Today Found Me in Conversation with Several People Who Talked About Things That Found

[email protected] August2017 ______Dear Friends,

Today found me in conversation with several people who talked about things that found me remembering my call to ministry and my completing the requirements I and other candidates had to complete in order to move toward ordination. One of the requirements was an ordination project. For my project I choose to write a Bible study on the Gospel of John I taught in the local churches I was serving as a “Probationary” member and Deacon.

I’m not sure why I choose the Gospel of John, but I did. Looking back, as a then relatively new Christian, I like to think I chose it because of the way John writes with absolute clarity about who Jesus is. Both then and now I find I am especially drawn to Jesus statements about himself.

I also find that while the statements Jesus made about himself – starting each statement with the words “I am” – were written more than 2,000 years ago they are as authoritative and relevant today as they were then. Each of the statements also serves as building blocks upon which I continue to build my faith as a Christian. In case you can’t immediately bring to mind the statements Jesus made here they are in the order in which they appear in the Gospel:

 “I am the bread of life …” – John 6:35

 “I am the light of the world.” – John 8:12

 “I am the door.” – John 10:9

 “I am the good shepherd.” – John 10:11

 “I am the resurrection and the life.” – John 11:25

1  “I am the way, the truth and the life.” – John 14:6

 “I am the true vine…” – John 15:5

This weekend, upon learning of the recent and sudden death of one of our district pastors, I find myself holding fast to and comforted by Jesus’ claim he is “the way, the truth and the life.”

As “the way”, Jesus is the way to hope, healing, and heaven.

As “the truth”, Jesus is the truth about everything and the one to whom all truth, including the truth we are lost without him, can be traced back to.

As “the life”, Jesus is the one who is our life-source, purpose, provider, and sustainer in whom we have all things and apart from whom we have nothing.

In a world that continues to struggle to make sense out of what it means to be human and what happens when we die, Jesus’ proclamation about who he is as “the way, the truth, and the life” is not only what sets Christianity apart from other world religions, it was then and remains the only way for those who are seeking in this life what they hope to find in the life to come. While other religions try to provide an answer to life’s questions, Jesus declares that he alone is the answer.

“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)

With appreciation and love in Christ,

Brad ______

CELEBRATE!

Pastors Spouses Bob Bedison 8/3 Mallory Peterson 8/3 Dale Roddy 8/3 Paul Hoover 8/8 Steve Cordle 8/7 Andy Swestyn 8/14 Keith Rieder 8/12 Whit Walters 8/22 Lori Walters 8/12 Karin Lawler 8/22 Patty Comini-Miller 8/21 Gay Mix 8/28 Ken Peters 8/21 Ruth Ann Bedison 8/31 Paul Harman III 8/22 Ed Pope 8/25 Bill Heaton 8/31

Anniversaries Children Bill & Ella Heaton 8/9 Abigail Roberts 8/5 Joel & Mallory Peterson 8/15 Jordyn Loughman 2 8/5 Tate & Ginger Fulton 8/24 Caroline Roberts 8/7 Bob & Patti Hinkle 8/26 Bill & Sara Parker 8/29 Bill & Nancy Starr 8/31 ______

DISTRICT EVENTS: Attention Local Pastors! As of May 1, please use the following address for correspondence to Sara Wrona regarding Local Pastor Issues such as mentor reports and Course of Study registrations: Rev. Sara Wrona, First UMC, 134 Custer Avenue, Vandergrift, PA 15690.

Greene County Hymn Sing: August 13, 2017 Carmichaels First 7PM Sept. 10, 2017 Oak View 7PM

Washington District UMW: August 5 or 12 August Mission Trip-Grace Ministries September 30 Annual Meeting at Coal Center: Grace Saturday, Oct. 28th Conference UMW Meeting at Faith Delmont UMC, 305 Freeport Street, Delmont, PA 15626 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. Speaker: Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi. All women welcome! Contact Diane Miller at [email protected]

UMW Gears Up for Assembly: The Power of Bold is the theme for the 19th quadrennial Assembly of United Methodist Women, set for May 18-20, 2018, in Columbus. A promotional video and other resources are already available. Learn more Watch video

Friday Faith Café : 7:00-9:00pm. Doors open at 6:30. All ages. Free admission, refreshments, family-friendly. 625 Fayette Street, in Washington's West End, one block off of West Chestnut street, at the top of the hill, behind West Washington United Methodist church.

