Learn and Lead Podcast

On this special edition of the Learn and Lead Podcast, we are taking a break from our regular programing to highlight some important conversations happening on the Faith and Race Podcast. In this episode of the Faith and Race Podcast, we'll learn about one of our Historically Black Churches in Kansas City, Missouri, St. James United Methodist Church. About This Episode of the Faith and Race Podcast Kansas City, Missouri. St. James United Methodist Church launched in 1973 when two small churches combined. Listen in as current pastor Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Cleaver III, Robert Silvan and Leola Evans share about the history and experience of the Historically Black Church. In This Episode 00:00: Church History Narration 4:30 1950s Change of Kansas City Landscape and the Beginning of St. James UMC 7:30 Taking A Stand and Doing Something About It 18:00 The Merging of a White and Black Church 22:20 Involvement in Politics 24:30 Raising Awareness in Younger People 26:00 A Long History of Involvement In Social Justice 28:30 Birthed Out of a Need for Social Justice and Action 30:30 The Congregation of St. James 35:00 How Would You Identify St. James 38:30 Leadership Demographics 44:00 White Flight and Neighborhood Churches 48:00 Disappointments with the Larger Church 54:00 Ivan Newton 60:00 Kansas City Police 65:00 Refocusing the Worship Effort About the Faith and Race Podcast The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond. “The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri's Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.

In a conversation that highlights churches in rural areas, Rev. Allen T. Stanton describes the challenges and opportunities facing churches in small town America and the unique position they have as potential agents of change within their communities.   About Allen Rev. Allen Stanton is the Chief of Mission Integration and Outreach at the University of Tennessee Southern, where he also serves as the Executive Director of the Turner Center for Rural Vitality. Allen is an ordained in the United Methodist Church. He is the author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations and holds degrees from Wake Forest University and Duke Divinity School. Allen lives in rural Tennessee with his wife and two daughters. RESOURCES Check out Allen's book, Reclaiming Rural, Building Thriving Rural Congregations (30% Discount RLFANDF30) Connect with Allen on Twitter at @atstanton or by email at ats@utsouthern.edu Certified Rural Training Ministry BeADisciple

“Churches do not get healthy and then do mission; churches get healthy by doing mission.” Check out this conversation with Rev. Dr. Michael Beck on Fresh Expressions and how you can form a new faith community in places where people are already gathering in contemporary culture. About Michael Beck Rev. Dr. Michael Beck is a pastor, professor and author. He is a spiritual guide who helps people heal, love and unleash imagination to create better lives, organizations and communities. Beck and his wife Jill are co-pastors of Wildwood UMC in Wildwood, Florida; St. Marks UMC in Ocala, Florida; and a network of 13 fresh expressions led by laity that gather in tattoo parlors, dog parks, burrito joints and digital spaces. They direct an inpatient rehab center, a shelter for those experiencing homelessness and an anti-racism movement. He serves as the director of Fresh Expressions for the Florida Conference of the UMC, director of the Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Theological Seminary and director of ReMissioning for Fresh Expressions US. Beck has a passion for helping laity and clergy plant new forms of church. He helps church leaders across the globe follow Jesus in fresh and exciting ways. In addition to teaching as an adjunct professor at several seminaries, he coaches, trains and educates leaders internationally across a broad theological spectrum and has consulted with hundreds of churches, districts, denominations, networks, synods and dioceses. Beck earned a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Doctorate in Semiotics and Future Studies at Portland Seminary with his mentor Leonard Sweet. He's the author of eight books and is considered a global thought leader in the missional church movement. You can learn more at: Dr. Michael Adam Beck – Your Weakness Is Your Superpower Find Michael's books at: Amazon.com: Michael Adam Beck: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Have you ever wondered, “What is this Enneagram thing I hear my friends, family and coworkers talking about?” Perhaps you know about the Enneagram already and are looking for a deeper dive conversation and resources to live and lead more faithfully into the calling God gave you. In this episode, Beth and Jeff McCord dig into all things Enneagram, including the theological discussion behind the Enneagram. Helpful Resources in this Episode: Free Enneagram Test Free Core Motivations download Free Mistyping Guide Discovering You course Learn about all 9 Types Becoming an Enneagram Coach course Should Christians Use the Enneagram I Origins of the Enneagram About Beth and Jeff  McCord are the founders of Your Enneagram Coach, an organization that uses the enneagram tool to help people see themselves with astonishing clarity through the lens of the Gospel, so they can break free from self-condemnation, fear, and shame by knowing and experiencing the unconditional love, forgiveness, and freedom in Christ. Beth (a Type 9) is an Enneagram speaker, coach and teacher and has been trained by enneagram experts and has poured hundreds of hours into advanced certifications. She is now leading the industry in simplifying the deep truths of the Enneagram from a Biblical perspective. Her husband Jeff (a Type 6) has a Master of Divinity as well as multiple certifications in pastoral counseling, family and church mediations, and Gospel coaching. The Enneagram transformed their life, family and ministry, and they have been helping others to do the same ever since. Beth and Jeff live outside of Nashville and has been married for 23 years. They have two adult children, Nate (a Type 6, Loyal Guardian) and Libby (a Type 2, Supportive Advisor).

