It is a season of transition. I have had the opportunity to serve as the preacher at Berryton United Methodist Church since July 1, 2018. On Sunday, I announced during worship that I have received a new appointment from Bishop Ruben Saenz to serve as the pastor at Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church in Topeka […]
It is difficult to make sense of the events of the day. The passing of the Traditional Plan was disorienting, heart-rending, and continues to be heavy on my mind. The church that has been home for my entire life feels a little less like home. The votes clearly reflect the reality of where the church […]
Let me explain… Throughout my life, I have kept a regular journal on and off throughout the years. I have a stack of journals from elementary, high school and college in our basement. Currently, I have been keeping a one sentence journal up to date. I am looking at options (Office Drop for the outsource […]
I spent last week at a youth camp, Institute 2010: God’s All Stars, which is a ministry of the Conference Council on Youth Ministry of the Kansas East Annual Conference. This post is part of a series reflecting on the week and making applications for the local church. Institute is an institution with the good and […]
Yesterday morning, I had the opportunity to preach at the Heritage Service at Resurrection Leawood. This is the first service on Sunday at Resurrection beginning at 7:45 AM. It was the first time that I had lead worship in several months and it felt really good. We considered the story of Jesus washing the feet […]
Cokesbury, Abingdon Press and UMR Communications each have long histories. How much of a future do they have? I recently read an article that referenced this video put together by a publishing company. What are your thoughts, feelings or opinions on the future of Methodist publications?
Several months ago, I read the post The Pollyanna Principles for Social Change, which lead me to The Pollyanna Principles. From the website: The Pollyanna Principles The Ends: 1. We accomplish what we hold ourselves accountable for. 2. Each and every one of us is creating the future, every day, whether we do so consciously […]
My apologies for a lack of regularity in blogging. I have been in the midst of ending my role in Congregational Care and beginning my new role as Internet Campus Pastor at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. I am excited about the possibilities of building a Christian community online where non religious and […]
I am excited and encouraged by 6 Questions for The United Methodist Church. The purpose of this project is to: Raise important questions for next steps in the life of the denomination. Provide guidance for future face to face gatherings. Shape the discourse across the denomination. 6 Questions is for all the people of The […]
The UMC has: 1 Mission 3 simple rules 4 areas of focus 5 practices Now… “Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.” — Lovett Weems Purpose of 6 Questions for The United Methodist Church (6qumc) Raise important questions for next steps in the life of the denomination. Provide guidance for future […]
Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. – Japanese proverb In considering the future of the United Methodist Church both vision and action is critical. Yesterday, I outlined a vision for renewal within the denomination and today I will tackle how I think it will happen. I used to think […]
I have been thinking a lot about the United Methodist Church, including the Top 5 Reasons I Stay in The United Methodist Church earlier in the week. My vision for the United Methodist Church is that: Every church or charge will have at least one new member join by profession of faith each year. United Methodists […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 