Thursday, September 1

Clerks of Session

An effective clerk of a governing body understands that order expresses the principle that we must live our lives together in accord with our faith and as a witness to the promises and demands of scripture. A Clerk of Session respects the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) - the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order - as our covenant with one another to be faithful witnesses.

Rev. Joy Myers welcomes you to this session, if you are a new Clerk of Session or a long-term serving Clerk, to learn what is new, what to expect in the year ahead, and the resources available to support your call to serve.

Thursday, September 8

Ruling Elders

What is ordered ministry and why is it important to the Presbyterian Church? What does one need to know to be an effective leader in the Presbyterian church? Rev. Dr. Susan Andrews, Rev. Ed Zumwinkel, and Rev. Daniel Ervin will explore and answer these and other questions about ordained leadership in the Presbyterian tradition. If you are newly called, exploring accepting a call from a Nominating Committee, or simply want a refresher, we are here to help! Please join us in exploring the Ruling Elder service.

Thursday, September 15

Treasurers

The Treasurer usually is the single person in the church who oversees all the financial workings in the church. You might not have to do all the work if you have a team around you, but you will be the person the Session looks to for all the financial and legal issues related to operating a church corporation. As a church treasurer or financial officer, organizing and reporting can be challenging, particularly during a pandemic and tough global market worries. We can help, with guidance, options, and resources. Rev. Eric Heinekamp, of Blackhawk Presbytery, will lead this session.

Thursday, September 22

Deacon, Compassionate Ministry, Stephen Ministry

Rev. Emily Rosencrans, Director, Network Spiritual Care Services for St. Luke’s Hospital, and Rev. Renita Heinzl, Senior Chaplain and ACPE Educator for St. Luke’s Hospital will share thoughts and wisdom gained from years of ministering to patients and families in a clinical setting, as well as from many years of church ministry. The discussion will include navigating issues of privacy, confidentiality, and boundaries, as well as ways to enter into conversation and listen deeply, bearing witness to one another’s lived experiences. The goal is to equip you for your work of bearing one another’s burdens and bearing witness to each individual story and journey.  This training session will help prepare you for the sacred work to which you have been called.  

Thursday, September 29

Personnel or Session HR Teams

Approaching personnel-pastoral staff relations in a healthy, fair, and supportive way can be tricky! In fear (or memory) of getting it wrong, many churches have very few clear processes for addressing staff conflict or simply communicating expectations. One challenge is that there is often a difference between ministry and corporate contexts: while some sectors measure success in clearly identifiable cash revenues and numerical growth, ministry success is often measured in more intangible impacts and relationships. How can you approach personnel evaluations without feeling like it’s time to share (or hear) all the disappointments about the pastor? How can pastoral staff receive constructive, open, and meaningful communication for mutual success? Drawing on the work of Rev. Jill M. Hudson, this workshop will share collaborative approaches and best practices between how pastors and elders/personnel teams can work together to facilitate healthy staff functioning, with particular focus on the unique nature of pastoral leadership, but not excluding other support staff dimensions. Presbytery Leader, Rev. Ryan Landino welcomes you to join him in this education hour.