All Virginia Conference churches are to cancel
​in-person worship  through April​  2020

This video is easily shared through YouTube ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7qvV4B1OwE&feature=youtu.be

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A word from our District Superintendent
​Rev. Dave Rochford
COPING with CORONAVIRUS
"When we cannot come to Church, we have to BECOME the Church!"

Dear Friends of the Staunton District,
It is an extraordinary season to be in ministry. Recently, we 'stood down'from worship as a Conference for the first time in a century of ministry.

​What is our current Conference policy on meeting in the church?

Sunday worship and preschools are suspended until April 19 or pending further notice. This decision by our Bishop honors the CDC's instruction that gatherings of more than ten people should cease for the present season.

As of Governor Northam's announcement on March 30 of a Stay at Home order, meetings at the church are discouraged in order for people to remain safe. While the church is not closed (except at the discretion of the Pastor), no one should be encouraged to leave home and attend a scheduled event until the Stay at Home order is lifted.
Because this is a season in which the ministry-presence of the local church is critically-needed in each of our mission fields, below you will find some ways that Staunton District churches are reaching out to those in need.

​First before all, we enter a season of prayer until the suspension
of worship can responsibly be lifted.

​Our DS, Dave Rochford, has invited all District Methodists to pray for 30 minutes, beginning at noon each day, for the turning of the tide against the Coronavirus. We are lifting up:
.   those who are ill, all around the world;
. those who grieve their loved ones who have died of the Coronavirus;
. caregivers, clinic/hospital staff, and EMS workers;
. the elderly living in facilities under reduced-visitation protocols;
. the elderly living at home, especially on our District;
. our civic leaders, tasked with uniting us in working to reduce the spread of disease and respond to the demands of many ill patients;
. those whose livelihoods and incomes are and will be diminished during this public crisis.
Keeping your faith community connected through the COVID-19 outbreak. Facebook Resource.
https://www.facebook.com/community/faith/?refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fads%2Fgrowth%2Faymt%2Femail_click%2F
Pray at 12 Noon Every Day
with Bishop Lewis

Dear Virginia Annual Conference,
The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (NIV) Prayer is essential to sustain our faith and Jesus Christ modeled a life of prayer.

I would like to thank several of you that have suggested a corporate prayer time for the Virginia Annual Conference. I am very blessed to lead an annual conference that believes in the power of the petitioned prayer!

Please join me at 12 noon every day and pray the printed prayer below. Let us invoke the power of the Great Physician to do a mighty work in eradicating this disease all over the world. 

 Almighty God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, We thank you for your blessings, past, present and future. You are our rock and the source of our hope in all things and at all times. As Jehovah Jireh, our provider God, we ask you this day to stretch out your mighty hand and eradicate from the face of the earth forever this virus called COVID-19 (coronavirus) that is spreading rapidly from continent to continent. We also pray that you, Jehovah Rapha, our healing God, would place your hand upon all of those who have been stricken by this virus and restore them to full health. Be with those who have lost loved ones and are grieving. Protect all who are caring for those with this virus and keep them from contracting it themselves. Calm our fears and provide us with your peace that surpasses all understanding. Strengthen us with the joy of the Lord and help us to hold firmly to the hope that only you can provide. Unify us that we, the Virginia Annual Conference, may be able to experience anew the promise of your presence in and through the unity of our faith, hope and trust in you in the days ahead and forever. We offer this prayer in the mighty name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. AMEN
The conference Treasurer’s Office is pleased to announce the launch of a donation website. The Virginia Conference recognizes this is a period of hardship for many and in an effort to assist and facilitate giving for those churches that may not be able to do so on their own, this website has been created for online giving as well as offering the option to support the Pandemic Relief Fund. This is a collection of funds on behalf of the conference in an effort to support those organizations who are affected by or providing assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


For Churches
* Please communicate with your members about the online giving website: www.vaumcdonations.org.
* For faster processing, churches should instruct their donors to provide the church’s GCFA #.
* Churches that receive donations will be contacted by the conference Treasurer’s office to remit the funds to the church bank account.
* The conference is accepting the gift on behalf of the church and will acknowledge the gift for tax purposes

For Individuals
* To donate, please visit www.vaumcdonations.org
* Select either Local Church Online Giving or Pandemic Relief Fund.
* Provide the name of the church and the city in which is located with their donation
* The website accepts debit card, credit card, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
* A donation of any amount can be made.
* You will receive an email which will serve as a receipt for tax purposes.
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Helpful Resources to
Be The Church
​during this time.

