Worship Matters

Dear Children of God is a three-part worship series designed to carry us through the summer months with a sense of playfulness and encouragement. But that doesn't mean there aren't serious and weighty issues in this series. Based on the Epistle texts from the lectionary, Dear Children of God asks us how we might communicate the essentials of the faith with modern technology. Whether texting, email, or snail mail letters the proclamation of the faith is both a responsibility and a joy for every Christian community. Listen in as the Worship Team walks us through this innovative series and invites each worship team to embrace the grace of summer worship.

The third of the high holy celebrations of the liturgical year, Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the church. It is certainly a day of empowerment and celebration, as the Worship Team at Discipleship Ministries presents in the two-part series “All Access.” If Easter “rends the veil” and opens God's heart to the world, then Pentecost is where we are equipped and transformed to be able to fulfill the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Trinity Sunday, then, continues the conversation as we explore our experience of the God who calls and equips and sends. Join us for this lively conversation about Pentecost, Trinity Sunday and our “All Access” pass into a future with hope.

In this episode, Lisa Hancock interviews members of the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement who were part of a team that wrote worship resources for our Eastertide series “Believing Into Christ.” They discuss the intersectional perspectives on creation justice that weave throughout the resources and the various ways congregations can engage these materials throughout Eastertide and beyond. Tune in to learn more about these worship resources, as well as tools and ideas for integrating creation justice into worship throughout the year.

Lent and Holy Week and Easter are often times of intense activity and special worship experiences in the local church. The Worship Team from Discipleship Ministries presents an innovative worship series that takes the worshiper from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. Titled Steadfast Love: A Lenten Playlist, this series takes music from a variety of genres to help deepen our experience of the profound themes of this holy season. Listen in as the team shares their excitement about this series and then some highlights of other projects coming from Discipleship Ministries. You won't want to miss it.

This high and holy season is a favorite in many communities. Join the Worship Team from Discipleship Ministries as they discuss resources for Advent with an experiential emphasis as again we are invited to “Come, Let Us Adore Him” this season. And then hear how we launch a new calendar year with reflections on what it means to be community with “Re-Membering the Body” for Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord Sunday and then “Where You Are” a reflective reorienting of self and congregation for Ordinary Time.

One of the most popular features on the Discipleship Ministries website is the ongoing series History of Hymns. These insightful articles give worship planners and music lovers a deeper look into our favorite hymns for worship. The editor and most frequent writer of the History of Hymns is Dr. C. Michael Hawn, DMA, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church Music, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. He joined Perkins faculty in 1992 and retired from fulltime status in 2017. Previously he was professor of church music at two Baptist seminaries for a total of 15 years. In addition to teaching, he has served churches in Kentucky, Georgia, North Caolina and Texas as minister of music. In addition to over 500 articles, reviews books and curriculum materials, Dr. Hawn began writing the “History of Hymns” in 2004 for The United Methodist Reporter and now for Discipleship Ministries. Join us for this lively conversation, full of stories and music with Dr. Michael Hawn.

Dr. Diana Sanchez-Bushong, Executive Director of Worship Ministries and Director of Music Ministries, discusses the project to vet contemporary music for its theological soundness and appropriateness for worship in United Methodist congregations. Joining her are two members of the 2024 team – Dr. Nelson Cowan, Project Manager; and Felicia Patton – both United Methodist musicians and worship leaders working in the church. Join us to learn about the criteria and process in this vital project for modern worship in The United Methodist Church.

Joining Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching Ministries for this episode is the Rev. Sara McKinley, formerly Director of the Office of Clergy Excellence at the Florida Conference Center in Lakeland and now Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Naples Florida. Sara was born in England, raised in Africa, worked in the Far East, traveled extensively throughout the world, and chose to live in the United States. Before her call to ordained ministry, she worked in the juvenile court system in Worcester, MA; international corporate business in the U.S and the Far East; and co-owned a graphic design business in Florida for 12 years. She has degrees from the University of Bristol, England; Clark University, Worcester, MA; and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. As a part of the Lilly Endowment's Compelling Preaching Initiative, Sara and a team of pastors and theologians developed worship resources called Wesleyan Rooted, https://www.wesleyanrooted.org/. These free resources are available outside the Florida Conference and are a part of the movement to reclaim our identity and roots as a Wesleyan rooted denomination. Listen in as we share more details about the resources and the creating team's vision for the project.

