Clergy Connexion July 2022

Clergy Connexion July 2022 Volume 4, Number 3

A Publication of the Office of Clergy Services of the Holston Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

Table of Contents A Word from the Editor ..................................................................................... Rev. Terry Goodman

Reflections on Annual Conference ..................................................... Bishop Wallace-Padgett Grieving, Praying After Attack on School............................................................ Heather Hahn Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Activism ...................................................................... Carol Green Local Pastor Licensing School Planned for the Fall ............................................. Rev. Susan Arnold

I Still Can’t Breathe...I am Not Okay ................................................................... Rev. Leah Burns Asking the Hard Questions About Race ............................................................. Jim Patterson Where Do Korean Americans Stand? ................................................................. Susan Sungsil Kim Quadrennial Sexual Ethics Training Is Scheduled ............................................... Rev. Caleb Pitkin

Gathering of the Orders Young Clergy Network ....................................................................................... Rev. Palmer Cantrell Academy of Spiritual Formation—Scholarship Information From the Deacon’s Perspective ......................................................................... Rev. Rebekah Fetzer Telling Your Faith Story ...................................................................................... Harold Percy Six Quotes from One of My Favorite Evangelism Books ..................................... Chuck Lawless 5 Stewardship Priorities for Incoming Pastors ................................... Lovett Weems/Ann Michel Racial Justice Conversations Guide Numinous: Wisdom Calling ................................................................................ Renni Morris As Memory Fades, Ministry Grows: Ministry Alongside Persons with Dementia Jessica Anschultz Tips for a Less Stressful Family Vacation ............................................................ Rev. Kathy Heustess You Can’t Be Helpful If You Can’t Be Present ..................................................... Danny Franks 6 Reasons for Pastors Have at Least One Meal a Week With Someone ............. Chuck Lawless Four Underrated Leadership Tips Pastors Can Exercise Daily ............................. Sam Rainer Listening to Your Community ............................................................................ Paul Nixon

Seven Traits of the Successful Pastor in 2027 .................................................... Thom S. Rainer How Old is Your Church, and Does it Matter? .................................................... Thom S. Rainer Unleashing Generosity ...................................................................................... Rev. Troy Forrester The Clergy Services Connexion is a publication of the Office of Clergy Services of the Holston Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. United Methodist annual conferences and groups are free to use this material as fitting for their situation.

The Rev. Terry Goodman is publisher and editor. Please direct all questions and comments to him at: terrygoodman@holston.org.

As I ponder the contents of this edition, I sort of feel scattered. I have included a lot of articles on many different themes. This is the typical pattern, but for me this edition seems more eclectic in nature than some previous editions that had more of a common thread to the publication.

Though the articles may seem to come from lots of different directions, I believe that each one of them has something to say. Not all of them may speak to every person but I believe that somewhere in this collection there is an article that is going to speak to you and perhaps even spur you on to think or act as a result of reading it.

I suppose that sense of scattered led me to choose the cover which is the opposite of scattered.

The labyrinth lit by the light from stained glass being traversed by a single person hints at the solitude that many of us might be feeling as we continue to come out from under the COVID restrisctions. Perhaps we need a focus. Perhaps we need a walk. Perhaps we need to focus and walk on a labyrinth.

This is where I find myself at this point in time. Searching for that solitude that can be found in those spiritual practices that can help bring me closer to God. I pray that you also have such practices in your life.

A Word from the Editor

A Word from the Bishop Dear Friends, Rev. Terry Goodman asked me to write an article sharing impressions of my first Holston Annual Conference. I readily agreed to his request.

Impression #1: Lake Junaluska is a great place to have an annual conference gathering. Though I have been on those holy grounds numerous times for meetings, retreats, jurisdictional conferences and workshops, this was my first annual conference at Lake Junaluska. The outstanding hospitality, beautiful scenery and comfortable accommodations created a warm family atmosphere for our worship, business and work together.

Impression #2: The worship was powerful. Thanks to musicians and groups coordinated by Wesley Rouse, beautiful liturgy prepared by those planning our worship services and strong preaching by Bishop James Swanson, Rev. Sarah Varnell and Rev. Jeff Wright, the rafters shook with songs and words of praise.

Impression #3: Our “Pray Together” theme permeated the entire conference.

Stellar teaching by Dr. Tom Albin, prayers via video brought to us from our Christian friends in South Sudan and references to praying together in sermons and presentations kept us focused on the significance of communal prayer.

Impression #4: Holston clergy and laity debated with skill, respect and grace.

Though we did not agree on every matter, we listened well to each other and honored the various perspectives presented.

Impression #5: The Holston Conference is engaging in anti-racism work. We have miles to go in this area, but the desire to dismantle racism and grow in

diversity is evident. Thank you to the various groups and individuals committed to anti-racism.

Impression #6: Holston clergy and laity enjoy being together. Smiles, hugs, laughter and fellowship infused the Conference from start to finish. Being together in-person after two years of virtual meetings made the conference feel more like a homecoming than an annual meeting.

Impression #7: The Holston Conference’s focus is on discipleship. This was clear from the opening worship service to the adjournment of annual conference. It was evident in the reports, floor debate, generous offering for South Sudan brothers and sisters, preaching and teaching. The Holston Conference consists of disciples who are growing in the likeness of Christ day by day. As such, the world is being changed by us.

There are more impressions I have about my first Annual Conference in Holston. However, since in scripture seven is considered a perfect number, I’ll conclude this article now. In short, I loved my first Annual Conference with you.

As always, it is a joy to serve as your bishop.

Blessings, Debra Wallace-Padgett Resident Bishop Holston and North Alabama Conferences

Grieving, Praying After Attack on School

By Heather Hahn, UM News May 25, 2022 Key points: •

Views from a United Methodist Perspective

• • •

United Methodists across the United States are joining in prayer and seeking to help the small Texas town of Uvalde after a brutal shooting at an elementary school.

The Council of Bishops president called on laity and clergy to “go on the offense” to stop mass shootings.

United Methodists are also providing counseling and resources for people dealing with trauma.

United Methodists are stepping up to provide support and prayer after a horrific shooting at a Texas elementary school that took the lives of at least 19 children and two teachers.

Even as they pray for grieving families and a traumatized community, many in the church are also asking in the words of Psalm 13: “How long, Oh Lord, how long?”

“Our hearts are broken for the people of Uvalde, Texas,” said Bishop Robert Schnase, whose area includes Uvalde, in a May 24 message. He leads both the Rio Texas and New Mexico conferences.

“We are devastated over the multiple lives lost during the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School. We mourn those who died today and fervently pray for the families of the victims and surround the larger community of Uvalde in prayer.”

Resources for responding United Methodist ministries offer various resources for responding to violence and trauma.

Discipleship Ministries offers:

— Trauma Resources for Ministry with Children and Families — How to have Courageous Conversations about Gun Violence — How to have Courageous Conversations for Youth: Gun Violence General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking body, approved the statement “Our Call to End Gun Violence,” which is #3428 in the 2016 Book of Resolutions.

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the denomination’s social witness arm that advocates for the resolutions, also has resources on gun violence.

“We pray for the families, friends and communities of the victims. Pray for comfort. Pray for relief of the unimaginable pain they are suffering and will suffer for years to come,” said the Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe, the agency’s top executive. “We must engage, push and drive Congress to establish gun laws that protect children, our families, friends, loved ones and communities.”

United Women in Faith also offered a prayer.

"O Lord in your mercy, hear our cries for the families crushed with sorrow by the loss of their children and loved ones in yesterday's school shooting in Texas," prayed Harriett Jane Olson, top executive of the women's organization. "Lord have mercy on our nation that continues to deem this recurring murder of our school children an acceptable price of 'freedom.' Lord heal our collective mind and help our politicians muster the integrity and courage to act so that we can stop this carnage and pain."

United Methodists across the U.S. have faced similar violence many times before. Less than two weeks ago, a gunman killed 10 people in a racism-fueled mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store, and another gunman killed one person and injured five others in an attack on a Taiwanese Presbyterian church in California.

The slaughter at Robb Elementary in Uvalde now joins the list of deadliest school shootings. United Methodists also responded in 2018, when a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and in 2012, when a shooter killed 26 people — including 20 children — at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Education Week reports that so far this year, there have been 27 school shootings with injuries or deaths.

In the wake of this week’s massacre, United Methodist Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton is calling clergy and laity to “go on the offense” to stop mass shootings.

“If you are a church body, don’t settle for just active shooter training,” he said in a press statement.

“Determine that you will actively work to transform lives from violence to peace, elect officials that will not settle for inaction, and inject communities with the grace and love of Christ that will alter the course of our current behaviors.”

Uvalde is a largely Hispanic town of about 16,000 in Southwest Texas. San Antonio, the closest major city, is around 80 miles to the east.

First United Methodist Church in Uvalde stayed open into the night May 24 for people to come and pray. The Rev. Stephen Peyton, the church’s senior pastor, spent this morning meeting with community leaders to see what more help his 500-member congregation can provide going forward.

Methodist Healthcare System in San Antonio also sent an emergency response team this morning to provide counseling in Uvalde. The Rev. Austin Frederick Jr., vice president of pastoral care with the system and a United Methodist elder, is leading the team that includes the Rev. Raquel Feagins, a pastor of La Trinidad United Methodist Church in San Antonio.

Back in San Antonio, United Methodists also are adding their voices to try to help.

La Trinidad United Methodist Church plans to hold a May 26 prayer service.

“We have historically worked with March for our Lives and Mothers Demand Action to promote awareness of gun violence and the need for common sense reform of gun policies,” said the Rev. John Feagins, Raquel

Feagins’ husband and co-pastor. “We may be called upon soon for a similar event.”

Like everyone else, he said, the congregation is praying for the people killed, wounded and terrorized by this event and those providing care for them.

But he also prays for all who live with the trauma of gun violence and are reliving that trauma as they grieve with the people of Uvalde.

“I pray for faith to overcome the fear of gun violence, fear that turns mass murder into mass marketing for more gun purchases and proliferation. We are an Easter people,” he added.

“I pray for religious leaders to have the courage and integrity to serve the Prince of Peace and promote peace with justice, de-escalation and disarmament.”

Northern Hills United Methodist Church in San Antonio also held a prayer vigil today.