A “3” on the Enneagram, mom to two toddlers (one with autism), serving two churches, and a daily rhythm of rippin' and running' to get it all done, Charity hit the floor. Literally. After what she describes as an “emotional heart attack,” she began a journey to find herself again and start living into the true purpose and calling God gave her while helping others to do the same. About Charity Rev. Charity Goodwin serves as the Clayton Site Pastor of The Gathering in St Louis. She has served in ministry for over 20 years and is a certified coach, author, facilitator and sought-after keynote speaker. She is the founder of Speaking Life where she helps people discover their calling and break free from the over-worked, over-productive, over-achieving life. She is the author of the book, GET UP: Unearthing your Passion and Taking Brave Action in 50 Days - a devotional journey that will lead you from burnout to breakthrough. Rev. Goodwin is also the co-founder of Black Genus School – a virtual learning community that provides engaging and empowering experiences for Black families and their school-age children. She is mom to Levi Nicolas, who she describes as the ham in the fam, and Gabriel Jicotea, the budding engineer and computer tech of the family. Gabriel has autism and has shaped and textured her voice with an empathy and realness that cannot be manufactured. Charity loves to dance, listen to podcasts, watch period dramas and spend time relaxing in her big comfy chair. Connect with Charity Visit www.charitygoodwin.com to purchase the book, GET UP and learn about coaching. Click here to join the waitlist for the New GET UP Facilitator Guide!

Freddy and his wife Yuri along with their three children answered Gods call to leave Cuba and start a new Hispanic church in Kansas City. About FreddyFreddy is originally from Cuba. An accomplished artist with amazing paintings he has sold for significant sums, Christ called him into ministry in the Cuba Methodist Church. National President of Young Adults of the Cuban Methodist Church. 2003 – 2007. Later he served as a pastor in three churches in succession. Each of them grew dramatically, all under a government system that is officially atheistic. Freddy is also a husband to Yuri and father of three, Sophia 11, Natalie 9, Nicolas who is 7. He lives a life on mission for God! After a two-year immigration process, Freddy and his family were finally able to arrive in the Kansas City airport on December 9, 2021. The Missouri Conference has invited Freddy to come here to start a new Hispanic Church in partnership with Christ UMC in Independence.

Learn the first steps to becoming a multicultural leader and practical ways you diversify leadership teams in your church.   About Nikki Nikki Lerner is a singer, author, speaker, and culture coach based in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. She spent over 20 years leading and building a successful multicultural creative department of over 150 people in an organization of over 4,000 people. A professional musician since the age of 19, Ms. Lerner is classically trained and has a degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy. She uses music and creative arts as a tool to bring people together cross-culturally and share a message of unity and reconciliation in a unique and powerful way that lectures, how-tos, sermons, or books just cannot accomplish.

What if you had a filter that would help you create a more effective planning and decision-making process for fulfilling your mission? Rev. Dr. Barry Winders, a United Methodist ordained elder in the Missouri Conference, talks about what he has learned in his 50 years of ministry and how to improve your decision-making with core ideas and initiatives through The Mission Filter. About: Rev. Dr. Barry Winders: is a United Methodist ordained elder who has served in ministry for the past 50 years. He has served as a senior pastor of growing churches in three different states and is passionate about empowering churches to stay focused on their mission for the transformation of the world. Barry has earned bachelors, masters and doctorate of ministry degrees and has written several books on missional effectiveness. Barry most recently served as a pastor of discipleship and care at Centenary UMC in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Barry and his wife Carmen of 41 years still live in Cape Girardeau.

