Several months ago, we made the decision to be homeowners, as Berryton UMC does not currently own a parsonage. The real estate search has been a bit of a challenge, as there was not an overly abundant selection of homes available in the Shawnee Heights School District. We did find a home that I believe […]
I took this photo over I-70 from my hotel room in Salina, Kansas. Several days later, I was adding keywords and titles and couldn’t immediately remember whether it was a sunrise or a sunset. I had to open the thumbnail to see the full image and pause to remember which direction I was facing. This […]
The only response I can manage right now to to a story like this in the New York Times, is deep sadness, anger and prayer. “A gunman … opened fire at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the nation’s oldest black churches, on Wednesday evening, killing nine. Police arrested the suspect in Shelby, N.C., […]
At a recent bedtime, I read Bulldozers (Mighty Machines) to our children as one of our stories. After reading, my son stood up and said excitedly, “One day, I going to drive the biggest bulldozer in the world!” I replied with a smile, “You sure could.” In those brief moments, I was struck at how wide the […]
It has been 649 days since my last blog post. Much has changed since then. Our children are 3 and 2, respectively. I switched from WordPress.com to a WordPress installation, thereby starting over on traffic and links. I am beginning my third year as the pastor appointed to serve First UMC of El Dorado, KS. […]
An occurrence that is becoming more and more common as the weeks go on is people congratulating me on my new appointment. There are a myriad factors that are playing in to this transition. While there is a lot going on for our family, I simply try to recognize both the opportunities and challenges in this […]
I wish my wife, Nicole, the very happiest of birthdays today! I am grateful for her in so many ways.
Today, I want to wish a Happy Valentine’s Day to my lovely bride, Nicole. I hope that your day is great – without or with a valentine.
At one of my favorite coffee shops, I overheard a group of students say to the barista, “We’re going to work here when we get old enough.” I was struck by the power of this statement. The environment and culture is so enjoyable that someone would want to work there in the future. Not just […]
I appreciate a well told story. Telling stories is one of the most effective ways to lead a community or congregation. The church that I serve, Resurrection West, is a member of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce who recently released a video to promote Olathe. This model could be effective for a wide variety of […]
Today is the day. I’m 31. I suppose that makes me in my early 30s. Any advice on this decade?
Last week my son and I met Nicole for lunch at Chick-fil-A. This is a restaurant that has hospitality down pat and from which the church could draw helpful lessons. I have come to expect this when I go there to eat, but this time I had a surprise. We had ordered a Kid’s Meal […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 