Meet us in Meridian!

Welcome to Meridian UMC in the beautiful city of Meridian, Idaho!

We're so grateful that Meridian UMC (Church of the Warm Heart) is our host for Annual Conference this year! Rev. Mike Benishek and his team have been doing an amazing job preparing to host this Annual Conference session! We are also grateful for the United Methodist Churches near Meridian who will be volunteering and assisting us in many capacities during this event.

Learn more about Meridian UMC by visiting the church's website.
Learn why Meridian UMC is the perfect place to host Annual Conference this year.

Parking, transportation, "Go and Do" field trips and more!

Directions for "connectional" transportation arrangements

As has been the case in our long-ago in-person Annual Conferences, we are dependent upon our connectional system and people's general resourcefulness to handle many details of transportation. Here are helpful local tips and reminders of how we've done this in the past:

General Info: Uber, Lyft, and taxis are readily available throughout the Boise/Meridian area.
From the Boise Airport: If you call an Uber or Lyft, exit the building at the upper rotunda (departures level) and follow signs to the "Rideshare Pick-Up Area" at the east end of the airport. Taxis are ready and waiting at the lower level, west end, the middle island, along the black curb. The hotels with blocks of rooms reserved for Annual Conference do not offer airport shuttle service.
From Your Hotel to Meridian UMC and Back: Those with vehicles are urged to assist those in need of local transportation to/from our scheduled events, so please be in touch with friends and colleagues. Speak to the United Methodists you see at breakfast in your hotel. This will work out. If you're really stuck, Uber, Lyft, and taxis are still available. (Then once you get to Meridian UMC, tell someone at the registration area about this challenge and they will help you to connect with someone who has a vehicle.) Meridian UMC is located at 246 E. Idaho Avenue. There is street parking all around the church and handicap-accessible parking in the alley between the church sanctuary and the church office building.
From Meridian UMC to Kleiner Park for the June 8 Picnic: There is organized carpooling for this specific event. To offer yourself as a driver or to seek a ride, follow this Carpool link (also see this instructional sheet from our Go & Do Likewise sessions linked above). Our picnic dinner is at the B-1 picnic shelter. Set your GPS for 1920 N. Records Way, Meridian (which is the local Senior Center, mere feet from the picnic shelter).vThis address will get you to the correct entrance and parking. At the picnic, ensure that you have a ride back to your hotel; this is not being managed with the carpool app.
All Other Transportation: Please be connectional, dear United Methodists! There are restaurants within walking distance of the church. Find friends or make new ones and break bread together! We may be out of practice connecting with each other in these ways, but it's deep in our bones and we'll be just fine!

Become part of a living rainbow during our Kleiner Park picnic!

Thank you for registering for the district picnic on June 8^th at 5 p.m. at Kleiner Park in Shelter B1. After the picnic, you are invited to participate in a living rainbow that we will make with bandanas before separating into our different districts. This living rainbow will express our commitment to inclusivity and give us a chance to have a little fun. Mary Kienzle will bring her drone and take video and pictures. The resulting video might be something that could be used in worship services as an expression of our conference values. We will be joined by some locals from the Boise area and believe this will be a fun way to have fun together and create something we can use in our churches.