The Rev. Lupina Villapando-Stewart, the church’s senior pastor, said she wants the church and surrounding community to have an opportunity to lament. She also wants to equip people to become “a circle of influence” that has a positive impact on their community.

Amid the week’s tragedy, Villapando-Stewart was thinking of the Greek word makarios — translated as “happy” in most translations of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.

“Makarios means that you have a special place given by God that makes you see the world different, right?” she said. “So what I tell people is that our goal is to be makarios for the kingdom of God.” Hahn is assistant news editor for UM News. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Friday Digests.

As found at https://www.umnews.org/en/news/grieving-praying-after-attack-on-school on June 15, 2022

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Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Activism

By Carol Green Greetings to those of you who are new to my list. Thank you for signing up at the Peace with Justice Luncheon at Annual Conference!

Hi y’all! to those who have been receiving my occasional broadcasts about “nukes in our parish”.

In an effort to get media attention on the current international attempt to rid the earth of the threat of nuclear weapons, here’s a way to participate.

Our United Methodist Church’s Social Principles have long promoted nuclear abolition. In Holston, we have the Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge that is continuing its role in “modernizing” our stockpile. Note: They’re supposed to be dismantling.

Since 1995 I’ve joined in efforts to Walk the Talk with the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance orepa.org There’s lots of info there. Coordinator, Ralph Hutchison, is helping with this

Nuclear Ban Treaty Collaborative. The webinar on Monday 13 June was very helpful.

So I just have to share this with you in the hopes that you might join in on sending a brief message to one or all three major media outlets. (We are guided in easy steps!) And if you do, please go online to do what #4 says: report so we can see how many messages where sent.

Peace & Hope, Carol Green Maryville, TN Begin forwarded message:

From: Nuclear Ban Treaty Collaborative <nuclearbancollab@gmail.com> Subject: We need YOUR help today! Follow-up on Coordinated Letters to the Media Date: June 15, 2022 at 8:08:00 AM EDT To: undisclosed-recipients:; Greetings!

My apologies if you are receiving this email for a second time.

I extend a heartfelt thanks to all who attended Monday's event on breaking the media silence on the TPNW. If you weren't able to attend, fear not - in this email you will find everything you need.

The strategy of this campaign is to focus all of our coordinated media efforts on three of the top media outlets in the US: The New York Times, CNN, and NPR. The goal is not necessarily to get as many letters published as possible. Rather, it is to send in hundreds of letters and comments calling for these three outlets to cover the TPNW, with the First Meeting of States Parties just days away. We need your help to do this!!

Step 1: Watch the webinar recording here to learn exactly how to write a letter to the media, and step-bystep details on specifically how to do so for this campaign!

Step 2: Click here to go to the Nuclear Ban Treaty Collaborative website. All of the instructions and resources you need are on this page. You can also find it from our homepage by scrolling down and clicking on the yellow button with the words "Write and Send your Letter to the Media" Step 3: Write and send in your letters! These will be short, sweet, straight to the point. Our main message to the media: Cover the TPNW in any coverage related to nuclear war / nuclear weapons! See the "Talking Points" document on the link above for inspiration.

Step 4: IMPORTANT - once you have submitted your letter(s), please report it on the website! This form is also on that same page, on the right-hand side. None of this information will be made public - it is only to help us keep track of how many letters get sent in!

This part of the campaign is a numbers game, and time is of the essence. Every single letter that you write is so important (and, they are extremely short and quick, especially if you use our resources!!) so please add your voice today. Please share this information widely so that we can get maximum participation this week!

Together we'll make a call for the TPNW so loud that the media simply can't ignore it.

Finally, an announcement: on June 21st at 1pm EST we will have a Zoom event live from Vienna where we will hear from those on the ground attending the ICAN Forum, the Humanitarian Impact Conference, and the FMSP. More details coming soon. Register here today!

As always, please reach out at any time. I will be delighted to connect with you.

With warmest wishes, Emma Assistant Campaign Manager with the Nuclear Ban Treaty Collaborative

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Local Pastor Licensing School Planned for the Fall

by Rev. Susan Arnold, Dean of Local Pastor Licensing School During opening worship at Holston Annual Conference many types of ministry callings were recognized. One type of ministry calling recognized was the licensing of local pastors. What is a local pastor? Opening worship reminded us that God calls people into ministry in many differing ways: as clergy and laity; ordained, certified, and licensed. A local pastor is a layperson who has heard the call of God to serve in pastoral ministry. It is from the laity that these men and women are sent forth from the local congregation to begin the process of becoming a local pastor. Local pastors serve in licensed ministry. “A licensed local pastor are persons not ordained as elders who are appointed to preach and conduct divine worship and perform the duties of a pastor shall have a license for pastoral ministry” 2016 Book of Discipline ¶¶ 315. Has God placed someone in the congregation or community you serve that is being called to licensed ministry?

One of the ways that Holston Conference works to cultivate an environment where the Holy Spirit empowers and equips those called to licensed ministry is through Local Pastor’s Licensing School (LPLS). Like everyone serving in ministry across the last few years, LPLS had to pivot and adapt its process. Currently, we are offering a hybrid LPLS through a partnership with Candler School of Theology at Emory University. They offer an asynchronous (at your own pace) online teaching component and we partner that with in-person opening and closing weekends. The Holston Conference offers additional opportunities for learning and expectations during the two in-person weekends. Total cost for the 2022 LPLS is $800 which includes hotel, meals, library, and Holston and Emory education fees.

The hybrid learning platform gives us the opportunity to provide the best environment to cultivate lifelong learners, explore calling, develop lasting ministry relationships, deepen spiritual leadership capacity, worship, and experience meaningful Christian fellowship. Each aspect of LPLS provides a holistic education that prepares students to develop the relationships, skills, wisdom, and experiences to serve a local United Methodist congregation.

The online portion of LPLS, facilitated by Emory, will be held from August 19-October 28. Each Friday participants will receive a new lesson with assignments due the following week. The inperson portions include an opening weekend on August 12-13 with the closing weekend on November 11-12. Several HC LPLS requirements are additional to Candler online program during the

in-person weekends. In all LP students will experience a total of 80 LPLS educational hours. These 80 hours are a foundational learning experience as a part of the process to be appointed as a licensed local pastor in The United Methodist Church. Local Pastor students receive their license when they are appointed by the Bishop to a local community of faith.

Before applying for LPLS there are a few things that need to be accomplished. The pre-requisites to attend LPLS are as follows: students should be a certified candidate of the Holston Conference; have approval from their District Committee on Ordained Ministry (DCOM); and their District Superintendent (DS) approval.

We are expecting God to move in amazing ways during the 2022 Holston Conference LPLS. Registration ended on July 1, 2022. Would you join us in praying together for the 2022 LPLS: students, teachers, planning team, technology team, and worship leaders as we join those God is calling into licensed ministry this year?

I still can't breathe...I am not okay Rev. Leah Burns May 16 It is Ms. Viola Fletcher…108-year-old survivor of the 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma mass murder of black people by white people, who is quoted as saying of that tragic event:

Dismantling Racism

“They were killing all the black people.”

Well, as has happened before, Black people were killed on Saturday, May 14, 2022. The accounts that I have read report that a heavily armed, young white man entered a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York and opened fire. By the time the shooter surrendered a short time later, he had shot a total of 13 people, most of them Black, leaving 10 of them dead. The victims were senior citizens, retired law enforcement, churchgoers, grandparents, brothers, and sisters.

The police allowed this man to “peacefully” surrender. They didn’t stomp, or choke-out, or beat down, or pistol whip, or shoot him in the back. Unlike the standard treatment of just about any black or brown “suspect,” they calmly, cuffed him and escorted him to a patrol car.

Prior to the crime, the shooter wrote a 180-page manifesto espousing “Great Replacement Theory (GRT)” and posted it online. In his post, he left no doubt that he intended to target Black people. He even painted the word "n***er" on the assault rifle he used.

In Jemar Tisby’s insightful book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, the author discusses the “complicity” of white Christians in the racism that has plagued this country and its institutions for centuries. He said it is easy to point to slave traders, plantation owners, and Klan members as the “real racists.” But even though only a small number of people actually commit acts of violence in the name of racism, the ideas that lead to such acts are co-signed by the masses in their silence.

It would be a mistake to write off the Buffalo shooter or any white supremacist extremist as acting in isolation. These individuals devise their deadly plans in community. And so, it is not necessary to pull the trigger on an assault rifle to support and perpetuate white supremacy.

All you have to do is look the other way and do nothing.

In June of 2020, the UMC Council of Bishops said, and I quote: “Enough is enough” in the wake of the murders of Mr. George Floyd and several other Black women and men that year.

The Bishops went on to say it was time to dismantle racism once and for all. At that time, I heard their words and I dared to dream that maybe this time would be different. I wrote an article for the Holston Conference Clergy Connexion magazine (https://issuu.com/holston-ac/ docs/oct_2020_clergy_services_connexion/6 ), and I included the names of the women and men recently murdered.

But now, here we are almost to June of 2022, and I’m still tired, I’m still scared, and I’m still mad and sad. I am tired of not being able to breathe. How long before we begin to imagine another way and we begin building a better way? When will enough be enough?

Tragically, here I am saying the names of those who were killed because of racism and white supremacy. Here are the names of the individuals murdered in Buffalo…never forget: Mr. Aaron Salter Mr. Andre Macknell Ms. Ruth Whitfield Ms. Pearl Young Ms. Roberta Drury Ms. Katherine Massey Mr. Heyward Patterson Ms. Celestine Chaney Mr. Margus Morrison Ms. Geraldine Talley I.Still.Can’t.Breathe…I am not okay.

Asking the hard questions about race

By Jim Patterson May 18, 2022 | UM News

The Rev. Giovanni Arroyo serves as top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, the agency formed to hold the denomination accountable to its commitment to reject racism in the life of the church. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Key points: • •

• •

The Rev. Giovanni Arroyo went from preacher prodigy to lead executive at the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.

Arroyo is determined to avoid tokenism as a substitute for racial progress.

A friend and colleague said Arroyo is skilled at navigating subcultures.

The Rev. Giovanni Arroyo poses a difficult question to white United Methodists who say they want an end to racism.

Do you want racial justice enough to voluntarily relinquish some of your power? Even those who say “yes” to this tend to make such changes in ways that don’t really shift things, said Arroyo, top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race since Aug. 31.

