Resource Library

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Leading Forward

Rev. Jason Byassee will leads our discussion on why and how to lead forward.

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.

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.

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.

Discipleship at La Croix

Pastor Rob Mehner discusses spiritual formation in small groups and young people.

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.

Housing Allowance Case Information

Learn more about the court decision affecting clergy housing allowances.

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.

Leaving Well Webinars: Pastoral Transitions for the PPRC

Rev. Nate Berneking, Rev. Bruce Baxter and Conference Lay Leader Amy Thompson share specifics for PPRCs during a pastoral transition as part of the Leaving Well Webinar series, examining how pastors and churches can best navigate pastoral transition.

Leaving Well Webinars: The Change-Over Zone with Rev. Jim Ozier

Rev. Jim Ozier shares how to prepare for pastoral transition as part of the Leaving Well Webinar series, examining how pastors and churches can best navigate pastoral transition.

Navigating Clergy Forms, Addenda and Compensation Webinar

Director of Finance & Administration, Rev. Nate Berneking, discusses clergy compensation forms while also clarifying the interplay of secular law with United Methodist policy and practice and addresses the role played by the local church in budgeting for clergy compensation and correct withholding from a pastor’s paychecks.

Reimbursement for Moving Expenses Video

Any pastor who moves will now be required to pay federal and state taxes on reimbursements they receive for those. Churches are required to report them on the pastor’s W-2. And, all of this affects a pastor’s pension. This video summarizes the changes and requirements to the tax code affecting reimbursements for moving expenses.

W2's and Local Church Taxes Webinar

Director of Finance & Administration, Rev. Nate Berneking, discusses W-2 completion and employer tax reporting for local churches

Clergy Tax Webinar

Director of Finance and Administration Nate Berneking covers common clergy tax questions in this one-hour webinar.

Pastoring in Partisan Times with Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas

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. Juan Carlos Huertas.

Vital Conversations 4: Race, Culture, The Church, And Human Sexuality

Vital Conversations 4: Race, Culture, The Church, And Human Sexuality is a video study course for small groups in congregations, campus ministries, and local and regional church leadership teams.

Action Plan Kick-Off Videos

On September 8, 2018, we held our Action Plan Kick-Off. The day included a brief overview of the Bishop’s vision and then a deeper dive into each of the three priorities. Our presentations were filled with practical “how-tos” for your local church to engage more deeply in any and all of the three priorities.

Action Plan Kick-Off: Missional Leaders

Action Plan Kick-Off: New Places for New People

Action Plan Kick-Off: Pathway Out of Poverty

Pathway Out of Poverty Webinar: Rev. Jose Nieves

Discussion with Rev. Jose Nieves from the Florida Annual Conference. Rev. José Nieves has been working in school partnerships for over 12 years. He currently serves in the Florida Conference’s Our Kids Initiative, seeking to connect every church in the conference with a local school. Rev. José Nieves is the Senior Pastor at First UMC of Kissimmee, Florida.

$Pastoring in Partisan Times with Rev. Dr. Tex Sample$

Pastoring in Partisan Times with Rev. Dr. Tex Sample

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. Dr. Tex Sample.

Pastoring in Partisan Times Reflection with Revs. Fred Leist and Dale Stone

Join retired District Superintendent Dale Stone and Rev. Fred Leist, pastor of Missouri UMC in a Facebook Live conversation about pastoring in partisan times as they answered audience questions and reflected on the webinar series.

Learn + Lead Webinar: Innovative Mission

Rev. Luke Edwards leads our conversation on why and how to innovate mission through Fresh Expressions of the Church.

Pastoring in Partisan Times with Rev. Dr. David Gushee

How do you pastor purple in red and blue churches? Rev. Dr. David Gushee, offers his insights. Gushee is a distinguished university professor of Christian ethics and director of the Center for Theology & Public Life at Mercer University.

Pastoring in Partisan Times with Rev. Adam Hamilton

How do you pastor purple in red and blue churches? Rev. Adam Hamilton, lead pastor at Church of the Resurrection, offers his insights.

Pastoring in Partisan Times with Rev. Dr. Leah Gunning Francis

How do you pastor purple in red and blue churches? Rev. Dr. Leah Gunning Francis offers her insights. Gunning Francis is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, and Associate Professor of Christian Education and Practical Theology, Christian Theological Seminary.

Pastoring in Partisan Times with Mike McCurry

How do you pastor purple in red and blue churches? Lay person Mike McCurry offers his insights. McCurry is the director for the Center for Public Theology, Wesley Theological Seminary and former White House Press Secretary (1995–1998).

Learn + Lead Webinar: Breakthrough Prayer

Revs. Sue Nilson Kibbey and Jason Wellman from the West Ohio Conference lead a discussion on breakthrough prayer and its impact.

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).

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: 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.

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.

Small Vital Church: El Dorado

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

Learn + Lead Webinar: Why and How to Start a New Small Group

Why and how to start a new small group with Angie McNeil and Robyn Miller of Woods Chapel UMC

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.

Undivided (Movie)

Undivided documents the true story of how a suburban church unites with at-risk Roosevelt High School - once Portland, Oregon’s most outstanding but now failing and slated for closure - to create a beautiful transformation for students, the school and the volunteers serving it.