PUBLISHED BY THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Vol 2 / Number 6

Welcome back,

Fall activities kicked off in the West Vir-ginia Annual Conference this Septem-ber with the annual gathering of United Methodist Men and the 26th annual Boy Scout Circuit Rider at Jackson’s Mill near Weston, W.Va.Bishop Sandra L. Steiner Ball also pre-

sided at the service of installation for the Rev. Rick DeQuasie as Mon Valley super-intendent at Suncrest United Methodist Church in Morgantown, W.Va. Septem-ber 7. The bishop also attended worship at

Trinity United Methodist Church in Fairmont, W.Va., one of the conference’s historically African-American churches. The visit was part of her effort to be with all of the African-American churches in the conference by June of 2015.

FALLBishop Steiner Ball serves communion at the 2014 Boy Scout Circuit Rider at Jackson’s Mill Sept. 6. Courtesy photo.

Clergy SchoolCovenant CouncilUMW Annual MeetingLay Mobilization Institute

Youth Fall WorkshopConference Center Closed

CALENDAR14-16

1824-25

25

21-2327-28

October

For more information and the full calendar visit wvumc.org/ calendar. Email submissions to wvumc@wvumc.org.

Rev. Robert James Chenoweth Jr. (FE-R)Sharon K. Starcher Luzader, sister of Rev. Ron Whitlatch (FE)Maurice A Miller (FE-R)Helen Louise Craft, mother of Rev. Edward Craft (FE)Karen Stinespring (LP-R), spouse of Rev. Wilbert “Casey” Stinespring (FE-R), and mother of Rev. Kara (Michael) Rowe (FE)Oval B. “Joe” Hatcher (LP-R)Jean Hill, surviving spouse of Rev. R. T. Hill, and mother of BOOM chair Martha HillJudith B Smith, mother of Rev. Jonathan Smith (LP) and surviving spouse of Rev. John Edward Smith (FE)Larry G. Rowe, father of Rev. Michael Rowe (FE) Rev. Hobert Lee Prunty (FE-R)Rev. James Lawson (FE-R)Rev. Sterling D. Morgan (AM-R) Peggy Ann Dempsey, wife of Rev. James C. Dempsey (FE-R)Mary Elizabeth Michel, daughter of L. Craig (FE-R) and Donna Gail Michael Harry Ross, father of Diane Godwin, wife of Rev. Jeffrey Godwin (FE)Rev. Austin Burrough (AM-R)Rev. Jacob R. Leaman (AM-R)Roberta Lee Coleman, wife of Rev. Donald Coleman (FE-R)Bernice Morgan, mother of J. P. Morgan, Jr. (AS)Elizabeth Ann Michael, wife of Vaughn Michael (FE-R)Cheryl Burton, former Charleston Cokesbury Store Manager, Rev. P. Wesley Aitken, former member of the West Virginia Annual Conference and founder of the chaplaincy program at Duke Medical CenterArch Heintzman, husband of Rev. Evon Heintzman (AS)Robert E. Dille (FE-R)Geraldine E. “Jerry” Taylor, mother of Jeff Taylor (PD) and President of the United Methodist Foundation of West VirginiaSarah Isabell Whetsel, wife of Clayton Whetsel (FE-R)

WE REMEMBER

November

OctOber 2014

Special SundaysThe West Virginia Conference raises awareness and funds for causes that show our faith in action through 20 special Sundays each year. For more information on all Special Sundays, visit bit.ly/SpecialSundays and umcgiving.org.

October5 World Communion Sunday12 Children’s Sabbath and Undie Sunday19 Laity Sunday26 Ministry Exploration Sunday

November2 Day of Remembrance9 Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness30 United Methodist Student Day

*Contact Karen Thaxton at kthaxton@wvumc.org or 800-788-3746 ext. 24 for giving envelopes for Day of Remembrance Sunday.

The Mountain CircuitP.O. Box 2313

Charleston, WV 25328Voice (304) 344-8331Fax: (304) 344-2871

email kthaxton@wvumc.org

Resident Bishop: Sandra Steiner BallEditor: Laura Harbert Allen

Associate Editor: Adam CunninghamProduction: Ashley Perks

Find us online: wvumc.org

A dream to provide deeper spiritual formation for youth became a reality this summer at the first Radical Discipleship Academy of Appalachia (RDAA). Eighteen high school students and 15 counselors from across the Conference learned more about their bap-tism and grew closer to God at Spring Heights. photo by adam Cunningham

OctOber 2014

Churches across the West Virginia Con-ference are involved in helping children have a positive experience this fall.First United Methodist Church in Hun-

tington joined forces with Blessings in a Backpack, an area ecumenical organiza-tion that provides 250 students in need with backpacks filled with food - staples like applesauce, easy mac and cheese - that can be prepared without a stove.This is the twentieth year for Raleigh

Shared Ministries, a group of churches that support children from low-income families. The ministry started with the passion of Cindy Parker of Mabscott United Methodist Church when she saw teachers buying supplies for students in need. Parker started donating backpacks to an area homeless shelter and - through

the combined efforts of the community - they now help nearly 900 students in four WV counties. Backpacks are filled with things like colored pencils, crayons, glue and scientific calculators for older stu-dents.In the Greenbrier District, First United

Methodist Church in Hinton started their Yummy Bags ministry and will serve 60 children this fall. The kids receive a week-end bag with two breakfasts, two lunches, three dinners and a few snacks. The bags include a book once per month, too. The Yummy Bag project is supported through donations and grants, including $25,000 from the State Farm Neighborhood As-sist Program, an award received as a re-sult of gaining nearly 69,000 votes on Facebook for their cause.

Do you know a college student currently in school? Help them connect with their university’s campus ministry or a United Methodist Church in the neighborhood.Beth Johnson, Director of the Wesley

Foundation at West Virginia University said it’s important to connect with stu-dents as they enter a new stage in life. Johnson said as the new director, her plan is to offer students a sense of family where they can see how a Christ-led life has helped her.“A lot of dinners, a lot of eating,” John-

son said. “...because that’s what families do, they’ll come for food. “At Marshall University in Huntington,

campus minister Rev. Ben Wells said students are always looking for mean-ingful community and want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. He said campus ministry is more than a place to hang out with friends because students can do that anywhere.Wells said he has seen success with a

group of students from a variety of theo-logical perspectives, that offers some-thing different than other ministries on campus. He said the students discuss their faith freely, but are regularly asked “How are you living in response to the love of Christ through that?”Rev. Debra Dague at West Liberty Univer-

sity in the Northern district said they offer worship and small group discussions to students, as well as holistic care including weight management and suicide prevention.If there isn’t a campus ministry in your

community, Johnson suggests offering stu-dents things like meals or access to wash-ers and dryers. Wells works with churches in the community and encourages stu-dents to connect with local congregations.Find contact information for West Virgin-

ia Conference Campus Ministries on our website at wvumc.org/campus-ministrires.

This is the twentieth year for Raleigh Shared Ministries, a group of churches that support children from low-income families. The ministry started with the passion of Cindy Parker of Mabscott United Methodist Church when she saw teachers buying supplies for students in need. Parker started donating backpacks to an area homeless shelter and - through the combined efforts of the community - they now help nearly 900 students in four WV counties. Backpacks are filled with things like colored pencils, crayons, glue and scientific calculators for older students. photo by adam Cunningham

Blessings in a backpack

Connecting college students

OctOber 2014

Conference Director of Communications Laura Allen talks with Sherrie Davis during the five day Academy of Spiritual Formation, which took place Sept. 12-17 at Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston. photo by adam Cunningham