Resource Library

At a glance comparison of the three plans submitted to the Special Session of General Conference by the Council of Bishops: Traditionalist, One Church and Connectional Conference plans.

Passing the Baton Move Pack

A guide for pastors in transition

Pathway Out of Poverty Webinar: Jake McGlothin

Discussion with Jake McGlothin, author of The Mission-Minded Guide to Church and School Partnerships. Jake McGlothin is the Director of Serve Ministries at Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia. At Floris, he is responsible for all community service programs and mission work, including the church’s work with Hutchison Elementary School.

Boundaries with Brené Brown by The Work of the People

Brené Brown on empathy, compassion and boundaries. Video produced by The Work of the People (theworkofthepeople.com/boundaries).

Caring Enough to Confront: How to Understand and Express Your Deepest Feelings Toward Others by David Augsburger

Caring Enough to Confront: How to Understand and Express Your Deepest Feelings Toward Others by David Augsburger is a classic in Christian peacemaking. It teaches the reader how to build trust, cope with blame and prejudice, and be honest about anger and frustration. He offers a biblically based model for dealing with conflict to teach Christians how to confront with compassion and resolve issues in a healthy and healing way.

Courageous Conversation about the Way Forward

Suggested outline for how to plan and conduct a Courageous Conversation about the Way Forward report including four sessions with PowerPoint presentation templates. The resources also include links to support materials and videos produced by the Way Forward Commission and Council of Bishops.

Faith and Race

The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help churches of all colors host constructive dialogue about faith, race, and the church. Every episode has a specific focus to help us intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race, and justice. The audio recordings will bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond.

Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott

Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott is a master class on positive change through powerful communication. To do that, she explains, you must transform everyday conversations at work home and at church with effective ways to get your message across. This book prepares you to overcome barriers to meaningful communication, expand and enrich relationships with colleagues, friends, and family, increase clarity and improve understanding, handle strong emotions—on both sides of the table and connect with colleagues, customers and family at a deep level.

Healthy Churches, Faithful Pastors: Covenant Expectations for Thriving Together by David Keck

Healthy Churches, Faithful Pastors: Covenant Expectations for Thriving Together by David Keck presents fifty expectation statements examples of what pastors and congregations can expect of one another; a vital resource to anyone who seeks to initiate a discussion of expectations in their own church.

Healthy Disclosure: Solving Communication Quandaries in Congregations by Kibbie Simmons Ruth (Author), Karen A. McClintock

Healthy Disclosure: Solving Communication Quandaries in Congregations by Kibbie Simmons Ruth (Author), Karen A. McClintock discuss the ways knowledge is shared in a congregation that can build up or break down community. Unfortunately, congregations can easily fall into patterns of communication that lead to disastrous interpersonal and organizational outcomes. Even in times of crisis, however, congregations can learn and practice new skills and healthy communication management

Rising Strong by Brené Brown

Rising Strong by Brené Brown details her pioneering work that uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability—the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome—is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall.

Saying No to Say Yes: Everyday Boundaries and Pastoral Excellence by David Olsen and Nancy G. Devor

Saying No to Say Yes: Everyday Boundaries and Pastoral Excellence by David Olsen and Nancy G. Devor is an essential guide for pastors seeking to avoid the dual pitfalls of entanglement in congregational drama and burnout. It provides pastors concrete guidance on how to draw boundaries that facilitate community engagement while still maintaining the crucial distance that fosters enduring leadership.

Sex in the Parish by Karen Lebacqz and Ronald Barton

Sex in the Parish by Karen Lebacqz and Ronald Barton examines the gift of sexuality in relation to the parish and the dynamics of sexual desire and temptation. Included in this book are the experiences of a pastor who did not set appropriate limits; explanations of how the pastoral role affects sexual contact between pastor and parishioner; suggestions for a framework of ethical analysis; an examination of questions for women in ministry, single pastors, and pastors who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual; and a review of ethical issues related to persons who carry responsibilities for the structures of ministerial practice.

