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Discernment Academy

October 6, 1 p.m. – October 7, 3 p.m.

A space for candidates for ministry, those in the ordination process, pastors, and laity to discern whether God may have gifted you for and may be calling you to plant new forms of ministry.

The Rev. Rachel Gilmore and the Rev. Matt Temple will lead a two-day event where you will

  • apply the Strengthsfinder Assessment and Enneagram to help you recognize your gifts and how to use them in your ministry;
  • receive an overview of church planting and its roots in the Wesleyan tradition;
  • discuss the life cycle of a church;
  • learn more about styles of leadership and how to cast vision as a leader.

Even if you are not called to church planting, this event will offer insights to help you become a better leader.

Cost: No cost for programming, but you are responsible for housing, meals, and for completing the Strengthsfinder assessment (if you have not previously done so).

To Register: Click here

For a current draft the schedule, click here

For more information, contact Dwayne Stinson ([email protected]; 804-521-1135).

The Rev. Rachel Gilmore

Rachel is an elder in the Virginia Conference and planted The Gathering at Scott Memorial UMC in Virginia Beach, serving there from 2009-2019.  In 2019 she accepted the position of Director of Recruiting, Training and Assessing for lay and clergy church planters in the United Methodist Church.  Rachel and her husband, Rev. Brandon Gilmore, are now the pastors at Central United Methodist Church in downtown Phoenix, Arizona where they are creating a new faith community while revitalizing the existing congregation.  In 2021 Rachel will be a founding member of Intersect: a Co-Planting Network.  She will also continue to serve on the Advisory Council for United Theological Seminary’s Fresh Expressions House of Studies and lead the Mosaix Today with Rachel and Mark podcast on multiethnic and financially sustainable models of church.  She is the author of Expanding the Expedition Reach with Missional Communities (Marketsquare, 2021) and Voices of Christmas (Marketsquare, 2021).  Rachel is also a contributor to Launching a New Worship Community: a Practical Guide for the 2020s (Upper Room, 2021).  Her story is also featured in Ready, Set, Plant (Upper Room, 2021) and From Franchise to Local Dive: Multiplying your Church by Developing your Contextual Flavor (Marketsquare, 2020).

The Rev. Matt Temple

Matt is Co-Pastor at NewStory Chicago, serves as Associate Director of New Church Development at North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, and is a Church Planter at Connection Quad Cities. He is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and has extensive experience in planting new congregations and coaching church planters.

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