Category: Voices

Ten ways baseball is like church

“Most of us,” says Ryan Dunn, “are in a process of making sense of the mysteries of faith… and baseball.” Here are how the two compare.

The right to vote matters

“People of faith see fair representation, the right to vote, and accountability for elected leaders as moral issues of utmost importance,” says  Susan Henry-Crowe,  General Secretary of the UMC’s Board of Church and Society.

New song for Michigan Conference

The Rev. Paul Perez shares four Strategic Directions from the Conference Leadership Council as well as missional and connectional challenges. “God is graciously inviting us to sing a new song,” he says.

Praise to God comes first

“Faith is something that precedes an answer to a battle or a crisis,” says the Rev. Cornelius Davis, Jr. He calls us to praise our God, who is good even in challenging times.

Thoughts on America this 4th of July

In this month’s Joyful Journey, Bishop David Bard talks about being a citizen of America. He says, “Even as we celebrate the United States … We need to see where we have fallen short of our highest ideals.”

Father prepares son for racial injustice

The Rev. Dr. Byron Thomas, the senior pastor of Ben Hill United Methodist Church in Atlanta, calls on every white father to teach his children about racial injustice.

Stepping boldly through change

Change happens. The Rev. Scott Harmon looks at changes at Camp Michigamme, in the Church, and in his life. His trust in God gives him hope.

Journey with the Latinx community

God is at work in the Latinx community in Michigan. Sonya Luna offers ways the United Methodist Church can be blessed and a blessing in ministry with Latinx neighbors

The gift of new wineskins

The Rev. Dr. Jerome DeVine cautions pastors and laypersons to not put the “new wine” produced during the pandemic back into old wineskins.

The joyful journey to annual conference

Bishop David Bard has not missed an annual conference session since 1984. He believes that conference can be a means of grace, whether the sessions are held in-person or online.