29 MAY 2020 · Rev. Scott Keele-Kober and Rev. Dr. Scott Meador will be our guess. This team have been co-teaching stewardship at the School for Lay Ministry for a number of years and will be presenting some of their teaching to us with a special focus on the impact of Covid-19. Our host will be Lynn Calvert, President of The United Methodist Women and Dean of the Iowa School for Lay Ministry. The Good Idea Webinars are a joint effort of the Office of Congregational Excellence, Office of Leadership and Clergy Excellence, the cabinet, lay leaders Lynn Calvert and Angela Hansen-Abbas and the Communications team.    

21 MAY 2020 · Bryan Johnson, Director of Camping and Christian Formation for the Iowa Annual Conference shares what is going on with camps this summer. It was announced at the end of April there will be no onsite camping at Wesley Woods or Camp Okoboji this summer. The host will be Rev. Ron Carson, District Superintendent of the Northwest District.  The Good Idea Webinars are a joint effort of the Office of Congregational Excellence, Office of Clergy and Leadership Excellence, the cabinet, lay leaders Lynn Calvert and Angela Hansen-Abbas, and the Communications team.    

20 MAY 2020 · This All-Clergy Zoom Meeting focuses on re-entry plans for Iowa United Methodist congregations. Recorded on May 19, 2020, it’s designed to address issues of concern to pastors as we enter our church buildings during and after the Covid-19 crisis. The presenter is Rev. Dr. Lanette Plambeck, director of clergy and leadership excellence. This webinar is a joint effort of the Appointive Cabinet, the Communications Ministry Team, and our Information Technology department.

14 MAY 2020 · The Good Idea Webinar is focused on what to do with VBS and Children’s Ministry in our Covid-19 world. Our guests will be Tony Stogsdill and Emily Delikat from Cokesbury. The Good Idea Webinars are a joint effort of the Office of Congregational Excellence, Office of Leadership and Clergy Excellence, the cabinet, lay leaders Lynn Calvert and Angela Hansen-Abbas, and the Communications team.    

7 MAY 2020 · Ready to take your online worship to the next level? Maybe you started online ministry because of Covid-19 but now you are thinking about how this ministry might reach new people when the pandemic ends? Our guests are Rev. Nate Nims and Rev. Luke Fillmore. Nate, pastor of Grace UMC in Des Moines, is a lifelong United Methodist and an elder in the Iowa Annual Conference. Nate attended Drew Theological Seminary and Simpson College and is currently appointed to Grace Des Moines. Nate has served on and as the chair of the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry, was a member and chair of the board at ThreeHouse: a Wesley Foundation at the University of Northern Iowa, a Residence in Ministry facilitator, and is a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry.  Luke is a provisional elder in the Iowa Annual Conference, graduate of Iliff School of Theology, and pastor of Shenandoah First UMC and Hamburg First UMC. Luke is interested in the ways that language, music, community, and the presence of God interact with each other, imbue meaning, and allow us to know and be known." Our host is Rev. Dr. Lanette Plambeck, Director of Clergy and Leadership Excellence. The Good Idea Webinars are a joint effort of the Office of Congregational Excellence, Office of Leadership and Clergy Excellence, the cabinet, lay leaders Lynn Calvert and Angela Hansen-Abbas, and the Communications team.    

30 APR 2020 · Wondering what is going on with Annual Conference in June? Because of Covid-19, Bishop Laurie has announced Annual Conference will be done differently this year. Find out what the plans are and have your questions answered by Rev. Dr. Harlan Gillespie, Assistant to the Bishop. The host will be Rev. Ron Carson, District Superintendent of the Northwest District.

28 APR 2020 · Leadership Now for A Better “Normal” – Plato in The Republic wrote “A need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem.” Today we might say “necessity is the mother of invention.” Our churches have done amazing things since the start of the Covid-19 situation in ways none of us dreamed possible until we had no choice. How many times have you thought or said “when things get back to normal…” Perhaps now is the time to ask some critical leadership questions: What should never get back to normal? What have we learned that we need to continue moving forward? How will we be different, in a good way, moving forward and what do we do now to make sure those changes take root? Our guest is Rev. Dr. Lanette Plambeck, Director of Clergy and Leadership Excellence for the Iowa Annual Conference. Lanette has a passion for helping people to recognize their leadership style and skill set and develop in areas that will make them the very best version of themselves as a leader. Rev. Dr. Jaye Johnson, Director of Congregational Excellence for the Iowa Annual Conference, is the host.

