Nearly 500 church leaders gathered at Embrace Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for Reach 2018. The two-day event inspired and equipped attendees to reach the next person for Jesus with new passion, in new places. Below are links to news articles and videos from the event, which took place Oct. 5-6. Presentation materials from specific speakers are also available via SCHED; you must sign up for a free account to access presentation materials. Each of the five keynote speaker videos has an accompanying study guide with five key questions and two related exercises. Access videos and study guide
Here are links to all of the videos and articles from Reach:
Rev. Adam Weber: Reach Authentically: In the final Reach keynote address, Weber told attendees: Know your "why," be the real you, and connect Jesus to reality. Read article / Watch video
Rev. Jacob Armstrong: Reach Adaptively: Armstrong talked about the importance of listening to your community, opening the loop for new people, being intentional, and asking for help. Read article / Watch video
Rev. Roz Picardo: Reach Personally: “You know what’s amazing about your story? It points back to God,” said Picardo. “It’s not just your story, it’s God’s story.” Read article / Watch video
Debi Nixon: Reach Relentlessly: Getting back to an outward focus means being clear about your purpose, embracing change, going out into deeper water, and trusting God, Nixon said. Read article / Watch video
Bishop Bruce R. Ough: Reach Courageously: Bishop Ough urged courage that maintains integrity to one’s true self and to the gospel of Jesus while transcending personal preferences for the sake of others. Read article / Watch video
8 novel thoughts and ideas on reaching new people: This article highlights eight great ideas from breakout sessions to help you reach new people through evangelism, discipleship, social media, new services and sites, and more.
Religion in America: This video explores the religious landscape in America. Compelling facts and figures illustrate how Americans describe their religious affiliation and how that translates to worship attendance. The video also explores how we might use this data and what we might ponder as we seek to reach new people.
First Sermon at the Church of the Resurrection: United Methodist Church of the Resurrection's first Sunday in 1990 started with four people meeting in a funeral home chapel with a $60,000 budget, no buildings, one pastor, and a part-time music leader. Debi Nixon, executive director at the 21,000-member church in Leawood, Kansas, shared Rev. Adam Hamilton's first sermon.
Matthew's Ministry 25th Anniversary: In Their Own Words: United Methodist Church of the Resurrection has a ministry for everyone, including those with special abilities. Matthew's Ministry began 25 years ago when a young couple with a child named Matthew attended worship. The church welcomed Matthew and his family with a ministry built with and for them. Debi Nixon showed this video as part of her presentation.
Sharing our God stories: Chris: Your “ordinary” story might be just the testimony that someone needs to realize that even though they appear to have it all together, that ache or discontent is really a deep longing for God. Chris Puterbeah shares his story. Rev. Roz Picardo showed this video and encouraged everyone to share their God story during his presentation.
Embrace Network: Unite Church: Embrace Church provides churches anywhere the opportunity to network with a large, multi-campus church. The network provides a wide range of resources to reach the next person for Jesus. This video features Unite Church in Salem, South Dakota, which is part of the Embrace network.
North Summit Church: A church for those who don't like church: North Summit Church in Blaine, Minnesota is a place to work out their faith and grow strong in their understanding of Christ and his love for us. This new church start is reaching people right where they are. The video features testimonies of those who have been invited to be Jesus followers through North Summit.
Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite 400 Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 870-0058