ONLY 1 MORE DAY (deadline: August 30 at noon)
to Register for Onsite Participation 
JUSTICE SUMMIT 2024: POLITICS AS AN ACT OF FAITH
Saturday, September 14 at
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
Click here to register for Onsite Participation.

Registration for Online Participation is open until Sept. 11.  Click here to register for Online Participation.

Workshops & Day Retreats
These programs or gatherings provide opportunities to learn more about a topic, trend, strategy, approach or partnership and include elements of shared learning and peer networking and connection. The sessions are primarily led by scholars, consultants or other wise ones and are typically between 1.5 and 4 hours.

Building Resilience Retreat for Clergy (GCL)
Oct. 24, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM | Registration is now open.
Rocky Hill Congregational Church, Rocky Hill, CT
This is an especially stressful time for clergy, as overwhelm and burnout have increased exponentially since the pandemic. The need for resilience is great. In this program, participants will learn about resilience from a faith perspective and how it applies to their own lives. With a focus on “embodied resilience, we will explore how to build resilience and move forward, even in challenging times. This Building Resilience is for clergy who would like to create positive changes in their lives. Join in and make resilience a spiritual practice! 

Intro to Gender & Trans/Nonbinary Affirmation (DEI)
Sept. 28, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM • Online | Registration now open.
This workshop will introduce key concepts related to gender and helps church leaders identify practical methods of affirming trans and nonbinary people in their communities.

Intro to Race, Racism, and Racial Justice (DEI/FF)
Oct. 5, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM • Online | Registration opens soon.
This class is a broad, but not comprehensive, introduction to race as a concept, racism and its various forms, and various forms of working toward racial justice. Particular attention is paid to Christian foundations for racism and the history of slavery and colonization in New England.  This training is open to all Lay Leaders, Local Church Volunteers, Authorized Ministers and participants in the Faith Formation Leadership Program.

Revising Your Church’s Bylaws: When, Why & How? (GCL)
Nov. 10, 4 to 5:30 PM | Registration opens in September.
When the timing is right, the purpose is clear, and a plan is in place, revising a set of bylaws can breathe new life into a congregation.  When roles, responsibilities, and processes are up-to-date, when the bylaws reflect current realities, and when decision-making processes are mapped, healthier dynamics can help create a more inclusive, positive culture. 

HR Overview – The Basics for Churches (GCL)
Dec. 8, 5 to 6:30 PM • Online | Registration opens in October.
This workshop will provide the audience with an overview of general HR compliance and best practices for organizations to consider as part of their overall HR function.  

Church Life Cycle & Capacity: A Snapshot of Your Church’s Vitality
Sept. 25 & Oct. 8, 7 to 8:30 PM • Online | Reg. opens soon. (GCL)
This hands-on workshop includes information about church life cycles, opportunities often available at each stage of the life cycle, and the kind of capacity (financial, leadership, health, etc.) needed. This gathering is for church leadership groups (i.e. Council, Central Board, Executive Committee, etc.) and Pastors to discuss topics such as the church’s current vision, where the church is in the lifecycle chart, and what kinds of options are possible and available.  Conversations will also yield an assessment of each church’s capacity for leading and implementing change. This is a pre-requisite for all ADAPT and Navigate. A self-guided version is also available by contacting the Center for Transformational Leadership (Transform@sneucc.org)

Organizing for Small Town Churches (GCL)
Oct. 16, 7 to 8:30 PM • Online | Registration opens in September.
Small town churches and rural congregations change the world.  This online workshop is a pep-talk to the work you are already doing.  It invites an organizing framework on the critical relationships that you have already and offers encouragement for further engagement in service to the world God is inviting us to create, together. Rev. Dr. Chris Davies, author of the chapter on Rural Organizing in (link here) Building Up a New World | Congregational Organizing for Transformative Impact, will lead conversation and provide some tools for organizing in small towns and rural communities.

Circle Training & Introduction to Restorative Practices (DEI)
Oct. 26, 27, Nov. 2, 3, 9 AM to 12 PM • Online | Registration opens in Sept.
This experiential and skill-based workshop will train participants in circle process, a practice that can be used for a wide range of community-building and conflict transformation settings, including local churches. Open to both laity and clergy, and lay people are especially encouraged to attend. 

PROJECT PROCLAIM is coming to DISCORD this Fall.
The DISCORD app is a platform that people use for games and other topics. But what is it? Here is a short DISCORD for Dummies video with some insight. For additional information and questions, contact Tyrone Brown, Program Manager at brownt@sneucc.org