23 APR 2020 · Are you a youth group leader or Sunday School teacher? Wondering how to stay connected with the kids and youth? Are you looking for ways to encourage them in faith when you can’t meet face-to-face? Have some thoughts or ideas to share with others on this topic? Our guest is Kelsie DeReus, Director of Youth and Connectional Mission at First United Methodist Church in Marion, IA.“None of us were trained for this, but I think back to Paul, when he wrote the letters to the various cities and he would often express his yearning to be with them, but despite not being able to be with them he could still encourage them on in the faith,” DeReus said “That’s where we are at in youth ministry right now. While we yearn to be with our students, to disciple them, we simply cannot.” During this webinar DeReus will be discussing the strategy for ministry that some of their student leaders, Tyler Hungate, and she put together not only to stay connected, but to encourage them on in this time. DeReus has been with Marion church for about 2 ½ years. She and her family are very passionate about youth ministry, discipleship, and shaping leaders. She is the proud parent of 4-year-old, Brinley, and 2-year-old, Daxton, who like to call their youth students their friends, and often have Jesus dance parties with them. The host for this Good Idea Webinar is Rev. Dr. Jaye Johnson, Director of Congregational Excellence for the Iowa Annual Conference. The Good Idea Webinars are a joint effort of the Office of Congregational Excellence, Office of Leadership and Clergy Excellence, the cabinet, lay leaders Lynn Calvert and Angela Hansen-Abbas and the Communications team.

21 APR 2020 · Are you part of a small church? Have you felt like the resources and ideas offered to deal with COVID-19 are not possible for you? Do you have some ideas that have worked for your small church you would like to share with others? Small membership and rural churches have faced unique challenges during the COVID-19 outbreak. During this webinar, we’ll talk about how they can utilize their strengths to overcome these challenges and lead in unique and creative ways. Our guest is Rev. Allen Stanton is the Executive Director of the Turner Center at Martin Methodist College. Before coming to Martin Methodist College, he served as the pastor of a small United Methodist Congregation in North Carolina. Prior to serving in the local church, he served as the Rural Church Fellow at the Institute for Emerging Issues, a non-partisan public-policy think tank at N.C. State University. At the Turner Center, Allen focuses on how rural churches can become leaders in economic and community development and building strong community partnerships. Allen has written for a variety of publications, including Practical Matters, Faith and Leadership, and Ministry Matters. He is currently completing his first book, Reclaiming Rural, for publication in late 2020. Our host is Rev. Melissa Drake, currently Associate Director of Congregational Excellence of the Iowa Annual Conference. The Good Idea Webinars are a joint effort of the Office of Congregational Excellence, Office of Leadership and Clergy Excellence, the cabinet, lay leaders Lynn Calvert and Angela Hansen-Abbas and the Communications team.   

17 APR 2020 · Fighting Isolation During Social Distancing - Struggling with social distancing? Lonely? Missing people? Want ways to avoid feeling down? Do you have some ideas to share that have worked for you? This episode of Good Idea focuses on Fighting Isolation During Social Distancing. The guest presenter Rev. Dr. Mary Bellon, Phd. Mary is the Director of the Office of Pastoral Care and Counseling for the Iowa Annual Conference. Dr. Bellon’s ministry provides confidential counseling and consultation for clergy and ministerial professionals and their families. She teaches about ethics and care and nurture at the School for Lay Ministry and in the Course of Study and provides consultation and support at the School for Ministry. She leads staff days apart and district support days for groups desiring coaching and leadership development. Dr. Bellon employs a range of mental health techniques, such as mindfulness, humor, spirituality and listening, to help people strengthen personal practices of wellness, contemplation, and relaxation. Her ministry also gives people opportunities to address issues from spiritual growth, depression or burn out to anxiety or concerns with family relationships. The host is Rev. Dr. Jaye Johnson, Director of Congregational Excellence for the Iowa Annual Conference. The Good Idea Webinars are a joint effort of the Office of Congregational Excellence, Office of Leadership and Clergy Excellence, the cabinet, lay leaders Lynn Calvert and Angela Hansen-Abbas and the Communications team.