News
January 23, 2019
Twittering Away Your Reputation
A biblical perspective on how to watch what you say on social media.
January 23, 2019
Wesley on Schism
Last month we looked at the question of how Christians should disagree with one another and learned that Wesley believed our controversies should be carried out in a spirit of love and mutual respect. But how should ...
January 16, 2019
Important Year-End Report Information: Vital Signs Simplified for 2019
Vital Signs provides churches and Cabinet members with vital data about the health of our congregations. These revised questions more accurately define vitality in worship. Vital Signs questions have been simplified for ...
January 07, 2019
40 Days of Doubt: Devotions for the Skeptic
Have you ever questioned whether everything you believe in as a Christian is false? 40 Days of Doubt explores questions readers may be asking about their faith in 41 (with bonus day) devotions. Why would God care what I...
January 07, 2019
A Big Year for Old McKendree
Missouri’s only Heritage Landmark of the United Methodist Church is celebrating its 200th birthday
January 07, 2019
Background and Harmony Vocals
In the last few installments, we’ve discussed the practical role of instruments in the contemporary worship ensemble. So far we’ve discussed keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums. This month ...
January 07, 2019
Beer and Bible
First UMC in Rolla is trying several different approaches to reach out to new people, including small groups that are outside the norm of what many people expect at church. The Beer and Bible small group meets at 6 p.m. ...
January 07, 2019
Check
Last June Rev. Sheila Bouie-Sledge left Annual Conference Session inspired by the urging of Conference leaders for local churches to partner with neighboring schools. She was newly appointed to North Park United ...
January 07, 2019
Congregational Excellence Provides Funds to Kick Start New Places
To encourage and support innovative ways to create New Places for New People, the Office of Congregational Excellence is offering grant opportunities to all Missouri churches. Grants are available for each of the five ...
January 07, 2019
Divisions in Our Denomination: Maintaining Unity and Theological Integrity
By Hal Knight We are approaching a called General Conference in February to address deep divisions in our denomination. There is disagreement over the best way to maintain our unity and theological integrity. It is only...
January 07, 2019
Foundation Scholarships
Growing Resources for Missouri Students Ah, the new year … spring is just around the corner, and a young student’s thoughts turn to … SCHOLARSHIPS! For many students and parents, the search for scholarships is a ...
January 07, 2019
Missouri Deaconesses Participate in National Gathering
They’ve been around in the Methodist Church for quite a while, these women called Deaconess. With roots traced to Phoebe in Romans 16:1, in our Methodist tradition the office of Deaconess was officially recognized as an ...
January 07, 2019
MOAC Announces Staffing Change
The Office of Mission, Service and Justice has named Rev. Lucas Endicott as Senior Mission Strategist. In this redefined role, Endicott will provide daily management for the Mozambique Initiative, Global Connect ...
January 07, 2019
Parting Shot
By Eric Mattson The joy of serving others witnessed by this person’s face captured my attention. The joy of the Holy Spirit alive within produces a glowing radiance in you and me. In Philippians 4:13, the apostle Paul ...
January 07, 2019
Reaching Others In The New Year
By Fred Koenig “I’m not sure how I feel about the Christmas Experience tour...” So opined one of my fellow coworkers here at the Conference office, and I didn’t disagree – I too had mixed feelings about it. For the...
January 07, 2019
The Chaplaincy Connection
How one pastor’s chaplaincy united the church and community around giving back to those who protect them
January 07, 2019
Trying Something New
First UMC in Rolla has accepted that if they want to involve new people in the church, they are going to have to try doing something new. They’re approaching that in several different ways, including a new mid-week ...
January 07, 2019
We Need a GPS Reroute
By Bishop Farr Last fall I heard Australian evangelist Christine Caine speak at the New Room Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Caine is a popular international speaker. She and her husband, Nick, founded a global ...
January 07, 2019
Witnessing in Our Daily Life
By Amy Thompson A couple of months ago I was serving in the Welcome Center at my church on a Sunday morning. I entered into a conversation with a church friend. She mentioned that she would like to read something about ...
January 03, 2019
New Year’s Message from the Moderators of the Commission on a Way Forward
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As we turn to the new year and the approaching February meeting of the called Special Session of General Conference, the moderators would like to encourage delegates to the General Conference, as well...
December 11, 2018
Delivering Christmas invitations and cheer by the truckload
National Christmas tour coming to Kansas City on December 17
November 30, 2018
Applying Advent
By Fred Koenig One came and said to him, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” And he said, “You know, the commandments and all of that. Do those. Say, did you know that my mom was ...
November 30, 2018
C2FM
Making a Difference for Missouri Clergy & Churches Since 2016, Missouri’s United Methodist clergy have benefitted from a new resource called C2FM the Clergy & Church Financial Ministry administered by the Missouri United...
November 30, 2018
Keyed Up
By Ryan McLouth In the last four issues, we’ve been talking about the standard role of instruments in the contemporary worship ensemble. So far we’ve discussed acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar and drums. ...
November 30, 2018
Kindness, Confidence Encouraged
Missouri Conference Welcomes Two New District Superintendents with Installation Services By Fred Koenig You only get installed as a District Superintendent once. Rev. Melissa Dodd had a few ideas about what she wanted ...
November 30, 2018
Love Divine
By Hal Knight Love was at the center of John Wesley’s theology and ministry from beginning to end. It was at Oxford in 1725, 13 years prior to his famous Aldersgate experience, that Wesley became convinced that to be a ...
