Means of Grace

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

Means of Grace episodes

May 01, 2023 Lighthouse Congregations: Creating Space for Healing and Hope
Director of Church Development, Rev. Rob Hutchinson, speaks with several pastors of Lighthouse Congregations. Together, they explore what it means to be a Lighthouse Congregation, how these families of faith are creating space for healing and hope for the individuals who find themselves without a church home after painful disaffiliation votes, and how this care-first initiative is providing opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus for our fellow United Methodists. Learn more about Lighthouse Congregations in the WNCC: https://www.wnccumc.org/lighthouse-congregations https://www.umnews.org/en/news/lighthouse-congregations-offer-hope-amid-schism https://baptistnews.com/article/lighthouse-congregations-guide-individuals-who-want-to-stay-umc/
42 min
April 18, 2023 Earth Day 2023
o Creation Care Website- https://www.wnccumc.org/wncc-creation-care-ministry o The email: [email protected] o Earth Keepers Program- https://umcmission.org/earthkeepers/
40 min
April 04, 2023 A Holy Week Meditation from Bishop Carter
As we prepare our hearts to journey with Jesus to the cross, the grave, and into resurrection, Bishop Carter offers these words of prayer and reflection. We want to hear from you! It's our goal to make the Means of Grace podcast a two-way conversation between Conference leadership and you. Please email us your thoughts, questions, and episode ideas at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
7 min
March 27, 2023 Bonus Episode Title - Our Life in Community: A Mid-Lenten Reflection with Bishop Carter
In this short bonus episode, Bishop Carter dives a bit deeper into the life and teaching of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, particularly related to Bonhoeffer's book Life Together, which we have been studying together as a Conference throughout the season of Lent. If you would like to learn more about Bishop Carter's Lenten Study on Life Together, visit Lenten Bible Study (wnccumc.org). There you will find a recording of the first session, which was held via Zoom, and the weekly reflections and discussion questions. It's not too late to join in! On April 5, the Wednesday of Holy Week, Bishop Carter will conclude the study with another live Zoom conversation at 6 pm. Register to receive the link for the Holy Week Zoom Conversation here: Bishop Carter's Lenten Bible Study 2023 (brtapp.com). We want to hear from you! It's our goal to make the Means of Grace podcast a two-way conversation between Conference leadership and you. Please email us your thoughts, questions, and episode ideas at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
14 min
March 21, 2023 Church is Changing, Part 1
This week, Rob Hutchinson, WNCC Director of Church Development, speaks with Guilford College UMC's Student Associate Minister, Andres Perez Gonzalez. Together, they discuss the ways church is changing in 2023 and how we can grow our "holy intuition" so that we may become better attuned to the ways God is already at work in our communities and join in the mission!
33 min
March 07, 2023 A Conversation with Bishop Carter: Where We Are & Where We're Going
In this week's episode, Director of Communications, Aimee Yeager, sits down with Bishop Carter to talk about his vision and hopes for the future for the Western North Carolina Conference and The United Methodist Church. Not ignoring the very real challenges we face, Bishop Carter his hope that we will live into our calling to fight systems of oppression, work for antiracism, and rediscover an orthodox Christian faith that offers the radically inclusive grace of God to all people.

We invite you to join the conversation! Send us your questions, comments, and ideas for the show. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].

Learn more about the youth tour to the Civil Rights Museum. Register for the RISE Antiracism training.
32 min
February 22, 2023 Black History Month, Do We Still Need It?
In this episode, Rev. Dr. Bill White, Jr., WNCC Director of Equity and Justice Ministries, speaks with Rev. Pam Blackstock, Rev. Rodvegas Ingram, and Rev. Dr. Otto Harris about Black History Month - what it means for our nation, our relationships, and the value it brings to our society and our churches.

Their conversation challenges us all to move "beyond the heroes and holidays" of Black History Month and dive into the full history of our nation, our communities, and even our own denomination - to remove our "willful blindness" around the history of racial oppression and discrimination in Methodism's history, including the Central Jurisdiction and the current situation for many Black/African American churches and Blacks/African Americans in The United Methodist Church.

Resources:

Learn more about Equity and Justice Ministries in the Western NC Conference.

Read the General Board of Church & Society article, "February is African American History Month: The Blessing and Burden of Being Black in America."

Find resources for antiracism conversations and learning.
33 min
February 08, 2023 Lessons from LEAD Conference 2023
The UMC LEAD Conference is an annual gathering of United Methodist leaders from across the US. This conference was modeled around TED style talks about new and creative ways to engage in ministry such as starting new churches, self care, creativity, leadership challenges, lay ministry, urban and rural ministries, and more. The 2023 UMC LEAD Conference was held at Central UMC in Asheville with the Western NC Conference as the host! Check out some of these highlights and interviews from participants of this year's conference! Connect: https://www.umclead.net/
25 min
January 17, 2023 How Do We Create the Beloved Community? We Listen.
In this episode, Dr. Bill White, Jr. speaks with Dr. Derek Hicks, Associate Professor of Religion and Culture at Wake Forest Divinity School. Together, they discuss this current moment for the Black Church, the future of the Black faith tradition, and what it means to create the Beloved Community.
27 min
January 03, 2023 The Power of Storytelling
Jesse Enniss and Kim Ingram talk with Rev. Dr. Myer Dahn about Rediscovering the Evangelistic Power of Personal Redemptive Storytelling, the title of his Doctor of Ministry dissertation. Myer talks about how he used storytelling as a primary foundation for empowering laity to share their faith and start a Dinner Church. In this podcast, Myer also shares his story and how it has shaped his call and leadership. Show Notes: Fresh Expressions Dinner Church Resources Luke Edwards WNCC Associate Director of Church Development and coordinator of Fresh Expressions Hood Theological Seminary
31 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.