Diocesan Training Day
January 17, 2009
[Info updated February 17]
Saturday, March 28
St. Stephen's Wilkes-Barre
8:15 am – 9:15 am Check-in and Hospitality
9:15 Opening Prayer and Welcome
9:45 am – 11:15 Workshops
11:30 Eucharist
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Workshops
2:45 Commissioning and Departure
Register online and find more information here.
See description of workshops below.
Wardens/Vestry 101
An introduction for new wardens and vestry members – or a refresher for
experienced vestry members – to the roles, responsibilities, and
realities of parish leadership. We will look at canons, models,
strategies, and resources to assist the elected leaders of parishes.
[Led by Bishop Jack Croneberger and Archdeacon Howard Stringfellow]
Morning
Ministry of the Lay Eucharistic Visitor
“I was hungry and you fed me.” The Ministry of the Lay Eucharistic
Visitor extends the celebration of Holy Communion to those who are
unable to attend the gathering of the faithful – the home-bound, those
in hospital and nursing homes. This two-part course leads to the
licensing by the Bishop. The morning session will look at Biblical,
theological, and historical background, while in the afternoon, we will
discuss resources and practical considerations such as HIPAA rules,
safety, and health concerns. [Led by The Rev. Edward K. Erb] Morning
and Afternoon
Give and Live: Stewardship as a Way of Life
This workshop will examine the theology and practice of year-round
stewardship in the parish. How can we help an entire parish make the
shift from scarcity to abundance, from control to generosity, from
maintenance to mission? We will share ideas for preaching, teaching,
and programming for all ages, throughout the liturgical year.[Led by
the Rev. Robert L. Tate, Rector, Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields,
Philadelphia.] Morning or Afternoon
Cooking up a Parish Website
Most people looking for a new church use the internet. A parish
website is a basic communication and evangelism tool. You can create
for your parish an attractive, easy-to-use website that is inexpensive
and can be maintained by anyone with average computer skills. We will
construct an actual parish website and show you how to maintain it. We
will give you the ingredients to cook up a delicious web page for your
congregation. [Led by The Rev. Canon Andy Gerns, rector of Trinity
Easton, chair of the Evangelism Commission, helper at Episcopal Cafe
and creator of the AndrewPlus blog] Morning
ChurchPost Training
ChurchPost, a communication tool that has been developed for and by the
church, has been purchased for you to use. There is no cost to the
parish to use it. It’s web-based communication solution that will
empower you to enhance communications with one another and your
congregation. The basic functionality of this service is that it will
allow you to create email groups that will be accessible to you from
any computer while also allowing other users to have access to all of
the groups that are created. You will have the ability to create quick
text emails and eNewsletters or colorful html templates using a wizard,
eliminating the need for html knowledge. You will be able to monitor
the receipt of your communications as well as spot any trouble email
addresses. This will allow you to auto-schedule emails for future
sending – and because this is a web-based service – you don’t even need
to log on for them to be sent!
Whether you already use ChurchPost or just want to get started come to
this 90 minute session to receive a full training and a chance to get
your questions answered. We are the first Episcopal diocese to equip
all of our parishes with ChurchPost You may have attended a training in
September. This will still be worth your while. As a refresher course,
as instruction for another staff or church member or to be trained on
Version 3.0 just released, you will see how this tool can improve
communications within your parish as well as create a more inviting,
inclusive environment. [Led by Debra Gerber, one of the owners of
ChurchPost] Morning and Afternoon
Christian Formation: One Size Does Not Fit All –– How to Choose a Curriculum for Your Congregation
Use the lens of your church’s mission statement as well as your
programmatic framework, as you explore the various types of curricula:
lectionary-based, scope & sequence, Montessori-type and Rotation
Model, including a review of other tools for evaluating and assessing
materials. [Led by Sharon Ely Pearson who became Church Publishing’s
first Christian Formation Specialist in November 2007 after ten years
as Children’s Ministries and Christian Education Coordinator for the
Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut. With a B.S. in Special Education, she
has a certificate in Christian Education from Hartford Seminary and a
Master’s degree in Christian Education from Virginia Seminary.] Morning
Christian Formation: Develop an Engaging Lesson Plan
Learn how to plan your Church School lessons so that the children under
your care will be active participants in learning - wanting to come
back week after week for more! This experiential workshop will engage
teachers to develop a means of preparing lessons that will make the
best use of their time throughout the year. [Led by Sharon Ely
Pearson. See above.] Afternoon
Treasurers’ Workshop
In this workshop, we will focus on Cash Receipts, Cash Disbursements,
Internal Controls, and Audits. We will review the Balance Sheet and
Revenue and Expense statements. A question and answer session will
follow the presentation. [Led by R. Bruce Reiner and Richard Guyer]
Afternoon
Grants and New Hope: New Opportunities for Ministry
A glance into the application process for New Hope Grants for
Northeastern PA. [Led by New Hope Campaign chair Charlie Barebo and St.
Stephen’s Wilkes-Barre rector Father Daniel Gunn] Afternoon
Practical tips for the part-time church organist
The most important aspects of leading singing from the organ. [Led by
Mark Laubach, organist/choir master for St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral,
Wilkes-Barre, and Canon Precentor for the Diocese of Bethlehem]
Afternoon
Building a Youth Ministry Program with 6-12 graders
Demery Bader-Saye shares ideas, curriculum and resources for building a
youth ministry program in your parish. Because many parishes in our
diocese are small, with few teens, special attention will be given to
doing youth ministry in a small group format. Innovative worship ideas
that might connect with youth, and about the vital role mission can
play in transforming the spiritual lives of teens. Questions, answers,
and sharing of ideas among workshop participants. Morning
[Late Addition]
A Hand’s On Approach to Developing a Powerful Planned Giving Program in Your Parish
Hand’s on discussion of how a planned
giving program can lift up your parish and how to develop this
essential ministry at your church. Success stories from parishes in our Diocese. How you can jump start this ministry in your church. [Led by Charlie Barebo] Morning
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