Western Lakes District UMC

05/18/2026

If you have any questions about UMCOR collections, parking, legislation or anything annual conference related, click the link

The 57th session of the West Ohio Conference will be held May 27 through May 30 at Capital University in Bexley. Bishop Hee-Soo Jung will preside. The theme for this year's session is "Abundant Grace," based on the scripture from Matthew 14:13-21. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand When Jesus heard what....

05/11/2026

Miracle Sunday is May 17 In the United States, approximately 71% of clergy have earned a Master of Theology. Outside the U.S., fewer than 5% of clergy possess this degree. This disparity is not about calling or competence. It is about access. The Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously Miracl...

05/11/2026

Upcoming Virtual Laity Gathering Offers Fellowship and Learning June 9th

United Methodist Laity across Ohio are invited to “Hats of Purpose,” on Tuesday, June 9, from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM via Zoom. This virtual event is a time of fellowship, learning, collaboration, and support for laity serving in key roles in churches across the East and West Ohio Conferences.

Being called by God to serve your church and community can be rewarding, yet the laity can encounter distinct challenges living out that call. If you serve on any committee or in any ministry, “Hats of Purpose” is for you. We hope you leave this event feeling supported, inspired, and energized to continue in your ministry service.

Registration is free.

Deadline is June 5, 2026

Tue, 06/09/2026 - 07:00 PM - Tue, 06/09/2026 - 08:30 PM
Contact Lesley Moore [email protected]
Register Now!

05/07/2026

Annual Conference Information
The 2026 Book of Reports is available Online
Click here to view the 2026 Book of Reports online. For those who requested to receive a printed copy, look for those to arrive by mid-May. In lieu of zoom sessions this year, several presenters have recorded videos to provide insight into some of the 2026 Annual Conference legislation. To view those videos and Book of reports, go to the conference website.

Singers Needed!
This year’s Annual Conference worship could use your voice! The West Ohio Annual Conference Worship Planning Team invites singers from across the state to come together as a Mass Choir for Opening Worship on Wednesday evening, May 27 and again on Friday evening, May 29 for the Celebration of Commissioning and Ordination at Capital University, Bexley, Ohio. This is a wonderful opportunity for churches of all sizes and communities to contribute to the shared worship life of our connection. Participants should plan to arrive at Capital University at 5:00 pm for a sound check, followed by rehearsal and a performance each evening. To participate, please email Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman with your name, email, the part that you sing, and which dates you can attend, Wednesday evening and/or Friday evening, at [email protected].

Mission Offering
This year’s Annual Conference Special Offering will support Wings of the Morning, a life‑saving flight ministry in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a region where roads are limited, and medical care is often separated by national borders; this ministry provides free air transport for medically fragile individuals so they can reach the care they need. Through our generosity, lives are saved; dignity is honored and hope quite literally takes flight.

Volunteers Needed at Annual Conference
We are in need of volunteers to assist at Annual Conference this year, which will be held May 27 – May 30, 2026, at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. Greeters, ushers, golf cart drivers, parking lot assistants, and camera operators are all needed. Come be a part of the fun!

"Hands of Hope" District Donation Challenge
As we do every year at Annual Conference, West Ohio Disaster Response Ministries will be collecting kits and supplies for Midwest Mission Distribution Center, a cooperating depot in the UMCOR relief supply network. However, this year's collection will also include the "Hands of Hope Challenge," where we see which District can contribute the most items!
This year we will be collecting the most-needed items, including twin sheet sets and pillows, homecare kits and hygiene kits. They will also accept new or gently used walkers, wheelchairs, canes, crutches, splints, braces, and medical boots. The donation truck will be there Thursday morning through Friday at 1:00 pm, across the street from the Capital Center.

Share Your Joy: Submit photos and videos for Annual Conference 2026
Do you have photos from this past year that celebrate the joy and love of Jesus Christ? Maybe you’ve recorded a video, whether it’s joyful worship, meaningful moments in your church community, or even some fun dance moves that express your faith in action. We would truly love to see how you and your congregation celebrate.
Your photos and videos help tell the story of our theme, “Celebrating Abundant Grace”, and they may be featured in a special video project for the 2026 Annual Conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the life and spirit of our churches across West Ohio.
Please send your submissions to [email protected]. We look forward to seeing and sharing your stories.

