Means of Grace

Kim has a conversation with Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, PhD and Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee on the efforts of the Clergy Health Initiative to improve clergy health and reduce stress. Rae Jean and Jason co-authored a book, Faithful and Fractured, which can also be found in our Resource Center. To learn more about the new iteration of Spirited Life: Selah and to find a link to register, visit www.spiritedlife.org

In today's episode, Luke Edwards reflects back on his experience being a part of a new worship service launching at Boone United Methodist Church and has a conversation with Dan Pezet, Director of Church Development, about why churches should consider launching a new service.

Sign up for the Launching Worship Workshop here.

You can learn more about Crossroads at Boone UMC here.

In this episode of Means of Grace, Melissa sits down with Rev. Toni Ruth Smith to talk about experiencing grief in this time of great joy and how churches can create space for stillness, hope and even sadness in the midst of the holiday rush.

Resources for Longest Night/Blue Christmas Worship:

https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/blue-christmas-2/

https://youngclergywomen.org/blue-christmas-service-when-christmas-hurts/

http://www.wellsprings.org.uk/liturgies/blue_christmas.htm

In this episode of Means of Grace, Melissa and Luke explore seasonal ways churches can engage their communities. Melissa visits Free Haircut Day in Ramseur with Rev. Samuel Moore of McCrary Chapel UMC and Rev. Joshua Kurtz with Jordan Memorial UMC. Luke Edwards visits the Pumpkin Church aka Myers Memorial UMC in Gastonia and speaks with Rev. Sally Queen and Rev. Sarah Watkins Davis. How is your church engaging its surrounding community? Email us at [email protected].

Luke Edwards meets up with three outdoor fresh expressions of church in the Smoky Mountain district – the Smoky Mountain Hiking Community, River of Life and the Appalachian Trail Ministry of Robbinsville UMC. The leaders of these fresh expressions share how their churches are connecting with hikers and paddlers in their communities. If you're interested in starting a Fresh Expression, contact Associate Director of Church Development Luke Edwards at [email protected].

Jesse and Kim, from the Leadership Development Team, have a conversation with Rev. Lory Beth Huffman, Rev. Mark Key and Rev. Chris Westmoreland on adaptive leadership. Each of these leaders has guided congregations of various sizes and contexts. They share their experiences and learnings so that other leaders might connect and grow. They are also talk about a program they will facilitate early in 2020 called ADAPT: Leading Off the Map. Information and registration are available on our website here.

Books mentioned in this episode can be found here and here.

On our first episode, we accompany a team from Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte on a pilgrimage to the US-Mexico border to walk alongside legal asylum seekers. Rev. Nathan Arledge and lay trip leader Maddie Myers share about the trip and on the theology behind it and hear first-hand stories from several people seeking asylum, who we met at Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas.

Thanks to Gloria Hernandez, Giovanna Torres and Andy Goh for translation and voiceover assistance.