News from us [link removed] October 10, 2023
Surprise

In this month's column, Bishop Farr connects his experience watching his apple tree thrive after a difficult season to God's current work in the church. "We serve an abundant God who wants good things for his people and church. We just might be surprised by what God can do through His church. Could we need significant pruning so that a new harvest of abundance could appear?" [link removed] Read more here→

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Upcoming Events


Registration Closes Soon for Small- and Medium-sized Church Event
Join us on Saturday, Oct. 28, for How to Do More with Less: Strategies for the Small- and Medium-sized Church. Rebekah Simon-Peter will join us and share practical pathways forward for all ministry contexts. Our time together will include learning, conversation and application. Both laity and clergy on ministry teams are encouraged to attend. [link removed] Learn more and register→
Other Upcoming Events
October 12 - [link removed] Children's Ministry Virtual Meet-Up (12 and 6:15 p.m.)
October 12 - [link removed] Youth Ministry Virtual Meet-Up (12 and 6:15 p.m.)
October 18 - [link removed] J [link removed] ump Start: Discipleship [link removed] (Columbia)
October 28 - [link removed] How to Do More with Less (Columbia)
November 6 - 8 - [link removed] Church Planting Intensive
November 7 - [link removed] Christian Leadership and Visioning (Virtual)
November 11 - [link removed] Early Response Team Training
November 11 - [link removed] Ministry of All Believers (Bridgeton)
November 11 - [link removed] Spiritual Gifts (Independence)
November 15 - [link removed] Jump Start: Evangelism (Columbia)
See the full events calendars at [link removed] www.moumethodist.org/events

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Featured Resources

Laity Sunday is October 15
Laity Sunday celebrates the ministry of all Christians as they love God and neighbor. As God’s people grow in grace to become “all-love” disciples in community, we gather with others and connect all to God’s saving love in Jesus Christ. So, on Laity Sunday (this year, October 15, 2023), we continue to lift up the vocation of all (all means all) to follow the way of Jesus and lead others to him – particularly as we consider what it means to hold fast to the pattern of healthy, sound words that bring life to all our relationships. [link removed] Learn more here→

[link removed] Traditional Churches: Four Steps for Starting New Things and Reaching New People
The reality of decline is felt on so many levels. Survival has become the goal. If we are willing, we can do better than that. Fresh expressions of church are new, contextual faith communities that are tethered to an established congregation. They exist to reach different people, but they also have the ability to bring new life and energy to a traditional congregation. Introducing your congregation to the Fresh Expressions mission is very doable, but it does take some thought and may even be painful at first. There is a process or path to walk that can lead to new life and an energized Gospel mission.
[link removed] 3 Things to Consider as You Seek to Reach Gen Z and the Current Climate of Our Students
Gen Z is different than older generations. It's one of the biggest disruptors to church attendance and engagement. How do we reach students who aren’t as interested in what’s being offered at church anymore?
See the full resource library at [link removed] www.moumethodist.org/resourcelibrary


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Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
3601 Amron Court, Columbia, MO 65202 | 573-441-1770
www.moumethodist.org