In this episode, Diana Sanchez-Bushong and Lisa Hancock interview Becky Posey Williams, Senior Director of Sexual Ethics and Advocacy for the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCOSROW), and Rev. Stephanie Arnold, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, about their work planning and hosting a Service of Lament, Confession, and Hope for survivors of sexual misconduct, which was held during General Conference. They also discuss the resolution that passed at General Conference requiring that all annual conferences read an apology to survivors of sexual misconduct at their next meeting and the work ahead as GCOSROW continues to train and advocate for ethical conduct in The United Methodist Church. You can find the full text of the apology here. The full liturgy for the Service of Lament, Confession, and Hope is available in English, French, and Portuguese here. You can hear Bishop LaTrelle Easterling's sermon on ending violence against women at General Conference here.

Ordinary Time is anything but! At least that is the choice before us. In this episode, the Worship Team introduces the first two worship series after Pentecost for this long summer season we call Ordinary Time. Ascribe to God begins on Trinity Sunday and reminds us of some of the attributes of the God we worship. That is then followed by Open Your Heart, a short series based on 2 Corinthians and is Paul's invitation for us to be vulnerable as we worship God together. We are invited to open our hearts to God, to one another and to the world as disciples of Jesus Christ. Join us for this lively conversation on worship in Ordinary Time.

Sustaining the glow after Easter Sunday has passed is always a struggle for the local congregation. The Worship Team shares the resources prepared for more of Eastertide and looks forward to another celebration of Pentecost. Last episode we presented the resources for the first three weeks after Easter in a collaboration with members of the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement (See Worship Matters Episode 101). Now we continue with another three weeks with a series called “How Shall We Love.” Central to our Christian witness is the command to love God and love neighbor. But what should that love look like in our own context? Join us as we share these resources. And then let's plan for a grand and glorious Pentecost Sunday, with “These Bones Shall Live,” a weaving of Ezekiel and Acts to tell the story we need to hear today.

Eastertide makes an early appearance this year, giving us the opportunity to spend the first half of this season of Resurrection preparing for Earth Day, which also happens to be the Fourth Sunday of Easter. In this episode, Lisa Hancock interviews members of the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement who were part of a team who wrote many of the worship resources for our Eastertide series, “How Shall We Live.” Tune in to learn more about these worship resources, as well as tools and ideas for integrating creation justice into worship throughout the year! If you would like to learn more and get involved in the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, you can find more information here: https://umcreationjustice.org/. You can also find more worship resources developed by the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement here: https://umcreationjustice.org/library/.

The worship team takes a moment to reflect on the Worship Matters podcast – how it started, what we were trying to accomplish, and what we have learned along the way. We share our favorite episodes and guests, special events, and how Covid and the ongoing disaffiliation impact all redirected some of our content along the way. Listen as the team shares some of the outgrowths of the podcast, leading to Prayers for Anti-racism, the worship webinars, hymnal project updates, Hey Preacher resources, disability ministry, and many other current and future projects were podcast conversations on Worship Matters. Join us for this lighthearted anniversary edition of Worship Matters.

The season of Lent begins on Valentine's Day in 2024. It seems a strange juxtaposition and yet a perfect opportunity to spend time reflecting on Depths of Love, which is our Lenten theme. Far from a hearts and flowers expression, the love presented in the Gospels gives us insight into the God we worship and the calling we have to live out this love by the commandment to love one another. Join the worship team as we discuss the possibilities for this important season and get us ready for Holy Week and the glorious celebration of Easter to come.

