Annual Old McKendree Service 

Bring a lawn chair and worship at the historic Old McKendree Chapel, the oldest Protestant church standing west of the Mississippi River. Celebrate the chapel's 216th year with this yearly service, an annual event hosted by the McKendree Memorial Chapel Association.

Date: September 28, 2025
Time: 2PM
4080 Bainbridge Rd. Jackson, MO 63755

MUMF Ministry Grants

The Missouri United Methodist Foundation grant program is accepting grant applications for the Fall 2025 grant cycle. Grant applications are due October 1. The MUMF grants cover a wide variety of ministry opportunities.

For more information, visit https://mumf.org/churches-organizations/ministry-grants/

Conference Fall Grant Cycle - NOW OPEN

Whether you’re planning a new place for new people, mission project or other ministry project, there’s a grant for that! Missouri United Methodist Churches can apply for funds to support both big and small, new and existing local ministry projects. Applications are due Oct. 1.

To learn more and to read about the different areas of funding, visit: https://southeast.moumethodist.org/post/conferences-fall-grant-cycle-now-open-19257342

 Carried by Hope Spiritual Life Retreat

Join the Missouri Conference and The Center of the Ozarks for Carried by Hope, a spiritual life retreat, Oct. 17-18 in Springfield. The retreat is designed for all participants to find opportunities for spiritual growth through worship, fellowship meals and reflection. Learn more and register by Oct. 13 at https://kwumc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2956164

 CMU to Host Praise Music Competition at Sikeston First UMC on 10/26
Scholarship Opportunities Attached

This fall, Central is bringing the stage to communities across the state with five district-level competitions hosted at United Methodist churches. Churches are invited to sign up their youth praise bands or standout musicians to compete in one of these local events. The competitions will be split into two categories, bands and individuals.
District winners in the band category will receive a trophy and advance to the statewide praise band competition held in February, during the annual Central’s Got Talent finals. In the individual category, scholarships and spots in the Central’s Got Talent showcase are up for grabs, with full-tuition scholarships possible for CGT winners.
The South East District competition will be held on October 26 at Sikeston First UMC in Sikeston. Central’s Got Talent and the statewide finals will be held on the CMU campus on February 19.
Praise bands and individual musicians of all faiths are invited to participate. Spots are limited in each district. To register for any of the district competitions, visit https://forms.office.com/r/fiZT0tTvbm. For all competition dates, see the Central’s Got Praise page on the CMU website: https://www.centralmethodist.edu/about/fine-arts/events/Central%20Got%20Praise.html.

 Flood Bucket Challenge

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. With natural disasters on the rise and the start of hurricane season, the Missouri Conference is issuing a callout for UMCOR Cleaning Kits. Deploying kits is just one way Missouri United Methodists show up and serve when it matters most. Getting involved is easy: Commit to build the kits in September and complete the task any time this fall. Learn more www.moumethodist.org/newsdetail/flood-bucket-callout-issued-for-disaster-preparedness-month-19285921

 NextGen Summer 2026 Preview

 Antiques Appraisal Event

Register Now for Modern Worship Course + Cohort

The Institute of Modern Worship is now enrolling for its Course + Cohort for the 2025-2026 school year. The Course + Cohort will continue to focus on a core foundation of worship ministry: Wesleyan theology, worship administration, leadership and worship artistry, with the addition of a new curriculum in the Leadership Module from Development Dimensions, Int'l (DDI), a world leader in leadership development education and resources. This fall there are several registration options, to fit both individuals and church budgets. Along with our Year-Long Course + Cohort, they now also offer semester-long, individual module, and independent study versions as well. To learn more and to register go to https://www.worshipinstitute.org/course-cohort-details.

Curriculum Discounts Available

Missouri Conference NextGen Ministries is excited to offer discounts on curriculum produced by top kids and youth ministry providers. New this year: We've added discounts on Illustrated Ministry curriculum!
This resource is available for any ministry leader working with kids and youth. We hope that providing these discounts will create a little space in ministry budgets and that leaders can use those dollars to do the project or program they’ve been dreaming about. Interested clergy, laity and NextGen leaders should fill out the curriculum discount request form to indicate which provider’s materials they’re interested in. Then, NextGen Ministries will send you the steps for redeeming your discount as well as your promo code. See the providers and get your discount →

Windows Ending Support for Windows 10

Windows 10 support ends Oct. 2025 which means no more updates or security fixes for computers running that operating system.

If your church needs help determining if your computer can upgrade to Windows 11, GCFA has provided resources through UMC Technology Support to help you stay secure and up-to-date.

UMC Support can check your upgrade eligibility to determine if you can upgrade or if you need a new PC. If your PC is not eligible to upgrade, they offer deep discounts to help you save money.

To watch a video with FAQ and for more resources follow this link: https://www.gcfa.org/resource/windows-10-end-of-life