The CEU News Continuing Education Update June 2020 A Publication of the Wesley Leadership Institute Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church
Events - Coming Soon! June 2020: Healthy Stewardship in the Local Church June 1-5 Online 1.5 CEUs Taught by Dr. Ann Michel, this Wesley Seminary course will consist of an Exploration of the biblical and theological basis for healthy congregational stewardship and a survey of best practices for cultivating generosity Autonomous Worship June 7 Online 0.15 CEUs We're called to make new disciples through worship, even online. To do that, we have to embrace several big shifts. The Webinar features Michigan Conference Assoc. Director of Congregational Vibrancy, Rev. Gary Step, and Worship Coach and Consultant Rev. Cathy Townley
United We Stand: Healing Our Political Divide in the Church June 8-26 Online 1.5 CEUs This course, led by author and Bible teacher Keith Giles, will help us to identify the reasons why the Christian Church is so politically-divided today, and show us how to rediscover our true source for unity in the Body of Christ. Creating A Digital Ministry June 15-26 Online 1.0 CEUs As churches realize that the move into online worship, study, and meetings might have long term ramifications, this course will provide you with valuable ideas to consider during that transition.
July 2020: Church Finances July 6-10 Online 1.5 CEUs Led by Dr. Lovett Weems, this course will feature an exploration of budgets, income, expenses, giving, and administration from both a theological perspective and from the best practices of financial transparency and accountability. On Visiting the Sick: Methodist Responses to Disease and Pandemic July 13–August 23 Online 1.5 CEUs In this class we will explore the theologies of John and Charles Wesley and Methodist responses to disease outbreaks throughout modern American history. Lake Junaluska Marriage Enrichment Retreat July 19-21 Lake Junaluska 1.5 CEUs This retreat features counselor-facilitated workshop sessions designed to help you Better understand your partner and be understood, Stop rigid, negative patterns in communication that lead to frustration and disconnection. Be more accessible, responsive and engaged in your relationship. Share your deepest needs for support, love and affection, and respond to those same needs in your partner. Strengthen the psychological and spiritual foundations for healthy, happy relationships. 1
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We are fast approaching the end of the appointment year and the 2016-2020 quadrennium. Please log in to your online profile at Holston.org to check your CEU reports (annual and quadrennial) for earned CEU credits. As a reminder, per GBHEM and WLI Guidelines, CEU requirements are 3 CEUs per year or 12 per quadrennium. To apply for continuing ed credit email the name of the event/webinar you attended, along with the date, number of hours you participated, and a certificate of completion if you have one to sueweber@holston.org.
Book Review Organic Leadership: Leading Naturally Right Where You Are - by Neil Cole Grow more leaders for a greater harvest! What are the weeds that hinder the natural growth of godly leadership? Are programs, people, and money truly the signs of a successful church? Where can you find an unlimited source of leaders? How do you mentor leaders so that they multiply? In Organic Leadership Neil Cole asks these questions and more, boldly challenging many of the ideas about leadership and church life that we all take for granted. Then he reveals how to grow leaders that multiply naturally.
Is it possible that the division between the clergy and the laity is unnecessary and, in fact, harmful to the church? In Organic Leadership, Neil Cole fervently says yes and shows how this causes great harm to all. But rather than doing away with the clergy, Cole argues that the answer is to raise up organically grown leaders from ordinary Christians. Using examples from modern cinema, personal experience, and the Bible, Cole sets out to change our view of what a leader is and how one is formed. This fresh and revolutionary alternative will transform readers and equip them to challenge themselves and others to find the vision God has for them. Neil Cole is the founder and executive director of Church Multiplication Associates (www.cmaresources.org), which has catalyzed the start of thousands of churches around the world. He is an international speaker and the author of Organic Church and Search & Rescue. He and his family live in California.
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A Message from Our Director... I keep getting reports from Sue that many of you are upping your game and, in the midst of this pandemic, are engaging in lots of online learning experiences. This seems to be the norm for our current time. As I talk with people at GBHEM, I am told that they have had travel bans imposed for the remainder of 2020. Anything they do will be done virtually. It is going to be harder and harder to find real face to face training sessions. If you can find one, please practice social distancing until we can put this whole COVID 19 episode behind us. Looking ahead, one of the big learning events sponsored by the annual conference is the Local Pastor’s Licensing School. This nine-day event stretched out over 3 weekends over three different months is the primary training ground for our local pastors. To be honest with you, I am beginning to wonder how it is going to happen this year. Typically, we have 20-25 students, a teacher, and two leaders. If we are still under the 6foot social distancing guidelines, then that is going to make things difficult. Likewise, what kind of restrictions will we have at hotels? There are so many things that have to be re-examined as we look at such an event that is now only about two and a half months away. In the very near future, some of you will be getting phones calls asking you to teach a class. Will the class be in person or online - I don’t know at this time. All I know is that we are soon going to have to make some decisions and we are not clear as to what those decisions might be. I say all this to ask for your prayers. We have a duty to provide the best possible training for those men and women that have responded to God’s call upon their lives. They will become the leaders of our churches and both they and the churches deserve our best effort to provide them a basic skill set to help them in responding to their calls and leading churches. Switching gears, let me take you back to last month when I stated that Clergy Services was developing an app that would put at your fingertips a lot of information. Well, the app is ready for public use. Let me be honest, it is not in its final form. I am still experimenting and trying to decide what things to include and how to present them in the app. I’d very much like to hear from you about what you’d like to see in an app designed to help and connect with the ministers of our annual conference. Please note the ad-like page following this article in this month’s newsletter. All you need to do is text HolstonClergy to 1(888) 364-4483. I am told that doing this will download the app to your phone. It has been approved by both the Apple and Google Play stores. So, it should work on either an iPhone or an Android device. I would be interested in hearing some feedback. Once I create it, I will put a poll on the Home screen of the app to gather some feedback from you. I want you to know that Clergy Services is trying to provide guidance to DCOM’s, DS’s, and to continue to develop ideas and provide resources that will help you - the church pastor succeed and flourish in your ministry. I am always open to talk with you about ideas that might help you in your ministry settings. 3
Until we meet again, may God richly bless you and your families and your ministries as you faithfully serve the Kingdom. A Fellow Servant of Christ, Rev. Terry Goodman, Director of Clergy Services
CONTACT INFO: Director: The Rev. Terry Goodman terrygoodman@holston.org
Phone: 865-293-4147
Admin. Asst. & Editor: Sue Weber sueweber@holston.org
Phone: (865) 293-4135 4