In addition to reading blogs, I listen to several podcasts to learn about ministry and hear from others about what is happening in the life of the church. What is a podcast you might ask – find more information here. Here are some to which I currently subscribe (These links will take you to the […]
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Speedlinking – June 29, 2007
Do some Christians want to be “hated”?, at Vintage Faith got me thinking about my own way of living out the gospel. My hope is to live in such a way that my story dissolves into and becomes an integral part of God’s story. I found a comparison of two restaurants to be surprisingly applicable […]
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I Am Not Indispensable
at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection and I hope that you are not indispensable at your place of employment. My wife, Nicole, brought this idea up to me and I think that she is right on. The true leadership of a congregation should be in the gathered people and not in any single […]
I believe that both new and existing congregations should be held accountable for their life together. There should be disciplinary action of some kind for the congregation in response to this accountability. I believe that this process would be a catalyst for the United Methodist Church moving closer into alignment with God’s dream for the […]
A recent article from the United Methodist news service, United Methodist plan emphasizes new church starts, got my attention as I am interested in new church starts and the possibility of being a pastor at a new congregation. I find hope in the denomination putting what seems to be a concerted and continued effort in […]
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My Issues are Leadership Issues
Along with the importance of portable traditions, another thing that I learned at the marriage retreat facilitated by the Soderquist Center was that many of the issues, problems and experiences that I have as a pastor are not clergy issues, they are leadership issues. Sometimes I find myself naming my role as a pastor as […]
I often spend time imagining the United Methodist Church in Kansas – what might be possible in the future, praying for renewal, and seeking to be an active part in a spiritual revival in the state. A picture of hope that I have seen recently is this: This graphic is in the middle of the […]
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Portable Traditions
Along with having a fantastic time at the Greystone Estate, we did learn several things at the marriage retreat that I believe will continue to improve our marriage. One of these things was the importance of portable traditions. Whether intentionally or unintentionally most people build traditions around particular times of year or celebrations – Christmas, […]
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Speedlinking – June 22, 2007
How can we faithfully use the latest techno-cultural developments to help make disciples of Jesus Christ? Matt addresses this question and raises others at the post – Wesley 2.0. What do I do with shoes that I no longer wear? Cool People Care provide the answer at A Box of Shoeboxes. She Really Knows the […]
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Sun
I had the opportunity to write the prayer guide at Resurrection this week. The prayer for the day is: O God, the sun which you have placed in the sky gives light and life to all living things. Your Son who lived, died and was raised from the dead gives us hope in this life […]
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Marriage Retreat – Pictures
Nicole and I had a wonderful marriage retreat at Greystone Estate (location). I found it to meet all the goals set forward for the time together (see previous post). Here are some pictures from the past few days… Exterior of Greystone Estate at night As our anniversary was closest to the date of the […]
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Light
I had the opportunity to write the prayer guide at Resurrection this week. The prayer for the day is: Light of light, our true God, shine light into every dark place in the world. When we experience darkness that overwhelms our life, save us from being lost in the dark. Send your light into the […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 