Thoughts from the Pastor
We've just completed our annual conference for 2025. The sessions were informative, the worship was powerful, and God's presence was felt by all. I encourage you to look at the links here to learn more about all that was accomplished.
connections
ac issue #25-1
Catch up on Day 1 of AC 2025 with the Opening Worship & Communion Service, afternoon plenary session, ice cream social, book signings, and Learning Labs.
📝 annual conference news
Laity Begin Conference with Executive Session Featuring Michael Adam Beck
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The laity session opened with worship, scripture, prayer, stories from the Conference, and a message from Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck on Fresh Expressions.
Opening Worship & Communion
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Pilgrimage House Band led the conference through worship, followed by a message from Bishop Shelton in celebration of Pentecost.
Thursday Plenary Session Begins
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Following announcements and the approval of the Standing Rules of Order, the afternoon business session began.
Voting on Constitutional Amendments
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The first two Constitutional Amendments were brought before the body on Thursday afternoon. The ballots for Amendments #3 and #4 are scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Thursday Afternoon Reports
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
New Faith Communities and members from the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry shared updates about their ministries over the past year.
Ice Cream Social & Book Signings
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Attendees enjoyed a sweet treat at the close of AC 2025 Day 1 and met several NC Conference authors.
Don’t Miss These Highlights at AC
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Check out these opportunities to learn, engage, worship, and connect throughout Conference.
💡 learning labs
Fresh Expressions
LEARNING LABS
Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck shared steps to beginning a Fresh Expressions journey to create spaces for belonging.
SEE - DISCERN - COLLABORATE
LEARNING LABS
Rev. Dr. Lydia Muñoz presented three transformative actions that foster congregational development: building community connections, creating spaces for community wisdom, and joining in God's ongoing work.
From Menu to Map
LEARNING LABS
A team from Fuquay-Varina UMC shared tools that help welcome people into congregations and deepen their discipleship.
Lessons from The District
LEARNING LABS
Rev. Ben Roberts shared his experience as the Executive Director of Programs and Justice Ministries at Foundry UMC and Foundry’s ID Ministry. He encouraged participants to look for ways to partner with civic and community organizations.
Fiesta as an Act of Resistance
LEARNING LABS
Rev. Dr. Lydia Muñoz led a session on how worship is an opportunity for fiesta and can build resiliency in communities.
Treasures Old & New
LEARNING LABS
Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck led a session examining how renewal in the church can arise from a faithful blending of historic Methodist tradition with new, contextually relevant expressions of Christian faith.
📸 snapshots
📌 important links
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Agenda
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