Upcoming Clergy Gatherings
Who can attend?
All Mission Rivers District clergy (actively appointed, on leave, appointed to school, serving in extension, and retired) are invited and encouraged to attend when you are able.
I have an idea for an event. How do I share it?
We are committed to meeting in various geographical locations around the Mission Rivers District. We recognize that we each have different physical abilities and interests, so we are also committed to offering a variety of gatherings, from hiking, to arts workshops, to retreats… If you have a location or activity in mind, please share these with the Director of Clergy Support, Rev. Deborah Lewis.
What’s coming up this year?
Check back here regularly for new events. Here’s what we have scheduled so far.
Fort Monroe visit, 4/16
Meet at the Fort Monroe Visitor Center & Education Center in Hampton to explore the site, including Point Comfort (where the earliest documented enslaved Africans entered Virginia in 1619). Learn about the convergence of Indigenous, African, and European cultures in this location, and the role of the Fort’s role in changing the direction of the Civil War. There will be time to take a tour and walk in and around the Fort at your own pace. We will end our time with a Dutch treat lunch in a nearby restaurant. Let us know if you’re coming.
Clergy, family, & friends baseball game, 5/8
*For this event only, clergy are encouraged to bring friends and family.* Mission Rivers District is subsidizing the cost of tickets, which includes a buffet dinner and a game in the brand new stadium of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Cost: $25/ticket for anyone 18 or older; $15/ticket for those 4-17 years old; children 3 and under get in free. Space is limited. There are a handful of tickets left. Get them while they last. https://www.cognitoforms.com/VAUMC/Squirrels
Trivia Night, 7/23
Following the District orientation for those newly appointed within Mission Rivers (3-5pm at Kilmarnock UMC), all district clergy are invited to join us for pizza dinner and trivia night at That Damn Mary Brewing Company in Kilmarnock, from 5-7pm. Bring your welcoming hospitality as we get to know those new to the District, and your competitive spirit for a feisty trivia match. Registration opens May 1. Let us know by 7/9 if you’re coming.
Tour of St. Luke’s historic church, 9/17
Visit Virginia’s oldest surviving church building and learn about its role as a symbol of religious freedom. We will meet at St. Luke’s for an 11am private tour, then enjoy lunch in nearby Smithfield (https://stlukesmuseum.org).
Let us know if you’re coming.
Financial and Retirement Checkup, 9/22
Save the date! John Fuller, Executive Director of Virginia United Methodist Pensions, Inc. (VUMPI), is offering a “checkup” seminar for those who are 5-10 years from expected retirement. This interactive gathering will be held in the Richmond area for clergy from the Mission Rivers, Living Waters, and Coastal Virginia districts. We anticipate offering CEU for participation in the seminar. Check back for more details and the registration link.
Lunch by the River, 10/15
Join us at Merroir in Topping for an outdoor waterside and fireside lunch. This Pastor Appreciation Month, take time to appreciate colleagues, along with the beauty of a leisurely meal. The Mission Rivers District will arrange for a $25 credit toward the cost of your meal. Space is limited. Registration opens July 1.
“Poetry for Preachers” workshop with Rev. Laura Martin, 10/26
Save the date! UCC pastor and writer Laura Martin will lead us in an interactive workshop retreat, exploring poetry as a resource for ministry. For poets and those who don’t “get” poetry. The workshop will be held at Peace UMC in Fredericksburg. Those
who participate in the entire event are eligible to receive .5 CEU. Registration will open July 1.
VAUMC clergywomen’s retreat, 11/9-11/10
Mission Rivers District clergywomen are encouraged to gather with clergywomen from around the Conference, for an overnight retreat celebrating 70 years of women’s ordination. More details forthcoming at vaumc.org.
