Continuing Education Day
On Monday I attended a Zoom Conference from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm sponsored by Healthy Congregations. Here's a description of the organization from their website:
Healthy Congregations is an ecumenical and interfaith organization that takes seriously the times that we live in and the challenges of thinking more clearly about families, congregations, and leadership. Healthy Congregations, Inc. offers resources and training that are based on a view of life that looks at communities as living systems that incorporate thinking, feeling, responsibility, and purpose.
Their premier program is called Leadership Series, which meets a full day once a month from September through May minus December. The Series teaches participants Bowen Family Systems Theory and how to apply it to one's own life and the life of the organizations of which they are a part, which in most cases is a Christian congregation. I have attended two full seasons of the Leadership Series, and have found it inspiring and informative.
As an option to enrolling in the full season of Leadership Series (cost $1,200), I attend the May event, a one-day event at a more reasonable cost ($75 - for Healthy Congregations members, of which I am one)
The theme of this year's May event was "Stepping Back: Engaging New Horizons." Our keynote presenter spoke of how societies and organizations adapt as emotional systems to threats, challenges and stresses, and how leaders can manage with vision the disruptions that result in individuals, families, organizations and society.
Note to Call Committee: A possible candidate interview question:
What kind of continuing education experiences do you participate in, and which do you find the most helpful?
Note to Council: Here is what the NWOS 2022 Compensation Guidelines say about Continuing Education:
It is the expectation of the ELCA and the Northwestern Ohio Synod that every rostered minister (ordained pastor or deacon) will engage in at least 50 hours of continuing education per year. This continuing education is intended to benefit both the rostered minister and the congregation through ongoing development of biblical/theological understanding and ministry skills. Continuing education time is not to be regarded as vacation, nor should it be used by the rostered minister for vacation.
To assist the rostered minister in meeting this expectation, it is suggested that congregations provide a continuing education reimbursement of at least $1,200 (with expenditures verified by receipts), and at least two weeks (a total of 14 days including two Sundays) accruable for up to three years.
Rite of Confirmation Next Sunday
Next Sunday, June 5, Madi, Brandon, Jaidyn, and Kayleen will affirm their baptismal faith in the Rite of Confirmation at the 10:00 service. Keep them in your prayers. I have enjoyed working with these young people and those from St. Mark and St. John's.
Final Session in "Communications and Storytelling: Track
From January through May, the Stewardship Team has been joining monthly Zoom meetings sponsored by GSB Fundraising to learn more about how to do congregation communications more effectively, and how to interview and write "impact stories," stories by congregation members which describe how the congregation has impacted their lives. We published the first of our stories, which we are calling "Grace Stories," last week, featuring Beth Muller. One of the aspects of congregational communication is distinguishing internal communications from external. Internal communications includ bulletin, newsletter, and Just Three things weekly emails. External communications are more likely to be viewed by seekers, those looking for a faith community to identify with. This includes our website and Facebook page. We have decided to place our Grace Stories in both our internal and external communications. You can view the Facebook post of Beth's story HERE. If you're a part of the world of Facebook, Like and Share!
LIFT Notes
You can read the latest issue of LIFT Notes HERE. In this post, Pastor Paul has has shared prayer petitions lamenting gun violence from the new Lutheran hymnal resource, All Creation Sings.
Our National Nightmare Continues
Grief and outrage. When will it end? Lots being written and posted -- here are a few pieces that resonated with me:
- Our ELCA provided a response on the ELCA website, which you can read HERE.
- Michael Gerson, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, wrote THIS.
- Have seen the Relevant website at times, but didn't try to find out more until now. It's a website for 20 and 30 something Christians who want to live "outwardly." One of their writers contributed an essay on the Uvalde tragedy in terms of "destroying our idols," a reflection on The Golden Calf story in Exodus. You can read the essay HERE.
Osterholm Update
Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, continues to deliver solid scientific analysis of the pandemic in his weekly podcasts. In the latest episode, posted on Thursday, May 26, and entitled "COVID-19, Monkeypox, and Pediatric Hepatitis," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the relatively lower rates of severe COVID illness and death in the US and many other parts of the world, the global monkeypox outbreak, and the latest on the rise in unexplained pediatric hepatitis. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.
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