January 2026

Newsletter Here

Welcome to 2026! As we welcome in the New Year, thought it would be interesting to have a
Q&A with Pastor Bev on what is in store for Mears Methodist Church.

1. As you look toward 2026, what is your spiritual vision for Mears United Methodist Church
as a rural, close-knit congregation?
My spiritual vision for Mears would be as the “go-to” place for the residents of Mears to go when
they need spiritual assistance as well as the place to give other types of assistance. I am amazed
when we give out the holiday food baskets the way that Nancy has been able to connect with each
and every one of the recipients. Brian and Nancy have made this ministry what it is today. This
Thanksgiving I was taking prayer concerns and it made a huge difference as a way for me to connect
with the people we serve. I would like for us to stop hiding inside the four walls of the church.

2. Given that many members are older, what specific areas of spiritual growth do you believe
are most important for this stage of the church’s life?
Connect, connect, connect. Connections with God are most important, with Bible studies as vitally
important. Bible studies help us learn and grow in our love for each other and our life in Christ. I
wish that people would spend an extra hour with us in our studies. I want to be very clear that our
studies of “The Chosen” are not about the show, but about how we apply our lives of discipleship in
Christ as His chosen disciples.

3. How do you hope to strengthen discipleship among our longtime members while also
creating space to welcome younger families into the church?
Well, people are not going to like my answer, but I do believe in speaking truth. We do not have a
welcoming space for younger families. I believe that we need to really up our game with the nursery,
install a monitoring system that parents can log into on their phones and staff a nursery so that
parents can see their children playing and learning Bible stories without feeling guilty. The
churches that stand the test of time are multi-generational with something for everyone.

4. Mears United Methodist has a strong missions tradition. How do you see our mission
efforts evolving in 2026, especially with limited financial resources?
In 2026 I believe that Mears UMC will be concentrating much more on local missions than on
national or international missions. There are a few ideas being batted around and I am not prepared
to give specifics without consulting Brian and Nancy Klepper first. One of our international
missions will remain fully funded.
2025 was a real wake up call for us as a church financially, and it didn’t help that everything costs
more from eggs and milk to gas. I’m so grateful to the church for wanting to have me full time, but
we may have to seek other alternatives.

5. What new or refreshed ministries do you believe could help meet
the spiritual needs of rural and aging members?

I believe that we could be in a great position to teach people in the
community things like how to plant a garden, how to can
fruits/vegetables, how to sew or quilt. Aging members have a wealth of
experience that could be shared with a newer generation that could look
those things up on Youtube, but would rather learn from someone. My
sister does a form of Norwegian painting called rosemaling and she
would be willing to do a weekend class.

6. How can the church maintain and deepen its sense of community,
especially for members who may face mobility or health
challenges?
I believe that this is where our streaming on Facebook and Youtube and
the podcast is an important place where these folks can be a part of
worship and learning.

7. What outreach or community service initiatives do you envision
for the church to better embody the Methodist mission?
I’m hoping that the Board and others can participate in a study called
Teamworks. This study helps to identify community needs/wants
received through data from the US Census and in other ways as well.
One church identified that they needed a food box for their church
through Teamworks and several years later they opened up a food pantry
and serve 300+ persons every week. It’s a church of only 25 people!
Another church determined that seniors wanted to gather for meals so
they started a soup luncheon twice a month and people stayed after to
play games and cards – Euchre anyone? Sometimes it’s the simple things
that matter the most.