Join us after the Canonsburg Farmer’s Market for our Free, Family-Friendly Movie Night Friday, August 11 at 7 PM – “Trolls” on the front lawn. Kona Ice Truck on hand, fun & games on the lawn. Movie at Dusk. All are welcome!! Bring a blanket or chair to sit on (and maybe a sweater if it isn’t too hot). Canonsburg First, 161 West Pike St, Canonsburg, PA 15317, 724-745-5771

ERT training will be offered at West Washington UMC, 625 Fayette Street, Washington, PA 15301 on Saturday, September 16. Register

District –wide Prayer Walk to be held on Saturday, September 23rd. More info to follow

NEW UMC HANDBOOK The new United Methodist Church Handbook for the next four years is available, providing a detailed overview of the denomination’s beliefs, mission, structure and history. The handbook is a free, go-to resource for anyone in search of information about the church and is helpful for leaders 3 and new members. Learn more Get handbook

2018 Annual Conference: Wednesday, June 6 – Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Not on Sunday)

4 WASHINGTON DISTRICT PICNIC

SUNDAY, AUG 27, 2016 PAVILION # 6, MINGO PARK

3:00 Registration 4:00 EAT Hot Dogs, Drinks, and Place Settings provided Items to bring: Please bring the assigned type of covered dish according to the first letter in your church name:   A—E: bring a salad  F—K: bring fruit or vegetables  L—R: bring dessert  S—Z: bring snacks (chips, pretzels)  Each person is asked to bring your own drinks.  Lawn chairs/blanket  Games (Bag-O, Frisbee, volley ball, etc)

**Pastors, please take a head count and give to the District Office by noon Thursday, August 24th**

5 ______CONFERENCE: How to Set Your Pastor’s 2018 Salary! The annual guide for setting your pastor’s salary has been posted on the Conference website and will be mailed to local churches and active clergy in the next few weeks. See document. ALL Church Secretaries are invited to a luncheon and “training” event on Wednesday, August 30 held at the WPA Conference Center, 1204 Freedom Road, PA 16066 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM We will offer help with Setting up an office Navigating around the conference and district websites sites Logging into the clergy/church dashboards …and hopefully answer all of your questions about your church office. Please bring with you any tools that keep YOUR office running smoothly, whether it is a filing procedure, coding, financial record keeping…….anything that makes life as a church secretary a little easier!

WPA Conference Minister’s Chorus: September 21, 2017 at Linesville/Harmonsburg UMC October 19, 2017 at Mount Hope UMC November 16, 2017 at Brookville First UMC (IN)

Visitors from the Past: Returning to ministry September 1, 2017. Available for church services, revivals, Christian schools, Christian Women’s Clubs, spiritual renewal services and much more. For bookings, contact Luella Krieger at 814-590-1937 or [email protected].

Camp Allegheny Women’s Retreat Theme “Hope for Your Heart” August 25 – 27, 2017 Romans 15:13 (NIV) "May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Camp Allegheny's Women’s Retreat is a weekend designed to let women refresh and renew their walk with the Lord. It is filled with praise and worship, a wonderful speaker, great meals, and plenty of fun free-time activities. Highlights include a watermelon slurp, hay ride, and a beautiful candlelight service. Come enjoy fun and fellowship on the mountaintop. Open your hearts to a weekend of encouragement, faith building, and God’s love. Our speaker this year is Julie Nevel. Julie is an independent contemporary Christian recording artist based in Harrisburg, PA. She is a worship leader, singer/songwriter, speaker, concert artist and pianist.

Fall Women's Retreat With Lisa Grant from Sunday, October 1-Tuesday, October 3, at Olmsted Manor. This retreat begins with a 6:00 dinner on Sunday and continues through lunch on Tuesday. Check-in is at Groves Lodge on Sunday between 4:00 and 5:30 p.m. The Cycle of Grace by Haas and Hudson is not required for this event but can be purchased through Cokesbury for $11. Event Pricing: Tuition - $50 + Room and Board - $132 (2 nights, 6 meals) = TOTAL - $182. A love offering will be taken to thank the presenter. BROCHURE This event is a unique opportunity for female clergy to earn CEUs while experiencing spiritual

6 formation and fellowship with other women. Continuing Education Units: 1

Olmsted Christmas Open House Sunday, December 3 & 10, 2017 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. both evenings. Join the staff and friends of Olmsted as we open our doors to celebrate the Christmas season. Guests can enjoy homemade cookies and punch next to the warm fireplace, or take a tour of the freshly decorated manor. Whether you are coming to visit your "home away from home" or are seeing Olmsted for the first time, we hope you will join us for an evening of celebration and fellowship. Click to Download Flyer

UMC SCHOLARSHIPS There are a variety of scholarships at http://scholarship.umc.org/ Seminary Financial Aid Applications for the 2016-17 academic year are available on the conference website at wpaumc.org/BOOM.

