Dear Gateway Conference Pastors,

As some of you know, FMCUSA has partnered with Mosaix Global Network to provide assistance and training to our pastors for building churches that are more welcoming and reflective of our communities.

I have personally experienced their training and found it to be relevant, practical and most importantly, theologically grounded. As such we have invited Rev. Dr. Fraser Venter and Rev. Dr. Harry Li to join us for our Gateway gathering in Greenville, IL on February 24th.

Fraser Venter is the strategic catalyst for love-driven justice on the Free Methodist Church USA Executive Leadership Team. He previously served as the lead pastor of Cucamonga Christian Fellowship in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and as a superintendent of the Free Methodist Church in Southern California.

Harry Li has been pastoring a multiethnic, intergenerational and socio-economically diverse church in the heart of Little Rock, Arkansas for the last 22 years and has a heart for building up pastors and prayer ministry.

The Mosaix Global Network uses the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) assessment as a means to provide faith-based groups with a starting point for their theologically based training. On February 24, from 9am-3:30pm, we will have a Pastor's Resourcing Day at the Greenville FMC where Pastor Li will walk us through the results of our assessment in an engaging and encouraging workshop meant to lead us towards practical outcomes as leaders.

In the coming weeks, you'll receive an email with instructions and a link for taking the CQ assessment. It'll be a fun and encouraging day and I pray that you'll make the effort to be in attendance and ready to engage in some of the new challenges we face as a denomination.

More information is below.

On the Journey,

Supt Ben

Pastor's Resourcing Day

Saturday, February 24, 2024

9:00am-3:30pm

Greenville Free Methodist Church

Young Teen Room (C102)

Laypeople are invited to attend also.

Snacks and Lunch will be provided. Appointed Pastors are expected to attend this Resourcing Day.

Please rsvp by Friday, February 16 to [email protected]

Click here to learn more about Mosaix Global Network

You’ve heard the old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” But did you know that your guests’ first impression comes way before they step foot in your church and continues long after they are back at home?

It’s true. That’s why it’s critical that you optimize the whole welcome experience, not just the 75 minutes your guests are in the building.

Mission Insite's new FREE guide will help you do just that. Welcoming Church Guests: A Step-By-Step Approach takes your church from the moment a guest starts searching for you online through the time he or she becomes a committed part of your church family. The guide walks you through each step so you can give the warmest welcome possible for those visiting your church.

Click here to request a pdf copy.

An FM Women's Gathering (held before the Wesley and Holiness Women Clergy Conference) March 6-7, 2024

Our Story 2024 will take place on March 6-7, 2024, immediately prior to the E2024 Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy Conference, held on March 7-9, 2024 in Dallas, TX at the Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport.  The event is open to Free Methodist women elders, CMC’s, and LMC’s as well as Free Methodist women who are exploring a call to pastoral ministry.

It is FREE! (Attendees or their conferences/sponsors will only need to pay for the additional room night at the Hyatt. Dinner on March 6 is being provided by the denomination.)  It is important that you use the following link to register for your hotel for that night:  Free Methodist Women's Gathering (hyatt.com). This is the link you will need to register for Our Story:  Our Story 2024 (wufoo.com)

Please Note: This registration is only for the “Our Story 2024” pre-conference. If you are attending E2024 March 7-9, then you will need to register for that conference through the WHWC E2024 website.

How Do You Serve Your Community Without Knowing Them?

by ACS Technologies

Understanding and knowing your community is crucial for churches. This may be obvious, but have you taken a recent look at your community and how you’re meeting their needs? Research from Barna, HuffPost, and others shows how communities are not connecting how their local churches are serving them. Maybe it’s time to step back and evaluate if your community is realizing the value your church is providing.

What Areas Should You Evaluate?

Ministry Effectiveness

Relevance and Connection

Cultural Sensitivity

Outreach and Evangelism

Social Justice and Community Service

Collaboration and Partnerships

Adaptation to Change

Community Building

Understanding the community is foundational for your church’s ability to serve, connect, and positively impact the lives of its members and the broader community. It helps align your church’s mission with the needs of the people, fostering a more meaningful and effective ministry.

Click here to request a pdf copy of Knowing Your Neighbor To Better Serve Your Community