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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 Story
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Quarterly Report released conference wide
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A new communication, "The Q Source," has been created to give conference members an easy digest of the work that is happening across the conference and districts on a regular basis.
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The hope behind "The Q Source" would be that conference clergy and laity could more readily have examples of how ministry is happening across the conference, pointing to “bright spots” in the VAUMC, and giving information from operational offices such as the Treasurer's Office and VUMPI.
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This resource will be released each quarter. For comments or questions, contact conference Director of Communications Madeline White.
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New Scouting affiliation and facility use agreements
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This Virginia Scouting Coordinator Alan Webber shared there are new set of affiliation and facility use agreements to use with Scouting America. VAUMC churches are asked to use these forms instead of the previous affiliation and facility use agreements. Webber will schedule a Zoom call in May to discuss the changes to the documents and address any questions.
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Help rising college students connect to their faith
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Help the graduating high school seniors from your churches who will be entering a college or university in the fall to stay connected to their faith. Please take a moment to update the conference with those students' college plans, so that VAUMC-supported campus ministries can reach out to help them bridge their transition. To submit the information use this form. If you have questions contact Dwayne Stinson ([email protected]).
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Resources
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The VAUMC Soul Feast journey continues
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Bishop Sue and Martha Stokes, conference lay leader, have invited the Virginia Conference to explore spiritual disciplines from September 2024 to June 2025.
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The book, Soul Feast, by Marjorie J. Thompson is guiding this initiative with a different spiritual practice focus each month. On the first Monday of each month, there is a live webinar to discuss the next spiritual discipline and suggested resources will also be shared.
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Get ready for Heritage Sunday
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Observed the third Sunday in May, Heritage Sunday celebrates the legacy of The United Methodist Church. This year, the General Commission on Archives and History invites congregations to honor the voices of LGBTQ+ United Methodists whose stories have too often gone untold. Learn more...
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Posts for the week
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United Methodists remember Pope Francis
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United Methodists are mourning the death of Pope Francis and acknowledging the special relationship between the Roman Catholic and Methodist traditions.
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“(The pope) would have made an excellent Methodist,” said the Rev. Jean Hawxhurst, ecumenical staff officer for the United Methodist Council of Bishops.
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The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church died on Easter Monday at age 88 after a cerebral stroke.
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Pope Francis “was an inspirational witness of what it means to be a follower of Jesus the Christ,” Hawxhurst said. “With a little glimmer in his eye and kindness in his heart, he spoke truth clearly and unapologetically.” Learn more...
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Rev. Dr. Matt Charlton Hired as VP of Philanthropy & Development
The Virginia United Methodist Foundation (VAUMF) has created and filled the new role of vice president of philanthropy and development to lead fundraising initiatives for the Foundation’s grants and other programs benefitting churches within the Virginia United Methodist Conference (VAUMC). The Rev. Dr. Matt Charlton will assume this role starting on May 6, 2025. Dr. Charlton is currently serving as the regional philanthropy officer at the American Red Cross of Tennessee.
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Prior to that, he worked as development officer for Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. In addition, Dr. Charlton has taught religion classes at Belmont University in Tennessee, Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif., and Methodist Theological School in Ohio. The list of his academic pursuits is long: he holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Master of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees from Vanderbilt University, and a Master of Science in strategic communications and leadership from Belmont University.
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“Matt is an accomplished scholar but also one who thinks entrepreneurially in this type of work, which is rare to find,” according to Mark Manasco, chairperson of the Foundation’s board of directors. “He has been successful every place he has been and is the right person to lead us in this new development function at the Foundation.” Read More...
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Servant Sister Scholarship Fund supports women in ministry
Join in supporting women in ministry across our conference! The Servant Sister Scholarship has grown to 28, 822.44 in just five years. Our first scholarship was awarded in 2022; a total of three have now been awarded.