Wholeness After Betrayal: Restoring Trust in the Wake of Sexual Misconduct by Robin Hammeal-Urban

Wholeness After Betrayal: Restoring Trust in the Wake of Sexual Misconduct by Robin Hammeal-Urban offers an understanding of the brokenness and divisions created following sexual misconduct in a congregation. This specialized instruction is tested and proven, having been used effectively many times in a variety of congregational settings. It holds tremendous value for institutional healing, both immediately following misconduct or even decades later.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Creating a MAP with Rev. Nathan Stanton

Rev. Nathan Stanton, Director of Congregational Excellence for the Great Plains Annual Conference, shares how and why to create a Ministry Action Plan for breakthrough in your ministry.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Get Connected with Rev. Andrew Moyer and Lauren Miers

Rev. Andrew Moyer, The Light (Joplin), and Lauren Miers, Missouri Conference Communication Specialist, share ways to get your church connected using social media and web strategies.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Maximizing the Holidays with Matt Miofsky

The Gathering's Rev. Matt Miofsky gives us strategies and tips for effective outreach and generosity during the Advent and Christmas holiday seasons.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Maximizing the New Year with Roger Ross

Director of Congregational Excellence Rev. Roger Ross discusses planning worship, outreach, stewardship and discipleship for a breakthrough 2018.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Mission Possible with Tom Bandy

Tom Bandy from MissionInsite shows us how demographic and lifestyle insights can help us plan for church growth and mission impact.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Narrative Budgeting with Revs. Monica Jefferson and Tracey Wolff

Rev. Monica Jefferson, St. Andrew UMC (Florissant), and Rev. Tracey Wolff, pastor at North Hills UMC in St. Louis, lead our conversation on stewardship best practices, tips, and tools that they're using at St. Andrew and North Hills individually and as a cooperative parish.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Put a Bow on It with Jeremy Vickers

Rev. Jeremy Vickers, Grace UMC (Lee's Summit), gives guidance on end of year wrap up, key questions for reflection, goal setting, self-care as we end 2017.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Social Entrepreneurship with Revs. Dave Warner and Brad Aycock

Revs. Brad Aycock and Dave Warner from the West Ohio Annual Conference share why and how to change the world through social entrepreneurship.

Boundary Training for PPRCs

This series is designed as three 45-60 minute training sessions or they can be combined for a 3-hour training session for church leaders. Based on the book, Saying No to Say Yes: Everyday Boundaries and Pastoral Excellence by David Olsen and Nancy G. Devor, it is great for use with lay leadership and paid and unpaid church staff.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Avoiding the Summer Slump with Bob Crossman and Jimmy Cooper

Bob Crossman from Path1 Ministries and Jimmy Cooper from Horizons share about growing in worship, giving and small groups during the summer.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Fall Forward with Revs. Scott Hughes and Charity Goodwin

Revs. Scott Hughes, UMC Discipleship Ministries, and Charity Goodwin, Missouri UMC (Columbia), share ways discipleship planning, leadership development and small groups can lead to an exciting fall season.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Money Matters with Dustin Cooper and Daniel Taylor

A conversation with Revs. Dustin Cooper and Daniel Taylor focused on stewardship, types of givers, donor development and social entrepreneurship.

Confessional Small Groups in the Style of the Wesleyan Band Meeting

The Band Meeting was a very small group of approximately five people who would confess their sins and struggles together. Members would talk specifically about their temptations, successes and failures. Creating a safe space for confession and accountability was a part of growing in personal holiness. Not every Methodist was part of a band. This was always a smaller subset of Christian community. It is not intended to be for everyone.

Dealing With Small Group Killers

We’ve all been there. A new group has formed, and its members are excited about its potential. But, before the group realizes it, it becomes hijacked by someone who uses the group as their personal therapy session. This guide will help your group tackle the issue of small group killers.

