Resource Library

Why and how to lead someone to follow Christ for the first time and rediscover relational discipleship in transformation community via their book, The Band Meeting. In The Band Meeting, Kevin Watson and Scott Kisker give an overview of the richness of this early tradition and introduce a practical approach for growing toward an authentic, transformation-oriented small group experience. Kevin Watson and Scott Kisker, authors of The Band Meeting, will present.

Learn + Lead Webinar: How to Start a New Worship Service

Digital Artist Jason Moore shares how your church can start a new worship service.

#SeeAllThePeople E-Course

The resource, available online at elearning.SeeAllThePeople.org, is designed to communicate the basic principles behind #SEEALLTHEPEOPLE, a movement to help people understand what discipleship and evangelism mean in the 21st century. The series includes a downloadable study guide, as well as teaching and discussion videos for each of the three sessions. The teaching series, See All The People: Discipleship Begins with Relationship, features the Rev. Junius B. Dotson, General Secretary (CEO) of ...

Free Social Media Graphics

United Methodist Communications has created a set of FREE social media graphics for churches to use. This new library has both general graphics as well as images to use for Mother's and Father's Day, Pentecost, Black History Month and more. Download the graphics

Episode 03: Small Groups with Leanna Weber

A small group is a group of 3-12 people that gathers at least twice a month to experience what it means to Know, Care, Grow and Share. In this webinar Rev. Leanna Weber will share tips and methods for starting a small group ministry at your church. Leanna Weber is an adult ministry director at the Plainfield location of Community Christian Church based out of the Chicago-land area. Early adulting as a high school math teacher, Leanna later found herself drawn to ministry on a full-time basis. Her current role at Community is overseeing adult ministry at their ten locations. She thrives on being a visionary, teammate and seeing other people live in their calling.

Episode 01: Multiplication with Ken Nash

Rev. Dr. Ken Nash is the lead pastor of Wesleyan Church of Hamburg in Hamburg, New York, and gives practical tips on the concept of multiplication and the “art of reproducing yourself” including the simple and effective FAN method.

Episode 02: Recovery Ministry with Morning Star Celebrate Recovery

A recovery ministry is a group of any size that helps people recover from addictions, such as Celebrate Recovery or another Christian 12-step approach. Revs. Shane Laswell and Keith Scarborough will share about the successful Celebrate Recovery ministry at Morning Star Church and how your church can step into the realm of recovery ministry. Rev. Keith Scarborough is the Care and Recovery Pastor at Morning Star Church in O'Fallon, Missouri. Rev. Shane Laswell is the Pastor of Recovery at Morning Star Church in O'Fallon.

Quick Guide: The Mission-Minded Guide to School-Church Partnerships

An abbreviated guide to The Mission-Minded to Church and School Partnerships by Jake McGlothin

GC2019 FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions about GC2019 and its outcome.

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?

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