News

On Sunday morning, directly across the street from East High School in Kansas City, you can hear lively worship music coming from the former home of Wesley Heights UMC. Don’t worry if you’re a little late; The worship ...

Missouri NextGen Ministries seeks to support and equip Missouri’s NextGen leaders. One way we do that is through a new program called NextGen Leaders Academy. This six-month program teaches the basics of NextGen ...

“She just understood how special it is for people to gather and fellowship around food.”  That’s how Bruce Hageman remembers his late wife, Susan. “She saw how good food -- served in a loving, nonjudgmental, ...

The church is in a different place than it has been before. That makes it the right time for new ideas, which is what the Dream Lab was about. “What I’m interested in post-Covid is generative ministry,” Director of ...

By youth ministry standards, Dustin Buell is a veteran. Yet, Buell, currently the student ministry director at First (Kearney), says when he started in ministry, he was book smart but didn’t have much practical ...

This fall, Susan and I froze over 20 pints of applesauce from the apples we picked off our apple tree. Most of you know central Missouri has had a very dry summer. Yet, despite the dryness of the year and much to our ...

The word on my Word-a-Day calendar is “vituperate,” which means harshly or abusively criticizing or condemning. Although vituperation is not desired, it seems prevalent on social media. These days, it is aimed at people ...

The Missouri Conference United Methodist Men met at the Missouri Conference Center in Columbia to discuss plans for the future and revitalization of the organization.  Rev. Mel West led a devotional for the group and ...

Recently, I’ve been taking a class on the Bible Project app, going through the first few chapters of Genesis. (If you’re unfamiliar with the Bible Project, it’s a fantastic resource. Just go to BibleProject.com). I’ve ...

This spring at our NextGen Listening Sessions, leaders expressed the desire for more connection with NextGen colleagues around the state. To this end, we're excited to introduce monthly virtual meet-ups! Our goal is to ...

Registration is now open for the 2023 Virtual Special Session of the Missouri Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. The Special Session is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, via the GoToWebinar ...

Update: We set a goal of collecting 250 UMCOR cleaning kits by the end of the month, but you’ve wowed us by already building 400 buckets! We’re upping the goal to 700 by Sept. 30. September is National Disaster ...

Dear Annual Conference Members and Retirees, Following consultation with the Missouri Annual Conference Cabinet and executive committee of the Board of Ordained Ministry, I am calling a special session of the Missouri ...

Rev. Kathleen Wilder explains what it is like to serve on the Conference Mission, Service and Justice Team and why it matters.

Putting faith into action can happen in many ways that may or may not be directly connected to one’s church. For Sky Krakos, the path came through the YMCA. Krakos has been putting faith into action for the past several ...

Divisions within the church can sometimes seem like simple politics. But how does division play out in the real life of those for who these debated "issues" are not mere politics, but deeply personal? How does this ...

“We project that more than 100,000 houses of worship will close by 2030,” said Mark Elsdon, author of We’re Not Broke. Elsdon was on a panel addressing the Religion News Association on this topic earlier this year. He ...

The road to full clergy rights for women in the Methodist Church was a long and arduous one. One route women took on the road to becoming clergy was that of deaconess. An early proposal advocating the office of deaconess...

Missouri Conference Disaster Response was asked to provide cleaning kits. The challenge was getting them from Woods Chapel UMC in Lee’s Summit, one of the Disaster Kit Hub Network locations around the state. Ann ...

This month. Rev. Melissa Dodd speaks to God's power over what we think is death and endings. "What we think is death could very possibly be life preparing to happen. What we consider the end is the beginning of something...

Elsa Klein takes her job as hospitality ambassador at Concord Trinity very seriously. She gets to the church at about 7:30 a.m. and organizes the “Pray Ground” area for children in the sanctuary well before any arrive on...

In your relationship with God, how much is filled with your voice and how much is filled with silence? What might you be missing without time for silence? In this month's Laity Voices, Amy Thompson shares her experience ...

Can humans affect the climate of an entire planet? The answer is yes. We are the only species to spread over the whole planet. The one commandment of God we seem to obey is to be fruitful and multiply. We are the only ...

The closing of Creighton UMC did not mean the end of the building's ministry. Thanks to two neighboring UMC Churches, the building continues serving the community.

