuesday. In November we will meet on Tuesday the 5th and in December we’ll meet on Tuesday the 3rd. On each of those dates join us at 9:00 a.m. or 7:00 p.m., whichever works best for you. To receive the Zoom link, please e-mail Rev. Gary Jones, Camps & Retreat Ministries / Spiritual Formation & Christian Education director in the Connectional Ministries office.

For questions about Spiritual Formation & Christian Education ministries opportunities, please e-mail the Rev. Gary Jones, Connectional Ministries office Camps & Retreat Ministries / Spiritual Formation & Christian Education director, or visit the Spiritual Formation & Christian Education pages of the Conference website.

World Communion Sunday

World Communion Sunday on October 6 is a United Methodist Church-wide celebration emphasizing the value of education and training. We commemorate this day by giving generously to support young adults and make a global impact for Christ. Last year the World Communion Sunday special offering raised $443,000 enabling undergraduate and graduate studies for those who could not afford an education, helping to shape the future leaders of the United Methodist Church.

  • 50% of the funds collected on World Communion Sunday are used for scholarships that benefit undergraduate or graduate level students of color pursuing ordained ministry.
  • 35% of the funds collected provide grants to support training for worldwide inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. In-Service Training Grants are designed to bolster recruitment, training, and retention of persons of color for leadership positions at every level of the church and its ministry. Learn more about In-Service Training Grants here.
  • 15% of the funds are used for leadership development among our partner churches and communities in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and people from communities of color in the U.S. Learn more by e-mailing scholars@umcmission.org.

Together, we can achieve much more than we could alone. Your generosity reflects God’s glory through young leaders, equipping them to pursue God’s call in their lives.

Learn more about World Communion Sunday.

Laity

Leadership Development for Laity
Submitted by Deb Gilson, Director of Conference Lay Servant Ministries

Laity within our local churches provide a strong base for leadership. By taking advantage of the courses offered through the Lay Servant Ministry (LSM) program, individuals: become equipped to assist their local church by growing as disciples of Jesus Christ, learn what their spiritual gifts are and how to effectively use them, and receive an understanding of servant leadership and how to reach out to others in the local community to encourage discipleship.

Anyone can take an LSM course, and doing so does not mean you are required to fill out paperwork to pursue certification or speak in a church. However, if you do wish to become a Certified Lay Servant, Speaker, or Minister, these courses are the first step to doing so. If you have questions about Lay Servant Ministry or need a scholarship to help with a course, please e-mail Deb Gilson, director of Lay Servant Ministry in East Ohio.

See the list of offered Lay Servant Ministries training courses.
Learn more about Lay Servant Ministries.

United Women in Faith

United Women in Faith Annual Celebration – October 26
“Women United in Mission” is the theme of this year’s annual meeting of East Ohio Conference United Women in Faith. We will gather October 26 at Faith UMC in North Canton, beginning at 9:00 a.m. with check-in and a continental breakfast and concluding at approximately 3:30 p.m. Our time together will be grounded in the celebration scripture 1 John 3:18 (NIV): “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

Keynote speaker for this year’s meeting is Rev. Tammy Kuntz, coordinator for North Central Jurisdiction United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. Following lunch, we will hold our United Women in Faith business meeting and train officers. The cost to attend the meeting is $15/person.

Download the registration form and the United Women in Faith newsletter.

Events: September 30 – October 13

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.)

Celebrations of Life

Please pray for the families of:

  • David M. Lynn, retired Elder, died September 12.

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

  • Executive Director – Urban Mission Ministries
  • Organist or Pianist – Centenary UMC in East Palestine
  • Christian Ministry Coordinator – Brunswick UMC
  • Director of Children and Family Ministries – Bay UMC in Bay Village
  • Treasurer – Perry UMC

To submit a classified ad please e-mail swilliams@eocumc.com.

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Deadline for submission is Thursday, October 10, 2024. Send articles to eoccommunications@eocumc.com.