JULY 2014 Passionate Worship — Loving God in Return Adam Hamilton shares advice on worship Annual Conference votes on reducing number of districts horse walks into a bar. The bartender asks, “Why the long face?” I walk into Annual Conference. A pastor asks, “Why the long hair?” I reply, “I’m growing my hair long to appear more relevant to a younger, more diverse population. It’s my own version of being edgy. I like to call it Fredgy. And when I decide it’s not working, it will be a lot easier to get rid of than a tattoo.” A Actually, my hair does have a story behind it. I usually get a haircut right before Annual Conference, so the people who only see me once a year have the illusion that I’m attentive to my personal grooming year round. But last year, two weeks Fred Koenig, Editor before Annual Conference, I got a cancer diagnosis. My oncologist told me that the Missouri Conference chemotherapy might cause all my hair to fall out, but it would probably take a few Publications weeks. Well, I wasn’t about to waste $7 on a haircut if my hair was going to fall out anyway, so I decided to wait and see. Published by The Missouri Those few weeks came and went with no hair loss, at least no more than I’ve been Conference of the United Methodist Church experiencing in the past few years anyway. But my next MRI scan was scheduled for 3601 Amron Court August 7. The results of that scan would determine if I needed more chemotherapy. Columbia, MO 65202 So I decided to put the haircut off for another month or so. By the time my August 7 scan rolled around, my hair was longer than it has Phone: 573-441-1770 been since high school. That scan came back clear. My next scan wouldn’t be until For inquiries February. I then hatched my plan – I would keep growing my hair, and then donate it regarding content: to one of those “Locks of Love” types of organizations that make wigs for kids with [email protected] cancer. It would be my way of being thankful for my own health, helping those who For inquiries aren’t as fortunate, and feeling self-righteous and extravagantly generous without regarding circulation: giving up one thin dime. Plus, unlike the people who only cut the end off of their [email protected] long pony tails, I am willing to cut my hair down to the scalp, so it shouldn’t take On The Cover: that much longer to meet the required eight-inch length. Renaldo (Mole) Cardoso I figured by this Annual Conference my hair would be very short rather than long, of the M’punzu Trio from having learned via the internet that hair grows about ½ inch per month. But I failed Mozambique provides music for passionate worship at to use basic geometry to calculate how, although you can add six inches to a single Annual Conference session. hair’s length in a year’s time, it takes much longer to pull those hairs together into an Photo by Eric Mattson. eight-inch pony tail. I knew my hair would cause a reaction at Annual Conference with people who hadn’t seen me since last year. On the plus side, I figured at least Annual Conference is one place I could go where having long hair doesn’t lead to a lot of people asking me if I know where they can buy some weed. Last year at Annual Conference I had a fresh incision several inches long at my waistline, this year it has healed to the point that it doesn’t look much different than the 35-year-old appendix scar that it mirrors on the other side. The effects of the chemotherapy have all but disappeared from my blood tests. I’m in a better place. In a much broader sense, I think most of the Missouri Conference feels the same way. Annual Conference is a time that we look back on the past year, while making plans for the future. Some of us have encountered unexpected challenges, but as Rev. Mark Sheets put it in Sunday morning worship, we can take faith in the fact that the best is yet to come. Fred Koenig, Editor Missouri Conference Publications 2 July 2014 | The Missouri Methodists JULY 2014 CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE A special thanks 4 Opening Worship: This is the Place to the Annual 6 Bishop Schnase Reviews Year of Progress Conference writers 8 Congregational Excellence: Keep Ringing the Bell listed below and to 9 Hayden Highlights Progress in Pastoral Excellence Eric Mattson, who 10 Hamilton: Listen to the Holy Spirit shot most of the 12 Mark Sheets Raises Hope by Expecting the Best Is Yet to Come photographs for 13 Districts Merged to Reduce Number from 12 to 9 this issue. 