Tag: Grace

The Hopefulness of Mission, or Why I’m Not Worried about the Future of the UMC

I am a United Methodist.  My denomination recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, remembering how it was formed by a union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968.  This church has formed me as a disciple of Jesus Christ, has taught me grace, taught me how to sing grace, preach grace, … Continue reading The Hopefulness of Mission, or Why I’m Not Worried about the Future of the UMC →

The Possibilities of a Round Table Conversation

The List of Names Perhaps you, like me, have been overwhelmed with the news lately.  Another mass shooting.  Another list of names of lives cut short, images of grieving friends and family on the tv. I've listened to too many pastoral prayers, heard too many bells rung, watched too many candles lit in churches after … Continue reading The Possibilities of a Round Table Conversation →

Moving Beyond Voluntourism

Rev. Matt Lacey, director of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission for the Southeast Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church  wrote a blog post this week digging into the term “voluntourism”.  Voluntourism mashes together the words “volunteer” and “tourism” and describes what some critics of short-term mission see as the main problem with the practice of … Continue reading Moving Beyond Voluntourism →

Balancing the Why and the How of Short-term missions

The Why and the How Yesterday, United Methodist Communications posted an article titled “How to do short-term missions the right way”.  It’s a good article, with seven important points to consider when planning a short-term mission trip: First, participants are encouraged to learn about issues with short-term mission trips in general.  We should be aware … Continue reading Balancing the Why and the How of Short-term missions →