Help! My Church is Leaving Me: Adapting to a Changing UMC

Help! My Church is Leaving Me enables United Methodist church members and leaders become both informed and intentional in their actions regarding LBGTQ concerns.This book takes the reader behind the scenes of the LGBTQ debate in the United Methodist Church. It teaches spiritual discernment, listening skills, and small group process while encouraging the differing sides of the issue to rediscover their unity in Christ. Designed to be understood by laity, the book recounts how we got here, what we value, and how each local church's decisions about this social issue impacts their ongoing mission and ministry. It also addresses the more advanced subject of what to do next if we are not comfortable with where the denomination is heading.Help! My Church is Leaving Me, was completed shortly after the Special 2019 General Conference of the United Methodist Church. The concept has been to provide a timely tool box, so that congregations and clergy persons can begin to plan their next steps. Each of the five authors brings a particular expertise to the project, as well as a commitment to present their part with clarity, balance, and integrity. The book lends itself to small group study, with discussion questions highlighting the nine short chapters. Relevant cartoons, illustrations, quotations, and references for further reading are also provided. Further, updates will be provided quarterly as the denomination continues to adapt to its future. Additional resources are available at www.notperfectyet.com.