| PLEASE BE IN PRAYER FOR: The people of Ukraine; those affected by extremes of weather and wildfires; those affected by COVID. Get your Vaccine or Booster. Wash your hands. If you’re more comfortable, wear your masks inside. Stay safe. |
| CONGRATULATIONS: Eastern Mennonite Seminary, in Harrisonburg, Virginia celebrates with you the graduation of Rev. Kelvin Edwards (Washington Cooperative Parish) with the Master of Church Leadership degree on May 8. We celebrate their growth and preparation for ministry, as they seek to embody and bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of God’s Spirit as a wise interpreter, mature practitioner, discerning communicator, and transformational leader. |
From Robin Humlan, Danville District Lay Leader: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christand the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, My name is Robin Humlan. I am the Lay Leader for Granbery UMC which is located in Henry County. I have the privilege in serving as the Danville District Lay Leader as well. The past three years have resembled running a gauntlet. Our personal lives; our nation; our home churches; and the entire United Methodist Church Body have experienced traumatic events. But God provides. Out of the chaos, He creates order. Our faithful and diligent leadership has been working behind the scenes during this season of confusion. Through prayerful discernment and many hours of meetings, a plan for real connectivity and networking has been formed. I was invited to join the District Initiative Team Meetings. The various components of the Danville and Lynchburg Districts were identified. Discussion revolved around the best use of our most precious resource…people. It is a thrilling thought. By identifying our best detail person and our best resource coordinator to be shared by both districts, we have established a connection point for the two districts. Local churches with their surrounding communities will be encouraged and enabled to share mission ideas; spiritual development; and discipleship opportunities across a wider area. Joining hands, the Danville and Lynchburg Districts would create more opportunities to support local church communities. A MOUNTAIN VIEW District would be a district with two distinct identities, but guided by one Holy Spirit in fellowship. Look forward to seeing you in June, Peace to all, Robin |
| BI-DISTRICT ANNUAL CONFERENCE ORIENTATION BY ZOOM If you are a local church Lay Member to Annual Conference or a District At-Large Delegate, please make plans to attend theBi-District Annual Conference Orientation on Sunday, June 12 at 3 pm. ZOOM link will be made available later. Important information will be shared regarding procedures and voting at Annual Conference. |
| FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME LOCAL PASTORS If you would like DS Denise to sign your license for renewal, bring the license with you to Annual Conference. Denise will sign and you can take it back with you. Licenses should be signed each year by the District Superintendent. |
| Daily Prayers of Intercession for our Church in these Days of Change & AnxietyPREPARATION for the beginning of each daily prayer: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Let my prayer rise like incense before you… –Psalms 51:1, 10, 12; 14:2This day I pray MONDAY For my own church and church family where I worship and where I am nourished by your word. Bless us with your sustaining love that we may increase in faith and in love for each other and for our community, that our outreach to others will grow, and that we may bring others to you as your disciples. In these days of distressful division and change, let us be united in our devotion to you. Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer. TUESDAY For all the churches in our Danville/Lynchburg Bi-district, for our clergy, for our laity, and for our district leaders. Where there were once two proud districts serving God and leading others to Christ, let there be one district united in faith, in love, and in purpose, its people working together to find new ways to serve and new ways to make disciples of Christ. May the Mountain View District help us all to lift up our eyes to you as we do to the beautiful mountain view we see each day. Lord, in your mercy hear my prayer. WEDNESDAY For the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church as its leadership works prayerfully and earnestly to set an example of inclusion and respect in these days of difficult choices and change. Bless our Bishop Sharma Lewis, our district superintendents, and all who assist them as they prayerfully seek to discern the path you would have us follow and to support the churches and people of the conference to make hard decisions based on their faith. Lord, in your mercy hear my prayer. THURSDAY For the 2022 Annual Conference and its delegates as they gather in June to worship, to celebrate our faith, and to conduct the business of the Virginia Conference. Focus the work of the conference and the decisions of the delegates on you, Lord, and your will for your church. Help each of us to put self aside, to recognize what we have in common, and to work together in peace and harmony to accomplish our mission to bring others to Christ. May Christian love prevail. Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer. FRIDAY For those within our churches and communities with whom we disagree and who discern God’s word differently from us. Use your transforming power, Lord, not to change the other but to change our hearts when we fail to respect the deeply held convictions and beliefs of our fellow Christians. Forgive us when we think we know the only way when it is always you and you only who knows the way forward. Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer. SATURDAY For the times “in between” and the times of waiting. Teach our hearts to wait patiently and prayerfully for your guidance and to discern your will for our church and our lives. Open our eyes to see you in the common, ordinary details of life, in the breaking of bread, in the bursting forth of new life in the spring, in the joy of friends and family, in the comfort of a well-loved scripture, and in the companionship of fellow believers. Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer. SUNDAY For understanding the Gospel with grateful hearts. Draw us closer to you, Lord, to experience more fully your word and its life-giving promise. Bring healing to a divided church and a divided people and send us out into the world to share your promises with those who hunger for them. Bring new life and life eternal to all creation. Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer. CONCLUSION of each daily prayer: To you, O God, who by the power at work within us are able to do far more than all that we ask or think, to you be glory for ever and ever. Amen. |
| Virginia Annual Conference 2022 Status update Plans proceed for an in-person gathering  Find all AC 2022 news at www.vaumc.org/ac2022. Bi-District Kits & Cans Collection Day Saturday, June 4, 2022 2-4 p.m. Danville sites: Lynchburg sites: Danville District Office Park View Community Mission 824-A Starling Ave, Martinsville 2420 Memorial Ave, Lynchburg (Early drop-offs can be made here) Mt Olivet UMC Main Street UMC 245 Mt Olivet Ln, Danville 212 E Main Street, Bedford Rocky Mount UMC 35 N Main St., Rocky Mount Danville Team: Ryan Ware (ryanware@vaumc.org) and Tobias Lutz (tobiaslutz@vaumc.org) Lynchburg Team: Rick Duncan (rickduncan@vaumc.org) and Matt Laskey (mattlaskey@vaumc.org)  John Nilsen, Award Winning Oregon Pianist In Concert Whitmell United Methodist Church 2168 Whitmell School Rd Dry Fork Sun., May 22, 3 pm “The musicianship is flawless.” – Keyboard Magazine WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MISSION ENCOUNTER 2022? GO TO MISSION ENCOUNTER WEBPAGE: WWW.VAUMC.ORG/ME  FREE SHREDDING EVENTS–LOCAL Wednesday, May 18 Friday, May 20 12 PM – 6 PM 10 AM – 2 PM Valley Star Credit Union Valley Star Credit Union Martinsville Speedway 3452 Buck Mtn. Rd. 340 Speedway Dr. Roanoke, VA Martinsville, VA Calling all Lectionary Preachers Do you ever wish you had colleagues to talk with to deepen your understanding of the scriptures? Do you long for conversation that will inspire your preaching? Never fear, the Bi-District Lectionary Study Group is here. Please contact Rev. Leigh Anne Taylor at lynchburgdistrict@vaumc.org if you’re interested and she’ll put you together to chart your own course for lectionary study. IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES (ALL MEETINGS WILL BE VIRTUAL/ZOOM UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE) May 17 Bi-District Clergy meeting, 1 pm and 7 pm May 18 Lynchburg Park View Building Committee, 1:30 pm May 18 Danville DCOM, ZOOM, 1:30 pm June 1 Clergy Evaluations Due June 1 Parsonage Reviews Due June 4 Cans & Kits for Conference, 2-4 various locations June 5 Lynchburg Clergy Farewell, 5 pm, Location TBA June 12 Annual Conference Orientation, 3 pm, ZOOM June 12 Danville Clergy Farewell, 5 pm, First UMC June 16-18 Virginia Annual Conference, Hampton Bi-District consisting of Danville District and Lynchburg District Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church E-mail: DanvilleDistrict@vaumc.org LynchburgDistrict@vaumc.org Web: http://www.dandist.org/ https://lyndist.org/ Phone: Danville 276.638.2688 / Lynchburg 434.832.0401 Rev. Denise P Bates, District Superintendent Rev. Leigh Anne Taylor, Bi-District Revitalization Coordinator Sandra S Fulcher, Bi-District Administrative Manager Resident Bishop Sharma D. Lewis District Superintendent Denise P Bates Bi-District Revitalization Coordinator Rev. Leigh Anne Taylor Bi-District Administrative Manager Sandra S Fulcher Danville District Office PO Box 4204 Martinsville, VA 24115 276.638.2688 DanvilleDistrict @vaumc.org http://www.dandist.org/ Lynchburg District Office PO Box 1178 Lynchburg, VA 24505 434.832.0401 LynchburgDistrict@vaumc.org https://lyndist.org/ Copyright © 2022 Bi-District (Danville & Lynchburg District offices of the United Methodist Church), All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a leader in The United Methodist Church Our mailing address is: PO Box 4204, Martinsville, VA 24115 |