On this episode of Worship Matters, Lisa Hancock, Director of Worship Arts, talks with Rev. Katie Newsome, Lead Pastor and Executive Director of Union Coffee, a missional congregation, non-profit, and business all wrapped up into one generous coffee shop in Dallas, Texas. Listen as they talk about how Union Coffee’s worshiping community Kuneo got started, how Kuneo looks similar to and different from Sunday morning worship in the local church, and the significant role Kuneo’s worship planning team plays in the dreaming and implementation of highly contextual weekly worship. Lisa and Katie also explore how Union has determined when to close out worship experiments and the approach they use for ending one venture so that new possibilities have room to emerge.

Kevin McBeth, Director of Music at Manchester United Methodist Church in suburban St. Louis joins the worship team for this episode as we discuss worship planning for multiple types of worship expression. We discuss the terms “modern” and “traditional” as applied to various services of worship, as well as where liturgy and music can help connect across multiple worship times. We reflect on churches rebounding after COVID and how the worship space can help and hinder the experience. Above all we talk about planning, who should have a say, and how we involve many people for a sense of ownership of worship. Join us for this wide-ranging conversation.

In this episode of Worship Matters, the worship team discusses the worship series created for Year A and posted on our website: “An Advent Song of Ascents” for the four weeks of Advent, and “God of the Dark and the Light” for Christmas and special services of the season. Both series cover a range of human experiences and invite us into the unique celebration of the incarnation. Listen in as the team shares ideas and ways of using these resources and of contextualizing them for your local setting.

On this episode of the Worship Matters podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Scott Hughes, the new Associate General Secretary (World Service) at Discipleship Ministries. Scott is a United Methodist elder in the North Georgia Conference, but has served (and continues to serve while seeking a replacement) as Director of Adult Discipleship with Discipleship Ministries. Scott has co-hosted the Small Groups in the Wesleyan Way podcast, is the creator of the Courageous Conversations project, and facilitator of several eLearning courses including: The Church’s Ministry with Dementia, How to Start Small Groups, and Courageous Conversations. He has also led several trainings around Intentional Discipleship Systems in local churches, districts, and conferences. Join us as we engage in a lively conversation about the mission of making disciples and present the Rev. Dr. Scott Hughes.

A Conversation with Dr. William P. Brown

Bill Brown is the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. His writings explore the intersecting issues of ecology, justice, faith, and science from various biblical perspectives. He is the author of numerous essays and several books, including Wisdom’s Wonder, The Seven Pillars of Creation, Seeing the Psalms, Sacred Sense, Handbook to Old Testament Exegesis, and most recently Deep Calls to Deep (Abingdon). Much of his work is driven by the desire to promote dialogue among diverse participants to foster mutual understanding and equity. Bill is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and loves teaching Sunday School. Join us for this lively conversation about the functions and purposes of dialogue in the Psalms and in the church of today.

Dr. Lisa Hancock is the newly hired Director of Worship Arts at Discipleship Ministries. Lisa is a lifelong United Methodist whose passion for worship and the arts began when she joined children’s choir at 3 years old, eventually leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees in sacred music. While completing her Master of Sacred Music at Perkins School of Theology, Lisa discerned a call to develop a systematic theology through the lens of disability. She earned a PhD in Religious Studies with the dissertation “Jesus Christ, Revelation of Love: A Christology of the Disabled Christ.” Lisa’s recent work included worship guides for the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund and co-authoring curriculum on disability theology and anti-ableism for “The Julian Way,” a ministry of education and empowerment with, for, and by persons of diverse embodiments that she co-founded with her spouse, Rev. Justin Hancock. Join us for this fascinating conversation about worship, embodiment, and art.

A Conversation with Rev. Sara Nelson, Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Have you ever considered a ministry coach? Perhaps you’ve received an email or read a social media post inviting you to consider working with a coach for your preaching or leadership or even a life coach of some sort. Many annual conferences in our United Methodist Church are training and deploying coaches for the clergy in their conference. It seems to be a growing phenomenon in leadership circles and professional development. Rev. Sara Nelson shares her personal experience with coaching for ministry and preaching as she transitioned into a new appointment during the pandemic. Join us for this lively conversation.

On this episode of Worship Matters, we’re joined by Dr. David Lose, Senior Pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Lose is the former President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and previously held the Marbury E Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, where he also served as director of the Center for Biblical Preaching. His 2013 book, “Preaching at the Crossroads” (Fortress Press) forms the basis of this conversation, with reflections from his current role. Lose and Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching Ministries, discuss preaching that engages culture and provides a sense of Christian identity to worshipers, inviting them into the story that shapes their world. Join us for this crucial conversation.

In this episode of Worship Matters, Diana Sanchez Bushong, Executive Director of Worship Ministries, talks with Dr. Raquel Martinez, retired church musician in the Rio Grande (now Rio Texas) Conference for over 40 years, and editor of Spanish Language Hymnal “Mille Voces” in 1996; and Bishop Joel Martinez, retired from the episcopacy in 2008. He co-authored "Fiesta Cristiana" in 2003 with his wife Raquel. Now they present a new bilingual resource titled "Fiesta Jubilosa" to the whole church, with songs in Spanish and English and worship resources aplenty. Listen in as they share their motivations and hopes for this resource and how it will help move the church toward a renewed sense of beloved community.

Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching for the Worship Team, meets with Dr. Kimberly Wagner of Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago to talk about her work in trauma and preaching. Kim helps us understand what trauma is and what it does to individuals and communities, and gives suggestions to preachers on how to preach both trauma-responsive and trauma-informed sermons.

“Trauma often takes away language,” Dr. Wagner said. “The preacher can help give individuals and the community words to express their grief and the impact of trauma. Giving permission, but also blessing their pain."

Listen to this fascinating conversation and then go read more of her writing at www.preachingandtrauma.com. Dr. Wagner also has a book coming out in January of 2023.