Month: September 2024

[99] Engaging with purpose: Best practices in digital ministry

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Discover how digital ministry has transformed from a niche to an essential part of church outreach. Dive into our latest MyCom episode for insights on purposeful digital ministry that bridges real and virtual communities.

Tap into practical strategies and insightful discussions featuring Charles Vogl, Dr. Kelly Price, Mike Kim, Nelson Musonda, and Dana Malstaff.

In this episode:

(00:00) Crash course in digital ministry and community-building.
(05:27) Value promise essential for audience engagement and retention.
(09:23) Four categories of motivating behavior.
(12:14) Personal brand: ideas, expertise, reputation, personality.
(17:33) Finding questions helps build online spiritual community.
(21:08) Create supportive, engaging posts to influence others.
(25:27) Compelling topics for valuable content
(27:10) Creating valuable, user-focused content by connecting beliefs.

MyCom is a production of United Methodist Communications and releases new episodes on the final Tuesday of each month.

Find notes and more episodes at www.resourceumc.org/mycom-podcast

Embracing Diversity in a World Where Racism is the “Air We Breathe”

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“Racism is the air we breathe, the water we swim in,” says the Rev.  Dr. Donnell FitzJeffries.

In this conversation about the complexities of racism, and the challenges of honest conversations, we are encouraged to be “holy surprised” at how the church an lead the way to be transformed by our collective diversity.

More information and a full transcript of this conversation are available here.

Have a question or comment? Email us at gysis@umcom.org

Connect with The United Methodist Church by visiting UMC.org.

Methodism in Latin America: The journey and the legacy that remains

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Join Dr. Ashley Boggan D., GCAH’s general secretary, and Dr. Philip Wingeier-Rayo, professor of Missiology, World Christianity and Methodist Studies at Wesley Theological Seminary, as they discuss the vibrant history of Methodism in Latin America. Learn about the courageous pioneers who brought their faith to a region dominated by Catholicism and how the legacy continues to thrive today.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Interested in a deep dive into the earliest stories of Methodism? Sign up for a free, online, four-module history course titled “Radicle Methodism: Back to our Roots” at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory/Radicle-Methodism.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

[141] Community, comedy and church renovation

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We’re exploring the innovative ways churches in Northern Virginia are blending spirituality and community outreach–from improv church to affordable housing.

In this episode of Compass, we’re visiting four unique and innovative expressions of church in Northern Virginia and Maryland.

See how Central United Methodist Church in the Ballston neighborhood renovated their old church building in order to meet the changing needs of their neighborhood and give life to new ministries. Visit a pop-up cafe with Provision Church, helping provide a community of care and support for those who are often overlooked. Spend a night at Improv Church, laughing a path to community connection. And dig into good work and a hearty bowl of soup with Coop’s Soups.

Find more on these unique ministries:

Central UMC: cumcballston.org
Provision Church: provisionchurchnova.org
Improv Church: thevineva.org
Coop’s Soups: coopssoups.com

In this episode:
(00:00) Church: community expressions beyond traditional worship settings.
(05:21) Central UMC modernized facilities for community benefit.
(08:38) Pastor Alyssa leads Provision Church, aiding homeless.
(12:31) Free meals foster community and mutual support.
(15:19) What happens at Improv Church
(16:51) Sermon-inspired skits with impactful dual-role pastor.
(21:28) Improv church attracts reluctant family and friends.
(26:02) Ministry practiced through connections at farmer’s market.
(28:25) Coop Soups and Improv Church embrace innovation.
(30:17) Learn more about ministries at umc.org.

Compass is a production of United Methodist Communications with new episodes every other Wednesday. Learn more at umc.org/compass

Faith, loss and the fight for inclusion: A mother’s story

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In a poignant and powerful conversation about faith and loss, Julie Hilliard Wood, a lifelong United Methodist, shares her family’s story of how homophobia and rejection within the church had devastating consequences and reminds us of how critically important it is to create safe and loving spaces for all of God’s children.

More information and a full transcript of this conversation are available here.

For more information or to purchase Wood’s book, “Changing the Message: Cruelty to Persons Who are Gay is Incompatible with Christian Teaching,” visit this link.

Have a question or comment? Email us at gysis@umcom.org

Connect with The United Methodist Church by visiting UMC.org.

Building real community in digital spaces with J.J. Warren

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This is going to be the final episode branded as Pastoring in the Digital Parish. Going forward, we’ll be building our digital ministry toolkits on the MyCom Podcast. So subscribe to that to keep growing in this area of ministry. www.resourceumc.org/mycom-podcast

In this episode, we get to visit with J.J. Warren and explore the evolving landscape of digital ministry. We talked about the dynamics of virtual church communities on platforms like Gather and Discord. J.J. shared the impactful journey of the Young Prophets Collective… which moved from a passionate group of young United Methodists to a thriving, inclusive all-digital worship community. 

Rev. J.J. Warren (he/him) is the author of two books: Reclaiming Church: A Call to Action for Religious Rejects and Where Two or Three are Connected: Being the Church in This New Era. After making an impassioned plea for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons at The United Methodist Church’s (UMC) top law-making assembly in 2019, Rev. J.J.’s speech went viral, and his advocacy has been covered by HuffPost, NBC, Brut Media, and WXXI Radio. He currently resides in Vienna where he is a lecturer at the University of Vienna and guest faculty online for the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.

For more episodes of MyCom and past episodes of Pastoring in the Digital Parish, visit ResourceUMC.org

[140] Real church in digital space with J.J. Warren

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We’re borrowing an important interview from the MyCom Podcast. Host Ryan Dunn talked with Rev. J.J. Warren about what defines a church and how J.J. is putting the definition into practice through the Church of the Young Prophets. Drawing from his theological background and experiences with the Young Prophets Collective, J.J. discusses the evolution of virtual worship spaces, the significance of platforms like Discord and Instagram, and the challenges of maintaining boundaries in digital ministry.

In this episode:
(00:00) Interview on digital church from Mycom podcast.
(06:15) Reexamining the church’s role in the pandemic.
(07:46) Online connections require time, energy, emotions. Church inheritance.
(13:13) Questioning if online platforms foster authentic relationships.
(16:51) Global young people shaping the church’s future.
(18:33) Church practices adapting online during pandemic in Philippines.
(22:50) Find agency and safety at Church of the Young Prophets.
(26:17) Gather Town provides intimacy and private spaces.
(29:13) Virtual office hours across multiple time zones.
(33:06) Access the Gather campus through website link.
(34:44) Proximity and intimacy.
(39:00) Online church community fosters intentional connections.
(42:33) Setting boundaries between online church and personal life.

For episode notes and more visit umc.org/compass