THE AMBASSADOR “So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians

5:20).”Volume 13, Issue 4 A newsletter for the Pastors and Lay Leadership of the Charlottesville District April 2015

No More Malaria Karaoke EveningSave the date - Scottsville UNC will host a Karaoke Evening to benefit No More Malaria on Saturday May 30 in the evening. The event will be in our Fellowship Hall.Many thanks,Bruce Lugn, Pastor

Imagine No MalariaThis was the table set up for the fund raiser held at Chick fil A

for Imagine No Malaria on March 17, 2015.

Youth MinistryYouth and adults from 8 churches braved the cold and snowy weather to gather at Westview on the James on February 26.  Over the course of the weekend, we played games, worshipped, met in small groups, ate and participated in

outreach projects.  Jeff Williams was our speaker and as always he provided us with much to think about and he challenged us.  We collected toiletries for TOP (Teens Opposing Poverty).  These were delivered to Lynchburg the following Saturday to be used in the TOP ministry there.  We also collected Campbell Soup Labels for the Henry Fork Service Center.  On Saturday, we packaged 10,000 meals for

Stop Hunger Now and learned about Imagine No Malaria.  We made mosquitoes to take back to share with our congregations.  We raised over $100 for YSF (Youth Service Fund)!  In addition, we sold the ingredients for "schmookies"

and raised $95 for Imagine No Malaria.  We are grateful to everyone who came and participated.  We are especially grateful to Wesley's Chapel UMC who donated Soup Labels and money for Stop Hunger Now even though none of their youth were able to attend.  We are looking forward to next year!

 SAVE THE DATE!District Youth Rally

August 30, 2015Byrd Chapel UMC

Conference EventsNovember 13-15, 2015:  Middle School Retreat

December 4-6, 2015:  High School Retreat

UMW EventsAPRIL FYI Dian will be out of the country from April 25th to June 1st. 11th.......Executive Team meeting 10am at Aldersgate, Friendship room upstairs.Newsletter articles to Communications Coordinator by the 19th.

MAY1-3rd......Spiritual Life Retreat at Blackstone. Details to be announced.15-17th..Charter for Racial Justice Seminar at Blackstone, Details to be announced. Social Action coordinator, Barbara Drinkwater, should attend.

The Wesley Foundation at UVAOn Saturday, April 11th from 2-4:30pm Wesley is celebrating 50 years of ministry in our current building with an open house and worship service with Bishop Cho preaching.  We will break ground on our Building a Foundation for the Future capital campaign that day and alumni, parents, students, friends, and folks from across the conference are encouraged to join us in this grand celebration.  If you have not yet made your gift to our campaign, it’s not too late!  Take a moment to listen to students speak about the importance of this ministry in their lives and consider making your gift today.

Directions are on the website.  Parking is available for both events in the Wesley Memorial church parking lot.

C’ville District Wide Fundraiser for Heart HavensSaturday, May 16, 20158:00am-1:00pmThis will be a huge yard sale plus other activities.  We will have this event at 3 churches across the District!!!Danny J. KesnerCharlottesville District Superintendent, 434.977.4254

Children's Ministry GatheringIf you have a heart for children, currently serve in Children's Ministry within your local congregation (as a volunteer or paid staff) or feel called to begin serving in Children's Ministry - then perhaps you may want consider this invitation for an a new Children's Ministry Gathering.  We will begin meeting on the last Friday of each month at 9 am.   The goal is that each time we gather we may find encouragement from one another and engage in helpful conversation regarding our ministry with the next generation.  We also envision that our gathering will be

ecumenical in nature, therefore please share this information with others in your communities.  Our first gathering will be at Panera Bread (the one by Target) at 9 am on April 24.   For more information, feel free to contact me at jnitzsche96@gmail.com.Blessings  - Julie

Julie Nitzsche, Director of Children's and Youth Ministry, Stanardsville United Methodist Church

The Academy for Spiritual Formation® Since 1983 The Upper Room has offered The Academy for Spiritual Formation® as an in-depth experience in Christian spiritual formation for clergy and laity.   This letter is to announce that a two-year Academy (#37) will be starting August 2015 in the Southeastern Jurisdiction.    

As a way to help your Conference benefit from this unique offering, following this note you will find information about the matching grant program which will provide up to $5000 to help individuals from your Conference participate.

