Category: Support Pastors

2018 Women’s Youth Worker Retreat Report

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By Carla Dyment

The Women’s Youth Worker retreat was a very rich and meaningful time! We focused on rest, connection, resourcing and prayer. Combining it with the Youth Worker Connection was a great launching point that we will consider again in the future. Over the two days we spent together we remembered and shared our call to ministry journeys, acknowledging past pains, present blessings, and hope for a future as we continue to follow God’s call in our lives. It was a relaxed and informal retreat and one we all had moments of leading and receiving. Having that kind of space allowed us to be open and honest, to seek God together in solidarity, as well as individually during our solitude time in God’s creation. We look forward to organizing another retreat in the future!

 

Jump Start Personal Finances Retreat Reflections

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By Trish Greenidge

On March 9-10, a group of Covenant pastors, missionaries, and spouses from across the denomination gathered at Eastridge Covenant Church in Oregon to participate in the Jump Start Retreat, an introductory personal finance course.  This is a first step course in the Financial Leadership initiative funded through the Lily Endowment to address the financial struggles that ministers and their families often face. The Jump Start Retreat offers the opportunity to assess one’s financial health and the values and experiences that often drive our money choices.
Trish Greenidge of Tigard Covenant was kind enough to offer her reflections of this retreat:

I was gratified to attend the Jump Start 1-1/2 day seminar. A trio of presenters utilized written curriculum, scripture, group verbal discussions, questionnaires, audio visual presentations and even a deck of “Money Habitude” cards to allow my husband and I and others to take a focused look at all aspects of our current financial situation. We were all encouraged to have a financial plan that realistically addressed spending, saving, insurance, retirement, handling debt and credit.

From the impactful information we gleaned, we were able to adjust our financial plan to ensure we were on the path to financial wellness enabling us to provide for ourselves, our family, our church and the needs of others.

Afterwards I realized that as church leaders, we can unwillingly put so much emphasis on tithing and giving that we can neglect to give our members holistic financial information for their financial wellness. Jump Start is a vehicle to do just that! Let’s start those engines and roll this seminar into all our ECC churches!

PNW Youth Worker Connection Reflections

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PNW Youth Worker Connection Reflections

By Phil Berlin, Youth Pastor, Irvington Covenant Church

Last week’s Youth Workers Connect with Jinny Olson and Tim Ciccone provided a lot of information to consider for those who currently serve in youth ministry.  The topic of the day was ‘Anticipatory Leadership’ with specific reference to Generation Z.  Jinny challenged us to not be afraid of the future, but to be prepared to help our students live amid challenges that may seem on the periphery today.[1]   Tim provided several perspectives from Generation Z that will become more normalized in the years to come. [2]  Two of these perspectives were particularly impactful to me and I believe the entire group as well.

First is the heightened importance of individual freedom, this will become more of a guiding force behind everything from sexuality to political activism.  At the same time, understanding this is the first generation to grow up with the unlimited power of the internet always at their fingertips.   Albeit this information is vast it can be curated by based upon likes and dislikes.  In other words, those who agree or see the world similarly will be followed, and they will block those differ.  This curated experience may become more common in Gen Z this is not new to many of us.  We see this today in where we choose to get our news and current events, and who we look to for the interpretation that information.  In many ways, what is happening in Gen Z is just an update of how we have modeled our use of freedom in the church.  Rather than wrestling with differences and disagreements to seek opportunity to learn and mature, we have advanced divisions and have found more ways to silo ourselves.

The second is acceptance, and where the acceptance is found.  Generation Z has grown up in a world where conversations via social networks is normative and will more and more replace face to face conversation.  Our students will not need to look too far acceptance because it will arrive on their phone, but at the same time they will not have to look for to be ignored or disregarded.  And, here I wonder which side will the church be on. Will we be a force drawing our students to the Lord, letting them know that God loves as they grow into who they are #nofilter?  Or will we distance ourselves by seeing their experimenting as turning away from the faith or their challenge of things we consider fundamental an attack against the church?

As Kohelet has told us in Ecclesiastes ‘there is nothing new under the sun’.  As a result, issues like freedom and acceptance may look very different in the years to come, but understand much of this is a reaction to the example prior generations have provided.  We may have said all of the right things, but we have taught many lessons though how we have chosen to learn and who we have chosen to demonstrate love to.

Our time together with Jinny and Tim was rich and I believe impactful for all involved, but these few thoughts were simply scratching the surface. These types of conversations need to continue among youth workers, but will need to spread to our pulpits and throughout our congregations as we continue to minister in the years to come.

