Workshops

Your congregation’s ability to have healthy conversations impacts everything you do - programming, volunteer engagement, visitor welcome experience, outreach, community involvement, the list goes on and on. Culturally though, we live in an age of polarization and distraction, and the biggest casualty is face-to-face communication. Research tells us that Americans of all ages have never felt lonelier or more frustrated. But science also offers a solution: conversation.

Join writer, speaker and podcaster Mike McHargue as he presents what the latest research reveals about healthy, productive conversations. In doing so, you will learn how to facilitate intimacy, resolve conflict, and help others find a sense of belonging.

By the end of this live online event you will:

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This on-demand series focuses on learning gleaned from Indiana congregations by the Center for Congregations in 2015-2016. Tim Shapiro, president of the Center for Congregations, shares the six principles distilled from the Center's experiences with Indiana congregational youth ministries.

Course Elements

 8 topical videos from 3 - 5 minutes each  Group reflection worksheet  Resource Guide for further study on youth ministry

Take the Course

 Estimated total time required: 1 hour  Course is free  Create an account with your email only (no password required)  Take at your own pace; stop and return when it's convenient  Keep this email to return to the course or bookmark the link

Technology Requirements

 Best accessed on a laptop or desktop computer

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We all encounter those who are grieving, whether they are part of our congregation or our community. Grief is challenging, because we often don’t feel equipped to support those in the midst of it. You're invited to join counselor, coach and consultant Jane Munk as she educates and encourages deeper practices of supporting the grieving in your communities.

Supporting someone who is grieving requires a certain “presence.” Grief is a time when a person needs the strength and support of community more than ever. Remembrance Gatherings create a safe space for you and your community to pour into the one who is grieving. These gatherings embody the old proverb - “Grief shared is grief halved.”

You will journey through a Remembrance Gathering during this workshop and ask… more

This on-demand course explores Engaging Young Adults, a special report of the 2015 American Congregations study of Faith Communities Today (FACT).

Wendy McCormick of the Center for Congregations interviews the report’s author, Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, about the research and what congregations can learn and apply from the findings.

Course Elements

 6 topical videos from 5 - 8 minutes each  Group reflection worksheet  Recommendations for additional information

Take the Course

 Estimated total time required: 1 hour  Course is free  Create an account with your email only (no password required)  Take at your own pace; stop and return when it's convenient  Keep this email to return to the course or bookmark the link

Technology Requirements

 Best… more

No matter the size of your congregation you see first-time guests each year. While some guests choose not to return because they simply aren’t ready to enter into congregational life, others don’t return because of their visitor experience. It’s easy to overlook how people new to your congregation are welcomed and provided with information. But when this process is forgotten, so are the very people you serve. Knowing the difference between what welcomes and what overwhelms is important if you want your visitors to come back again.

In this workshop, you will learn about guest perspectives, and what it means to truly open the doors of your congregation and welcome people. Case studies, best practices in hospitality, and intentionality about reaching new people and connecting with… more

This on-demand course focuses on the 2015-2016 Center for Congregations investigation of Indiana congregations engaging young adults. Center staff member Wendy McCormick coordinated the project, which included interviews with leaders of young adult ministries around the state and a gathering of leaders from about 20 congregations effectively engaging young adults.

Course Elements

 6 topical videos from 3 - 6 minutes each  Group reflection worksheet  Center for Congregations article on young adult engagement

Take the Course

 Estimated total time required: 1 hour  Course is free  Create an account with your email only (no password required)  Take at your own pace; stop and return when it's convenient  Keep this email to return to the course or bookmark the link… more

With the rapid pace of cultural and social change, “we’ve always done it this way before” is likely not as effective for you as it used to be. The new challenges you’re facing don’t fit the road maps you used to rely on. Even your education and past experience may have little to say about your current realities.

The challenges you’re facing can be overcome. You need a willingness to see these challenges as opportunities and a desire to grow in your capacity to lead adaptively. Join leadership expert Dr. Aleze Fulbright as she challenges you to let go of the past, keep the faith in challenging times and learn to gain the trust of others in order to move your congregation forward.

“If you’re going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and… more