Here on the brink of another calendar year, the Worship Team shares some details – and some excitement – about the things that are coming for 2024. We start with the familiar and the Lenten worship resources already available, but then go on into worship webinars, teaching materials on sacraments and membership, workshops for annual conferences, the new iteration of School of Congregational Development coming in the summer, Hey Preacher, and much, much more. Listen in and be prepared to join us in our enthusiasm for what we are becoming together.

The Worship Team continues the journey through Year B with a discussion about Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord. There are some significant events coming up in this season, so listen in to how worship can help your church in “Becoming the People of God.” Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary, as you know, so let this season in January be a time of revitalization and hope for your local context. Then we present our standalone series for Transfiguration, titled “Crossing Over,” as a great transition from the Season after Epiphany into the Season of Lent. Join us as we present the themes and suggestions for this significant season.

What could be more fun than planning for Advent and Christmas? Join the Worship Team as we present the resources prepared for the upcoming Advent season: Our Spirit Waits. The season of Advent reminds us both that we are waiting for the promise to be fulfilled and that this waiting is an active, passionate longing for what God has in store for us all. Listen in as we discuss resources and possibilities for a memorable and meaningful season of Advent worship.

We continue from our previous episode to discuss the resources for the month of November posted on our website. The Worship Team shares the thinking behind the decision to depart from the lectionary and present a three-week series on the theme of Gratitude: “Our Hymn of Grateful Praise.” Listen in as we unpack some familiar biblical texts and liturgy and music as well as some creative ideas on how to incorporate Thanksgiving and Christ the King into the worship experience of the local church.

In this episode, the worship team share the resources that are available for the end of August through All Saints Sunday on November 5. Listen in as we share the ideas behind the lectionary worship series, the significance of the graphics chosen for each week and series, and the liturgical and musical highlights of each series and the season overall. You can get a little insight into how these resources are developed and how you might contribute to the process. Join us as we talk about worship in your setting and context.

A Conversation with the Rev. Linda Furtado, Director of Spirituality and the Arts, Scarritt Bennett Center. What happens in the intersection between spirituality and the arts? How does worship become a crucible for this intersection and foster an awareness of the spiritual? These questions and more form the basis of the conversation between the Worship Team and Rev. Linda Furtado. In addition to being Director of Spirituality and the Arts at Scarritt Bennett, Linda is also pastor at Beech Grove United Methodist Church in metro Nashville. She has an undergraduate degree in music education and is passionate about artistic expressions of many kinds. Rev. Furtado works to build holistic ways of being Christian with a wide scope of possibility and depth in both understanding and execution and seeks to make even the most challenging theological concepts into tangible and practical resources for building up God's kingdom and kin-dom on earth. You can find more about her work from the Soul Work page on the Scarritt Bennet Center website: https://scarrittbennett.org/soul-work/. Join us for this conversation about art and spirit.

What can the preacher do to help their congregation navigate this time of disaffiliation as we look forward to General Conference of 2024? How can we lead from the pulpit? What images can help us find a way through? What do we cling to for hope in these complicated days of our denomination? Dr. Alyce McKenzie and Dr. O. Wesley Allen join the worship team to help us consider these and other important questions for preachers. Both our guests come from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas where they teach preaching. Dr. McKenzie is an ordained elder with pastoral experience from Pennsylvania and now, in addition to teaching, she directs the Perkins Center for Preaching Excellence. Dr. Allen is also an ordained elder from Indiana and a teacher in various settings. Both are prolific writers on aspects of the art of preaching. Together they produced a resource titled “Preaching to the Left Behind: Ideas for Preaching in the Wake of Disaffiliations and as the Denomination Looks Forward to General Conference 2024.” You can access this resource here: https://pcpe.smu.edu/Preaching_to_the_Left_Behind. Many more resources are available at their website: https://pcpe.smu.edu/. Join us for this vital conversation for The United Methodist Church.