The Academy is an intense two-year program which brings participants together for 40 days (5 days each quarter) for worship, silence, covenant groups and study.  Sixteen courses form the backbone of the Academy; worship and small groups shape its heart and soul.  Once called “the best kept secret in the United Methodist Church,” an independent research study funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment confirms the Academy’s effectiveness.*  Participants emerge with a deeper relationship with God, a better sense of self- and soul-care and more creativity and freedom for the practice of ministry.

While ecumenical in outreach, the Academy is Wesleyan in spirit, balancing an emphasis upon personal and social holiness. During the first year, emphasis is placed on deepening one’s life in Christ; during the second year participants are encouraged to focus on engaging the needs of the world. Disciplines of body (health and wellness) as well as mind and spirit (lectures and worship) provide renewed vitality on many levels. 

This is an expensive and time-demanding program.  That’s why we developed the matching grant program which we call Encouraging Spiritual Leaders (ESL). Here’s how it works.

We invite you to identify up to five persons in your Conference (clergy or lay) whom you feel could benefit from this program and who would be a benefit to others. After they’ve applied and been accepted into the Academy (usually routine), The Upper Room will match the Conference support up to $1000 per participant and up to $5000 total per Conference. You are free to select the individuals using whatever process you wish. For more information about how this process works, see the enclosed letter. 

Academy #37 begins August 3, 2015. All sessions will be at the Sumatanga Camp & Conference Center in Gallant, AL. More information about the Academy, including the dates for all eight sessions, is available on our website.  Copies of our brochure and prospectus are available online or upon request by emailing academy@upperroom.org. Thank you for your commitment to spiritually vital, alive leadership in the UMC!

Sincerely,Johnny SearsDirector, The Academy for Spiritual Formation and Emerging Ministries

The above donation button is located on the home page of the Charlottesville District website. http://charlottesvilledistrictumc.org. This is a secure website, through PayPal, where you can go to donate to Heart Havens.

Albevanna Clergy ConcertThis is an ecumenical group of Clergy from Albemarle and Fluvanna Counties. They meet every week for breakfast and Bible Study. Donations of over $750 from the offering and the sale of CDs of this group were given to Fluvanna Christian Service Society.

Camp Young at Heart - An Ecumenical Camp for Adults of All AgesRegistration for Camp Young at Heart 2015 August 25 – 27, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM, held at Aldersgate UMC

It’s time to register for our twelfth annual Camp Young at Heart. Enclosed you will find a flyer concerning the classes, schedule, fees, etc. and a registration form. Additional registration forms can be found at www.cvaumc.org or www.broadus.org. Please select your three classes (one for each time period) and put them on your registration form. Please note that if you are signing up for either “Discovering Your God-Given Gifts” or “Painting Your Memories”, you only need to select one additional class.. Make your check payable to “Broadus Memorial Baptist Church” and designate “Camp Young at Heart.”

We have lined up a great list of classes and outstanding teachers, offering a wide variety of subjects, including many not previously offered. Registration fee is only $20.00 for one person or $35.00 for a couple. What a bargain! Additional expenses are covered by the sponsoring churches.

We have also lined up some great entertainment for your enjoyment during the lunch hour. You won’t want to miss it.

If you have never been to camp before, you will need to bring your own lunch. On Wednesday, we are asking you to bring a meat, salad, vegetable, or dessert to share. Drinks, coffee and snacks are provided every day.

Camp Young At Heart will be held at Aldersgate United Methodist Church on East Rio Road. There is plenty of parking available, the building is wheelchair accessible, and there is an

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elevator.

Please share this information with the other adults at your church, as well as your friends and neighbors. You are our best recruiters! Spread the word!

Dear Friends in the Family of United Methodists in the Virginia Conference!Did you know that 1 in 6 people in our Commonwealth are at risk for the issues of hunger? Children, especially the younger ones, are those who are most affected, and the developmental results of malnutrition can be startling.

For the last 6 years, twice in each of the three cities in which we United Methodists have gathered, you have been asked to bring “4 Cans 4 Conference” to benefit the local Food Banks, and the array of nearby agencies and churches which draw from their resources to help feed those in need. Together, “4 Cans...” at a time, we have contributed nearly 60,000 pounds of food to help others, in the time of the year when the “incoming” supplies are often at their lowest levels. So, on behalf of all

those who are “downstream,” THANK YOU for your generous and gracious gifts for this offering.