November 30, 2018
National Workshop on Christian Unity Coming to St. Louis
By Fred Koenig Next spring Missouri Methodists will have a unique opportunity to participate in a conference in St. Louis that aims to bring Christians of different faiths together for a time of learning and faith ...
November 30, 2018
Parting Shot
By Eric Mattson The ongoing practice of photography is like creating a mirror made up of images. Imagine gazing at a glass mirror fractured into a web of cracks. By viewing the mirror at different angles, the ...
November 30, 2018
POV: Conversations About Human Sexuality
By Kim Jenne Over the course of three weeks in late autumn, nearly 85 members of Church of the Shepherd engaged in a structured, conversational experience called Point of View (POV) designed to foster conversation and ...
November 30, 2018
Progress in Puerto Rico
By Lucas Endicott “We’re seeing God at work.” Pastor Alex Gerena of the Methodist church in Ezperanza, Puerto Rico recently reflected on the year since Hurricane Maria devastated the island. On September 20, 2017, ...
November 30, 2018
Radical Hospitality
By Jill Wondel In the summer of 1996 I gazed out the window as my plane landed in Kiev, Ukraine. It wasn’t my first international trip, but it was the first trip I would take to a country entirely foreign to me, the ...
November 30, 2018
Responding to Community Need
By Fred Koenig Court Street UMC in Fulton is addressing food security, with some literacy and community engagement added as well. How they got there wasn’t according to plan, but it progressed naturally. In 2016, ...
November 30, 2018
Sharefests Bring Givers Together in Seven Locations
By Sidney Owens This year brought many new and exciting adventures for Festival of Sharing. For six weeks during September and October there were seven Sharefests across Missouri: Kansas City, Tipton, Macon, Cameron, ...
November 30, 2018
Taking On Big Challenges In A Small Church
By Fred Koenig Gaye Lynn Blankenship knows that much of rural Missouri is plagued with substance abuse. Alcoholism, opioid addiction and methamphetamine use top the list of social problems. She knows her Dent County ...
November 30, 2018
The Beauty of Our Story
In Christian tradition, beauty, goodness and truth are known as the “transcendentals.” They help us transcend beyond our own physical world to something much more spiritual; something deeper within all of us; something ...
November 30, 2018
UMM Look to the Future
By Fred Koenig The new leadership team of the Missouri Conference United Methodist Men are anxious to go to work to help support a vital future for UMM groups across the state, but before they make plans, they are going...
November 30, 2018
Wrapped in Prayer
By Fred Koenig Sometimes having a physical, artistic representation of a metaphor helps bring home the message. Webster Hills UMC was doing just that when the church came together to wrap the church in prayer one Sunday...
November 09, 2018
Bishops authorize preparation of legislation on full communion with Episcopal Church
The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church has authorized the preparation of legislation to deal with the full communion proposal between The United Methodist Church and The Episcopal Church. The bishops took...
October 31, 2018
2019 Special session pre-registration now available
Nashville, Tenn. - Guests and observers to the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference, The United Methodist Church’s top legislative assembly, may now pre-register online. General Conference will meet in St. ...
October 25, 2018
Remarks from Bishop Cynthia Harvey and Bishop Ken Carter to the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church on October 23, 2018
The Book of Discipline as a “Revelation of the Holy Spirit”: A Sacred Mission, Our Theological Task and A Way Forward Bishop Cynthia Harvey: The question before us is in response to the request made by the delegates of...
October 22, 2018
Blessings Bucket
By Amy Thompson The beginning of this year marked a new journey for me as a new professional adventure began. The decision to pursue this new adventure was based in a lot prayer and reflection. The new professional ...
October 22, 2018
Blessings of Prayer, Laughter & Attitude
By Cody Collier During a very intense time early in my ministry, I recall preparing to speak at an ecumenical community Thanksgiving service. There was a deep political divide over upcoming elections and negative ...
October 22, 2018
Consider the Source
By Fred Koenig A few months ago I was hiking around a mountain that had many flowing streams. People were drinking freely from these streams. I did so myself when I was high on the mountain. I did it less as I got ...
October 22, 2018
Delegation Update
By Brian Hammons This message from Paul to the people of Philippi was one of the key scripture passages that helped the members of our General Conference delegation as we prepared for the 2016 conference for which we ...
October 22, 2018
Double Your Dollars for C2FM
The Clergy and Church Financial Ministry (C2FM) is making a difference for Missouri’s pastoral leaders. On #GivingTuesday (November 27) you can join the cause with an online gift at www.mumf.org/giving-tuesday. Even ...
October 22, 2018
Faith: Knowing God's Love
By Hal Knight Sometimes faith is used to mean what we believe. We affirm our faith when we say the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed. To say we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as they are described in those...
October 22, 2018
How to Create the Perfect Place for Preschoolers
By Amy Houts What’s a bright spot in your church that can continually bring in — and keep — new families? Why, the preschool, of course! It’s true that people may seek out a church home at any age and stage in life, but...
October 22, 2018
Parting Shot
By Eric Mattson For as long as I’ve created images in any media going back into my youth, I’ve crafted images depicting that which is flawed, neglected or in a state of decay such as the fence in this infrared photo. I’...
October 22, 2018
Presenting the Plans
Delegates Hear About Proposals to be Considered at Special Session By Fred Koenig On February 23 United Methodists from around the world will meet in St. Louis to make decisions around things that could significantly ...
October 22, 2018
Ramping Up
Men's Group Goes Modular To Increase Effectiveness By Fred Koenig When someone is injured or recovering from a surgery, most people just want to be home. But sometimes getting through the front door can be a challenge. ...