Watch Night Services: A Wesleyan New Years Tradition

Happy 2022! John Wesley often participated in Watch Night Services, also known as Covenant Services, on New Years Eve. Is this the Wesleyan form of New Year Resolutions? Is this tradition still around? How have different communities, particularly African American forms of Methodism, adopted and adapted the Watch Night Service?

GUESTS:

Dr. Martin Wellings serves as Superintendent Minister of the Barnet & Queensbury Circuit, in London, UK. He chairs the Faith and Order Committee of the British Methodist Church and is a Past President of the World Methodist Historical Society. He has recently become editor of the online Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland (https://dmbi.online/ ).

Dr. Sharon Grant is an Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Hood. She joined the faculty in 2016, and teaches the major required surveys on the History of Christianity and elective courses in the fields of American Religious History,  Wesleyan and Methodist Studies, Black Church History and World Religions. As a former environmental scientist, her research interests have converged to integrate religious studies, theological inquiry and scientific content as the Founder and Director of the International Center of Faith, Science and History.

HOST:

Dr. Ashley Boggan Dreff, General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church. Dreff earned her PhD from Drew Theological School’s Graduate Division of Religion, specializing in both Methodist/Wesleyan Studies and Women’s/Gender Studies. She earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago’s Divinity School, specializing in American Religious History.

Resilience: Rethink Church AudioMag January 2022

In January of 2022, we’ve focused on resilience. And we have some great posts about how you can keep on keeping on through 2022 (and beyond… as these ideas are not bound by this particular place in time). In this episode we’ll hear:

  • “How faith builds your resilience skills” by Ryan Dunn.
  • “Learning resilience in the most unexpected way” by Joseph Yoo
  • “Stop teaching spiritual gifts, watch Encanto instead” by Nathan Webb
  • “How faith can inspire resilience for 2022” by Madison Myers
  • And our flashback article is “Living and the image of God” also by Ryan Dunn

So let’s enter into our January 2022 edition of the Rethink Church audio magazine.

When respect is greater than conflict with David Field

Dr. David Field, Ecumenical Staff Officer for Faith & Order and Theological Dialogue for The United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops, shares thoughts on how we, as Christians, might follow the complex command to love – and respect – all people, even those with whom we vehemently disagree.

Discover how respect for others can help you keep your spirit in shape.

David is the Ecumenical Staff Officer for Faith & Order and Theological Dialogue for The United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops. Originally from South Africa, David lives in Basel, Switzerland, where he is a member of the Kleinbasel congregation of The UMC.

MyCom podcast Ep. 069: 5 Podcasts you should check out in 2022

On this third and final episode of the “podcasting trilogy”, Dan runs through several recommendations of podcasts that are incredible examples of storytelling, teaching the Bible and much more. If you want to know what other podcasters are doing within this medium, here’s a great place to start to figure out what to listen to.

For more information on the podcasts discussed, find links below:

UMC Affiliated Podcasts:
https://www.umc.org/en/rethink-church/compass-podcast
https://www.resourceumc.org/en/agencies/communications/church-and-conference-resources/podcasts/digital-parish-podcast
https://www.umc.org/en/content/get-your-spirit-in-shape
https://www.la-umc.org/podcast
https://www.defininggrace.com/artofthesermon/

Storytelling Podcasts:
https://99percentinvisible.org/
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/anthropocene-reviewed

Trusted Resources Podcasts:
https://www.akimbo.link/
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/podcasts

The Q&A Show Podcasts:
https://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Weekday/Ask-NT-Wright-Anything
https://prochurchtools.com/free-tools/?tab=podcast

Teaching the Bible podcasts:
https://bibleproject.com/podcasts/the-bible-project-podcast/
https://www.pulpitfiction.com/

Prayer and Contemplation podcast:
https://pray-as-you-go.org/

Kids and Family podcasts:
https://www.yourclassical.org/podcast/yourclassical-storytime
https://www.highlightskids.com/listen
https://tinkercast.com/shows/wow-in-the-world/

For 80 years, United Methodist Communications has been leading the church in telling inspirational stories of God’s work in the world through The United Methodist Church, reaching new people, supporting local churches in vibrant communications ministry, equipping leaders and delivering messages of hope and healing.

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We’d love your input! Send ideas to podcast@umcom.org

Rethink Church AudioMagazine for January 2022

We’ve taken several of the most-read articles from the Rethink Church page (www.umc.org/rethinkchurch) and brought them to you in audio form, so you can now get tips on spiritual practices, ideas on social justice interventions, and perspectives on healthy living wherever you listen.

In this initial edition of the Rethink Church AudioMag:

“5 ways to be more spiritual” from Mandy Sloan McDow

https://www.umc.org/en/content/5-ways-to-be-more-spiritual

“Does Jesus have something to teach us about toxic busyness” by Ryan Dunn

https://www.umc.org/en/content/does-jesus-have-something-to-teach-about-busyness

“When my faith is frightening” by Joseph Yoo

https://www.umc.org/en/content/when-my-faith-is-frightening

“Maybe God doesn’t have an exact plan for your life” by Madison Myers

https://www.umc.org/en/content/maybe-god-doesnt-have-an-exact-plan-for-your-life

And “Body and Blood: the true horror of Midnight Mass” from Nathan Webb

https://www.umc.org/en/content/body-and-blood-the-true-horror-of-midnight-mass

Give Love: Radical hospitality with John Calhoun

United Methodist missionary the Rev. John Calhoun, who pastors the English-Speaking United Methodist Church of Vienna (ESUMC), shares how radical hospitality with a multicultural population is playing an important role in congregations in Austria.

Discover how hospitality can help you keep your spirit in shape.

John is an ordained elder of the New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church who has served in New York City, Berlin, Jerusalem, Moscow and Kiev.