Means of Grace

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

Means of Grace episodes

December 22, 2022 Bonus Episode: Advent Reflection from Bishop Carter
Each week during Advent, we invite you to take a short break from your busy schedule to hear a devotional message from Bishop Carter and spend a few moments in prayer.
7 min
December 20, 2022 Christmas Traditions Around the Conference
In this Means Of Grace podcast episode, we listen to the stories of different Christmas traditions from some leaders in The Western NC Conference. We get to hear how different families celebrate the Christmas season in different ways; some more common traditions and others more unique. What traditions are you most excited about this time of year?
26 min
December 09, 2022 Bonus Episode: Advent Reflection from Bishop Carter
Each week during Advent, we invite you to take a short break from your busy schedule to hear a devotional message from Bishop Carter and spend a few moments in prayer.
6 min
December 06, 2022 Reflections on Armenian Culture, Politics, Ancient Christian History and the Work of Project AGAPE with Rev. Peter Constantian
In this episode of the Means of Grace podcast, host Brian Mateer, WNCC Director of Missional Engagement, and Rev. Peter Constantian, a fourth generation Armenian American and UMC pastor in our Conference, share a conversation about their recent trip to Armenia. They discuss their visit with the staff of Project AGAPE and the upcoming 30th anniversary of the partnership between the two North Carolina annual conferences and this special ministry.
31 min
November 22, 2022 Healing and Hope in Anxious Times
In this episode of the Means of Grace podcast, hosts Jesse Enniss and Kim Ingram talk to Rev. Katherine Sherrill, a therapist, and United Methodist deacon, about the pervasive state of anxiety in our lives. They discuss how our relationship with God through the church can give hope and methods for de-escalating our worries. Share this holy conversation with a friend. Show notes: Leadership Engagement Live Webinar Series Be Still – by The Fray Let It Matter – by Johnny Swim WNC Resource on Loss, Lament, Healing and Hope Sanctuary Counseling Group and guest Rev. Katherine Sherrill
37 min
October 28, 2022 Offering Gratitude for Our Cloud of Witnesses
This week, we spend some time thinking about the people who have shaped our personal faith, and the faith of our Church. We remember the saints of scripture and the saints of our stories. We offer gratitude for our "cloud of witnesses."

Resources: Discipleship Ministries | A Prayer Meditation for All Saints Day (umcdiscipleship.org)
18 min
October 11, 2022 Doing Church in Reverse with Rev. Rob Parsons
What could it mean for our congregations, for our communities, if we flipped the script on how we "do church"? In this week's episode Rev. Rob Parsons, pastor of Saluda UMC and a new church start called WithALL, shares how these two congregations are doing just that. He describes their ministry style as "church in reverse," and for them, their ministry does not start in the sanctuary, or a food pantry, or a Facebook page – it starts in courtrooms.

Learn more about WithALL at www.bewithall.org.

Are you interested in thinking through how your church can follow the breadcrumbs of the Holy Spirit into new and fresh areas of ministry? Contact the WNCC Church Development team to learn more about Transformation Journey (Rob Hutchinson, [email protected]) and Fresh Expressions (Luke Edwards, [email protected]). You can also learn about these opportunities at https://www.wnccumc.org/ChurchDevelopment.

24 min
September 27, 2022 Connecting with Others - Changing the Community
In this episode of Means of Grace, Jesse Enniss and Kim Ingram talk with the Rev. Dr. Cathy Davis and the Rev. Dr. Heather Kilbourne about their DMin learning connected to community engagement. Our guests introduce us to Asset Based Community Development and Community Organizing as similar ways to connect disciples with the needs of the community in order to create change. The conversation is rich with examples of how leaders can encourage their congregation to turn outward to their community, identify needs, and build partnerships. Show notes: Leadership Engagement Live Webinar Series Book recommended by Cathy Davis: Fresh Expressions of People Over Property | Cokesbury by Bishop Ken Carter and Audrey Warren Heather Kilbourne's organization: NC Rural Center | Building Vibrant Rural Communities Faith in Rural Communities | NC Rural Center The Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference is in Charlotte, beginning Nov. 2. https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/registration/?goal=0_7f6c34a2a5-9917f54ecc-300446160&mc_cid=9917f54ecc&mc_eid=fd8dfc8828
38 min
September 13, 2022Re-membering the Body of Christ: the Church and Justice
In this conversation with Susan Heafner-Heun, she talks with Jesse and Kim about the opportunity for a church to connect with the needs of the world through ministries of justice. They discuss the difference between service and justice and Susan offers insight about the role of the church to make the Body of Christ whole.
References: James Cone

Biography of James Cone | James Cone Symposium (northwestern.edu)

The Cross and the Lynching Tree: Cone, James H.: 9781626980051: Amazon.com: Books

Search videos of James Cone

United Women in Faith (UMW) United Women in Faith | Love in Action (uwfaith.org) General Board of Church and Society GBCS Home • GBCS (umcjustice.org) Mentoring Pew Sitters into Servant Leaders
33 min
August 30, 2022 The Heart of Our Calling with Rev. Dr. Samuel Wells (Re-Air)
In this episode, we have a guest host, Rev. Parker Haynes, pastor of and member of the Leadership Development Team. He interviews the Rev. Dr. Samuel Wells, Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, parish priest of the Church of England, and former Dean of Duke Chapel, and research professor of Christian ethics at Duke Divinity School. Dr. Wells speaks to us as a follow-up to a recent webinar that he participated in through Duke Divinity School called "Soul- Tending in a Virtual Age: How to Preach, Pastor, and Disciple in these Challenging Times." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsDrIJfkF0Q).

In the webinar, Dr. Wells offered eight beatitudes that seek to realign our imaginations from the incarceration of lockdown to the joy of salvation. In the podcast he digs deeper into that concept by moving us from the mindset of scarcity to the mindset of God's abundance by helping us see the opportunities during this challenging season.

Here are some resources that were mentioned during the podcast:

Transforming Fate into Destiny: https://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Fate-into-Destiny-Theological/dp/1592445748

A Nazareth Manifesto: https://www.amazon.com/Nazareth-Manifesto-Being-God-dp-0470673265/dp/0470673265/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1608147779

HeartEdge: https://www.heartedge.org/

HeartEdge on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theHeartEdge

53 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.