Like to Read, Pastor? Join a clergy book group! Many are about to kick off their year, so it’s a great time to get involved. The groups listed at wpaumc.org/GrowthOpportunities would welcome new members. Or start one yourself and let Susan Moudry know about it. Email [email protected] with details. RECOMMENDED CLERGY READING A new mini-edition of our clergy recommended reading list is focused specifically on leadership books because this year's continuing education focus area is leadership. Both business classics, as well as church specific readings, are highlighted. Pick out one and make a commitment to read it this fall. Let’s pray that our collective reading strengthens our work in ministry. See the list. ______CONTINUING EDUCATION: Online Course: Maintaining Boundaries in a Digital Age This new course in the Keeping Our Sacred Trust series, explores issues of clergy ethics in an era of instantaneous electronic communication. This course helps spiritual leaders stay healthy and attentive to appropriate boundaries in the midst of new ministry challenges including social media, texting, online pornography and more. The original course, Understanding Clergy Sexual Ethics is also available. https://www.lewisonlinelearning.org/

Online Lay Servant Workshop: Your Ministry of Leading Worship 101 — This online course will focus on basic understandings of worship, gaining skills for lay servants planning and leading worship and fulfilling requirements for Lay Speaker Certification. This class from United Methodist BeADisciple.com is approved by United Methodist Discipleship Ministries as an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries, and is the “worship” class required for Lay Speaker Certification. This course is eligible for 1.0 CEU. Details

Keep up with the UMC! Stay informed about important news and events in the The United Methodist Church by subscribing free to the Daily or Weekly Digests. Subscribe now.

Intentional Discipleship: A new resource to help congregations develop an intentional discipleship system includes WPAUMC’s Road to Discipleship map and an article by Rev. Chris Kindle, our director of discipleship. Get free Intentional Discipleship guide . See WPAUMC Discipleship Map.

7 Leadership Development: Both lay and clergy will find information about events, ongoing programs, online learning opportunities, as well as scholarship applications on our newly updated Leadership Development webpage. If you have an event that you’d like to see listed, contact Rev. Susan Moudry at [email protected].  Upcoming Learning Opportunities: Download the new flyer of continuing ed opportunities, open to laity and clergy, here.  Online Lay Servant Ministries advanced courses offered by BeADisciple.com — Schedule of classes  For Clergy Continuing Education & Formation events click here: CCEF EVENTS  See full list of upcoming webinars at gbod.org/webinars  Continuing Educators e-News for Clergy: Keep up with news in clergy continuing education. Sign up for a new e-newsletter from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Learn more.  The Turner Center for Church Leadership at Martin Methodist College offers online training for church leaders in Christian Education, Youth Ministry, Older Adult Ministry and Children’s Ministry. Learn more.

NEWUMC Cyber Campus Website Please visit our new website by clicking here  From the Well Podcasts: The Upper Room's Academy for Spiritual Formation invites United Methodists and others to listen to “From the Well,” a podcast that draws from spiritual content gathered and shared at academies over the years. Listen and learn more.  Growing in Discipleship: Encourage your congregation to get into the Wesleyan pattern of daily prayer and scripture reading with A Disciple’s Journal 2017. Download a sample and/or purchase from the Upper Room.  Church Communication Online Training: UM Communications offers two new online classes. Effective Church Marketing provides a step-by-step process to develop a marketing plan and Your Church Website helps with website development and use. Learn more Learn + Lead Webinars: UMC Discipleship Ministries Path 1 and the Missouri Conference Path are sponsoring a webinar series, which runs every 3rd Tuesday of the month from 1-2 p.m. Central Standard Time. It is aimed at helping congregations of every size learn to reach new people. Learn more. Watch first session

