SPRING RECAP: A TRIO OF BIG EVENTS!
It’s been a busy month in the district, with three special events taking place in the span of a few weeks.
Greg Davidson Laszakovits, a Church of the Brethren pastor who also runs a consulting and coaching business, was keynote speaker for two of those events: the spring clergy retreat held April 19-20 at the Bishop Lane Retreat Center in Rockford, and the biennial district Potluck Experience, held April 22 at Dixon.
At the clergy retreat, Greg provided a variety of exercises, tools, and resources to help pastors and others think about how we carry the church forward in rapidly changing times with “strategies for leading positive organizational change.” Using a tool called “Lawson’s Architecture” and other ideas, pastors were encouraged to think about where their congregation should be in the coming years and how to get there successfully. He noted that the process can also lead us through places that are uncomfortable, and emphasized the pastor’s role as shepherd with its various dimensions. A total of 19 people attended this year’s retreat.
The Potluck Experience presentation continued some of these themes, drawing participants into considering how we both honor an important past with its heritage and traditions while also re-imagining what the future of the church can look like. In addition to a keynote session, Greg led a workshop to follow up and look at church trends, some of them surprising.
Other “equipping session” workshops included reaching kids in the community, led by Lisa Fike (Woodland), designing creative and meaningful worship centers, led by Sharon Rice and Phyllis Stowe (York Center), and the 75th anniversary of Brethren Volunteer Service, led by Chelsea Goss Skillen (Highland Avenue). About 60 people attended the event, which also featured its namesake table-full of food for a delicious potluck lunch. Moderator Phyllis Batterton (Woodland) and moderator-elect Christy Waltersdorff (York Center) led an opening worship on this year’s “Encourage One Another” theme, with several people sharing stories of encouragement.
Then, on April 29, noted speaker and author Drew Hart came to the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin for an event organized by the denomination’s Discipleship Ministries office. Hart, a member of Harrisburg (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren, talked about moving “from statement to action,” looking at the value and challenges of the various statements that church groups craft, and the need to move from words to action in meaningful ways.
Thank you to everyone who was part of planning and supporting and attending these events! We are especially grateful to the denomination’s Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church program for providing a $5,000 grant to cover Greg’s expenses and allow us to offer the clergy retreat at no charge to participants this year. See below for other exciting events coming up in the district and denomination, and watch for future updates!
Greg Davidson Laszakovits, a Church of the Brethren pastor who also runs a consulting and coaching business, was keynote speaker for two of those events: the spring clergy retreat held April 19-20 at the Bishop Lane Retreat Center in Rockford, and the biennial district Potluck Experience, held April 22 at Dixon.
At the clergy retreat, Greg provided a variety of exercises, tools, and resources to help pastors and others think about how we carry the church forward in rapidly changing times with “strategies for leading positive organizational change.” Using a tool called “Lawson’s Architecture” and other ideas, pastors were encouraged to think about where their congregation should be in the coming years and how to get there successfully. He noted that the process can also lead us through places that are uncomfortable, and emphasized the pastor’s role as shepherd with its various dimensions. A total of 19 people attended this year’s retreat.
The Potluck Experience presentation continued some of these themes, drawing participants into considering how we both honor an important past with its heritage and traditions while also re-imagining what the future of the church can look like. In addition to a keynote session, Greg led a workshop to follow up and look at church trends, some of them surprising.
Other “equipping session” workshops included reaching kids in the community, led by Lisa Fike (Woodland), designing creative and meaningful worship centers, led by Sharon Rice and Phyllis Stowe (York Center), and the 75th anniversary of Brethren Volunteer Service, led by Chelsea Goss Skillen (Highland Avenue). About 60 people attended the event, which also featured its namesake table-full of food for a delicious potluck lunch. Moderator Phyllis Batterton (Woodland) and moderator-elect Christy Waltersdorff (York Center) led an opening worship on this year’s “Encourage One Another” theme, with several people sharing stories of encouragement.
Then, on April 29, noted speaker and author Drew Hart came to the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin for an event organized by the denomination’s Discipleship Ministries office. Hart, a member of Harrisburg (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren, talked about moving “from statement to action,” looking at the value and challenges of the various statements that church groups craft, and the need to move from words to action in meaningful ways.
Thank you to everyone who was part of planning and supporting and attending these events! We are especially grateful to the denomination’s Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church program for providing a $5,000 grant to cover Greg’s expenses and allow us to offer the clergy retreat at no charge to participants this year. See below for other exciting events coming up in the district and denomination, and watch for future updates!
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