From the Interim Executive….

From the Interim Executive,

I love planning.  When I was growing up, my mom would put the menu for the entire month on the refrigerator.  (Our favorite was “buffet,” her euphemism for leftovers!)  One of my colleagues about ten years ago asked me, “What happened if your mom didn’t feel like cooking what she had planned one day?”  I told him, “My mom always felt like cooking whatever she had planned that day.”  He said, “That explains a lot about you.”

I love planning, and I have loved planning the Synod’s ministries in 2022.  Our theme for 2022 is “In our Synod, we’ll try anything to equip leaders to engage God’s creative, emerging future.”  I hope that our offerings will do just that!  You can see the whole schedule here.  We’ll partner with LeaderWise again this year to offer a practicum on adaptive leadership, journey groups (facilitated small groups for support), and several versions of boundaries training. Rev. Dr. Jevon Caldwell Gross will be offering “It’s Not Just Sundays” to talk about extending our digital ministry to complement in person opportunities. We’ll continue our monthly preaching workshops, too.

The first equipping opportunity coming, however, is called “Race, Science, and the Church.”  Our partners Science for the Church will offer a unique angle on bigotry and structural racism by engaging topics like race as a social construct and not a biological category; the impact this social construct has on our behavior; the impact of race on medical care; and more.  I’m very eager to learn more from innovative approach on February 16 and 23, noon to 1:30 both days.  Learn more and register here.

We know that God is the one who brings fruition to our plans.  Thanks for praying with me that the Spirit will enliven and inspire all of these 2022 offerings!