News
May 18, 2018
Bishops clarify statement on Commission on a Way Forward recommendation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council of Bishops is issuing the following statement, written by the bishops who served on the Commission on a Way Forward, and approved by the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops this ...
May 17, 2018
Commission ends its work; hears bishops’ recommendation for a way forward
NASHVILLE — The 32-member Commission on a Way Forward for The United Methodist Church concluded its ninth and final meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, yesterday (May 16). The Commission met nine times over 17 months. The ...
May 07, 2018
A Pastoral Letter to the People of The UMC from the Women Bishops
Grace and peace! We, the active and retired women bishops of The United Methodist Church, are writing in response to the news release this week, announcing the results of five proposed amendments to our Constitution that...
May 07, 2018
Bishop Farr's Statement in Support of Women’s Equality and Full Inclusion
I am saddened and disappointed that two of the constitutional amendments related to the right of girls, women, and other vulnerable groups did not receive the necessary 2/3 aggregate vote of all the annual conferences in...
May 07, 2018
Bishops announce results of five constitutional amendments; two fail to get required two-thirds majority
WASHINGTON, D. C. The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church has completed canvassing of the votes of annual conferences on the five constitutional amendments that were approved by the 2016 General ...
May 07, 2018
Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church Statement in Support of Women’s Equality and Full Inclusion
The Council of Bishops notes with dismay that two amendments to the Constitution of The United Methodist Church regarding gender equality did not pass. While we are not completely clear concerning the motivation that ...
May 07, 2018
Thoughts on the Council of Bishops’ Work on the Way Forward
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I have been in deep and prayerful reflection for the past several days since the Council of Bishops concluded our spring meeting. I want to thank you for your prayers ...
May 04, 2018
United Methodist Bishops Recommend a Way Forward
CHICAGO – United Methodist bishops, meeting in Chicago, engaged in a prayerful process to discern a way forward. At the conclusion of the discernment process, the Council of Bishops strongly approved the following ...
April 23, 2018
A Time of Connection
Freed 2 Lead is grounded in scripture as we consider the words of Paul in Ephesians, “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints ...
April 23, 2018
Annual Conference Offerings
OPENING WORSHIP Mozambique Sustainability Reboot This offering will relaunch the Mozambique Initiative’s efforts to create opportunities for church-going entrepreneurs through sustainability projects. In 2012, the ...
April 23, 2018
Community Playground
In October, Church of the Shepherd opened a Community Playground on their lot. As soon as it opened neighborhood families started coming to play. They aren’t just Church of the Shepherd families. They are families who ...
April 23, 2018
Connect: People + Resources + Ministry
The Methodist movement has always been about making connections. We are a ‘connectional’ church in structure, and we seek to bring individual human hearts into community with one another and with the Living Lord. Your ...
April 23, 2018
Creative Ministries
Artistry, technology skills employed to help churches make disciples The call to ministry doesn’t always mean the call to pastoral ministry. Some creative professionals have found their calling in employing their skills ...
April 23, 2018
From Facts to Faith
The journey of the next new member to your church may be a long one. Andrew McFarlane is now an active leader at Bolivar United Methodist Church, a place where he would have not conceived himself being part of for most ...
April 23, 2018
Message From Cody Collier
One of the great joys of my life is being a part of the Conference Sessions Committee. This group prayerfully discerns the theme for Annual Conference and works on every detail, so Conference delegates will experience ...
April 23, 2018
Missouri Conference Represented in Wespath's Young Leaders Advisory Board
Jordan Ault, from the Missouri Conference, will be working in 2018 to help shape the way Wespath Benefits and Investments (Wespath) serves The United Methodist Church by participating in Wespath’s inaugural Young Leaders...
April 23, 2018
Missouri Religious Leaders Unite on Gun Violence
Missouri faith leaders held a press conference at the Catholic Charities office in St. Louis on April 11 to express their opposition to House Bill 1936, which relates to taking firearms into churches. Currently in ...
April 23, 2018
Parting Shot
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than they love the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may ...
April 23, 2018
Pentecost Now & Forever
We normally think of Pentecost as the event described in Acts 2: The coming of the promised Holy Spirit, falling on the followers of Jesus, forming them into a community and empowering them to spread the good news. But ...
April 23, 2018
Price Points for Quality Sound
Help! My church needs to buy new praise band equipment, and we don’t know where to start! Never fear, this is a common dilemma. Whether your congregation is starting a new contemporary service, wants to upgrade existing...
April 23, 2018
Restoring Hope in Puerto Rico
By Lauren Miers Driving through Puerto Rico, downed power lines, debris and broken trees still line the roadways eight months after Hurricane Maria impacted the island. Some houses appear unscathed; Others have blue ...
April 23, 2018
Shareable Messages
I recently had a chance to hear Len Wilson speak. Like seemingly most people who speak at religious conferences, he has written a lot of books. At least he’s realistic about the outcome. “Studies have found the average ...
April 23, 2018
Small but Mighty: Elm Grove Church Serves the Lord
In the footprint of time, little Elm Grove Church has served the Lord in myriad ways through the hands and hearts, mouths and minds of its disciples. They’re focused on making more disciples for the transformation of ...
April 23, 2018
United Methodists Stand, Act to End Racism
United Methodists joined with their hearts, feet and faith on the 50th anniversary of the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., as people around the world pledged anew to combat the sin of racism. Gathering at ...
April 10, 2018
Bishops seek declaratory decision from Judicial Council on Special Session
WASHINGTON – The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church is asking the Judicial Council for a declaratory decision on what petitions can be submitted to the denomination’s Special Session of General Conference...
