Church Leadership Development Day
For new and experienced church leaders
- Saturday February 27, 2010
Snow Date: Saturday March 6 - 8:30am–Noon plus optional “Working Lunch” courses 12:15–1:45
- At the Perinton Presbyterian Church,
6551 Pittsford-Palmyra Rd (Rt 31)
Perinton, NY [ map ]
- Seminars for new and experienced:
Elders, Deacons, Clerks of Session, Treasurers, Trustees, Educators, Choir Directors and Pastors
- Registration Fee: $5 per person
- Registration Deadline: Monday February 22
- Boxed lunch: $5 additional, or brown bag your own
- Registration Form
- Flyer
Brought to you by your Resource & Education Committee.
Six Morning and Six “Working Lunch” Courses
Courses of Interest for Elders, Deacons, Clerks of Session, Treasurers, Trustees, Christian Educators, Pastors, Commissioned Lay Pastors, and others!
Schedule
| Registration | 8:30 |
| Worship | 9:00 |
| Morning Courses | 9:45–Noon |
| “Working Lunch” Courses | 12:15–1:45 |
- Lunch
- Bring a brown bag lunch or order a boxed lunch for $5. Lunches must be pre-ordered and paid for in advance. No lunches will be available for purchase on the day of the event.
- Snow Policy
- If there is a severe storm, the seminar will be postponed to Saturday March 6. Tune to 1180 AM (WHAM) for cancellation announcement.
Morning Courses: 9:45–Noon
Choose One of the Six Courses
- Elder: Not Just a Job, an Adventure!
- Rev. John Wilkinson, Pastor, Third Presbyterian Church
The office of elder in the Presbyterian Church (once called “ruling elder”) is unique. You are more than a board member! You are called to provide spiritual leadership in the life of your particular congregation. Join us in exploring the role of elder in all its many facets. We’ll examine some practical matters as well as biblical and theological underpinnings that will help you live into this important calling. - Hospitality: How Deacons Can Be the Way
- Rev. Chuck Leport, Interim Pastor, Warsaw United Church and Rev. Nancy Tripp Leport, Interim Pastor
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Radical Hospitality. As deacons, what is your role and how do you contribute to the radical hospitality of your church and therefore to your church’s growth?
Come find out what Radical Hospitality is, how it can help your church grow and why saying “we are a friendly church” can be the kiss of death for a congregation!
This workshop will not promote another "how to” gimmick; rather it will help you develop a spiritual under girding for the how, what and why of hospitality and its call on us as the people of God. It is not just for deacons, but for all church members who take their call to entertain angels unaware seriously. - Help for Clerks of Session
- Rev. Val Fowler, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley and Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Honeoye Falls
Class Objective: To provide helpful resources for the questions, concerns, and duties of clerks of session and to pay attention to the spiritual, as well as the practical aspects of serving as a clerk.
Format: An interactive experience in which the leader will bring knowledge, information and expertise, and participants also will learn from one another. The course always begins with developing a list of questions the participants bring … and a commitment to respond to those questions.
Who should attend: Clerks of session—past, present, or future. [Whether you have been a clerk of session for hours or years, you will find this event helpful, encouraging, and supportive.] Pastors are welcome and encouraged to attend.
What you should bring: Your heart for ministry and service, your questions and concerns, a copy of the Book of Order (or purchase one at the book sale table). Participants will receive a copy of the Handbook for Clerks of Session. - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Being a Church Treasurer
- Rev. Merl Galusha, retired Presbyterian Pastor, former Presbytery Treasurer, and current Presbytery Financial Administrator and Karen Pryor, Elder, Third Church, retired college financial aid administrator and Presbytery Treasurer 2009
Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” Good advice for church treasurers!
This will be a practical workshop to help church treasurers navigate the sometimes tricky waters of church financial systems, government regulations, and accounting principles. Be sure to bring your own questions which we will take time to discuss. We will also take a look at clergy and lay employee salary and benefit issues, mission and per capita contributions and which goes where in our denominational system, and accounting and reporting standards. - Training for Trustees
- David Hale, Chair of Presbytery Trustees and Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church, Brockport;
Chris Williams, Licensed Insurance Broker, Christopher Williams Agency
This user-friendly seminar will discuss building, finance, legal, and insurance issues. It will be useful for first-time trustees as well as those with experience. We will discuss what is required for the annual church audit and financial procedures for your church office. Those involved in smaller churches that do not use a CPA are especially encouraged to attend this seminar. - Clergy /CLP Roundtable: Trustworthy? (Clergy and CLP’s only)
- Beth Struever, Presbyter for Pastoral Care
Level of trust is a key indicator in any relationship. “Trustworthy?” is an assessment we make of anyone with whom we connect. All of us carry some trust wounds, so trust is an issue in any system, from middle governing bodies of the church to the most intimate personal ones.
