Categories
annual conference church ministry

Ordination Paperwork in the UMC: A Provocative Proposal

I have been working to complete my paperwork for ordination and full membership as an elder in the Kansas West Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. I realized that this vast body of theological thought is going to waste after it is being turned in. It would be a great gift to the church […]

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annual conference leadership ministry

Theology, Vocation and The Practice of Ministry – A Work in Progress

I am currently working on preparing my ordination papers to be considered for ordination and full membership in the Kansas West Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. I have made one of the primary documents, Theology, Vocation and The Practice of Ministry, available at http://ow.ly/NqmE so that you might know more about my understanding of theology, […]

Categories
ministry renewing the church transforming the community

Micro Church at Tallgrass Creek

I had the privilege of worshipping with the micro church at Tallgrass Creek yesterday morning. This is a community of faith that gathers around the live internet broadcast of worship through Resurrection Online every Sunday at 10:45. There were 20 people present yesterday and this has been an an average for the group. I hope […]

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leadership renewing the church united methodist church

The Nature, Design and General Rules of the Micro Churches

This is a very rough draft of a document which may guide the life of micro churches that could be planted through Resurrection. My hope is that the venture will be both faithful and relevant. Will you please share with me your thoughts, feelings and opinions in the comments? —– In the fall of 2008, […]

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renewing the church united methodist church

Online Campus and Micro Church on KCUR

This morning I am going to be on the radio show, Up to Date on KCUR, the local NPR affiliate talking about online campus and micro churches. From the Up to Date website: Up to Date is KCUR’s award-winning one-hour daily public affairs / talk show featuring newsmakers of the Kansas City community.  Host Steve […]

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question and response

Why did Jesus preach for such a short period of time?

Last week, I received several questions from a Resurrection member who had been using a DVD series to study as a part of a small group. I will take some time today and over the next few days to respond as I believe that there may be others who are interested as well. Always feel […]

Categories
changing lives life

6 Powerful Words

I have been praying for you. These are powerful words. One of my friends, Ryan, said them to me this week. He indicated that he had specifically been praying for me throughout the month of July. July was a month of surprises and transitions for me, but I had been able to respond in ways […]

Categories
leadership ministry

My Call to Ministry

My call to ministry has been a chain of experiences that have brought me to my current understanding of God’s call in my life. In the summer of 2002, I realized that God was not calling me to a career in biology, my field of study at the time. I considered many possibilities for life […]

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fun life ministry

Picnic Monday!

Today, I neither had a picnic nor is it Monday, but I had a great time picnicking with a group of those in the congregation whose last names begin with M-R. We met at the Young Christian Outdoor Recreation Park off 199th on 69 highway. Each night this week there has been a different pastor […]

Categories
ministry

Ministry Iteration

While I believe that it is important to get ministry done right the first time, I am increasingly becoming a fan of iteration (or repetition) and learning by doing. I recognize that some genius idea that I have may certainly turn out to only be genius in my head and not actually be helpful in […]

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changing lives

Adventures in Ministry – June 15, 2009

One of the great joys of ministry is to have the opportunity to work with a great team of Congregational Care Ministers. These women and men are trained and equipped to provide care for the congregation in partnership with the efforts that I lead as a pastor of congregational care. This evening I am grilling […]

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annual conference question and response renewing the church

Wisdom for Ministry

At the young adult clergy booth at the Kansas West Annual Conference, participants were invited to add a post it note sharing wisdom for ministry. The responses were (in no particular order): Be who God created you to be. You! Don’t worry. Be happy. 🙂 Have Fun!! 🙂 BE a blessing Quit living in Fear! […]