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MISSIONS & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Missions & Community Engagement

The work of the office of Missions & Community Engagement is aligned with our shared East Ohio Conference vision of how we can each best live into the mission of The United Methodist Church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Pastors, congregations, and faith communities of the East Ohio Conference should make priorities of missions ministry and community engagement so that we can reach people for, and make disciples of, Jesus Christ.

When we reach people for Jesus our communities become more united because we:

We are stronger together when we build communities where everyone thrives.

Pastors, congregations, and faith communities of the East Ohio Conference should make priorities of missions ministry and community engagement so that we can be God’s agents of transformation in our communities and throughout the world.

Clergy and laity of The United Methodist Church are called to be instruments of healing – transforming relationships and systems to pursue justice and peace among people, communities, and nations. In the face of ongoing conflict, exploitation, and oppression, we must engage our neighbors, proclaim our faith values, and pursue justice in our communities.

Learn how the Church is connected in mission.
Learn about the Church and civic engagement.

Pastors, congregations, and faith communities of the East Ohio Conference should make priorities of missions ministry and community engagement so that we can be bold and courageous leaders in reaching new people, younger people, and a more diverse people.

The Church can make a greater impact in the lives of our neighbors when we actively reach out to new people and work collaboratively to address issues affecting our respective communities. Clergy and laity should work together to develop an intentional plan to engage with area:

The Neighboring Movement Good Neighbor Experiment

In a Good Neighbor Experiment cohort, you will be given practical resources to connect with your community using Asset Based Community Development. Connect with your actual, literal neighbors! Help your congregation move from: Inauthenticity to Joy, Draining Program Management to Relationships, Scarcity to Abundance. Contact Rev. Kathy Dickriede by e-mail if you are interested in participating in a future Good Neighbor Experiment cohort.

Learn more about the Good Neighbor Experiment.
Watch the Good Neighbor Experiment Intro Video.

MissionInsite Community Engagement Resource

Members of the East Ohio Conference have free, unlimited access to MissionInsite, an online data system that empowers congregations by providing opportunities to map where church members, regular attendees, and visitors live in relation to their church building. This information is helpful in validating whether the church serves the neighborhood or the broader surrounding region and helps when creating small group ministries.

• Create a MissionInsite profile by visiting www.missioninsite.com, clicking on “Register” on the left side of the page, entering the Agency Account Number: A54VG, and clicking “Submit.” After registering you will receive an e-mail to activate your user account.

Guns to Gardens

There are many ways that local church congregations can respond to gun violence in their communities. One way is to learn how to turn guns into garden tools.

Learn more about the guns to gardens ministry.

Resources to Connect Your Church to Your Community

Be a church that prays, listens, discerns, and responds to the community! Use these amazing tools and resources together as clergy and laity to build connections and create impact in the world. 

How One-to-One Conversations Reintroduced a Church to its Neighbors.
The Listening Church resource from Discipleship Ministries.