April 7, 2021

Phishing & Email Scams

In light of the recent phishing email that went out in Linda's name, we are offering some reminders and tips for how to spot phishing, or scam, emails.

1. Neither Linda nor myself will ever ask you to buy gift cards on our behalf, send money or ask for any of your personal financial information. If you get a request like this, do not respond. It is a scam.

2. Emails from Linda and I will only come from our official @moumethodist.org account. The only exception to that are emails, like this one, that come from our email service and the [email protected] email address. If you get an email from a Gmail account or any other service, do not respond. It is likely a scam.

3. When in doubt, or if you have any questions on an email you received, please call the office at 636-891-8004 ext. 21 or Linda directly at 314-583-7251 to double check the authenticity of the email you received.

4. Click Here for some additional tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to spot and avoid phishing emails.

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2021 Clergy Evaluations and Meeting Schedule - Deadline May 3

The 2021 Evaluation Forms are ready for download on the Forms page of the district website. There are 3 forms:

• 2021 Pastor Self Evaluation - To be completed by all Senior Pastors

• 2021 PPRC Evaluation - To be completed by each church/charge PPR for the Senior Pastor

• 2021 Associate Evaluation With Lead Pastor - To be completed by the Senior Pastor with the Associate Pastor

The deadline to submit the completed and signed forms to the district office is Friday, May 3.

Please Note

• All Churches receiving a new pastor this summer do not need to fill out an evaluation form. 

• All Pastors who are retiring, moving out of, or moving into new appointments in the district do not need to fill out an evaluation form. 

• Lay Persons supplying churches on an assigned basis do not need to fill out an evaluation. Linda will set a time to meet with assigned lay persons. 

• Churches who have lay persons assigned (preaching every Sunday): Linda is glad to meet with church leadership teams in churches who have a lay person assigned. Please call Becky to make arrangements. 

Click the Sign Up Button for the 2021 Clergy Evaluation Meeting Sign Up. All Clergy, with certain exceptions listed above, must schedule an evaluation meeting with Linda. All evaluations will take place either virtually or at the District Office. If Location on the Sign Up says District Office or Zoom, please select your preferred option.

There is a range of dates and times set for evaluations. Please review them quickly to ensure you find a slot that fits in your schedule. If you have a full-time secular job, please contact Becky directly and she will facilitate a time to meet that accommodates your working hours so you do not have to take time off.

If we do not have all of your completed and signed forms prior to your meeting, we will have to reschedule your meeting.

Annual Audit - Deadline June 1

All churches are required to complete an audit every year. The deadline to submit the audit to the district office is June 1. You can email the completed form to Becky Hoener, fax it to (636) 891-9700 or snail mail it to the office (301 Sovereign Ct, Suite 100, Ballwin, MO 63011).

Blank copies of the form can be found on the Forms page of the district website under "Annual Fund Balance Form (Audit)".

BMCR's "Resurgence: Navigating the Changing Ministry Landscape"

Is your church making a significant difference in relevant mission or ministry?  As a leader, are you seeking to know how to lead into the future? What would a fresh wind that rejuvenates a declining congregation, navigating societal shifts, look and feel like? One word: Resurgence, which is a rejuvenation fresh wind.

The St. Louis Chapter of BMCR is hosting a class based on the book Resurgence: Navigating the Changing Ministry Landscape by Rev. Drs. Candace Lewis and Rodney D. Smothers. They will be our teachers on Saturday, April 17 from 8 a.m. -12:00 p.m. This learning and leadership event is part of the Ignite Leadership Academy.

This online event is free and open to the public.

Virtual Session Planned for MOAC2021

Based on where we currently are in the vaccination rollout and in our efforts to do no harm, we have decided to hold this year’s annual conference session virtually with invitation-only in-person attendance. This means that the vast majority of clergy and lay members to annual conference will attend and participate in annual conference virtually at home or wherever your internet connection takes you. We will have about 300-350 people in attendance physically (masked and socially distanced) in Springfield at any given moment through the course of the weekend. Those invited to attend in person include Conference and district staff, worship leadership, presenters, select Conference and district leaders as well as the guests of those being honored through our memorial service, credentialed, commissioned, ordained or retired.

We have already sent special communication to those people being invited to attend in person. Virtual attendance at home will still allow clergy and lay members to vote and discuss on matters of business and worship together throughout the weekend. If you have questions and concerns about whether you should have been invited to attend in person, please contact your District Superintendent first. They will forward concerns they cannot address to our office. 

Another significant change to this year’s session is the move to two days of annual conference rather than three days. The session will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 12-13. We plan to use Friday, June 11, for quadrennial boundaries training. Please see our draft agenda to plan your weekend.

Online Early Response Team Training

Deadline to register is April 12

This class will provide you with the Basic information you need about Early Response Teams. Early Response Teams (ERTs) fill a specific need in the days after a disaster to clean out flood-damaged homes, remove debris, place tarps on homes, and otherwise help to prevent further damage, while providing a caring Christian presence. 
 
Basic 
Training for anyone that has not previously attended a training OR it has been longer than 3 yrs since your last training.

• April 23, 3-5:30 p.m.

• April 24, 8:30-11 a.m.

• May 1, 8:30-11 a.m.

Recertification
Anyone whose badge expired in 2020 OR is due to expire any time before May of 2021.

• April 23, 3-5:30 p.m.

• April 24, 8:30-11 a.m. 

Cost: $15