The UMC has Some Issues

Hey everyone,

We've been chatting about the UMC and, honestly, it's been quite an eye-opener. Let’s break it down:

The UMC’s Past Glory
There was a time when we were on top of our game. We were all about big, bold dreams and actions. Think massive growth, overflowing abundance, and faith that could move mountains. This was a time of God-sized dreams turning into reality.

The Present Struggles
Fast-forward to today, and it feels like we're stuck in survival mode. Our focus has shifted inward, becoming more about maintaining structures than nurturing people. We're caught in this cycle of delay and postponement due to internal disagreements and denominational turmoil. It’s like we're spending our energy and resources in a waiting game while the world moves on.

The Future We Need
Looking ahead, we need a seismic shift. We're talking about a UMC that’s more inclusive, more community-oriented, and more on-mission. We've got this amazing global church, right? But it feels less connected than ever. We're grappling with disagreements and spending too much time sorting out our differences, which is necessary, but we can't let it stop us from doing the real ministry work.

The truth is, parts of our beloved UMC are broken. But hey, it's fixable. We wouldn't be having this conversation if we had given up hope, right?

So that's where we're at. It’s not all doom and gloom, but it’s a call to action. We need to move from just surviving to thriving, from being inward-focused to looking outward and serving others. There’s work to be done, and it’s about time we roll up our sleeves and get to it.