Wednesday, March 7th 2-6pm
Claiming One's Courage in a Circle of Trust
Rectors, Deans and Wardens Together
Book: "Circles of Trust" by Parker Palmer
Facilitators: Facilitators from the Center for Courage and Renewal, Nathan Kirkpatrick and John Fenner
How can we create the conditions that foster courage in faith? Where do we find the courage to be Christians? What does courageous faith in action look like? Where are you most authentic in your leadership? Are both the lay and clergy leadership in your church working from their deepest gifts and truest values? What are the challenges and joys of each type of ministry?
This very special session, designed for rectors and wardens together, will invite participants to explore deeply questions about themselves, their leadership, and their congregations. Using a number of interactive methods, participants in this 4-hour session will examine the sources of courageous action in their personal and professional lives.
Together, separately and in small groups, participants will look at the inner dimension of leadership and become clear about their own deepest values, hopes and fears. The outcome of this session will be the ability to articulate these beliefs using Parker Palmer's Circle of Trust methodology by learning how to create safe places for deeper and more authentic conversations. You and your warden will be able to take these new skills back into administrative meetings and sessions and small group ministries at your church.
Not only will you learn to slow down the pace and really listen to, and trust, each other; but also, working as a team, this methodology will help you both prevent conflicted vestry meetings. You will emerge from this session with workable guidelines for better group dynamics that will help everyone live out their Christian values in a courageous and imaginative way.
Thursday, March 8, 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
Session Title: Sabbath as Matrix for Money
For: Rectors and Deans Only
Leader: The Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann
In this session with Dr. Brueggemann will invite participants to consider the "sabbatic principle" of the ancient Torah as an antidote and alternative to the busyness of getting and spending. The prospect is that only in a mode of receiving can our money serve the common good.