Discipleship Ministries

Norma Villagrana of the Western North Carolina Conference prays at an altar in the General Conference prayer room in Charlotte, N.C. The “Cultivating the Garden of the Heart” prayer room is sponsored by The Upper Room and includes prompts and Scriptures in Portuguese, Korean, French, Spanish and Kiswahili. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Prayer room available to General Conference attendees

Open to all, “Cultivating the Garden of the Heart” includes prompts and Scriptures in Portuguese, Korean, French, Spanish and Kiswahili.

Mission and Ministry

Participants at the first national Fresh Expressions conference, an effort for church revitalization that is part of United Methodist Discipleship Ministries, compete to see who can make the structure with the highest marshmallow during the Feb. 7-9 gathering at Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C. Panelists said new approaches to ministry require new approaches to funding those ministries. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Fresh expressions needed in funding, too

In a time of declining church membership and giving, the way money is collected for United Methodist ministries could use a wider net that includes grants and being more entrepreneurial, say members of the denomination involved with the Fresh Expressions movement.

Evangelism

Piper Ramsey-Sumner speaks about her group, Tally Brew Theology in Tallahassee, Fla., during the Fresh Expressions conference Feb. 7-9 in Charlotte, N.C. It was the first national meeting for Fresh Expressions, an effort for church revitalization that is part of United Methodist Discipleship Ministries. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Fresh Expressions movement offers hope

An effort for church revitalization that is part of United Methodist Discipleship Ministries, Fresh Expressions held its first national conference. The strategies discussed included informal meetings in brew pubs, coffee shops, campgrounds, private homes and on digital platforms.

Young People

Eighth-grader Ainsley M. (fifth from right) poses with John Wesley and members of Wildwood United Methodist Church in the Texas Conference at Discipleship Ministries’ Youth 2023 event in Daytona Beach, Fla. in July. Young people from around the United Methodist connection shared their experiences from the gathering with UM News. Photo courtesy of Jessica McMullen, Minister of Families and Communications for Wildwood United Methodist Church.

Students reflect on ‘life-changing’ Youth 2023

Young people from around the United Methodist connection share their experiences at Discipleship Ministries’ youth event, from meeting new friends to growing in their faith.

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