Clergy Support Groups 2010 to 2011
Ministry can be lonely. A recent gospel reading in the church I attend was Luke’s version of the “foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no where to lay his head”. I think a lot of us can identify with that passage. Support/Study groups for clergy help. I have been challenged and enriched by the groups of clergy I have connected with and I am offering a group this year that I wanted you to know about.
These groups will include at least the following:
- We will be studying Bowen Theory. You can see an overview of this theory at www.thebowencenter.org. It is a comprehensive theory on human relationships that can guide and help those of us in ministry become more effective and calm.
- We will be working on gaining clarity about our ministry and mission. The demands in ministry and the pace of change in our world can combine to keep us perpetually confused about what we are doing. Working in a supportive community to define one’s ministry is one of the gifts ministers can offer the world.
- We will be working on staying vitally connected to our congregations and communities-especially the relationships that cause us discomfort. How to remain true to your self and be in relationship to those who don’t agree or appreciate you is a maturing exercise.
- We will be using real-life situations to think through how we can best be the minister we are called to be in the situation we are called to be in.
I know that support groups can function as safe places to learn theory, and present ways of applying what we most deeply believe in the community of other ministers.
These groups will meet for three hours monthly. Generally this is from nine to noon on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (depending on the city). They will be organized with time for prayers, a theoretical presentation, and a chance to present acts of ministry. Participants agree to share in the leadership of those presentations. The tuition for the nine-month year is $300.
If this sounds like something you’d gain from, I’d welcome your participation. We will begin in September, so I ask to hear from you by mid August. Depending on the number of participants, there will be groups in Birmingham, Decatur and Huntsville. If you have questions about this, please call or email me.
Stewart A. Jackson
205-266-8287