Annual Conference is More than a Business Meeting

In a recent conversation with a lay person from another denomination, I asked the question, “So, how would you compare your church today to what it was a year ago?” After a short pause, her answer was, “Oh, about the same.”

I must admit that I was not particularly surprised about her response, as I hear it time and time again. Being established members of established churches, it is easy for us to fall into the “routine” of doing church that we slowly drift away from joy of being the Church. Especially when we are consumed with everything from the order of worship to meetings and ministries being on strict schedules, our world view can become constrained to tunnel vision by all of the “tasks” of doing church.

So, I asked, “Have you lost members during the past year?” “Yes,” she replied. “Have you gained any members?” “Yes.” “Has anything significant changed in the community surrounding your church?” “A new housing complex opened,” she said. I continued with several other questions, until she said, “I think you are about to make a point, aren’t you?”

“It seems that your mission field, your resources, and your possibilities may have constantly changed without you even realizing it.”

For many of us, the Church is in suspended animation, as we wait for some form of legislation to tell us where we should go next. Micah 6:8 informs us about next steps, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

The current fragility of a great number of our congregations, when combined with the hindrances of the pandemic and the stagnation of ministries while awaiting GC2024, just might leave congregations ineffective beyond 2024. What can congregations do to prepare for whatever the future of the United Methodist Church holds?

I am excited about the opportunities that our upcoming Annual Conference gathering will give us to realize the urgencies that persist in our mission fields TODAY. I pray that clergy and lay attendees will return to their congregations with renewed energy and the desire to revitalize, create, and expand their missional footprints and be the Church where and when it is needed…here and now!

I ask all who attend Annual Conference to participate in the excursions, take photos, ask questions, and make notes. Look and see if you are inspired to seek out opportunities for justice and mercy ministries while at McAllen. Exchange ideas and form alliances with others as you seek and offer resources for the greater good.

Annual Conference is not merely a business meeting. It is an opportunity to build up the Body of Christ in this mission field we call the Rio Texas Annual Conference. I hope to see you there!

Ralph Thompson
Conference Lay Leader

Edna First UMC Hosts Mid-Winter Retreat for Community

God placed an idea into one faithful servant about Edna First UMC hosting our own Mid-Winter retreat around 2018. We have youth active in athletics. With Friday night basketball games, especially away games, it would be too late when they returned to Edna. The families drove four hours before Mid-Winter church staff received the youth members for the retreat. As an experiment, we hosted our first Mid-Winter retreat in January 2019 with God’s help and the help of the congregation. We invited youth from the community and nearby towns to participate. We have had approximately 30 youth register each year. 

Brackenridge Park is 12 minutes south of Edna. It includes a historic church to worship, cabins to sleep in, facilities to cook and eat, as well as gathering spaces. It has plenty of space to run around, basketball and volleyball courts, space for "capture the flag" or scavenger hunts, and more. The Brackenridge Park staff have been great over the years.  

The church was able to keep the registration fee low-cost by hosting nearby; donating snacks; members providing meals; grants from Formosa Plastics Religious Trust; and church members donating time, talent, and treasure (prayer, plan, preparation, t-shirt design, set up, decorate, registration, worship prep & practice, small group leaders, games leader, cook, clean up, undecorate, pack up, lay speaker to preach on Sunday so the pastor could be at Mid-Winter, etc.). Brackenridge Park is far enough away to feel like we are away making it easier to connect with God, and close enough to send someone to retrieve items from the church campus or purchase items from H-E-B in town. 

We have been blessed for God to be at work through our labor, discipline, and generosity that youth and adults have grown closer to God. Dr. Tanya Campen asked me to write a summary about this experience these last four years that it may inspire or encourage other churches to dream, follow through on God’s prompting, and increase awareness of possibilities that may be closer than you realize. 

Grace & Peace, 

Rev. Kelli Williamson 

First UMC Edna 

Clergy Convocation 2022 Slideshow

TCN Transforms Loaves & Fishes at Universal City UMC

Since incorporating some of the practices and tools learned through Transformational Communities Network (TCN) Trainings, Rev. Cynthia Engstrom, pastor of Universal City United Methodist Church, is seeing a renewed energy active in the congregation. Members are saying, “There is a spark! There’s a buzz!” 

Sara Holland, coordinator for Universal City’s TCN team, appreciates that the TCN approach of building on what you have and making small, incremental changes that will lead to deeper community engagement and connection.

Building upon a pre-COVID Wednesday night supper, the Universal City TCN team launched Summer Suppers. The old Wednesday night suppers catered to church members; which a modest attendance of 25 people. It required reservations and fees for dinner. Opportunities to work in the kitchen were restricted to a handful of volunteers who had performed this function for years.

The TCN team sparked the imagination of the church by asking, “how can we adapt this inward focused dinner to become a time that welcomes the community?” Could the congregation re-energize and invite more people to participate through their acts of service? 

The Summer Suppers has taken off with over 100 people in attendance. Families from the community are attending.  The local firefighters are attending. The staff from the local library are attending and helping to invite others. New volunteers are serving with a sense of excitement. New connections are being made. No reservations are needed. No fee is required.

Holland said that there was some angst within the church as these changes were being discussed. Where would the money come from? How would the program break even? Holland and the TCN team invited the congregation to embrace the changes with a “loaves and fishes” vision.   

Rev. Engstrom says, “The reshaped Wednesday dinners were an experiment. The experiment has turned into a regular event that reminds the congregation how to believe in possibility. It is changing every conversation we are having, even at the Governance Board. I recommend TCN to all churches everywhere!”

Holland says that the Summer Suppers has also had a ripple effect on the community. Strangers at the grocery store are recognizing the Summer Supper t-shirts and striking up conversations with church members. More neighborhood youth are finding their way to the church campus, even if it is just to sneak a soda. 

Rev. Engstrom and Holland agree, “We see all of this as an opportunity!”  Where the church once saw scarcity, they now see and trust in God’s abundance. “God just keeps handing us opportunities to connect with our community,” says Rev. Engstrom. 

What’s next? Through the new connections made, the Universal City TCN team sees an opportunity for the church to provide a community art studio. The team is just at the beginning of repurposing an existing church space for the community’s use.

Once again, this TCN team is building on what the church already has and making small, incremental changes that will open more and more opportunities for ministry and connection to the community.

If you’d like to hear directly from Sara Holland, please watch this video talking about the Summer Suppers.

If you’d like to learn more about how your church could get involved with the Transformational Communities Network, please contact Abel Vega at avega@riotexas.org / 210.421.9588.

Justice For All Immigrants - October 28 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

JFAI Executive Director Manne Favor explains the legal immigration services now available at El Parian Avenida Business Center across from the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.

Justice for All Immigrants is an affiliate of the Justice For Our Neighbors network. Justice For All Immigrants provides low-income individuals and families with affordable, high-quality immigration legal services while engaging in immigration education and advocacy.

JFAI provides Know-Your-Rights training to help immigrants understand their basic rights under U.S. law, educate our community about the value of immigration, and advocate for compassionate immigration reform.

Free and low cost legal services are available thanks to the financial support JFAI receives from individual donations and grants.

Las Misiones Churches Distribute Backpacks

Coker UMC

This year, under the leadership of lay leaders Lori Armstrong, Linda Nolder, and others from our Coker Food Pantry and outreach teams, Coker United Methodist Church safely and successfully distributed 720 backpacks to our clients' children and other students in the community. Each was prayed over. Clients, students, and teachers were all invited back to the Coker campus on Aug 15th for the blessing of the backpacks. The Pastors and the worship teams offered a special time of prayer and blessings over everyone in the congregation before students and teachers were invited to receive individual prayer and get a special backpack tag! After the blessing of the backpacks- Coker hosted a Coker Park Cook-Out and back to school bash with worship leader Holly Tucker (as heard on “The Voice”), BBQ, Ice Cream and water-fun to beat the heat. It was a wonderful way to reach out and gather in. 

We are very thankful for all the monetary contributions and the volunteers that helped to make all of this possible. 

St. Paul UMC

The Young Adult and Adult Ministry at St. Paul UMC, San Antonio coordinated a Back-to-School Supply Drive. Members and friends coordinated over 110 backpacks with school supplies given to students at Herff and Bowden Elementary Schools, St. Paul Church students and homeless children. Their generosity will positively impact the lives of these students.

Epworth UMC

Epworth United Methodist Church, Methodist Health Ministries and community partners worked together to donate 175 backpacks on Saturday, July 31st.

The backpack distribution was scheduled in the church parking lot as a safe drive thru event.

The United Methodist Women and the Girl Scouts Troop #133 assembled all 175 backpacks. 

