Means of Grace

Six months into stay-at-home orders, every church has had to make significant shifts in their ministry. In this episode, Jesse Enniss talks with Rev. Dr. Andrea Smith, pastor of West UMC in Mooresville, NC, and Rev. Dan Hester, pastor of Skyland UMC in Asheville, NC about leadership in this time of change. They discuss how they have adapted their use of technology, their engagement with their communities, how they, as leaders, have been making decisions, and so much more!

Resources:

West UMC, Andrea Smith, pastor

Skyland UMC, Dan Hester, pastor

SLACK communication tool

Constant Contact

Carey Niewhof resources

Tech Reviews

Dan's related blogs:

• Being Honest About My Lies
• 90 Days of Cold Hard Facts
• 90 Days of Warm Fuzzy Facts
• Pastor as Content Creator

In this episode, Caroline Wood has a conversation with John Crane, WNCC Lay Leader about the ministry of the laity and John's passion for the church. John is a native of Gastonia, NC, where he and his wife, Roxanne, and sons Jonathan (20) and Zackery (17) are members of First UMC-Gastonia. He has most recently served on our Conference Board of Laity as a result of his service as the District Lay Leader for the Catawba Valley District, but has served previously as an at-large member Board, including serving as the director of the annual "Gathering of the Laity" event for several years. John also has a history of serving as a leader in our Lay Servant Ministry program, having been both a course instructor and the District Co-Director of Lay Servant Ministries in the former Gastonia District for over nine years. John has worked in financial services and other industries for over twenty years, with a focus on human resources, project management, and change leadership. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business John Crane Administration from Belmont Abbey College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Find out more about Lay Ministries at https://www.wnccumc.org/lay-ministries

In this episode, Brian Mateer has a conversation with Rev. Steve Cheney, Campus Minister at UNC-Charlotte and Rev. Diron Chloe, Campus Minister at North Carolina A&T University and Pastor of Metropolitan United Methodist in Greensboro, NC. Connect with these ministries: UNC-Charlotte, www.ninerunited.org and A&T University Wesley Foundation, [email protected].

In this episode, Rev. Kim Ingram talks with Rev. Scott Osterberg. Growing up in a non-church going family in Texas, he never thought he'd be a minister when he headed to Duke for seminary. His life and journey in ministry have presented challenges and devastating loss. Eight years ago, Scott's renegade spirit led him to start New Story Church in Winston-Salem.

Through all of these experiences, Scott has learned about leadership, service, and faith. Sometimes the hard way. In this episode of Means of Grace, we hear Scott's story and discover how we can become renegades in ministry too.

You can find information about Renegade Ministry – the book, podcast, and other ways to connect – at www.renegadeministry.org. The WNCC Resource Center carries Scott's book and reopened on August 1. Or you can find it on Amazon.

Kim mentions the A Bit of Optimism Podcast with Simon Sinek and Jenna Arnold which you can listen to on Youtube.

Due to the pandemic, many churches are shifting worship outside. In this episode, Luke Edwards talks with Caitlin McAlhany, Pastor of Randall UMC and Porter UMC, about what she has learned about outdoor worship after three years of launching and leading "Randall by The River."

Learn more about "Randall by the River" here.

If you have any questions about outdoor worship, contact Luke Edwards, Associate Director of Church Development at [email protected]

Director of Missional Engagement and Connectional Ministries Caroline Wood, and guests Rev. Eddie Ingram and Dr. Lori Dickson, explore how stress affects mental, physical, and spiritual health. Rev. Ingram explains the Enneagram types and helps us understand each type's unique response to stress. Dr. Dickson shares the challenges and joys of serving as a general practitioner in a rural community lacking in mental health resources.

Learn more about the Enneagram: www.enneagraminstitute.com

Know Your Type

Books

The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective

The Essential Enneagram

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

Podcasts

https://www.theenneagramjourney.org/podcast

In this edition of the Means of Grace podcast, Kim Ingram and Jesse Enniss talk with three Western North Carolina clergy: Duncan Martin, Drew McIntyre, and Mark Barden. Duncan, Drew and Mark tell anecdotes of moving day and getting ready to leave one parsonage and move into another one. Duncan and Mark are also PK's (preacher's kids) and reflect on experiences growing up. They each remind us of the care that is given to families and ways that the transition can be made easier. Usually it involves a sense of humor. We hope you will enjoy this lighter edition of MOG as many people can relate these stories to their own experiences.

Brian Mateer, Associate Director of Missional Engagement, leads a conversation with Rev. Kris Mares and Rev. Laura Byrch on how churches should evaluate summer missions during COVID-19. Check out the Mission Engagement Team's blog on this subject here.

In this episode, we feature an important conversation on racism and the Church's call to action, led by Rev. Dr. Stephanie Moore Hand on the Metro District Sights & Sounds podcast. This conversation with Rev. Dr. Elaine Heath, co-founder of the Missional Wisdom Foundation, Rev. Dr. Fatimah Salleh, founder of A Certain Work, and Metro District Superintendent Rev. David Hockett is part one of a three-part series. Listen and subscribe to Metro District Sights & Sounds for parts two and three.

Resources:

"Stamped from the Beginning" by Ibram Kendi

"The People's History" by Howard Zinn

"Sisters in the Wilderness" by Delores Williams

"Freedom's Daughters" by Lynne Olsen

"The Third Reconstruction: How a Moral Movement is Overcoming the Politics of Division and Fear" by William Barber II and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

"White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism," by Robin DeAngelo

Racial Equity Institute - https://www.racialequityinstitute.com

UMC Resources on Advocating for Justice - https://www.umc.org/en/how-we-serve/advocating-for-justice/racial-justice

Listen and subscribe to Metro Sights & Sounds: https://podfollow.com/1488629933

On this episode, Melissa talks with the Rev. Susan Suarez Webster about building bridges between our churches and the community. Susan is the assistant pastor for community outreach at Central United Methodist Church in East Charlotte and the recipient of the 2020 Sydnor Thompson, Jr. Community Leader Award from Mecklenburg Ministries. MeckMin describes this award as honoring local leaders committed to building bridges of understanding, compassion and justice. She will be honored at a May 27 fundraising breakfast that will be held virtually for the first time. Learn more here: https://www.meckmin.org/awards-breakfast.

Learn more about Central United Methodist Church at https://cumccharlotte.com and their multicultural dual-language preschool at https://childrenoftheworldlearningcenter.org.

Resources for Immigration Advocacy:

NC Council of Churches - https://www.ncchurches.org/programs/immigrant-rights

Faith in Public Life - https://www.faithinpubliclife.org

Latin American Coalition - https://latinamericancoalition.org

Migrant Assistance Project – https://www.facebook.com/groups/MigrantAssistanceProjectInCharlotteNC

The NC Latino Congress - https://www.nclatinocongress.org

National TPS Alliance - https://www.nationaltpsalliance.org