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annual conference renewing the church

Kansas West Annual Conference – Day 3 #ksw2011

Day 3 of Annual Conference went well. Here are some of the highlights: We took the 5 finger vote in response to the Great Plan for the Great Plains, in which we are considering the possibility of one annual conference across the states of Kansas and Nebraska We passed resolutions to close seven United Methodist […]

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annual conference renewing the church

Kansas West Annual Conference – Day 2 #ksw2011

The second full day at the Kansas West Annual Conference gathering in Hutchinson, KS was good. Here are some highlights of the day: I received 4 votes in the very first clergy ballot for General Conference 2012. This was a pleasant surprise. I had not submitted a profile sheet to be considered. I wonder who […]

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annual conference renewing the church

Kansas West Annual Conference – Day 1 #ksw2011

It was a good first full day of Kansas West Annual Conference. Some of my reflections from the day: The Great Plans for the Great Plains conversation about a new annual conference across Kansas and Nebraska continues to be a lively. The Kansas State Fairgrounds has provided an excellent venue for meeting. (Although, I still […]

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annual conference renewing the church united methodist church

Kansas West Annual Conference – Clergy Session #ksw2011

Today we are headed to the Kansas West Annual Conference. This year it is being held at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, KS. This will be our son’s first trip to Annual Conference. Perhaps more exciting than that, this is where my parents live, so he will get to spend a good deal of […]

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leadership renewing the church

Fruitfulness: How long do you wait? (4 of 4)

Last week, I had a series of posts about fruitfulness. As I have thought more about this topic, I wondered, How long do you wait? How long do you wait: before naming that you have been busy and not bearing fruit? to make a change? to celebrate fruit that is being born? before checking something […]

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changing lives renewing the church transforming the community

Fruitfulness: Distinguishing Busyness (2 of 4)

How do we separate busyness and fruitfulness? Fruitfulness leads to the fruit of the spirit are evidenced among the people. Another way to consider this is to see lives changed, communities transformed and the church renewed. Busyness does not lead to evidence of the fruit of the spirit. Busyness does not lead to changed lives, […]

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ministry renewing the church

Can I become a member of Resurrection if I worship online?

Another question that I receive as Pastor of Resurrection Online is this: Can I become a member of Resurrection if I worship online? My hope is that Resurrection Online will be a tool for people to become more engaged in their faith and not less engaged. If someone is connected with a local church I […]

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ministry renewing the church

Resurrection Online: Extension or Campus?

One of the questions that people ask about Resurrection Online is this: Is Resurrection Online one of the regional campuses of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection or is it an online extension of Resurrection? In some ways it is both. There are people who are primarily connected at one of Resurrection‘s physical locations […]

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communications renewing the church

Resurrection Online Story from NBC Action News

I was glad to be able to share the story of Resurrection Online with Beth and Brandon from NBC Action News yesterday morning. They put together a great story. You can find the entire story at http://bit.ly/jf3zYr and see the segment that played on the 5:00 PM news. Will you please share the story with […]

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ministry renewing the church united methodist church

Generation Rising: A Future with Hope for The United Methodist Church

Summary I recently received a copy of Generation Rising: A Future with Hope for the United Methodist Church from Abingdon Press to review. I finished reading it yesterday on my day off after Easter Sunday. The book consists of  12 chapters written by different authors, who are all members of Generation X and The United Methodist […]

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leadership renewing the church united methodist church

Wesley’s Focus on Fruit: Senior Staff Retreat (1 of 4)

The conversation around the  Call to Action: Reordering the Life of the UMC and the subsequent UMC Leadership Summit, as well as the conversation in Kansas and Nebraska about Great Plans for the Great Plains: A Vision (PDF Link), I have been reflecting on the time that I spent on the spring senior staff retreat at […]

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communications ministry renewing the church

Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age

I have enjoyed Pope Benedict’s message on World Communications Day over the past few years. I wanted to share a small portion with you today from the Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the 45th World Communications Day – Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age: “The task of witnessing […]