#BeUMC

Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation
Episode 85 Belonging: Fresh Church

Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation is a podcast highlighting ministries across the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church that are transforming lives locally, nationally, and globally. Produced twice-a-month by EOC Communications, each podcast episode focuses on one of the core values of the #BeUMC campaign: Disciple Making; Belonging & Inclusion; Influence, Connection & Impact; and Experience of God through The United Methodist Church.

Episode 85 “Belonging & Inclusion: Fresh Church” features Rev. Hannah Weisbrod, Terri Rodriguez and Rev. Jon Morgan sharing a conversation about how church exists outside the walls of the traditional building and the role the Office of Fresh Starts & New Beginnings plays in aiding such ministries.

“We find ourselves doing a lot that we have never encountered before so, we know now how to work with lawyers about non-profit structure, insurance and fundraising, donor relationships. Just all those sorts of things that you learn on the fly when you’re doing it that you might not have encountered in previous local church ministry,” said Weisbrod.

“It seems like every week or every other week we hear a similar testimony of people who find themselves, who find God, who understand that God loves them for who they’re created to be. And I think that’s what makes Hope Collective really special,” Morgan shared.

Listen to previous Storyboard podcast episodes.
View clergy and laity sharing their #BeUMC stories.

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.

Annual Conference

Annual Conference 2026 Offering Report
Thank you to all the churches and individuals who contributed to the Annual Conference special offering in June. The $13,360 received in the offering will support Immigration Ministries of Ohio; The Endowment Fund for Theological Education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines; and The Bishop’s Discretionary Fund.

If you were unable to contribute to the offering during Annual Conference 2026 and wish to support these vital ministries, you may do so at the links below.

Donate to The Endowment Fund for Theological Education.
Donate to Immigration Ministries of Ohio.

Mission Engagement

Apply for a Missions Microgrant
The Board of Missions will award grants of up to $3,000 for mission projects related to East Ohio Conference Advances and local church ministries. The microgrants are made possible through the generous support of Undesignated Missions (Fund 9001). If you have questions about the microgrant, please e-mail Mariellyn Grace, Connectional Ministries office Mission Engagement director.

Apply for a Missions microgrant by September 1.
Donate to Undesignated Missions (Fund 9001).

Apply for a UM Appalachian Ministry Network Grant
The United Methodist Appalachian Ministry Network (UMAMN) Hunger & Poverty grant application is due by September 15. This grant is for UM churches and church-related food or poverty ministries that serve Appalachian communities. The maximum grant award amount is $1,500. If you have questions about the grant or if your ministry qualifies, please e-mail Angela Kirtdoll Bates.

Apply for an Appalachian Ministry Network grant by September 15.
Learn about the UM Appalachian Ministry Network.

For questions about Mission Engagement ministries and opportunities, please e-mail Mariellyn Grace, Connectional Ministries office Mission Engagement director, or visit the Mission Engagement pages of the Conference website.

Multicultural Ministries

“1946” Seminar and Movie Screening – September 26-27
To work towards healing the harm the Ohio Episcopal Area Board of Multicultural Ministries is co-sponsoring a seminar and movie screening at Asbury UMC in Delaware. Kathy Baldock will lead the seminar on Saturday, September 26. She is the lead researcher and editor of the movie “1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture”. The feature documentary follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946.

On Sunday, September 27 there will be a special worship service at Asbury UMC then a screening of the film in the afternoon at Ohio Wesleyan University ’s Hamilton-Williams Center Benes Room. The cost to participate is $30 and lunch is included both days. If you have questions about the event, please e-mail Rev. Katie Osier, pastor of Delaware Asbury UMC.

Register to attend on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
Learn more about “1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture”.

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.

Engagement with Children, Youth, and Young Adults

Project Feed – November 8
Youth from across Ohio are invited to participate in Project Feed on Sunday, November 8 to pack meals for families experiencing food insecurity. Be a part of the youth movement to make the world a little better, one meal at a time.

Project Feed will take place Sunday, November 8 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at First UMC in Kent. Be sure to register in advance because space is limited. The cost for the event is $10 for youth grades 5-12 and the registration deadline is November 4. There is no cost for adult leaders. If you have questions about Project Feed, please e-mail Rick Stout, Project Feed coordinator, or e-mail Tim Beck, associate director of Engagement with Youth.

Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.

For questions about Young People’s Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Ann Marie Carley, director of Engagement with Children, Youth, and Young Adults in the Connectional Ministries office. You may also e-mail Tim Beck, associate director of Engagement with Youth, or visit the Engagement with Children, Youth, and Young Adults pages of the Conference website.

Faith Formation & Lay Ministries

Fall Mini-Mester Four-Week Learning Experience
As the Ohio Episcopal Area continues to invest in strong, adaptable leadership, the Leadership Development Team is excited to launch a new Fall Mini-Mester, running September 21 through October 16. This four-week learning experience is designed to strengthen the Ohio Episcopal Area’s leadership framework by offering practical, engaging development opportunities for leaders at every stage of their journey. The Mini-mester will feature a series of 90-minute Zoom-based learning sessions that explore key leadership competencies, personal growth practices, and ministry-centered leadership tools.

The flexible virtual format allows leaders from across the Ohio Episcopal Area to participate without travel, making professional and personal development more accessible than ever. Whether participants are seeking to enhance self-awareness, strengthen relationships, improve decision-making, deepen spiritual formation, or build leadership capacity, the Fall Mini-Mester offers valuable opportunities for growth.

More information, including registration details, CEU information, cohort opportunities, and session schedules, will be shared soon. If you have questions about the Fall Mini-Mester, please e-mail Julie Carter, director of Faith Formation & Lay Ministries.

The Expanding Connection Book Club – August 18
You are invited to join friends from around the Ohio Episcopal Area at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18 for an online conversation about the book A Faith of Many Rooms: Inhabiting a More Spacious Christianity by Debie Thomas. Together, we’ll explore what it means to inhabit a Christianity that makes room for questions, growth, belonging, and grace. Whether you have finished the book or are simply curious about the conversation, you are welcome to come, listen, share, and connect.

If you have questions about the book club, please e-mail Julie Carter, director of Faith Formation & Lay Ministries.

Learn more and register for the book club.

For questions about Faith Formation and Lay Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Julie Carter, Connectional Ministries office Faith Formation & Lay Ministries director, or visit the Faith Formation pages of the Conference website.

Clergy

All-Ohio School of Ministry – August 31 – September 2
“You Feed Them” is the theme for the 2026 All-Ohio School of Ministry at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions. The three-day event is an opportunity for clergy to worship, fellowship, train, and be renewed together.

Rev. Dr. Elaine Heath will lead workshops to aid clergy in exploring ways to rest and be renewed amidst the busy schedules and demanding jobs. Bishop Frank J. Beard will be the guest preacher on Tuesday and Wednesday. Registration is $50 per person, and participants handle their own hotel accommodation.

Register for the All-Ohio School of Ministry.
Reserve a room at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions.

Praise by the Lake

Lakeside Chautauqua Christian Music Festival – September 12-13
Lift your voice and celebrate your faith. The two-day Praise by the Lake festival at Lakeside Chautauqua features nationally acclaimed artists Katy Nichole, David Leonard, Chris Byrd and Jabari Johnson for a weekend centered on worship, connection and community.

Guests may also enjoy a variety of free activities that do not require a Praise by the Lake ticket or a Season Chautauqua Pass, including: a movie in Orchestra Hall, the splash park and beach, playgrounds, and pickleball, tennis, shuffleboard, basketball, sand volleyball and gaga ball – and more.

View the schedule of events and reserve a Praise by the Lake ticket.

Celebrations of Life

Please pray for the families of:

• Bonnie Magaw, spouse of the Rev. James Magaw, died July 4.
• Benjamin J. Black III, retired Elder, died July 29.
• Blake D. Wagner, Sr., retired Elder, died July 28.
• Clarence E. Neth, Jr., retired Elder, died May 1.

View obituaries.

To submit the obituary of an EOC clergy, a clergy spouse, a child of a clergy person, or a 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.

Items Available/Wanted

• Univex SRM12 Mixer with two attachments for sale for $3,000 or best offer – Nova Community UMC

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

To Subscribe

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Thursday, August 20 is the submission deadline for the next E-News. Send articles to eoccommunications@eocumc.com.