October 2020

1: Cabinet Meeting

2: Phone call w/ Paul Nickerson; District

Strategizing

3: SPR Consultations: Mt. Tabor, Epworth

(Waco), North Industry, Mt. Zion, Asbury,

East Sparta, Sandyville, Magnolia, Mineral

City, New Cumberland

4: Celebrate World Communion Sunday @

Crystal Park with Amy Shaw, SPR

Consultations: Dundee, Wilmot, Justus,

Fohl, Otterbein (Navarre), New Way

5: Sabbath

6: Clergy Consultation with Kelly Brown,

Coaching with DS Group, SPR

Consultations: Minerva, Malvern,

Centenary

7: Clergy Consultation—Annual Confer-

ence Follow-up, Tech rehearsal for

Charge Conference, “One Board Model”

exploration with Rick Oaks, Clergy Con-

sultation with Jerralyn Myers, SPR Consul-

tations: Pleasant Valley, First

(Uhrichsville), Grace (Uhrichsville), New-

port, Gnadenhutten

VOL. 18 NO. 8 October 2020

~A MESSAGE FROM DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

REV. CARA STULTZ COSTELLO ~

Dear Beloved—

Our Bishop has identified some of the overarching

challenges of our time:

Pandemic,

Polarization,

Protests and

Postponement of General Conference.

As anxieties rise we grasp for certainties. As

uncertainties go unanswered we grab for safety. As safety

is illusive we narrow the circle of trust. As the circle of

trust shrinks we turn inward. John Wesley knew all about

these social and interpersonal

dynamics and spoke to them when he encouraged the

members of the Methodist Societies to “watch over one

another in love,” to support and encourage one another in

their lives with God.

“Watching over one another in love” is a phrase that not

only is deeply rooted in the Wesleyan tradition but also

reminds us that Methodist spirituality is deeply biblical

...speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into

him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is

equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love… Ephesians 4:15 and 16

Watching over one another in love signifies that we see

one another. Really seeing one another means that we

have paused to look upon one another, to be in one an-

other’s presence, to lean in, ask, “How is it with your

soul?” and then really listen. As we enter into this Pastor

Appreciation Month I wonder how you might feel giving

the gift of your listening ears, your genuine inquiry, your

caring posture, your seeing gaze to another. I wonder how

you might respond when someone gives you such a gift?

Beloved, watch over one another in love.

Cara

Tuscarawas Connexions

N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E T U S C A R A W A S D I S T R I C T - U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT’S

TENTATIVE CALENDAR

Rev. Cara’s Calendar continued on page 2...

Page 2

8: Clergy consultation with Steve Court, Compass

planning with Thom Kalb, DCoM planning with

Coralee Cox & Joel Adkins

9 and 10: District Strategizing

11: Preaching at First (New Philadelphia), SPR

Consultations: Church of the Lakes, Westbrook

Park; General/Jurisdictional Conference

Meeting; District Youth Group Meeting

12: Sabbath

13: Mtg with Bryan George & Jared Priset

13—16: District Strategizing

17: Rule of Christ Training

18: Preaching @ Aldersgate

19: Sabbath, Racial Justice Training

20: Vitality Mtg @ Faith (North Canton)

21—23: Preparation for Charge Conference

24: Charge Conference #1 & Charge

Conference #2

25: Worship on the District

26: Sabbath

27—29: Cabinet

30: District Strategizing

2021 Apportionments

Apportionments, or shared giving, are deeply rooted in the scriptures. J esus asked Simon Peter, “Do you love me?” Three times he asked the same question, and Peter answered, “You know I love you.” Then “feed my lambs,” J esus admonished Peter. “If you

love me,” he meant, “take care of the people I love.” Additionally, aportionments are a foundational princi-ple of our connexional ministry. All United Methodist leaders and congregations are connected by certain loves and commitments that call us to live in cove-

nantal accountability and empower us to be in minis-try around the world. Apportionments enable us to combine our resources so that we can accomplish more than we as individuals or particular local con-

gregations are able. ( CONTINUED on Page 5)

Let your voice be heard! Share your congregations best practices in response to the Covid-19 virus. Respond to the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CQ9ZR7N

...an

d ch

urch

es!

“Critical Conversations: A Step Towards Standing Against Racism”

Presented by Rev. Dr. Michelle Ledder

from the General Commission on Religion and Race of the UMC

All clergy may choose to elect

one of three dates for the training:

October 19, October 24 or November 6.

The training will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude by 4:30 p.m.

