Seeds and Sprouts in Ministry Innovation

Send us Fan Mail Meet one of the Minnesota Annual Conference's new Connectors- Emily Hilderbrand.  Join us as we dive into big questions for the church today, what evangelism really means and what it can look like in a local church, and hear Emily's deeply Wesleyan heart as she talks about the journey of faith formation.  From the conference as a whole to local churches, we lean into wha...

Send us Fan Mail It's summer in Minnesota and our patterns change as we take advantage of the warm temps.  How do these shifts effect your congregation?  How are you staying connected as members travel?  Summer is also a great time to meet new people as people are out and about.  How are you inviting people in to what you have going on?  How are you reaching out into the community?  How are y...

Send us Fan Mail Rev. Dan Wetterstrom brings a rich wisdom to this conversation around generosity and stewardship in our churches today.  Beginning from a place of discipleship, Dan and Erica discuss the ways deep spirituality and roots grounded in our Wesleyan theology help shape our generosity and stewardship practices.  With over 40 years of ministry experience in the local church, Dan shares f...

Send us Fan Mail  Are you trying to figure out how to reach new people?  Are you wondering how to ground your ministry development in our faith story?  Join Erica (and her dogs!) for a conversation about how we go, sow and grow new ministry.  Leaning into the lessons we learn from gardening and from the ways Jesus lived out his ministry, we will explore some ideas about how you GO, what kinds of s...

Send us Fan Mail We are celebrating 1 year of the Seeds and Sprouts podcast with this episode!  Thanks to everyone who has listened over the last year.  We are excited to launch our second season.  As Erica has worked with a variety of churches in the last year, a question she continues to ask is "Is this ministry or is this busy?" Churches can feel like they are doing all the things but...

Send us Fan Mail You don't want to miss this episode as Erica and Erin discuss ministry for urban and suburban congregations in these changing times.  From social justice initiatives to connecting congregations doing great things, Erica and Erin explore what is possible for this connector role and how the office of strategy and innovation can walk with congregations in these interesting times...

Send us Fan Mail We are launching a new short series where you will get a chance to meet our Conference Connectors who are working to resource and equip you in your ministry settings.  In this episode we sit down with Rural/ Town and Country connector Scott Burr.  Scott shares some of the trends he is seeing in rural ministry, some of his hopes for the ways this role can support outstate congregat...

Send us Fan Mail When was the last time you gave thanks for your administrative systems?  Often times, our data management, member tracking and communication systems feel out of date or out of our wheelhouse or unimportant.  We don't really think about them until its time to fill out conference tables!  However, these systems can be a key tool in your innovation toolbox.  Join us as we explor...

Send us Fan Mail Winter in Minnesota has been long!  We are at the point where the days are getting longer and we can begin to dream about spring.  We are also on the doorstep of the season of lent.  Join host Rev. Erica Koser for this timely episode that encourages your congregation to spruce up your entrances.  Starting with your virtual front door (your website) Erica will share observations an...

Send us Fan Mail As we say in almost every podcast- church is changing!  Join us for this conversation with Pastor Steve Reiser who is passionate about bringing back the ancient ministry model of house churches- because sometimes what's old is new again! Leaning deeply into John Wesley's class meeting model and models from Paul's ministry in the early church,  we will learn the basi...

Send us Fan Mail Do you wonder about the safety of your church and congregation members?  Joining us on this episode of Seeds and Sprouts is Rev. Chris Carr, an ordained deacon who has used a career in global security to help guide churches as they strive to walk the balance between welcome and safety.  Chris has a beautiful theology of security and will share a framework to build upon.  He will a...

Send us Fan Mail Do you love to watch HGTV and the ways they transform homes into welcoming spaces?  Have you ever thought about what it would look like to apply some of their ideas to your church building?  Join Erica for a lively conversation about 'HGTV'ing' your church.  In a candid but real way, Erica addresses some of the low hanging fruit that you can tend to to improve the w...

Send us Fan Mail If you are looking for inspiration, practical tips, and a big dose of hope, you don't want you to miss this episode.  Jean Carlos is the campus pastor of Neon,  the Wesley Foundation campus ministry at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.  In just over a year, he has seen amazing growth in the ministry and the ways students are finding a trusting, welcoming community t...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to truly trust the nudges of the Holy Spirit and launch into a new ministry?  Have you ever done ministry on the margins and noticed how Jesus shows up in different ways?  Are you curious about the ways you can connect with your community to make a lasting impact? Join Pastor Erica and Pastor Collette as they share some of the lessons...

Send us Fan Mail Is the church still relevant for families?  How do you do children's ministry well if you are a small church?  What do kids need right now?  Join us for a powerful conversation with children's ministry expert Lindsey Nuehring from Advent UMC.  Could the key to children and family ministry be as simple as being authentic and building relationships?  In a fun, honest, and...

Send us Fan Mail Join Rev. Erica Koser for a look at some current resources and some easy ideas for reaching into your community this summer.  Gather a few tips that you can begin in July!  Also learn more about how the office of Strategy and Innovation can help you go, sow, and grow!

Send us Fan Mail Is it important to reach out to your community?  How do you take community demographics alongside community conversations to generate a profile of your community?  In this episode, Erica and church planter Jeremy Peters of The Grove, Cottage Grove,  engage in a  thought-provoking conversation that will encourage you to move outside the walls of your church and become a vital partn...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are joined by the Rev. Tyler Sit; church planter, innovator and author from New City Church and Northeast UMC both in Minneapolis.  We engage in a lively conversation about innovation, Marie Kondo-ing our full ministry plates, and Tyler shares his top 5 wonderings about church right now.   

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Seeds and Sprouts podcast.  In this episode, learn what this podcast is all about and meet host Rev. Erica Koser.