ONLINE LAY SEVANT MINISTRIES ADVANCED COURSES Offered by BeADisciple.com —Schedule of classes See full list of upcoming webinars at gbod.org/webinars Course of Study at United: After a year of consultation with the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, United Theological Seminary has become an Extension of the Course of Study School of Ohio at MTSO. United will offer up to 12 courses each year for part-time local pastors. Students attend weekend intensive classes four times a year and complete their work online within six weeks of the weekend intensives. The first group began classes this month. Get details. LEADERSHIP AND FUNDRAISING 8 We are promoting and looking for folks to register for our upcoming program, Leadership and Fundraising, with Dr. G. Douglass Lewis. The course is easily available, which is found on UMC Cyber Campus or by clicking the first story in our UM Continuing Education News e-newsletter, at https://t.e2ma.net/message/31vv3/r0adiq. Kind Regards, Joshua P. Hestand, MBA, Coordinator, Clergy Lifelong Learning & UMC Cyber Campus, Division of Ordained Ministry, General Board of Higher Education & Ministry Office: (615) 340-7432 [email protected] COSROW Resources: The UMC Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW) has a new website where you can access expansive language liturgies, free downloadable curriculum, educational webinars, a Resource page for Clergy Families, and research reports tracking trends in women's leadership in the UMC. Visit gcsrw.org.

The United Methodist Church invites you to check out our new biweekly e-newsletter specially created for all church members. United Methodist Now will highlight examples of Christian living, share inspirational messages and focus on what it means to be part of our connection. Subscribe for free. Intentional Discipleship A new resource to help congregations develop an intentional discipleship system includes WPAUMC’s Road to Discipleship map and an article by Rev. Chris Kindle, our director of discipleship. Get free Intentional Discipleship guide. See WPAUMC Discipleship Map. Clinical Pastoral Education Center: The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry has announced development of a new center for clinical pastoral education (CPE) to meet the growing need for pastoral education resources in the denomination. Get details. The 5th Annual Faith Night will be held on Thursday, August 17, 2017. Enjoy discounted tickets for the Pirates-Cardinals game at 7:05 pm and stay after the game to hear from Manager Clint Hurdle and many more Pirates Players and Coaches discuss how faith has impacted their lives, both on and off the field. The Faith Night presentation will last approximately 45 minutes. Early bird pricing for groups of 15 or more. Contact Chad Glover at (412) 325-4756 or [email protected] or Ryan Vizzini at (412) 325-4777 or [email protected] . ______

YOUTH: 15th Annual Kidz2Kamp Golf Fundraiser on Friday, August 18, 2017 at Cedarbrook Golf Course, intersection of Route 51 & Interstate 70. Cost: $110 per golfer includes dinner + lunch on the turn. Register and pay by July 15th and save $10 per golfer. More info online at Jumonville.org/event/golf.

9 Deaf Ministry Workshop on Friday, September 15 – Saturday, September 16 at First UMC, 504 Jackson Street, Reynoldsville, PA 15851. Presented by Rev. Leo Yates Jr. of The United Methodist Committee on deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Ministries and Author of “Deaf Ministry: Ministry Models for Expanding the Kingdom of God”. With its various models, Deaf ministry offers faith communities ways to grow and make disciples. Join us as we learn more about how to start or expand the Deaf Ministries in our churches and communities. Session 1- Friday, September 15: from 6:30 – 8:30 pm Session 2- Saturday, September 16: from 9 – 11:30 am Session 3- Saturday, September 16: from 12:30 – 3 pm (Lunch provided on Saturday for registrants of both sessions) $10 per session or $25 for all three sessions. Contact Rev. Tom Carr at 814-653-8593 (voice)[email protected] or Jenny Gordon at 814-590-6097 (voice or text) or [email protected].

Family Autism Retreat Jumonville Camp - September 22-24, 2017. This weekend retreat allows families of children living with autism to enjoy a mountaintop experience that will combine coveted parental free time with an opportunity for quality family time. Hope is provided through time for worship, rest and relaxation in a safe Christian setting capable of caring for children with Autism. All ages are welcome! Registration deadline September 15, 2017. Brochure/registration form or Register online

Parenting Teens Seminar with Duffy Robbins on Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 1:30 – 4:30 pm in the Ingomar UMC Fellowship Hall, 1501 W Ingomar Rd, Pittsburgh. Join us for this brand new event! Duffy will be sharing with us about how to be intentional about parenting our teens. He will help us understand teenage development in 2017 as well as how we can pass on our legacy of faith to them. For more information, contact Amanda Gilligan at [email protected] or 724-776-2300 ext 224.

