BeaconNameplate
Winter 2025 * Volume 26, Issue 1

Chaplain’s Message by Steve Spurr

Do the Work

Good Morning,
Jesus emphasizes the urgency of doing God's work while there is still time.
“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4 ESV)
In this passage, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, urging them to seize the opportunity to fulfill their divine mission. As United Methodist Men, Jesus is speaking directly to us. "Day" symbolizes the period of Jesus' earthly ministry, a time of spiritual light when his work could be accomplished. "Night" represents the coming time of his crucifixion and death, as well as the period of spiritual darkness when his physical presence would no longer be with them. The verse underscores the necessity of being diligent and purposeful in doing God's work while the opportunity exists, as the time to do so is limited.

As we look around our world, but moreover our churches, the work to do is right before us. There needs to be an urgency at all levels of our work to ensure that when we meet friends, neighbors, and strangers, we share the good news with them as Christ has commanded,

This verse encourages believers to remain focused and active in their faith, recognizing that there is an urgency to live out their purpose before the opportunity passes. It serves as a reminder to prioritize spiritual responsibilities and to act with a sense of purpose and immediacy. May we all seek the will to “work while it is day” as we labor side-by-side for the sake of the Gospel.

This issue of The BEACON provides many opportunities to do the work in 2025.

As the UMM of the Virginia Conference, may we continue to unite men within the church for spiritual growth, service, and fellowship to become effective disciples of Jesus Christ.

Steven Spurr
Chaplain, VA Conference UMM
[email protected]

Meeting with Bishop Sue

Ministry Partnership

Top row - DS Jay Carey, Cabinet Representative; David Collins,
President; Andrew Kissell, NACP Justice Advocate; Rev. Dr. Steve Summers, Assistant to the Bishop
Bottom row - Rev. Joseph Moseray, Vice-President, Spiritual Life; Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson;
Bob Longworth, Vice-President, Membership & Development; Albert Weal, SEJ President
On January 8, representatives from the VA Conference UMM, Southeastern Jurisdiction (SEJ) UMM, and National Association of Conference Presidents (NACP) met with Bishop Sue Haupert Johnson and Conference staff. Bishop Sue fully supports our objectives and goals that are detailed below.

The meeting was positive and uplifting. In 2025, expect continued digital and in-person communications. We are planning a Give Day close to Father’s Day for men to make a donation in memory/honor of their fathers and other impactful men in their lives.

Save the date for the VA Conference UMM Annual Meeting and Breakfast on Friday, June 13, 2025, 7:00 AM at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Roanoke, VA. Details will follow.

Please keep Bishop Sue in your prayers.

2025-2026 VACUMM Objectives and Goals
Encourage Individual Spiritual Development
⚬ Promote and encourage the formation of small transformational groups for study, support, accountability, and fellowship.
Ministry partnership with Conference clergy and lay leader
⚬ Develop an ongoing prayer group which prays for our Bishop, Conference Lay Leader, and all clergy within the VA Conference.
Improve race relations
⚬ Promote awareness of the Healing Circles and other race related programs.
Engage with campus ministries and younger men
⚬ Identify campus ministries, their pastors, and Wesleyan groups within each district.
Embrace Scouting
⚬ Promote the value of scouting within each district of the Conference.
Advocate for environmental issues and creation care
⚬ Promote and support the Society of St. Andrew’s ministry. Promote avoidance of waste of any kind including gas, water, electricity, food, etc.

Knees@Noon on Fridays

Partnering in Prayer

Knees@Noon is a time for the VA Conference UMM to gather for intercessory prayer on Fridays for no more than 15 minutes. We also encourage men to take one-minute at noon every day to pray for Bishop Sue, our Conference leadership, themselves, and their families.

Join Knees @ Noon UMM
Time: 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82873870973?pwd=AcGMK2suuFPnmugJl7F7cba4LKeQTQ.1

Meeting ID: 828 7387 0973
Passcode: 547619

John Wesley is best known as the founder of the Methodist movement. Wesley emphasized the importance of personal faith, communal worship, and the transformative power of prayer. Central to Wesley’s religious practice was the belief that prayer was not merely a ritual act but a vital expression of one’s relationship with God.

Wesley's approach to prayer was deeply rooted in the belief that it could effect change both within individuals and in the world around them. He viewed prayer as a means of grace—a channel through which believers could experience God’s presence and guidance. For Wesley, prayer was not a passive exercise but an active engagement with the divine. He encouraged his followers to pray regularly and fervently, believing that such devotion could lead to profound spiritual transformation.
The Prayers & commandments of our Lord. Print shows three scenes depicting events in Jesus' life and accompanying prayers from the Bible. Around these vignettes are the Ten Commandments. Date c1890.
As United Methodist Men (UMM) across this great Commonwealth of Virginia, we too believe that prayer leads to profound spiritual transformation. Wesley’s promotion of ‘prayer meetings contributed significantly to the Methodist movement’s growth. These gatherings created communal spaces where believers could share their experiences and pray together, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support. Wesley's practices reflected a holistic view of prayer that encompassed personal supplication, intercessory prayer for others, and thanksgiving. He often noted the necessity of both corporate and private prayer, suggesting that while personal communion with God is crucial, collective prayer amplifies the communal experience of faith.

