#BeUMC
“God is so filled with grace and love for me, and for every single person on the planet, that it compels me to be part of a Church that says that grace is one of the most important things that we’re about,” said Rev. Seth Filburn, pastor of Bell Chapel United Methodist Church in Steubenville.
He is one of many people in the East Ohio Conference who have shared how The United Methodist Church has transformed their lives.
To schedule a time to record a one- to two-minute video telling your #BeUMC story, e-mail Brett Hetherington in the Communications office.
View #BeUMC stories & the EOC #BeUMC website.
Our EOC podcast, Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation, explores what it means to #BeUMC.
Episode 46 is titled “Experience of God Through the UMC: Following the Call into Missions”. We can each answer God’s call by welcoming the stranger, and working to improve health, education, and access to food for all people. This episode features a roundtable discussion with two United Methodist Church global missions advocates and the East Ohio Conference Secretary to UMC Global Ministries, exploring the many ways we can serve God by serving with others.
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
All-Ohio Day of Thanksgiving and Unity – November 23
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung invites laity and clergy from across the Ohio Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church to a Day of Thanksgiving and Unity on Saturday, November 23 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Worthington UMC. The keynote speaker for the day is Rev. Dr. Paul Chilcote, a renowned scholar in Wesleyan theology and Christian discipleship.
“This day of thanksgiving and unity will be filled with moments of worship, reflection, and celebration of our unity in The United Methodist Church. Together we will focus on hope, endurance, and the transformative power of God’s love guided by Romans 5:1-5 and our theme “Hearts Strangely Warmed,” Bishop Jung says in the above video.
The East Ohio Conference has arranged for buses to transport laity and clergy to/from Worthington UMC. There is no cost to ride the bus, but you are asked to indicate during online registration that you plan to ride the bus. A bus will leave from and return to:
- East Ohio Area Center
8800 Cleveland Ave. NW, North Canton, OH 44720
Departs at 7:15 a.m. and returns around 6:30 p.m.
- Garfield Memorial UMC
3650 Lander Rd., Cleveland, OH 43085
Departs at 7:15 a.m. and returns around 6:30 p.m.
- Old Washington UMC
118 Old National Rd., Old Washington, OH 43085
Departs at 7:45 a.m. and returns around 6:00 p.m.
The day will include opportunities for worship and celebrating our unity in The UMC. The registration fee is $10 and includes lunch. The deadline to register is Monday, November 11.
Join Bishop Jung and fellow United Methodists from across Ohio for this transformative day of prayer and learning, as we seek to grow together in grace and reaffirm our commitment to #BeUMC.
Learn about and register for the All-Ohio Day of Thanksgiving and Unity.
Financial & Administrative Services
HealthFlex Benefits Enrollment Oct. 30 – Nov. 14, 2024
Open enrollment for HealthFlex benefits members begins Thursday, October 30 and ends Thursday, November 14. HealthFlex is more than a health insurance plan. It’s a comprehensive approach to healthier living – an integrated, wellness-driven health program offered through The United Methodist Church general agency Wespath Benefits & Investments. Pastors appointed at 75% time or more are eligible for HealthFlex benefits, as are lay employees of local churches and district offices who work at least 30 hours per week. To sponsor HealthFlex for lay employees a HealthFlex sub-adoption agreement must be completed by the employer.
Access your personal benefits page to learn more.
Shared Ministry and Health & Pension Statements
The Conference has implemented a new online Ministry Financials system to better serve you. Using Ministry Financials churches can use the new system to view their both shared ministry remittance statements and health & pension statements. This new streamlined online view and pay system has replaced the now-discontinued previous system that required multiple steps including downloading forms. If you have questions about Ministry Financials, please call Eva Casey at (330) 499-3972 ext. 135.
View the Ministry Financial instructional video.
Logging Into Ministry Financials
You can access Ministry Financials on the East Ohio Conference website by clicking on Financial & Administrative Services in the dropdown menu of the Finance/Benefits tab. You can also click the link below and then bookmark that address on your computer. To log in, your username is your church GCFA number, and your temporary password is EOC2024. You will be prompted to create a unique password after you log in the first time. You should be sure to change the password any time the church changes its treasurer or financial secretary.
Note: If you have recurring payments set up with our old system (Vanco through online payments site), you will need to log-in and cancel them.
For questions about Financial & Administrative Services ministries and opportunities, please e-mail Vera Milanovic, executive director of Financial & Administrative Services, or visit the Financial & Administrative Services pages of the Conference website.
