I offer workshops, retreats, and training in a variety of areas, especially around Racial Justice, Small Church, Evangelism, and Strategies for Conflict Resolution. For a long list of workshops I've offered, look here. All workshops and facilitation are fine-tuned to meet the needs of your specific group.
Congregational Companion
As your congregation's companion, I come in one or two times a year to help with discernment, long-range planning, and decision making. Unlike a workshop model, what we do together will be specific to your needs and will be both a retreat and a meeting. This is for small and micro-congregations who want to be vital and outwardly focused, and have strong lay leadership.
HELP WITH REALISTIC GOAL SETTING: Small churches can have a big impact, but they can't do everything. Choosing where to put in your effort, and prioritizing things your congregation does well is the key to avoiding burnout.
STRENGTHENING INTERNAL STRUCTURES AND RELATIONSHIPS: Formation is the key to congregational vitality. Individuals and congregations look inward to build their faith and their skills, as the foundation for outward work.
GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY: Figure out how you are known, and how you want to be known in your community. Find a right-sized mission project and make it happen.
Five Loaves: Workshops and Training
FIVE LOAVES, TWO FISH: Training for volunteers to run a welcoming food ministry and create church as you give away food. Built from what I learned visiting churches who do this ministry.
GO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE: Practical skills for meeting people in your community. Developed from my years as a street pastor and based in a theology of liberation.
MEETING THE COMMUNITY: For interim ministers and others hoping to connect their churches more closely to the immediate neighborhoods where they are located.
Racial Justice and Anti-Oppression Training
UCC, DOC and EPISCOPAL Anti-Racism Training: I am skilled in the training programs affiliated with the Southern New England Conference, UCC, and Seeing the Face of God in Each Other with The Episcopal Church, and through the Mission Institute engaging group discussions around race.
RETREATS and FACILITATION: Does your community need to talk to each other about racial justice or class-based oppression? I can help.
ACTIVE BYSTANDER TRAINING: I offer Quabbin Mediation's approach to interrupting interpersonal acts of oppression based on race, class, gender, etc., and bullying.
Church Vitality and Evangelism for Liberation
LONGING FOR BELONGING: How to think differently about evangelism, how to meet people in your community, let them lead you to new ministries, and create church with the people who come into your space.
SMALL CHURCH: Church vitality isn't dependent on average Sunday attendance. Find your mission, connect to your community, and make decisions for sustainability to survive as a small congregation.
PASTORAL CARE FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE: How to build a leadership team, find volunteers, avoid burn-out, and let a congregation be in charge of their own ministry.
Street Church and Ministries with People without Homes
SPIRITUAL COMPANIONING: How to provide spiritual care, listen closely, and accompany people on their journey. I also can adapt this to provide de-escalation Training for volunteers.
WHO IS IN CHARGE: How to develop a board, hire staff, and develop volunteers for your street church. How to figure out who should do what, and how to train people for their assigned tasks.
CONSULTING: I provide in-person or phone support for churches engaged in ministries with people who are homeless.
Non-Profit Boards and Leadership Teams
START-UP CHALLENGES: How to create a board, develop a mission, decide on staffing, and other start-up challenges.
TRANSITION CHALLENGES: New executive director? New staff? Moving from start-up to development phases? Interpersonal conflicts? I facilitate meetings between individuals and for teams to address how to grow into the next stage of your non-profit's life. Prepare for change, resistance to change, and prevent founder's syndrome.
RETREATS AND WORKSHOPS: Take time for you board or staff to get to know one another, and learn strategies for staying focused on your mission with a one day or weekend retreat designed to fit your organization's values.
Cohousing and Intentional Communities
COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Conflict resolution and community development.
FACILITATION: How to help people speak for themselves, communicate what they think and feel, and how to help communities use that information for decision making.
RETREATS AND WORKSHOPS: Take time for your community to share some learning, some deepening of relationships, and/or learn strategies for staying focused on your mission with a one day or weekend retreat designed to fit your community's values.