Christ UMC, Stockdale

Our blessing of the backpacks at Christ UMC Stockdale involved all students, teachers, and staff to come forward and kneel/stand at the altar. Both kids and adults brought their bags! The pastor prayed for them, and the church gave each a backpack tag. It was a special moment. 

Oxford UMC

Oxford United Methodist Church, San Antonio distributed 170 completely filled backpacks to McDermott elementary school which is in the Northside Independent School District. This is the school closest to our church. As always, we were blessed to be a blessing.

Bulverde UMC

Children’s Center Los Ninos and Bulverde UMC joined to bless our community with back to school items on Saturday, August 21. Backpacks, school supplies, clothes, socks and more were distributed. God’s provision allowed us to bless all who came through the drive through and to pray with each family. 

Ressurection UMC

Resurrection UMC provided 72 backpacks for kids who attended Camp Agape, a camp for the children of incarcerated parents which was held June 25-27 at Knott Creek Falls Campground. We partnered with Prison Fellowship, Still Water Camps, FUMC Boerne and Mt Zion First Baptist Church to create Camp Agape. There were nine children from Resurrection UMC who participated.

Others

Westlawn UMC distributed 140 backpacks with school supplies

St. Andrew’s UMC, San Antonio distributed 150 backpacks for Wiltshire Elementary school

El Divino Salvador UMC, San Antonio distributed 150 backpacks to Woodlawn Academy and Women’s Leadership Academy. Watch their video of the back to school event

University UMC, San Antonio assembled and distributed about 380 backpacks full of school supplies to students Pre-K through High School.

First UMC Cotulla gave 301 backpacks with back-to-school supply kits.

Coker UMC, San Antonio distributed 280+ backpacks at our Back to School Drive-Thru event.

River Baptism of College Students

By Rev. Todd Salmi - United Campus Ministry at Texas State

This Easter Season, the United Campus Ministry at Texas State baptized two college students in the San Marcos River. Young adults also reaffirmed their Baptismal promise to care and nurture one another in the love of Christ.  See more at https://www.ucmtxstate.org/news/river-baptisms

For more than 50 years, the United Campus Ministry at Texas State has partnered with The United Methodist Church to welcome all students in the love of Christ. To connect a student with this ministry, or make a donation in support of college ministry, please contact Rev. Todd Salmi (todd@ucmtxstate.org) and visit www.ucmtxstate.org.

Ps. If you have any specific suggestions on how we can connect with churches and graduating high school seniors coming to Texas State, please let me know. We’d love to welcome them with some free SWAG and connect our students to answer any questions they might have. Let me know if you have any ideas.

Ministry Spotlight: 2021 Appalachian Trail Chaplain Chris Estus

Chris “Bone Spur” Estus has been accepted as an Appalachian Trail Chaplain, a ministry of the Holston Conference UMC. He will start his six-month, 2,193-mile journey in May starting at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia to Mount Katahdin, Maine and “flip-flop” back down to Springer Mountain, Georgia.

Chris Estus started his ministry in July 1999 with a call to fellowship of those interested in the biblical roots of the 12-step movement. Alamo Heights UMC later adopted his unique ministry in 2011 and he became the Director of Recovery Ministries for the church.

Pastor Scott Heare invited Chris to a study tour of Israel later that year. This was Chris’ introduction to long trail hiking. They hiked from the northern Galilee to the southern part of Negev desert over two weeks. During that journey, they climbed the Qumran Mount Arben and Masada National Park.

Since then, Chris has hiked Big Bend National Park and the Colorado trail in multiple segments.

Chris’ new “physically daunting” backpack journey will be documented with daily videos on the Appalachian Trail Chaplain Facebook and website.

“I wasn’t sure where I was going to hike next after my 2020 trip to Colorado. Out of the blue my sponsor called and said I ought to hike the Appalachian Trail next to carry the good news. I was skeptical,” said Chris. “Then I was looking at my Facebook feed one day, and up pops a post that said the Appalachian Trail Chaplaincy was accepting applications for 2021. The first requirement was familiarity with recovery ministry and Wesleyan theology. Every other requirement fit me perfectly. I saw it as a call and said ‘I can’t not do it.”

Chris will start slowly at 10-12 miles per day at two miles an hour. He hopes to increase his pace after the first month.

“If you are starting to hike, start slowly and set reasonable daily mileage goals with an average speed. Walking this trail will give me an opportunity to listen to and speak into the lives of people affected by substance abuse disorder.”

Read more: UMC Names Its Ninth Appalachian Trail Chaplain