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Download the printable version of the Oct. 7 issue of GPconnect.

In this edition:

THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Clergy finally get their chance to be commissioned, ordained
In trio of online events, Great Plains laity connect with each other virtually
Memorial service celebrates lives of good, faithful clergy, spouses, families
Members of annual conference to vote via ballot on 2021 budget 
Class meetings are subject of trio of ‘Layman’s’ podcasts
Resurrection returns to onsite worship in time to celebrate 30th anniversary
More news about the coronavirus pandemic from beyond Great Plains

CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Self-care mini-grants available for coaching, spiritual direction, retreats
Catch up on episodes of 'Threshold'; Bridging divides is subject on Oct. 29
Free ministry leadership webinar set for later this month

EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Bishop to speak at concert for Chippewa sustainability campaign
October resources for kids, families include tricks, treats
Fresh Expressions' ‘Steeple to Street’ webcast coming in two weeks
‘Old Story in a New Way’ webinar scheduled for Sunday afternoon
Be prepared, take time to get message out, LSM director says
Clergy, laity in conference sought as writers for our daily devotionals
Webinar on engaging community offered by Discipleship Ministries
Virtual Homecoming celebrates UM higher education, scholars

MERCY & JUSTICE
Genesis Family Health prevailing through panic, its leaders say
Immigrant Legal Center presents screening of 'Undocumented Lawyer'
Peace with Justice provides resources for congregations at virtual AC booth

DISASTER RESPONSE
CDC releases new guidance about how COVID spreads
Would you know what to do during a power outage?

ADMINISTRATION
Kansas UM Foundation offers seminar on giving in 2020

RESOURCES
Launch a giving campaign in honor of your pastor
Communications expert tells how to build relationships with virtual visitors
Leadership expert to speak online at Board of Ordained Ministry Academy
New online course aims at growth in generosity

ACROSS THE CONNECTION
New chaplain named at EmberHope Youthville
WSU campus pastor leads prayer at remembrance of crash victims
In other news
Newsletters
Blogs and commentaries
Classifieds  
 

Clergy finally get their chance
to be commissioned, ordained

Twenty-nine clergy in the Great Plains finally got their chance to be commissioned and ordained Saturday in ceremonies at Omaha St. Andrew's UMC.

The delayed ceremony included social distancing and surface sanitization, with a mostly online audience.

“I didn’t want to do this virtually,” Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said at the services. “There’s something sacred about ordaining someone by the laying-on of hands.” 

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In trio of online events, Great Plains
laity connect with each other virtually

More than 185 laity got behind screens Thursday night for the first virtual laity gathering, which kicked off three events for lay persons in the Great Plains Conference.

“We hope you will live with us into this new moment,” conference lay leader Lisa Maupin told the 185-plus online attendees at the beginning of the official laity session Oct. 1. “This is a labor of love, a true labor of love – we love the laity of the Great Plains.” 

Read more here and watch Thursday's 90-minute session.

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Memorial service celebrates lives of
good, faithful clergy, spouses, families

The lives and ministries of more than 65 clergy, their spouses and families were celebrated in a memorial service broadcast on the conference website and Facebook Live on Oct. 2. It was recorded at Topeka Susanna Wesley UMC.

The Rev. Morita Truman, pastor of Great Bend First UMC in Kansas, delivered the sermon, and the Wichita Heart of Christ UMC praise group, led by Pastor Ronda Kingwood, provided the music.

Watch the service now and view a photo album.

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Members of annual conference
to vote via ballot on 2021 budget 

As with many aspects of life in the church, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted an adjustment as to how the Great Plains Conference will approve its budget for 2021. 

This year the conference will consider adoption of its budget via written ballot. The Connecting Council approved its recommendation for the 2021 budget during a Zoom call Oct. 6, and the Council on Finance and Administration agreed Oct. 7 to recommend the budget proposal to the clergy and lay members of the annual conference. 

The 2021 conference budget totals just more than $14 million and assumes a $243,963 reduction in mission shares, a 1.7% decline over the amount originally apportioned in 2020.

The conference conducted listening sessions via Zoom on five evenings in September to provide a venue for people to learn about the budget process and to ask questions. A narrative budget, a summary budget draft and slides used in the listening session presentations all can be found on the conference website at www.greatplainsumc.org/conferencebudget.

