June 13, 2023
Loneliness and the Church
America is facing an epidemic of loneliness. That is the conclusion of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in his New York Times article. “At any moment,” he wrote, “about one out of every two Americans is experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.” Loneliness was not unknown in Wesley’s eighteenth century. It was a time of massive social dislocation, with people forced out of rural areas and finding themselves alone in cities and coal mining areas. What is the role of the church in meeting that loneliness? Read more here→
Upcoming Events
Imagine Something New at Dream Lab
Get out of the office and into a creative headspace. Dream Lab, a 24-hour retreat to the Lodge of the Four Seasons, is designed for you and your local church leadership to imagine and brainstorm about something new for your ministry. A facilitator will guide your group through creative prompts and questions to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into the next dream God has for your church. Learn more and register your local church team→
Other Upcoming Events
See the full events calendars at www.moumethodist.org/events
Featured Resource
Mozambique Initiative Mobile Health Clinic
The Mozambique Initiative supports access to healthcare in rural Mozambican communities through its mobile health clinics. Oftentimes, geographic distance makes basic health services inaccessible. Mobile health clinics reduce the distance between the community and its medical care. Closing this gap improves outcomes for pregnant women, children under five and those suffering from easily curable, yet potentially deadly, diseases. We’ve created resources, so you can share how mobile health clinics are improving lives with your church group. Access a one-page info sheet, shareable infographics and more. Learn more and download here→
Absorb Online Learning Platform is Available!
The Missouri Annual Conference is excited to roll out Absorb, a new learning management system featuring asynchronous online learning opportunities. Absorb is an on-demand learning platform that offers online courses on your timeline, at a pace that works for you. The goal of this learning platform is to support educational opportunities for those seeking lay certification as well as equip local church leaders on a variety of topics to support their work.
Cross-Racial/Cross-Cultural Ministry Toolkit
The work of cross-racial/cross-cultural (CRCC) ministry requires one to juggle a variety of mindsets, heart sets, and skill sets. This work requires one to root one’s identity in a spirit of openness and humility as one journeys with others across differences. This can be complex and nuanced work that oftentimes necessitates additional care and support. The General Commission on Religion and Race has developed a variety of different resources to empower, prepare and equip CRCC ministry leaders across diverse ministry contexts to do their best work. Use this toolkit to familiarize yourself and your local faith community with practical resources for forming a healthy, sustainable CRCC ministry partnership.
See the full resource library at www.moumethodist.org/resourcelibrary
