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 Presbytery Pastoral Care Network (PPCN) is a 501(c)3 non-profit providing professional development, support, and resources for those caring for ministers throughout the Presbyterian Church (USA).
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For discounts, use these links when making reservations:
DFW / DAL Airports to Hotel
code: ELTWT
Conference Hotel
code: PPC
Looking for a roommate to share hotel costs? Let us know ASAP and we'll share your name with others looking for a roommate.
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PPCN Board
Dan Corll, President Email
Pittsburgh Presbytery
Stanley Jewell, Vice President
Presbytery of Denver
Barbara Cathey, Secretary
Chicago Presbytery
Gary Weaver, Treasurer Email
Presbytery of Pueblo
Steve McCutchan,
Salem Presbytery
Susan Holderness
Western Reserve Presbytery
Ann Lange
White Water Valley Presbytery
Jim Splitt
Central Nebraska Presbytery
Denominational Advisors:
SanDawna Ashley
Mid Council Ministries, Office of the
General Assembly PC(USA)
Helen Locklear
Board of Pensions, PC(USA)
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Renew your PPCN membership today!
Individual membership $45
Institutional membership $200
More info
2014 membership brochure
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A note from the Board
Thank you for supporting Presbytery Pastoral Care Network in its work to provide resources for those caring for ministers in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Our work is made possible through the purchase of Memberships, attendance at Conferences, and through individual financial support.
Your tax deductible contribution may be mailed to:Presbytery Pastoral Care Network Rev. Gary Weaver, Treasurer 396 W. Archer Dr. Pueblo West, CO 81007
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The PPCN conference next month is on clergy isolation - something we all experience from time to time. The Board has worked diligently to provide an excellent conference while keeping costs low. There's still time to register - I do hope you will join us. Read below for more details.
Don't forget to renew your PPCN membership for 2014, and save on your conference registration!
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Sincerely, Rev. Dr. Dan Corll
President, Presbytery Pastoral Care Network |
Presbytery Pastoral Care Network
15th Annual Gathering | October 27-30
First Presbyterian Church | Fort Worth, Texas
presented in collaboration with
Synod of the Sun
REDISCOVERING THE BELOVED COMMUNITY
OVERCOMING ISOLATION
Attend this conference if you....
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care about the health of the church and believe that the healthier clergy are, the healthier our churches will be;
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understand that to be in ministry in our anxious age is an almost overwhelming challenge;
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have read study after study across denominations discovering that the health of clergy is worse than the average population;
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know that even the best of clergy can experience loneliness and isolation, recognizing that when a pastor does get into trouble, a contributing factor is the isolation of the pastor from others who can help him or her process what is happening;
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believe that God has called clergy to ministry and want to help other colleagues respond to that call in full faithfulness.
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...and you want to.....
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take a concrete step on behalf of a healthier church;
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join with other colleagues across the nation who share your care and concern;
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explore the faith dimensions of this crisis among our clergy;
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be introduced to some new strategies in support of the clergy;
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be introduced to some new resources that may be of use to your presbytery.
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Join with t he Synod of the Sun in exploring how we can nurture health in our beloved church. To attend a conference is an investment of time and money. We at the Presbytery Pastoral Care Network plan to offer a rich return on your investment.
We invite you to download the brochure descri bing this conference and decide whether this might be one of the wise investments of your time on behalf of your presbytery and your colleagues in ministry.
Register now and join your colleagues in
strengthening our beloved community.
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Unhealthy Church or Healthy Church?
by Steve McCutchan
IMAGE OF AN UNHEALTHY CHURCH
We live in an anxious age and the church is tempted to reflect that anxiety as drawn from the society around us. Brene' Brown, in a recent TED talk on vulnerability, describes three societal responses to anxiety that seem also to be reflected in our churches.
Anxiety is a response to what William Butler Yeats spoke of in his poem The Second Coming: "Things fall apart, the center does not hold." A society creates institutions to order and provide rationality to our society. Consider all the institutions in our society that have failed us-government, military, banks, churches, educational institutions, insurance companies, health facilities, etc. When we lose trust in our societal institutions, our sense of security dims and we begin to feel helpless to protect ourselves in our community.
When people are anxious and fearful, they seek to numb those fears as a strategy for survival.
In order to numb the fears generated by a sense of vulnerability, unhealthy churches tend to:
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Demand certainty in the face of uncertainty. We don't want ambiguous answers to our questions but clear proclamation of definite answers. Give me the three ways to heaven, the 4 habits that will provide a perfect marriage, or the 7 steps to prosperity. Be concrete and avoid complexity and ambiguity.
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Want perfection in the face of an imperfect world. Churches should be perfect, clergy should be perfect, community should be perfect. If something goes wrong, it is clear that someone should be fired.
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Pretend that what we do does not impact others. As we debate decisions, we do not want someone to ask us to consider how such actions impact the more vulnerable of our society. We do not want someone to tell us that our budget decisions or where we build our building testifies to our faith. Since we have the truth, others need to adjust, not the reverse.
