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September 13, 2022
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To submit news items, events, or corrections, email the conference Communications Office at [email protected].
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- September 16 - Discovery UMC, Richmond, hosting Youth Night of Worship and Prayer. Register now!
- September 17- United Women in Faith Young Women's Event
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Resource Spotlight: Communications Impact
All this week, United Methodist Communications (UMCom) will celebrate a showcase of ministry success stories powered by communications. Communications Impact Week, Sept. 12-16, will showcase how United Methodist resources and tools are empowering ministry near and far. Last year alone, UMCom served more than 1,900 local churches, supported 1.67 million social media followers and had 14.6 million web page views. Churches seeking to expand their outreach can find encouragement from what others are experiencing.
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How can you take part in learning, influencing, and serving this week?
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How can you be a lifelong learner?
LEWIS CENTER FOR CHURCH LEADERSHIP--Jaye Johnson says a congregation that is clear about who it is must say “no” to ministries that are inconsistent with that purpose. While this can be painful, it is essential to releasing new energy for mission. Learn more...
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- How can you be an influencer?
Children’s and family ministries look different from just a few years ago. Parents have fast become the most important component of faith formation within their family. Church leaders are wondering how to transform the lives of parents, caregivers, grandparents, and church communities. Parents are on the frontline of faith formation with their children. Throughout this course, church leaders will discover how to journey alongside parents to nurture, equip, empower, and effectively communicate with them. Find course...
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UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response, working through annual conferences and the UMCOR Relief Supplies Network, is aiding those impacted by several flooding events of this summer, which has led to an immediate need for additional cleaning (flood) kits. The VAUMC Annual Conference Kit team proposes to hold another event on November 10, 2022, with a goal to collect 4,677 Cleaning Kits by November. Learn more...
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Virginia News
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Join the Cleaning Kit Conference Challenge!
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In a September 8 letter, Bishop Lewis shared that VAUMC Disaster Coordinator, the Rev. Bob Pihlcrantz, recently received an urgent call from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) requesting cleaning kits. UMCOR Supply Depots are already close to disbursing all their stored cleaning kits to impacted areas. In 2017, the Virginia Conference responded to a similar call and collected 4,676 cleaning kits, estimated at $350,700.
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Lewis challenged the conference in her letter sharing, "Together, as the Virginia Conference, let us once again step up as the church. The VAUMC Annual Conference Kit team proposes to hold another event on November 10, 2022, with our goal to collect 4,677 Cleaning Kits by November.
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"This is one more kit from our previous collection in 2017. Our goal can be easily reached if every church contributes four (4) kits or 585 kits per district. We ask all churches in the Virginia Conference to be “United as One” in this opportunity to share the hope of Jesus Christ."
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UM Credit Union offering sessions on stewardship, capital campaigns
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The United Methodist Credit Union is offering Thursday sessions on September 15, 22, and 29 from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. on the topics of "The Yearly Stewardship Ministry Calendar," "The Annual Campaign," and "Endowments, Designated Funds, Capital Campaigns." This course would be helpful for church staff and other lay people who have responsibilities in these areas. CEU credit is available. For questions, email [email protected] or call (804) 672-0200. Learn more...
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UWF hosting event for young women on spiritual refreshment, growth
The Virginia Conference United Women in Faith (UWF) Young Women’s Event will be held Saturday, September 17, from 9:00 a.m. – noon via Zoom. It is open to all young women ages 18-40. They do not need to be a member of United Women in Faith, The United Methodist Church, or any church.
This is a time set aside for young women ages 18 to 40 for their spiritual refreshment and growth. They will consider “Who Can We Be Together? – Building Communities of Hope and Joy.” The Rev. Kendra Grimes, Chaplain and Director of Church Relations at Randolph-Macon College, will lead this mini-retreat.
Sponsored annually by the Virginia Conference United Women in Faith (UWF), this Young Women’s Event will continue this year virtually with no registration fee. Please register by September 14.
Confirmation will be sent by email containing information about joining the meeting.
For more information, contact Marlene Dakita, Va. Conference UWF Mission Coordinator for Membership, Nurture & Outreach (MNO), at [email protected] or 703-244-4524 (cell).
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Register now for Clergy Soul Care Retreat
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Join for a time out in a safe place, to name your need and nurture your soul’s connection with God at the second Clergy Soul Care Retreat at Roslyn Retreat Center hosted by the Spiritual Vitality Committee of the Board of Ordained Ministry from October 6-8, 2022..Together, participants will experience connection with God through learning, embodied spiritual practices, spiritual direction, connection in community, and rest. Led by Dr. Joseph Howell, author of Becoming Conscious: The Enneagram's Forgotten Passageway, host of the podcast The Real Enneagram: A Spiritual Quest, and founder of The Institute for Conscious Being, we will care for ourselves as we take a deep dive into soul work. Space is limited and the deadline to Register is 12 noon, September 22. Learn more...
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UMM feature Heart Havens in upcoming webinar
The Virginia Conference United Methodist Men (UMM) invite all to join them on Tuesday, September 20 at 6:30 p.m. for a Love, Learn, and Lead webinar about Heart Havens with Jennifer Boyden, Chief Executive Officer, and Rebecca Huff, Chief Operating Officer. Heart Havens is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides a home and 24-hour support to adults with developmental disabilities. Heart Havens has homes across Virginia in Richmond, Ashland, Lynchburg, Stuarts Draft, and Virginia Beach with about 25 clients. Heart Havens empowers adults with developmental disabilities to live and thrive in their community.
