Videos and Podcasts

Looking for content for your congregation that will inspire, inform, or educate? The Free Methodist Church in Southern California has an active group of content producers creating podcasts and videos weekly. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for updates.

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2020 Incoming Elder – Lindsey Sinnott
2020 Incoming Elder – Lindsey Sinnott

Each year the Free Methodist Church celebrates our incoming elders – leaders who have dedicated themselves to God’s work in the world. Lindsey Sinnott shares her story of how she first experienced God in her life, how she made the decision to enter into ministry, and why she chose to serve in the Free Methodist Church.

# How did you first experience God and choose to follow Christ?

I have grown up in a family that has always been a part of the church, so in some ways, it feels like I have always known Christ. My parents raised my brother and I in a home where we were taught the importance of the Christian story, and we both attended a Christian school growing up. In light of this, I was surrounded by people who were doing their best to point me toward God.

Despite this, it was not until I was in high school that I really felt like my faith was my own, and I still remember the day that I felt that God was actually talking to me. I was a teenager sitting in our youth service at my church. Instead of a normal service with music and a sermon etc. our pastor decided that we were just going to have a night of singing. I was sitting in the back and distinctly remember feeling that I needed to choose to follow Christ myself. Not because I always had or because my family did, but because his grace was extended to me, and I needed to respond. This was a turning point for me.

# How did the Spirit guide you to your current ministry and what has God called you to do through your ministry?

For years, I’ve felt called to be a part of theological education and the instruction of both undergrad and seminary students. In my role as an associate professor of theological research at Azusa Pacific, I have been able to work with and teach students, guiding them through how to properly study Scripture, theology, and the application of these in a tangible, practical form in their own lives and the life of the church. While not all students come from a Free Methodist background (or even a Wesleyan one), the very way we teach and what we teach helps to shape students who may continue on to become future pastors, ministers, and lay leaders.

While there are many ways that students are developed over the course of their studies, one of my core goals is to help develop students who are competent exegetes of Scripture, researchers in theology/church history, and who are equipped to apply these in practical ways. From the perspective of our own tradition, John Wesley demonstrated that theory/knowledge and practice always need to be linked. Knowing how to study Scripture or theology is not good enough on their own. They need to have a direct impact upon how we live our lives and how we operate as the Church. It’s my hope to help students navigate this process.

In addition to my work at Azusa Pacific, I also feel called to be engaged at the local church level. While I definitely see myself as primarily called to work with students as a part of their theological education, I strongly believe that there also needs to be a bridge between academia and the local church.

# How did you come to first be involved with the Free Methodist Church and why have you chosen to continue your ministry as an Elder in the Free Methodist Church?

I first became involved with the FMC 13 years ago, when I was a freshman in college. I had been visiting different local churches hoping to find a church home and from the moment I came to Foothill Community Church I knew that I had found a community that was dedicated to joining in on God’s work in the world, and I wanted to be a part of that! My time at FCC has further confirmed my desire to apply for a ministry appointment in the FMC, and I could not imagine a better place to do ministry. I greatly value the FMC’s view on women in leadership/ministry, service to the poor, work in/for justice, and our vast Wesleyan heritage that emphasizes our response to God’s grace in a way that leads to us acting on that grace by getting in on God’s work.

Wesleyan theology and the Free Methodist Church have also been foundational components to my own faith and understanding. They have shaped the way I view my relationship with God and with others, and they continue to influence the way I believe, live, and teach.

2020 Incoming Elders – Guillermo Moras
2020 Incoming Elders – Guillermo Moras

Each year the Free Methodist Church celebrates our incoming elders – leaders who have dedicated themselves to God’s work in the world. Guillermo Moras shares his story of how he first experienced God in his life, how he made the decision to enter into ministry, and why he chose to serve in the Free Methodist Church.

2020 Incoming Elders – Ann Hansen
2020 Incoming Elders – Ann Hansen

Each year the Free Methodist Church celebrates our incoming elders – leaders who have dedicated themselves to God’s work in the world. Ann Hansen shares her story of how she first experienced God in her life, how she made the decision to enter into ministry, and why she chose to serve in the Free Methodist Church.