14 Worship Slam Tickles the Spirit EDITOR 16 Retirees Honored, News Leaders Commissioned Fred Koenig 18 Living Beyond the Walls: It’s All About People 19 Sunday School with Adam Hamilton WRITERS 20 Mission, Evangelism & Methodism Laura Blevins 21 Why We Build an Altar Pamela Dilmore 22 Estamos Juntos: We Are Together Pam Ekey 23 INM Giving Tops $1 Million Linda Gastreich 24 Pathways Partners Report Joy Jenkins 25 Laity Set Goals on Connecting & Learning, Missouri United Methodist Fred Koenig Foundation Supports Churches & Scholars Pat Marsh 26 Laity Session Calls for Focus on Disciple Making Susan Sneed 27 Bishop Schnase Encourage Clergy to Improve Worship 28 Making Faith Development Intentional PHOTOGRAPHY 29 Catalyst for Next Generation Ministries Reaches Out to Local Church Ministries Eric Mattson 30 Church Planters Meet Before Annual Conference Fred Koenig 31 Clergy Support Team Offers Changes to Equitable Compensation 32 UMW Reports on Mission 33 Missouri Conference Reduces Budget by .7 Percent 34 Denman Awards 35 Marble Mission Award & Social Justice Award 36 CMU Plans Linn Memorial Church Improvements 37 CMU to Start Center for Faith & Service 38 Demystifying the Appointment Process 40 2014 Missouri Conference Appointments 47 Calendar of Events www.moumethodist.org 3 Opening BY PAMELA DILMORE Worship 4 July 2014 | The Missouri Methodists THIS IS THE PLACE asked God to fill people with love, Jones. She greeted everyone who shake them up, wake them up, and arrived for worship by shaking s church the place where walk with God. their hands and saying, ““Good we truly experience and Collier invited the Conference morning, I’m prayed up and I’m passionately worship God? to consider a story about the song ready. Are you ready?” How did Where lives are changed? of musician Ken Medema, who she bring her joy to worship? By Where people can fly? wrote a song called “If This is Not praying and reading the Bible Where people can cry? the Place.” The song emerged from BEFORE worship. “Worship IWhere people can seek? These a worship experience that led him is not about ourselves but about questions resonated throughout to ask: “Does anybody know my God, Collier reminded us. “Do the opening worship experience at name?” The song was written for more than coffee and doughnuts. Annual Conference Session. The the one named Struggler, a person Do some pre-worship prayer praise band, Arisen, from Woods who was struggling and hoping and Bible reading. Bring a Sister Chapel UMC of Lee’s Summit, someone would just open to him. Jones spirit!” Help people fly in a stirred enthusiasm as well as “If This is Not The Place” raised spirited, joyful church! memories for many boomers with three questions around which Where Can I Go to Cry? People the song, “Jesus is Just All Right Collier challenged and inspired who experience loss and pain need with Me.” the conference. Where can I go to a place where they feel as though Praise music, with its fly? Where can I go to cry? Where they can start again. Folks come to connections to worship songs in can I go to seek? church with tears, and sometimes the Psalms, lifts us by lifting up Where Can I Go to Fly? People church needs to be a place to cry. God’s nature and actions. are searching for passionate worship We never know what is happening. They name and celebrate who that is authentic, alive, creative, and We need to feel their tears and cry God is and what God has done engaging, where they experience with them. for us. Arisen’s music stirred the life changing presence of God Where Can I Go to Seek? the conference to passionate in the presence of others. Collier Folks come with questions that celebration and love for God. The shared that much too often we ultimately should help them move theme for the Missouri Annual try too hard to “order” worship. to faith. Questions need to be Conference is “Loving God in Or musicians in the praise band heard. Years ago, Collier counseled Return: Practicing Passionate are too focused on what they are with a man who had problems Worship.” The Conference sang doing rather than on God. We with alcohol and drugs. together, “Here am I to worship, wonder why worship becomes He asked, “Does God still love here am I to bow down, Here am I routine. We need passion. We need me?” Collier encouraged him to be to say that You’re my God.” to experience the Holy Spirit. He a part of an imperfect church., but Rev. Cody Collier, Special challenged the Conference to invite it was a member who ultimately Assistant to the Bishop for the Spirit to move in us so the spirit succeeded in getting him there.