Blog - May 2022

Blog

Recent Posts

 

  • Who is your shepherd? Wednesday, March 22, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson Rev. Gracie Millard recently preached about Jesus’s claim, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) In h...
  • Who is I Am? Thursday, March 9, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson Rev. Gracie Millard and I recently recorded a Life + God Podcast episode about Jesus’s “I Am” statements, and I wondered aloud whether Jesus was intentionall...
  • Are you ready to return? Wednesday, March 1, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson I have been working through depression and anxiety for almost two years now. One of the ways my anxiety has manifested is that I feel overwhelmed in large groups. This has mad...
  • What makes a sacred space? Wednesday, February 22, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson I started attending Trietsch when I was 9 years old in the summer of 1998, right before I entered 5th grade. At that time, the current Sanctuary, Family Life Center, and Faith ...
  • What is the meaning of Lent? Wednesday, February 15, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson Access Lenten worship services and resources at https://www.tmumc.org/lent .  When asked about the meaning behind Lent, my thoughts diverge down two paths. One, is the i...
  • 40 Reasons to Fast Wednesday, February 8, 2023
    Are you preparing for Lent? Now is a great time to think through the spiritual practice of fasting. Learn more about fasting and practical ways to get started at  https://www.tmumc.org/fast . ...
  • How do I listen for God? Wednesday, February 1, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson Learning to slow down and listen is one of the most difficult lessons of growth for me. Listening typically isn’t one of our core values. We live in a culture tha...
  • How do I shift from change to transformation? Wednesday, January 25, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson In 2019 I went through a pretty rough divorce. It was not something I wanted, and it took me a while to accept that it was actually happening. It felt like almost everythin...
  • Am I ready to love change? Wednesday, January 18, 2023
    by Tammy Hise This month our worship series has been Ready or Not. We all know that no matter what, change happens. It is the only constant. As we’ve talked about life changes, it made me ...
  • Am I strong and courageous? Wednesday, January 11, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson As I step into the motion of the new year, I’ve reflected on how I handle change. Am I “strong and courageous?” The Bible repeats this phrase in m...
  • What are you searching for? Wednesday, January 4, 2023
    by Alyssa Robinson As the Digital Strategist of this church, I get a unique look into the analytics of our website, social media channels, Google account, and more. To many people this mi...
  • Am I ready for change? Wednesday, December 28, 2022
    by Alyssa Robinson Jesus’s birth changed everything, but are we ready for that change? We’ve just spent an entire month anticipating the birth of Jesus, and Jesus is here! But ...

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

What's Your Ministry Style?

We believe that when you discover your giftedness, you are empowered and overjoyed to serve God's kingdom. But discovering your giftedness isn't just about your spiritual gift, it's also about your ministry style.  So let's focus a little on ministry styles today. If your spiritual gift is what God has given you, then your ministry style is how you use it. Just because two people have the same spiritual gift, that doesn't mean they'll use their gift the same way.... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson at Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Spiritual Gift of Administration

The church doesn't exist without administrators. It's true! Who helps us organize the intake of supplies to serve people in need? Administrators. Who can look at a puzzle of ideas and neatly construct a schedule, divvy responsibilities, and see the potential? Administrators. Who makes things happen? ADMINISTRATORS! We have a running joke on the Trietsch staff that the most popular spiritual gift in our congregation is administration because they are the only ones focused enough to ta... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Apostleship

When you hear "apostle" you might think of missionaries who travel overseas to spread the news of Christ to people who have never been exposed to the Gospel, and that is one way that people with the gift of apostleship live out their passion. But apostleship could just as easily be about spreading the good news to a different micro-culture within your community, maybe a different generation for example. Do you know someone who can genuinely share Jesus's message with people... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Discernment

Today, let’s focus on the gift of discernment. This sounds like a tough one to wrap our heads around, but people with the gift of discernment are simply able to separate truth from falsehoods. Are you basically a human lie detector? Can you easily tell when you are being led astray and recognize when someone is trying to manipulate you? Are you vocal about sharing the truth, so others aren’t led astray? You might have the gift of parenting! Just kidding, parents may have... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Evangelism

Evangelism has gotten a bad rap in the last couple of decades because it has been seen as intrusive, intolerant of, or inconsiderate of other cultures. This couldn’t be further from the truth, although most of us can think of examples of people or groups who have misused evangelism. Evangelism was the cornerstone of the Wesleyan movement. It’s all about intimate relationships, genuine connection, and sharing of your most personal faith experiences. Does that last sentence tug at y... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Exhortation (Encouragement)

Exhortation is just a fancy word for encouragement. The dictionary definition of exhortation is, “an address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.” But we care more deeply about the spiritual definition of exhortation. Is there a specific person you go to when you could use some uplifting? Does this person make you feel comforted and empowered to move forward boldly? They might have the gift of exhortation! Here is how we define the spiritual gift of ex... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Faith

Let's learn about the spiritual gift of faith. Your first reaction to this might be, "How can faith be a gift? Aren't we all supposed to have faith as believers in Jesus Christ?" Faith is absolutely a gift! It is specifically mentioned as a spiritual gift in scripture (1 Corinth. 12:9). Because it is a spiritual gift, that means not everyone has the gift of faith. And that's okay. We can all strive for faith, but for some people the confidence in the truth of God c... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Giving

Did you know giving is a gift? It might sound silly, but it’s true. We all have the capability to give and God calls us each to offer what we have to serve the kingdom. However there, are some people who have a better understanding of giving than the rest of us. Not only does generosity come more naturally to them, they also know when to give, where to give, and how much to give. Here is how we define the gift of giving: Giving is the gift of the ability to manage money, talents, and... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Healing

Have you ever heard a story about a modern-day miraculous healing? Maybe a doctor said there was no hope for recovery, and then, with no medical explanation, the sick person recovers in a way that their abilities go far beyond what the doctor ever imagined. Maybe you know someone who was diagnosed with a fatal illness and managed to beat it. Most of us have either heard one of these stories or have had personal involvement with these moments. Did the thought ever cross your mind that someone... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Helping

There are certain people in every organization who are willing to do whatever is necessary to support the mission. Sometimes we call them “foot soldiers,” “workhorses,” or “worker bees.” Just based on the words we use to describe them; can you tell they are underappreciated? I’m talking about the helpers. These are people endowed with the spiritual gifts of helping. These are the people who will do anything that needs doing, require no credit or rec... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Knowledge

Have you ever met someone who knows a little bit about everything? Or maybe they know a lot about everything! They are the kind of people who love doing research, learning about new topics, and would never give you half-truths or incomplete information. If so, you might know someone with the spiritual gift of knowledge. Knowledge is a spiritual gift because their deep attention to facts, process, and love of study challenges the church to function at a higher level. They build the Kingdom o... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gift of Leadership

Some people are uniquely gifted to lead others into the future with gusto! Leadership is a valuable spiritual gift that helps propel all the other gifts into action. Those blessed with the gift of leadership are good at high-level thinking, seeing the big picture, and transitioning the church into future goals. We’ve probably all participated in a group at some point that was led by someone without the gift of leadership, and it can be painful. But how can you recognize someone with th... Read More
Posted by Alyssa Robinson
Spiritual Gifts

Download Our App

Download the TMUMC app to connect more deeply on Sunday mornings. Use the app to take worship notes, check the calendar, watch the latest sermons, give, read stories, and more.