Local congregations, with their own personality, gatherings, programming and leadership are probably what people think of when they hear “church.” But cultural shifts and the pandemic lifestyle changes are making it harder and harder for these traditional congregations to thrive. This episode will provide real life examples of congregations thriving today.

Michael Adam Beck is the director of Re-Missioning for FXUS and Cultivator of FX for the Florida Conference of the UMC Michael serves as co-pastor of Wildwood and St. Marks UMC with his wife Jill, where they have a network of 13 FX. Michael holds a DMin in Semiotics and Future Studies from Portland Seminary and is the Director of the FX House of Studies at United Theological Seminary. His book Deep Roots, Wild Branches is a must read for pioneers and practitioners of FX and his latest book Painting with Ashes is a story of redemption and resurrection in the most powerful way possible. https://michaeladambeck.com/

Matt Lake is Pastor of First United Methodist Church, a blended ecology of church in  Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and Portland Seminary.