Director of Music Ministries, Dr. Diana Sanchez Bushong, and Director of Worship Arts, Dr. Lisa Hancock, invite Dr. Marcell Silva Steuernagel, Assistant Professor of Church Music and Director of the Master of Sacred Music and Doctor of Pastoral Music program at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, to discuss performance and worship music. Dr. Steurenagel served as Minister of Worship, Arts, and Communication at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Curitiba, Brazil; is an internationally active composer and performer, performing in both popular and concert environments in Brazil, North American, Europe, Africa and Asia; has released pop-rock albums, premiered choral, and orchestral compositions in churches and universities; and edited hymnals and writes at the intersection of church music, theology, musicology, and performance theory in both Portuguese and English. Listen in as the team discusses how performance enhances worship and how our theology demands good performance for God's glory.

Does music proclaim even without words? That's the question that the worship team raised in conversation with the Rev. Joe Stobaugh, Senior Pastor of University Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas. Rev. Stobaugh previously served as Pastor of Modern Worship at Grace Avenue UMC in Frisco, Texas, and as Executive Minister of Worship and Arts. He is also an ordained deacon in the North Texas Conference and has led in worship design and leadership. Rev. Stobaugh has served on the national level as a worship designer, song enlivener, conductor, preacher, and worship leader, including preaching at the United Methodist Student Movement's National Forum, an event whose previous preachers include the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among others. His sermon “Melody and Countermelody” was featured as a distinguished sermon on the One Campaign's (founded by Bono of U2) website in 2007. Join us for this lively conversation about the role that music plays in worship.

Rev. Dr. Natalya A. Cherry, assistant professor in Methodist studies and theology at Brite Divinity School and elder in the Susquehanna Annual Conference, talks with Dr. Lisa Hancock, director of worship arts for Discipleship Ministries, about her recent book "Believing Into Christ: Relational Faith and Human Flourishing." Join us for this thoughtful conversation about how one footnote led Cherry on a journey to discover that digging into awkward Latin grammar could shift the way we understand the nature of belief, the recitation of the Creeds, and the practice of the sacraments in worship. Click here to learn more about Cherry's work: https://www.natalyacherry.com/

Connye and Kevin are local musicians who have produced a “Jazz Vespers Experience” that they call “On the Rise” and have begun to take it to churches and community groups as a way of beginning conversations about crossing the divides that separate us. Connye is a North Carolina native and an award-winning vocalist, actor, published songwriter and teaching artist. She has toured on and off Broadway, has released two studio albums, and has created several biographical music presentations for Nashville Jazz Workshop's popular series, “Jazz on the Move.” Kevin, an Indiana native, is a versatile studio musician, producer, programmer, arranger, and music director. He has played on, produced, and conducted more than three thousand recordings and two thousand live shows, supporting a long roster of artists that includes Leon Russell, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, and countless others. Kevin serves as Director of Music for Edgehill United Methodist Church and as ensemble leader/pianist for “Vespers and All That Jazz” at Scarritt Bennett Center. Join us for this important conversation about worship and music that has the power to heal and create community. More information can be found by contacting them directly at betterworldontherise@gmail.com.

Worship Team Executive Director Dr. Diana Sanchez-Bushong speaks with Camisha Chambers, the executive director of The Fellowship of Worship Artists (formerly The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts); Trenton Teegarden, the chair of the convocation committee for the national event in Dallas; and Michael Doughtery, the chair of Music and Liturgical Arts week held annually in June at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. Join us for this informative and lively conversation about the work of the Fellowship and their upcoming sponsored events. For more information and how to register click here: https://www.thefellowshipowa.org/events-1/music-worship-arts-week-2023-1.