Nikki Lerner is a singer, author, speaker, and culture coach based in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. She spent over 20 years leading and building a successful multicultural creative department of over 150 people in an organization of over 4,000 people. A professional musician since the age of 19, Ms. Lerner is classically trained and has a degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy. She uses music and creative arts as a tool to bring people together cross-culturally and share a message of unity and reconciliation in a unique and powerful way that lectures, how-tos, sermons, or books just cannot accomplish.

What do you do when you hit rock bottom? When you've lost all that matters in your past and your future to addiction? Courtney Trankle grew up an army brat and became addicted to drugs in her teen years. She spent 25 years using and trafficking drugs in Missouri before she landed in prison. In this episode, you'll hear about Courtney's journey of addiction and how God gave her Beauty for Ashes and is using her story for His glory.

Mark DeYmaz began working for a church when he graduated college. This led to an 18-year career in student ministry in all white churches. In the late 1990s, after a move to Little Rock, Arkansas, to serve at a well-established church, it dawned on DeYmaz that the only people of color in an otherwise amazing church were janitors. He quit the church and launched a 20+ year journey of bringing together diverse men and women from all walks of life and economic backgrounds who would worship God together as one. About MarkA thought-leading writer and recognized champion of the Multiethnic Church Movement, Mark planted the Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas in 2001 where he continues to serve as Directional Leader. In 2004, he co-founded the Mosaix Global Network with Dr. George Yancey and has written seven books including, The Coming Revolution in Church Economics; Disruption: Repurposing the Church to Redeem the Community; and Building a Healthy Multiethnic Church. Mark also coaches and consults with churches and has academic partnerships with several colleges and seminaries to advance and sustain the work of establishing the Multiethnic church movement.

You may not question whether you can lead change, but you've probably asked yourself if you can survive it. With so many decisions (and criticisms) coming at our church leaders, how do they prioritize what to do first while simultaneously dealing with the soul-sucking internal resistance they often face when trying to make changes? Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains and his most recent book, Tempered Resilience shares how you can move from surviving in the crucible of change to thriving in it.

Nathan Paulus knew from the age of 18 that he wanted to start a church. From his early roots of starting churches in Kenya with his Dad to a parachute drop in Wichita, Kansas, and the launch of another church in Ohio, Nathan shares what he has learned along the way and the strategy and model he uses to plant churches. About Nathan Nathan, his wife, Miranda, and son, Micaiah, moved to Wichita to start Radiant Church in November 2015. Since then, he has helped launch another church in Ohio and is in the process of launching two more sites (one in Kansas and one in Ohio) within the next five years. Nathan grew up in a Christian home and put his faith in Jesus at age 7. From that moment he felt the call of God in his life to tell as many people as possible about God's love and Christ's sacrifice. Nathan has pursued that call in his life by working for various nonprofit ministries, churches and co-founding a ministry in Kenya, Africa. He loves God passionately and enjoys being with people, encouraging them to see their true identity in Christ, and to understand the grace and forgiveness of God. He enjoys spending time with family, the great outdoors, a good cup of coffee, sports of all kinds but especially soccer, and loves the adventure of following Christ. 

Danielle Reeves is a church planter in Colorado who flipped the traditional church model to start Resilience Church right in the middle of the pandemic. She is 25 years strong as a woman in ministry with a whole lot of grit and grind for discipling believers and reaching people outside of the church.

From a hierarchical system to shared leadership. From helping at a distance to being in proximity with those we seek to serve. Check out this conversation with Rev. Diane Kenaston and Pantry Board Leader, Mary Fox from University UMC in St. Louis where they share how shared leadership and building high-trust relationships has changed the way they do ministry.  

Amid a pandemic, the idea of starting a recovery program for people struggling with addiction in Jackson, MO seems crazy but that’s exactly what the leaders at Breaking Bonds Ministry and New McKendree UMC did.  

Register for the April 10 laity event through April 3, 2021. Learn more and register here: moumethodist.org/susanbeaumont How do you lead when you are stuck between an ending and a new beginning-when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? Beaumont calls such in-between times liminal seasons-threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead. Susan Beaumont is a consultant, coach, and spiritual director. She has worked with hundreds of congregations and denominational bodies across the United States and in Canada. Susan is known for engaging the best of business practice, filtered through the lens of careful theological reflection. She moves easily between discernment and decision making and nurtures the soul of the leader along with the soul of the institution. Before establishing her own practice, Susan worked for nine years as a Senior Consultant with the Alban Institute. Susan has also served on the faculty of two business schools and a seminary, teaching graduate level courses in leadership, change management and organizational behavior. She has corporate experience in human resource management and organizational development. Susan's educational background includes a M.B.A. from Northwestern University and a M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary. She is also a graduate of the Shalem Institute in Spiritual Formation.