“The church has all these committees,” Arroyo said. “They look around to see who's missing, which is a great question that we should be asking.”

But the tendency is to add a chair to the existing table for minority representation, rather than have one of the current committee members step down.

“As long we keep adding a chair, the power dynamics still don't change,” said Arroyo, the first Latinx person to lead a United Methodist general agency. “When people are willing to step up and relinquish that seat and get someone else, then you start to shift that power and allow new ways of being. To me, that's a challenge for the church, and that's the challenge of diversity and inclusion.”

Arroyo knows firsthand about being an “other.” A native of Puerto Rico, he arrived in the U.S. as a boy. His family attended Knickerbocker United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, New York, where he first felt a calling to ministry.

“My parents were Presbyterian, but we couldn't find a Spanish-speaking Presbyterian church in Brooklyn,” he said. “My aunt … found a Spanish-speaking church in Brooklyn, and Knickerbocker was a place that nurtured me. It was there that the community embraced my family, and they really cared for discipleship that provided a deep mission of who God is in that time.”

By the age of 10, Arroyo was “playing church” in the living room of the family apartment, leading 16-20 other children in worship.

“By the age of 12, I preached my first sermon at Church for All Nations in Manhattan,” he said. “And then I started to preach in my local church and preach for the district.”

Arroyo was a pre-med student and studied psychology in college. He earned advanced degrees in clinical mental health, management and divinity.

Before committing to ministry, Arroyo was a researcher at The City College of New York, studying language and psychology. He’s researched violence and child abuse, drug addiction in young adults and taught English as a second language.

“Gio is bilingual, probably trilingual,” said the Rev. Stephen Handy, pastor of McKendree United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. “That helps him navigate through subcultures.”

Handy got to know Arroyo in his role as a Religion and Race board member.

“He has an appreciation for difference — difference of language, difference of customs and practices and patterns. He finds a way to align himself and integrate the value of other people's culture and perspectives in his work.”

After starting his career as a pastor in 2001 in Connecticut, Arroyo was called into service after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, counseling bereaved relatives of victims at Bellevue Hospital in New York. He left the New York Conference on loan to the Baltimore-Washington Conference in 2004 to serve as pastor of two Hispanic congregations and hold other leadership posts.

In 2010, Arroyo was hired as the team leader for program ministries at Religion and Race, responsible for programming and resources.

Since being appointed to the top job at the agency in 2021, Arroyo has continued the policy of making GCORR less U.S.-centric.

“In 2012, activities expanded to the worldwide church, but our budget was reduced,” he said.

The agency’s budget was cut from about $7.7 million to $7.4 million for the 2013-16 quadrennium.

“There's more need with less resources; more demand, but not enough supply,” Arroyo said. “That's the reality of where we live.”

Historically, the agency generated its educational materials in the U.S. and made them available to Methodists who live elsewhere.

“Those resources were very U.S.-focused,” he said, “and so I have invited siblings from the central conferences to be contributors to the development of resources.”

African United Methodists have an act of Pentecost resource being finalized for GCORR, and it will be offered to U.S. churches, he said.

“We really had to be intentional about our central conferences and the worldwide nature of this work,” Arroyo said. “What does that look like when we look into the contextual reality in South Africa or the Philippines or Europe?”

Arroyo said he has many questions still to answer about the agency’s future, including: “How do we get GCORR resources to churches more efficiently?”

“How do we respond to the reality of white churches who want to make this work, but don't know how to do it?”

“How do we continue to provide spaces for training and consulting, but still lead the church in conversations?”

“What is our strategy with the central conferences?”

“When we look at the reality of who we are as United Methodists, the denomination does not reflect our society,” Arroyo said. “We have very, very white family membership. … Churches are in places that sometimes don't reflect the community that we serve.”

To change this, Arroyo is cultivating agility among his staff.

“I told the staff, ‘Right now, we are in the airport terminal trying to get boarding passes printed so that we can get on the plane and figure out where we sit,’” Arroyo said.

“This is our Southwest Airlines approach, where you want to be very clear about what role you will play, and how each will build on each other’s skill sets.” +++++++++ Patterson is a UM News reporter in Nashville, Tennessee. Contact him at 615-742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.

As found at https://www.umnews.org/en/news/asking-the-hard-questions-about-race on June 15, 2022.

Where Do Korean Americans Stand?

Commnetary by Susan Sungsil Kim May 13, 2022—UM News

Key points: •

Asian Americans often confront implicit bias in questions like “Where are you really from?”

•

Susan Sungsil Kim has crafted responses to such questions that stand up for her rights while also providing an educational opportunity to those who ask.

•

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month originated from a weeklong celebration in the first week of May 1990.

“Where are you from?” “Where are you really from?” “Where are you originally from?”

These questions are often asked in succession of Asian Americans. Sensing the implicit bias, my replies are: “I am from Bedford, Massachusetts,” “I am from Westchester, New York, but moved to Massachusetts a few years ago,” “Oh, I am Korean! I came here when I was in high school,” or “Oh, I discovered America in 1972.

How about you?”

I reply with a smile, depending on the situation. I often feel their brief dismay before they share their personal history/herstory.

I was enlightened by the naked history of the racial injustice and systemic racism of my adopted country while serving on the Racial Justice Charter Support Team at United Women in Faith — previously known as United Methodist Women. I understand now the importance of standing up for my rights as a Korean American and also providing an educational opportunity to those who insist on their innocence of not seeing skin color.

Being “color blind” is white privilege that grows into entitlement. What seems to be a simple question of “Where are you from?” may explicitly imply their false ownership of this land that was taken away violently from the indigenous people more than 400 years ago.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month originated from a weeklong celebration in the first week of May 1990. The first week was selected to commemorate the first-known Japanese immigrants arriving on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad by Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869.

In 1992, Congress passed the law for the monthlong celebration that needs to be credited to Jeanie Jew, a former Capitol Hill staffer who brought the idea of designating a month to celebrate Asian heritage to a New York representative in 1978. Jew’s great-grandfather emigrated from China in the 1800s and was part of the transcontinental railroad workforce.

Twenty thousand Chinese workers toiled through back-breaking labor, and hundreds died from explosions, landslides, accidents and disease, but their major contribution to this historical event was intentionally ig-

nored. Not a single Chinese worker was asked to pose with the other white workers when the celebratory photo of the Golden Spike was taken.

These Chinese workers were hired due to a shortage of willing workers but were accused of taking jobs from white people while suffering from the xenophobic notion of “Yellow Peril.” The acts of violence toward the Chinese were common; one incident involved 17 men and boys murdered in Los Angeles in what is now known as the Chinese Massacre of 1871. Another involved San Jose’s Chinatown being burned and destroyed.

The first major wave of Asian immigration occurred in the late 19th century, originating primarily from China, Japan, Korea, India and the Philippines. These contracted workers were brought to Hawaii and the West Coast, where capitalists and missionaries had established plantations and settlements. As the Chinese population increased, the government banned the entry of Chinese to the U.S. and instead imported Japanese — and then substituted the Japanese with Koreans when they protested against the poor living conditions and low wages.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited their immigration for 10 years and was renewed by the Geary Act, which added restrictions such as requiring Chinese residents to carry permits at all times or face possible deportation. Influenced by the civil rights movement, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 eliminated Asian exclusion laws and brought a large increase in the number of Asian immigrants. Today, about 22.2 million Asians are living in the U.S. The nonviolent work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leading the civil rights movement made it happen. Because of their fight for racial justice, my dad was able to come to New York City in 1969 and work hard for his American dream, with the rest of the family joining him three years later.

While growing up, I enjoyed the life of an affluent community and made an effort to assimilate to the mainstream culture. However, I was confused by my temporary and conditional proximity to “white privilege” and enjoyed the benefits at the expense of Black people. I became both a victim and perpetrator of racism. I was not sure how to react to the “Model Minority Myth” that seems like praise but is used to pit Black people against us. “Divide and conquer” to minoritize and disempower all non-white individuals has been in practice too long, obscuring justice.

In the racial justice charter by United Women in Faith, we state that we believe “that racism robs all human beings of their wholeness and is used as a justification for social, economic and political exploitation.”

We Korean Americans ought to recognize our own and all Asian Americans’ hard work, endurance, courage and cultural values, and celebrate our contributions and accomplishments in the midst of racism — especially during our heritage month. We also ought to remember that Black Americans fought the good fight for all people of color.

Kim is a member of St. John’s Korean United Methodist Church in Lexington, Massachusetts. She is also a member of the Racial Justice Charter Support Team of United Women in Faith and co-chair of the Korean Ministry Plan Racial Justice Task Force.

As found at https://www.umnews.org/en/news/where-do-korean-americans-stand on June 15, 2022.

Quadrennial Sexual Ethics Training is Scheduled It is time again for Quadrennial Sexual Ethics Training for all Holston Clergy under appointment. This year will look different than the training 4 years ago. The main difference is the addition of online trainings in addition to the in-person offerings. Information about both types of trainings can be found below. Please read the information about each type of training before deciding which type is right for you. If you feel strongly about taking one type over the other, please sign up asap as spaces are limited.

In-Person Training There will be 3 in-person trainings spread out over the conference. These trainings begin at 9AM and last till 3:30PM. You will need to be present for the entire day to counted present for this required training. Lunch will be available at a cost of 15 dollars. If you sign up for an in-person training there is no pre-work.

In Person Dates •

September 8 at State Street UMC: 9:00 am-3:30 pm - there are seats for 125

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September 9 at Ooltewah UMC: 9:00 am-3:30 pm - there are seats for 200.

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September 10 at First Farragut UMC: 9:00 am-3:30 pm- there are seats for 196

Online Training Please read and understand all of this before signing up for the online option. Each online session has spots for just 50 people. For the online sessions you will be required to do pre-work. The pre-work consists of

watching all 4 parts of the Sacred Trust videos from the Faith Trust Institute and doing written work on a Google Classroom created for this event.

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The google classroom will need a Google login.

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You will need to complete that work a week before the zoom session.

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The zoom session will last 2 hours.

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You will be required to have your camera on for the majority of the session.

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You will also be required to participate in the discussion.

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Both your Google Classroom work and the name on the Zoom call will need to be the name on file for the conference for you.

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Also, the conference office is not offering tech support for this event. If you are not confident in your tech abilities please sign up for an in-person training.

