We've invited Jeff to meet you - next week!

 

If you're one of the lucky ones who has worked with Jeff MacDonald at Cup of Hope 2022, is part of our year long LeaderSHIFT course with him, or your paths crossed at another event, you'll know how compelling time spent with Jeff is (and I hope you'll come to this event too!). 

This is our next workshop - in JUST 6 days! Will you join us?

Next week, Jeff is leading an in-person, evening workshop in Victoria BC/ Lekwungen, with LeaderSHIFT. And knowing meeting in person doesn't work for everyone, we've planned this as a hybrid event.

Thursday May 25, 2023, In Person and Online. Details here: Better with Less

Better with Less: Thriving with part-time clergy

You are warmly invited to spend the evening of May 25th, 2023, learning from author, award-winning religion journalist, and part-time pastor in the United Church of Christ (in the US), Rev. G. Jeffrey MacDonald.

Jeff spent time researching and reflecting with colleagues, and congregations with part-time ministry personnel. He found that despite a narrative of decline, many congregations with part-time clergy found unexpected gifts and ways to thrive!

Jeff summed up his findings and included his own experience about the practices and postures that help communities of faith to embrace part-time ministry personnel, and to develop new and fruitful ministries in his book, Part Time is Plenty: Thriving without Full Time Clergy.

"Enough is as good as a feast"

- Mary Poppins

Come, be part of the shift as we consider how regarding part-time leadership as a problem to be eradicated truly impacts us - and how embracing part-time as a divine gift facilitates a higher level of lay engagement, responsibility, playfulness, and creativity!

The Better with Less workshop is for both lay and clergy leaders; as a those in a circle of colleagues, friends, and companions in the faithful work of leadership, I invite you to join Jeff, myself, and 17 others already registered, either at FirstMetropolitan United or on Zoom from anywhere to virtually participate at very same time. 

I am so excited to welcome you on May 25th!

Faithfully,

Michelle

 

Registration is Open, for a LOT of stuff

Hello, Friends!

Hot dang, there's been a lot of activity since we last wrote! Remember that late-August message about knowing some exciting things were coming your way, but to keep resting just a little bit longer? We hope this finds you well - no denying this 'start up' month is happening and proving anything but normal. Yet we pray for us each to embrace - with thanks - the familiar ways and things and people that we can lean on as we get up and get going: our practices, our settings, our relationships of all kinds, and for sure with the grace and love of God.

This is a short newsletter with details of The Fall Slate from LeaderShift. Below you'll see more than 10 online engagement sessions available to you, all offered within our regional council and rooted deep in our denominational call. 

The Latest image Fall Slate.png

The Time is Now

We know you'll find one or more offerings that speak to you, and trust you'll engage in what you can. What's ready now includes:

  • an excellent, once in a church-lifetime pricing on an internationally renowned worship-arts program 

  • small group nourishment for ministry personnel serving in remote and rural settings

  • practical, hands on learning about the power and presence of white privilege in our lives and systems - and how you can help break the cycles of racism

  • embracing the ask and gaining comfort and joy with givings

  •  a huge online festival with a sacred party-vibe that everyone from a one-church town - youth, families, adults elders- are invited to attend

Coming soon

"21 Things You Didn't Know About the Indian Act" book study and author engagement with Bob Joseph, the returning series "Faith Leaders for Such a Time as This" and a new series "Developing Online Small Group Leadership Skills" with Rev Rhian Walker, will be open for registration in the coming weeks. 

When you go deeper, you'll see that LeaderShift has a new registration page here on our website! No more jumping from platform to platform. We're keen for you to poke around and get yourself registered now for the fall slate of online engagement sessions.
Space is limited.
Check out the course offerings now.

Faithfully,
The LeaderShift Team

Tressa Brotsky - communications
Rob Crosby-Shearer - LeaderShift Church Plant Project
Allison Rennie - director
Rhian Walker - program staff
Brenda Wolff - administrative assistance

Online Learning with LeaderShift! Registration NOW OPEN

The three Online Engagement Sessions are all coming up after Easter. One is very skill based, one is more about a theological exploration, and one is about engagement in spiritual practice.  We are partnering with Connect North, an technology ministry supported by the Pacific Mountain Regional Council, in getting these LeaderShift Online Engagement Sessions tech-ready, and facilitators trained in the software and finer points of hosting online gatherings. In these unusual days of COVID-19 precautions and care taking, we are thankful for projects like these being already in the works, and that we have access to the technology that can bring us together, virtually.

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