Transformational Small Groups in the Style of the Wesleyan Class Meeting

Wesley understood Christian discipleship more like an apprenticeship to Jesus than a scholarly endeavor where one masters a body of knowledge. So, Wesley developed a process by which Methodists cultivate this kind of discipleship. A process that allowed people who desired this kind of character to be challenged and held accountable for the sake of fleeing the wrath to come. Use this guide with your small group to discuss the class meeting model.

5 Cups of Coffee Group Conversation Facilitator Guide

A facilitator guide for designed for a small or medium-sized group to engage in the 5 Cups of Coffee resource.

Freed-2-Lead Sermon Series

Sermon planning materials based on our 2018 Annual Conference theme, Freed-2-Lead.

Small Vital Church: El Dorado

El Dorado Springs has new life as a video venue for a suburban church 90 minutes away.

5 Cups of Coffee Sermon Series

A 5-week series on discipleship and call designed to help us understand who we are individually and collectively as God’s children, how we encounter God and what God calls us to do in response.

In the Wake of Violence: Resources for Sunday

ADDRESS AND ACKNOWLEDGE Address God through daily prayer asking for peace and guidance about our continuing struggle to live out the vision of God’s kingdom. Acknowledge through your preaching and teaching our complicity in the sin of institutional racism, which denies the inherently sacred nature of every person. As you seek to lead your congregation through this weekend’s services, you may find the following liturgical resources helpful. Call to Worship and Litany of Lament and Confession ...

Radical Hospitality Sermon Series

Tools to plan a 4-week series on “Radical Hospitality" including weekly themes, key scriptures, sermon building points and weekly sample worship order.

Small Groups for the Rest of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes by Chris Surratt

Small Groups For The Rest Of Us provides practical, proven strategies on moving people from the fringes into biblically based communities.

Effective Relationships for PPR Teams and Pastors

Amy Thompson, LCSW, offers insight into building an effective relationship between Pastor Parish Relations Committees and their pastoral staff.

Steps to a Vital Pastor/Parish Relations Committee

Rev. Kendall Waller guides Pastor Parish Relations Committee (PPRC) members through steps that are key to a vital relationship between the committee and the pastor.

Anatomy of Peace by Arbinger Institute

An international bestseller that teaches concepts of reconciliation and conversation to transform personal, professional, and even global conflict through a fictionalized story of parents who are struggling with their own children and with problems that have come to consume their lives.

Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown

Being true to who we are can be difficult in a diverse community, but true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it’s a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. Learn from Brown’s approach to being authentic without alienating yourself from others, especially those with whom you disagree.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Kerry Patterson et al

This best-seller has taught millions how to transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue. With practical ideas, this resource imagines it is possible to make it safe to talk about almost anything.

Faultlines: Holy Conversations about Human Sexuality and the United Methodist Church by Abingdon

A collection of resources—including small group studies and books—intended to inform the conversations around human sexuality within the United Methodist Church as the denomination prepares for the General Conference.

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott

A guide to transforming everyday conversations at work and at home with effective ways to overcome barriers to meaningful communication, enrich relationships, increase clarity and improve understanding, handle strong emotions, and connect more deeply with others.

Finding the Sweet Spot: Holy Conversation by The Missouri Conference

Four devotional sessions with video and discussion guide support on holy conversation as a means of grace designed for use with small group or leadership training. Great for church councils and leadership teams.

Is It Time? Helping Laity and Clergy Discuss Homosexuality One Question a Time by Adolf Hansen

From the Faultlines collection, this resource contributes to the conversation by presenting questions for laity and clergy to explore as they engage in open dialogue in an atmosphere of mutual respect, even when the conversation partners disagree.

Living Faithfully: Human Sexuality and the United Methodist Church by Abingdon

From the Faultlines collection, this four-week study will help you grapple with various views about the ministry and teaching of The United Methodist Church around issues of human sexuality. And it will help you discern, in prayer and conversation, how you can respond faithfully in love of God and neighbor.

Missio Day Small Group Discussion Questions