Strategic Ministries
Apply for a Trinity Action Projects Grant
We are thrilled to announce the relaunch of the Trinity Action Projects (TAP) grant program, designed to empower local churches and agencies within the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church. TAP funds will support innovative ministries that align with our mission to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
TAP grants aim to serve as seed money for new and existing ministries, fostering bold initiatives that engage and serve our communities. The grants will be awarded bi-annually, with eligible applicants able to request up to $5,000 for projects that exemplify the vision of our Conference to reach new and diverse populations.
We encourage all East Ohio UMC local churches and related agencies to consider applying for a grant and bringing to life your unique vision for expanding the ministry of the Church. Grant applications must be e-mailed to Rev. Beth Ortiz, director of Strategic Ministries, by December 2.
For more information about the application process and guidelines, download the application below, and then either reach out to your district superintendent or Rev. Ortiz. Together, let’s work towards God’s transformative vision for our communities!
Download the TAP Grant application.
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
Creation Care Initiative – November 19
The East Ohio and West Ohio Conferences of The United Methodist Church are working together on a Creation Care initiative and invite you to learn more on how you can be involved. Join Rev. Kathy Dickriede, EOC Missions & Community Engagement director, and Mariellyn Grace, WOC Mission and Communication coordinator on Tuesday, November 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Brecksville UMC to learn how your church can work toward being Green Church-certified.
The goal is for each church to have two people learning about and leading this ministry. Some of our EOC churches have people trained as Global Ministries EarthKeepers and all churches have people who are passionate about caring for the Earth, please share information about the training with them.
Take some time before the training to review documentaries and study guides produced by Grace and her husband that discuss natural disasters, creation care, and climate justice, and learn about the community garden they began as a new church start in response to wanting to do something for the environment and food sustainability. The training is free and lunch will be included. Please register by November 10 as we prepare for the launch of this ministry. If you have questions about the event, please e-mail Rev. Kathy Dickriede.
Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
Learn about Creation Care ministry.
View the flooding & Climate Change documentary.
View the hurricanes in Puerto Rico documentary.
UMVIM Team Leader Training – November 17
One way to respond to communities devastated by natural disasters is to donate cleaning kits. Another way is to be ready to go to disaster areas when they are opened to volunteers. To prepare yourself to be ready to go to an area when called, make plans now to participate in a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) team leader training from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. on November 17. The class will be led by Early Response Team (ERT) trainer Bob Catchpole, NCJ UMVIM Coordinator Rev. Dr. Tammy Kuntz, and EOC Missions & Community Engagement Director Rev. Kathy Dickriede. The class will be held at the EOC Area Center in North Canton and online. The class is open to all, including those interested in joining a Long-Term Recovery UMVIM team and those who are ERT- trained and want to learn more about team leading. There is no cost for the class, but you must register online in advance by November 14.
Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
UMVIM Sunday
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) Awareness Sunday is to be observed annually by local churches on a date to be determined by each congregation. On UMVIM Awareness Sunday we celebrate those who have served in short-term missions and the work of UMVIM throughout the world. NCJ UMVIM Coordinator Rev. Dr. Tammy Kuntz has created bulletin inserts and other resources to help you celebrate UMVIM Sunday. If you would like information about a speaker for your church’s UMVIM Awareness Sunday, please e-mail Rev. Kathy Dickriede, director of Missions & Community Engagement.
View and download UMVIM Sunday resources.
Global Missions Fellows
Global Mission Fellows are young adults ages 20–30 who are committed to serve in social justice ministries for two years. They enter into new communities, understanding their challenges and assets through relationships and with the long-term goal of overcoming systemic oppression. Fellows partner with community organizations to address a variety of issues, including migration, immigration, education, public health and poverty.
Listen to the Storyboard podcast about Global Missions Fellows.
Apply to be a Global Missions Fellow.
All In Community Ministry
All In Community (AIC) is a conference Mission Advance Partner, EOC Fund 9984. Clergy and laity are invited to make a difference in our mission fields in the East Ohio Conference through participation in the ministry of AIC, a modern-day, Biblical response to the impact and aftermath of mass incarceration. AIC is for all who are involved in one way or another with the criminal justice system.
Learn more about All In Community ministry.
AIC: Frankly Speaking with Four Friends – November 5
Frankly Speaking with Four Friends is a new opportunity of the All In Community ministry of the East Ohio and West Ohio Conferences. It’s an opportunity on the first Tuesday of each month to engage with restored neighbors in conversations that will enlighten people about their lived experiences to reduce the stigma around incarceration.
