Thanks to Rene Mehlberg of Trinity Lutheran, Laporte, MN for sharing this Great Idea! While in-person worship remains on hold, offer small group in-person communion: Offer only as frequently as your schedule allows: don’t add something egregious to your calendar! But, this may be a way to see folks you otherwise may not have time […]
Although we won’t be able to enjoy packed-full sanctuaries on Christmas Eve, there are a variety of ways to gather safely and to celebrate the coming of Jesus. Twin Cities District pastors recently shared some ideas with each other, and they are so creative that we want to lift some of them up to the […]
I’ve heard a few versions of this from several sources over the past few weeks; I apologize for not giving others the credit they deserve: Orchestrate a “progressive” Christmas pageant in which households choose a character, then decorate their garage or front porch or yard (depending upon climate and weather as significant factors) – and […]
Tensions are running high across the country. Election results may take days or even weeks to be tallied and confirmed – and chances are good they’ll be contested for longer than that. This is a highly contentious and anxious time for many Americans. Christian communities can be safe havens to wait, pray, support one another, […]
One Feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and burned-out? You are not alone – and there’s help. Develop resilience with: Running on Empty (Thurs. Oct. 29), which will address burn-out concerns with pastoral leaders; Cora Brown’s Covid Coping: How to Deal with Job Stress and Build Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic, a quick read with lots of tips […]
Thanks to Christa Meland of the MN Conference UMC for writing up this article highlighting four fantastic ways UMC congregations have gotten creative with caring for their communities and sharing hope in the midst of the pandemic. Read the full article for ideas about how you can: Have a “mission trip” in your own community […]
Professor Jennifer Awes-Freeman of United Theological Seminary is doing this with the United community – it could be a great community builder and outreach tool for any congregation! Invite your members and neighbors to an evening of storytelling a la The Moth Radio Hour. Awes-Freeman chose the theme of “Spirits” – “whether stories of spirits […]
One Cultivate community connection and creativity – and empower your leaders – by Embracing the Gifts of Conflict for Social Change: Turning Toward Each Other: A Conflict Workbook (and attend their workshops: Part 1: Understanding Our Conflict Habits and Archetypes is Oct. 30); IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning and Belonging in Our Digital Lives (Broadleaf); Drew G.I. Hart’s Who […]
Thanks to Messiah UMC, Plymouth, MN for this Great Idea! And to Christa Meland, MN Annual Conference UMC’s communications director, for sharing it via MNConnect. The worship and children’s ministry teams of Messiah UMC of Plymouth teamed up to meet the needs of their at-home children early on in pandemic quarantine and created an engaging […]
Thanks to the MN Conference UCC for this Great Idea! For a beautiful way to get to “see” one another, share some joy, and build community, you might invite your whole congregation to share a single photo of what they are grateful for, right now. In the MN Conf. UCC article (from whence this idea […]