The Connecting Council and CFA recommend approval of the budget as proposed originally, but with a 2% cost-of-living pay increase for conference staff.

The process moving forward includes: 

  • The proposed budget and process information will go out to voting members of the annual conference Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. 
  • Following that release, voting members of annual conference will have until Oct. 23 to submit proposed amendments.
  • If amendments are received, they will be addressed in a first round of balloting. 
  • If no amendments are received, members of the annual conference will receive a ballot asking whether they will approve or not approve the budget.
  • Pursuant to the rules of the annual conference, approval of the budget by ballot requires a two-thirds affirmative majority of the total votes cast. 

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Class meetings are subject
of trio of ‘Layman’s’ podcasts

Class meetings — with strong class leaders — were among the ways the Methodist movement spread westward and through the prairies of the United States. But could looking to the denomination's past help laity and churches pave the way to a brighter, more vital future?

Check out a recently completed three-episode series on the “In Layman’s Terms” podcast aimed at explaining the concept behind the class meeting, the need for class leaders, how laity play the key role in this ministry, and what the vision is for using class meetings as a way of sustaining small congregations while fostering discipleship in churches of all sizes across Kansas and Nebraska.

  • Why Now? — In this first of several episodes about class meetings, host Todd Seifert talks with District Superintendents Cindy Karges and Don Hasty, as well as retired elder, author and Methodist historian David Lowes Watson. They share why class meetings show promise for helping churches of all sizes — but especially small, rural congregations — boost discipleship, promote leadership and provide churches the tools they need to better serve their communities. This episode debuted July 15, 2020.
  • Laity as Key — We continue our look at class meetings and class leaders by taking a look at a pilot project in the Great West District in Nebraska, where Pastor Mark Baldwin is helping mentor a class leader. We also talk to Lisa Maupin, Great Plains Conference lay leader, about the way the class meeting model can help shift the story from one of scarcity to one of abundance. This episode debuted July 23, 2020.
  • History as Future — In the third of a three-part series on class meetings, Seifert explores how class meetings provided a model of growth and evangelism in the past and how they can be a sustainable force in the present. Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. is the featured guest who shares a vision for how class meetings can sustain a United Methodist witness in smaller churches but also can bolster discipleship in larger congregations by enhancing spiritual disciplines and introducing accountability among believers. This episode debuted Oct. 6, 2020.

Resurrection returns to onsite worship
in time to celebrate 30th anniversary

Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, the largest attendance of any United Methodist Church in the world, returned to onsite worship services Sunday for the first time since mid-March.

Keeping at less than 20% capacity, the services also celebrated the church's 30th anniversary, with founding pastor, the Rev. Adam Hamilton, and his wife LaVon going back via video to the funeral home where COR began.

The church also kicked off a "Love Your Neighbor" campaign, with yard signs, T-shirts and cards to spread the message.

Read more, and find out how to customize their graphics for your church.

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More news about the coronavirus pandemic from beyond Great Plains

 

Clergy Excellence

Self-care mini-grants available for coaching, spiritual direction, retreats

 

When we’re honest, the question to John Wesley’s classic question, “How is it with your soul?” likely leads most of us clergy to saying things like …. Weary … exhausted… wounded… tired …conflicted. We are glad to be able to offer some resources for clergy to be able to invest in an intentional way during this season ahead. We’ve compiled some resources for Soul Care on our website and are also pleased to be able to offer a variety of grant opportunities.

Whether you’re interested in some individual care through meeting with a coach or spiritual director, or attending a retreat (or creating your own!), we would love to encourage you to consider creating some space for soul care. Check out our website for resources and self-care mini-grant opportunities. The grant application is open until March 30, 2021.

--Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford 
clergy recruitment and development coordinator

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Catch up on episodes of 'Threshold';
Bridging divides is subject on Oct. 29

"At the Threshold" has been hosting biweekly conversations since May 7 and is taking a little hiatus! We’ve covered quite a bit of ground — from hearing from some of our own clergy about their experiences in this season, to grief, death, and educational partnerships! We’ve also had several conversations talking about aspects of clergy health. The last three conversations have brought us back to school for Theology 101.

