IN THIS ISSUE:

  • Congregational Capacity for Change: A Challenge for Small Churches (3 Minute Read), by Elizabeth Magill
  • Ground-Breakers - an Interview with Sarah Drummond (2 Minute Read), by Karen Ziel

 UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • May 11, June 8, July 13: Ground-Breakers Breakfast Book Group: Faithful Change Leadership with Sarah Drummond (REGISTER)
  • May 11: Exploring the Benefits of Behavioral Covenants with Elizabeth Dilly (REGISTER)
  • May 19: Lunch & Learn for Leaders: Reaching Your Community - Church Podcasts 101 (REGISTER)
  • June 16: Lunch & Learn for Leaders: Conflict & Community (REGISTER)
  • July 11-15: Sacred Spaces, Sacred Times: Into the Future (REGISTER)

SPECIAL INVITATIONS:

One of the challenges for small churches is figuring out how much the congregation can do. Old programs you did when you had twice as many members seem to hang on. And new ideas for how to reach out to the community are enticing. Especially if your congregation is overly anxious about how to survive, you may find yourself taking on new programs in a frenetic way.

In our common models of church, we have several things we do for the congregation alone (worship, administration, Sunday School, adult formation, craft groups, visiting programs, etc.) and a few things we do for the community (a food pantry, a meal, a Christmas Fair, are examples).

For small churches to use their limited energy effectively, it is important to... (CONTINUE READING) (3 Minute Read) 

Join Rev. Elizabeth Dilley and Rev. Tara Barber from the Ministerial Excellence, Support, and Authorization (MESA) team for the United Church of Christ. Join as they host a conversation on developing and implementing behavioral covenants with congregations. This event is offered at no cost to authorized ministers and congregations through Proportional Giving.

All congregations have norms for how people treat one another, especially in times of conflict. Many of those norms are implicit, vague, or even unhealthy. However, there is another way! Behavioral Covenants can provide an excellent framework for supporting communication practices, conflict resolution, and community norms. Developing such covenants within communities can help members and staff alike name best community practices and express their hopes for how congregations function as a Christian community. Practical tips and resources will be provided.  Helpful pre-reads include “Behavioral Covenants in Congregations" by Gilbert R. Rendle and “A Sure Foundation” available in UCC Resources

REGISTER TODAY! 

GROUND-BREAKERS:
AN INTERVIEW WITH SARAH DRUMMOND 

(2 Minute Read)

The Center for Transformational Leadership is thrilled to offer a new morning book group! Beginning in May, on the second Wednesday of each month for three consecutive months, members of the book group will come together via Zoom to explore the theme of faithful change leadership through 3 books:

Because Ground-Breakers will learn as much from each other as the books they read together, those who participate should come ready to help one another learn and grow. It is not expected that attendees come to every session, given that life happens. It is, however, best for the group if attendees (1) come on time, (2) read all or most of the material in advance of each session, and (3) stay through the session’s end. Sessions are not designed for casual observers. REGISTRATION ENDS 4/30/2022! 

This book group is offered at no cost to authorized ministers and congregations through Proportional Giving.

Sarah Birmingham Drummond is the Founding Dean of Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. She graduated from Yale College with a major in Ethics, Politics, and Economics; Harvard Divinity School with a Master of Divinity; and the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee with a Ph.D. in Urban Education, specializing in administrative leadership. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. 

REGISTER TODAY

 

UPCOMING LUNCH & LEARN SESSIONS

Lunch & Learn for Leaders is a monthly series hosted by the Center for Transformational Leadership. Every third Thursday, join us at noon for a 50-minute session of learning and discussion. Each month we will offer a bite-size opportunity to learn valuable concepts and practices from a subject expert. Our wide-ranging topics are relevant to areas of mission and ministry that you, our clergy and lay leaders, have indicated are timely for your congregations. This event series is offered at no cost to authorized ministers and congregations through your church's Proportional Giving.

Upcoming sessions include:

May 19: Reaching Your Community-Church Podcasts 101
Over the last decade, podcasting has grown into one of the most important media methods for reaching individuals and communities. How can your congregation enter the world of podcasting? How do you begin? What topics, themes might be of interest? How can creating a podcast help your congregation make a deeper community connection?        