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You must complete both the prework and zoom session to be counted as completing this required training online. If you feel strongly that you need an online training and can do the work please sign up asap to insure your space.

Online Training Dates Work Complete By

Zoom Class Date

Zoom Class time

16-Sep 27-Sep 11-Oct 14-Oct

22-Sep 3-Oct 17-Oct 22-Oct

2PM-4PM 1PM-3PM 10:00 AM-Noon 10AM-Noon

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING...

Please note that this is a mandatory training for all currently serving pastors in the Holston Annual Conference. You must plan to attend either one of the in-person events or one of the online events.

Persons in extension ministry settings are required to complete one of these trainings.

Please note that there are seating limitations for the in person and online events. Once the seating capacity has been reached, then there will be no further persons admitted to that venue. Please plan ahead and register and attend the event for which you sign up to attend. Do not sign up for more than one venue. If you miss you chosen event, then there may not be room for you to attend another event.

We will be sending/providing more information about how to sign up in the near future. Please check your email and look for notifications on the conference web site and from your district office.

If you have questions, then please contact the Jessica Cheves-Hutchcraft at dcom@holston.org

MINISTRY MATTERS A look at ministry related concerns of the Annual Conference

Coming Events Gathering of the Orders For the first time in several years, Bishop Wallace Padgett has called for a Gathering of the Orders. This event will take place in conjunction with the upcoming Unleashing Generosity stewardship event on Monday September 12th and Tuesday September 13th. At some point during these two days there will be a meeting of each of the Orders (Elder & Deacon) (Associate members) and (Fellowship of Local Pastors). Bishop Wallace will speak briefly to each of the Orders and the Chairs of the Orders will then have a time to speak with the Orders.

Attendance is not mandatory, but is strongly suggested. Continuing Education credits will be given for attendance at the stewardship event.

Please be looking for more information about how to register for this workshop.

Chair of Elders—Rev. Sharon Bowers Chair of Deacons—Rev. Stephanie Parrott Chair of Associate Members—TBD Chair of Fellowship of Local Pastors —Rev. Wayne Cook

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:6 (NIV)

Scholarship Opportunity Available Bishop Wallace-Padgett has informed me that The Upper Room Academy for Spiritual Formation is making five $1000 scholarships available for persons in Holston. We have decided that we will offer one for a lay person, elder, deacon, associate member, and local pastor. The clergy scholarships will be available on a first come basis. Please note that this is a significant time commitment over a two year time frame. In addition, it will cost in the neighborhood of $8,000-$9,000 in tuition, books, room, board and travel. You will also need to go to the training site in Alabama for each of the eight, week long class sessions.

For more information about the process, please click on this link.

If you wish to claim one of these scholarships, then you need to contact Rev. Terry Goodman at the Office of Clergy Services (terrygoodman@holston.org)

Change

By Rev. Rebekah Fetzer

From the Deacon’s Perspective Alvin Toffler (1928-2016) wrote Future Shock, published in 1970 to describe life in the future. The term “future shock” refers to what happens to a society when change happens too fast, which results in social confusion and normal decision-making processes breaking down.

He continued the theme in his 1980 book, The Third Wave, which describes the current information, computer-based revolution. He claimed that one of the side effects of the digital age has been “information overload,” a term he actually coined. From The Third Wave: “A new civilization is emerging in our lives, and blind men everywhere are trying to suppress it. This new civilization brings with it new family styles; change ways of working, loving, and living; a new economy; new political conflicts; and beyond all this an altered consciousness as well…The dawn of this civilization is the single most explosive fact of our lifetimes.”

Some people hate change. Some people, like me, are hard-wired to enjoy new places, ideas and circumstances. But, all over the world, the stresses of too much change too fast are causing an explosion of mental health crises and a sense of an ever-moving ground under our feet.

Thousands of books have been written about the future of the church and the churches that have been flexible and forward thinking are thriving. Others, not so much. Change is hard. But there is no going back.

As clergy, we know that the cure for shifting ground is the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Everything else may change, but the Incarnate Word is our secure foundation.

“My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed. I trust the Ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead.” (Elizabeth Edmunds Hewitt) That is the word that we as Elders, Deacons and laity must take beyond the walls of the church.

The role of Deacons in the United Methodist Church is to be the bridge between the church and the world and we are uniquely positioned in a time of upheaval to take the rock to the world – and stand.

Telling Your Faith Story

By Harold Percy—May 10, 2022: Leading Ideas

Sharing faith stories nurtures an awareness of how God is working among us. Harold Percy outlines two simple approaches to sharing faith stories that can encourage people to consider and share how faith has shaped their lives.

Churches seeking to develop a witnessing and inviting membership should make a point of encouraging their members to tell their faith stories to one another and of providing plenty of opportunities for them to do so. They should seek to make this a normal and expected part of congregational life. In worship services, at committee meetings, at social events, in all sorts of meetings and courses, devise ways for people to spend some time hearing one another’s stories.

I don’t know of anything that has the potential for boosting congregational morale and enthusiasm as quickly and as powerfully as this simple act of storytelling.

As these stories are shared in various settings, an amazing thing happens. People become aware, in a deep way, that God is among them and that God is working in the lives of people they know. There is a reverence that develops as they become aware that they are standing on holy ground. This realization (which often comes as a surprise) that God is in fact among them and has been working in their lives and in the lives of people they know is a tremendous encouragement to the whole church. I don’t know of anything that has the potential for boosting congregational morale and enthusiasm as quickly and as powerfully as this simple act of storytelling.

It is also worth noting that the experience of telling these stories with others in the church provides the opportunity to practice in a friendly setting before setting out to tell them outside to people who might still be somewhat skeptical.

One approach to telling your faith story Many people, in thinking of how they might outline their faith story, in order to be able to share it clearly and simply, find it helpful to think in terms of three main focal points that can function in a way as the three chapters of their story.

1. My life before turning to Christ. This chapter includes some reflection on the type of person I was when I was living outside of a vital faith and did not think of myself as a committed follower of Jesus. In this part of the story, I will want to say something about what my life was like, what I was living for, what I valued, what my worldview was like, how it was formed, and so on. I might even want to say something about my understanding of and feelings about Christianity, the church, and even religion in general.

2. How I met Christ. This chapter focuses on the various circumstances and influences in my life

that eventually led me to become a follower of Jesus.

What were the issues that led me to consider him?

What were the questions I had? Who were the people who played influential roles in this process as I came to place my trust in Jesus and step out to follow him?

What did this process look like and feel like?

3. My life with Christ. In this chapter we attempt to describe something of the difference it has made in my life to become an intentional follower of Jesus.

How am I different from the person described in chapter one? How has it changed me as a spouse, as a parent, as a worker, as a friend, as a citizen? How have my goals and values changed? What difference has it made in my behavior? What are some of the challenges I face? What is my growing edge in this?

Another approach to telling a faith story It is important to point out here that the previous outline does not fit the experience of many deeply committed and growing Christians. These are the people whose experience of the Christian faith is such that they cannot recall a time when they did not know themselves to be connected with Jesus and open to his presence in their lives. Such people are blessed indeed! In their case the three chapters read differently, perhaps something like this: 1. Early Christian influences in my life. Rather than reflecting on life apart from Christ, this chapter usually tells of what it was like to grow up in a Christian home with parents (or a parent) who were committed to Christ and who taught their children from earliest childhood about the God who loves them and what Jesus has done for them. It might include the experience of being part of a church that took children seriously and helped them to worship and grow in their faith. It might include reflections on the comfort of Christ’s presence in various situations and the security of being assured of God’s love. What a wonderful thing it is to be able to include a chapter like this in your faith story. Many people who come to faith in later life dearly wish that they could tell this chapter instead.

2. Making it my own. For those who tell this version of the story, there is usually a period in adolescence

or early adulthood when they have to go through the process of owning the faith for themselves. They become aware that they cannot go on forever on the faith of their parents and their church community; they are now responsible for the direction of their own life, and there are important choices to make.

This sometimes (but not always) includes some serious wrestling with issues and choices as they consider what their life will be about.

3. My life with Christ today. As in the first version, this chapter focuses on what it means for me today to be a follower of Jesus and how my faith influences the way I think and live.

Excerpted from Your Church Can Thrive: Making the Connections that Build Healthy Congregations (Abingdon Press, 2003) by Harold Percy. Available at Cokesbury and Amazon.

Related Resources 5 Essential Qualities of Effective Evangelism by Priscilla PopeLevison Friendship as a Means of Discipleship by Greg Moore Missional Engagement: It’s All About Relationships by Junius B. Dotson As found at https://www.churchleadership.com/leading-ideas/ telling-your-faith-story/ on June 15, 2022.

Six quotes from One of My Favorite Evangelism Books, The Soul Winner, by Charles Spurgeon

By Chuck Lawless I love this book on evangelism. The book covers much more than evangelism, though, and it’s both fun and convicting at the same time. Maybe one of these quotes will help you evangelize better and lead your church to do the same: 1. ON TRANSFER GROWTH: “We do not regard it to be soul-winning to steal members out of churches already established . . . we aim rather at bringing souls to Christ than at making converts to our (Continued on Next Page)

(Continued from Previous Page)

synagogue.”[1]

2. ON UNREGENERATE CHURCH MEMBERS: “In the next place, we do not consider soul-winning to be accomplished by hurriedly inscribing more names upon our church-roll, in order to show a good increase at the end of the year. . . . To introduce unconverted persons to the church, is to weaken and degrade it; and therefore an apparent gain may be a real loss.”[2] 3. ON PERSONAL HOLINESS RELATED TO EVANGELISM: “Dear brethren, I do beg you to attach the highest importance to your own personal holiness. . . . Fish will not be fishers. The sinner will not convert the sinner.

