What is One Matters Award?

The One Matters Award recognizes one church turning zeros into positive numbers with a renewed focus on discipleship. This award is offered through the Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church (www.umcdiscipleship.org). The selection process is directed by the Board of Discipleship of the Virginia conference, and all nominations are collected through the nomination process set by the board.

The award, which includes $1,000 and a One Matters Discipleship Award plaque, will be presented to the pastor and lay leaders of a congregation which has done significant work to make its zeros from previous years become positive numbers.

Criteria for the award is a church with a history of zero baptisms and zero professions of faith for a minimum of four years and significant increases in these two areas in 2024. Nominations should include the historical record, which can be verified through Year End Statistics for at least four to six years. The application should include a short write-up story of how the church has turned itself around.