05/05/2026

Join in to hear about HyoJin Kim's ministries.

Plan to Attend Global Ministries' Still in Mission Virtual Event this Month
Still in Mission, hosted by the General Board of Global Ministries, is a monthly virtual gathering that offers missionaries a time to share about their current role in mission at their ministry location.
On Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, Still in Mission will feature four missionaries, including West Ohio’s Rev. Dr. HyoJin Kim, who will share about his work with the World Council of Churches as the Coordinator for the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity.
For more information and to register, click on link in comments.

05/05/2026

Grab your friends and volunteer at Wesley Camp and Retreat Center this Saturday!

Summer is just around the corner, and Wesley Camp & Retreat Center is buzzing with excitement as we prepare to welcome campers back! To get everything ready, we’re inviting volunteers from across our West Ohio congregations to come lend a hand—and we would love for you (and your church) to be pa...

05/05/2026

Upcoming Virtual Laity Gathering Offers Fellowship and Learning

United Methodist Laity across Ohio are invited to “Hats of Purpose,” on Tuesday, June 9, from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM via Zoom. This virtual event is a time of fellowship, learning, collaboration, and support for laity serving in key roles in churches across the East and West Ohio Conferences.

Being called by God to serve your church and community can be rewarding, yet the laity can encounter distinct challenges living out that call. If you serve on any committee or in any ministry, “Hats of Purpose” is for you. We hope you leave this event feeling supported, inspired, and energized to continue in your ministry service.

Registration is free.

05/02/2026

05/01/2026

The Journey and Table Fellowship
Journeys are not always measured by the miles we travel, but by the burdens and hopes we carry within us. After disappointment or loss, even a short walk can feel overwhelming. The simple act of moving from the front door to the dining table, especially when weighed down by grief or regret, can seem like a long road. Walking down the aisle of a church to the communion table, or stepping into a soup kitchen for a meal, may feel like a thousand steps—especially when we feel alone.

In Luke 24, we meet two disciples walking seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Their steps are heavy with discouragement and grief in the wake of Jesus’ crucifixion. Perhaps returning home was their way of distancing themselves from shattered hopes. All their dreams for a new life were bound up in their newfound faith, and now the One they believed would redeem Israel was, as far as they knew, gone.

But then, the risen Jesus joins them on the road, though they do not recognize Him. He listens, explains the Scriptures, and ultimately reveals Himself in the simple, profound act of breaking bread together. The theme of journeying runs throughout the Bible, seen in stories such as:
• Mary and Joseph are traveling to Bethlehem,
• The Good Samaritan meets a wounded man on the road,
• The prodigal son returning home,
• And Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

As theologian Eric Barreto notes, “There is something about roads—the way they bring us together, the way they can pose dangers to us all, and the way they become a symbol of a faith on the move.”

Those disciples walked a road filled with grief and dashed hopes. Jesus approaches, listens, and gently reframes their pain within God’s greater story. Their hearts are set ablaze as He opens the Scriptures, showing them that suffering does not have the final word.

Yet, true recognition doesn’t come on the road, but at the table—when Jesus breaks bread. In Luke’s Gospel, meals are sacred moments. They are places where outsiders are welcomed and grace becomes visible. The disciples finally recognize Jesus, not by sight, but through the familiar act of breaking bread.

When grace is revealed, these travelers hurry back to Jerusalem, transformed from sorrowful wanderers into joyful witnesses. This story reminds us that Christ meets us on our journeys—on the road, in the Word, and especially at the table—and invites us to share this hope with others.

Imagine if every local mission station took the ministry of journeying alongside one another—and alongside the strangers among us- seriously. What might God do in our neighborhoods if we shared the stories of God’s love, reframed life’s challenges through the Gospel, and gathered at the table together? Isn’t this the purpose of fellowship meals and the communion table—that as we gather in community, we recognize the presence of Christ in each other and in the breaking of bread? We are not alone or isolated, but one people journeying together toward God’s kin_dom on earth as it is in heaven.

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