The ungodly man will not convert the ungodly man; and, what is more to the point, the worldly Christian will not convert the world.”[3] 4. ON GOD SAVING SOULS BY HIS GRACE, NOT BY OUR GOOD PREACHING: “It is not our way of putting the gospel, nor our method of illustrating it, which wins souls, but the gospel itself does the work in the hands of the Holy Ghost, and to Him we must look for the thorough conversion of men.”[4] 5. ON PREACHING EVANGELISTIC SERMONS: “The kind of sermon which is likely to break the hearer’s heart is that which has first broken the preacher’s heart, and the sermon which is likely to reach the heart of the hearer is the one which has come straight from the heart of the preacher.”[5] 6. ON PLEADING WITH GOD TO USE US TO SAVE OTHERS: “As Rachel cried, ‘Give me children, or I die,’ so may none of you be content to be barren in the household of God. Cry and sigh until you have snatched some brand from the burning, and have brought at least one sinner to Jesus Christ, that so you also may have saved a soul from death, and covered a multitude of sins.”[6] May God help us to be evangelistic leaders guiding evangelistic churches! ______________________________ [1] Kindle Edition (p. 2, location 37-43).

[2] Kindle Edition (p. 3, location 56-62) [3] Kindle Edition (p. 23, location 397; p. 172, location 2908).

[4] Kindle Edition (p. 103, location 1704).

[5] Kindle Edition (p. 159, location 996).

[6] Kindle Edition (p. 194, location 3304-3309). as found at https://churchanswers.com/blog/6-quotes-from-one-of-my-favorite-evangelism-books-the-soul-winner-by-charlesspurgeon/ on June 15, 2022

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5 Stewardship Priorities for Incoming Pastors

By Lovett H Weems, Jr and Ann A. Michel on June 14, 2022

What stewardship tasks require the attention of a pastor beginning ministry in a new congregational setting? Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Ann A. Michel of the Lewis Center Staff share a list of initial stewardship priorities for incoming pastors.

When a pastor begins ministry in a new church there is much to learn and many areas of ministry demand attention. While few new pastors will preach their first sermon on stewardship, certain steps taken in the early months of a new pastorate can help your stewardship ministry gets off to good start. Focusing on these initial tasks will lay the groundwork for stronger congregational stewardship and more generous giving as your ministry unfolds.

Faith & Finances

1. Take time to learn about your new congregation’s personality and practices related to stewardship and giving.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming everything is just like it was in your previous church. There is an amazing diversity of practice among different congregations when it comes to stewardship and generosity.

We are constantly amazed by the diversity of practice among different congregations and different faith traditions when it comes to stewardship and generosity. For example, an annual commitment campaign is something some churches take for granted. But there are fewer churches that use the pledge system than do not. So don’t make the mistake of assuming everything is just like it was in your previous church. Churches have varying traditions about such things as special offerings, fund raisers, electronic giving, reporting on giving, and other aspects of stewardship. These may change in the future, but first understand how things are done and, most importantly, why.

2. Get to know a broad range of people.

Good stewardship ministry is inherently relational, so spend time getting to know your congregants, where they are in their journey of faith and what’s important to them. Identifying those who exhibit the spiritual gift of giving is just as important as knowing those in the congregation who have a heart for mission, a passion for justice, or a strong prayer life. You can learn from all these people. This might involve reviewing their giving histories if you have access to giving records. If you do not have access to giving records, ask the person who does to prepare some figures about recent trends in giving over the past three years or so. Are more people giving or fewer? What difference did the pandemic make?

3. Don’t try to do it all yourself.

Pastors play a critical role in developing a culture of healthy stewardship, but they can’t do it all themselves, especially if they are new. From the beginning, develop laity as stewardship leaders.

Pay special attention for those who exhibit characteristics that commend them as leaders in stewardship or finance. You are building a team from the beginning. After a season of listening and relationship building, you will be able to go back to these potential partners to explore an agenda for progress.

4. Get to know the current stewardship and finance leaders.

These are your key colleagues and allies. Get to know them as you learn about how things are currently done.

Ask lots of questions. Avoid judgmental responses or expressions. Ask what they see as the most pressing issues in the coming months or year. Taking notes helps. Learn all you can. Always end by asking, “Are there others with whom I should talk?”

5. Get your own house in order.

You can’t lead where you haven’t gone yourself. So, spend some time reflecting on your own attitudes toward money, your personal finances, your own giving, and getting comfortable with faith’s teachings regarding money. You’ll have much more credibility as a stewardship leader if you can lead by example.

Related Resources The Right Start: Beginning Ministry in a New Setting Video Tool Kit 50 Ways to Improve Pastoral Transitions, a free resource from the Lewis Center Generosity, Stewardship, and Abundance: A Transformational Guide to Church Finance (Rowman and Littlefield, 2021) by Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Ann A. Michel Stewardship in Times of Transition by Angela Denker As found at https://www.churchleadership.com/leading-ideas/5-stewardship-priorities-for-incoming-pastors/ on June 15, 2022.

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Racial Justice Conversations Guide Click here to download this resource

Are you seeking ways to engage others in difficult, but important, conversations—such as the topic of white privilege and/or racial inequality? The following resources are intended to help get you started and create building blocks for additional work.

Suggested Opening Prayer God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, it is indeed YOU that have brought us thus far. As we gather together to discuss important, but difficult, challenges such as white privilege and racial inequality, make us mindful of the gift of life in spite of the hate present in the world.

Remind us of the goodness of people in spite of the sins that we commit against one another—sins that come from brokenness and our own inability to see you reflected in each another. Forgive us, God, for the ways in which we have been complicit in creating anything other than the Beloved Community. Make us ever mindful to do the work of justice and be a body of peace in this world—a world ripped apart by conflict, war, famine, violence, guns, racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, ageism, genocide, poverty, and privilege.

This, THIS is a new day you have given us. May we begin again and recommit ourselves to removing barriers where we find them—on state houses and in prisons, on mountaintops and in classrooms, on continents and in churches.

We pray to you on this day and all the days ahead to keep us forever in the path.

Amen. – Adapted from a prayer created by Rev. Amy Stapleton

Scripture Lesson Luke 10:30-37 (The Parable of the Good Samaritan) This parable is packed with invisible truths of our lives.

•How do we identify the ‘neighbor’ in our own lives?

•How do personal prejudices or cultural norms determine the actions we take?

•How can we relate this parable to stories in our present culture?

•How can we encourage a response of hospitality to all in and outside of our churches and communities?

Questions for Reflection

•Why is it important for white people to talk to one another about racial inequality and unearned privilege?

•How does the Holy Bible address racial/ ethnic/cultural differences in biblical times? (Who was privileged and who was “the other” in the Old and New Testaments?)

•What teachings of Jesus might be helpful to recall as we discuss our own white privilege?

•Everyone has a story shared journey.

What has shaped and informed your sense of difference and understandings of race?

•Where can we identify signs of hope as we begin to recognize the presence of God—and our very selves—in those whom we deny equal access?

Next Steps •Provide participants with pieces of paper and pens. Invite them to write down at least one way in which they will commit to working toward racial healing, justice, and racial equality. Ask everyone to place his or her commitment statements in a shared container or the middle of the table.

•Ask the group to join in a prayer over these personal commitments.

•Invite everyone to reflect on what they discovered during this journey toward truth and wholeness •Establish a time to reconvene and build upon the work that was created today.

Created by the General Commission on Religion and Race of The United Methodist Church

NUMINOUS

Wisdom Calling Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 (NRSV) 1 Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?

2 On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: 4 ”To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.

“having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the presence of divinity.”

Written by Renni Morris

Wisdom’s Part in Creation 22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.

23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth – 26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world’s first bits of soil.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.

Confession: I watched more television than usual during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the beginning I caught up on series I previously watched. Then I broadened my viewing options and watched British shows. The show that took the most time – and the one that had the most to teach me – is Call the Midwife.

The show has lasted 11 seasons so far and has about 95 episodes. Based on a true story about midwives and families in 1950s East End London, it is set in an Episcopal convent called Nonnatus House. As Call the Midwife progresses from the 1950s into the 1960s, characters deal with hardship and challenges including (but not limited to) learning disabilities, unexploded bombs remaining for World War II, race, infant loss, illnesses, domestic violence, suicide, and mental illness.

I don’t cry over TV shows or movies, but I’ll admit I shed a tear in almost every episode of Call the Midwife. Bear with me … .

Each midwife touches me in a different way: Trixie comes up with off the wall solutions to problems.

Sheila is steadfast and empathetic.

Sister Julienne offers firm guidance in the most loving of ways.

Sister Frances is a fearless advocate.

Sister Hilda is bossy and resistant, but she’s ultimately going to listen carefully and fight for her patients.

Lucille calls each patient “precious,” and she never leaves them, even when she is struggling herself.

In the midst of each crisis, you will see a nurse or midwife on a bicycle, heading into uncertain circumstances – unless it’s Phyllis and she has a car. The midwives arrive at the worst possible moment, knock on the door, then say, “Midwife calling.” They enter with an abundance of wisdom, peace, and anything else that is needed.

The midwives embody a wisdom that reminds me of what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit offer us. Whatever our circumstances, wisdom is calling. Wisdom is always present, and it has been since the beginning of time.

I long to hear (knock, knock, knock) “Wisdom calling!” I want to recognize the wisdom of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

What Is Wisdom?

Richard Foster, a Quaker minister and writer, says that “Wisdom … is far more than knowledge or information, more even than truth; it is truth applied to the heart and the mind in such a living way that the person is transformed.” Foster also describes it as a “knowing and inflowing of God himself.”

Wisdom is more than technical skill or simple cleverness. It’s more than the practical skill of coping with life or proper ethical conduct.

Wisdom belongs to God. While it is associated with creation, it also to experience and self-control (especially in speech). It calls for honesty and diligence. Wisdom brings life while folly brings destruction.

Wisdom reveals itself in exemplary conduct. It is peaceable, full of mercy and good fruits. It is kind and useful to society. Wisdom is careful but unafraid. It accepts good advice and avoids evil. It restrains emotion, it is not proud, and it desires good rather than evil.

In his book Seasons of the Soul, Bruce Demarest says, “Wisdom is intensely practical. People of wisdom honor their parents, speak judiciously, labor diligently and treat subordinates fairly. They handle money prudently, give generously to the needy and flee immorality. In a crowded world of diminishing resources, wise folks leave a small carbon footprint (pollution) embedded on the earth. Wise people honor God with their whole lives – hence the link between wisdom and fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). Ultimately, wisdom is centered in Jesus Christ – ‘the power of God and the wisdom of God’. The truly wise person understands that Christ infinitely overshadows every earthly reality.”

