Site
Contents
 |
General Information about the Area Office
North Indiana Conference Office
South Indiana Conference Office
Prayer Guides
(Courtesy of the NIC Prayer Team)
Area United Methodist
Foundation
For resources to assist your congregation in welcoming guests,
click here
Seashore District Volunteer Center VIM project -- Completed
Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodists together |
March 2005 |
Houston gathering helps local churches become 'healthy'
By Matthew Oates
HOUSTON - More than 1,300 laity and clergy leaders of The United Methodist Church descended upon Houston's Hilton of the Americas for a four-day workshop designed to make the denomination "healthy."
"Healthy Churches: Transforming the World" included powerful guest preachers, numerous worship services, 84 workshop and training sessions for annual conference and local congregational leaders of annual conference, banquets and mission opportunities during its run from Jan. 27-30.
During the opening worship service, the Rev. Leslie Griffiths, dean of Wesley's Chapel in London, called on attendees to "Remember the Foundry," reminding the Methodists to return to John Wesley's roots of social justice, education, inclusive worship and outreach to all.
Throughout the conference, speakers continually called for churches to remember why they are in business - to make disciples - and ask "How's business?" and be involved in numerous social issues facing not only the church itself, but also society. Healthy churches are more than large numbers of members, high attendance and good finances: they are about building, strengthening and commissioning disciples, as well as being involved in society's numerous facets.
Some church aren't healthy
|
Healthy churches are about building, strengthening and commissioning disciples, as well as being involved in society's numerous facets. |
"As conference leaders, we are responsible for helping build healthy local churches that are truly making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," said the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive at the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship, in an interview with the United Methodist News Service.
"Sadly, however, some of our churches aren't so healthy," she said. "We want our churches to be growing, vital and relevant to the needs of the community they serve. And we want conference leaders to have the best collection of resources to build these healthy churches.
Delegations from the North and South Indiana conferences were in attendance at the conference, sponsored by the denomination's General Board of Discipleship.
Bonnie Albert, Volunteers in Mission conference coordinator and a member of Valparaiso First UMC, came away from the conference feeling "renewed, informed, awakened and reminded just how great it is to belong to a connectional church."
During the conference Albert networked with others involved in VIM and the General Board of Global Ministries and its numerous ministries, as well as new ways to use music and how to tackle tough issues without breaking relationships.
"I hope that we can use the energy and spirit to reach my local church and the churches that I work with the message that the connectional system really can make a difference in our world but we (individuals) must be faithful to our Wesleyan heritage," said Albert.
Al Bohnstedt, chair of the North Indiana Conference's Council on Ministries and member of Fort Wayne Good Shepherd UMC, shared one of the memorable moments of the conference came in Griffiths' talk. "His focus on Wesley's ministry and especially that of his 'Foundry' ministry called me to look at our roots and see what needs can be met in today's world by ministering in a 'Foundry' sense."
With times of sharing, networking and learning, Bohnstedt learned about numerous vital and active churches across the United States, as well as how other annual conferences are facing restructuring issues and activity.
"Following the conference I have felt a great deal of confidence in the manner in which we have prepared and proceeded with our work. It should give our work more vitality as we work with local church expectations," said Bohnstedt.
Visited Houston churches
In addition to attending workshops, conference members visited numerous Houston area churches to see a wide variety of worship styles and missions. Windsor Village UMC, the denomination's largest church with more than 15,000 members, rented the adjacent Toyota Center for a service that announced a multi-million dollar building project that will bring its numerous facilities and ministries onto one property.
Other members attended St. John's Downtown UMC, which was featured throughout the conference as a healthy church. The Revs. Rudy and Juanita Rasmus were assigned there in August 1992 with the job of closing down the church of nine members. It now has more than 9,600 members and numerous social ministries to the homeless and low-income area residents; almost 3,000 of the members do not have an address.
During Saturday lunch, several conference members took a McDonald's break and purchased more than 300 meals to distribute to about 300 homeless people in a nearby area. About 100 homeless men and women and children accepted invitations to be guests at the conference's closing dinner, worship and communion ceremony.
Matthew Oates, a member of Trinity UMC in Lafayette, was a member of the North Indiana delegation to the conference. The United Methodist News Service provided information for this report.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008