PSEC started its first Communities of Practice groups in 2014. The program gives clergy a chance to come together for support and learning. The groups meet monthly to “check-in” and learn and share about a chosen topic or issue. There is an annual $250 fee for participants to cover the cost of the facilitator and any other program costs. We ask that congregations pay this fee. (Scholarships may be available for churches/clergy with financial difficulties.)

The program has been very successful and each year we create more groups. This year, sign ups are available for traditional groups, as well as for clergy that fit into specific categories:
  • Chaplains and clergy serving in non-church settings
  • Interim ministers
  • Lay Ministers and continuing Licensed pastors
  • Pastors who have started a new call over the past two years
  • Racial Justice Accountability (see description below)
  • LGBTQ+ clergy
  • Clergy of Color
  • Clergy aged 40 and younger
  • Clergy nearing retirement age (60-70 years old)
  • Clergy serving after retirement age (70+)
  • Christian Spirituality and Direction (see description below)

If you are interested in being part of a Community of Practice and are looking for life-sustaining friendships, a new perspective, a renewed calling, a time for reflection, then sign up today. Registration is available here. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Dec. 14. If you are already in a group and do not plan to change your group, you do not need to complete this form.

If you have any questions about Communities of Practice or joining a group, contact Rev. Dr. Susan Minasian at minasian@psec.org or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
Antiracist Pastoral Leadership & Accountability group

The focus of this group would be antiracist pastoral care and leadership. Practice is needed as well, as is reflection, accountability and mutual support. Pastors can find a safe space for learning and support among other pastors for such work. A Community of Practice offers a unique fit for this area of pastoral growth and development.
 
The PSEC's Racial Justice Initiative regularly hears from pastors who are asking for tools to strengthen their skill set in order to lead their congregations in faith-centered antiracism work. Antiracism work is not exclusionary work, it is Christ-centered work – the work of healing, the work of justice, the work of learning and the work of growing. If we hope to build healing communities in our churches and in our world, it will be essential to equip our pastors with the skills and tools to offer leadership for the times in which we live. We hope an Antiracist Pastoral Leadership & Accountability COP could be a small step in that direction.   
 
COPs are voluntary opportunities for pastoral growth and development. This group will do that by: 
  • Offering care, support, and accountability 
  • Nurturing practices of spiritual discipline 
  • Developing “the craft” of ministry and strengthening practices of pastoral leadership 
  • Engaging in theological reflection on pastoral identity and congregational ministry 
  • Fostering a sense of ministry as a shared endeavor 
  • Preparing for a church whose future we cannot yet see or imagine
Christian Spirituality Community of Practice

A new Community of Practice, focusing on Christian spirituality, will re-form to begin in January 2022. Through conversation and experiential learning, the group will reclaim a tradition of spiritual practices and disciplines, ones maintained within some Christian faith traditions, yet less so among mainline Protestants (since the Reformation, we have largely been stuck in our heads!).
Topics for previous gatherings have included discernment; "Mary for Protestants"; Ignatian spirituality; anger; the Enneagram; lamenting in Lent; the dignity model; Theological Worlds; various prayer practices; Christian Celtic spirituality, and more. There is also ample time for personal and professional sharing, with all conversations held in strict confidence.

This Community will be facilitated by Janeen Adil. Janeen is Commissioned Minister of
Christian Spirituality in the Covenant Association, as well as a trained spiritual director through Kairos: School of Spiritual Formation. She offers spiritual direction through her Hungry Soul Ministries and has also led a variety of workshops and retreats.

The group will meet on a Wednesday morning, from 9:00-11:00, with a commitment to gather at least 10 times during 2022. Depending on community health (and winter driving!), meetings will be either via Zoom, or in person, at Janeen's home in Robeson Twp.

Questions? Please contact Janeen at adil.birdsboro@gmail.com. And know that your decision is already being held in prayer!
Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1441 Laura Lane, Suite 100, Pottstown, PA 19464
Telephone: 484-949-8774 Fax: 484-949-8784