#BeUMC

“I was born United Methodist, but I continue to stay United Methodist due to the doctrine of grace. We receive God’s grace from the beginning and once we receive God’s grace we want to become more like Christ, and we want to serve into the world which is why I have dedicated my life the way I have,” said Valerie Riedthaler.

A deaconess in the church, she 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 47 is titled “Influence, Connection & Impact: The OPEN M Ministry of Faith, Health & Hope”. It features a conversation with staff members and a volunteer physician of OPEN M, an East Ohio Conference Advance Special that annually serves more than 65,000 residents in South Akron. The ministry partners with churches, businesses, and thousands of volunteers to provide pathways out of poverty by feeding the hungry and offering health and employment services.

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

November 11 is the Deadline to Register for the All-Ohio Day of Unity
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. Click the image to see the bishop’s message in its entirety.

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
  Departs at 7:15 a.m. and returns around 6:30 p.m.

• Garfield Memorial UMC
  Departs at 7:15 a.m. and returns around 6:30 p.m.

• Old Washington UMC
  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 Closes Thursday
Open enrollment for HealthFlex benefits members for 2025 ends this 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.

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

Simplified Church Structure Training – January 28 & February 1
An important online training session on the Simplified Structure is scheduled for January 28 (6:00 – 9:00 p.m.) and February 1 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.). Please attend the one that is most convenient for you.

This online training is designed to help us strengthen governance and enhance ministry effectiveness across our Conference and in your local church. Participants will gain comprehensive insights into this model, which emphasizes a mission-driven approach to leadership that helps your church live out ministry in the world today.  These three-hour sessions will give the foundation so that you can begin to discern if this model will help your congregation better live into the community God is calling you to be. 

This training is vital for pastors, church leaders, and lay members who are eager to deepen their understanding of effective governance and improve the church’s impact in the community. The deadline to register for either of the sessions is January 15.

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

United Methodist Immigration Task Group – November 11 or 12
Are you a United Methodist in Ohio who would like to learn more about the U.S. immigration system and our Biblical mandate to welcome migrants? Have you ever wondered how The United Methodist Church could better engage in ministry with migrants, immigrants, and refugees in Ohio? Are you interested in collaborating with other United Methodists to advocate for policy change toward migrant justice?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, consider joining the new task group on United Methodist immigration ministries in Ohio as we build community, share resources, and seek migrant justice together. There are two Zoom meetings scheduled this week.

Join the 7:00 p.m. November 11 task group Zoom meeting.
Join the 1:00 p.m. November 12 task group Zoom meeting.

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: Lunch & Learn – November 13
All are invited to this free event where we will learn about new resources available to justice-involved persons: youth, men, and women in your community who currently are, or have been, in jail or prison. The resources and support to be discussed extend to their families, too. We will share the supportive services New London UMC can offer justice-involved persons and their families returning to and living in Ashland, Huron, Erie, Seneca, Loraine, Richland, and Crawford Counties. Knowing the lived experiences of those we serve simply helps us serve them better. Knowing who else is serving them helps them get the long-term support they need to re-establish and reintegrate into family and community more successfully.

The deadline to register is Monday, November 11. If you have questions about this opportunity, please  e-mail Rev. David Whitt. Attending the noon to 1:30 p.m. lunch at New London UMC on Wednesday, November 13 commits you to nothing more than connecting with others who have a heart to serve and resources to support those you serve.

Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.

Meet Pastor Davies Musigo, a UMC Missionary in Africa – November 13
You are invited to Smithville UMC on Wednesday, November 13 at 6:00 p.m. to meet Pastor Davies Musigo, a United Methodist Church missionary serving in Nairobi, Kenya. The event is free, and dinner will be provided. If you have any questions about the event, please call Smithville UMC at (330) 669-2371.

View and download the missionary dinner flyer.

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 training is free, and lunch will be included – but you must register by November 15, so organizers know how many meals to prepare. 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.

EOC Mission Partners Christmas Wish Lists
We asked East Ohio Conference UMC Ministry partners serving neighbors in our communities for their Christmas wishes. Helping to fulfill these wishes is life-changing work. Please keep in your prayers this Christmas season, each of these organizations, their volunteers, and the people they serve. All Advances can also receive monetary donations through their respective Conference funds.

View the Christmas wish lists of EOC Mission Partners.
Learn more about and support EOC 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 and will utilize podcasts, TedTalks, worship and discipleship resources, articles, and conversations with ecumenical and other leaders in the community.

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. It will be a time for conversation and building relationships. 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.

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

Youth Leaders Retreat – January 17-18
Join us for the annual Young People’s Ministries Youth Leaders Retreat January 17-18 at the Embassy Suites, Akron Canton Airport (7883 Freedom Ave NW, North Canton, OH). This retreat is for youth workers, pastors, volunteers, and teams who work with youth and young adults. Our theme this year is “Better Together” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

This will be a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who have a passion for student ministry where you can build relationships, share ideas, and grow together. Come and enjoy fellowship and support with intentional time set aside to be renewed and refreshed. Cost for the retreat is $40 for commuters, $80/person in double-occupancy rooms, and $160/person in single-occupancy rooms.

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

UMVIM NCJ Youth Mission Journey – June 22-28
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission North Central Jurisdiction is sponsoring a youth mission trip to Milwaukee June 22-28, 2025. Registration is not open yet, but you can sign-up to receive updates.

Learn more and sign-up to receive updates.

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

Be a Staff Person for Summer Camp 2025
You know what they say, “summer camps are building tomorrow’s leaders, one campfire at a time!” Applications are now being accepted to be a staff person for Summer Camp 2025. This is your chance to grow as a leader and a person and have a monumental impact on the next generation by being on summer camp staff at Camp Wanake, Camp Aldersgate, or Camp Asbury. 

Apply to be Summer Camp 2025 staff member.

Discover Communion Hill at Camp Asbury
Take in God’s Creation on Camp Asbury’s Communion Hill! Campers hear amazing speakers, sing songs, and participate in communion during an evening worship on Communion Hill. During this time campers often feel the power of God and grow in their faith. Experience this unique worship experience at Camp Asbury’s by attending Summer Camp 2025.

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.

Celebrations of Life

Please pray for the families of:

• David Blood, retired Elder, died November 6.

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

• Worship Leader – Wadsworth UMC
• Office Manager – Lexington Church of the Cross UMC

Items Available/Wanted

• Two large filing cabinets – Grandview UMC in Cuyahoga Falls

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 25, 2024.

Deadline for submission is Thursday, November 21, 2024. Send articles to eoccommunications@eocumc.com.