The fund has enjoyed support from across the conference. At this. time, there are fifty identified giving units. Fourteen donors have given for multiple years. Our donations are received at the annual Clergywomen's Luncheon at Conference, a gift was given for a district's farewell to a retiring DS, and several local church United Women in Faith groups amplify the gifts. The gifts for the SSSF have ranged from $20-$1,000.
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The recipients of this scholarship are the future leaders of our congregations. This month, the Servant Sister Scholarship Board invites you to become part of supporting women enrolled in seminary through donating to the Servant Sister Scholarship Fund. Would you please consider honoring or remembering someone who has inspired your faith with a donation? You can go to the United Methodist Foundation page to designate your electronic donation, or scan the QR code below. Checks can be made payable to the United Methodist Foundation with a notation for the Servant Sister Scholarship Fund.
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For further information, the Servant Sister Scholarship is on the VAUMC website. Please feel free to share the application information with women you know who would benefit from scholarship support. The link for the application process is found here. The next application deadline is July 1.
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The quite contrary story of Mary Magdalene
Few other followers of Jesus have been saddled with a more notorious reputation than Mary Magdalene.
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Sure, she has fame many of today’s celebrities would envy. She’s a popular subject for Renaissance painters with pinup good looks. She plays a starring role in just about every Passion play, TV show and movie made about Jesus’ life.
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But all that stardom has come with a price. She’s often portrayed as the former prostitute who is the polar opposite of the Virgin Mary. Or, thanks to the best-selling thriller “The Da Vinci Code,” she’s seen as Jesus’ secret love interest. If she were a celebrity today, she would get salacious headlines on TMZ.
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Lost in all the speculation about Mary Magdalene’s love life is the biblical record. Never once does Scripture identify her as a harlot, reformed or otherwise.
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Instead, the Bible shows Mary Magdalene as an important disciple of Jesus — the one witness to the Crucifixion and Resurrection whose name appears in all four Gospels. All four note her presence at the empty tomb. In three Gospels, she encounters the risen Christ. In the Gospel of John, she is the first person to testify to the good news that Christ has conquered death.
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This Easter Sunday, many United Methodists and other Christians around the world will hear that account in John 20:1-18. The passage features Mary Magdalene’s tearful conversation with a man she first mistakes for a gardener but ultimately recognizes as the risen Savior. She then tells the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and shares what Jesus told her. Read More...
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Featured Event: Annual Conference
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Find AC 2025 Kit information, information on Constitutional Amendments, Agenda and more
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- Kits for Conference
- Education on Constitutional Amendments
- The 2024 General Conference passed several proposed amendments to United Methodist Constitution. These unique pieces of legislation only become official once they are ratified by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the aggregate of members to the annual conferences. Learn more…
- Agenda
- Weekly Digest
- Starting Monday, April 21, there will be a weekly digest of videos to help AC members prepare for AC 2025. These will be sent directly to AC member emails and available on the conference website. Other weekly digest dates will be April 28, May 4, and May 11
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Volunteers needs for AC 2025
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Passionate, dependable volunteers are needed to help make Annual Conference (June 11–14 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke) a meaningful experience for all. Whether you can serve before, during, or after the event, your presence matters more than you know.
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Will you prayerfully consider stepping in to serve? Your time and energy could be the spark that helps everything run smoothly—and makes someone feel truly welcome. Sign up at the button links below as the Valley Ridge District and conference team prepare for Annual Conference 2025: Movement of the Heart. Ushers are especially needed at this time! Learn more...
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AC members should register AC absence with conference secretary
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This is a reminder that in accordance with ¶602.8 of The 2020/2024 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, any clergy or lay member of the Annual Conference who will not be attending the Annual Conference on June 11-14, 2025, will need to report your absence to the Conference Secretary (not to the Bishop). This year we are using a google form to report these absences. This form can be found here.
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If you have questions, please send an email to Conference Secretary Claire Miller at [email protected].
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Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Grace and Peace,
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Rev. Claire B. Miller
Virginia Conference Secretary
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Other VAUMC Communications 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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