Seeds and Sprouts in Ministry Innovation

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In this episode we continue our series on the new Minnesota Annual Conference 9 Foundations for Flourishing with a deep dive into clear pathways for discipleship.  As United Methodists, our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  What does that look like?  How do we grow in our love of God and neighbor?  How do we articulate that growth?  Join Erica and Tyler for a conversation that will give you both food for thought and practical next steps (and always a few laughs).  As always, we love to hear from you so reach out, let us know what discipleship resources you find most helpful, or questions you have!  

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As a leader in your church do you ever wonder what the next best step might be to move closer to a place of flourishing?  Do you wonder what it is that you should be focused on to truly make disciples and to grow?  Introducing the foundations for flourishing- a new framework to guide congregations and leaders.  Join Erica and Tyler as they share how these foundations came to be, how they will be rolled out, and take away some practical steps to begin your journey to flourishing.  Is your congregation flourishing in one of these areas?  Do you want to share your story?  Be sure to reach out for an opportunity to join us on the pod!  [email protected]; [email protected].   

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You don't want to miss this episode of the podcast!  There is a new voice joining the team that will only add to the innovation and fun.  Meet our new co-host!  This week, we focus on a little Fall Cleaning for your congregation.  We will walk through some easy things we often overlook but can make a significant difference to people wanting to visit your church.  Join us for the Fall Sweep!

If you have questions, comments or topic ideas, email [email protected] or [email protected]

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We're back with another helpful topic as you lead your congregation toward vitality.  You may or may not be familiar with the church life cycle, but it is a helpful tool to think about your current church reality as well as where you want to go.  We will take a bit of a deep dive into each phase of the church life cycle and explore the common traits of each phase and what movement to the next phase may look like.  Join Erica for this insightful conversation that will have you assessing where your congregation lands and what you might need to do to move toward vitality.

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In almost every single church I have worked with recently, there is a huge desire for more children and families to attend.  But what does that mean?  What does that actually look like?  Are we meeting children and families where they are or expecting them to come to us?  Join us for this impactful conversation as we dive into NextGen ministry with our conference connector Rae Hamilton.  Learn some easy ways to begin to engage with families and hear about Rae's dreams for NextGen ministry across the annual conference.  

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It's been a minute, but we are back with a great new episode!  Join Erica for this episode where she recap's some of the new initiatives for the Minnesota Annual Conference coming from our recent Annual Conference gathering.  Learn about the FROG acronym and how it can help you focus your ministry and dive into the 26 in 26 challenge to create 26 new ministries in 2026 across the conference.  Even if you are not a Minnesota United Methodist, there are ideas to glean- and you might just get a little fomo from not being in this amazing conference!  

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Meet one of the Minnesota Annual Conference's new Connectors- Emily Hilderbrand.  Join us as we dive into big questions for the church today, what evangelism really means and what it can look like in a local church, and hear Emily's deeply Wesleyan heart as she talks about the journey of faith formation.  From the conference as a whole to local churches, we lean into what's most important as we share our 'why' and celebrate the hope that comes from being authentic leaders!  

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It's summer in Minnesota and our patterns change as we take advantage of the warm temps.  How do these shifts effect your congregation?  How are you staying connected as members travel?  Summer is also a great time to meet new people as people are out and about.  How are you inviting people in to what you have going on?  How are you reaching out into the community?  How are you working with partners in your community to care for those who may be housing or food insecure?  By the end of this episode, you should have an idea or two that you can lean into to make this a great summer of outreach and connection!

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Rev. Dan Wetterstrom brings a rich wisdom to this conversation around generosity and stewardship in our churches today.  Beginning from a place of discipleship, Dan and Erica discuss the ways deep spirituality and roots grounded in our Wesleyan theology help shape our generosity and stewardship practices.  With over 40 years of ministry experience in the local church, Dan shares from a place of deep knowledge and keen observation and shares where he sees churches thriving.  Touching on buildings, congregational assets, community needs, leadership support, and more, this conversation is timely, practical, and hopeful! 

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 Are you trying to figure out how to reach new people?  Are you wondering how to ground your ministry development in our faith story?  Join Erica (and her dogs!) for a conversation about how we go, sow and grow new ministry.  Leaning into the lessons we learn from gardening and from the ways Jesus lived out his ministry, we will explore some ideas about how you GO, what kinds of seeds you might think about SOWing and the importance of slow, steady GROWth.   We will also explore 5 current resources that you might want to tap into to your context.  This episode serves as a good follow up to the last episode.