The most recent podcast, the conclusion of Theology 101, features hosts Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford and Rev. Shelly Petz talking with two early church scholars, Dr. Amy Oden and Rev. Austin Rivera, picturedc above. You can find video of each conversation with each episode description or, you can listen to the audio on our podcast. Search for ”At the Threshold” on Podbean or Apple Podcasts or check out individual episodes here.
 
We will resume on Thursday, Oct. 29 with a timely conversation:
 
Bridging the Divides: Ministry in divisive times, Oct. 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m. CT. The Rev. Nancy Lambert will join us as we introduce Dr. Leah Schade, our Orders & Fellowship clergy gathering speaker. Dr. Schade is the author of “Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide” and will be here to discuss her work in helping pastors bridge the things that separate us. Register here.

--Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford
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Free ministry leadership
webinar set for later this month

A webinar on "Leadership in 2020: Ministry Under the Shadow of a Pandemic," will be from 9-11 a.m. CT Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 26-27, with a followup Q&A from 9-11 a.m. CT Monday, Nov. 9.

Watch this video invitation from Bishop Saenz.

The webinar is free from the conference: Register here.

Rev. Bill Selby (pictured above), the founder and director of the Center for Pastoral of the Rockies, will help us think about congregations as emotional systems, the impact of anxiety on leaders and faith communities, and some insights/ implications to consider as you, the leaders, live into a hopeful future and respond to parishioners, colleagues, the larger system and the anxiety in which we live.  

Dr. W. Craig Gilliam, founder and owner of Gilliam and Associates, LLC, will offer some insights and best practices for responding to difficult people, facilitating difficult conversations, and addressing anxiety and conflict in constructive, generative ways that invite people’s (our own and others) best self — the Christ within us — and the congregation as a body. 

We invite and hope you can join us for this opportunity to reflect, learn and grow. Please come, journey with us into this rocky but hopeful terrain. 

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Equipping Disciples

Bishop to speak at concert for
Chippewa sustainability campaign

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. will speak at the Stars Go Dim concert, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at Camp Chippewa and Retreat Center, 2577 Idaho Road, Ottawa, Kansas.

Stars Go Dim, the now one-man Christian band of Chris Cleveland, whose latest album, “Better,” was released in 2019. Hits on the Christian charts for the band include “You are Loved,” “How Glorious the Love of Heaven,” “Heaven on Earth” and “You Know Me Better.”

The concert is part of the sustainability campaign for Camp Chippewa, one of the five camps in the Great Plains Conference. Admission is free, but tickets must be obtained in advance from the camp website or through the QR code below. Donations will be accepted for the sustainability campaign.

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October resources for kids,
families include tricks, treats

This month’s resources for kids and families includes some Halloween happenings led by the Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford, intergenerational discipleship coordinator.

Get started here.

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Fresh Expressions' ‘Steeple to Street’ webcast coming in two weeks

A webcast designed for the Great Plains Conference by Fresh Expressions US, “From the Steeple to the Street: A New Kind of Local Church for a New Kind of World,” will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT Friday, Oct. 23.

From the Fresh Expressions website: “Across the United States and beyond, the God who ‘makes all things new’ is up to something. Amid a Christian landscape that looks and feels like a desert of decline, new oases of the Spirit are springing forth. Inherited congregations, with long histories, deeply rooted in their traditions, are experimenting with new ways of being church. When these congregations commit to introducing new people to Jesus, new leaders (both lay and ordained) are discovering that they can start fresh expressions of church to reach those outside of the church AND that our existing congregational systems can be retro-fitted for a new future through a process of ‘remissioning.’

“Matt Lake and Michael Beck employ very different approaches, but their congregations are finding new life. They will explore the theological underpinnings for becoming a new kind of local church, as well as share practical tools, practices, and processes to help local congregations cultivate a new future.”

The cost is $5. Register at this link.

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‘Old Story in a New Way’ webinar scheduled for Sunday afternoon

The Great Plains Conference will present Jason Moore of Midnight Oil Productions with a live webinar, “Telling the Old Story in a New Way,” from 3-5 p.m. CDT Sunday, Oct. 11.

