Post-pandemic youth ministry is hard. So hard, in fact, that the leadership of EPA&GNJ Next Gen Ministries recognized the folly of going about it alone. The United Methodist Church of West Chester in EPA became a hub of inspiration on …

Pastor to lead monthly spiritual retreats for clergy in 2024
The Eastern PA Conference Cabinet and Leadership Development Office sponsored three, one-day spiritual renewal retreats in 2023 to offer needed respite to weary pastors. They were so well-received that the supportive mental and spiritual health initiative will now become a …

NextGen coordinator to share wisdom with peers at Youth Leader Days
Register for IGNITE’s Youth Leader Days now: January 27 at West Chester UMC, in Eastern PA, and February 24 at Aldersgate UMC in East Brunswick, NJ. Michael Nelson, a dynamic youth pastor at Norwood (PA) United Methodist Church and a …

Leadership Academy Preaching Institute hires director, coordinator
The EPA&GNJ Leadership Academy’s new Lilly Endowment-funded Preaching Institute (LAPI) hired a new director and coordinator January 1. The Rev. Darryl Stephens, who chairs the Order of Deacons in the Eastern PA Conference and teaches at Lancaster Theological Seminary, will serve as director. …

Leadership Academy uses Teachable online courses to train church leaders
EPA&GNJ’s Leadership Academy has launched its first online courses for training church leaders, using Teachable, one of the nation’s top online learning management systems. The multimedia, fully accessible digital platform enables creation and hosting of a variety of instructor-led courses …

Denman Evangelism Award nominations extended to Jan. 19
Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. (1 Thessalonians 5:12) The deadline to submit nominations for the 2024 Harry Denman Evangelism Awards is extended to January 19. The Eastern PA Conference Cabinet and …

And the dream lives on…
“At the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.” (Numbers 8:25) Our revels now are ended. These our actors,As I foretold you, were all spirits, andAre melted into air, into thin air…We are …

EPA board, agency, committee leaders sought for 2024-28
The mission of United Methodists of Eastern PA is “to recruit and develop transformational leaders so that people and communities experience healing, renewal and wholeness from God.” That mission pertains not only to congregations but also to the conference boards, …

Sarah B. Drummond: The dynamic nature of change in ministry leadership
The Uncovered Dish Christian Leadership Podcast Dig into the Uncovered Dish Christian Leadership Podcast for another enlightening episode, featuring the Rev. Sarah B. Drummond, Founding Dean of Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. She shares invaluable insights into the …

Empowering Leaders: Tools to Change Church Culture
If nothing seems to change in your congregation despite your best efforts and great strategies, chances are a “stay-the-course” mentality or an unhealthy culture is to blame. While usually taken for granted and often misunderstood, the culture of a local …