When we gather in June 2015, let me invite you to bring “at least” 4 cans of food - for every clergy and every lay person who attends, so that, in a small way, we can help feed the children and families of the greater Roanoke-Salem area who are “at risk” from hunger issues.

Each person coming to the June 2015 Annual Conference is asked to bring at least: a can of soup or stew, a can of veggies or fruit, a can of meat or fish, and a can with a pop-top (any contents) for easy opening by the recipient. In addition, peanut butter and jelly are always needed, as are dry goods such as rice, pasta, pancake mix, grits, and mixes such as Hamburger Helper and boxed macaroni and cheese.

Please DO NOT bring glass jars (they break too easily), home-canned goods, bent or “crinkled” cans, out-of-date items, or exotic or limited use things (remember: not everyone loves things like your favorite - pickled jalapeno pepper jelly!)

We will be setting up a large U-Haul truck near the “Kits” trucks in the Convention Center Parking Lot, with banners and directional signs, to help with “one stop dropping off” of your items. If you’re not able to bring food, the Food Bank will be glad to receive either cash or checks made payable to “Food Bank.”

Also, if you would like to help in the gathering of these gifts, consider spending a couple of hours with like-minded friends receiving the goods. I will be setting up a “Sign Up Genius” site by mid-May, and invite you to help in the gathering, sorting, and preparing of the goods for transport and delivery to the nearby Food Bank.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, either by calling Walker Chapel UMC in Arlington (703-538-5200) or by e-mail (revsrus@comcast.net) as soon as possible. Engage your Church’s Women’s / Men’s Groups, Mission Emphasis folks, Youth, Sunday School Classes, Lay Member

and Pastor(s) or even your congregation-at-large. Send - or bring - 4 Cans, 4 Boxes of Cans, 14 or even 40 Boxes of Cans, or even $40 (which will feed a great many hungry folks!).

Let’s pass 10,000 pounds of food in our 2015 “4 Cans 4 Conference” offering!

Thank you for your generosity!Grace and peace.Jim EarleyWalker Chapel United Methodist Church4102 N. Glebe Rd.Arlington, Virginia  22207Office - 703-538-5200Cellular - 571-239-3529Parsonage - 703-536-7720

UVA Spring Mission TripWhen I found out back in the fall that the Wesley

Foundation here at UVA was going to Atlanta for their annual spring break trip, I was filled with excitement! I was ready to have the opportunity to get away from the stresses of school, go to Atlanta, and get down and dirty in some sort of awesome construction-type service project for a week. Much to my surprise, though, I quickly learned that our service would not involve any sort of construction-type projects at all like I am used to, but instead we would be doing relational ministry the entire week. In other words, we were going to Atlanta to just hang out with the homeless community in the city, maybe serve some food to people, but mostly just sit and talk with whoever was around. Although I am generally an outgoing person, and I usually do not have too many problems making conversations with others, talking to strangers is not my favorite activity in the world. So when I found out about the type of service this trip would consist of, my mindset towards the trip changed slightly. I remained excited because I knew (or at least hoped) that the trip would be a great time regardless, but added on to this emotion was a feeling of anxiety. How was I going to be able to have conversations with strangers for an entire week? This was well beyond the parameters of my comfort zone.

The first day of our workweek, when this feeling of anxiety and nervousness was the strongest, was certainly a little tough at first. Conversation was stiff, I was constantly worried about saying the wrong thing, and I had just an overall sense of un-comfortableness with the entire thing; however, as the week wore on I, along with everyone else on our team, slowly began to loosen up and grow more and more comfortable with our mission. It started to become more and more evident that the trip was so much more than just talking with strangers or just hanging out with people on the streets of Atlanta.