Is there some reasonably time efficient way to get to know each other well enough to be comfortable and optimistic about resolving tough issues without losing connection? Is there any God-given process of healing that we can trust when we are disappointed, frustrated, or just plain outraged with each other?
The topic is relevant. The workshop will be practical, experiential and informational.
“Working Lunch” Courses: 12:15–1:45
Choose One of the Six Courses
- #1 Lay Preaching: Moving from Text to Sermon
- Rev. Val Fowler, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley and Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Honeoye Falls—AND—lover of preaching
This course is for laypersons who would like to develop or sharpen their preaching abilities. We will work interactively with a particular text and practice models for moving from that text to a sermon.
The course will include examining some resources for studying a biblical text in preparation for preaching, determining some “intersections” between text and life, and some basic principles of crafting a sermon.
In this limited time, we will lay some foundations and develop some tools for a very important part of life and worship. - #2 Creative Learning Ideas for Church School
- Becky D’Angelo-Veitch, Certified Associate Christian Educator, Coordinator of Children’s Ministry and Congregational Life, Third Presbyterian Church
What are the new things going on in YOUR church school? What resources, articles, books, websites, and curricula have gotten you excited this past year?
Join us for a lunch-time “show and tell”. All participants are invited to bring something to share that has excited them and enhanced their ministry this year, and one concern or need that they are seeking to address in their ministry through collaboration with others in the educational ministries of the church. - #3 Harvest of Justice: Talking About the Issues in Our Own Backyard
- Chava Redonnet, Peacemaker, Presbytery of Genesee Valley
- Many rural congregations are facing debate regarding the rights of farm workers and the immigration status of migrant workers.
The purpose of this course is two-fold: to give participants an opportunity to learn some facts about immigration and the situation facing today’s migrant farm workers; and to discuss ways of highlighting this subject to our congregations. - #4 Extended Communion
- Rev. Nancy Reinert, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Caledonia
The Book of Order permits elders and deacons, with session approval, to administer the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper as a direct extension of the serving of the gathered congregation. (W3.3616e) This brief yearly training is offered by the Presbytery as a service to churches to train and prepare ordained laity, as well as refresh those already serving to administer this sacrament to shut-ins, members in nursing facilities, or hospitals when a clergy person is not available. Join us to share your experiences. Together we will explore “the doctrine and administration of the Sacrament” to prepare for this necessary, important, joy-filled ministry. - #5 How Healthy Congregations Respond To Anxiety and Conflict
- Rev. Carolyn Grohman, Presbyter for COM support and trained facilitator for Peter Steinke’s “Healthy Congregations” workshops
Imagine that your church is faced with an issue that is creating anxiety and conflict within the congregation. What should you as a church leader do to respond to the anxiety and conflict in healthy ways?
In this course, which is based on Peter Steinke’s “Healthy Congregations” workshops, participants will view and discuss a video that shows a congregation trying to deal with conflict. In the first part of the video, called “The Anxious Congregation”, the leaders react in unhealthy ways to the anxiety.
In the second part, called “The Responsible Congregation”, the leaders respond to the anxiety in healthy ways.
Participants in this course will learn how to respond to anxiety and conflict in ways that foster healthy congregations. - #6 Spirit-Filled, Spirit-Led Meetings
- Bill Ellis, Commissioned Lay Pastor
Even though this title seems familiar, we will dig a little deeper as we spend time talking about what prayer and spirituality mean to you.
We will learn how to turn ordinary meetings into times of worship. We will learn how to use times of spirituality as a reflection of the liturgy in the worship space on the Lord’s Day and how you can become a spiritual leader of your group while working alongside your pastor. There will also be time to sample different ways to pray and how the use of sensory cards can enhance your prayers (a good project for retreats).
Come, let us meet together in silence and prayer and be filled with the Holy Spirit. At the end class, there will be an opportunity to be anointed to become the spiritual leader God has called you to be.