Dr. Jake Myers, the Wade P. Huie, Jr. Associate Professor of Homiletics at Columbia Theological Seminary, talks with Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching Ministries for Discipleship Ministries, about his most recent book, Stand-Up Preaching: Homiletical Insights from Contemporary Comedians. Jake is also the author of Making Love with Scripture: Why the Bible Doesn't Mean How You Think It Means; Curating Church: Strategies for Innovative Worship; and Preaching Must Die! Troubling Homiletical Theology. He has launched a website offering preaching coaching at www.preachingdr.com, and he has a YouTube channel resourcing preachers about all things homiletical, https://rb.gy/qmjjgy. Jake is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Join us for this in-depth conversation about comedy and preaching and how we can proclaim a profound truth in ways that get heard and build community.

Join the Discipleship Ministries Worship Team for a conversation about the upcoming service of lament and subsequent webinars helping the church navigate the emotions and experiences of this time of disaffiliation within The United Methodist Church. The Out of the Ashes service is shaped around Psalm 77 and the expression of lament and then the grounding of hope. This service will be broadcast on Thursday, April 20 at 11 a.m. CDT. It will then be archived and available for viewing at other times. We follow the service with a webinar unpacking the service and inviting local churches or other bodies to contextualize the service for their local setting. Two more webinars follow in succession, on Courageous Conversations and then on Stewardship and Generosity through the Storms of Disaffiliation. You can register for this event here: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/out-of-the-ashes. Join us for this important conversation.

Dr. Marcia McFee is the creator and visionary of Worship Design Studio, author of The Worship Workshop, Spiritual Adventures in the Snow: Skiing and Snowboarding as Renewal for Your Soul, and Think Like a Filmmaker: Sensory-Rich Worship for Unforgettable Messages. Connecting worship professionals and volunteers to their passion and depth of spiritual leadership is Dr. McFee's aim in teaching and consulting, equipping them with skills to carry this out. She has led hundreds of participants through annual retreats at Lake Tahoe over the last twelve years, and is in demand as a speaker and retreat leader in many congregations and denominational settings. Join the worship team as we learn together of the possibilities before the church outlined by Dr. McFee her latest article “Metamorphosis Moment: Ritual Artistry and the Work of the People” in Liturgy: A Journal of the Liturgical Conference, Vol. 38, Issue 1 (2023). If you want to read the article we reference or to know more about Marcia McFee's recent work, here are some helpful links: Link to read the article: https://bit.ly/3EQ7q3g, Link to the Emerge worship series: www.worshipdesignstudio.com/emerge, Link the worship series on change: www.worshipdesignstudio.com/reshaped.

Join the Discipleship Ministries Worship Team as we walk through three upcoming lectionary worship series for the upcoming high holy season. We begin with “In Awe of Grace,” a worship series that begins on Palm Sunday, then includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter. We share the thought behind grouping the special days in this way and some suggestions on how you might use them in your local context. Next, we explore the Eastertide series “A Living Hope,” which combines the Psalm assigned for each week with the Epistle as a way of helping us remember how to live out the Easter event in our daily living. Finally, we offer a two-week series for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday which we are calling “When God Came Down Like Fire.” We note that Pentecost, especially, is often a day of joy and excitement, but could also be a quieter observance when we compare the Acts chapter 2 event with the gospel reading from John (20:19-23) where Jesus breathes the Spirit into them. We finish with Trinity Sunday, a celebration of the mystery of the knowable unknowable God. Join us for this lively gallop through these special worship moments in the life of the church.

Dr. Joseph Bush is professor emeritus at Wesley Theological Seminary and is now serving as a United Methodist minister in Evergreen. He has taught congregational ministry in theological programs around the world, including Fiji and New Zealand, as well as New Jersey and Minnesota. The worship team explores with Dr. Bush how themes of creation are already present in both our scriptures and the liturgical cycle. His resource, “Worshiping in Season” is full of both theological reflection and liturgical adaptations that might transform your worship. Join us for this lively conversation on a vital subject.

Our lectionary worship series for Lent 2023 is titled “Learning to Live Inside Out.” In this episode of Worship Matters, the worship team discusses what is behind the thrust of this series and how local churches can shape these resources to fit their context in a dynamic way. Lent has always been considered an important time in the worship and discipleship life of a community of faith, but it can also be a time of great creativity and innovation, even while maintaining valued and useful traditions. Listen in on the conversation as we explore learning to live inside out.

