Ministry Lab

Join us as we speak with members of the Methodist Le Bonheur health system and discuss clergy mental health and how they can take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).Learn more about the EAPVisit our website

Join us for a conversation with Rev. Sam Meadors, Rev. Haley Jones, Southeast District Superintendent Rev. Edna Morgan and Rev. Dawn Spragg about resourcing church leaders for helping others during the holidays.List of resources referenced in the episodeVisit our website

Do you have a Lenten study yet? Do you need curriculum for a small group? Are you looking for a series to offer both youth and adults alike? Join Bishop Mueller on the podcast as he discusses the importance of introducing “Having the Conversation” to your church. Learn more about the initiativeVisit our website

On today's episode of Ministry Lab, we're delighted to be joined by Mary Lewis Dassinger and Rev. Samantha Meadors of our Conference's 200,000 More Reasons initiative!Mary Lewis and Rev. Meadors are beginning a book talk for our Conference on What Every Church Should Know About Poverty by Bill Ehlig and  Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. They share why this book is important for all of our churches to read, as well as share some excerpts of the book with us some excerpts from the book.Sign up for the book talkVisit our websiteSubscribe to the Arkansas United Methodist

On today's episode of Ministry Lab, Caleb and Jacob are joined by Melinda Shunk, Children's Ministry Coordinator for the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church.Melinda shares how children's ministers from churches all over the Conference are creating fun, new ways to be in ministry with our youngest disciples. We also talk about Quest, the annual event for 4th-6th graders that will be all virtual this year, and the plans for next year's Beyond Conference for children's ministers and leaders.Learn more about this year's Quest!Visit our websiteSubscribe to the Arkansas United Methodist

Today on the podcast we're joined by the Rev. Dr. Michael Beck, Director of Remissioning for Fresh Expressions US. If you attended Annual Conference in 2021, you'll recognize Michael as one of our featured speakers at this year's event, where he went through the history of Fresh Expressions, and what it means to do church and do community in this unique way.Fresh Expressions are all about doing church in a new environment, typically outside of the traditional church setting. Whether it's a burrito joint, a dog park, or even a tattoo parlor, a Fresh Expression of church can pop up anywhere where people are already gathering. And in the age of COVID-19, they can even happen online, in virtual small groups!Take a listen to our wonderful conversation today with Rev. Dr. Beck, and think about ways that you can create a Fresh Expression of the United Methodist Church in your own local setting.More on Fresh Expressions USVisit our websiteSubscribe to the Arkansas United Methodist

In this episode, we talk with Kayla Hardage, Executive Director at Camp Tanako, and Katelyn Hiatt, Executive Director at Mount Eagle Retreat Center, about leading a camp during a global pandemic, what they have planned for their busy summer camp season, and the future of camp ministries in the Arkansas Conference! Both directors are new to their positions, and they have some wonderful perspectives on what camp ministries mean to them, and how you survive a global pandemic when you can't have kids and youth in person at your camp.More on Camp Tanako and Mount Eagle Retreat CenterVisit our websiteSubscribe to the Arkansas United Methodist

Looking to maximize your in-person and online worship services? Do you feel like there's not enough time to focus on the people sitting in the pews AND the people watching online in the comfort of their homes? Feeling burnt out from the daily stress of preaching during a pandemic?Jason Moore of Midnight Oil Productions is our guest today, and he has some great tips that will help you make sure that both the people in your church building and the people watching virtually feel equally a part of your worship experience. We also talk to Jason about why it's important that churches don't return to the way things were before just because people are beginning to return to church in person. And if you're a small church? No worries! Jason has some great examples of what your church can do to reach an online audience as well. Learn more about Midnight Oil ProductionsVisit our websiteSubscribe to the Arkansas United Methodist

In our very first Ministry Lab episode, Caleb Hennington hosts a panel of guests to discuss a new campaign from 200,000 More Reasons that deals with getting more books into the hands of children in Arkansas. Project co-coordinators Mary Lewis Dassinger and the Rev. Samantha Meadors discuss the Giving Books for Love campaign, along with a panel of people in the Arkansas Conference who have been working to get the Giving Books campaign going in their own communities. Panelists include Mary Lewis Dassinger, Rev. Samantha Meadors, Rev. Doug Phillips, Nechi Fullerton, and Sarah Argue.Visit our websiteSubscribe to the Arkansas United Methodist