Means of Grace

By Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist ChurchReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Means of Grace episodes

February 26, 2024 General Conference 2024: What You Need to Know
The Western North Carolina Conference is the host for this year's General Conference. Delegates and clergy from across the US will be in Charlotte, NC from April 23 through May 3. To get you up to speed on what you need to know before attending the conference, Rev. Kim Ingram, the conference's Director of Ministerial Services, hosts a conversation between Jennifer Davis, the first elected lay person in the WNCC delegation, and Wanda Musgraves, chair of the WNCC host committee. The conversation between these three leaders will give you all the information you need before attending this year's conference.

Click here for more information about General Conference 2024.
1 hr 10 min
January 16, 2024 A Framework for Racial Healing
To honor the 38th celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Reverend Dr. Bill White and Dr. Brian Tillman talk about the legacy of Dr. King, the state of race relations today, and what MLK would want for us in the future.
36 min
January 09, 2024 Doing Justice Together
In this episode Luke Edwards talks with Rev. Dr. Stephanie Hand and Rev. Dr. Michael Beck about their new book, which offers a model for leading a congregation to become a place where racial equity, justice, and liberation are intrinsic to the structure and life of the church. Register for the National Fresh Expressions UM Conference in Charlotte and be sure to use the code WNC for a discount! Learn more here: https://sites.google.com/view/nationalgathering/home Learn more about Fresh Expressions in the Western NC Conference at https://www.wnccumc.org/FX. Check out Michael and Stephanie's book, Doing Justice Together: https://www.cokesbury.com/Doing-Justice-Together
38 min
December 19, 2023 An Advent Conversation with Bishop Carter
In this week's episode, WNCC Director of Communications, Aimee Yeager, sits down with Bishop Carter as he shares and Advent and Christmas message for the Western North Carolina Conference.

As we wrap up our 2023 season, we wish you all a blessed Advent and merry Christmas. We will see you in 2024!
23 min
December 12, 2023 A.I.'s Role in the Modern Church
In this episode of the Means of Grace podcast, Kim Ingram and Jesse Enniss discuss the use of Artificial Intelligence (A.I) tools with Nathan Webb, pastor of Checkpoint church, the church for all people, especially nerds, geeks, and gamers. And, Amy Rutledge Vaughan, a Deacon in the Western North Carolina Conference, UMC Collective, leading an emerging community called the Lakeshore Collective in Lincoln and Catawba Counties.
As different A.I tools become more accessible and practical in our lives, the use of these tools in the Church is becoming more common and has the potential to change the way we approach content creation and every day tasks. Tune in to hear how these leaders are currently incorporating A.I tools in their ministry and discover the ways you can begin to explore using these tools in your ministry. You may be surprised at the A.I tools you may already be using. Resources: Pastor Nathan Webb is the "nerd" pastor at Checkpoint Church. Pastor Amy Rutledge Vaughan is the pastor of The Lakeshore Collective. The Leadership Development Team recently produced an eLead newsletter on the topic of A.I. Some of the A.I tools mentioned in this episode are: - Chat GPT, a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations - Alexa, Alexa is Amazon's cloud-based voice assistant. - Opus Clip, which makes viral clips out of long videos. - Sermon Shots, which creates sermon clips in 5 minutes or less. - Descript, a tool that helps you write, record, transcribe, edit, collaborate, and share your videos and podcasts. - Adobe Firefly, uses text prompts to create images, text effects, and color palettes. - Grammarly, instantly corrects grammar and spelling errors. - Ideogram, a tool that makes creative expression through images more accessible, fun, and efficient.
43 min
December 01, 2023 From Healing, to Hope, to Thriving - Zoe Empowers Rwanda
The Western North Carolina Conference is partnered with zoe empowers to assist children across the world.

380 million children are trapped in the cycle of poverty. Empowering all areas of life is the only way out.

Orphans and vulnerable children living in extreme poverty are abused, sick and isolated from their community. Handouts and begging helps them to survive temporarily. Our solution addresses all their challenges, across eight areas of life, equipping them to overcome poverty with their own efforts—and for good.
41 min
November 14, 2023 30 Years of Project AGAPE
For more than 30 years, Project AGAPE has been one of our best mutual aid programs. A partnership between the Western North Carolina Conference, the North Carolina Conference, and the Armenian Apostolic Church, Project AGAPE has been serving the people of Armenia, the world's oldest Christian country, since 1993.

In today's episode of Means of Grace, we take you to Mt. Pleasant UMC which recently hosted a 30 year celebration for the founders, organizers and volunteers that make Project AGAPE special. We speak directly with leadership like Miss Nara Melkonyan, missionary and Project AGAPE Country Director, Reverend. Allan Van Meter, Chair of the Project AGAPE Board, and Senior Pastor at Mount Pleasant, and Hope Morgan Ward, Retired United Methodist Bishop, about the history of the program, the people it serves, and how you, the listener, can also get involved!

To learn more about Project AGAPE and how you can get involved visit https://www.wnccumc.org/project-agape.
21 min
October 17, 2023 Bonus Episode: Armenia Pilgrimage Reflections with Savannah
In this episode of the Means of Grace Podcast, Director of Missional Engagement, Brian Mateer, talks with Rev. Savannah Glover, Associate Pastor at Central United Methodist Church in Concord to reflect on her recent trip to Armenia on the Young Clergy Pilgrimage. They talk about friendships formed on trips like this, the hospitality of the Project Agape Staff, and the impact the trip has on daily life in ministry.
16 min
October 10, 2023 Bonus Episode: Armenia Pilgrimage Reflections with Britt
In this episode of the Means of Grace Podcast, Director of Missional Engagement, Brian Mateer, sits down with Britt Rogers to reflect on her recent experience on the Young Adult Pilgrimage to Armenia. They discuss many things including what it means to go on a "pilgrimage" and the amazing beauty and culture of Armenia.
16 min
October 03, 2023 Bonus Episode: Armenia Pilgrimage Reflections with Noah
In this episode of the Means of Grace Podcast, Director of Missional Engagement, Brian Mateer, sits down with Rev. Noah Glover of Rock Grove UMC to reflect on his recent experience on the Young Adult Pilgrimage to Armenia. They explore many things including the idea of hospitality, particularly in the context of the church and its membership.
14 min

About Means of Grace

From the publisher's feed

Means of Grace, a podcast from the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, equips church leaders through expertise and examples. Twice a month, we feature local experts on a variety of topics from leadership to innovation and share examples of churches in our conference reaching their communities in news ways through mission engagement, Fresh Expressions and much more.