Download the Frankly Speaking flyer to learn more.
AIC: HOPE Letters Monthly Meeting on the Second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m., online
HOPE Letters is a signature initiative of All In Community ministry that is endorsed by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to provide a mentorship through correspondence opportunity for its residents as they prepare to return home.
Download the Hope Letters flyer to learn more.
Royal Family KIDS Camp
Royal Family KIDS Camp (RFKC) is EOC Advanced Special (9965) that offers 200 children in our foster system, who have known family induced trauma through abuse and neglect, a five-day residential camping experience. Of course, we don’t think we can “fix” that kind of pain in a week (or in a lifetime) but we seek moments that matter, of hope, joy and love with a hundred adults at each camp that can bring deep and lasting healing.
The goal of RFKC in the past year has been to strengthen the volunteer base of our four UMC existing camps (Willoughby Hills UMC, Strongsville UMC, Northampton UMC, St. Clairsville Ohio Valley area) within East Ohio. The infrastructure of these three camp sites is in place but we would love to have more volunteers to staff the camps. If two people from your church can attend training and camp, we could bring one more child.
There are speakers willing to come to your church between now and January. Please consider learning more or hosting a RFKC volunteer to come to your church midweek or on a weekend to share. On February 1, 2025, national RFKC CEO Wendy McMahon will be in Akron. Please make a moment in worship to lift our children in prayer who suffer from the loss of moms and dads and natural family as you raise awareness as the voice of these vulnerable kids who matter to God. If you have questions about Royal Family KIDS Camp, please e-mail Rev. Dave Scavuzzo about arranging a speaker to offer a three-minute mission moment of hope in your gathered church setting.
Learn more about Royal Family KIDS Camp.
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.
Camps & Retreat Ministries
Rev. Allison LeBrun: Summer Camp Makes an Impact for Life
Allison was a hyper and energetic kid, always eager to learn more and do more. This is part of the reason she now calls herself a “complete Methodist nerd” as she was eager to learn all she could about the Methodist Church.
In elementary school, Allison struggled to always be herself. She even wasn’t really sure of who “herself” was. She encountered peer pressure and expectations that tried to make her into something she wasn’t. She felt confined to live, and to act a certain way.
“Going to camp was like a weight off my shoulders,” she remarked, “I could just be a kid, a beloved child of God. I viewed camp as a safe place where I could be as loud and crazy as I wanted to! Camp brings out the best of people. It helped me to find myself and to feel comfortable in who I was.” She never felt like she wasn’t loved at camp thanks to the people there who always treated each other with love and compassion. Allison was able to make new friends, expand her self-confidence, and gain new skills. “It really was a ‘God thing,’” she shared, “Camp shaped my faith, how I interacted with the world, my view of my community, and my calling to ministry.”
Allison learned who she was at camp, and it helped to equip her for a life in ministry by providing her the opportunities to talk about faith and to practice interpersonal skills. Allison now serves as an ordained Elder in the East Ohio Conference and still volunteers at Camp Asbury every year. She now has clarity of who she is and what she is meant to do.
Your generosity to camp makes it possible for us to offer opportunities and training to staff that helps them to make other campers feel loved and valued. This training also equips staff with valuable skills that will help them throughout their future no matter what their career is. Thank you for your generosity to camp.
Learn more about East Ohio Camps & Retreat Ministries.
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 – November 5 & December 3
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 November 5 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.
We will continue to meet on the first Tuesday of the month thereafter at 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. so that you can join whichever time works best for you that day. 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.
Events: October 28 – November 10
Click to view East Ohio Conference Calendar.
- Monday, October 28
Ministry Monday: All In Community - Wednesday, October 30
Welcoming Friends of All Abilities Into the Church - October 30 & 31
Free Hot Meal Provided to the Community - Saturday, November 2
Welcoming Friends of All Abilities Into the Church - Thursday, November 7
Nonprofit Partner Summit - Saturday, November 9
Early Response Team (ERT) Training - Saturday, November 9
All District SAS Retreat - Saturday, November 9
Fostering the Future Luncheon - Sunday, November 10
Project Feed
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
- Worship Leader – Wadsworth UMC
- Office Manager – Lexington Church of the Cross UMC
- Office Manager – Wooster UMC
- Caretaker – UMC in Stow
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, November 11, 2024.
Deadline for submission is Thursday, November 7, 2024. Send articles to eoccommunications@eocumc.com.
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