Check out more resources at Church of the Resurrection's ShareChurch.org
Pathway Out of Poverty Webinar: Dr. Nicole Baker Fulgham
Learn to deepen and grow your partnership with your local school, so that together we can raise student reading levels in Missouri. Dr. Nicole Baker Fulgham is a thought leader focused on how churches can support local school districts. Her writing and work provide thought-provoking as well as practical tips to engage with schools in your area.
Learn + Lead Webinar: Missional Communities 101
Rev. Brandon Wrencher shares about The Good Neighbor Movement, a movement that returns to a vision of the local church as networks of small covenant communities that follow Jesus’ way of life in the neighborhood, and what your church needs to start its own missional communities.
Bishop's GC2019 Q-and-A Webinar
What just happened? What does it mean for us? Bishop Farr holds a question and answer session focused on the Special Called Session of General Conference.
Financial Ethics for Local Churches Webinar
The Office of Finance and Administration works to assist local churches in their stewardship and generosity ministries. Sadly, several churches in Missouri have experienced financial impropriety due to lack of financial controls, mismanagement and questionable financial ethics of local leaders. To aid in preventing such issues, Rev. Nate Berneking hosted this webinar on Financial Ethics for Clergy and Laity. RELATED RESOURCES Presentation slides (.pdf)
GC2019: Sample pastoral letter to the congregation
Pastors of United Methodist churches are seeing a wide range of reactions to General Conference within their congregation. Some church members may need time to heal from emotional wounds while others may be concerned about the potential effects on their congregation. United Methodist Communications is providing a sample pastor's letter to help them address these concerns. You are welcome to share this letter with your congregation or use it as a guide for formulating your own letter.
Preaching and Talking about General Conference 2019: Points for Pastors
This Sunday and in the weeks to come United Methodist pastors everywhere will be addressing their congregations about the decisions of General Conference 2019. Church members will have different reactions to the decisions and may have questions about how this will affect them or their congregation. Here are some talking points pastors may find helpful as they prepare to preach and lead discussions.
Learn + Lead Webinar: How to Start a Recovery Ministry
Revs. Shane Laswell and Keith Scarborough, pastors at Morning Star Church in O'Fallon, Missouri, share about the successful Celebrate Recovery ministry at Morning Star Church and how your church can step into the realm of recovery ministry.
Conference Priorities Celebration
Conference Priority teams share stories of success, setbacks and plans for 2019 in this hour-long celebration of our progress so far.
Learn + Lead Webinar: Small Groups 101
Leanna Weber, adult ministry director at Community Christian Church in Plainfield, Illinois, shares tips and methods for starting a small group ministry at your church.
Local Church Financial Policies Template
Missouri Conference Director of Financial and Administrative Ministries Nate Berneking offers this template as a guideline for local churches that are developing or revising the financial policies for their ministry.
My Place
My Place for ministry leaders provides a semester long outline to use with young adults (ages 18-25) seeking to find relevance in their faith and call to serve God.
Developing a MAC (Ministry as a Career) Track Exploration for Any Sized Congregation Webinar
This webinar, led by Rev. Molly Moore, is about creating an avenue for churches to crack the window, invite the Spirit in, and raise up young people into ministry leadership. Participants of any church size will walk away with practical ideas on inviting young people into leadership.
Bishop's Way Forward Conversation
Bishop Farr offers remarks and context related to the Way Forward discussion at one of his 21 regional Way Forward Conversations.
Learn + Lead Webinar: Leading Forward
Rev. Jason Byassee will leads our discussion on why and how to lead forward.
The Fine Art of Disagreement
La Croix UMC in Cape Girardeau released this original four-week biblically-based series on “The Fine Art of Disagreement” with accompanying videos and small group curriculum. Visit https://lacroixchurch.org/media/fine-art-of-disagreement-study to download this FREE small group resource. “We presented this series at La Croix ahead of the special-called session of General Conference in 2019, to prepare people to handle the storm that could be ahead,” stated Rev. Ron Watts. “We chose not to focus ...