April 09, 2018
Missouri Faith Leaders oppose proposed change to state law allowing concealed weapons in houses of worship
IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kim Jenne, Director of Connectional Ministries kjenne@moumethodist.org (573) 441-1770 PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED IN ST. LOUIS for 11:15 AM, April 11, 2018 Missouri Faith Leaders oppose ...
April 01, 2018
Barn Find
I love old cars. I try not to make idols out of them. Sometimes I’m successful. Among car lovers, there’s a certain mythology around barn finds. The tale goes like this: A young man took all of his earnings from the ...
April 01, 2018
Coming Clean
Laundry ministry is the newest service that Grace and its partners offer to impoverished people in community. People in need in Springfield now have a new place to get their laundry done: Grace United Methodist Church. ...
April 01, 2018
Hurricane Maria Relief
Imagine this... the sunshine with rays reaching far and wide. As you are walking, you look to your left and see the beach with debris, broken palm trees. Your eyes move slowly to the many shades of blue in the water that...
April 01, 2018
Mission Field: Rural Missouri
Trying to expand a ministry in a community that is showing declines in small business and other institutions can be an arduous task. When Rev. Andrew Coon of the Shelbina/ Honeywell charge introduced the speakers at the ...
April 01, 2018
Mozambique Initiative: Stepping Up to Partnership
Asmall church can be impactful on its members, it’s community – and it can also use the United Methodist connection to make a difference for people thousands of miles away. Scott’s Chapel United Methodist Church is ...
April 01, 2018
Nurturing Musical Gifts
“If the music is too good then we aren’t worshiping God, we’re worshiping the music.” This is a phrase I’ve heard uttered on occasion. There are many variations on this statement including, but not limited to, “If we ...
April 01, 2018
Parting Shot
By Eric Mattson Some blessings in life don’t require us to wrestle. We love those. Those things connected with God’s grace are given to us as gifts out of God’s love for us, our salvation included [Ephesians 2:8-9]. ...
April 01, 2018
Reaching for Community
Connection Through Preserving History When Aryana Rosen saw a small notice in the paper about an upcoming meeting regarding what to do about Brighton Methodist Church, she felt compelled to check it out. “I thought ...
April 01, 2018
The Heart of the Matter
According to some psychologists, most people lean toward being either rule-followers or rule-breakers. I tend to lean toward rule-breaker. Until recently in my new role, where I am supposed to be a rule enforcer; mostly....
April 01, 2018
The Love of God
Commenting on I John 4:19, which reads “We love him, because he first loved us,” John Wesley wrote “This is the sum of all religion, the genuine model of Christianity. None can say more: why should any say less...” ...
March 31, 2018
Letter From the Editor
By Fred Koenig A dozen years ago I was in Kansas City interviewing Rev. Dan Bonner at Grand Avenue Temple. As I got ready to leave, he asked where I was going from there. “Grace United,” I replied. “Excellent,” he said....
March 23, 2018
Commission members grateful to serve, complete work on final report
LOS ANGELES – Members of the Commission on a Way Forward expressed gratitude at the opportunity to be part of the Commission and they signaled hope for The United Methodist Church as they completed their meeting in Los ...
March 20, 2018
Bishops, leaders of UMC-related institutions optimistic of denomination’s future
DALLAS - Several leaders of United Methodist Church-related institutions voiced optimism and are preparing for possible changes in the global denomination that could occur as a result of the Special Session of the ...
March 14, 2018
Commission on a Way Forward meets March 19-22 to prepare final report
WASHINGTON D.C. – The 32-member Commission on a Way Forward will meet in Los Angeles on March 19-22 to prepare a final report to be submitted to the Council of the Bishops for consideration by the bishops at their ...
March 13, 2018
Bishop Ough, thousands of United Methodists to join in rally against racism
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., United Methodists will unite with members of the National Council of Churches in Washington, D.C.,...
March 05, 2018
Managing Multiple People in Music Ministry
By Ryan McLouth So you have a lot of people interested in serving on your worship team, but you don’t know what to do with all of them? This is an excellent problem to have, and there are plenty of solutions. The only ...
March 05, 2018
Preaching on Faith and Money
Rev. Mike Slaughter approaches the topic of preaching on faith and money with a simple and hard to argue with reasoning: We should talk about money because Jesus did. “If money was 40 percent of Jesus’s teaching, it ...
March 05, 2018
Youth Urged to Seek Something Greater
Sunday morning at WOW always brings hundreds of bleary-eyed middle school and high schoolers back to the Expo Center floor for one more worship experience before heading home. This year, Bishop Bob Farr was intent on ...
March 01, 2018
Begin With Knowledge
By Jeff Fothergill At our Church Council meeting a couple of months ago, we spent time discussing what it means to be a “sent” church. I’m not sure if we touched all the bases, but it was clear that we couldn’t get ...
March 01, 2018
New Tax Rules & Charitable Giving
The new tax reform legislation will take effect for the 2018 tax year. If members of your church have questions about charitable giving and the new tax rules, your Missouri United Methodist Foundation is here to help. ...
March 01, 2018
The Need for New
When Rev. Roger Ross told his former district superintendent he felt God was calling him to plant a new church, the District Superintendent laughed out loud and advised him that they don’t really do that kind of thing. ...
February 28, 2018
Commission on a Way Forward clarifies values as it presents two sketches to bishops
DALLAS - What is the Christ’s way forward for doing mission and ministry in the worldwide United Methodist Church? That is the question bishops pondered during their February meeting in Dallas this week as they received ...
February 26, 2018
Holiness & Happiness
By Hal Knight Happiness is something everyone wants but no one can adequately define. One internet site had over 13,000 quotes from famous people on what brings happiness. Suggestions include having enough money (but ...