Ask The UMC: How can we livestream worship legally?
https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-how-can-we-livestream-worship-legally

Online Worship & Music Resources for Livestreaming​https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/online-worship-music-resources-for-livestreaming

Taking your worship online: A guide for beginners and everyone else 
https://www.resourceumc.org/en/content/taking-your-worship-online-a-guide-for-beginners-and-everyone-else

The Ultimate Coronavirus Guide For Churches
https://churchmarketinguniversity.com/the-ultimate-coronavirus-guide-for-churches/

Your Church’s Plan For Coronavirus
https://churchcommunications.com/your-churchs-plan-for-coronavirus/

Alexandria and Arlington Districts have compiled a wonderful cache of resources
https://novaumc.org/digital-ministry-resources/
​Staunton District UMC Sunday Worship Livestreams
If you would like to add your church please send information to bethchristian@vaumc.org

There are many YouTubes on how to Facebook Live
here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajRnToYSGyE



Greenville UMC
Facebook Live from our Facebook at 11 AM Sunday
https://www.facebook.com/gumc126/

Epworth UMC (private page so you must ask to join)
https://m.facebook.com/groups/240184796128994?ref=bookmarks

St. John’s UMC (Staunton)- Rev. chuck Cole will begin Facebook Live will at 11:00am on Sunday- https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsstaunton

Cherryvale UMC
https://www.facebook.com/cherryvalechurch/
Click on Picture to
​access District Directory
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​For 2020, Bishop Lewis is challenging the entire conference to read the Bible with a thematic reading plan.
The thematic plan is found on www.intentionalbygrace.com and Bishop Lewis has selected the following themes below for 2020. Links are provided below as well to access the Bible readings for each theme . 
• January 1-January. 21 (21-day plan): Seeking God’s Presence
• January 22- February 11 (21-day plan): Knowing God
• February 12- March 3 (21-day plan): Intentional Living
• March 4- March 24 (21-day plan): Redemption
• March 25- April 14 (21-day plan): Fruit of the Spirit: Love
• April 15- May 5 (21-day plan): Fruits of the Spirit: Joy
• May 6- May 26 (21-day plan): Fruit of the Spirit: Peace
• May 27- June 16 (21-day plan): Fruit of the Spirit: Patience
• June 17- July 7 (21-day plan): Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness
• July 8- July 28 (21-day plan): Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
• July 29- August 18 (21-day plan): Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness
• August 19- September 8 (21-day plan): Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
• September 9- September 29: Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control
• September 30- October 20: Trust
• October 21- November 10: Mercy
• November 11–December 1: Bearing Fruit
• December 2-December 23: Cares of this world
• December 24- January 13: Rest

There are 18 plans to cover this year. Each is 21 days long. Start at the beginning and work through the year (and a few days into January 2021)!
In this new year, challenge yourself to study the Bible and strengthen your faith in the process.

Tips on reading the Bible daily:
• Start reading the Bible today.
• Set aside a specific time and place each day. Set your schedule and then stick to it. Mornings are great; but feel free to use any time that works consistently with your schedule.
• Get a good study Bible to help to illuminate the meaning of the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek text.
• Choose a translation to use during your reading.
• Say a short prayer to God before you begin, asking the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and understanding.
• Dive in and enjoy the richness of God’s Word! Apply God’s Word to your life. Bible study should be practical and applicable. These seven steps will help you begin a journey in becoming a “lifelong learner” of God’s Word.