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To submit news items, stories, or corrections for inclusion in the newsletter, email the conference Communications Office at [email protected].
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Top Stories
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How to help post-Hurricane Helene
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In a recent video, the Office of Missional & Community Engagement share an update on how to assist in Hurricane Helene disaster recovery and relief. Learn how to assemble flood buckets and where to take them, learn about ERT training and register for upcoming training events, and have a direct link to give financial support through UMCOR. Read full article...
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VAUMC announces Grantmaking Cooperative
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In an effort to model collaboration and connection toward large scale community transformation
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within the Virginia Annual Conference, the Common Table for Church Vitality, Church
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Development Team, and Virginia United Methodist Foundation are pleased to announce the
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formation of the Grantmaking Cooperative. In 2024, the Grantmaking Cooperative is seeking
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to fund initiatives in the Virginia Annual Conference that embody connectionalism for the
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purpose of large scale community transformation. Applicants may request a maximum one-time
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Posts for this week
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UMC scholarships available
Did you know that General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) awards an average of $5.5 million to help United Methodist students in the U.S. and abroad pursue their dreams through higher education? Students can get notified when the scholarship application opens in January 2025 by adding their name here.
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VAUMC to visit Candler
Representatives from the Virginia Annual Conference will be visiting Candler School of Theology on October 31. If you are a Candler student from Virginia or interested in learning about Virginia, click here to schedule a time to meet and learn more!
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VUMPI shares Health Plan reminders
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For eligible clergy and lay employee participants in the Conference Health Benefit plan, a reminder from the Pensions and Benefits office - now is the time to ensure your Wellness Activities are complete to earn incentives for the 2025 benefits year. Open enrollment is right around the corner, so make sure you remember to visit your physician for a wellness check and complete the Personal Health Profile with our partner Health Advocate before the September 30 deadline. Health Plan eligible members who complete both activities receive financial credit towards their 2025 health plan contributions. Act before the end of September to make sure you qualify!
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To learn more, details are available here: Wellness Rewards Program. For additional questions, contact the Pensions and Benefits office at (804) 521-1131.
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VAUMC to focus on spiritual disciplines
Bishop Sue and Martha Stokes, conference lay leader, invite the Virginia Conference to explore spiritual disciplines from September 2024 to June 2025. The book, Soul Feast, by Marjorie J. Thompson will help guide this initiative with a different spiritual practice focus each month.
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Clergy shares transforming ministry through CPE
Rev. MiRhang Baek shared on how the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program transformed her life, faith and ministry in a recent article from Higher Education & Ministry. Lead more...
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Rethink Church podcast features NOVA ministries
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Take an audio journey into the innovative ways churches in Northern Virginia are blending spirituality with community outreach in this podcast from Rethink Church. ⛪
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From Improv Church’s unique fusion of comedy and worship, to Provision Church’s mission of providing meals and support in a communal setting. This podcast episode shares inspiring stories of how these ventures are breaking traditional molds, making faith accessible and meaningful for all.
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Bishop addresses upcoming presidential election
Bishop Sue encourages United Methodists to take advantage of the gift of voting, to recognize their own echo chambers while striving for a balanced view, and to fact check resources before sharing on social media during this political season. Watch video and find other resources at link below.
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Updated challenge for UnDue Medical Debt
Following an update of the 2024 Annual Conference offering, Bishop Sue challenged the VAUMC to take the next step toward forgiving medical debt in Virginia. If the VAUMC could raise an additional $180,000 over the remainder of 2024, for a total amount raised of $250,000, our collective efforts would forgive at least $25 million in medical debt in Virginia. According to our friends at Undue Medical Debt this could lead to the forgiveness of as much as $45 million.
Can you imagine that level of impact? The level of transformation in the Commonwealth of Virginia?
Bishop Sue recognizes raising this much money is a big goal.
If you would like to give to this effort, please visit www.vaumcdonations.org and select the Undue Medical Debt tab.
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Resource Highlight
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VAUMC clergy to lead at Small Church Gathering in November
It's a BIG event for the SMALL church! Register by October 15 for the Small Church Gathering, a resourcing event unique to small church contexts, at Virginia Beach UMC on November 2. Space is limited. Several VAUMC leaders will share at the event, some include:
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- Rev. Dr. Jonathan Page- Learning to Engage your Church's Community
- Rev. Jeff Witt- Stewardship Made Easier
- Rev. Amanda Webber- Cultivating Talent
- Rev. Kyungsuk Cho- Beauty Across Cultures
- Martha Stokes- Role of Laity in the Church
- Rev. Jason Stanley- Transforming Stories using a Storyboard tool
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Learn about Ministry Innovator internship from Wesley Theological
Wesley Theological Seminary's Ministry Innovator Internship brings together people from a variety of backgrounds in a 1-year program that equips them to harness the power of their imaginations in the service of the Church and the world. Deadline for applications is October 15, 2024.
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The program begins in January with an immersion experience to help form the interns and orient them towards the frontiers of modern ministry. Throughout the Spring semester, interns take a course called "Innovative Ministry by Design," learning tools of design thinking to develop new ways to approach old problems. During the summer, participants prepare a course based on the principles they've learned, then proceed to teach that course to church leaders in the fall. Learn More
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Join growing number of Certified Lay Ministers in VAUMC
Are you a leader in the church seeking to deepen your learning of the UMC and how you might better serve your church and community? CLM (Certified Lay Minister) may be a direction for you to go. CLMs serve as leaders in their church and community as assigned by the District Superintendents. They can be lay supply ministers (serving a congregation in the absence of a clergy), parish nurses, church planters, Christian educators, musicians, food pantry workers, or in nearly any other capacity you can imagine.
CLMs require some basic courses through LSA (the Lay Servant Academy) and then four modules specifically designed for practical application within the church.
Courses to become a CLM:
Module One (prerequisites: BASIC and Spiritual Gifts)
Module Two (prerequisites: Module One and Preaching)
Module Three (prerequisites: Module Two and Polity)
Module Four (prerequisites: Module Three and Heritage)
To Register for Module One, go to CLM Registration to choose the correct module and register.
Registration closes October 11. Class begins October 13 from 6-8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a hybrid class, so there is online work and Zoom meetings to fulfill the requirements.
For more information, please contact Rev. Dr. Joanna Dietz.
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Other VAUMC Communication Channels
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Public Notice Board
Clergy and laity can crowdsource for ideas and resources within the connection through the Public Notice Board. Find the newest notices and share your question or find past queries at the conference website.
Also find free items for giveaway at the conference website.
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Please send in questions you have that you would like to find answers to: [email protected].
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