# How did you first experience God and choose to follow Christ?

I grew up in a Christian home and was raised in the church. I knew Jesus and loved him from the time I was a little child and never doubted that He was the one true God and my Savior. God has always felt personal to me and I experienced various encounters with the Lord while growing up. When I was in high school, I remember having a moment in prayer with the Lord where I felt completely overwhelmed by the love and presence of God and at that moment – I surrendered everything to him, declaring that I would serve him and make him known for the rest of my life.

# How did the Spirit guide you to your current ministry and what has God called you to do through your ministry?

Nineteen years ago, my husband John Hansen was called to be the lead pastor of Centerpoint Church where we are serving right now. I came as his wife and was in a season of full-time mothering. However, in those years of full-time mothering, I also served the church in various capacities – preschool director, lifegroups director, momspace director, just whatever was needed of me! In 2014, I started a freedom prayer ministry which involves inner healing and deliverance. This ministry was birthed from my own encounters with the Lord that launched me into personal freedom and victory over past issues and wounds. I believe that God has called me to set the captives free through my own ministry, to teach and show others who the Father is and to show God’s children their true identity in Christ. I also believe the Lord has given me an assignment as an intercessor, to push back the darkness and push forward the Kingdom of Heaven through prayer.

# How did you come to first be involved with the Free Methodist Church and why have you chosen to continue your ministry as an Elder in the Free Methodist Church?

My husband and I learned about the Free Methodist Church when he was applying to be the lead pastor of a Free Methodist church – the Lamb’s Fellowship in Murrieta, which is now called Centerpoint Church. We had served in several other denominations and other churches that were non-denominational. When we came to the Lamb’s Fellowship, we had never even heard of Free Methodism. However, as we learned more about Free Methodism, we discovered that we were Free Methodists all along when it came to our theology and desire for a connectional system/church family. It was awesome to come into a church family where guidance and accountability were available through all levels from the bishops, superintendents and conference levels.

Through our 16 ½ years of being part of the Free Methodist Church, we have had many situations where we have had to draw on the help, wisdom and support of our superintendents and conference for various reasons and complexities. We have been thankful for the strength of our family. We are also grateful for the freedoms that are available to us as Free Methodists. It’s refreshing to have the freedom to pursue the expression of the Holy Spirit that is genuine and authentic to our specific community without having to conform to a specific mold. We are blessed to be Free Methodists in the FMCSC.

Ministry in the time of COVID-19 – Dream Center Lake Elsinore
Ministry in the time of COVID-19 – Dream Center Lake Elsinore

How does the Church respond during a crisis like COVID-19? Do we give in to the impulse to demand to get our way, or do we allow God to soften our hearts and show us what really is “essential” in following Jesus? This series of interviews focuses on the ways Southern California ministry leaders are seeing God move in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dream Center in Lake Elsinore has always been a “Church Without Walls,” building relationships with people and sharing the love of Christ through service. When the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic became clear to Rev. Brett Masters and his team, they knew they couldn’t keep doing things the way they always had.

From feeding the hungry to being a caring voice on a helpline, the Dream Center continues to be an essential part of their Lake Elsinore community.

Find out more about Dream Center Lake Elsinore at:
https://www.dreamcenterle.org/

Advanced Streaming with OBS – Recording and Live Streaming for Churches
Advanced Streaming with OBS – Recording and Live Streaming for Churches

Are you a church pastor, worship leader, or media tech who’s been put in charge of recording and live streaming your services and wondering how to get started? This series is all about giving you the tools and resources to help you ask the right questions, make informed decisions, and get up and running faster than you might expect.

With OBS Studio, Skype, and YouTube Live, even the smallest organization can put together a high-quality live stream production with the gear and people they have right now. This video shows you, step-by-step, how to get started and begin experimenting with your live stream.

Created by the communications team for the Free Methodist Church in Southern California for anyone looking to build better community connections online. Make sure to subscribe to get alerts when new videos are added to this course.

# Links
– Free Methodist Church in Southern California – https://fmcsc.org
– OBS Studio – https://obsproject.com/
– Skype for Creators – https://www.skype.com/en/content-creators/
– NDI for OBS – https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/obs-ndi-newtek-ndi-integration-into-obs-studio.528/

Practical Tips for Remotely Managing Church Teams
Practical Tips for Remotely Managing Church Teams

Jon Sato, Assistant Superintendent for Administration of the Free Methodist Church in Southern California (FMCSC), reflects on the last seven years of working with and leading a remote ministry team. Jon shares how understanding your team’s inherent communication styles can transform the way your team works remotely. He also lays out pitfalls that remote teams often run into as they rush to do more with fewer resources. This honest interview is a great starting place for understanding how you can use remote working to grow your ministry, if you’re willing to be honest with yourself.