You may not question whether you can lead change, but you’ve probably asked yourself if you can survive it. With so many decisions (and criticisms) coming at our church leaders, how do they prioritize what to do first while simultaneously dealing with the soul-sucking internal resistance they often face when trying to make changes? Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains and his most recent book, Tempered Resilience shares how you can move from surviving in the crucible of change to thriving in it.   Tod Bolsinger, MDiv, PhD, is the Executive Director of the De Pree Center Church Leadership Initiative, a Senior Fellow of the De Pree Center for Leadership, and Associate Professor of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. Tod was the founder of the Fuller Leadership Platform, an innovative approach to online formation and leadership development and served as a Vice President of Fuller Seminary for six years. He is the author of five books, including the Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year in pastoral leadership, Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory, Leadership for a Time of Pandemic: Practicing Resilience and Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change.  He served as a pastor for 27 years. Bolsinger speaks, consults and is an executive coach for corporate, non-profit, educational, and church organizations in transformational leadership. His blogs and other resources can be found at depree.org/church.   Tod is married to Beth, an executive coach, consultant, and professional artist. They have two adult children, Brooks and Ali, and a son-in-law, Ben. An avid outdoor lover, if he hadn’t taken biology after lunch in high school, Tod would have been a National Park Ranger.  When he retires, he is going to do hiking trail maintenance, trout rescue, and be a ski host who makes sure there are four people on every quad chair lift. 

In 2020, Rev. Williams accepted the call to serve as Associate Director for Mission, Service, and Justice for the Missouri Conference. But the journey that took her from her American Baptist roots to the United Methodist tribe can be traced back to her childhood. Hear the stories that influenced her to full-time ministry, the heart God gave her for healing the wounds of racism and what she envisions for the office of Mission, Service and Justice in 2021. About Rev. Williams: A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Rev. Williams has celebrated ties to United Methodism that go back to her childhood days. However, her vocational story within the Methodist tradition began in 2009 as a layperson invited to serve in Church Development for the Indiana Conference. This journey eventually led her to answer the call to ordination and three appointments to serve the local church in a multi-area, multi-ethnic charge in Indianapolis. During her tenure in Indiana, Rev. Williams resourced more than 200 congregations in both English and Spanish speaking contexts, she helped launch and lead conference strategies for transformational ministry with new and existing faith communities; and she became a sought-after leader among the network of developers and general agency partners across the Connection.

Adam Mustoe – a Gallup certified Strengths Coach and second-generation pastor, shares how you can unlock and leverage your unique talents and strengths to make the greatest possible contributions possible to your work and ministry. About Adam: Adam Mustoe lives in Kearney, Missouri where he serves as Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church. As a Gallup Certified Strengths coach part of his mission is to help guide people to the place they are gifted and called. Adam loves being with his wife Sarah and their two children, BBQ, and a good one-liner.  Host: Roger Ross

Did you know that in 1776 there were only 65 Methodist congregations in the United States? At that time, only one in 50 people identified as Methodist. By 1850 that number grew exponentially to 13,305 Methodist congregations, and one in three people identified as Methodist. Today we are nowhere near that. What changed? Rev. Dr. Ken Nash is the lead pastor of Wesleyan Church of Hamburg in Hamburg, New York, and has overseen the launching of 15 new campuses or church plants around the country, all led by laypersons from the local church. He shares practical tips on the concept of multiplication and the “art of reproducing yourself” including the simple and effective FAN method.   About Ken: Rev. Dr. Ken Nash serves as the Lead Pastor at the Wesleyan Church of Hamburg near Buffalo, New York.  His doctoral research involved the training and sending of laypersons to launch multi-site campuses.  He is currently on staff at Asbury Theological Seminary as a dissertation coach.  Ken is a frequent conference speaker and consultant for churches throughout the country.  He is an avid sports fan and adventurist having recently completed a marathon across the Grand Canyon.  His lively and creative teaching style will keep you engaged in the material and will give you a desire to live out what you have just learned.  Ken married his college sweetheart, and they have three teenagers and a three year old son with Down Syndrome and lots of smiles. Hosts: Roger Ross and Lia McIntosh

