CONNECTIONAL MINISTRIES COUNCIL

The Connectional Ministries Council coordinates the work of the Discipleship teams and the Missional Priority teams.

Discipleship Teams

The Discipleship Teams will offer primary assistance and resources to local churches as they seek to fulfill their disciple-making mission. There will be four discipleship teams (Nurture, Outreach, Witness, and Advocacy) with the following areas of responsibility.

Nurture Team
The Nurture Team will be responsible for assisting churches in areas of:
•  Christian formation
•  Education
•  Small group ministries
•  Worship, stewardship
•  Membership care
•  Age-level ministries
•  Children and Youth Camps
•  Older Adult
•  Family ministries
•  Outdoor ministries
* Staff person related to Nurture: Adam Ricker

Outreach Team
The Outreach Team will be responsible for assisting churches in equipping growing Christians to express their discipleship by being in mission beyond the walls of their church. This includes opportunities like:
•  Global and local missions
•  Mission personnel recruitment and initial screening
•  Disaster response and the United Methodist Committee on Relief
•  Volunteers in Missions
•  The Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty
•  Hope for the Children of Africa
•  HUMBLE Place
•  Ministries through our health and welfare agencies
* Staff person related to Outreach: Denise Walton

Witness Team
The Witness Team will be responsible for assisting churches by:
•  Training and motivating growing Christians to share their faith and lead others to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior
•  Sponsoring training in witnessing
•  Sponsoring training in lay speaking
•  Sponsoring specific events to equip our congregations to reach the unchurched in our communities with the gospel
•  Intentional hospitality
* Staff person related to Witness: Denise Walton

Advocacy Team
The Advocacy Team will give coordinated effort to help the annual conference, districts and local churches reflect the best of Christian community as we value awareness, respect, trust, equality, and acceptance of our diversity. This team will oversee ministries related to:
•  Religion and Race
•  Ethnic Local Church Concerns
•  Status and Role of Women
•  Persons with Disabilities
•  Native American Ministries
•  Church and Society
•  Christian Unity
•  Interreligious Concerns
* Staff person related to Advocacy: Lowery Brantley

Missional Priority Teams

The Missional Priority Teams will focus on missional issues that are pivotal to the full realization of the Conference Vision and the full implementation of the Action Plan.

Congregational Vitality
This team will develop and implement strategies and resources to help our existing local churches assess their current ministries, determine the impediments to growth, and offer guidance and support as they seek to be faithful, fruitful and bold.
* Staff person related to Congregational Vitality: Lowery Brantley

Young Adults
This team will develop and implement strategies and resources to help our local churches and other conference ministries reach the 18-35 age group with the gospel of Jesus and assimilate these persons into the life of the church.
* Staff person related to Young Adults: Adam Ricker

Leadership Development
This team will develop and implement strategies to offer a comprehensive approach to the development of lay and clergy leaders. This team will work with all committees/groups involved in leadership development, seeking ways to optimize the resources and opportunities for developing leaders.
* Staff person related to Leadership Development: Lowery Brantley