Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”   -Matthew 9:35-38   Traveling t

America is once again shocked, devastated, and in pain by the shootings at a Catholic school, Charlie Kirk, police officers, the deadly stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, 23 years old, on a train, and more cases. It seems America, our culture is broken; so we are broken with feelings of pain, rage, helplessness, and frustration. Lord, have mercy! Turning to God is the most powerful tool in our arsenal. As I seek God's mercy, I sensed that God was making a couple

When I ask this question, many people say fall. With cooler weather, changing colors, football, and pumpkin spice, fall has a lot to offer. Others pause and then respond that their favorite season is pheasant season, which doesn’t come until later in October here in Iowa. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say their favorite time of year is charge conference season. And yet, that is exactly the season we are entering in the Upper Midwest Conference. Every church is prep

Last month I shared with you how the task before us is to recover the multiplying DNA of our historic Methodist movement - a movement fueled by a zeal for the Gospel. As we look forward to 2030, a time where it is my hope that we are a Conference where that zeal is actively being rediscovered, I think it is important that we also look back. To be a Conference where Every Church Plants is not a new idea, it is deeply woven into our Wesleyan DNA. Laity Leading as Lead Followers

That title might seem a bit provocative, and it is certainly at least a bit of an exaggeration. After all, the real center of the Gospel is the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ for us and our salvation. Everything else gains theological value by how it is related to that center. What I mean is that I have become increasingly convinced that the practice of Holy Communion is vitally important. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus famously predicts

General Conference 2026 is now less than one year away (Aug. 30 – Sept. 5, 2026). Your Upper Midwest Conference delegation has been meeting monthly (on Zoom) to pray and prepare together to represent you well in Johannesburg, South Africa. Pray for your delegation especially as we learn the new Global Methodist process for nominating and electing our bishops! These servant leaders are now elected by the General Conference, after being successfully nominated by annual conferen