Susie has a unique perspective when it comes to reconciliation and justice issues. Canadian by birth, Korean by heritage, Mexican by marriage, American by immigration and a woman serving in ministry where the pulpit is predominately all male. She is a Kingdom worker with a heart for desegregating the local church and empowering women to know that they have a vital voice. About Susie: Susie is Canadian by birth, Korean by heritage, Mexican by marriage and American by immigration. She is passionate about matters surrounding reconciliation, justice, and the Gospel. Susie and her husband Marcos met at Fuller Theological Seminary while getting their M.A. in Intercultural Studies and now have four beautiful LatAsian babies. After serving as a youth pastor and church planter in South Central Los Angeles for 14 years, Susie now lives in Long Beach, CA where she serves on staff with Light and Life Christian Fellowship.

Episode Description A conversation about meeting Jesus at mile marker 164 on I-55 south, losing a child to an overdose, and walking out that pain by leading Alpha one of the most fruitful and evangelistic ministries of our time. About Kelly: Kelly Morton loves to talk with people about most anything, especially faith. Being an only child and moving around a lot as a kid she learned young how to converse with people from all walks and backgrounds-a skill that has come in handy more than once in her life! If she is not engaged with someone talking about life you can often find her sitting on her porch reading, caring for her potted jungle and watching the bird’s flit by. Coming to faith late in life (through many strange and interesting happenings and people) has changed everything. She describes herself as an “unintentional seeker of Jesus who was met with the radical mercy, love and grace of Jesus Christ” and hasn’t looked back. Because of this she is passionate to share her journey of faith, especially with those who do not see themselves as people who need or want Jesus in their lives.

How do you lead when you are stuck between an ending and a new beginning-when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? Beaumont calls such in-between times liminal seasons-threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead. Susan Beaumont is a consultant, coach, and spiritual director. She has worked with hundreds of congregations and denominational bodies across the United States and in Canada. Susan is known for engaging the best of business practice, filtered through the lens of careful theological reflection. She moves easily between discernment and decision making and nurtures the soul of the leader along with the soul of the institution. Before establishing her own practice, Susan worked for nine years as a Senior Consultant with the Alban Institute. Susan has also served on the faculty of two business schools and a seminary, teaching graduate level courses in leadership, change management and organizational behavior. She has corporate experience in human resource management and organizational development. Susan's educational background includes a M.B.A. from Northwestern University and a M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary. She is also a graduate of the Shalem Institute in Spiritual Formation.

If you have served in ministry for any length of time you will experience great joys and great sorrows. In this episode, we had the honor and privilege of talking with Revered Cody Collier who recently retired after over 40 years in ministry serving United Methodist churches in Georgia, Tennessee, and Missouri. Cody reflects on the powerful moments he experienced in ministry, a regret he carries, an experience with the KKK, and an interesting encounter in college with Oprah Winfrey. About Cody: Cody is a native of Nashville, Tenn., and a graduate of Tennessee State University. He earned the Master of Divinity Degree in 1979 from Gammon Seminary, Atlanta, Ga., where he received the James H. Clark Preaching Award. In 1999, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Gammon Seminary. He has served churches in Georgia, Tennessee, and Missouri. In 1984, he became a member of the Missouri West Annual Conference and has pastored Longview and One Spirit United Methodist Churches in Kansas City before becoming district superintendent of the former Kansas City North and then Heartland South Districts. He is presently assistant to the Bishop and lives in Independence. 

Pete Scazzero, after leading New Life Fellowship Church for 26 years, co-founded Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, a groundbreaking ministry that moves the church forward by slowing the church down in order to multiply deeply changed leaders and disciples. Pete hosts the top-ranked Emotionally Healthy Leader podcast and is the author of a number of bestselling books, including The Emotionally Healthy Leader and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Pete and his wife Geri also developed The Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course (Part 1 and 2), a powerful resource that moves people from a shallow to a deep relationship with Jesus.    For more information, visit emotionallyhealthy.org or connect with Pete on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @petescazzero. Pete and Geri remain vital members of New Life.

