Blog
The Conference Blog had its beginnings prior to 2013, but an ongoing, almost weekly version began here: Western North Carolina Conference Blog 2.0. The blog continues in a new place as a part of the conference website.
Opinions expressed in these articles are completely the views of the author and are not an official statement from the conference.
Fill Wanted
by A.J. Thomas The other day I drove past a church facility that was undergoing significant expansion. As we often see around many sites where construction is happening, there was a piece of plywood ...
Tourists vs. Pilgrims
by Drew McIntyre During seminary, I was blessed with the opportunity to participate in a program called the Middle East Travel Seminar. This program brought together seminarians from around the ...
Transitions
by Amy Vaughan In what would be one of my last big adventures while I was serving in an appointment beyond the local church, I was selected to be a participant in SEED20, a kind of “shark tank” ...
"Here I raise my..."
by Sally Queen I love rocks and I collect them as souvenirs, so perhaps that is why I love the story of the rock that Samuel names Ebenezer in 1 Samuel 7:12. This rock is set out after the ...
Is Unity Worth It?
by Paul Brown Disagreeing is part of being human. Just ask any parent. Sooner or later, every child will switch from asking “Why?” to declaring, “That’s not fair!” From kids arguing with their parents...
A Pain in the Rear for Jesus
by Duke Ison My definition of “a pain in the rear” is someone who wants us to change something we would rather not look at, consider, or deal with. Like a pain in our body that is symptomatic, a pain ...
Facebook and UMCOR
by Mary Brown Last week I couldn’t stop lurking on Facebook. My home town is St. Petersburg, Florida. For a while there it looked like Hurricane Irma had plans for some category-four level ...
9/11 & September 2017
by Burt Williams Sixteen years have passed since America was attacked on 9-11-2001. Sixteen years since we noted the bravery and heroism of our police and fire departments. We fell in love with ...
Reflections on Labor Day
Labor Day in the United States is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws and well-being of the country. (from Wikipedia)
The Story of a Small Church and How to Measure Ministry
Most churches I know provide some sort of Back to School Ministry whether it is a school supply drive, a teacher appreciation brunch, free haircut days, or prayers in worship. Back to School Ministry of most any sort is a good way for the church to engage with its community, a way to share the love of Christ, and a way to serve generously.