Facilitating Healthy Pastor-Congregation Relations

Register Now!It is essential to register no later than February 15th so that we can prepare sufficient materials for all attending the workshop and our four sites can plan space and lunches for you.

You are welcome to register to attend if you register after February 15th, but no workshop materials and no lunch will be available for late registrants.

Underwritten by the congregations of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley and Synod of Lincoln Trails

Workshop Schedule

Saturday, February 25, 2017

8:00 am CST/9:00 EST -  Registration & fellowship

8:30  am CST/9:30 EST - Morning Prayer and brief Assembly Meeting

Introduction: The Crisis in the Pastorate System

  • Symptoms of the Crisis
  • Causes of the Crisis

The Congregation as a Family System

  • An Overview of Family Systems Theory
  • Understanding How Churches Can Be Like Dysfunctional Families

 Managing Healthy Pastoral  Transitions

  • Saying Good-bye
  • Churches Searching for Leaders
  • Pastors Searching for Healthy Churches
  • The Pastor’s Entry

Strengthening Support Systems for Pastors

Systems for Managing Conflict Constructively

  • Educating for Conflict Transformation
  • Establishing Healthy Conflict Norms
  • Congregation Mediation Teams
  • An Intervention Model for Outside Consultants
 Promoting Healthy Church Systems
  • Understanding Poorly Differentiated Church Members and Pastors
  • Overcoming Sabotage
  • Leadership Through Self-Differentiation

 

 
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Presbytery Assembly Meeting and Free Workshop!

 

Who: You!! Commissioners, congregation members, Session members, Personnel Committees, pastors, commissioned ruling elders, members of Commission on Ministry and all those who love their congregations and want to participate in helping them thrive.

What:  Free workshop on Healthy Pastor-Congregation Relations funded in partnership with a grant from the Synod of Lincoln Trails, by PWV per capita, and other grants.

Workshop Leader:

Rev. Richard Blackburn is Executive Director of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center (LMPC) in Lombard, IL. Richard leads a variety of workshops yearly on transformation in congregational systems, and serves as a consultant to conflicted churches. He participated in Dr. Edwin Friedman’s Post Graduate Clergy Seminar in Family Emotional Process and the Georgetown Family Center’s Post Graduate Program in Bowen Family Systems Theory and Its Applications.          

 

When: Saturday, February 25, 2017

Where:  LIVE at First Presbyterian Church, 3401 Valparaiso St. in Valparaiso from 8:30 am- 4:00 pm (central time); registration begins at 8:00 am

 or at one of three video-conference sites at 9:30 am -5:00 pm (eastern time) registration begins at 9:00 am

  • Bethany Presbyterian Church, 3305 Longlois Dr. in Lafayette
  • First Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Beardsley in Elkhart
  • First Presbyterian Church,  102 W. Main St. in Peru

 And: Attend the site closest to you and:

We will have a very brief presbytery assembly meeting at 8:30/9:30 and begin the workshop with only a very brief interlude. 

This free workshop will help you . . .

  • Understand some basic concepts of family systems theory and apply them to congregational life.
  • Manage pastoral transitions more effectively.
  • Improve support systems for pastors.
  • Incorporate healthy conflict procedures.
  • Understand “leadership through self-differentiation.”
  • Refocus on your congregation’s mission and purpose rather than having energy being drained by contentious issues.

Lunch ($10.00) will be provided at each site, along with hosts and facilitators who will make this day a pleasure.

Register by Wednesday, February 15th by clicking on Register Now or by contacting the Presbytery Office at 574-223-5678 or vicki@ourpresbytery.org.

This is a step forward on our presbytery journey to build closer relationships among and within the presbytery congregations of Wabash Valley and our neighbors.

Contact

Administrative Assistant 
Presbytery of Wabash Valley 
574-223-5678 
vicki@ourpresbytery.org