August/2014Issue: #20
 
PCC Connection
  

Greetings! 

 

This past month marked the beginning of my 30th year as a preacher's kid. They have been years filled with vacation bible school, Christmas pageants, church camps, mission trips, and annual conferences. In them I have found joy, grief, thanksgivings, and grace. I have found friends in the most unexpected of places and been let down by those from whom I expected more. I have found sacrament in potluck meals, chicken and dumpling dinners, camp snacks, and cups of coffee passed out in fellowship halls. Through the good and the bad, the holy and the heartbreaking, my identity as a preacher's kid has defined me. It may have taken me 30 years to realize it, but for that, I am grateful.

 

This month will mark my last as Web Editor for Pastoral Care and Counseling. These, too, have been years filled with experiences and grace. So much of my life has been shaped by my, and my family's, location within the church and the challenges inherent to clergy life. Pastoral Care and Counseling has allowed me not only to lean into those experiences, but to understand them and help others to do the same. I've been able to connect with clergy, spouses, and kids throughout the conference and listen as they shared their stories. My work with PCC has not only helped me grow professionally, but personally as well.

 

This work has been an integral part of my life over the past four years and I am confident in the future of this ministry. I look forward to experiencing PCC in the same way that so many of you have: a part of a clergy family grateful for an organization that understands and values my experiences. Just as my identity as a preacher's kid is central to who I am, so too is my experience with Pastoral Care and Counseling. You've shared your support, enthusiasm, commitment, creativity, and struggles - they have all changed me. And for that, I am grateful. 

 

Peace,

 

Alison   

PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELING CONTINUES TO CHANGE AND GROW: A note from the PCC Board

The structure of our conference Pastoral Care and Counseling continues to evolve, even as the mission stays the same. On August 15, Alison Smith will leave our staff. Alison was hired to help us develop our outreach through website, Facebook and newsletter. Very little was in place when Alison arrived. Alison has been a pioneer in bringing PCC into today's technology. We appreciate the intelligence and creativity she has brought to PCC. As Alison moves on to other endeavors, we are confident you join us in thanking her and wishing her well.

As we look to the future, we are committed to continuing to expand our support for you, the IGRC clergy and clergy family members. The feedback we are getting on the Clergy Assistance Program has been great. Our partnership with Chestnut Global Partners has been even better than expected. Many of you have already taken advantage of the many services offered and we are getting very positive words about how helpful they are. Our Coordinator, Shauna Summers, has appreciated her conversations with many of you as she gets to know our conference. Your feedback will continue to be important as she explores new ways of offering you support. Through the predictable and unexpected stresses of life and ministry, please know that you are not alone.

Kent King-Nobles
Chair of IGRC Pastoral Care & Counseling Board
A Note from Shauna on PCC's Transition

As PCC Coordinator I would like to thank Alison for where she has taken PCC's online presence with our website ClergyCare.net and the Facebook groups as well as our newsletter. Her vision for PCC visibility drove her work with us and we are grateful for the development of our outreach thus far and hope to use what she has created as a springboard to a broader reach within our Conference. PCC plans to move the newsletter to six times a year beginning this month. 

We plan to incorporate information from Chestnut (formerly in LifeNotes) into our six themed newsletters per year. In addition we will be working to increase familiarity within the Conference by encouraging participation in our Facebook groups (IGRC Pastoral Care and Counseling and Wholly Healthy) and perhaps some changes to our website. 

I truly enjoyed talking with many of you at Conference and am looking forward to meeting your needs as PCC develops from here. If you have any thoughts, questions, or concerns, please email me at [email protected].~Thank you for such a warm welcome at Conference, 

Shauna.

Pastoral Care and Counseling Coordinator

Counselor's Corner


 

As a helping profession, clergy give much of themselves to their calling and spouses and children do as well. In order to continue to be effective helpers, it is vital that we take the time and effort to care for ourselves, to renew ourselves. To tend our "mental garden" if you will. If left untended, gardens fill up with unintended yet unwanted weeds, our "mental gardens" are no different. Without intentional "weeding" trips we begin to collect biased perspectives that hinder our ability to shepard and care for the people we originally intended to support and lead.

"Sometimes, we need to remove the weeds from our lives to allow the beautiful blooms space to breathe and grow. The beauty of life can be lost amongst the 'weeds' of life.  Stress and negativity can sometimes take over and the beauty of life can get lost."

-Rev. Kimberly King from Roberts Park UMC (Indianapolis, IN)  

Covenant Groups 


PCC is looking to create a Covenant Group resource for clergy and clergy families in IGRC and we need your help!  

 

Are you part of a group that is accepting new members or do you have a group you'd like to advertise? Are you looking to join a group? Do you want to create a group, but aren't sure where to begin?

 

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we invite you to visit the new Covenant Group forum on our website. We hope this will become a resource to connect people throughout the conference while promoting the benefit of Covenant Groups for clergy and clergy families.

   

Check out our discussion thread for ways to connect!

Annual Conference Recap

 

Pastoral Care and Counseling was thrilled to introduce our new Coordinator, Shauna Summers who enjoyed connecting with clergy, their families, and lay representatives each day of the conference. 

 

In keeping with our mission to promote spiritual and emotional health, we held two drawings for a Bed and Breakfast getaway near Springfield, IL. We're pleased to announce our two winners, Lisa Renner (pictured at right with Shauna) and Victor Long. We wish them restful and joyful retreats!  

 

Thank you for stopping by our table, asking questions, picking up information, filling out our surveys (if you didn't get a chance, you can find it here!), and talking with us at conference, we enjoyed connecting with all of you! If you didn't get a chance to stop by our table, please check out our website. We are looking forward to increasing our presence in the year ahead!

  
Peace Be With You,
Pastoral Care and Counseling

 

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 pcc newsletter header 
In This Issue
A Note from the PCC Board
A Note from Shauna
Counselor's Corner
Covenant Groups
Annual Conference Recap
Contact Our Coordinator

Contact Our Coordinator
   

Email Shauna!

 Daily Dose of Humor

We've all been there, and there again, and there again.


New to Ministry?
   
Are you in the ordination process or new to the ministry?
  PCC is looking for ways we can support new pastors and those in the candidacy process.
  
If you have ideas on how we can be of help, let us know!
PK's & Clergy Spouses!
Part of the mission of PCC is to serve clergy and their families - that means you!
Connect on our facebook group and let us know how we can keep and touch and what you'd like to see from us in the future!
  
Upcoming Event?
   
Do you have an event or continuing education opportunity that is related to Pastoral Care and Counseling? We might be able to help!
  
Contact Shauna to find out we can help you with your next event.
 Looking for Covenant Groups?
Covenant groups serve to hold one another accountable, provide support and encouragement, and foster community among pastors.
  
Find one here:
or connect on our
and create your own!