Hello friends!
After over two years of life with COVID, I’ve heard many people describe the changes in the contours of their congregational life. When I think about those United Church folk for whom attending church is their primary way to be in community and experience God, online worship, separation from each other, and fear of catching a virus, has left some feeling loss, deep loss. As we learned many years ago from Elisabeth Kubler Ross, and her stages of grief, it is hard work to walk with people through denial, anger, bargaining and depression. We as ministers are also going through those stages of loss.
At the same time, ministers are trying to give leadership to a re-imagining of church and our life together as followers of Jesus. It’s a complicated and hard time in history, I think.
Shining Waters has started a Clergy Peer Learning Group program with the hopes that ministers can gather together and support each other through this strange, random and wonderful time. What can we learn about leadership, together? In what ways can we have each other’s back in a safe place to reflect on ministry?
If you want to form a peer learning group of 7-8 colleagues, Shining Waters wants to support your group by providing administrative staff support to help your group gather and organize yourselves. We will help your group form a covenant, and learning focus and goals. We will help you be together.
For more information on the Clergy Peer Learning Group program and application, go to the Clergy Peer Learning section of our Flourish Page.
Stay well.
Todd