CEU News - October 2023

Events - Coming Soon!

Also check the Holston online calendar for future events.

October:

Fractured Ground

October 2-13 Online 1.0 CEUs

Fractured Ground, a book study that explores communication following mass trauma, will be your guide whether you are speaking from the pulpit, to the press and public, or to individuals facing the circumstances. Author Kimberly R. Wagner stresses that communication must be clear, and that you must name, acknowledge, and open opportunities to recognize hurt, pain, loss, and brokenness of the community, as well as “attentive to hope, redemption, and new life.”

An Unlikely Experience: Getting Ready for Christmas

October 5 Online 0.1 CEUs

Unlikely players in the Christmas story remind us that God has also invited us to participate in embodying divine love in the world. In this webinar, you will: Gain insights into drawing lesser-known biblical characters into the story

Find ways to experience God through the sights, smells, and sounds of Christmas

Be challenged to encounter the Christmas story with fresh eyes

Fresh Expressions for Rural Churches

October 7 Marion, VA 0.5 CEUs

Fresh Expressions trainer and practitioner Rev. Dr. Michael Beck will discuss and share how rural congregations can develop new expressions of ministry in their communities. He has firsthand experience leading a small-town congregation at Wildwood United Methodist Church in Wildwood, Florida.

Note: Registraion deadline is October 3rd/

Preparing to Preach During Advent

October 10 Online 0.1 CEUs

No one could anticipate the surprise that awaited humankind with the birth of Jesus. Two thousand years later, we still look forward in expectation, wondering what lies next. During this webinar, Scott Chrostek plans to share ideas for preachers as they begin making plans for preaching during the 2023 Advent season.

2023 Fall National Caring Congregation Webinar

October 13-14 Online 1.2 CEUs

Presenting the CCM (Congregational Care Minister) model of care for congregations will be: Rev. Karen Lampe, Founder of The Caring Congregation, LLC, and author/co-author of 5 books on this effective model of caring for church congregations with limited staff. She will be joined by members of the National Team: Rev. Joy Dister-Dominguez (Texas), Rev. Laura Berg (Florida), Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford (Kansas), Rev. Monica Childers (North Carolina) and Rev. Tino Herrera (Kansas City). Topics covered: Theology of Care, Boundaries, Listening & Spiritual Guidance, Elder Care, Visitation, Care for the Sick and Dying, Organizing (Recruiting, Roles & Documentation), and Evaluation and Building the Vision for a culture of care.

Convocation and Pastors’ School: Growing Where You Are Planted

October 15-17 Duke Divinity School 1.0 CEUs

What does it mean to serve faithfully in your current community, vocation, and circumstance? 2023 Convocation & Pastors’ School, Growing Where You Are Planted, is intended to connect participants with experts who will share their stories and best practices for engaging neighbors as a way to encourage and equip clergy and laity to recognize places of opportunities in their current community. We want clergy and laity to be able to grow and bloom wherever they are planted be it rural, urban, or anywhere in between.

Communications Learning Week

October 16-20 Online CEUs TBD

The week-long virtual learning experience will be filled with recorded workshops, Q&A sessions, and strategic resources designed by a host of church communications professionals. Our slate of facilitators are looking forward to sharing their expertise on a wide range of topics including content for digital congregations, rural church communications, newswriting and storytelling, just to name a few.

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The Three S

s of Growing Churches

October 26 Online 0.1 CEUs

Will we ever attract youth and young adults again? Will we ever live and minister in ways that affect the community around us?

In this webinar, Rebekah Simon-Peter, author of Dream Like Jesus, discusses the three “s’s” needed for churches to grow. Rebekah will discuss the urgency for churches to be spiritual, social, and of service. According to Simon-Peter, these S’s are at the heart of what it means to be a community. Not only do they capture the call of the Gospel, but they also speak to the loneliness epidemic in the world and to the needs of young people.

November:

Leadership Training Retreat

November 3-4 Camp Dickenson 1.0 CEUs

This retreat presents an opportunity for participants to bond and form relationships with one another while learning the best practices for ministry in a stunning environment. Classes include: Lay Servant Ministries Course, Worship, Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Discipleship, and Hospitality.

:Looking ahead…

Bishop’s Trip to the Holy Land

February 21-30 Holy Land 3.0 CEUs

Join Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett & the Holston Conference on a Holy Land Classic Journey, departing on February 20, 2024. You will see Caesarea by the Sea, Mount Carmel, Megiddo, Nazareth, Sea of Galilee, Tel Dan, Caesarea Philippi, Golan Heights, Bethsaida, Jordan River, Jericho, Qumran, Masada, Bethlehem, Herodian, Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and much more.

Read Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett’s invitation. Download full brochure here.

Study Leave for Ministry Professionals - Spring Sessions

January, February, March, or April 5-day Sessions Duke University 2-4 CEUs

Over the span of five to seven days, participants can immerse themselves in learning and renewal through self-directed study, worship, and prayer on the Duke University campus. Study is a great opportunity to work on commissioning or ordination papers, engage in worship planning or to simply take a week to escape the rigors of ministry. Designed for Christian institutional leaders, pastors, program staff, or laity, participants select their topic and Duke Divinity School provides the resources needed for a relaxing and productive week.