Advent and Christmas may look different this year for worship leaders, worship teams, technology lay leaders and pastors. To help resource lay worship leaders and pastors this new season, Jason Moore will provide resources, links and handbook available to registrants.  As you prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth anew, feel free to join with your worship leaders live on Sunday or register to watch the recording later. 

Register for “Telling the Old Story in a New Way” here.

Any questions, contact Donna Ernest at dernest@greatplainsumc.org.

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Be prepared, take time to get
message out, LSM director says

Whether clergy or laity, the watchwords are “be prepared,” according to Mary L. Brooks.

“The best Sunday School teachers are the ones who spend time before Sunday with the lesson,” Brooks, Five Rivers District Lay Servant Ministries director, writes in the latest LSM blog. “The best sermons are labors of hours and days, not minutes. How can we be prepared to defend our faith if we haven’t taken the time to read our Bible? How can we be sure we are saying the right things and not leading people astray if we don’t take the time to listen and study?”

Read the blog here.

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Clergy, laity in conference sought
as writers for our daily devotionals

Thousands of people across the Great Plains Conference are waking up every morning to the reflections and witness of their fellow lay and clergy members, thanks to our daily devotionals.

Would you like to add your thoughts and your prayers to our daily email? 

Use this link to view the available dates in October and November, as well as and suggested lectionary (although you are free to use whatever verse you wish). Once you have signed up and written about 300 words, plus a prayer, email them to Lisa Soukup on the communications team.

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Webinar on engaging community
offered by Discipleship Ministries

A new webinar, “Blessed are the Poor: Engaging the Community Toward Social Transformation,” is being offered by Path1: New Church Starts at Discipleship Ministries.

“Blessed are the Poor” is designed to help church leaders engage with the people in their communities and reflect on the different ways in which people experience poverty.
 
Taking place once a month for five months, these two-hour sessions will cover five topics of poverty:

  • Economic poverty
  • Cultural poverty
  • Physical poverty
  • Spiritual poverty
  • Political poverty

Knowledgeable panelists will offer perspectives on a national and global level while sharing experiences, learnings, and best practices to help leaders in local church settings.

Panelists will include Great Plains Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.

Learn more here.

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Virtual Homecoming celebrates
UM higher education, scholars

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation will host a virtual “homecoming” to celebrate Methodism and higher education, UMHEF scholars, and more. The public is invited to follow UMHEF on Facebook, Instagram, and at umhef.org beginning at 10 a.m. CT Tuesday, Oct. 27. Festivities will include messages from United Methodist students, spotlights of UM-related institutions of higher education, interactive activities, messages from prominent leaders, and more.
 
Tune in at noon CT for a special keynote from Dr. Jeffrey Kuan, president and professor of Hebrew Bible at Claremont School of Theology. Higher education is a sector under stress, compounded even more by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodist-related institutions are not exempt from such stresses. In such a challenging climate, Kuan will speak to the legacy of Methodist higher education, looking backward and forward, and what the role the church needs to play to continue to support higher education and nurture future leaders for the church and the world. This is a free event. Visit umhef.org/homecoming to register for event updates, view the event schedule, and to learn how you can join the large UMHEF community that supports UM students.

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Mercy & Justice

Genesis Family Health prevailing
through panic, its leaders say

The coronavirus pandemic has strengthened Genesis Family Health, its leaders say.

Genesis, with locations in Garden City, Dodge City, Liberal and Ulysses, receives part of its funding from the Great Plains Conference and Garden City First United Methodist Church. It provides medical and dental clinics, behavioral health care, social services, emergency assistance, immunization, health education and outreach to residents of southwest Kansas.

“The pandemic season has been very challenging for our agency, not unlike everyone else,” said Jessica Ardery, chief operations officer. “But for Genesis, being the community health center that we are and by definition a gap-filler, it’s been an opportunity for us to step up and truly do that, fill gaps for our communities in a number of ways.”

Read more here.

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Immigrant Legal Center presents
screening of 'Undocumented Lawyer'

 

Lizbeth Mateo is an attorney who swore to uphold the Constitution. She is also undocumented. When a client takes sanctuary in a church, Lizbeth’s own experience guides their fight for justice. Her story was told in the documentary “The Undocumented Lawyer.”
 