Gabe, the leader of the mission organization that we worked with, kept telling us to go out and just love on some people. We never really knew exactly what this was going to mean for us each day because sometimes loving on people meant flipping pancakes, sometimes it meant playing a game of Jenga with someone, and other times it meant sitting down next to someone with hearts wide open and ears ready to listen. The more I started to focus on spreading some love, though, the quicker I began to realize that it did not matter what we were doing. Our work became a lot easier and a lot more rewarding for everyone the more we pushed aside our fears and started focusing on spreading love. No longer was I worried about what I was going to say to the next person I was going to meet, or whether or not I was saying or doing the right thing. It turned out that sometimes the right thing was just to say nothing at all, but instead just approach each person with a smile, an open heart, and ears ready to listen. The people we talked to had some of the most amazing stories to tell, and my

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anxiety faded once I realized how much these simple interactions and conversations meant to people.

Ultimately, we were building relationships. That was our entire mission. We were building relationships with the homeless population in Atlanta, relationships with each other, and relationships with God. While the work we were doing may not have been of the construction-type like I expected and like I am used to, and even though we sometimes felt like we were not doing a whole lot, in the end, our purpose was to go down there and try to make someone’s day in whatever way possible. All it really boiled down to was just going out there and loving on some people like we were advised to do from the beginning. This love that we learned to share in Atlanta is one that we were able to bring home with us and hopefully share with others in our own communities because even though we traveled all the way to Atlanta for our spring break, the work we did is work that we can do right here in Charlottesville at UVA with everyone we meet.

We greatly appreciate all of the love and support that our friends and family in the district offered us throughout all of the preparation and planning for this trip. Without all of this gracious support and help with our fundraisers such as our Cookie Bake, our trip would not have been possible. Thank you so much for helping us have this opportunity to learn about love in Atlanta!

Allison Burks

Media Sale benefitted Heart Havens$ 2,000 was raised!! Thank You.“Connectional” was the key word that benefited the Book/Media Sale that took place in Greene County near the end of March. Thanks to Kim Crater and her willingness to coordinate the Charlottesville District Church efforts and the commitment of a small LIFE group in Stanardsville, just over $2000 will be donated to the Charlottesville District Heart Havens project. Many thanks to the people who donated items, delivered items, prayed for the success of the sale, worked at the sale and purchased items. The goal over the two days was…to “Make someone happy”… literally…ONE DOLLAR at a time. Hopefully not too far in the future, many will benefit from the efforts of the Heart Havens Vision Team and the projects that are dedicated to Kingdom Work!

Blessing of the BikesZion United Methodist Church in Troy, VA will host their 2nd Annual Blessing of the Bikes on April 19th at 11am.Bikes of all kinds are welcome! Guests are encouraged to wear their biker gear and join us for light refreshmentsfollowing the Blessing of the Bikes. 1674 Zion Road Troy, VA 22974 | 434-589-1665 | info@zionumcva.org

Congratulations!A son was born to Shin Hoo Wong and his wife

Haley on March 14. Noah was born at

9:22 am: 7 lbs. 3 oz and 20.5 inches. His big sister is Susie. Shin serves the Bethany/Sardis

Charge.

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2015 Annual ConferenceThe 2015 session of the Virginia Annual Conference will be held at The Berglund Center (formerly the Roanoke Civic Center) in Roanoke, VA, June 19-21. Theme of this year's Annual Conference is “From Members to Disciples.”

This year Annual Conference will elect delegates for the 2016 General Conference & 2016 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference using electronic devices (for the first time). Due to the extra time needed for voting, annual conference will begin earlier than usual with Clergy and Laity sessions held Friday from 10am thru Noon and the opening plenary session will begin at 2pm.

Annual Conference PreachersRetired Bishop Charlene Kammerer Bishop Young Jin Cho Virginia Annual

Saturday morning ConferenceMISSION Service Sunday MorningSaturday evening WORSHIPORDINATION Service

Reverend Young Bong Kim Annual Conference TeacherPastor Korean UMC of Greater Washington Reverend Tim BiasFriday Evening General Secretary for theMEMORIAL Service General Board of Discipleship

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Kits for UMCOR to be collected at Annual ConferenceVarious types of Relief Supply Kits will be collected at the 2015 Virginia Annual Conference session. Kit collection is being conducted to replenish the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) supply. Local churches are encouraged to collect items for any of the most requested UMCOR kits — Bedding, Birthing, Cleaning, Health, Layette, School and Sewing Kits — and bring them to Annual Conference. For kit instructions, go to http://www.umcor.org/ UMCOR/Relief-Supplies. Kits should be taken to the two tractor-trailers at the far end of the Roanoke Civic Center Parking lot A, near the intersection of Williamson Road and Orange Ave. (across from the Sheetz Gas Station). Kits will be received THUR., June 18, 12noon-2:00p.m.; FRI., June 19, 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m.; and SAT, June 20, 8:00a.m.-12noon.