Please refer to the letter of invitation from the

Bishop which was emailed on September 15, 2020.

Page 3

Rule of Christ Training—Fall 2020

Watch for more information:

All churches receiving a new appointment are required to

complete Rule of Christ Training. This training is also available upon request. The ‘Rule of Christ’

equips congregations with valuable skills for making healthy transitions.

Consultations and Charge Conferences

Consultation and charge conference forms are now on the district website. If you did not receive

your consultation date (Clergy &/or SPRC) please let Megan know ASAP!

Pastors are NOT expected to attend the S/PPRC Consultation.

SPR/PPR Committee Consultation:

NEW 2020 Clergy Ministry Assessment Form (formerly due in May) is to be completed by S/PPRC

and Pastor together. Multi-point charges should work together in completing this form.

2020 LCPA - Local Church Profile: Annual – with updated instructions for Average Worship

Attendance.

LCPL- Local Church Profile: Long Term Information

Church Info Record

To better acquaint us with the district, your consultation will take place at each church. During your

scheduled consultation you will spend the first 30 minutes with Megan, the District Administrator,

reviewing the 2021 Clergy Compensation form. The figures do not have to be definite, but you

should have close estimates available. Please use this time to ask questions, if you have any,

regarding the compensation form, housing exclusion form, or the Omnibus. The LCPL & Church

Info Record forms are required this year due to help Rev. Cara Stultz Costello learn more about our

district churches.

Church Conference:

Omnibus/Leadership Directory

2021 Clergy Compensation Form

2021 Pension/Disability Calculations (if applicable)

2021 Housing Exclusion Form (if applicable)

Lay Servant Annual Report (if applicable)

Parsonage Inspection Form (if applicable)

**Charge Conferences will be held via Zoom. This will require internet capabilities. If your church

does not have internet capability Megan will be sending out a list of churches that are open to

hosting other churches. That list will be sent out the week of October 5th.**

**Reminder: Each church will be responsible for inputting their Leadership Directory into

EZRA. If you need help, please let Megan know before December 1st.**

All forms are due to the District Office on the due date sent to you via email.

If you have any questions, please contact Megan.

Page 4

Annual Conference 2020—Pictures

East Ohio Conference News Links (click on image)

Page 5

TUSCARAWAS TIES

Official Publication of the Tuscarawas District

East Ohio Conference — The United Methodist Church

Tuscarawas District Office

8800 Cleveland Avenue NW, Canton, OH 44720

Phone: (330) 499-3972

Email: tuscdistoffice@eocumc.com

Website: www.eocumc.com/tuscarawas

Facebook: Tuscarawas District UMC

Send articles to Megan Myers, Editor

tuscdistoffice@eocumc.com

The Tuscarawas Ties is published monthly.

Newsletter deadline is the 20th of the month.

District Youth

We have a new District Youth Coordinator

Team. Please welcome Pastor Ryan Cockrill,

Terri St. Aubin, & Deena Wolfe! They have been

working hard & have scheduled the first

gathering via Zoom!

Tuscarawas District Youth Facebook Page

2021 Shared Ministry

Apportionment Figures

In a typical year, preliminary apportionment

figures for the next year are sent out in July.

The preliminary apportionment figure for next

year (2021) is calculated using data in the Local

Church Report from the year just ended (2019).

Final apportionments are typically mailed to

treasurers and pastors by mid-October. This

year has been anything but typical.

Please make a note of the following changes to

the apportionment timeline:

• Because the vote approving the 2021 East

Ohio Conference budget will not take place

until Sat., Sept. 26, when Annual Conference

meets virtually, preliminary apportionment

figures will not be processed and mailed

until mid-October, at the earliest. Church

pastors and treasurers will have a much

shorter time frame than they have had in

prior years to review preliminary

apportionments and, if needed, to request

corrections.

• The final 2021 apportionments will be

mailed at the end of October or early in

November.

• Pastors, treasurers and others with finance

responsibility are encouraged to review their

2019 Local Church Reports now to ensure

that no changes to them are needed. This

will help to ensure that 2021

apportionments can be processed and

mailed out in as orderly a fashion as

possible.

Page 6

News from our District Lay Servant Committee

2020 Pastor of the Year: Rev. Mick Foster

Our Tuscarawas District Pastor-of-the-Year has a shepherd’s heart who provides spiritual care and

guidance for his congregation. It’s been his mark at all 5 churches where he’s pastored.