 

[1] Jinny suggested a couple of resources to help us consider Anticipatory Leadership: The Anticipatory Organization: Turn Disruption and Change into Opportunity and Advantage by Daniel Burrus and a podcast by Craig Groeschel https://www.life.church/leadershippodcast/anticipatory-leadership/.

[2] Tim provided suggested this resource to help consider Generation Z: Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World by James Emery White

Ministerial Association Annual Meeting 2018

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Ministerial Association Annual Meeting 2018

By Sarah Hammersborg, Chair, PacNWC Ministerial Association

Something I am so grateful for is the fact that as a clergy in the Pacific Northwest Conference, I am part of the ministerium of other clergy, pastors, and chaplains who support and encourage me. The wealth of resources and creativity amongst the ministerium is amazing. I also know and have experienced the prayer support and help when ministry gets tough. The ministerium and the individuals in it are family in a way. Just as families do, we celebrate the victories, grieve the losses and hardships, and need to come together for conversations. This April, for our annual meeting of the ministerium, we will have an opportunity to do just that. On April 27, we will gather as a ministerium for conversation, celebrations, and our annual meeting.

In the morning, we invite all credentialed clergy to join us for conversation together about the things we celebrate, lament, and share with one another the how we are navigating ministry and the difficulties that come with it. The Ministerial Association (MA) team has heard to from the ministerium the desire and need for conversation together. Think of it as a family conversation where we listen to each other with open hearts and minds, share with one another our hopes and fears. Ministry is not an easy calling, so together we can support and hear from one another and continue to live into the call Christ has for his church!

After our time together in the morning for conversation, we will join together for the annual meeting of the ministerium. That time has some business to attend to, but throughout it we celebrate the ministry that God has done in the past year and look to the work He is doing in the coming year. We celebrate and affirm those presented for ordination, we vote in new positions for the MA and Committee and Ministerial Standing, and hear from one another the work being done in the Pacific Northwest Conference. We hope that all clergy will join us this year on April 27. Please send a greeting if you are unable to attend.

[Click Here] for more information and register for the Ministerial Association Annual Meeting 2018

Cultivating Faithfulness Clergy Cohort

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Cultivating Faithfulness Clergy Cohort

By Dawn Taloyo, Director of Pastoral and Congregational Health, PacNWC

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” (NASB)

The first Pacific Northwest Conference “Cultivating Faithfulness Clergy Cohort” (CFCC) began in late September with a retreat at Cascades Camp. We were blessed with sun and a camp all to ourselves. The quiet space was not empty space, however! We were enriched with God’s Word, an inspiring article by Henri Nouwen, great conversation as we learned one another’s stories, and generous time to connect with God.

The purpose of the CFCC is to provide restful and listening spaces among colleagues for the purpose of sustaining and renewing one’s call to Christ and devotion to ministry. Guided readings, monthly spiritual practices, and quarterly retreats, assist us in our listening.  I have heard over and over how this came at just the right time for these colleagues, now friends.  Our monthly online video calls keep us connected as we share about life and the fruit of our practices, and then pray for one another.

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to pilot this cohort, as I learn and adapt from my experience with the Fuller Formation Groups. In my experience, sharing life with others who “get it,” as well as purposefully creating space for practices and retreats that help me abide in Christ, have been essential in remembering Whose I am and why I do what I do. I am grateful for grants from the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence fund, as well as our PacNWC Ministerial Association, that has made this opportunity available and affordable.

Clergy Retreat Report

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By Vicki Lund  on behalf of the Pac NWC Ministerial Executive Committee

The fall weather was beautiful at Cascades Camp at the October “Clergy, Staff and Family Retreat.” For those who came to enjoy outdoor activities, this made canoeing on the lake, going horseback riding, or trying out the zip line that much more enjoyable. Some even relaxed with a massage.

Our speaker, Pastor Doug Bixby, from Massachusetts, shared practical tips concerning conflict, and how the church can discuss ways to building healthy relationships in our congregations. He shared from 24 years of pastor experience as we looked at personal relationships with parishioners and our family. Ministry is a stressful career for both those serving and their family. A special session was added this year for clergy spouses.

The PAC NW Conference continues to seek to have this getaway retreat, so those who attend can rest, be renewed and enjoy time with ministerial colleagues.

One of our goals for next year is to have more clergy in our conference involved in our sessions together. We welcome your ideas and help as we seek to serve you better.