"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, . . . but let us encourage one another." -- Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
Welcome to the Lay Leader's Blog!
My hope and prayer is that this will be another resource for you as a leader in your church. God is truly doing a "new thing" through the United Methodist Church in Missouri, and it's exciting for all of us to be part of it. Through our conversations and interactions, we can "spur one another on" and "encourage one another" to be effective lay leaders and speakers in the church. Of course, it's all designed to help us pursue the church's stated mission of "making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world".
I look forward to sharing insights and ideas on various topics, and learning from you too as you comment. Blog topics may include church leadership tips, our Healthy Church Initiative (including PLD and LLD training), annual conference sessions, and general church issues. I especially want to share insights from John Wesley and our Methodist roots, plus thoughts on key Bible passages. Most ideas will be relatively short, easly to read and simple to comment on. If there are particular topics you'd like to see discussed, feel free to share them in a comment to this.
I will plan to post a new blog every week or so, as my schedule allows. Although I've written a lot of articles, this will be my first regular blog. So we'll learn together. I'll try my best to keep it all positive, encouraging us toward the better days that God calls us toward for the church and its influence in the world as the body of Christ.
Finally, I'll pray for you, and I hope you'll pray for your pastors and all the leaders of the church -- lay and clergy. May God grant insight and discernment as we grow together as leaders in the church and followers of Jesus Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Brian