Specifically, his heart is to teach God’s Word so God can change lives. He very much encourages his

congregation to read Scripture daily––in a systematic way, so it is a routine daily feeding. He also

promotes that everyone should be regular attenders of Sunday School AND small-group Bible

studies. He currently teaches 3 adult Bible studies, including a weekly morning men’s group.

Because faith without works is dead, and Scripture teaches personal witnessing, our pastor-of-the-

year preaches and teaches that all Christians should share their personal testimonies, and witness

for Jesus Christ as the Lord gives opportunities––and to regularly pray for those opportunities.

Through his leadership, people are constantly taught to trust God in all circumstances and to lean

on Christ Jesus. Probably everyone ever under his pastoral leadership would say their pastor had a

great desire for them to grow in Christ.

Revivals are common at his churches. Why? Because he knows God calls all believers to be revived

in His Word––and because God calls non-believers to Christ. So reaching beyond his church and

sanctuary is not unusual for our pastor-of-the-year. In previous churches, tent meeting revivals

were part of the outreach. Under his leadership, his current church plans their own worship

services a few times yearly at a local shopping mall and even at the city park, with public

promotion. These worship services attract passers-by to hear the church praise team, choir, even a

brief play where children become play characters, and of course, the pastor’s sermon or a lay

servant’s message. Through these outreach efforts, our pastor’s churches reach others for Jesus

and teach his own congregation about the need for all to hear the Gospel.

This year’s Tuscarawas District Pastor-of-the-year is best known simply as Pastor Mick. Pastor Mick

Foster has been in ministry THIRTY-FIVE YEARS, and is completing his full-time church ministry at

Broadway United Methodist Church in New Philadelphia, where he’s pastored the last five years.

Past churches are Mesopotamia, a 2-point charge at West Bellaire and Nefts, Cambridge First, and

Damascus before Broadway in New Phila. With a combination of thirty-one new members and 24

members through transfers, reinstatements, and reaffirmations; God added fifty-five members at

Broadway under Pastor Mick’s pastoral ministry.

Additional outreach ministries include being a member of the Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital’s

pastoral care program in Dover; and leading a pastors’ Compass group. And God ministers to him

through his love of God’s great outdoors as a golfer, a fisherman, and a bicyclist.

Pastor Mick and his wife Becky have four adult children and ten grand-children. Following his dad’s

calling, son Bracken pastors the Christ United Methodist in Newcomerstown.

Finally, a worthy point of interest. God first called Pastor Mick through the Lay Servant ministry.

Then he became a pastor. Since then, he’s constantly maintained a heart for lay servant training

and lay involvement in local churches. He’s served on a pastors’ supervisory committee and has

taught the basic lay servant course for years, including next month’s basic lay servant course at

Bolivar UMC on April 24-25.

Let’s recognize Pastor Mick Foster from Broadway United Methodist Church as this year’s

Tuscarawas District Pastor-of-the-Year. And may we all remember to pray God’s retirement

blessings to both he and Becky, as he retires in June 2020.

Page 7

News from our District Lay Servant Committee

2020 Lay Servant of the Year: Nancymae Scheurer

Nancymae Mason Scheurer became a Lay Servant back in the 1980’s in Cambridge District. Soon

she became secretary of the Cambridge District Lay Servants and then secretary of the Conference

Lay Servants and now Secretary of Tuscarawas District Lay Servants. She has done children’s ser-

mons, planned Christmas Eve programs, assigned Advent readings for services, provided sermons

at various churches and taught Adult Sunday School along the way. Years ago she supported her

late husband, Rev. Tom Mason, as he ministered to several small churches.

She has been an organist/pianist at Uhrichsville Grace, Carrollton First Presbyterian, New Harris-

burg Presbyterian and for the past 25 years at Magnolia UMC. Nancymae provided music at UMW’s

Mission U at Mount Union in 2019.

She is one of the teachers for the Magnolia United Methodist Church’s Women’s Bible Study, is the

leader of the Eve/Mary Circle at Crossroads UMC in Canton, and is a member of their UMW unit.

From Dec. 2016 until Feb. 2018, Nancymae visited her husband, John, at Rose Lane Nursing Home

daily where she played dinner music for him and other residents in the dining hall. Nancymae was a

caregiver to John from the time he got Parkinson’s Disease until he was released to cross over the

Jordan River to meet his Lord.

2020 Pastor of the Year:

Rev. Mick Foster

2020 Lay Servant of the Year:

Nancymae Scheurer

Page 8

Page 9

2021 Overnight Mission Opportunity