Church Visit, "My Favorite Day Yet," McKinley and Dayton Korean UMCs

It was a long day, but it ended up being my favorite day. Another good 12-14 hours. I’m working hard adjusting to a sustainable pace. But this ended up glorious. Started the day in worship at McKinley UMC in Dayton, one of our District’s African-American congregations, where they rocked the house in worship. Had an amazing worship leader. Involved all ages and especially the children. Pastor Diane hit a home run with the message. Went on to Dayton Korean UMC for a celebration of their 38 years of ministry and recognition of their new class of leaders. I had no idea our District had such wondrous diversity. The bounteous buffet filled with one Korean dish after another was emblematic of the feast of the kingdom I enjoyed all throughout the day. Then I ended it all with a tough but blessed meeting with a leader who is making some hard decisions for an even more success-filled future. Good job Miami Valley.

Church Visit, "Special Event Services/Radical Hospitality," South Charleston UMC

South Charleston UMC, like many, offered special services in view of Veterans Day. They honored servicemen and women, sang great songs, performed a cantata, and told some great stories. They even had a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator. The church was packed. “Special Event” type services can be highly strategic. Quality of worship is launched to a whole new level. Your church gains a bigger vision of what they can do. The community gets introduced to you all over again. Just make sure your hospitality is raring to go. New people will come. Be ready on the welcome and follow up side. Whether or not people come back or not is determined best by things we probably wouldn’t naturally think. It’s not the preaching and music. It’s 1.) The welcome and first impressions that they receive in the first 10” on your campus; and 2.) The number of positive “touches” they feel in your assimilation and follow up process. From the time they park the car till when they first sit down, most have already made up their mind. Doing the expected and polite doesn’t count as “Radical Hospitality.” How can we go over-the-top for Christ? We aren’t ultimately introducing them to us. We are introducing them to the overwhelming love of God. May we never forget who we represent.

THRIVE: A District Office Vision

An emerging for the District Office's vision to serve you and your local church is as follows. Key elements are also listed. Please feel free to comment and let us know what you think.

T...Trust that God is Moving in Every Place.

· Whether large or small, rural, urban, or suburban, encourage every church to develop a ministry growth plan for their church.


H...Help Every Church Find and Fulfill Their Mission for Christ.

· Work with our District’s Revitalization Teams to partner with local congregations in developing new vision for their church and coaching them for success.
· Teach and Train on the most fruitful practices of ministry and encourage collaborations for greater effectiveness.


R...Recruit, Develop and Deploy Christian Leaders of Passion and Excellence.

· Assist and partner with our DCOM, BOM, Cabinet, Lay Leadership Teams, Coaching, and Cluster System to deploy the best possible leaders in the Miami valley District.


I...Invest and Align Our Resources for Maximum Kingdom Impact.

· In coordination with District Leadership teams, maximize our collective resources for the cause of Christ.


V...Vision News Ways to Reach New People.

· Keep alive the culture of innovation within the Miami Valley and assist local churches in the exploration of new ministry models.


E...Engage the World Beyond the Walls.

· Encourage every church develop a size-appropriate missions program to go beyond their walls.

· Work with the District Strategy Team to develop BHAGs for our District (Big, Hairy, and Audacious Goals)

Change the World Conference, Ginghamsburg Church UMC

As usual, it was a world-class event all the way around. Mike Slaughter and his team always help me get out of my box. And they call the Church to the same. GUM has really honed in on the most kingdom impactful trend, turning your church inside out and “going missional,” living for those beyond the walls more so than within them. It can take years of discipleship, mission experiences, preaching, and teaching to get your people there, but there is no more meaningful an expression to living the life of Christ. It becomes so much more than just the mere survival of church your. Folk are brought to the point of being willing to lose themselves, which is at the heartbeat of Jesus’ call. Several exciting initiatives are coming into being that attack poverty like never before. What if all of us in the Miami Valley got behind that? Many are already doing some really great work.

Church Visit, “No Substitute for Passion,” Verona UMC

I got to see Leo Cunningham and the fine folks at Verona UMC last Sunday. It took over an hour for me to get there. Had to try three different routes for all the detours. Worth every bit of effort. While one might say, to a nonresident, “It’s out all by itself, what’s going on there?” The answer is everything. Leo gave a great message, vision-casting for their future. Getting ready to organize themselves accordingly. Mobilizing ministry to meet the needs of those around them. There is no substitute for passion. When you might think you have an excuse, even in the most rural areas, people are waiting to be reached. Laity are ready to get at it for Christ. Everybody is hungry for a pastor to light fire.

Church Visit, “Getting It All Going in the Right Direction,” Bellbrook UMC

Had the privilege of helping dedicate Bellbrook’s new addition last Sunday. Nice in all respects. One of the best looking add-ons I’ve ever seen. Matches their context well. A community room anchors their effort with new nursery and childcare facility. Will be a great resource for community and church alike. Bellbrook has one of the most potent social justice programs for its size. They make it an integral part of their DNA, identity, and culture, not just a program. Have some of the most creative worship and musicians. Size doesn’t have to equal quality. They do several things well that uniquely fit their cultural context. Synergy for growth then really gains momentum for something special. Best wishes as you continue on your journey.

Church Visit, "Spirited Tradition," Yellow Springs UMC

I don’t have time for worship wars. Within our district we have both contemporary and traditional congregations that are thriving. Visited Yellow Springs last weekend which happen to be of the latter. One of the best traditional services was led by Rev. Charles Hill who has been one of our best leaders in his long and storied career. It was fun watching him in action: personable yet strong, on a mission. Had to follow him back to his office to get “miked-up” and talk through the service. I could hardly keep up. His pace was amazing. The worship service itself moved along as well. It was energetic. Prayer requests were shared but didn’t drag or get too personal. The music was thematic and singable. Liturgical elements were written fresh, not out of somebody else’s book, and engaging. Everything was well done, not just covered. A sense of community pervaded. I’d go there if I lived in town. Great job.