Same Boat,
Different Stream
Schools are "failing" as you may have heard. So are churches. Oh, young people still go to school. And you'll still find children and youth in church. But they're not always engaged--in either locale.
That came home to me recently at the Wyoming School Improvement Conference. I was there in my other role as Educational Consultant to present two workshops on interpersonal communication. That was neat.
Even better was learning about how much schools and churches have in common.
Turns out we are in the same boat, just on a different stream.
Read on... |
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Christian Educators Fellowship Conference in Green Lake, Wisconsin
Will you be at the Christian Educators Fellowship National Conference later this week?
If so, I'd love to see you there. I'll be giving a workshop on Sunday, October 14, 1:00 - 2:30 pm entitled "Appreciating Creation as a Spiritual Discipline."
Click here for more information on the conference, workshops, and registration.
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Registration
Now Open for
2013-2014
DiSC & Discipleship
Group Coaching Program!
Are you ready to see what's stopping the growth in your congregation? And to learn more about your congregational culture?
Want to discover how to adapt preaching, worship, stewardship messages and your approach to youth to reach more disciples?
Then check out the DiSC and Discipleship Group Coaching Program!
Over the course of a church year you'll learn how to more effectively motivate your congregations, reach your communities, and engage your people.
Register now and receive the EARLY Early Bird rate. For more information, click here for a downloadable brochure.
Or click here for more information and/or to register! |
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October 2012
Greetings!
 The church year is gearing up. The school year is now in full swing. And elections are just a few weeks away. This is a great time to consider how we're all in it together. Check out my new blog post on digital natives, schools and church: Same Boat, Different Stream." Watch the 4 minute video below for a real-life story of bridge building. Then try the suggestions that follow to build new bridges of understanding in your corner of the world.
 | | We're All in This Together |
Here are 3 courageous actions you can take to create healthy community:
1. Connect with a person outside your comfort zone. Someone you consider "other," different. Ask that person about their story. What has brought them to this place in life? Or to this community? Or this country? Then listen without judging or trying to score any points. If you need help with that, consider how Jesus created community with Pharisees and zealots, tax collectors and high standing officials, the poor and the rich.
2. Acknowledge that we're all in this together by doing something that benefits the common good. Just one caveat - let it be something the results of which you won't see in your lifetime. Plant a grove of fruit trees. Sponsor a child in another country. Help craft a policy that takes forever to enact. Take as your example Jesus' crucifixion. His death brought new community to life - community he didn't directly experience.
3. Bring people together to read Parker Palmer's book. Embrace whoever shows up. Practice listening. And speaking up. Even if it's not easy.
Jesus left us a legacy: to build up the Kingdom of God. I think it's up to us to cultivate the habits of the heart that make it so.
Be of good courage! We're all in this together.
Blessings,
Rebekah
Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter
Director of
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