Wisdom and discernment go hand in hand. Discernment empowers us to sift through the clutter until understanding and sound judgment are found. Demarest says it leads us to reoriented lives that look behind newspaper headlines and opinion polls so that we see the true state of affairs. Wise people understand that there are no political solutions to spiritual problems and that how we live spiritually affects us socially, politically, and economically. Wise people accept that life is not black and white. Life is filled with many shades of gray so as we grow in wisdom, we respect the complexities, ambiguities and paradoxes of life.

Wisdom is present in the book of Genesis when the serpent stalks Eve. It is found in the book of Job when

Job is certain God and wisdom are at work, but no one else understands what is going on. King David told Solomon about the urgent need for wisdom. Wisdom is inexhaustible treasure that reminds us that those who acquire wisdom win God’s friendship.

Jesus tells many wisdom stories everywhere he goes.

While wisdom has been present since the beginning, it is also present in the chaos of our present lives.

A recent devotion in Prayers for Summertime: A Manual for Prayer included a weekly prayer for wisdom: Holy Father, creator and sustaining wisdom of all that is, both in heaven and on earth, take from me those thoughts, actions, and objects that are hurtful. Give me instead those things that are profitable for me and all who seek rightly to praise you … .

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. —Psalm 42:1 (NLT)

In our humanity, we still hold on to thoughts, actions and objects that are hurtful. We think we know what is best and we don’t always exhibit the wisdom that comes from God alone. So, what can we do? Where is such wisdom found?

How Does Wisdom Call Us? Prayer Our search for wisdom begins with prayer. James 1:5 (CEB) says, “But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask.”

Set aside dedicated times to pray for wisdom but pray for wisdom throughout the day as well. While sitting at a red light or waiting in line at a store, ask God for wisdom. When a problem or crisis pops up, ask God for wisdom before responding. When sleeplessness nights are present, pray for wisdom. Ask God for wisdom and apply what wisdom teaches you.

Scripture Focus on the Old Testament books of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and some of the Psalms. As my mother-in-law aged, she began a practice of reading a chapter from Proverbs each day. Look for wisdom in the New Testament books of Paul and James. Wisdom is an integral part of the Bible.

A Reoriented Life A search for wisdom leads to reoriented lives. As we pray and read scripture, Demarest says we can lay aside our obsession with “information and knowledge – abundantly accessible thanks to digital technology.” Don’t just Google wisdom or read about it – live differently. Demarest encourages us to reorient our lives by

making God-honoring choices and choosing to live righteously.

Acknowledge that wisdom is a rich gift of God. Ask for that gift and cultivate it. If we think wisdom as a garden, weed out what is not helpful. Fertilize the gift with prayer and scripture, spend time with wise people, avoid what pulls us away from godly wisdom. Those choices are specific to each of us. As we reorient our lives, we are continually on the lookout for what we need to lay aside.

Embrace a Trinitarian Wisdom God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are always at work in our lives. Scripture assures us that just like the Trinity, wisdom is omnipresent – it’s always there. We can find it in the heights, the streets, at the crossroads, and at the gates. We are surrounded by holy wisdom as we come and go, wherever we congregate, and as we conduct the business of life. We just have to ask for it and wait for it to show up.

Wisdom is present in God the Father. Read the stories of Jesus and wisdom will be there. Trust that the Holy Spirit is here with us, ready to teach, correct, counsel and advocate (just like the midwives I described earlier). Galatians 5:25 reminds us that if we live by the Spirit, we can be guided by the Spirit.

Take Care Finally, take care. Don’t ignore the need for wisdom and the gift of wisdom. Wisdom is a pure gift from God. As we pray for wisdom and spend time in Scripture – as we work with God to reorient our lives – as we embrace the Trinity in each aspect of our lives – we welcome the divine wisdom that begins to help us see the same perspective as God himself. Do what is needed to sustain that wisdom each day. Pursue wisdom.

Outcomes As we grow in wisdom, God delights in us. Wisdom gives us the ability to handle what life throws at us. Wise decisions benefit both ourselves and others. The wisdom of Jesus gives us a power and grace that cannot be found elsewhere. Holy Spirit wisdom helps us see more from God’s perspective –through friendship with God. As the wisdom of the Holy Spirit dwells with us, it makes itself at home. Wisdom settles down and stays with us, living in the moment with us and giving us just what is needed at all times.

Knock, knock, knock – wisdom calling!

Do all you can to pursue it.

Resources: Demarest, Bruce. Seasons of the Soul: Stages of Spiritual Development. InterVarsity Press. 2009.

Foster, Richard J. Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith. 1st HarperCollins. 1998.

Tickle, Phyllis. Prayers for Summertime: A Manual for Prayer (The Divine Hours). Doubleday. 2006.

As Memory Fades, Ministry Grows: Ministry Alongside Persons With Dementia

By Jessica L. Anschutz On April 5, 2022

Jessica L. Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff shares ideas for pastoral care and spiritual support for persons with dementia and their caregivers. As the number of dementia diagnoses grows, congregations have an opportunity to serve their community in meaningful ways.

“You don’t need to visit Ed; he has dementia.” I have heard a variation of this sentence more times than I

can count. I am increasingly concerned by how quickly congregations and pastors dismiss or ignore faithful constituents as dementia progresses. As congregations age and the percentage of the population with dementia and dementia-related diagnoses grows, there is an expanding opportunity for ministry with persons with dementia and their caregivers through advocacy, education, and adapting ministries to allow persons with dementia and their caregivers to participate actively.

Spiritual care As memory fades, a person’s soul remains, so tend to the spiritual needs of persons with dementia and their caregivers. Visit them even if they do not remember their name, know who you are, or that you are connected to their congregation. Tend to the grief, especially the anticipatory grieving of caregivers. Remind caregivers and care receivers that they are God’s beloved children who are created in the image of God. Affirm God’s loving presence and God’s grace and forgiveness in the midst of the challenges of life with dementia. Value and celebrate the work of caring for persons with dementia.

In No Act of Love is Ever Wasted (Upper Room, 2009), Jane Marie Thibault and Richard L. Morgan call us to reenvision caregiving as an “intentional, mutual spiritual path.” They write that living with dementia: 1. Forces one to ponder the meaning of one’s changed life 2. Brings together very intimately people who are committed to one another in some way 3. Often requires heroic acts of forgiveness and self-sacrificing love 4. Lasts for a long time 5. Involves a certain “dailiness” or patterned way of life 6. Always faces loss and death 7. Is an ultimate response to Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you.”

Consider how your congregation’s ministries can best support those journeying on this mutual path.

Ministry of presence Persons In the early stages of a dementia diagnosis are often aware that they can no longer do things that they used to do and are increasingly forgetful. Create welcoming spaces and opportunities for people to talk and share their stories, fears, and concerns. Hear their laments as they grieve no longer being able to serve their beloved church in the ways they were accustomed to serving. Practice active listening. When a story is repeated, listen to it again. Ask questions to engage creativity, rather than correct.

Caregivers also need to know that they are not alone and to have opportunities to share their stories, fears, and concerns. Hear their frustration about being asked the same question a dozen times in only a few minutes. Hear their laments as plans are modified to address the needs of their loved one. Acknowledged that their loved ones are still beloved by God even as they are changing.

Worship Offer a worship service designed specifically for persons with dementia and their caregivers, so that they may comfortably worship together. Be creative and engage their imaginations and the five senses. Sing familiar hymns. Focus on a single scripture reading. Offer a brief inspirational message (three to five minutes) rather than a longer sermon. Use a space that fits the size of the group so that a smaller group is not lost in a large empty space.

Be prepared for questions and interruptions. Be a calm, non-anxious presence. Answer questions as they arise and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through all who are gathered. Share in the familiar rituals of the church. Remind those who are gathered of their baptisms, invite them to share in the Lord’s Supper, journey with them through the seasons of the liturgical calendar.

Collaborate Collaborate with nearby congregations and community organizations on a weekly worship service and/or ministries of support for persons with dementia and their caregivers. Partner with organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association to provide educational programming and support to families and persons with dementia.

A congregation in New York partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association for a series of educational programs that were advertised to the wider community. The congregation’s prayer shawl ministry gave pocket prayer shawls to the workshop participants, a tangible reminder of the congregation’s prayerful support for caregivers and those who receive their care.

Advocate There are a number of ways congregations can advocate on behalf of persons with dementia and their loved ones. Support efforts to raise awareness about the need for an increase in federal Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding and resources. There is a growing shortage of home health care workers due to low wages.

Advocate for a living wage for home health care workers, so that more people may continue to live safely in their own homes.

Related Resources Nurturing a Dementia-Friendly Church by Kenneth Carder Tapping the Gifts of Homebound Leaders by Susan E. Gillies and Ingrid Dvirnak As found at https://www.churchleadership.com/leading-ideas/as-memory-fades-ministry-grows-ministry-alongside-persons-withdementia/ on June 15, 2022

Tips for a Less Stressful Family Vacation Summer has arrived and many are planning on a family vacation. Recreation and amusement are important aspects of sustaining yourself in ministry. This may mean being with extended family in a rented cabin or beach house or hotel room. And while our intentions and expectations are to enjoy time away, vacations can often be stressful as opposed to relaxing. On the “Packed for Life” website, (https://packedforlife.com) there is an article about how to stay sane and have a more enjoyable family holiday.

There are four reasons listed as causing stress on a family vacation: Money concerns Physical and mental exhaustion Kid-related antics Unmet expectations Vacations can be expensive. There are more mouths to feed, more plane tickets, more motel rooms, event costs, gas to buy, etc. Secondly, getting to your destination can be exhausting. There is packing, booking travel, getting to the airport and generally being out of your regular routines. Any adversity one might experience is more difficult when you are tired. Third, kids are excited and their energy levels run high. Meltdowns are common. It is challenging to entertain kids during a long ride. Sleep routines may be disrupted. And new experiences may cause anxiety. Finally, you plan what you thought was the perfect getaway.

Then your expectations are dashed when the lodging is not what was advertised; Or the weather does not cooperate; Or your family gets in a huge argument.

Here are some tips to keep your sanity during family vacation season.

Holston Center for Well Being Rev. Kathy T. Heustess Director 2507 Mineral Springs Road Suite B Knoxville, TN 37917-1549 O—(865) 692-2390 F—(865) 692-2393 C—(843) 421-3536

Set a budget and stick to it.

Take naps when exhausted.

Prepare children by communicating the kind of behavior you expect.