Year-End Stats Webinar
Director of Finance and Administration Nate Berneking discusses the 2017-2020 year-end stats tables and answers questions about the reporting process in this webinar. The 2018 Year-End Stats Update webinar is also included here.
Learn + Lead Webinar: Let's Talk About It
Rev. F. Willis Johnson leads a discussion on why and how to have crucial conversations in your church and community.
Pathway Out of Poverty Webinar: Rev. Dr. Evelyn Hill
Discussion led by Dr. Evelyn Hill, Former President of Kansas City, Kansas School Board. Rev. Dr. Evelyn Hill served on the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education from 2009 to 2017. She values education and believes every child has the right to receive a quality education. Rev. Dr. Hill has served in many volunteer positions over the years, including the Mayor’s Diversity Council and the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council and the Mayor’s Clergy Roundtable.
Partnership Profile
The Partnership Profile identifies key elements for developing school-church partnerships. Each descriptor offers measures to help local churches evaluate and determine the status of each key element in their school-church partnerships. Utilize this tool to gauge where your church is in developing a partnership that is based on relationship and not a transaction of goods.
Pastoring in Partisan Times with Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli
How do you pastor purple in red and blue churches? This episode of Pastoring in Partisan Times seeks to answer that question in discussion with Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli.
21 Days of Prayer by Rev. Jenn Weekes-Klein
This 21 Days of Prayer Journal, is designed as a holistic and integrative means to prepare
ourselves as clergy and laity, as local churches and as the Missouri Conference of the United
Methodist Church for the holy business of Annual Conference.
All Pro Dad
All Pro Dad is on a mission to help you love and lead your family well. Be a hero to your kids.
Almost Christian by Kenda Creasy Dean
Almost Christian investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice.
Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family/school Partnerships
Packed with tips from principals and teachers, checklists, and an invaluable resource section, Beyond the Bake Sale reveals how to build strong collaborative relationships and offers practical advice for improving interactions between parents and teachers, from ensuring that PTA groups are constructive and inclusive to navigating the complex issues surrounding diversity in the classroom.
Boundaries Covenant Sample
A sample covenant that all appointed clergy and assigned laypersons are expected to sign every four years.
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.
Census Fact-Finder
Use this government website to find demographic information about schools and students near your church.
Chuck Bomar: Stewarding What's Entrusted
Founding pastor of Colossae Church in Portland, OR, Chuck Bomar has authored many small group resources and books. This blog offers his take on a variety of church, theology, and ministry concepts.
Connect Classes Flyer Example
Connect Classes are offered as an entry point to Morning Star's discipleship process, with opportunities to explore faith, spirituality, gifts, and service.
Dallas Willard Spiritual Formation
Dallas Willard was an American philosopher and religious expert, known for his work in Christian spiritual formation. This website contains information about his books, as well as some of his articles, speeches, and interviews.
Developing a Discipleship Pathway from First UMC (Jefferson City)
This presentation focuses on how you can develop a discipleship pathway at your church.
Disciple? Why can’t I just be a Christian?
Use this guide with your small group to discuss what it means to be a committed Christian disciple.
Discipleship and Evangelism
Just the word “evangelism” causes anxiety in most followers of Jesus. The anxiety is caused by the thought that we must take a person from unbeliever all the way to a transformed life, from zero to 60 in four seconds flat. We must plant the seed, water it, raise it to maturity, and bring in the harvest. Yet even Paul did not accept that kind of pressure. Use this guide with your small group to discuss evangelism in your local church context.
Discipleship at Calhoun/Drake's Chapel
Margie Briggs discusses discipleship in the small church.
Discipleship at La Croix
Pastor Rob Mehner discusses spiritual formation in small groups and young people.
Discipleship Commitment
Multiple levels of commitment to discipleship are on display in the lives of followers of Jesus. Discipleship is frequently seen as an option in the church and the bar set for membership requires only a low level of compliance. Many church members comply with the minimum measures of church membership but compliance is not enough to carry out the vision of the church. Use this guide with your small group to discuss the commitment of discipleship.
