Those who know me know that my main form of exercise is running. I started running in 2012 and have absolutely fallen in love with the sport. This comes from someone who couldn’t walk a mile prior to taking up the habit. Now, I run every day. For me it is more than exercise; it …
By Tom Bandy Focusing Outreach Ministry Outreach is important for a church both to transform society and to mature Christian disciples through service. Yet as we wrestle with the business – or “busy-ness” – of outreach, we forget that outreach is about embracing people and not just managing tasks. Church people know that they are …
I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and a meme jumped off the screen at me. It posed the following question: “What does the Church need to unlearn?” I shared this in one of my clergy colleague Facebook groups and here are some of the responses: Wow…I’m sure this list could go on and …
We are excited to have the Rev. Dr. Tom Bandy share monthly with us on how we can best use MissionInsite to support outreach and evangelism and the development of new faith expressions in local churches. This is his first post on how we can use MissionInsite when planning for September ministry events. Many of …
Read more “Making Good Use of PeoplePlot: Start-up Events for September”
As the song lyrics remind us, it’s “summertime and the livin is easy.” There is something about the rhythm of summer; schools are on break, for some work schedules are slower and people pile onto planes, trains and automobiles (and don’t forget cruise ships) to venture to familiar and new destinations throughout the summer months. …
When I started working at the Baltimore-Washington Conference, one of the first people I met on my tour of the building was Tony Martucci. Tony worked with our Facilities Assistant, Ricky, and spent the bulk of his time completing tasks with him. As a mother with a child on the autism spectrum, I noticed right …
On occasion I’m asked where my ideas for blog posts come from, and honestly they come from a variety of sources. Many are based on blogs, articles, and books I read. Some are reflections on training events or conferences I’ve attended. Several have been grounded in my own experiences as a local church pastor. A …
I love the story of Samuel because of God’s involvement in his life from the very beginning. Hannah cries out to God for a son at the altar. God hears her cries and sees her distress. Eli, the priest, confirms God’s blessing soon to come upon her, and she vows to dedicate the child to …
One of my least favorite classes in elementary school was Physical Education, particularly during the sessions dealing with team sports. While I LOVED playing organized sports, mostly football, it was during the P.E. sessions that we would pick teams. I was not the most athletic child, and I have vivid memories of standing there, hoping …
Read more “Who Will Do This With Me? The Importance of Building a Team”
Bill and I attended the National Developers and Church Planters conference a few weeks ago in Denver, Colorado where we gleaned from the wisdom of successful developers and planters and exchanged ideas and best practices. North Georgia Annual Conference of the UMC shared five of their pertinent objectives when planning to plant a church. I …