The Worship Team discusses the new project that came from a Lilly Grant to explore and enhance preaching in the local church. Dr. Derek Weber, in addition to the Director of Preaching Ministries for Discipleship Ministries, is the project director the Compelling Preaching Initiative. In this episode, he shares with the team the intent to create resources and foster relationships to encourage and help anyone who preaches and those who listen to preaching in the local setting. Join us as we explore the hopes and dreams of this initiative for the next few years.

A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Marcelo Gomes Dr. Marcelo Gomes is an Ordained Elder in the New England Conference of The United Methodist Church and is Director of Training and Church Planting Systems for Path 1 with Discipleship Ministries. A native of Brazil, he served the Methodist Church of Brazil for 12 years. He was also a university professor and president of one of the public colleges in Rio de Janeiro. Gomes worked as a church planter in Miami, adjunct professor at Garrett-Evangelical Seminary, and is a licensed psychoanalyst in Vermont and the U.K. With Gomes, the worship team explores a wide range of topics around the idea of how worshiping communities are formed and come to shared understandings of meaning and identity. We also consider the immigrant experience and how worship helps hold on to shared culture as well as begins to shape a new way of being in the world. Please join us for this fascinating conversation around worship and church planting and more.

The worship team of Discipleship Ministries looks back on 2022 and looks ahead to 2023 in this wide-ranging conversation about resources and possibilities and directions. Join us to meet new members of the team and some new initiatives and priorities that we will be working on for the new year. It continues to be a joy to serve The United Methodist Church and beyond as we seek to provide inspiration and direction for churches of all sizes to provide vital worship for these interesting times in which we live. Thank you for being a part of all that we do.

Katie Schoenhoff is director of programs for the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund in Hutchinson, Kansas. Among other things, she is responsible for the early childhood development portfolio, which includes social emotional health, breastfeeding support efforts, and the Community Health Worker project for the organization. She also leads the Healthy Congregations Initiative, a Health Fund program engaging over 100 United Methodist churches in Kansas and Nebraska to implement ministries that improve social determinants of health. Katie worked in partnership with now Discipleship Ministries Director of Worship Arts, Dr. Lisa Hancock to produce a series of worship guides dealing with public health issues from a biblical and theological perspective, which can be found guides on the UMHMF website: https://healthfund.org/a/sermon-guides/. Join us for a lively conversation around this vital topic.

Rev. John Thornburg is director of research at the Texas Methodist Foundation, where his recent work in encouraging congregations centers in five practices: grieving well, discerning purpose, walking alongside neighbor, de-centering power, and expanding imagination. He's retiring next week after ten years at TMF, and 43 years in ministry settings both in the United States and West Africa. Whether we are a part of a church that is staying in The United Methodist Church, or we are at one that is leaving the denomination, or we are leaving a church community, there is grief. That's naming the reality of where are right now. Rev. Thornburg, along with Mark Miller, wrote “When There's Trust in the Room.” In this episode of Worship Matters, we discuss this hymn and how music and worship can help congregations going through changes to sit with their grief, to share in lament as a way to then make space for hope, anticipation, and new beginnings. Join us for this timely conversation.

On this episode of Worship Matters, Lisa Hancock, Director of Worship Arts, talks with Rev. Katie Newsome, Lead Pastor and Executive Director of Union Coffee, a missional congregation, non-profit, and business all wrapped up into one generous coffee shop in Dallas, Texas. Listen as they talk about how Union Coffee's worshiping community Kuneo got started, how Kuneo looks similar to and different from Sunday morning worship in the local church, and the significant role Kuneo's worship planning team plays in the dreaming and implementation of highly contextual weekly worship. Lisa and Katie also explore how Union has determined when to close out worship experiments and the approach they use for ending one venture so that new possibilities have room to emerge.

