Congregations

Local Church
Dr. Brett McKinley Pardue. Photo courtesy of the author.

When screens become a theological question

The question isn’t whether a screen belongs in a sanctuary, but whether the sanctuary is helping the people belong to one another in prayer.
Congregations
Laura Wenger and James Poland share a laugh at the start of a Dungeons & Dragons game on July 19 in the youth room of Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. Several game players have joined the church after being attracted by the weekly role-playing games held Sunday after worship services. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Embracing role-playing games at church

Once a scourge to conservative Christians, Dungeons & Dragons and other role-playing games are now sometimes hosted at United Methodist churches, where players say the games can reinforce things they learn in church.
Congregations
Mark Lynes shares a message of love while holding a sign through the open sunroof of a vehicle in the Nashville (Tenn.) Pride Parade. Lynes is a member of Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville, which has seen membership growth due to its inclusivity efforts.

Inclusivity brings church back from the brink

In 2017, Glendale United Methodist Church didn’t look like it was going to survive long. But committed lay people, a dedicated pastor and radical inclusiveness turned things around.
Local Church
Bishop Daniel Lunge (center) of the Central Congo Episcopal Area speaks during a roundtable on communication in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as East Congo Bishop Antoine Kalema Tambwe (left) and North Katanga Bishop Mande Muyombo look on. The bishops emphasized that communication is an essential tool for making disciples and building peace in geographically complex and conflict-ridden areas. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Charting new path for African communication

Bishops, communicators and United Methodist Communications staff gathered to develop a creative strategy to keep local churches in the Mid-Africa Regional Conference connected despite power outages, poor roads and more than 450 regional languages.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Loading

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2026 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved