Step out of the box and Become a Church leader

Need some encouragement? Training?
Come to the
Harrisonburg District Training
(this training follows our District Conference)

Asbury United Methodist Church, Harrisonburg
Sunday, November 15, 2009
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Open to all church members who have an interest in building up the Kingdom of God

Bound for the Promised Land led by Marc Brown, Virginia Conference Director of Connectional Ministries. This workshop will help us understand how the story of the spies in the Promised Land in Numbers 13 and 14 are an analogy of today’s church. Marc will lead us to understand that interpreting congregational reality and goal setting will help the local church overcome the giants that are facing its ministry.

Training for S/PPRC Members This workshop will be led by Beth Downs, Virginia Conference Director of Ministerial Services. People attending this workshop will get an overview of the responsibilities of the Staff/Pastor Parish Committee, the specific role of the chairperson, characteristics of effective S/PPRC, how to develop a good working relationship with clergy and church staff, a model for the annual evaluation of clergy and church staff, a model of discussion prior to completing the “appointment preference form”. Resources available for clergy and S/PPRC for feedback, support and development.

Integrating Mission and Outreach into the Full life of your congregation This workshop will be led by Denise Honeycutt, Virginia Conference Director of Mission. Mission is not the call of only a small group or committee in the church, it is the call of ALL Christians. In this workshop we will examine ways in which mission can be integrated into all areas of the church including worship, administrative council, trustees, finance, Sunday school, etc. Practical tools and resources will be shared.

Build it and they will come: Evangelism Through Accessibility This workshop will be led by Martha Stokes, the Virginia Conference Director of Leadership and Inclusively. Do your church building and ministries create barriers that prevent all people from being a part of the Body of Christ to the fullest extent possible? Two decades after the sweeping Americans with Disabilities Act threw open the doors of workplaces, schools and other institutions to people with disabilities, disability activists say that religious entities have been less responsive because they are exempt form most of the act’s requirements. This session will include a basic look at areas of disability, accessibility of facilities, assessment of church needs, program design, and information about Commission on Disability grants for building modifications and new programs.

Evangelism – Beyond the Church Walls This workshop will be led by Anna Gail Workman, Virginia Conference Director of Congregational Development. This is a workshop to challenge local churches to reach into their communities in order to share the gospel . . . not just to build up membership. We will explore how to learn who is in the community around the church and look at examples of outreach ministries tied to the needs of the community.

Before a Disaster Happens This workshop will be led by Bill Lalla, Harrisonburg’s Disaster Planning Coordinator. This will cover: Disaster Preparation and responsibilities of the local church in the event of a disaster. A primary focus will be to explain how each church can develop it’s own personalized disaster plan. How to contact members, especially if the phones or power are out, How will you assist yourself and congregation should evacuation be necessary, How will you secure back up church records, How can your church be a “Mission station”, How will you partner with neighboring churches, Do you know the list of emergency items to request before and following a disaster? Are you really prepared for the next disaster? The target audience would be pastors, local church disaster coordinators and all interested church members.