A Message from Our (New!) Director...

Leadership Development or CEU?

Historically Wesley Leadership Institute has been the Continuing Education (CEU) Program for clergy in Holston. While a leader development program incorporates CEU training and coaching opportunities, they are not the same. So, what is the difference?

There are 4 pillars in lay and clergy leadership development:

· Spiritual formation

· Relational development

· Strategic development

· Development of specific leadership skills

Spiritual formation is the life-long process of growing deeper and being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ, a servant of others for the sake of God’s mission. John Wesley identifies our General Rule of Discipleship as acts of devotion, acts of worship, acts of compassion, and acts of justice. Passionate spiritual disciples live out this rule daily through accountable discipleship. As passionate spiritual leaders, our task becomes to reflect Jesus Christ and to lead others to become passionate spiritual disciples both within and outside the walls of our congregations.

As passionate spiritual leaders, we develop deeper relationships not only with Jesus Christ but with others as we lead a shared mission. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, multiplying disciples; being a passionate influencer; leading others to discern and fulfill their potential; and aligning a team around a shared mission.

Passionate spiritual leaders are not just focused on their current context but also discerning God’s faithful future and strategically planning faithful next steps in their personal ministry and their ministry teams. This includes developing skills in being a Fresh Expression pioneer, completing lay or clergy certification training, training teams to incorporate SLI principles, completing the 2-year spiritual formation academy to be certified to lead in-depth spiritual formation events, completing an advanced degree, developing a passionate spiritual community/group, and so forth.

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Passionate spiritual leaders also develop specific leadership skills that aid them to grow in their leadership and management skills in administration, worship planning, age-level ministry, pastoral care, and so forth; coaching opportunities to develop their relational or ministry skills; strengthen leadership skills in adaptive leadership, critical thinking, conflict management, resiliency, and innovation; and any other specific leadership skill.

Continuing Education (CEU) opportunities will continue to train a leader in specific skills in any of these four pillars. However, Holston will nurture lay and clergy who not only increase their knowledge, skills, and abilities but who will grow and develop as passionate spiritual leaders. It is my personal hope that lay and clergy will assess their current leadership skills, identify their current passions and motivations for growth, design a plan for development and accountable relationship, implement their personal plan of action, and continue to access, evaluate, and revise their leader development plan as needed.

If you have questions about upcoming CEU training opportunities, grant monies for CEU training, whether a training opportunity qualifies for CEU credits, and/or questions related to leadership development, contact me at susangroseclose@holston.org,

For questions about the clergy CEU record keeping (people portal) or Pastor’s Convocation, please contact Terry Goodman at terrygoodman@holston.org or his assistant, Madasun Loy at madasunloy@holston.org.

In Christ’s service,

Rev. Susan Groseclose

Associate

Director of Connectional Ministries for Discipleship and Leadership susangroseclose@holstron.org

CEU QUICKLINKS:

PeoplePortal User Instructions

(Includes directions for submitting CEU requests)

Event Evaluation Form

CLERGY NOTES:

Since my post-retirement fill-in position is ending, this is the final edition of THE CEU NEWS. In the future Susan Groseclose, the new WLI Director, will feature worthwhile events for both clergy and laity on the Holston Events Calendar . You can also find CEU qualifying events on ClergyEducation.com, BeaDisciple.org, The UMC Calendar, and the seminary schools. Additionally, Holston events will be announced through the Holston Communications Department. Madasun Loy (MadasunLoy@Holston.org) will be assuming admin duties for WLI as well as the COS and MEF registration and payment processing. Blessings to you all on your continuing journey of lifelong learning!

Book Review

ADVENT: A SEASON OF SURPRISES

- by Scott Chrostek

Advent is a season filled with anticipation of what’s coming next. No one could anticipate the surprise that awaited humankind with the birth of Jesus. Two thousand years later, we still look forward in expectation, wondering what lies next.

What’s coming next for you? What’s next in your life beyond the presents, the family gatherings, and the Christmas traditions? What are you anticipating in

your life? What are you dreading? These questions fill our hearts and minds during the Advent season.

The studies in this five-week devotional guide are meant to be used by individuals, small groups, or entire congregations. Join author Rev. Scott Chrostek, director of ministries and programs at Church of the Resurrection, as he leads readers through a Season of Surprise. Sessions include:

1.Week One: Surprise! The Good and Bad News of Christmas

2. Week Two: Singing with Surprising Joy

3. Week Three: Christmas and its Cast of Misfits

4. Week Four: The Surprising Closed Door of Christmas

5. Week Five: Unwanted Journeys: Searching for Something

6. COVID, Christmas, and Life’s Unwanted Journeys

Scott Chrostek is a compelling preacher, a thoughtful interpreter of the Christian faith, and an inspiring storyteller. In Advent: A Season of Surprises, he turns his attention to the