East Ohio Conference

East Ohio Conference

≡
  • About Us
    • Welcome/Vision
    • Bishop's Office
    • Conference Staff
    • Districts/Churches
    • Annual Conference
    • Jurisdictional Conference
    • General Conference
    • General Agencies of The UMC
    • Christian Family Credit Union
    • Methodist Foundation of Ohio
  • Ministries
    • Connectional Ministries
    • Strategic Ministries
    • Missions & Community Engagement
    • Multicultural Ministries
    • Young People's Ministries
    • Higher Education
    • Camps & Retreat Ministries
    • Spiritual Formation
  • Disaster Response
    • Responding to Disasters
    • EOC Disaster Response Plan
    • Disaster Response Coordinators
    • Early Response Teams
  • Clergy
    • Pathways to Ministry
    • Board of Ministry
    • Order of Elders
    • Order of Deacons
    • Fellowship of Local Pastors
    • Retired Pastors
    • Clergy Directory
    • Clergy Well-Being
    • Changing Pastors?
    • Continuing Education
    • Sexual Ethics Policy
  • Laity
    • Pathways to Ministry
    • Board of Laity
    • Lay Leaders
    • Lay Servants
    • United Women in Faith
    • General Agencies of The UMC
  • Finance/Benefits
    • Financial & Administrative Services
    • Online Forms
    • Online Payments
    • Shared Ministry/Stewardship
    • Health Benefits
    • HealthFlex Wellness
    • Clergy Pensions
    • Death & Disability Benefits
  • Communications
    • About the Office
    • #BeUMC Campaign
    • Storyboard Podcast
    • Church Websites 411
    • Social Media 411
    • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
    • E-News
  • News
    • East Ohio News
    • E-News
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
  • Resources
    • Conference Journal
    • #BeUMC Campaign
    • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
    • Lighthouse Churches
    • Portico Online Learning
    • Resilient Leadership
    • Teach • Reach • Bless
    • Stand Against Racism
    • EOC Disaffiliation Pathway
    • Stand with Ukraine
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Online Worship Services
    • The Rule of Christ
    • Safe Sanctuaries
    • Message in Movies
    • Archives and History
    • General Agencies of The UMC
    • UMC Find-A-Church
  • Calendar
    • View Calendar
    • Suggest Calendar Event
  • Events Registration

Home | About Us | Bishop's Office | Guiding Words | The Journey Continues

BISHOP'S OFFICE

The Journey Continues ...


“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
    John 1:14 (NIV)

Advent is a gift of time and space to slow down and be present to God, who comes to us in the ordinariness of our lives. Advent is a process of active waiting and watching for God’s perpetual light to shine in the midst of darkness bringing calm to our fears, anxieties and sorrows. Advent is a time of welcoming Jesus, who is the Light, who is always coming into our hearts, our lives and the world offering the extraordinary gifts of love, peace, hope and joy. Advent is the anticipation of a miracle, God showing us a way where there was no way before … birthing something new in us, through us and beyond us.

Advent is a holy season and a spiritual journey. It is an ongoing journey of becoming more like Jesus. The more we make room for Jesus Christ in our lives, the more our lives become shaped by the character of Jesus Christ … loving, giving, gentle, forgiving, patient and welcoming. The more we understand the Holy Scriptures, and let them illuminate our path, the greater the difference our faith and witness make … loving our neighbor, having compassion for the most vulnerable and choosing to walk and work in ways that lead toward peace and justice.

God-is-with-us in the middle of the journey … the chaos, the darkness, the contradictions and the complexities of life. God-is-with-us always bringing light, hope and promise in every circumstance and situation.

In this season of Advent, I encourage us to journey together as we open our lives to the miracle-working power of God. Let us hold on to the promise of new life and surrender ourselves to Christ, whom we trust more than ourselves. Let us also hold on to each other and make room for others in our hearts. Let us see each other as gifts to behold.

May God shower you with God’s peace, mercy, love and joy this Christmas, so that you will be a beacon of hope to those you are called to love; and, so that people will encounter Jesus, as the greatest gift of all, through you.

 

≡
  • Bishop's Office
  • Meet Bishop Tracy S. Malone
  • Guiding Words from Bishop Malone
  • Video Moments with Bishop Malone
  • Holy Land 2023
  • #BeUMC
  • Teach • Reach • Bless
  • Assistant to the Bishop
  • The Cabinet
  • Clergy Appointments
  • Council of Bishops

 

Bishop Tracy S. Malone

Bishop Tracy S. Malone
Resident Bishop to the
East Ohio Conference
E-mail

Melissa McGee
Executive Secretary to the Bishop
Ext. 112
E-mail

Rev. Ed Peterson
Executive Assistant to the Bishop
Ext. 111
E-mail

The East Ohio Conference Office:
located in North Canton, OH,
near Akron-Canton Airport.

Address:
8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
North Canton, OH 44720

Phones:
Local: (330) 499-3972
Toll Free: (800) 831-3972

Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

  • Facebook Instagram Twitter Vimeo Flickr

  • Bishop's Office
  • Districts and Churches
  • Conference Staff
  • POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
  • Safe Sanctuaries
  • Sexual Ethics
  • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
  • Terms of Use Policies
  • RESOURCES:
  • Conference Journal
  • E-News
  • News Archives
  • Archives and History
  • EAST OHIO CONFERENCE
  • 8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
  • North Canton, OH 44720 Map
  • (800) 831-3972
  • www.eocumc.com

East Ohio Conference Logo© EAST OHIO CONFERENCE. All Rights Reserved.