{"podcast":{"title":"Means of Grace","slug":"means-of-grace-254026","podcast_index_feed_id":254026,"rss_url":"https://wnccumc.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"https://www.wnccumc.org/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/b/d/4/2/bd42c33aa3f59e5227a2322813b393ee/MOG_Logo_1500x1500.png","author":"Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church","episode_count":181,"summary":"Means of Grace, a podcast from the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, equips church leaders through expertise and examples. Twice a month, we feature local experts on a variety of topics from leadership to innovation and share examples of churches in our conference reaching their communities in news ways through mission engagement, Fresh Expressions and much more. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, defined Means of Grace as the outward signs, words or actions that are the ordinary channels conveying God's grace to the souls of people. So when we're talking about leadership or discipleship or an outreach initiative, it's about more than doing a program well, it's a means of God's grace to the world.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-31T00:19:37.232272+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/means-of-grace-254026"},"episode":{"title":"Handing It Off: Worship, Legacy, and the Future of Conference with Rev. Dr. Kaury Edwards","slug":"handing-it-off-worship-legacy-and-the-future-of-conference-with-rev-dr-kaury-edwards","published_at":"2026-05-07T04:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/means-of-grace-254026/handing-it-off-worship-legacy-and-the-future-of-conference-with-rev-dr-kaury-edwards","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/means-of-grace-254026","url":"https://wnccumc.libsyn.com/handing-it-off-worship-legacy-and-the-future-of-conference-with-rev-dr-kaury-edwards","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/wnccumc/riverside_annual_conference_with...___may_04_2026_001_aimees_studio.mp3?dest-id=1499846","summary":"Join Jesse Enniss and John Yeager as they chat with Kaury Edwards, a visionary Annual Conference worship leader preparing to pass the baton after four years of shaping unforgettable conference experiences. Kaury shares the meticulous process of blending deep-rooted Methodist traditions with bold, innovative design that reimagines sacred space — from stunning backdrops inspired by Taylor Swift's Eras Tour to visual art that celebrates 660+ churches. You'll discover how intentional planning, community participation, and spiritual discernment turn routine gatherings into Holy Spirit-filled Annual Confernce celebrations. Show Notes: Annual Conference 2026 - June 18-21. Lake Junaluska, NC Failure-Sparked Innovation: The Key to Ensuring the Future of Local Churches by Kaury C. Edwards Chapters 00:00 The Heart of Annual Conference Worship 03:02 Planning and Preparation for Annual Conference Worship 06:05 Balancing Tradition and Creativity 09:11 Creative Elements in Worship 12:06 Engaging with Juneteenth 15:00 Transitioning Out of Leadership 18:01 Strangely Heartwarming Moments 22:42 Connecting Through Liturgy 23:59 Bold Creativity in Worship 26:21 Epic Fails 30:23 Embracing Failure as a Path to Growth 32:24 The Spirit's Role in Community 35:12 Anticipation for Annual Conference","meta_description":"Join Jesse Enniss and John Yeager as they chat with Kaury Edwards, a visionary Annual Conference worship leader preparing to pass the baton after four yea…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2285,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/means-of-grace-254026/episodes/handing-it-off-worship-legacy-and-the-future-of-conference-with-rev-dr-kaury-edwards/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/means-of-grace-254026/handing-it-off-worship-legacy-and-the-future-of-conference-with-rev-dr-kaury-edwards.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}