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Got milk? McKinney Memorial UMC in LaMarque has plenty to share. Church volunteers are distributing free gallons of milk, donated by Borden, to day cares and families in need every Tuesday. During COVID-19, this congregation has discovered a whole new way to serve its community.
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Dealing with stress is simply part of a pastor’s job description. Serving a local church rarely means following a 9-to-5 schedule, and even in the best of times can lead to pastoral burnout. During the coronavirus pandemic, there’s a whole new level of uncertainty for congregations. Those individuals who minister to them are faced with increasing levels of stress. Pastors in the TAC offer a few practical steps to help their fellow clergy preserve their own mental and spiritual health.
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Not long after the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, Rev. Emily Everett, who was serving as a global missionary in Brazil, returned home to Texas to quarantine with her family in Bastrop. Her work, however, did not stop. In fact, Everett explained that all Methodists are called to mission work – whether that means serving overseas or in their own backyard. Learning how to listen, prepare and find a way to still make a positive impact are lessons for all in these uncertain times.
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Across the U.S., church members still feel uncertain about in-person worship. In Texas, as preparations to reopen the state were in progress, the number of COVID-19 cases began to spike, adding to existing concerns. Churches are in the TAC are responding by either postponing their plans to open their doors or by keeping services small. Regardless, they continue to find innovative ways to stay connected.
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A U.S. government program, despite its flaws, supplied a financial lifeline to hundreds of United Methodist ministries in the early days of the pandemic.
Sid Davis never thought he’d be driving all over his sprawling city to have masked, socially distanced curbside visits with choir members. But Davis, director of music and worship arts at Houston’s St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, has faced an empty choir loft and no in-person rehearsals since early March. So he and wife Cindy are going ZIP code by ZIP code to check on more than 100 adult choir members.
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TAC 2020 will be held online August 14 for clergy and lay delegates. If you are a delegate, you have received your information. Guests may watch Annual Conference on our website starting August 14th at www.txcumc.org.
Everyone is looking at ministry in a different context and trying to find ways to maintain community. These resources can help.
The Texas Annual Conference is hosting a free three-part webinar series, “Whiteness 101: Equipping Pastors to Work for Racial Justice,” to provide the perspectives and skills needed for white clergy to build their racial stamina and lead their congregations.
Because we cannot bring a physical choir from churches to lead worship at the 2020 Annual Conference, our team is asking you to help us bring a Virtual Choir from churches across our conference! Using what has become one of the new mainstays for worship in our churches, we want to invite you and your singers to join together in a virtual presentation of "And Are We Yet Alive" to open this year’s Annual Conference.
Feeling a call to ministry? The Texas Annual Conference has developed a video series, delving into the unique, personal stories of those called into ministry.
Looking for a way to worship without leaving the house? A number of churches in the Texas Annual Conference are posting sermons online.
You don’t have to miss a service if you’re out of town or if you prefer to stay at home. Viewers can also enjoy multiple preaching styles and even virtually “attend” different churches. There’s a lot going on Sundays in the TAC that you won’t want to miss.
Sermons are often available to livestream on Sunday – and several congregations also record services for on-demand viewing. Check them out at: https://www.txcumc.org/sermons.
We would like to include your church in this list. Please let us know if you are posting a resource online by sending a link to: communications@txcumc.org.
United Methodist Churches are making headlines – leading the way through ministry, outreach and discipleship. Amazing stories about our local congregations in the Texas Annual Conference are popping up – and news publications around the country are spreading the word about UM churches. Read all about it.
Join a zoom call to meet Rev. Emily Everett, who has been serving as a global missionary in Brazil for two and a half years, and hear a little bit about her work, ask questions and learn how you and your church can get involved. The Zoom is on July 29th at 10 a.m:
https://bit.ly/missionaryzoomEmilyEverettJuly29.
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Multiple Dates
Smaller Membership Churches of the Texas Annual Conference
2020 Workshop Schedule
Multiple Dates
Perkins Summer Webinar Series
August 14-15
2020 Session of the Texas Annual Conference
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Returning to School, College Students Share How the Pandemic has Impacted their Faith