CASH for KITS send directly to Conference TreasurerIf you prefer to contribute cash to enable United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to purchase relief kits, you can contribute $50 for each bedding, kit; $8 for each birthing kit; $55 for each cleaning kit; $12 for each health kit; $35 for each layette kit; $11 for each school kit; and $18 for each sewing kit.. In addition, UMCOR asks for $1 per kit ($1.50 for cleaning buckets) to cover processing and shipping and $1 for toothpaste for each health kit. Please do NOT bring checks to Annual Conference. ALL checks (for processing and shipping, for toothpaste and in lieu of providing kits) should be made payable to “Virginia Conference UMC,” earmarked for “KITS” and mailed to Treasurer, Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 5605, Glen Allen, 23058 any time prior to Annual Conference, and no later than Aug. 31.

VOLUNTEERS needed to COLLECT KITS at Annual ConferenceMore volunteers are needed for this year’s “Kits for Conference” collection at Annual Conference. You can help (1) write information on a clipboard; (2) sort kits; (3) seal boxes; or (4) load boxes onto the tractor-trailers. Kit collection will take place Thursday, June 18 from 12-2:00 p.m.; Friday, June 19, from 8 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 20, 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. If you can volunteer to help, e-mail Virgil Decker at vdecker@cox.net or contact Jeff Wilson at Huntington Court UMC, (540) 366-3465, to indicate what time you would be available.

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Region Ten Community Services Board Hosting 2015 Mental Health First Aid Trainings

WHAT: Mental Health First Aid is similar to First Aid and CPR. Mental Health First Aid helps individuals to support those experiencing mental health problems and aids in getting people professional help and support. It is an interactive 8-hour course that teaches a 5-step action plan to offer initial help to people with the signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in a crisis, and connect them with the appropriate professional, peer, social, or self- help care. For more information on Mental Health First Aid, please visit www.thenationalcouncil.org or www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.

We offer two versions of Mental Health First Aid: the Adult Version and a Youth Version for Adults who work with adolescents. Choose the one that is right for you.

WHO: Local citizens, families, school personnel, police officers, corrections staff, nursing home staff, hospital staff, government staff, faith communities, employers, teachers, front desk staff, nurses, resident advisors, social workers, lawyers, Scout leaders, coaches and more.

WHEN:April 24, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Youth VersionMay 15, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Adult VersionMay 22, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Youth VersionJune 12, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Adult VersionJuly 17, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Adult VersionAugust 21, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Youth VersionSeptember 18, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Adult VersionOctober 16, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Adult VersionNovember 13, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Adult VersionDecember 11, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Adult Version

WHERE: Region Ten Community Services Board500 Old Lynchburg Rd. Conference Center Room 500ACharlottesville, VA 22903

COST: Classes will be $25 per person for materials and lunch.

REGISTER: Contact: Jane Lewis, 434-970-1282 or MHFA@regionten.org

Region Ten provides mental health, intellectual disability, crisis and substance use services for adults and children living in the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson. Since Region Ten's inception in 1969, we have grown to more than 500 employees working to enrich our community one life at time.

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The United Methodist Church

Charlottesville District Office 914 E. Jefferson St., Suite 104Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 http://CharlottesvilleDistrictUMC.org Email: CharlottesvilleDistrict@vaumc.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Newsletter Deadline - April 15Please send your submissions for the May 2015issue of The Ambassador to Carol Frost at cifrost@aol.com by April 15.

The Ambassador by emailIf you would like to receive The Ambassador by email, or if your email address has changed recently, please send an email to the District Office with your request to CharlottesvilleDistrict@vaumc.org.

April 4 Holy Saturday Service at Beulah United Methodist Retreat and Spiritual Life CenterApril 11 Bishop Cho preaching at The Wesley Foundation at UVAApril 14 Missionary Jeremias Franca at Mount Vernon UMCMay 30 No More Malaria Karaoke Evening @ Scottsville UMC

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U.S. POSTAGEPAID

Permit No. 180Charlottesville Va

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