Make a conscious effort to be flexible and control your expectations.

When dealing with extended family drama, take frequent breaks and schedule down time or time away throughout the day. Vacations can be a wonderful time to re-charge and re-create. For more detailed information, visit the website listed above.

Have a blessed summer season.

Reverend Kathy T. Heustess, Director Holston Center for Wellbeing

PotLuck Stories from Varied Sources on Varied Topics

EDITOR’S NOTE: One of the things I miss most about serving in the local church are the potluck suppers. It was always a great time to get together with your parishioners and share a meal and a few stories. I always appreciated the variety of food and conversations that came with these potluck suppers. I introduce a new section to The Clergy Connexion called: Potluck: Stories from Varied Sources on Varied Topics. Some quarters I have stories and articles that just don’t fit into one of the magazine sections. This month, I had several so, a new section was birthed. I can’t promise it will be in every edition, but should be in most. By the way, I am always interested in knowing what you are reading. If you come across a great article, then send me a link. I just might share it in an upcoming edition so others might benefit from it. By the way, in case you haven’t noticed, each section gets its own color code based on the stripe found on the left hand page. This is a simple way to let you know that you have transitioned to a new section in the publication. - TDG

You Can’t Be Helpful if You Can’t Be Present

of my own leadership), I realized that his helpfulness to everyone meant that he was being helpful to no one.

by Danny Franks: Church Answers Contributor

Because he was the man with all of the answers, Once upon a time, a friend invited me to tour his church building during a Sunday service. Our mutual everyone came to him with their questions. goal was to spotlight cracks in the guest process and figure out how to connect people on a simpler scale. Because he was the point person on everything, everything rose to his attention.

Over the course of the morning, our tour was interrupted no fewer than twenty times. We never Because there was one leader instead of multiple had a one-on-one conversation that lasted longer leaders, everyone looked to him to lead. than three minutes. He was constantly being peppered with questions, asked to put out fires, And because he was responsible for it all, he wasn’t quizzed on the location of a classroom or meeting, very present at all. and assaulted by the incessant ding of phone calls and text messages.

Again, I get it. I’ve been there. You’ve been there, too. But it’s exhausting to lead that way. It’s On one level, I totally get it…because I’ve been demoralizing to get through another Sunday there. We’ve all been there: if there is any time a morning and feel like you just put out fires rather leader will be distracted, it’s on Sunday morning. than investing in people’s lives.

But as I took the 1,000 foot view and reflected on the time with my friend (and did a little self-critique

So how do we get beyond the Sunday firefighter syndrome? A few thoughts from that harried

morning: 1. Communicate prior to Sunday. With your staff, your volunteer team, or even your congregation, let people know what is happening where that weekend. Equip them with the knowledge they need to lead and self-feed.

2. Make someone else the recognized authority. Put other leaders in place who know what you know.

This takes time and work – not to mention retraining people to go to someone else – but it’s worth it.

3. Don’t just answer questions; help others answer questions. Don’t just be the recipient of hand-offs.

Stand with the one who is doing the hand-off and address the issue at hand. When they hear you answer a question or see you put out a fire, they’re being trained to do that on their own.

4. Don’t invent problems that aren’t actually problems. My most sobering realization from that morning was that my friend was making things a big deal that weren’t really a big deal. And the reason it was so sobering was that I often do the same thing.

Let’s be honest: it’s nice to be needed and to be the resident answer person and to hold the solution to someone’s questions. But we can often get addicted to that need and dupe ourselves into believing that our perspective is indispensable.

Leaders and volunteers: we can be helpful.

We should be helpful. But we can’t be helpful longterm if we can’t be fully present now.

—-

This post originally appeared on dfranks.com.

Danny Franks is the Pastor of Guest Services at The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, and the author of People Are the Mission: How Churches Can Welcome Guests Without Compromising the Gospel. Read more from Danny at www.dfranks.com More from Danny As found at https://churchanswers.com/blog/you-cant-behelpful-if-you-cant-be-present/ on June 15, 2022

6 Reasons for Pastors to Have at Least One Meal a Week with Someone—Either a Church Member or a Non-Believer

by Chuck Lawless Church Answers Consultant

A few years ago, I read Justin Earley’s book, The Common Rule. Earley wrote the book after he had to make some difficult decisions to get his chaotic and too busy life in balance. From that experience, he adopted four daily habits and four weekly ones that have changed his life. One of the daily habits is to eat at least one meal each day with others. I have adapted that rule to have a meal with someone at least once a week, and I have found it helpful and encouraging. Here’s why I’m encouraging pastors and church leaders to have at least one meal a week with someone—either a church member or a nonbeliever.

1. Many of us need to slow down and spend more time with people. You can learn a lot about people over a meal. This commitment has forced me to slow down at least once a week, take a break, and spend time with others. As an introvert with a tendency to be a loner, I need this commitment.

2. Simply reaching out to invite someone is a good step for a pastor. You say something positive to folks when you invite them to share a meal with you— “you matter to me” and “I want to spend time with you.” You give others meaning and significance, and you model for them what they ought to do with others.

3. Eating with others challenges us to turn our focus off self. Unless we’re narcissists who want to talk about only ourselves, having a meal with someone else forces us to think about others. It pushes us to be listeners and learners more than talkers and teachers. It demands that we focus our attention on the person(s) across the table—not on ourselves.

4. Eating with others provides an intentional

opportunity to learn more about others. Ideally, we use table conversations to learn more about others, including their salvation experience, their present-tense work, and their future goals. If you ask a lot of questions, in fact, you can learn more about someone over a one-hour meal than you would ever learn with a surface-level, Sundayonly relationship between pastor and church member. A weekly meal with someone is a wise investment of the time and energy God gives us.

5. Even non-believers want to eat. I have a nonbelieving friend with whom I have a meal about every three weeks (because he lives about 3.5 hours away). He doesn’t believe as I believe, but he gives me space to hang out with him. A meal together gives me opportunity (1) to remind him that I love him and am praying for him, (2) to answer any questions he might have about life and faith, and (3) to simply show him respect and care. As long as he’s willing to spend time with me, I’m quite willing to cover the cost of a meal.

6. Making time for one meal a week is not difficult to do. Sure, we have to, as Justin Earley says, “reorient our schedules and our space around food and each other”¹ to make time for this habit—but that’s the point. We will make time for what matters to us. Finding an hour a week to eat with a church member or a non-believer should not be difficult to do if they matter to us.

Make this commitment, pastor and church leader. You won’t regret it.

—— ¹Justin Whitmel Earley, The Common Rule (p. 61).

InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

As found at https://churchanswers.com/blog/6-reasons-forpastors-to-have-at-least-one-meal-a-week-with-someoneeither-a-church-member-or-a-non-believer/ on June 15, 2022.

Four Underrated Leadership Tips Pastors Can Exercise Daily

By Sam Rainer May 25, 2022 Your body needs regular exercise to stay in shape.

Your mind needs to be stretched and challenged to stay sharp. For leaders to grow, regular workouts are necessary. Pastors lead within a dynamic environment—the church. You may not think of your church as “dynamic,” but it is. A church of fifty people means at least fifty opinions exist on any decision.

Some daily exercises are obvious, and they are often repeated in books and conferences: Read more, stick to a devotional time, get better sleep, organize your day, and keep a structured calendar. These tips work, but they are not explicitly focused on leadership. So, what are some daily leadership activities that will strengthen your abilities?

1. Ask more questions. Dig deeper. When you are talking with church members, don’t assume you know. Ask them to explain a little more. Show a genuine interest in the perspective of others.

Often people don’t reveal what they really think until they trust you. It’s hard to build trust when you’re talking all the time. Stop talking. Listen.

And when you’re itching to provide your insight, don’t. Ask another question. It’s a great leadership exercise.

2. Hit pause before reacting viscerally. Guess what? People in your church will challenge your leadership, decisions, vision, abilities, and even your motives. Leaders are targets because they are front and center. You will make yourself a bigger target when you react viscerally to complaints. The barbs will become more numerous when you pop off every time someone says something less than complimentary. Bite your tongue. Close your mouth, take a deep breath, and think about a funny scene in a movie.

Visceral reactions rarely produce anything positive. Exercise your pause button. It’s one of

the least utilized leadership tools.

3. Use a different lens of leadership. Leaders tend to rely on one or two lenses of leadership. We view the church through the lens of power—who has it and who doesn’t? Or we might rely on the lens of inspiration—how can I rally people to a common goal? Or maybe it’s structure—what is the best way to organize this ministry? But there are many other lenses as well. For one, symbols are important.

There’s a reason people react to the American flag being burned. It’s a powerful symbol. Your church has these symbols: pulpits, crosses, pews, quilts, plaques, gardens, and parlors. Try to use different leadership lenses often. Take the view of power, inspiration, structure, and symbol. The exercise of different perspectives will grow your leadership.

4. Rely on wisdom, not traits. Whenever you hear about “great pastors,” people often gravitate toward their traits. Keller has intellect. Evans has

conviction. Begg has gravitas. Chandler has charisma. Warren has strategic insight. Proverbs 4 says, “Get wisdom,” not “Get another pastor’s traits.” James 1 says God gives wisdom, not traits.

Stop working towards someone else’s traits and rather exercise your own daily wisdom from God’s Word.

Much like working out or reading regularly, one day’s practice with these exercises will not make much difference. But do these leadership exercises regularly, and you will grow as a leader.

As President of Church Answers, Sam Rainer wears many hats.

From podcast co-host to full-time Pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church, Sam’s heart for ministry and revitalization are evident in all he does.

As found at https://churchanswers.com/blog/four-underratedleadership-tips-pastors-can-exercise-daily/ on June 15, 2022.

Listening to Your Community

By Paul Nixon on June 14, 2022

It’s easy to lose sight of the ways God is alive and at work in our communities without intentional efforts to know and understand our neighbors. Paul Nixon describes three strategies for reconnecting with the pulse of your community.

Even if we have lived in the same neighborhood for decades, we may be surprised to discover more closely the experiences and values of the neighbors we don’t hang out with: the younger set, the newcomers, the people who speak a different language. Preconceived notions and stereotypes can really throw us off. Things that were true yesterday, and may not be true today, can trip us up. We may need to unlearn some ideas that are incorrect and that are blocking us from engaging with these neighbors constructively.