Presenter: Rev. Eric Fistler, Senior Minister for the First Congregational Church of Chrystal Lake, Chrystal Lake IL., and host of the podcast, Pulpit Fiction, exploring the lectionary and engaging contemporary authors and theologians.  Pulpit Fiction boasts a wide audience and is celebrating its 10th year.

June 16: Conflict and Community
Do you ever feel conflict is keeping your congregation from flourishing? Churches often are locked in the “basement” level of communication – precariously hovering between conflict and compromise. This workshop explores how to better “navigate the nonsense” in churches and avoid bad habits that break down communication instead of building it up.  Clergy can inadvertently amplify church conflict when trying to help others. Their problem-solving efforts often only make matters worse, which gives life to “the church monster” that devours congregations. This workshop seeks to uncover hidden pathways to higher levels of communication that promote community and creativity in ministry.

Presenter: Rev. Doug Bixby serves as the senior pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Attleboro. Rev. Bixby is a graduate of North Park Theological Seminary, M-Div. 1993, and received an undergraduate degree from Hope College in Holland, MI. He is the author of three books. His most recent book is Navigating the Nonsense: Church Conflict and Triangulation. His second is The Honest to God Church: A Pathway to God’s Grace, published by the Alban Institute in 2007.  The first book he published is called Challenging the Church Monster: From Conflict to Community, published by Pilgrim Press in 2002.

LEARN MORE OR REGISTER NOW

SMALL CHURCH ROUNDTABLE

The Small Church Summit held on February 26 was just the first program from the Center for Transformational Leadership supporting and celebrating our small churches. We would like to thank Rev. Liz Magill and Area Conference Minister Rev. Liz Garrigan-Byerly for partnering with the Center for Transformational Leadership in creating this Small Church Summit.
 
Our next initiative is to create a Small Church Roundtable. This will be an opportunity for our small churches to gather together, share ideas, celebrate vitality and offer support.
 
Come join us!

  • Would you like to participate in a Small Church Roundtable?
  • Would you be interested in joining a task team to create and plan the Small Church Roundtable(s)?

Please click HERE to indicate your interest and become a part of the Small Church Roundtable group. 

SACRED SPACES, SACRED TIMES:
INTO THE FUTURE

After two years of Covid care and uncertainty, the Craigville Theological Colloquy is planning to meet the week of July 11-15 at the Craigville Retreat Center on Cape Cod.

The 2022 title/theme is Sacred Spaces, Sacred Times: Into the Future. During this event, participants will explore spaces and times that hold special meaning (i.e. sacredness, spirituality, community, and more). Craigville holds special meaning for the Colloquy, which has met there since 1984. The Craigville setting itself has 150 years of special meaning for many thousands of people. 

The Keynote speaker for this session will be the Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, Pastor of Orient Congregational Church in NY State. She is also Faculty Associate in Religious Leadership at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (formerly Hartford Seminary), and Co-Chair of Bricks and Mortals. She is also the author of the recent book Remove the Pews: Spiritual Possibilities for Sacred Spaces and many other books and articles.

Other sessions include: 

  • Celtic Spirituality: Thin Places and the Silence of Intimacy with Rev. Dr. Harry Serio
  • When the Mind is Called the Heart: Embodied Spirituality in Puritan New England with Rev. Andy Lang
  • Session with Mr. Darius Coombs, Cultural & Outreach Coordinator for Education Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

Colloquy includes times of worship, meditation, discussion & bible reflection, and sometimes opportunities for mission experiences. Colloquy is considered a rewarding experience not only for clergy, but laity and students as well. 

Rates

Registration until May 15

$595 full participant with meals
$530 non-participant with meals

Registration after May 16

$625 full participant with meals
$560 non-participant with meals

Commuters

$295 for commuters without meals
There are additional charges for meal selection.
These are explained when completing registration on site in July.
 
Click HERE TO REGISTER for this event, or HERE TO LEARN MORE.

 

CONTACT US

We have recently launched our new website: The Center for Transformational Leadership - Southern New England Conference of the UCC (sneucc.org/transform) to make it easy for you to access the resources you need to do the transformative work you and your congregations are called to do!

The Center for Transformational Leadership was created to equip clergy and lay leaders, congregations, and covenantal partners of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ with resources, tools, and support to do the transformative ministry they are called to do in the church, local community, and the world. To learn more, contact:


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The Center for Transformational Leadership is here to serve you!
Please contact us at Transform@SNEUCC.org   
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