Kevin McBeth, Director of Music at Manchester United Methodist Church in suburban St. Louis joins the worship team for this episode as we discuss worship planning for multiple types of worship expression. We discuss the terms “modern” and “traditional” as applied to various services of worship, as well as where liturgy and music can help connect across multiple worship times. We reflect on churches rebounding after COVID and how the worship space can help and hinder the experience. Above all we talk about planning, who should have a say, and how we involve many people for a sense of ownership of worship. Join us for this wide-ranging conversation.

In this episode of Worship Matters, the worship team discusses the worship series created for Year A and posted on our website: “An Advent Song of Ascents” for the four weeks of Advent, and “God of the Dark and the Light” for Christmas and special services of the season. Both series cover a range of human experiences and invite us into the unique celebration of the incarnation. Listen in as the team shares ideas and ways of using these resources and of contextualizing them for your local setting.

On this episode of the Worship Matters podcast, we're joined by Dr. Scott Hughes, the new Associate General Secretary (World Service) at Discipleship Ministries. Scott is a United Methodist elder in the North Georgia Conference, but has served (and continues to serve while seeking a replacement) as Director of Adult Discipleship with Discipleship Ministries. Scott has co-hosted the Small Groups in the Wesleyan Way podcast, is the creator of the Courageous Conversations project, and facilitator of several eLearning courses including: The Church's Ministry with Dementia, How to Start Small Groups, and Courageous Conversations. He has also led several trainings around Intentional Discipleship Systems in local churches, districts, and conferences. Join us as we engage in a lively conversation about the mission of making disciples and present the Rev. Dr. Scott Hughes.

A Conversation with Dr. William P. Brown Bill Brown is the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. His writings explore the intersecting issues of ecology, justice, faith, and science from various biblical perspectives. He is the author of numerous essays and several books, including Wisdom's Wonder, The Seven Pillars of Creation, Seeing the Psalms, Sacred Sense, Handbook to Old Testament Exegesis, and most recently Deep Calls to Deep (Abingdon). Much of his work is driven by the desire to promote dialogue among diverse participants to foster mutual understanding and equity. Bill is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and loves teaching Sunday School. Join us for this lively conversation about the functions and purposes of dialogue in the Psalms and in the church of today.

Dr. Lisa Hancock is the newly hired Director of Worship Arts at Discipleship Ministries. Lisa is a lifelong United Methodist whose passion for worship and the arts began when she joined children's choir at 3 years old, eventually leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees in sacred music. While completing her Master of Sacred Music at Perkins School of Theology, Lisa discerned a call to develop a systematic theology through the lens of disability. She earned a PhD in Religious Studies with the dissertation “Jesus Christ, Revelation of Love: A Christology of the Disabled Christ.” Lisa's recent work included worship guides for the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund and co-authoring curriculum on disability theology and anti-ableism for “The Julian Way,” a ministry of education and empowerment with, for, and by persons of diverse embodiments that she co-founded with her spouse, Rev. Justin Hancock. Join us for this fascinating conversation about worship, embodiment, and art.

A Conversation with Rev. Sara Nelson, Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Have you ever considered a ministry coach? Perhaps you've received an email or read a social media post inviting you to consider working with a coach for your preaching or leadership or even a life coach of some sort. Many annual conferences in our United Methodist Church are training and deploying coaches for the clergy in their conference. It seems to be a growing phenomenon in leadership circles and professional development. Rev. Sara Nelson shares her personal experience with coaching for ministry and preaching as she transitioned into a new appointment during the pandemic. Join us for this lively conversation.

On this episode of Worship Matters, we're joined by Dr. David Lose, Senior Pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Lose is the former President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and previously held the Marbury E Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, where he also served as director of the Center for Biblical Preaching. His 2013 book, “Preaching at the Crossroads” (Fortress Press) forms the basis of this conversation, with reflections from his current role. Lose and Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching Ministries, discuss preaching that engages culture and provides a sense of Christian identity to worshipers, inviting them into the story that shapes their world. Join us for this crucial conversation.

