Practicing Lament

By Uncategorized
July 13, 201912:00 pm12:50 pm
Seasons like this one, with the ongoing debate about asylum seekers and caravans and walls and what exactly constitutes a national emergency, are precisely why I am suggesting this session. It is vital that those of us who are working toward justice and mercy and kindness in a chaotic and polarized culture, have practical ways we release the grief and anger at all that’s broken and harmful around us.

The old testament is full of embodied practices of lament and we are in desperate need of renewing those practices for our time. Anguish is a natural and reasonable response to toddlers in cages and a legally obtained weapon cooly used to end the lives of five people on a weekday afternoon.

I’ll talk about the Biblical history of lament along with spiritual and psychological reasons it’s important and then suggest some accessible practices for people to engage either as a private spiritual practices or in community.

12:00 am Terra McDaniel

Organizing in Communities of Color

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July 13, 201912:00 pm12:50 pm
A space to discuss differences and similarities of organizing and community building in communities of color. We want to share our experience working in predominantly Latinx communities vs. predominantly white communities. We would like to focus on differences of culture, communication, networking, relationship building, and event planning styles. We invite attendees to share organizing and community building experiences in their own communities and other spaces of color.
12:00 am Maddie Allsup
12:00 am Alex Cordova
12:00 am Alex Jose Ramirez

How to Become A Stone Catcher in Your Community

By Uncategorized
July 13, 201912:00 pm12:50 pm
Jesus’s presence and words often disrupted the systematic oppression of his day and time. When the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought to Him He used His words: “He who is without sin cast the first stone” to interrupt an unjust religious system’s attempt to judge and kill the woman who was brought to Him. We can also disrupt and interrupt unjust systematic forms of oppression in our communities by engaging in pre-planned strategic activities you and I can become “Stone Catchers”.

Rev Cori Morgan has written a song and developed a t-shirt as a way to promote the idea of becoming a Stone Catcher.

12:00 am Reverend Cori Morgan

Boys Become Men, male mentorship and rites of passage in the 21st century

By Uncategorized
July 13, 201912:00 pm12:50 pm
We have a problem in America. 1 in 3 children, ages 8-18 are growing up without any grownups to look to. This is the mentoring gap and it affects over 18 million kids here in the states. Jordan would like to share his experience as a boy and the expectations and assumptions of manhood that he held. His work with Journeymen, focuses around teaching boys emotional intelligence and modeling authenticity and vulnerability as men. The goal is to discuss the issues of fatherlessness, a narrow definition of masculinity, and emotional illiteracy in boys and to explore some solutions to this. There
12:00 am Jordan Bowman

OK UMC, What Now?

By Uncategorized
July 13, 201912:00 pm12:50 pm
What happened at General Conference and how we can be the church God has called us to be in these times? This session will start with a short presentation with much time for table talk, so be prepared to engage conversation. What’s next for our organizing? What are ways to break through to all that God has in store for us? Panel consists of a deacon, a reconciling ministries organizer and a lay person all dreaming of an inclusive future.
12:00 am Rev. Stacey Harwell-Dye
12:00 am Helen Ryde
12:00 am Florence Sapp Martin

Military Metaphor and the gospel of Peace

By Uncategorized
July 13, 201912:00 pm12:50 pm
Much of the language that used in the scriptures and the hymns can cause a lot of consternation to the modern follower of Christ. This presentation will look at reclaiming the language rather than be offended by it. Tackling the military terms, blood, sacrifice etc and finding a way that it can propel us forward in faith rather than be a stumbling block.

12:00 am Jon-Phil Winter

Soul Care for the Caring Soul

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July 13, 201912:00 pm12:50 pm
Soul Care for the Caring Soul is the perfect fit if you have been giving your all but haven’t taken the needed time to fill your cup. If you long to find balance between the energy you offer and the energy you receive, come. If you long for a peace-filled space where breathing in and breathing out are the measure of success, come. If you want to practice rituals of healing and release, rest and renewal, come. We will attune our full selves to creating a rhythm of receiving and releasing in the spirit of gratitude and peace. Through practices of guided meditation, mindful creativity, and sacred conversation, we will inhabit restorative sacred space and wholeness #soulcareforthecaringsoul.
12:00 am suzanne l. vinson

Ideas & Action: Faith Communities and the Mental-Health Conversation

By Uncategorized
July 13, 201912:00 pm12:50 pm
Join us for structured, open conversation about mental health- particularly in the realm of faith communities.We will look at questions, including: what are faith-communities’ role in mental health work and advocacy? How do we provide tangible help to those that seek it? How to get your faith community working on mental-health, emotional well-being, and wellness? This conversation will be dignity and whole-person driven, with examples of how to destigmatize mental illness in the church. Participants will feel empowered to share their empirical wisdom about: unmet needs they see involving mental health in their communities, models of what works, and ideas for helping the “unsolvable”. There will also be a blessing to help center us and lift up all that are dealing with mental health concerns.
12:00 am Rev. Jessica Stokes