From the Interim Executive,
This spring your Synod has been offering lots of ministries supporting the Matthew 25 goals of congregational vitality, anti-poverty, and anti-racism work. Here is a taste of how we have coordinated to support presbyteries, churches, and their leaders in the last month.
- Almost 100 leaders attended a Boundaries training last month through LeaderWise. There are future workshops on August 18-19 (designed primarily for congregational leaders and non-clergy staff) and November 9-10 (primarily for clergy and commissioned ruling elders). More information here.
- More than 40 regular preachers attended “How to Preach about Racial Justice without Losing your Conviction or your Call,” the first in a series of monthly preaching workshops on the first Wednesday of the month from 10:00 to 11:30. Watch the workshop here.
- We have received more than 70 applications for the Higher Education Scholarships for Christian Leaders. The Scholarships team is hard at work evaluating them; winners will be announced by June 30. Learn more about the scholarship here.
- An invitation will soon go out to campus ministry leaders throughout the Synod to explore how they can offer mutual support and learning.
- Almost 50 participants received Racial Justice training through LeaderWise in May, and are in the process of receiving a one-hour one-on-one individualized debrief of what they learned through the Intercultural Development Inventory. This self-test is designed to help us discover our own blind spots with respect to race and justice.
- The Synod’s Self-Development of People team will be meeting soon to re-establish this ministry, which joins the Matthew 25 goal of working against poverty.
These ministries are funded through your per capita support, your mission and peacemaking giving, and endowments. Thank you for your generosity!
Your partner in ministry,
Rev. Charles B Hardwick, PhD
Interim Executive
chip@synodofthecovenant.org