On Oct. 29, Immigrant Legal Center, formerly Justice for Our Neighbors-Nebraska, one of our mission agencies, will host a live Q&A with Mateo, as well as the filmmakers and Immigrant Legal Center experts. “We’ll discuss immigration law and the fight for justice heading into the 2020 elections. There could not be a more pressing time to bring immigrant rights to the forefront, and that’s why we’re inviting you to watch this important film and join the discussion with a leading activist and legal expert,” says Cailan Franz, director of development and  communications.
 
At the 2018 Annual Conference, Great Plains delegates approved the resolution “The Call to Sanctuary.” It urges our congregations “to show radical hospitality to all of God’s children, especially the persecuted ones, and encourages congregations to explore offering sanctuary to those crying out for help who are suffering under out unjust and broken immigration system.”
 
By buying a ticket to watch the film, you can support the work of Immigrant Legal Center: 50% of all ticket sales will directly go to the organization. To learn more about Immigrant Legal Center, go to www.immigrantlc.org.
 
Check out the trailer and buy a ticket here for Thursday, Oct. 29, 6:30-8 p.m. CT.

-- Andrea Paret, Peace with Justice coordinator

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Peace with Justice provides resources
for congregations at virtual AC booth

With our regular annual conference canceled, laity was invited on Oct. 3 to participate in a “Virtual Festival of Booths.” Several people from Kansas and Nebraska stopped by the Zoom room to learn about Peace with Justice Ministries, share what their church is doing and ask questions and gather information to support their work.

Our work is based on scripture which calls us to work for peace with justice, to care for the vulnerable, to create the beloved community, God’s kin-dom. This is done not just by charity and mercy, but by looking at underlying unjust systems that cause so many to not be able to live life to the fullest but makes them struggle in so many ways. What are we called to do to change such unjust systems?

A wide variety of issues was discussed. One church is working on how to have difficult conversations at this time of division in our country and our communities. How to respect and love LGBTQ+ persons and see God’s light in each one of them was the focus of church members from several churches. Black Lives Matter and racial justice, immigration, food security and community gardens, and health care as a human right were other topics. Resources from the General Board of Church and Society are available on many issues, and can be found at https://www.umcjustice.org/resources.

Here is a Faith & Facts Card on health care in the United States.
People came and stayed for a while and then moved on to other booths.  
For one person this year was the first time she was going to participate in the annual conference. She shared that if we had met in person, she would not have been able to come. But this way, she was able to visit several booths, learn about different ministries in our conference and gather information and resources.

Peace with Justice Ministries (PWJ) is a bridge between the local church and the General Board of Church and Society: https://www.umcjustice.org/. But peace advocates in our conference also work with peace organizations in Kansas and Nebraska: Peace and Social Justice Center of South Central Kansas in Wichita (https://wichitapeace.org/), Topeka Center for Peace and Justice (http://www.topekacpj.org/), Nebraskans for Peace (http://nebraskansforpeace.org/) as well as many other organizations, teams and task forces within and beyond our conference.
If you have questions or need information to support the work in your local congregation, please feel free to email me at amparet08@yahoo.com.
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peacewithjusticeministriesgp

 -- Andrea Paret, Peace with Justice coordinator

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Disaster Response

CDC releases new guidance
about how COVID spreads

The Centers for Disease Control has released new guidance regarding the spread of COVID-19.

This two-page document includes information on COVID spreading from person to person, through airborne transmission, and contact with contaminated surfaces.

Download the guidelines here.

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Would you know what to
do during a power outage?

Do 1 Thing is a 12-month program that makes it easy for you to prepare yourself, your family, and your community for emergencies or disasters.

Be able to safely meet your basic needs during an electrical outage.
Tasks:

Administration

Kansas UM Foundation offers
seminar on giving in 2020

This past year has brought about many changes in our routine and it is no different for charitable giving.

On Oct. 20, the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation will offer a Learn & Grow Seminar on “Understanding the CARES Act and Charitable Giving in 2020”. The seminar will be held from 10-11 a.m. CT via Zoom. During the seminar, Roger Field, a local CPA, will share about the CARES Act and the uniqueness of charitable giving in 2020.

For additional information and to register for the seminar, please visit kaumf-reg.brtapp.com/LearnGrowSeminarRegistration.

If you have any questions, please contact the Foundation at 888-453-8405 or foundation@kaumf.org.

