Coach Approach to Ministry training to be offered in June
The Baltimore-Washington Conference is offering The Coach Approach to Ministry: An Invitation to Clergy June 19-20 at the BWC Mission Center in Fulton. Clergy will have the opportunity to learn the basic skills of coaching for immediate use in ministry; discover ways to lead staff, teams and lay leadership from the coaching perspective; and learn skills for strengthening a congregation's ability to develop a laity-based and contextual approach to growing disciples. This training will also help participants apply the Call to Action vitality indicators from a coaching framework. Learn more and register.

Featured on the BWC website
Be sure to keep up with all the latest news from General Conference 2012 via the BWC website, Facebook and Twitter beginning April 24. Regular updates from the United Methodist News Service and BWC writers will be posted as well as daily news summaries. Follow the General Conference Twitter feed or search using the hashtag #gc2012.

Prayers of the People
Be in prayer for and with the Severna Park UMC's Volunteers in Mission group to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, April 15-21. For more information, email John Covington.

Joseph Emeric Hannah, 95, former conference lay leader, died March 27. A memorial ceremony was held March 30. Please send memorial donations to Bethel UMC, Post Office Box B, Rohrersville, MD, 21779 or the Alzheimer's Association, Post Office Box 96011, Washington, DC, 20090-6011. more >>

Discipleship Opportunities 
Pre-Conference Briefings, to review the proposed budget and other items coming before the annual session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, will be held tomorrow at four locations. Pre-conference booklets have been mailed to lay and clergy conference members and are also available online.

Pre-Conference Briefing Location Update: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Annapolis-Southern Region's Pre-Conference Briefing tomorrow will now be held at St. Matthews UMC, 14900 Annapolis Rd., Bowie, instead of Mount Oak UMC, Mitchellville. The time remains the same (9 a.m. to noon). A link to directions to the church is here. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The other morning session will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the Baltimore Region at Arbutus UMC in Arbutus. The afternoon sessions will be held in the Washington Region from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Woodside UMC in Silver Spring and in the Western Region at Harmony UMC in Falling Waters. more >>

Learning Events
Candler School of Theology in Atlanta and General Theological Seminary in New York are developing a new joint program in Peacebuilding, Justice and Conflict Transformation. It is designed for pastors, laity, community organizers, youth workers, teachers, students and others interested in learning peacebuilding skills. The schools are seeking input on how to tailor the program and have developed a short survey. Those who complete the survey and include their contact information will be eligible to win free tuition to attend the first program, which takes place at the Desmond Tutu Center on the GTS campus in Manhattan in early 2013. The survey closes April 22. Take the survey.

What do the Bible and theology have to say about how we can cooperate in God’s mission of salvation? Severna Park UMC has invited the Rev. Scott Kisker of Wesley Theological Seminary to lead a seminar based on his recent book "Mainline or Methodist" at the church, 731 Benfield Road in Severna Park Wednesday, April 18, from 7-8 p.m. To learn more, click here. more >>

Mission Experiences
Although 13 tornadoes touched down in North Texas on April 3, there were no fatalities. There were numerous injuries, however. No significant damage to United Methodist churches was reported, but the city of Lancaster was especially hard hit. Remain prayerful for all persons affected. To donate, please send funds to the North Texas Conference and mark for "UMCOR Spring Storms 2012" or donate online directly via the UMCOR Spring Storms 2012 Website. For volunteer opportunities, please register with the Volunteer Center of North Texas. more >> 

Classifieds
View the listings for job opportunities and classified ads. List your classified in the Web connection, free of charge. more >>

Rocking the boat without capsizing

In the late 1980s, rhythm and blues group Midnight Star climbed the charts with a sensational hit called "Don't Rock the Boat." Have you experienced these sentiments before as a church leader? If so, you are in good company. If not, get ready, writes the Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson in a recent commentary for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

"If you want truly to understand something," said social psychologist Kurt Lewin, "try to change it." Most people do not welcome change. But, according to Lewin, a pioneer in the study of group dynamics, change can be managed. We must learn how and when to rock the boat of "church as usual" attitudes to discern God's vision and strategies for today, says Cole Wilson.

Read the full article here.