God is alive and at work in every neighborhood. Our challenge is to show up to what God is doing.

Prayer walks One great exercise in getting started listening and unlearning is a prayer walk. We meet at the church or at a coffee shop and go out into the neighborhood to walk around for an hour with the prayer on your heart, “God, please show me something I need to see in order to better understand my neighbors.” We deliberately suspend all assumptions and just look with curiosity. The family in the first house you pass has tall weeds in their yard. Your easy assumption could be, “These people don’t care enough to mow their grass.” A better stance is to say, “I wonder why the grass is so high here.”

We might be surprised by the amount of care in that home. It might be that they can’t afford a lawn mower or that they work multiple shifts to put food on the table and have no energy left for yard work. Or you might say, “In the lives of this family, I bet there are things a lot more important than these weeds. I wonder what they are.”

Love letters An alternative to a prayer walk is to sit on a park bench and write love letters to people. We just people watch until someone catches our eye, and then write them a letter (which they will never read) sharing what we wish we could say to them related to the Christian Good News if we knew them. This exercise forces us to look more closely, to really see people, and to nurture compassion for them.

One-on-one conversations Best of all are 1:1 conversations, where we invite people that seem interesting (and have a pulse) to give us half an hour and to tell us about themselves. The 1:1 meeting is a precious tool from the community-organizing world. This kind of encounter is not to advertise our ministry but to discover what they can teach us, to discover what energizes them. There is no hard agenda to the conversation, no clipboard with set questions. We allow the conversation to flow where it flows.

When people tell us something interesting, we stop and ask why. A good goal is to keep it to where

the other person gets 70 percent of the airtime. This is about powerful, focused listening. A 30-minute conversation might go like this in places: •

“Our church is really in a listening mode, trying to pay attention to what’s going on in people’s lives, so that we can create programs and organize ministry that is relevant and helpful. I would love to pick your brain, hear a little of your story and your angle on this community. Would you have a half an hour to chat?”

•

“So, what brought you to live here? What do you think? Why did you choose here, or did here choose you? What’s really good about living here? What’s hard about life here? (If the person has children) Where do your kids go to school? You like the school?” Etc.

•

“Tell me what I might be missing when I look around in this neighborhood. Where do you think that my church or I need to pay close attention?”

•

“What kind of work do you do? Tell me about something you love to do, or that you are good at. How did you get good at it? Did someone teach you to love this thing, or mentor you at it? Are there other people around here who share your passion? Do you get together with them? What happens? Or if you were to get together with them, what might happen?”

•

“What experiences or special people helped make you who you are? (Let’s say the person’s name is Malcolm.) How did you get to be this Malcolm?”

•

Toward the end of the half hour, we can share just a bit about whatever our church is up to in the community or about how we got involved with it. (Let’s keep this part very brief unless they riddle you with questions.) After 30 minutes, we wrap it up. Forty minutes is the absolute stop; at this point we apologize that we have to run. We thank them for their time.

We probably did not make it through half the things we could have explored in such a short conversation. So, we can decide on the spot if we would like to spend another half hour with this person in the near future. If we would like to visit again, we should ask them if that would be okay. We tell them honestly if and how their story has been helpful or encouraging for us. And whenever possible, we ask: “Is there someone else in our community that I should talk to? You’ve heard a bit about what we are up to. Is there someone who comes to mind who might have insight we need to hear?”

Showing up to what God is doing One good reason for prayer-walking and 1:1 conversations is to help us discover clues as to what God is up to already all around us so that we can build upon the foundation of whatever good is currently unfolding. God is alive and at work in every neighborhood. Our challenge is to show up to what God is doing.

Adapted from Cultural Competency: Partnering with Your Neighbors in Your Ministry Expedition (Market Square Books, 2021) by Paul Nixon. Used by permission. The book is available at Cokesbury and Amazon.

Related Resources How One-to-One Conversations Reintroduced a Church to its Neighbors by Travis Norvell A Spiritual Approach to Community Assessment by Luke Edwards 4 Shifts for More Authentic Community Engagement by Dan Pezet

A Different Perspective: Voices from Outside Methodism

Editor’s Note: I like to share ideas from a different perspective. Dr. Thom Rainer comes from the Southern Baptist perspective. He has been a local church pastor and CEO of Lifeway (the Baptist publishing house).

He currently is a consultant on matters of church growth. I have followed his writings and podcasts for several years. He offers sound advice that often, but not always, translates well to the Methodist way of thinking.

—TDG

Seven Traits of the Successful Pastor of 2027

by Thom S. Rainer Founder & CEO The conversations can be discouraging these days. Declining attendance. Conversions down. The great resignation. Closing churches.

Indeed, I have been one of the negative voices speaking about these topics. While my motivation has been to warn rather than discourage, I know the regular conversation of negativity can be disheartening.

Let’s flip the switch. Let’s take a trip five years into the future and look at what successful pastors did over those years. By “successful,” I mean pastors who led churches faithfully, reached their communities, and consistently made disciples. I am not speaking of numerical growth, though numerical growth would often accompany churches led by these pastors.

This exercise is not one of prophetic utterances. Instead, it’s a combination of biblical faithfulness, common sense, and how the pastors have responded during and since the pandemic. We’ve learned a lot from these leaders, and I think we will continue to learn from them as they manifest these seven traits.

They did not forsake or forget the importance of prayer. These pastors are leaders of prayer. They pray personally. They lead their churches to embrace the priority and importance of prayer.

Acts 6:4 is a true reflection of their leadership approach and priority.

They brought back the priority of evangelism. The last words of Jesus on earth were a command to be witnesses (Acts 1:8). These pastors did not go the path of many church leaders, forsaking and forgetting evangelism. It is sadly amazing how many Christians and churches don’t think it’s important to share the good news of

Christ.

They dealt with toxicity promptly. I have never known a pastor who confronted toxic members in the church who thinks it was done too quickly. The typical response is, “I should have done this a long time ago.”

They had grit. Serving as a pastor is tough work. One pastor with long tenure told me, “I get up in the morning and do my calling as a pastor. Then I go to bed, wake up the next day, and do it again.” This pastor is persistent. This pastor has tenacity. This pastor has grit.

They loved their community more deeply and tried to serve and reach the residents more urgently. I absolutely love how more pastors realize that they don’t just pastor a church; they pastor a community. The pastors who succeed five years from now will have deeply connected to the communities in which their churches are located.

They rediscovered joy. Ministry can seem like it’s one critic and naysayer after another. Successful pastors five years from now will still see the joy of their calling every day. They might even discover a bit more levity.

They took faith risks. These pastors knew they could not plan everything. They understood they had to expect the unexpected. And they knew they had to lead their churches into new and exciting endeavors and areas.

Let’s see who is still around and thriving in pastoral ministry in 2027. I am willing to say with some confidence that it will be pastors who had these seven traits.

What do you think?

As found at https://churchanswers.com/blog/seven-traits-of-the-successful-pastor-of-2027/ on June 15, 2022.

How Old is Your Church and Does It Matter?

by Thom S. Rainer: Founder & CEO

I absolutely love the discussion and questions that come to and from the Church Answers community. Almost every five minutes during the day, a new question is asked in our community. I could spend hours each day reading the information and interacting with the nearly 2,000 church leaders at Church Answers.

Recently, Matt McCraw, a Florida pastor, posed a simple question to the community: How old is your church?

I emulated him and posed the same question on social media. When we tallied all the responses, we learned that the average age of the churches was 92 years old, and the median age was 67 years old.

That led me to recall the thousands of churches we have served through Church Answers. I wondered if I could find any patterns in the churches according to their age. To be clear, we are talking about the number of years since the church was founded, not the ages of the members.

Here are some of our observations.

Facilities: Older churches tend to have more deferred maintenance on their buildings. And they tend to use

less of the square footage than younger churches.

Finances: In the recent past, older churches were more stable financially. I cannot say unequivocally that reality is true today. I see more churches of all ages have struggles. Likewise, I see churches of all ages doing well financially. Anecdotally, there does not seem to be a correlation between the age of the church and the financial health of the church.

Decision making: The youngest churches, typically those 15 years and younger, tend to have a nimbler decision-making process. Many older churches can take a long time to make a significant decision.

Worship style: As expected, the younger the church, the more likely the worship style moved toward contemporary. Of course, it’s difficult to define precisely the definitions of “contemporary,” “traditional,” and “blended.”

Evangelistic outreach. Sadly, I see poor evangelistic health in most churches regardless of age. The Great Commission has become the Great Omission.

Denominational loyalty. As a rule, denominational loyalty is greater in older churches compared to younger churches. But we see denominational loyalty waning at churches of all ages. Of course, many churches do not have denominational ties at all.

Small groups. There tends to be a higher percentage of members participating in small groups (community groups, home groups, Sunday school classes, life groups, etc.) in older churches. Those churches that have on -campus Sunday school classes that flow to or from a worship service have the highest small group participation.

To be clear, these factors are generalizations. There are obviously exceptions at churches of various ages. I would love to hear from you. How old is your church? Do the generalizations I noted match your church?

What are some other categories beyond the seven I wrote above?

Let me hear from you.

As found at https://churchanswers.com/blog/how-old-is-your-church-and-does-it-matter/ on June 15, 2022

Mark your calendars for Monday, September 12 and Tuesday, September 13 for the "Unleashing Generosity" event!

This will be a great chance for clergy and laity alike to come together and explore how we can cultivate a spirit of generosity in our communities.

Speakers - An array of gifted speakers will share insights on generosity, including Roz and Callie Picardo. Roz currently serves as co-pastor at Mosaic Church in Ohio and formerly served as the executive pastor of church planting at Ginghamsburg Church.

Callie serves on the preaching team at Mosaic and is the Vice President of Development for United Theological Seminary. Together the Picardo's authored the book Money Talks which will be provided with your registration!

Additional speakers include our own Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett and the Rev. Charles Maynard.

Gathering of the Orders - For our clergy, this event will provide CEU credit and also serve as our "Gathering of the Orders," which will include opportunities to interact with Bishop Wallace-Padgett.

Details Unleashing Generosity

September 12-13, 2022 Concord UMC in Knoxville, TN Cost: $30 per person, including lunch and dinner on Monday, a copy of Money Talks, and all event materials.

(Scholarships for the event are available through the Holston Foundation.)

Coming soon to Holston.org: registration and full itinerary