Wesley’s commitment to prayer not only grounded his spiritual life but also inspired countless others to adopt similar practices. In this way, John Wesley’s legacy is one of encouraging believers to pursue a dynamic and intimate relationship with God through the powerful discipline of prayer.
Well, if it was good for John Welsey, it’s good for us now as UMM in this time and place.

Steven Spurr
Prayer Advocate, VA Conference UMM
[email protected]

Impact

February is Heart Havens Month

Heart Havens is excited to share the Impact of Heart Havens' mission and our
supporters' generosity in 2025 as we spread our message of empowerment for adults
with disabilities.

Heart Havens does not receive apportionments. Heart Havens is a Virginia Conference
Advance Special mission, and our goal is to empower adults with a developmental
disability to live and thrive in their community. By supporting Heart Havens, you help
create a community that honors the true value and worth of people with a disability.

In February, congregations will lift up Heart Havens Month, a time to both support the Heart Havens mission with gifts and celebrate the gifts that people with a developmental disability bring to the church. Donations collected for Heart Havens will support them opening a new home for people with disabilities. To learn more about Heart Havens and the Heart Havens homes around the Conference, please visit www.hearthavens.org.

Donate to Heart Havens to make an impact.

Heart Havens
7501 Boulders View Dr, Suite 205
Richmond, VA 23225
Phone: 804-237-6097
Fax: 804-463-1741
https://hearthavens.org

Racial Inequality in Immigration Law on Feb 15

Improving Race Relations

United Women in Faith of the Three Notch’d District invite the men of the Virginia Annual Conference to join them for their annual Racial Justice Program honoring the United Methodist Charter for Racial Justice on Saturday, February 15 from 9-11:30am on Zoom. Please join. Registration information is below.

The UWF is not only committed to the work of racial justice, we have also led the church in racial equity, and the Charter for Racial Justice Policies is an important mandate in this work. For more information and to read the Charter please go to: https://uwfaith.org/what-we-do/serve-and-advocate/racial-justice. Just Neighbors is presenting "Racial Inequality in Immigration Law," a program that focuses on racial inequity by their Director of Legal Services, Ms. Dominique Poirier. As you may know,

Just Neighbors was founded in 1996 by pastors and attorneys of the United Methodist Church to develop a practical response to the legal challenges that low-income immigrants face in the United States. Initially focusing on northern Virginia, the organization now also serves the Eastern Shore, Harrisonburg, Winchester, Waynesboro, Lynchburg, and Warrenton. In 2020, Just Neighbors merged with DC/MD Justice for Our Neighbors and now serves Washington DC and Maryland.
Because Just Neighbors has always partnered with other nonprofit organizations, and because the United Methodist Church is, by its very nature connectional, our UWF Committee sees this event as a wonderful opportunity to extend the audience for this Just Neighbor's program resource beyond our core audience of District and Conference UWF members. We hope our sisters and brothers in other organizations within our denomination and in the larger community will take this opportunity to register and participate with us.
This Zoom event will be from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 15, 2025, with a Question and Answer session. We will send out the agenda and resource information when confirming each registration.

We know people are busy, so if they can’t attend the whole program, they can attend when time permits. We plan to record the program and make it available later as a resource.

Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JKfDuctbQKKG9UZsCENPrg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH
Serve & Advocate
Racial Justice

Journey to Healing on March 1

Improving Race Relations

Join the VAUMC Climate Conference on March 8

Advocating for Environmental Issues

If we are honest with ourselves, we are neither thinking nor talking enough about creation care...A big part that we all play, in this goal of creation justice, individually and collectively is talking about the climate crisis.”
-Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson April 14, 2023

You may not know this, but you are essential through your words and actions in the Church's witness of Creation Care.

At the 2024 Virginia Annual Conference, the members passed the "Conference Net Zero by 2050 resolution."

The VAUMC Board of Church & Society invites you to the VAUMC Climate Summit on Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Randolph-Macon College.

At this summit,
  • learn why you are key in our VAUMC response to Creation & Racial Justice and Sustainability as a church and as institutions;
  • hear from keynote speaker Michele Roberts, a scientist turned environmental justice activist who helps religious groups and people of color around the country defend the planet against environmental and racial injustice;
  • get to know others searching to figure out new ways to respond; and
  • leave with practical ways to respond in your committees, collaborations, and community response.
VAUMC Climate Summit
Saturday, March 8, 2025
9:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Randolph-Macon College
Ashland, Va.

Register...

Words to Live By

Former President Jimmy Carter
Atlanta, Ga., August 15, 2015
Credit: The Carter Center

Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024

“To be true
to ourselves,
we must
be true
to others.”

President Jimmy Carter
January 20, 1977

Recommended Reading: Romans 3:23
SmallVaConf
In continued efforts to fulfill the Virginia Conference goal of having Connectional Ministries become a greater resource to districts, laity and clergy, United Methodist Men are now partnered with Virginia UM clergy. Clergy, you are receiving the Beacon newsletter as part of your Virginia Conference connection.