Many churches have assumed that they don't have the resources or numbers to reach new people and grow their congregation. But what if you don't have to have a large congregation to reach new people?
Chasing after God's vision, congregations in the Missouri Annual Conference of all sizes, have seen a growth vision turn into creating new places for new people. In this podcast series we'll feature pastors, church planters, and lay leaders from churches of all sizes who will share their stories of growth and provide tools that you can use in your congregation and community.
Episode 38: Listening In on the Faith and Race Podcast
On this special edition of the Learn and Lead Podcast, we are taking a break from our regular programing to highlight some important conversations happening on the Faith and Race Podcast. In this episode of the Faith and Race Podcast, we'll learn about one of our Historically Black Churches in Kansas City, Missouri, St. James United Methodist Church.
About This Episode of the Faith and Race Podcast
Kansas City, Missouri. St. James United Methodist Church launched in 1973 when two small churches combined. Listen in as current pastor Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Cleaver III, Robert Silvan and Leola Evans share about the history and experience of the Historically Black Church.
In This Episode
00:00: Church History Narration
4:30 1950s Change of Kansas City Landscape and the Beginning of St. James UMC
7:30 Taking A Stand and Doing Something About It
18:00 The Merging of a White and Black Church
22:20 Involvement in Politics
24:30 Raising Awareness in Younger People
26:00 A Long History of Involvement In Social Justice
28:30 Birthed Out of a Need for Social Justice and Action
30:30 The Congregation of St. James
35:00 How Would You Identify St. James
38:30 Leadership Demographics
44:00 White Flight and Neighborhood Churches
48:00 Disappointments with the Larger Church
54:00 Ivan Newton
60:00 Kansas City Police
65:00 Refocusing the Worship Effort
About the Faith and Race Podcast
The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond.
“The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.
17 Jun 2022
Episode 37: Reclaiming Rural Ministry with Rev. Allen T. Stanton
In a conversation that highlights churches in rural areas, Rev. Allen T. Stanton describes the challenges and opportunities facing churches in small town America and the unique position they have as potential agents of change within their communities.
About Allen
Rev. Allen Stanton is the Chief of Mission Integration and Outreach at the University of Tennessee Southern, where he also serves as the Executive Director of the Turner Center for Rural Vitality. Allen is an ordained in the United Methodist Church. He is the author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations and holds degrees from Wake Forest University and Duke Divinity School. Allen lives in rural Tennessee with his wife and two daughters.
RESOURCES
Check out Allen’s book, Reclaiming Rural, Building Thriving Rural Congregations (30% Discount RLFANDF30)
Connect with Allen on Twitter at @atstanton or by email at ats@utsouthern.edu (mailto:ats@utsouthern.edu)
Certified Rural Training Ministry BeADisciple
20 May 2022
Episode 36: Fresh Expressions of Church with Rev. Dr. Michael Beck
“Churches do not get healthy and then do mission; churches get healthy by doing mission.” Check out this conversation with Rev. Dr. Michael Beck on Fresh Expressions and how you can form a new faith community in places where people are already gathering in contemporary culture.
About Michael Beck
Rev. Dr. Michael Beck is a pastor, professor and author. He is a spiritual guide who helps people heal, love and unleash imagination to create better lives, organizations and communities. Beck and his wife Jill are co-pastors of Wildwood UMC in Wildwood, Florida; St. Marks UMC in Ocala, Florida; and a network of 13 fresh expressions led by laity that gather in tattoo parlors, dog parks, burrito joints and digital spaces. They direct an inpatient rehab center, a shelter for those experiencing homelessness and an anti-racism movement.
He serves as the director of Fresh Expressions for the Florida Conference of the UMC, director of the Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Theological Seminary and director of ReMissioning for Fresh Expressions US. Beck has a passion for helping laity and clergy plant new forms of church. He helps church leaders across the globe follow Jesus in fresh and exciting ways. In addition to teaching as an adjunct professor at several seminaries, he coaches, trains and educates leaders internationally across a broad theological spectrum and has consulted with hundreds of churches, districts, denominations, networks, synods and dioceses.
Beck earned a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Doctorate in Semiotics and Future Studies at Portland Seminary with his mentor Leonard Sweet. He’s the author of eight books and is considered a global thought leader in the missional church movement.
You can learn more at: Dr. Michael Adam Beck – Your Weakness Is Your Superpower
Find Michael's books at: Amazon.com: Michael Adam Beck: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
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