The POD Strangely Warmed podcast takes one final (for now) dip into the ancestral waters of the UMC by reflecting on what type of church we were handed and how can we actively build a church of today and tomorrow that uplifts the heart of Christ in our communities and world. This week, host Rev. Daniel Hawkins is joined by Rev. Joy Dister-Dominguez, associate pastor of Arlington Heights UMC, for a conversation around the first annual “Altogether Beautiful” Women’s Retreat - a new and exciting joint lay and clergy time of worship, rest and rejuvenation coming to Glen Lake Camp this April 28-30 (link for details below).  The duo also dive into myriad other related topics, such as the power of memory making and then evoking those memories as fuel for ministry, the importance of cultivating a culture of care in our churches, why having a vibrant and collaborative partnership between laity and clergy is so vital for the success of our disciple-making mission and how their experiences growing up in the church (Joy is at least a 5^th generation Methodist) helped shaped their ministry today as well as what they hope to leave behind for the church of 2050 and beyond.

To learn more about the Altogether Beautiful Women’s Retreat, visit glenlake.org/altogetherbeautiful and for more info on  the Caring Connection, go to thecaringcongregation.com.