News and Updates
Dispelling the Darkness in an Empire Strikes Back World
January 25, 2022
Several years ago in my last pastoral appointment, I offered a sermon series called “Summer at the Movies.” One summer, I decided to preach through the Book of Romans, using illustrations from the six original Star Wars movies. I found it fascinating to discover examples that related to ...
Preparing to Plant
January 25, 2022
Being bombarded with unexpected unknowns about the future can result in anxiety that leads to paralysis. It can also provide a time of pause for some intensive planning around how to move forward. The Missouri Conference Planting Academy started in 2018, with all participants sharing a ...
Talking About Faith and Race
January 25, 2022
From the earliest days of Methodism, groups have provided the context for faith formation. For much of our history, those groups have met in person. North Cross Director of Adult Ministry, Stephanie Mutert, expected to continue in that vein when she joined the staff in late 2019. The ...
Welcome to The Well
January 25, 2022
Rev. Danny Lybarger is still at the bar, but this time it’s more than a ministry – it’s a church. Lybarger came to Missouri to be pastor of The Gathering’s Bar Church in St. Louis. His next step in ministry was an appointment as associate pastor at Church of the Shepherd in St. Charles,...
Laity Voices
Tough Conversations
January 25, 2022
In life, each of us are faced with tough conversations or conflict. Whether real or perceived, these conversations have the power to transform, hurt or heal. I’m going to assume that your hope is to always achieve the latter, but since outcomes don’t always go the way we intend, let’s ...
Music Matters
Singing Through Adversity
January 25, 2022
As a musician and retired choral music instructor, I thought I knew what it meant to “sing from the heart.” When you are unable to sing, for whatever reason, you have a new perspective. In the past years with COVID-19 protocols and several deaths within our choir, it has been difficult to ...