Discipleship in Relationship with the Local Church
The local church is the body of Christ in our world. The “body of Christ” is too often used as a mere figure of speech, yet that phrase expresses the reality that Christ lives through his people. God’s people, as disciples, extend the life of Jesus to the world through the local church. Use this guide with your small group to better understand the role of the local church.
Discipleship: Growing in Grace
Most local congregations in Missouri have made great progress in internalizing the church’s mission of creating disciples for the transformation of the world, yet according to a recent survey conducted by the Core Practices team most churches continue to struggle to live out that mission in practical and meaningful ways. This 2014 story's insights into discipleship in Missouri.
Discipleship: Where to Begin
The first question on the mind of a disciple must be, “Where am I going?” Churches that develop a discipleship process ask the same question but with a “body of Christ” perspective: “In whose image are we making disciples?” What is the destination of a disciple? And where do I begin?
Empowering Parents for Intentional Faith Development of Their Children
A new culture of ministry is evolving that requires a different approach in the discipleship of youth and children. Many churches have placed a bigger emphasis on Family Ministry because they realize that unless parents are learning along with the children, effectiveness of teaching Biblical truths is reduced dramatically. Use these tips and resources in your local church or home.
Fair Labor Standards and the Church Webinar
Director of Finance & Administration, Rev. Nate Berneking, discusses changes related to overtime pay requirements. In this hour-long webinar Nate walks churches through the new rules, attempt to clarify who might be exempt and who must be paid overtime, and answer any related questions.
Faith Formation Learning Exchange
LifelongFaith Associates, in partnership with Vibrant Faith Inc., developed The Faith Formation Learning Exchange, which is "dedicated to helping leaders in Christian ministry develop lifelong faith formation for all ages and generations that is informed by solid research, effective practices, cutting-edge thinking, and real-world models and tools." The site is organized by different intended audiences (ex. children, young adults, families) with articles, reports, research, and books recommended for faith formation.
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase
Robert Schnase, Bishop of the Missouri Annual Conference from 2004 to 2016, highlights key areas of both congregational and personal spiritual life in the Five Practices series: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission Service, and Extravagant Generosity.
Global Connect
This site is a training and resource tool for individuals and groups preparing for mission. Individuals wishing to lead a team should complete the training modules found in the prepare section of the site. This will give you resources and ideas for how to best engage in mission whether locally or in an international context.
Highest Ideals Brochure
A helpful guide regarding expectations related to clergy sexual ethics in the Missouri Annual Conference.
Housing Allowance Case Information
Learn more about the court decision affecting clergy housing allowances.
Implicit Bias Workbook
Implicit Bias is all about ‘what we don’t think we think’ — wait a minute, what?!? As each of us experiences life — in school, at home, in church, at work, watching T.V. — we are surrounded by a number of biases. Some of these biases we consciously accept as our own, some we consciously reject, while many more fall into the subconscious level. Even though we are not aware of implicit biases, they constantly help to form our beliefs, values, ideas, and actions every day. As followers of Jesus, we are created and called by the God who consistently questions beliefs, values, and motives. By taking an intentional look at implicit bias and the ways it works in our brains and in our actions, we commit to rooting out the biases that are corrupted by stereotype or prejudice and separate us from the Beloved Community. Use this workbook to learn more about one of the significant barriers to reaching our true goals of diversity, community, and equity.
Knowing Where to Begin: An Assessment Tool
Knowing Where to Begin is an assessment tool courtesy of First UMC (Jefferson City). This tool is meant to be one of those guides that can offer you a path for “next steps,” a call to discipleship from Jesus Christ.
Leaving Well Webinars: Pastoral Transitions for Spouses with Elizabeth Cassidy
Elizabeth Cassidy, a psychologist and clergy spouse, offers her insight on strategies for grief and transition during a pastoral change as part of the Leaving Well Webinar series, examining how pastors and churches can best navigate pastoral transition.
Leaving Well Webinars: Pastoral Transitions for the Family with Amy Thompson
Amy Thompson, a licensed clinical social worker and the Missouri Conference Lay Leader, walks through transitions by developmental stages incorporating real stories of MO clergy and their families as part of the Leaving Well Webinar series, examining how pastors and churches can best navigate pastoral transition.