The Leader Formation webinar series continues on April 27 (7 – 8:30 p.m. Eastern), with a conversation for ruling elders and deacons about care ministry within congregations.
Register here for the free webinar by April 19.
Leader Formation organizer and Ruling Elder Martha Miller will host the event, with featured guests the Revs. Rachel Achtemeier Rhodes and Matt Rhodes.
Rachel serves as senior pastor of Morrisville Presbyterian Church outside Philadelphia, and Matt has taught chaplains in Princeton as a Clinical Pastoral Educator with Penn Medicine Princeton Health. Together they will lead a conversation about what the Leader Formation registration page calls “the theoretical and practical realities of caring for one another in the church.”
Read the full webinar description at the Leader Formation page, including its invitation to ruling elders and deacons who are “seeking a more vibrant ministry of pastoral care that does not solely rely on the pastor … Join us as we explore the care of souls in a congregational context and the role that ruling elders and deacons play in that important work.”
The webinar will be available in several languages, with interpretation based on requests by the registration deadline of April 19. The event is funded through national church per capita dollars. Advanced registration is not necessary to access the recording in English after the live webinar.
“One of things we’ve heard from ruling elders and deacons is that they want more resources about how to provide care ministry,” Miller said, noting that approaches to care, like all ministries, need to be tailored to specific communities and locations.
Miller said the two presenters have “unique ministry settings” that each will focus on during the webinar.
“We’ll devote the last half hour to questions and answers from those participating, so ruling elders and deacons can ask questions about specific care roles,” Miller said. She encouraged ruling elders and deacons who are not able to attend the live webinar to email her directly with any questions about Leader Formation programming.
Leader Formation webinars are presented by Mid Council Ministries in the Office of the General Assembly, with the goal of providing information and inspiration for ruling elders and deacons in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Miller also hosts “Along the Road: Nourish” podcast episodes, which are also recorded with deacons and ruling elders in mind.
Access past Leader Formation webinar recordings here, including sessions on evangelism, inclusion, worship roles and parliamentary procedure.
Click here by April 19 to register for “Reclaiming Our Calling: Deacons & Ruling Elders and the Care of Souls.”