Young Adults Invited to Exploration 2017 Adults age 18-26 are invited to Exploration, a three-day event November 3-5 in Portland, Oregon. It is held every two years to help young adults explore their gifts for service as a deacon or elder in The United Methodist Church. This year’s event will be held Young adults who have a sense that God might be calling them to ordained ministry, who have wondered what ministry in The United Methodist Church is all about, who would like help sifting through issues involved in an ordained vocation, or who want to learn more about The United Methodist seminaries and theological schools should attend this event. ExploreCalling.org. Contact Rev. J.R. Virgin at 814-244-5654 or [email protected], anytime until September 1, 2017.

Spark 2018 – January 19-21, 2018 at Sheraton Station Square, Pittsburgh. A retreat for youth grades 6-12 and their leaders.

YOUTH 2019 The next national gathering of United Methodist youth will be July 10-14, 2019, in Kansas City, Missouri. Young People’s Ministries is announcing details of the event to give churches time to plan for their youth to attend. The national gathering for United Methodist youth takes place every four years. ______MISSION OPPORTUNITIES: 10 Washington District: Ramps of Grace: If you know of someone who could benefit from a ramp, and would like to make a referral, please contact me at the information listed below. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Rosella Ealy, Ramps of Grace Coordinator, [email protected] or 724-931-5496 (cell) ______Conference: MISSION BARN UPDATE See what’s happening at the Eastbrook Mission Barn in their latest newsletter.

UMCOR NEEDS HEALTH, BEDDING KITS: Katie Peterson, new executive director of the Eastbrook Mission Barn, notes that UMCOR has put out a call for health and bedding kits. Get kit details at wpaumc.org/MissionBarn.

UMCOR KITS Cleaning buckets, health kit, and bedding kit ingredients can be gathered by local communities and congregations. UMCOR kits can be received at Eastbrook Mission Barn, at the Conference Center or at one of the official Mission Barn sub-depots. Eastbrook Mission Barn is on call to deploy their kits through the UMCOR Relief Supply Network through their national system. Kits collected in UMCOR's name are UMCOR property and unverified kits cannot be given out in UMCOR's name by local groups.

Eastbrook Mission Barn – www.wpaumc.org/missionbarn

Name Change: Stop Hunger Now, the organization that has partnered with the Conference and several churches in packing nutritious meals to feed the hungry across the globe, officially became Rise Against Hunger in January 2017. Learn more.

2017 Conference VIM Teams: Find out how to apply for a team and see new teams as they are announced at wpaumc.org/opportunities. Costs include travel, housing, most meals and VIM insurance. Contact Rev. Stephanie Gottschalk for more information, [email protected]. 724-776-2300 ext 241

Keep up to date with opportunities at wpaumc.org/opportunities.

Already have plans? Don't forget to register your local church VIM teams with us at wpaumc.org/registerVIMteams For Mission opportunities, please go to www.wpaumc.org/opportunities. This is the best place to see what is open.

Individual Volunteers in Mission: Change your life by becoming an individual volunteer. Learn more at umcmission.org/Get-Involved

WPAUMC Volunteers in Mission – United Methodists voluntarily serving people outside the church – locally, regionally, nationally or internationally. How to Connect: 1. What teams can I join? wpaumc.org/opportunities 11 2. How do I learn about leading a team? wpaumc.org/VIMtraining 3. Once we have a team planned, what do we do? a. Register your team►► wpaumc.org/RegisterVIMteams b. Get VIM Insurance►► www.umvimnej.org 4. Once our team returns, what do I do? wpaumc.org/MissionReport 5. Where can I find local church resources? a. wpaumc.org/localchurchmissions b. Contact Stephanie Gottschalk at [email protected] or 724-776- 2300 ext 241 6. How do I get involved in Disaster Response? a. Take UMCOR training►► wpaumc.org/DisasterResponse b. Make sure your local church has a local disaster plan c. Volunteer at Eastbrook Mission Bar or one of its satellites 7. What if there is a disaster in my church’s community? a. Local pastor reports damage to church and with their community to their District Superintendent b. Local pastor reports damage to church and with their community to Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Rev. Calvin Cook at 814-442-5899 MissionShield VIM insurance Offered: As health care laws change and deductibles grow, it is important to have coverage for volunteer teams serving in the U.S. as well as abroad. The Northeastern Jurisdiction UMVIM board has worked with Seven Corners to make policies available for all VIM teams. Get forms and details at umvimnej.org/mission-insurance/ Apply now for Summer VIM teams! Teams for Zimbabwe and Fiji are full, with Colombia close behind. But there are still plenty of spaces for most of our US-based Volunteers in Mission teams. You can see the list and apply for all of these online at wpaumc.org/summer2017VIM.