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IMAGE OF HEALTHY CHURCH
Contrast the above with the characteristics of a healthy church following Brown's research. Healthy churches believe that they are made worthy not by what they do but by God's grace. Therefore by God's grace, they are worthy.
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They have the courage to be imperfect. They tell an honest story of a people who are willing to "live the question" without having all the answers. Like Abraham and Sarah, they are on a journey without knowing the final destination but trusting in the God who leads them.
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They are not defensive about their faults but are willing to explore them honestly so that they might grow from them towards a maturity in Christ. They know the biblical story of how God chooses to work through imperfect people - Abraham, David, the Disciples, Saul, and believe God can work through them.
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Their practices emphasize a blending of gratitude and joy, They are grateful to having been invited on the journey. Doubt and questions are simply the boundaries on the edge of growth.
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They trust that being vulnerable to both others and God is the birthplace of creativity, compassion, joy, belonging, and love. Therefore they are not afraid to fail. They dare to let God use their sometimes-limited gifts for great things in the world God loves.
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They believe in and practice connectivity. Faith well lived is lived in community among imperfect people who choose to practice their hope in community. After all the doctrinal debates, they know that it boils down to relationships as Jesus declared in the Great Commandment.
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Before the Beginning
The pastor search committee has completed its assignment. They have met countless times, read 15 to  100 resumes, done phone or skype interviews with the most promising candidates, then visited a few and invited the top candidates. From the final three or four, they make their choice, make an offer, negotiate details, find their candidate acceptable by presbytery, and prepare their presentation for the congregation. At the congregational meeting they share a narrative of the process they have been through, provide an information package on their choice for the new pastor, answer questions, and take a vote. With a successful vote you call the now newly elected pastor and negotiate the various details of the move and the time when s/he will officially begin as your new pastor.
Now you wait, full of expectations and not a little nervous about how it will all turn out. It's like dating, courting, becoming engaged, and having the wedding ceremony. Along with the myriad of unarticulated expectations comes also some anxiety. Have we made the right decision? How will the future of our relationship turn out? Before the pastor arrives, the session has the opportunity to engage the congregation in preparing for the new pastor. Invite as many people as you can to a congregational meal. - Share with them...
- the picture of the congregation that was shared with the pastor;
- the committee's decision making process about how they came to their decision;
- all appropriate information about the pastor and his or her family if there is one. Remind them of the time line for moving into the community and assuming responsibility as a pastor.
- Ask each of them to take a piece of paper and write five statements: "What do you hope the new pastor will be able to say about the congregation five years from now?"
- Have them share with each other in small groups and select one or two of the statements to share with the whole group. Come up with a list of at least ten top statements about what they hope the pastor will be able to say about the congregation after being with them for five years.
- Now invite the group to write five more statements about how the congregation needs to behave if their original expectations are to become a reality.
- After these statements have been shared, ask each person to privately write at least one statement about what he or she needs to do to contribute to this new beginning.
- Lift it all up to God in prayer.
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Three books to be introduced at the conference
These 3 new books will be available at Amazon following the conference but will be introduced as new resources for the support of clergy at the 15th annual PPCN conference at Fort Worth, TX.
A COMPANY OF PASTORS: OVERCOMING ISOLATION
This book offers a fresh resource for clergy support groups. Building on judicatory efforts to counter the problem of isolation and loneliness in ministry, the author describes how the use of stories about clergy can provide a basis for clergy to explore in support groups some of the signal issues experienced in ministry. The design offers a 20 meeting framework for building what John Calvin called "A Company of Pastors."
GOD LAUGHS-WHY DON'T YOU?: MAKING USE OF HUMOR IN THE PRACTICE OF MINISTRY
This b ook provides strategies and techniques of humor to be applied to the practice of ministry. The author demonstrates how comedy can lessen tension, bridge differences, and strengthen relationships in the church. With a variety of examples, the book shows how humor can be utilized in sermons, liturgies, counseling, funerals, and other dimensions of ministry. It also provides a "Pastor's Survival Notebook " that offers several techniques of comedy that a pastor can us e to personally address the stresses of ministry.
AN INTERIM PASTOR'S GIFT
This book introduces the idea that an interim is in an ideal position to advocate for good health strategies for the next pastor. The author offers exercises and directions on how to raise the congregation's awareness and specific steps the congregation can take to shape a healthy relationship with their new pastor.
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Resources available through PPCN
Webinar: Teaming With Your Clergy, a resource webinar offering a plan to strengthen the healthy nurture of the teamwork between session and pastor. Co-sponsored by the Presbytery Pastoral Care Network and the Presbyterian Outlook. (fee /inquire about bulk discounts) Email | Ph. 800/446-6008 Ext. 758
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Deep Well for the Pastor
CD with spiritual meditations and music to support the pastoral vocation. Price $10
(limited supply)
Contact Steve McCutchan
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Laughter from the Well
CD with 70 minutes of humorous & musical reflections on the challenges of ministry.
Price $9.99
Order
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The Toolbox
Paper with strategies bringing a healthier perspective to the work of ministry. Free.
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