Member of Pittsburgh church marks 70th year as organist for Christmas services: CBS News Pittsburgh reporter Kym Gable recently interviewed 91 year old Shirley Schmunk, treasured member and long time organist of the Hill Top United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood. Shirley marked her 70th year as the organist for Christmas services this past holiday. Watch this heart-warming story.
Grief During This Time of Transition: During an all clergy meeting held December 12 in Butler, Rev. Lynette S. Moran, a Deacon in WPA, delivered a presentation examining grief and provided healthy ways to work through these feelings. She compiled that presentation and shared additional resources. Read more.
Confirmation Events: Confirmation classes are invited to attend one of two afternoon events held on March 30 and 31 to meet Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi and learn more about connectional ministries. Hosted by the Conference staff at Ingomar United Methodist Church in Franklin Park, Journey 2023 offers an opportunity for local church Confirmation Classes to gather together to meet our Bishop, worship, play games, learn with Conference program staff and dive deeper into this thing we call discipleship. Learn more and register.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Services & Events: If your church, community, or ministry is planning an MLK Day service or event, please let us know by emailing communications@wpaumc.org! We will continue to update this page as we receive information about services and events.
Reflecting on 2022: The year in photos: NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Amid challenges from an evolving denomination, multiple natural disasters, the war in Ukraine and a continuing struggle to address migration, United Methodists continued to live out their faith and serve their communities in 2022. Photographers from UM News, the denomination's official news service, documented a year in the life of United Methodism worldwide. See photo presentation.
Resources
2023 Planning Calendar: Download the calendar that highlights all of the Special Sundays, Awareness Sundays and Annual Conference Sundays. This calendar offers tips and tools to ensure every box is checked to provide an opportunity for your church to come together and make an impact throughout the world. Download.
Scholarships Available for United Methodist Students! Applications are now open for scholarships from the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. Every year, UMHEF awards $2+ million to students planning to attend one of the 100+ UM-related colleges, universities, and seminaries across the country. Don’t let finances get in the way of achieving your dreams of a quality education! Apply by March 1. (Scholarships from UMHEF are separate from those offered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.)
Continuing Education
Stewardship Preaching Institute: Returning for the second year, the Stewardship Preaching Institute (SPI) hosted by the United Methodist Foundation of New England will once again offer education, excellence, exegesis, and encounters in the ministry area of stewardship. This series will feature four individuals who are known for excellence in preaching, including Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi who will present January 18. See more and register.
Early Response Team (ERT) Training: Join us for this an UMCOR certified training for Disaster Response ministries of Volunteers in Mission. Non-United Methodist participants are welcome but will not be badged or deployed through the UMCOR-UMVIM ministry network. Clearances are required from United Methodists on the day of the training. These trainings are scheduled for January 28 (at Ingomar UMC) and February 25 (at Grace UMC Meadville). Register.