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Resources

Launch a giving campaign
in honor of your pastor

It’s Clergy Appreciation Month! Show your pastor how much you appreciate their dedication to ministry by launching an #IGiveUMC campaign in your local church. Ask congregants to make a donation in honor of your pastor and then post a message on social media encouraging others to do the same.

Download resources here.

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Communications expert tells how to
build relationships with virtual visitors

Many churches are reporting much higher online worship attendance than they typically see in person. Eric Seiberling from BrokenSheep.com offers tips for how email can help sustain these new connections in a time of social distancing.

Read his tips.

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Leadership expert to speak online at
Board of Ordained Ministry Academy

World-renowned leadership and organizational expert and best-selling author Margaret Wheatley will be the keynote speaker at the 2020-21 Boards of Ordained Ministry Academy, which began Sept. 23 and runs through next May. Wheatley’s address will be at 11 a.m. CT Tuesday, Oct. 13. The BOM Academy is a series of online webinars, workshops and self-led learning sessions for those involved in the recruitment, development and formation of clergy.

Read more, register for the BOM Academy, or register only for the keynote.

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New online course aims
at growth in generosity

A new online curriculum designed to help clergy and lay people lead congregations toward growth in generosity is now available from Discipleship Ministries. This six-module leadership series will help clergy and leaders become better equipped to lead their local churches in the area of generosity as a key part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Read more about it.

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Across the Connection

New chaplain named
at EmberHope Youthville

Judy Arnold has joined EmberHope Youthville as a chaplain. In her new role, she will provide support for the voluntary spiritual and personal growth of children in care, foster families, and staff through teaching, coaching, and modeling. Her responsibilities include weekly chapel services, pastoral care, small group, and biblical studies, as well as to act as a liaison with other spiritual leaders in communities the agency serves.

Arnold is a native of Cleveland, where she received her BA from Cleveland State University. While in Cleveland, she worked with the elderly as a social worker and activities director.

Sensing God’s call in the direction of church ministry, Judy attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. There she received an MSW in church social work. Following graduation, an opportunity to serve as a Volunteer in Mission with the Utqiagvik Presbyterian Church led her to Barrow, Alaska. As a youth director and outreach worker, she worked with Inupiat Eskimo youth. This challenge helped her see God’s call to become a minister in the United Presbyterian Church (USA). It was this call that led her to the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, where she received her M.Div.

Over the past 20 years, Arnold has served congregations in Fort Madison, Iowa, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Pratt, Kansas. She has ministered to people of all ages, backgrounds and denominations. God has again stirred her heart moving her in a different direction of ministry. Sensing the desire to use her MSW background, coupled with her love of people and ministry, Arnold has transitioned from the local church to EmberHope Youthville. She is thankful for all the opportunities that are ahead to minister to the youth and the community of staff that serve these children across the state of Kansas and in San Antonio, Texas.

For complete information about the services EmberHope Youthville provides visit www.emberhope.org.

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WSU campus pastor leads prayer
at remembrance of crash victims

Last Friday, Wichita State University held the 50th Memorial '70 ceremony. Family, friends and teammates came to Cessna Stadium to honor the lives of those on the WSU football team who were lost in the plane crash 50 years ago.

Melissa Hasty, the director of United Methodist Campus Ministry at WSU, participated in the ceremony by providing opening and closing prayers. This was the third ceremony that she has been asked to help with.

This year, the children of Memorial '70, the survivors of the crash, and the team members on the other plane were recognized. The memorial for the crash on WSU campus had the names of the survivors of the crash and the team members on the other plane added to it this year. These new additions to the memorial were revealed during the ceremony.

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In other news

Newsletters

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Blogs and commentaries

  • Being the church in divisive times: Christians should not idolize worldly leaders but instead honor the social holiness demands of the Bible, says the Rev. Mike Slaughter, pastor emeritus of Ginghamsburg (United Methodist) Church. "Kingdom justice is not up for partisan political debate," he writes.
  • Louisville kids' church finds police friends: The Rev. Corey Nelson is sure that better relations between police and urban residents, particularly children, is possible. The United Methodist pastor has seen officers go the second mile to win trust at Louisville's Grace Kids: a Church for Children.

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Classifieds 

 
 
 
 
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