Debi Nixon serves as one of the Executive Directors at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, with direct oversight of ShareChurch.com and Donor Development. She is passionate about the renewal of the church and helps lead Church of the Resurrection’s initiatives for leadership training and resource sharing for churches across the country. Debi has a BS in Marketing and spent ten years in corporate sales, training, special event planning, and retail management. Debi is author of CATCH: A Churchwide Evangelism Program by Abingdon Press and her new book the Art of Hospitality will be released in June.   Dan Entwistle is the Senior Executive Director at the Church of the Resurrection, where he has served for 28 years. He serves in a “second chair” position, supporting the Senior Pastor and giving daily leadership and management to teams that serve on the church’s five campuses.  Dan has an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina and a Master in Business Administration from Baker University.  He is the author of Recruiting Volunteers, published by Abingdon Press.  Dan lives with his wife and kids is a rural community just south of Kansas City.

Roger Ross and Melanie Smollen discuss how to turn a crisis into a blessing with Rebekah Simon-Peter.

Roger Ross, Director of Congregational Excellence interviews Rev. Charity Goodwin, Associate Pastor of Missouri United Methodist Church about her personal trials and triumphs with emotionally healthy leadership. 

Revs. Lia McIntosh and Roger Ross speak with Rev. Luke Edwards, trainer for Fresh Expressions US, on innovative mission and how Fresh Expressions can be used to reach people for Jesus Christ and transform the world.

This time on the Learn and Lead podcast we’ll be talking about starting new small groups. A small group is a group of 3-12 people that gathers at least twice a month to experience what it means to Know, Care, Grow and Share. Our teachers will be Robyn Miller and Angie McNeil, who serve at Woods Chapel UMC in Lee Summit, Missouri. They will be sharing their personal experience with starting new small groups as well as their vision for leadership development.

Charity Goodwin serves as Pastor of Discipleship at Missouri United Methodist Church in Columbia, Missouri. Scott Hughes serves as Director of Adult Discipleship for Discipleship Ministries. Together they will be sharing their expertise on how to organize groups and extend our relationships. For resources related to this podcast, visit www.moumethodist.org.

During this Learn and Lead podcast, we’re discussing missional communities. We’ll talk about what your local church needs to start its own missional communities, and Brandon Wrencher will share about The Good Neighbor Movement, a movement that returns to a vision of the local church as networks of small covenant communities that follow Jesus’ way of life in the neighborhood.

During this Learn and Lead podcast, we will hear from Bob Crossman and Jimmy Cooper. Bob Crossman serves as a Path One Representative for the South Central jurisdiction. He has planted churches, is an expert in evangelism, and has experience equipping leaders to start New Places for New People. Jimmy Cooper serves as the lead pastor at The Way, a new church started in Wentzville, Missouri. Ordained in 2011, Cooper is passionate about making disciples, his family and the church. He will be providing a church planter’s point of view as we discuss how to continue growing and giving throughout the summer.

Why and how to lead someone to follow Christ for the first time and rediscover relational discipleship in transformation community via their book, The Band Meeting.  In The Band Meeting, Kevin Watson and Scott Kisker give an overview of the richness of this early tradition and introduce a practical approach for growing toward an authentic, transformation-oriented small group experience. Kevin Watson and Scott Kisker, authors of The Band Meeting, will present.

A small group is a group of 3-12 people that gathers at least twice a month to experience what it means to Know, Care, Grow and Share. In this webinar Rev. Leanna Weber will share tips and methods for starting a small group ministry at your church. Leanna Weber is an adult ministry director at the Plainfield location of Community Christian Church based out of the Chicago-land area. Early adulting as a high school math teacher, Leanna later found herself drawn to ministry on a full-time basis. Her current role at Community is overseeing adult ministry at their ten locations. She thrives on being a visionary, teammate and seeing other people live in their calling.

A recovery ministry is a group of any size that helps people recover from addictions, such as Celebrate Recovery or another Christian 12-step approach. Revs. Shane Laswell and Keith Scarborough will share about the successful Celebrate Recovery ministry at Morning Star Church and how your church can step into the realm of recovery ministry. Rev. Keith Scarborough is the Care and Recovery Pastor at Morning Star Church in O'Fallon, Missouri. Rev. Shane Laswell is the Pastor of Recovery at Morning Star Church in O'Fallon.

Rev. Dr. Ken Nash is the lead pastor of Wesleyan Church of Hamburg in Hamburg, New York, and gives practical tips on the concept of multiplication and the “art of reproducing yourself” including the simple and effective FAN method.