Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., in his first episcopal address to the Great Plains Annual Conference, provides five pathways for congregational vitality:\
- Start new small groups for people in and outside of your church
- Reach and spiritually form the children in your community
- Work collaboratively with other UM churches in your community, county, and region to create a collective and synergistic missional impact
- Foster an atmosphere of prayer and dialogue in your congregation and among the other Great Plains constituents
- Seek to create a robust culture of missional purpose and movement at the local, county, and regional levels supported by the right strategy and the passionate thrust of capable clergy and laity