This video is part of a series intended to help our pastors and churches move skillfully into doing ministry online. If you have questions or would like to speak with us about additional resourcing, feel free to get in touch by email ([email protected]) or by visiting our website at fmcsc.org.

An Update on Annual Conference 2020
An Update on Annual Conference 2020

The novel coronavirus outbreak has required us all to think differently and embrace innovation in our ministries. It’s time to think differently about Annual Conference, too.

Over the past weeks, we’ve heard story after story about how, as a response to the spread of the novel coronavirus, you and your congregation have continued to think differently and embrace innovative approaches to ministry: staying connected to ensure that our most vulnerable members are being taken care of, and using online tools to build community.

Your consistency in leadership with your church through regular communication – constantly reminding people that they have a team of people who are supporting them spiritually and physically – has shown an authentic attentiveness that has strengthened our churches in the face of challenge.

It’s become clear that we need to think differently about Annual Conference and build on that consistency of leadership that we’ve seen across the Free Methodist Church in Southern California. In all times, Annual Conference is a time of transition with new board members, new ministerial leaders, and pastors moving between appointments. Making these changes at this time would create holes in leadership structures, putting the full weight of this crisis on new members in leadership positions without time to learn the ropes and leaving our most vulnerable members in a state of flux.

Because of all these things, we are postponing Annual Conference 2020 until Fall. We will use the spring and summer to evaluate our changing needs as a conference. Our nominating committee will be working hard to adjust their candidate evaluation process, taking into account state and local restrictions on gatherings. This will give us time to make better informed appointments and provide more time to review candidates for board positions.

We know God is going to continue to move in our churches, and we’re excited to make Annual Conference 2020 a celebration of God’s grace and love as we take on the challenges caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus.

We will continue to communicate as details are finalized. In the meantime, we want to hear from you how God is teaching you to rely on the Spirit for strength, wisdom, and empowerment. We’re praying for you.

May God bring you peace.

Your Superintendent Team,
Rev. Charles Latchison
Rev. Glen Prior
Rev. Fraser Venter

Building Community With Your Stream – Recording and Live Streaming
Building Community With Your Stream – Recording and Live Streaming

Are you a church pastor, worship leader, or media tech who’s been put in charge of recording and live streaming your services and wondering how to get started? This series is all about giving you the tools and resources to help you ask the right questions, make informed decisions, and get up and running faster than you might expect.

We review different approaches to live streaming and consider ways to improve the experience while building stronger, local communities. A must-watch for churches deciding on whether or not to live stream their services.

Created by the communications team for the Free Methodist Church in Southern California for anyone looking to build better community connections online. Make sure to subscribe to get alerts when new videos are added to this course.

# Links
– Free Methodist Church in Southern California – https://fmcsc.org

Recommended Online Streamers
– A Couple Streams – https://www.twitch.tv/a_couple_streams
– JonathanOng – https://www.twitch.tv/jonathanong

Beginner Recording – Recording and Live Streaming
Beginner Recording – Recording and Live Streaming

Are you a church pastor, worship leader, or media tech who’s been put in charge of recording and live streaming your services and wondering how to get started? This series is all about giving you the tools and resources to help you ask the right questions, make informed decisions, and get up and running faster than you might expect.

If you’re new to publishing video online, you don’t need a lot of expensive gear to get started. Just grab your smartphone, a tripod, and a mount, and you’re ready to start producing custom video content for your church or organization. Perfect for people new to video.

Created by the communications team for the Free Methodist Church in Southern California for anyone looking to build better community connections online. Make sure to subscribe to get alerts when new videos are added to this course.

# Links
– Free Methodist Church in Southern California – https://fmcsc.org
– TelePrompter Software – http://www.telepromptermirror.com/telepromptersoftware.htm
– Tripod with Mount – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07837W5NX/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ZQvEEb8H4DHS8