Episode 75 is a conversation with Rev. Leo Cunningham of Toledo St. Paul’s UMC, Pastor Tennille Power of North Olmsted and Rockport UMCs, and Multicultural Ministries Director WillFenton-Jones.

“This year I was thinking how do we slow down and ask, ‘How does Black History Month become more than just remembering the past but something that shapes who we are right now?’” Fenton-Jones shared.

“You start by acknowledging it (Black history) and bringing it to the forefront, by becoming a fabric of worship and liturgy for the year. That’s where it begins,”Power offered.

Cunningham said, “For me the Black Church has always been that we see the world for what it is, but we also see the world for what it could be, and we have hope that because of God, it’s going to get better.”

Learn more about The East Ohio Conference at ⁠⁠https://eocumc.com/

Episode 74 features a discussion with Rev. Ed Fashbaugh, Will Fenton-Jones, and Rev. Beth Ortiz about how taking care of our bodies goes beyond diet and exercise.

“In America it’s almost becoming normal to be sick. That’s not God’s design for our bodies and so as we look at these things, it’s important to know what does support metabolic health,” shared Fashbaugh, executive director of Connectional Ministries.

Ortiz shared that when we take care of our bodies we are being good stewards of this God-given resource.

“The body is amazing! The more you learn about it the more impressed I am with how not only how it’s meant to work but how it’s compensated when I haven’t done it particularly well. It’s really an honor to get to steward one’s body,” said the director of Discipleship Ministries.

Learn more about The East Ohio Conference at ⁠https://eocumc.com/

Episode 73 highlights how The Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland is reaching new people for Christ.

“In Cleveland there doesn’t really exist dedicated newcomer housing spaces for refugees and asylum seekers and so Nehemiah is unique in occupying this space,” said Graham Ball, the new executive director of the Mission, an EOC Advance Special ministry partner.

Board Member the Rev. Kathy Dickriede said the Mission’s ministries would not be possible without the support of churches and individuals across the Church.

“It’s not just about us, what we have to offer, but what do we have to gain as members of suburban United Methodist churches to come and build some community and to welcomeinternational newcomers into our spaces and to northeast Ohio,” she said.

Learn more about the Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland at https://www.nehemiahmission.org/

Learn more about The Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland as an Advance Special of the EOCUMC and donate at https://www.eocumc.com/finance/advance-special.html

Learn more about the East Ohio Conference at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eocumc.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

In Episode 72 Cabinet members Rev. Laura White, Rev. Kelly Brown, and Rev. Beth Ortiz share how cooperative parishes – churches grouped together as a missional unit – model the connectional DNA of The United Methodist Church.

White said, “You can still be you while being in ministry with other churches – and we were never meant to do ministry alone. Scripture is very clear on that. We are meant to berelational. We are meant to be supporting each other.”

Cooperative parishes have a history of impacting communities across the East Ohio Conference.

“I see it as our future. I see that it’s always been a part of who we are, we just got away from it and now its reemerging as a powerful way to do ministry,” Brown shared.

Learn more about the East Ohio Conference at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eocumc.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

In Episode 71 Rev. James Lance of Apple Creek, Moreland, Smithville and Wooster Church of the Cross UMCs shares that each of our calls is different.

“We use call in a lot of ways. I heard the call to Jesus throughout my life. And whenever I’m preaching on it, I try to break this apart. You have the call to Jesus, you have the callto ministry, and then you have the call to your ministry,” Lance said.

He also speaks to the changing landscape of ministry.

“To me, partially due to COVID, partially due to the technology boom, partially due to the arguments andpolarization and a lot of factors, we are in that tectonic shift today. It’s navigating and adapting to realize that ministry is no longer what it was, it’s becoming something new,” Lance shared.

Learn more about the East Ohio Conference at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eocumc.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Resources mentioned by Rev. Lance

• Everything Isn't Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities,Interrupt Your Anxiety, and Finally Calm Down By Kathleen Smith
• How Your 21st-Century Church Family Works: Understanding Congregations as EmotionalSystems by Peter Steinke

• A Failure of Nerve, Revised Edition: Leadership in theAge of the Quick Fix By Edwin Friedmen
• The Leaders Journey Podcast

In episode 70 Executive Director of Discipleship Ministries Rev. Beth Ortiz and Executive Director of Connectional Ministries Rev. Ed Fashbaugh sit down for a frank discussion on the topic of failure within ministry.

“We so often as a church think we fail because we aren’t what we used to be, or as a clergyperson we fail because people aren’t all excited or passionate about what we’re bringingas the new program. But we are unaware of systemic issues that add to the high probability of failure,” shared Fashbaugh.

The discussion is wide-ranging and should help listeners understand that failure is not always a bad thing.

“Failure is highly underrated. I have had some amazing results out of failing so I have tried to make some more space for it in my life,” said Ortiz.

Learn more about the East Ohio Conference at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eocumc.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

In Episode 69 Pastor Megan Buehler of Vienna and Coalburg UMCs shares that wrestling with God’s call began years ago when she attended The United Methodist Church of Berea.

“The only time I really felt at peace was when I walked in those red doors on Seminary Street in Berea and just was like ‘there’s got to be something with this, but I’m not going to get into it too much because it feels like it might be really big if I wrestle with this feeling more,’” Buehler said.

Eventually giving into God’s voice that was calling her into a deeper role serving the church, Buehler enrolled at Methodist Theological School of Ohio.

“I have never felt more myself than I have in the last 10 years when I finally said ‘yes, this is who I am,’” Buehler shared.

Learn more about the East Ohio Conference at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eocumc.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 68 is a special recording from the All-Ohio School of Ministry featuring Bishop Hee-Soo Jung reflecting on his first year serving as bishop in Ohio.

Bishop Jung offers that these three gifts from God are guiding him in visioning and shepherding the laity and clergy of the Ohio Episcopal Area comprised of the East and West Ohio Conferences: unity in practice, shared leadership, and one missional movement of abundance.

“God is the center act – not Hee-Soo Jung, not me – but God is the center act,” he said. “It’s not your own church, it’s about God.”

In his message he thanks leadership for supporting him in being a field bishop, visiting every local church.

“In every handshake, every prayer circle, every shared meal I saw Christ breaking bread with us, restoring trust, and showing that He is alive in Ohio.”

Learn more about the East Ohio Conference at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eocumc.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