The vision for UNITE was in its name: To inspire students to unite through worship and mission, create opportunities for students to use their voices, encourage students to be kin(g)dom workers in their local communities...

Culmination of three-year leadership empowerment and spiritual formation program

In the Missouri Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, we recognize that God is doing new and fresh things through local churches in Missouri to reach new people, collaborate beyond denomination bounds and ...

In this month's column, Amy Thompson, talks about the similarities between preparing a child for college and how we equip and prepare laity for ministry in the conference, and the importance of active engagement.

Tell me about your front porch story. Often while leading a group, I will ask persons to share their front porch stories to help us become acquainted and build connections. I usually start sharing my memory of the front ...

Many churches have embraced community gardens as a ministry of their congregation. How they approach the operation and purpose of their agricultural ministry varies widely. This month we visit a small sample of gardens ...

Missouri Conference churches reached the next generation through various camping experiences this summer. Thanksto partnerships with day-camp providers Eagle Lake Camps and Heartland Camps, just over 1,400 ...

The Sessions Team ensures all abilities are included in the annual meeting. Year-after-year, the Annual Conference Sessions Team seeks to improve accessibility services at the Annual Conference Session. As we work ...

A few weeks ago, I stood inside a small parsonage in Barrane, Mozambique, with Bishop Farr and the delegation from Missouri. Over an hour before, we had left the pavement to make our way to this remote congregation where...

“Well-being is more than a trendy buzzword. The well-being of our pastors is undeniably on the hearts and minds of Missouri United Methodists amid unprecedented ministry challenges,” states Rev. Mark Struckhoff, Director...

Church occurs when people gather for worship, for fellowship, and to serve others. In Wesley’s day church occurred in the small group gatherings (the classes and bands), the larger society meetings, and at annual ...

By Robby Criswell, NextGen Media Intern This week NextGen Ministries hosted its first-ever UNITE event at Central Methodist University for sixth through 12th graders. Throughout the week, over 300 students gathered to ...

A foundational tool like curriculum helps leaders do more effective, connectional ministry. New this summer, Missouri Conference NextGen Ministries is excited to offer discounts on curriculum produced by top kids and ...

David and Thelma Steward are both fans of and friends with BeBe Winans. As the chairman and founder of World Wide Technology, one of St. Louis’s largest companies, David Steward has brought BeBe Winans to St. Louis for ...

Rev. Daniel Hilty opened Missouri Annual Conference with an invitation to love like Jesus. Hilty said we behave as if we need permission from our group to love someone outside of it. But Jesus never waited for permission...

A memorial service at Annual Conference included lighting candles for churches that had closed in the past year and reading the names of clergy and clergy spouses who have died.

Rev. Candace Lewis spoke on this theme, based on the scripture of John 21: 1-14, during her learning time at Annual Conference Session. She told how Peter – who had seen Jesus walk on water, feed 5,000, heal people and ...

Missouri Conference Chancellor Jordan Ault began his report by reminding the Conference that for the last few years, his reports have been dominated by discussions of litigation filed by disaffiliating churches that ...

The Board of Trustees report carried a heavy weight this year as the first order of business on the agenda after the standard procedures of establishing the bar and approving the agenda, rules and procedures. The report ...

A highlight of the Annual Conference Session is always the celebration of ministry service. This year three deacons were ordained, eight elders were ordained, an associate member was received, and nine were commissioned ...

Saturday morning of the Annual Conference Session started with a Service of Recognition that honored newly licensed local pastors, people who have completed a Course of Study in the past year, and clergy who are ...

Director of Leadership Excellence Mark Statler opened his report by explaining how their the ministry area relates to the Board of Ordained Ministry, District Committees on Ministry and the Conference Lay Ministries ...

Rev. Lynn Dyke, chair of the Nominations Committee, began her report by explaining in the past two years, the Conference has done some right-sizing, reducing the number of districts from nine to five and reducing the ...

Two non-binding resolutions that were part of a coordinated national effort came before the Missouri Conference Session this year.

The Missouri Conference Next Generation Ministries staff supports local churches in the areas of children, youthage, college-age and camping ministries in making the youngest disciples in our church. They have been in a ...

Bishop Robert Farr grew up around people who looked just like him. He now feels so blessed that God put others in his path. It’s not always the easiest path, but it’s the right one.