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from the bishop

What If We Rethink Church?

April 17, 2009
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
I want you to join me on a mental journey. To a different reality: to where church . . . is not a building, but a concept. To where church is not just a place we go, but something we do. To where church is no longer a noun . . . and open is not an adjective, but a verb.
 
I want you to Rethink Church. Not in terms of what it is, but of what it could be.
 
Eight years ago, The United Methodist Church began telling the world that "our hearts, our minds, our doors are open." We had great success with that means of raising awareness about who we are as a people of Christ: In a Gallup poll taken one year ago, 96% of respondents had either a positive or neutral view of Methodists - the highest approval rating of any religious group in the United States. But as we seek to reach new generations, to bring to the table those with spiritual hunger they themselves may not even fully recognize or understand, we have to take our message to the next level. To reach a new audience, "open" must become a verb that challenges us To open hearts. To open minds. And To open doors: 10,000 of them.
 
In May, United Methodist Communications will roll out a new national advertising campaign with the Rethink Church message, which seeks to redefine church as an experience beyond Sunday mornings or the building itself.
 
(Read complete message here.)
 
 

Mid-Year Appointments

(Appointments made after Annual Conference Session)
Nishinosono, Michiko05/04/2009No Appointment to San Jose Wesley UMC Mishler, James04/01/2009Appointed across conference lines from Cal-Pac Conference to Pastor for Congregational Life, Reno, South Reno UMC Feleunga, Sepuloni03/11/2009No Appointment to San Jose Tongan Fellowship, Sunnyvale Rominger, Patricia02/05/2009Family Leave to No Appointment Matsushita, Michinari02/01/2009Wesley UMC, San Jose to No Appointment » see all appointment changes