Urban ministry academy to help UMs reach cities

Urban congregations across Southwest Texas can learn new ways to transform their community outreach during a two-year training program starting in September.
The Office of New Church Development and Transformation is sponsoring the six-session Holy Boldness Urban Ministry Academy in San Antonio.
First-year classes for teams from urban congregations are scheduled for Sept. 28-30, Jan. 18-20 and March 28-30 at Travis Park UMC, San Antonio. Three more events are planned for late 2008 and early 2009.
Each session is designed to help clergy and laity leaders develop strategies for transforming congregational life. Each schedule includes presentations by a guest speaker and workshops on key aspects of urban ministry.
The Rev. Robert C. Lithicum, president of Partners in Urban Transformation, is featured speaker for the September gathering. The former Presbyterian pastor has led more than 120 urban ministry consultations since 1986. He served congregations in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Rockford, Ill., from 1959 to 1985.
Workshop topics include:
> Technology in worship for the small church.
> Increasing your church’s visibility in the community.
> Turning around the urban church.
> Prayer as an evangelism activity.
Featured strategist for the January meeting is to be the Rev. Tex Sample, coordinator of the Network for the Study of U.S. Lifestyles and former professor of church and society at UM-related St. Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Mo.
Tentative January workshop topics include:
> Developing your context for ministry.
> Preaching for transformation.
> Overcoming fear of change.
The Rev. Rudy Rasmus, pastor of St. John’s UMC in downtown Houston, is tentatively lined up for the March event.
Tentative March workshop topics include:
> Community economic development.
> Grant writing.
> Wesley Nurse health ministries.
While the Holy Boldness academy is designed for urban congregations, any church can participate, organizers say.
Pastors are encouraged to bring teams of laypeople from their congregations. Because of the multiple tracks being offered, training isn’t designed for a single representative from a congregation. The academy is packaged as a total experience, not six separate events.
Besides formal presentations and workshops, the academy includes onsite observation of urban ministries in action. Participants are to learn more than concepts. They are to acquire practical skills that they can apply to their local
ministry contexts.
Cost per person for Year 1 is $90 ($30 per session). Congregations may send four or more participants for $300
($100 per session).
Organizers encourage congregations that can’t send a full team to partner with neighboring churches to form teams to take advantage of the group rate.
The Rio Grande Conference Office of Conncectional Ministries, Black Methodists for Church Renewal and General Board of Global Ministries are joining the Office of New Church Development and Transformation in sponsoring the academy.
For more information about Holy Boldness, visit www. umcswtxprograms.org/holyboldness, or contact the Office of New Church Development and Transformation at (210) 408-4500 or toll free (888) 349-4191.