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Join to learn more about this ministry and how the Virginia Conference can support Heart Havens.
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Join Zoom Meeting
Tuesday, September 20 at 6:30 p.m. EDT
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Meeting ID: 898 2460 7164
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+13017158592,,89824607164# US (Washington D.C)
+19292056099,,89824607164# US (New York)
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+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
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Webinar recordings from previous Love, Learn, and Lead webinars are posted on our website https://vaumc.org/UMM.
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How can your church help during disasters?
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With disasters like the summer flooding in Kentucky, Virginia Conference clergy and laity want to help. Learn more in a recent blog post on what is needed following these disasters. Learn more...
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Learn more about Renfro grant, other grant opportunities
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Every year, the Conference Secretary of Global Missions (the Rev. Seungsoo ‘RJ’ Jun, VAUMC CSGM) of the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church gathers with others to award the Renfro Trust Grant to local churches and Siedschlag award to members of the conference. The application is now open for your church, located in a less than 10,000 population, to apply for a ‘brick and mortar’ grant of up to $5,000. Also, each conference can nominate up to two members of the conference who might be the recipient of the Siedschlag award. Grants from around the connection can be found at the conference website. Learn more...
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Virginia Conference responds to law firm representing churches seeking to disaffiliate
September 1--In recent weeks, the Virginia Conference received more than two dozen letters from an organization called the National Center for Life and Liberty (NCLL) demanding that 26 churches be able to promptly disaffiliate under Paragraph 2548.2 of the Book of Discipline so they can join the Global Methodist Church. Read more in conference press release...
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Read other releases and information about disaffiliation here...
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Boy Scouts of America settlement approved
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September 9--Bishop John Schol, who leads the UMC BSA Leadership Team, shared with U.S. Bishops a September 8 Reuters article sharing that Judge Silverstein approved the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) settlement. Schol and the UMC BSA Leadership Team will keep the conference informed of next steps. Access the Reuters article...
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Update for October 29 Called Annual Conferences
As previously shared conference-wide in May, a Special Annual Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, October 29. At 9 a.m. The purpose of this Special Annual Conference Session is to close the remaining four churches utilizing Discipline paragraph 2549.3 (Disposition of property of a closed local church) and approve the severing of their relationship with the United Methodist denomination.
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At 9:30 a.m., a second Special Annual Conference will convene for the sole purpose of ratifying the disaffiliation of local churches seeking to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church over matters of human sexuality. Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline governs this process. All approvals and agreements under this process must be completed by September 30, 2022.
Questions concerning the two Special Annual Conferences may be directed to the Rev. Dr. Steve Summers at [email protected].
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General Church News
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African bishops call for unity, condemn advocacy groups
UM NEWS-- African bishops released a statement Sept. 8 denouncing the Africa Initiative and Wesleyan Covenant Association, which they say “are wrongly influencing God’s people in our areas.”
The statement was released at the close of the African bishops’ retreat, which was held Sept 5-8 at Africa University. All of the continent’s active bishops, with the exception of Nigeria Area Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, signed the statement. Read more...
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World Council of Churches assembly focuses on reconciliation
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UM NEWS-- The weekend in the middle of the World Council of Churches General Assembly is expressly intended for excursions and congregational encounters. Bishop Ivan Abrahams, General Secretary of the World Methodist Council, spoke on the meeting theme: “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” German United Methodist Bishop Harald Rückert pointed to the relationship between France and Germany after WWII as an example for The United Methodist Church that reconciliation is possible. Read more...
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Ordination project leads to five restored homes
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UM NEWS-- For many years, Johnston and Harmony United Methodist churches had a vibrant home repair ministry, but enthusiasm waned as the years passed. When the Rev. Amanda Richardson became pastor of the two churches, her ordination project reignited the congregations' passion. Read more...
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Church court clarifies property-transfer rules
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UM NEWS--The United Methodist Church’s top court ruled that a much-debated church law can only be used for transferring property — not members — to another denomination. The Judicial Council also ruled that The United Methodist Church must have an existing agreement with the other denomination for such a transfer to occur. No such agreement exists with the Global Methodist Church, which has been pushing for churches to use the measure to leave The United Methodist Church. In a separate matter, the Judicial Council released a memorandum on the vote by the Bulgaria-Romania Provisional Annual Conference to move to the Global Methodist Church. Read more...
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Is The United Methodist Church really...?
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UM NEWS--Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, has received many questions from congregations wondering about the future of the denomination and whether they should consider disaffiliating from it. These have included recurrent questions that reflect misperceptions or misinformation that congregations are receiving as they discern their next steps. This is the first of a series of articles offering accurate responses to such misperceptions or misinformation. Learn more...
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Join the denomination in sharing why you are #BeUMC
#BeUMC honors the core values that connect the people of The United Methodist Church (The UMC). This grassroots campaign, built upon powerful stories of congregations and people living their faith, celebrates what draws us to The UMC and what we aspire to be.
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The UMC is founded on a Wesleyan theology of grace, anchored in Scripture, and based in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the continuing movement of the Holy Spirit.
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The full story of The UMC reflects all of our interwoven experiences. Consider our common roots and your answer to the question, “Why am I United Methodist?” Then, post a video, photo or written testimony on your preferred social media platform – don’t forget to use the hashtag #BeUMC. Download the campaign guide...
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One Last Word
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Whether in a crowd or by ourselves, it's still possible to feel alone. Know this, though: You are never alone. God loves you and is always with you.
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Please send any issues or concerns to [email protected]. If you have issues with the formatting trying to forward (especially in Outlook), you can use the following link. More...
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