News
Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019
In recognition of church leaders who are caring for traumatized communities and individuals in West Ohio following recent flooding and tornadoes, United Theological Seminary is offering a 50% discount to its 2019 Summer Preaching Seminar for pastors and church leaders in The West Ohio Conference. This year's Summer Preaching Seminar focuses on Trauma-Aware Ministry, providing practical and proactive teaching on nurturing hope, healing and resilience in the wake... (read more)
Thursday, Jul 25, 2019
Vibrant. Resilient. Joy-filled. A place where miracles abound. These are just some of the images that define the people and church of the North Katanga Conference, in the DR Congo. A church that feeds souls through the Word - and bodies through agriculture, wells and fish farms - thrives because it hasn't separated personal piety and social holiness. Orphans discover their God-given beauty because the church chose to care for them. The singing, dancing and fe... (read more)
Thursday, Jul 25, 2019
Next year, Bishop Palmer and Cynthia will lead the Alpine Odyssey, a nine-day European adventure to see the Oberammergau Passion Play, from July 27-August 4, 2020. Since 1634, the most famous Passion Play in the world has taken place in Oberammergau once every 10 years. Other stops on the adventure will include Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and more.
You must sign up and pay your deposit by July 28, 2019.
For more information, click here.
Thursday, Jul 25, 2019
Don't let summer slip by without celebrating fun, faith and friends at camp. West Ohio Camps still has camp opportunities available. Adventure Camp at Camp Otterbein is a chance for campers ages 9 to 17 to go on an adventure in the great outdoors and try something new. They will soar down the zip line, get blobbed into the lake, and hit a bullseye at the archery range. High school campers also take an adventure day-trip hiking, kayaking, or rock climbing. Otter... (read more)
Thursday, Jul 25, 2019
Back-to-school season in the United States begins in early August and continues until mid-September. United Methodists will be gathering for prayers on school campuses, blessing students and teachers and other staff who serve them, distributing school supplies, hosting outreach events - and much more. Discover what others are doing and find resources to promote and carry out your events here.
Thursday, Jul 25, 2019
When the General Commission on Religion and Race set out to develop new resources for clergy new to cross-racial/cross-cultural ministry settings, the staff turned to those with experience. Read the advice these pastors offer to help others develop cultural competence as they get to know their new charge and become more self-aware of their own expectations, assumptions and concerns. Read More
Tuesday, Jul 23, 2019
Last week, Barry Burns talked about what makes a vital congregation. This week, I would like to tell the story of two very different vital churches in the Capitol Area North District.
North Lewisburg United Methodist Church in Champaign County worships about 65 on a Sunday morning. When Pastor Karen Montgomery arrived there in July 2012, she found a kindhearted church in the middle of town that knew how to raise up strong families. Pastor Karen set about... (read more)
Tuesday, Jul 23, 2019
Clergy wellness has been a focus of the West Ohio Clergy Wellness Task Force that recently finished up its work. While the Conference continues working to implement their recommendations, including the July 1 launch of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Wespath shared its 2019 Clergy Well-Being Study, which provides information about clergy wellness from across the country. For more information, click here.
Tuesday, Jul 23, 2019
The Festival Gathering of Biblical Storytelling will be held July 31-August 3, 2019, at the University Marriott hotel in Dayton, OH. The Festival Gathering features workshops for beginners through master storytellers, keynote presentations, world-class performances of both sacred and traditional storytelling, and many opportunities to immerse yourself in the Bible as story, and network with other storytellers from all over the world. For more information or to... (read more)
Tuesday, Jul 23, 2019
Clergy may be the first individuals who become aware of elder abuse or exploitation in their communities, but clergy are often left out of discussions of elder justice. 'Leading Faithfully: Mobilizing Clergy to Help Respond to Elder Abuse" will help connect the dots for faith leaders that serve in communities across Ohio.
Workshops will be held in West Ohio on August 21 (Grove City), September 11 (Dayton), and September 18 (Toledo).
Cost is $25 for registration... (read more)