In this episode of Worship Matters, Diana Sanchez Bushong, Executive Director of Worship Ministries, talks with Dr. Raquel Martinez, retired church musician in the Rio Grande (now Rio Texas) Conference for over 40 years, and editor of Spanish Language Hymnal “Mille Voces” in 1996; and Bishop Joel Martinez, retired from the episcopacy in 2008. He co-authored "Fiesta Cristiana" in 2003 with his wife Raquel. Now they present a new bilingual resource titled "Fiesta Jubilosa" to the whole church, with songs in Spanish and English and worship resources aplenty. Listen in as they share their motivations and hopes for this resource and how it will help move the church toward a renewed sense of beloved community.

Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching for the Worship Team, meets with Dr. Kimberly Wagner of Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago to talk about her work in trauma and preaching. Kim helps us understand what trauma is and what it does to individuals and communities, and gives suggestions to preachers on how to preach both trauma-responsive and trauma-informed sermons. “Trauma often takes away language,” Dr. Wagner said. “The preacher can help give individuals and the community words to express their grief and the impact of trauma. Giving permission, but also blessing their pain." Listen to this fascinating conversation and then go read more of her writing at www.preachingandtrauma.com. Dr. Wagner also has a book coming out in January of 2023.

The worship team sits down with newly named General Secretary Jeff Campbell to discuss his path through the agency and ministry in The United Methodist Church, as well as his hopes and dreams for the future of disciple-making in the UMC. Even in the midst of so much change and turmoil in our denomination and the world around us, Campbell manages to keep a hopeful approach to doing ministry and sharing the faith on a local and global level. Join us as we listen to and learn from one of those behind #SeeAllThePeople, General Secretary, the Rev. Jeff Campbell.

Former executive director of Worship Resources, Dr. Cynthia Wilson, rejoins the Worship Team to talk about her new venture as the founder and director of the Junius B. Dotson Institute. Listen in as Cynthia shares vision and plans of the Institute and how it figures to be both innovative and historical, archiving a rich tradition for the whole church and at the same time grounding and training new worship leaders for the church today. The “and beyond” part of the title is very important to her as she envisions an instrument for the whole church, not just the Black and/or Africana church. Based out of Garrett Evangelical Seminary in Chicago, and partnering with Discipleship Ministries, the Institute will have a global impact and a Kin-dom vision. The learn more about the Institute, contact Garrett Seminary or go to their website: https://www.garrett.edu/garrett-evangelical-partners-with-discipleship-ministries-to-create-the-junius-b-dotson-institute-for-music-and-worship-in-the-black-church-and-beyond/

The shape of worship as the pandemic ends continues to change. Many congregations, preachers, and worship leaders are talking about moving forward with what they are calling “hybrid worship,” a blending of online and in-person worship. But is it really hybrid? And what does the future of “hybrid worship” hold for the church? Dr. Scanlan-Holmes, with a background in media and technology as well as theological training, brings a fresh understanding of worship in this new world and raises questions about how churches can navigate this transition time. He is also working with United Seminary in Dayton Ohio, https://united.edu/, to develop and Doctor of Ministry in Digital Theology to help equip worship leaders and church tech folk for a changing future.

The Worship Team spoke with Rev. Dr. ST Kimbrough about his new book with Dean McIntyre titled: A Theology of the Sacraments Interpreted by John and Charles Wesley: Including Hymns for Baptism and Holy Communion with Commentary and New Musical Settings. Focused on the Wesleyan Theology of the sacraments, this book introduces Wesley hymns on baptism and communion. Dr. Kimbrough suggests that in an era of institutional struggle, turning to the Wesleys, who declare that our unity is in our theology of the sacraments might be a way through back to a sense of oneness. Kimbrough and McIntyre worked hard to invite composers from a variety of backgrounds to compose new settings for these hymns. The book is available from the publisher, WIPF and Stock Publishers, or on Amazon.