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January 2005 |
National conference to focus on building healthy churches
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Ensuring that United Methodist churches and annual conferences collaborate to build healthy congregations will be the goal of a national leadership conference this month.
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? designed to inspire conference leaders to build healthy leaders, healthy churches and a healthy world. |
The "Healthy Churches Transforming the World" conference, set for Jan. 27-30 in Houston, is being designed to inspire conference leaders to build healthy leaders, healthy churches and a healthy world.
Sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, the event is expected to draw 1,000 people. Conference leaders will emphasize that healthy churches are not about the number of people or size of a congregation, but more about faith formation, disciple making and social witness.
Healthy congregations are welcoming; have vital worship, prayer and Bible study; are growing and maturing disciples; and are reaching out in mission and sharing the stories of Jesus Christ in the world, said Susan Ruach, of the General Board of Discipleship's conference leaders team.
While the United Methodist connection has examples of healthy congregations, event organizers hope the conference will create an in-depth dialogue about what a healthy church looks and acts like, and about how conference leaders can strengthen the health of local congregations, she said.
To ensure such a dialogue materializes, annual conference groups will meet after each plenary session to reflect and discuss strategies for helping develop healthier churches.
Featured conference speakers will include Bishop Gregory V. Palmer of the Iowa Area; Bishop Janice R. Huie of Houston; the Rev. Leslie Griffiths, dean of Wesley's Chapel in London, England; and the Revs. Rudy and Juanita Rasmus of Houston.
"This conference is for conference leaders and those who are assisting church leaders in their disciple-making mission," Ruach said. "Whether it is through our leadership roles in communications, stewardship, evangelism, congregational development, missions, social witness or ecumenical ties, all of our ministries should work together and collaborate to build healthy churches - not to have a great institution, but to mature Christians to reach out and welcome others who need the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
"We like to think of it in terms of a Wesleyan's vision of 'conferencing' - or a type of General Conference with no resolutions and legislation - a conference full of holy conferencing," Ruach said. "This is a time for growth, leadership training, praising God, and discerning God's will for us as key parts of the connectional church."
The Healthy Churches Transforming the World conference will include more than 80 optional sessions highlighting the vision "that to be great leaders, we must be spiritually grounded and able to provide effective leadership," according to the online brochure for the event.
The national conference leaders training event was under the auspices of the General Council on Ministries. Since that agency was dissolved by the 2004 General Conference, effective Dec. 31, the new Connectional Table transition team requested that the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship take up the reins of the national conference.
For additional information, contact Nancy Dunlap at ndunlap@gbod.org or call toll-free 1-877-899-2780, Ext. 7141. Details and registration forms may be downloaded from http://gbod.org/healthychurches.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008