12 Spring, Summer Volunteers Needed in Connellsville: The Connellsville Flood Recovery Center still has 109 active cases in the aftermath of flooding last August. Volunteer assistance is needed for repair and rebuilding work at many of those homes. UM volunteers from several districts, including Erie, Butler, Connellsville, Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Johnstown have helped.. Housing and hospitality for teams serving multiple days is available, but one-day teams are common. One team from Latrobe UMC serves once a month! Volunteers can register online at connellsvillevolunteers.org/2016/09/08/how-to-volunteer/ or email [email protected]. Give monetary donations to WPA Disaster Response (Advance Special #DR0000911) for the response, including supplies, administration and volunteer support, and direct assistance to survivors of the Connellsville area.

UMCOR Kits Cleaning buckets, health kit, and bedding kit ingredients can be gathered by local communities and congregations. UMCOR kits can be received at Eastbrook Mission Barn, at the Conference Center or at one of the official Mission Barn sub-depots. Eastbrook Mission Barn is on call to deploy their kits through the UMCOR Relief Supply Network through their national system. Kits collected in UMCOR's name are UMCOR property and unverified kits cannot be given out in UMCOR's name by local groups. UMVIM-UMCOR Academy: Eleven people from Western PA will attend the Northeastern Jurisdiction’s UMVIM-UMCOR Academy at Pocono-Plateau Camp outside Scranton next week. UMCOR staff will provide training on various stages of Disaster Response, Spiritual and Emotional Care Teams, and Connecting Neighbors. Other presenters from GCORR, UMC's Global Health Initiative, the new UM Center for Mission Innovation, and the Polis Institute will focus on topics that intersect with the mission of disaster response and community development in our multi- cultural world. Can’t Wait for Summer Mission u? Check out the Mini Mission U event May 7-9 at Olmsted Manor. Study subjects are from 2016 Mission u. Learn more  Uth4Mission – Summer 2017: Hands on service, worship and fellowship for Youth grades 6 -12 at Pitt at Johnstown. Estimated cost: $275. www.wpaumc.org/youth  Mission u – July 2017: Service and learning for Kids, Teens & Adults at Cal U. www.wpaumc.org/missionu o Registration’s Open for Mission u 2017! Learn about the July 27-30 event for adults, youth and children and download a flyer to share at wpaumc.org/missionu.  UM A.R.M.Y. – Your church can be a youth work camp as Youth and chaperones partner with UM A.R.M.Y. to love your neighbors. www.ne.umarmy.org.  Eastbrook Mission Barn – Ramps, relief supplies and Outreach. ALL ages can serve for one day in the New Castle area. www.wpaumc.org/missionbarn

Keep Up with UMCOR, Mission News: Effective today, the UMCOR Hotline, which provides updates about the United Methodist Committee on Relief will become a bi-weekly publication. On alternate weeks, UMC Global Ministries’ Connect ‘n Mission will be published. You can subscribe to both publications. See this week’s Hotline. See Connect ‘n Mission archive Questions? Contact WPA Mission/VIM Coordinator, Stephanie Gottschalk at [email protected]

13 CONFERENCE WEBSITE LINKS

District Contact Information Washington District Office 29 North College Street Washington, PA 15301 Phone: 724-225-6632 Fax: 724-225-9939 Hours: 8:30AM-3:00PM Monday-Thursday Email: [email protected] Rev. Dr. Brad Lauster, District Superintendent Collette Charnik, Administrative Assistant The Washington District website - http://wpaumc.org/districts/detail/33

Send us your newsworthy items by mid-month for publication in the following month’s edition of our monthly district newsletter.

Helpful links

 Western PA UM Conference - www.wpaumc.org  In Focus Publication - http://www.wpaumc.org/infocus  Joyful Noise - http://www.wpaumc.org/joyfulnoise  Subscribe to Publications - http://www.wpaumc.org/subscribe  Conference Resources - http://www.wpaumc.org/resources  Reflections! wpaumc.org/blogs.  Imagine No Malaria -https://www.facebook.com/ImagineNoMalaria  Discipleship Ministries umcdiscipleship.org.  Learn how to update your FindAChurch profile.  People are looking for a church to visit during Advent. Help them find you! update-your-find-a- church

 Special Sundays for 2016: Conference and General Church Special Sundays/Weekends for 2016 are listed on the Conference website. See the dates at wpaumc.org/SpecialSundays Official Journal Online: wpaumc.org/2015journal.