Weathering the Blizzard of Ministry
An Opportunity for Learning
There was a time when farmers on the Great Plain, at the first sign of a blizzard, would run a rope from the back door out to the barn. They all knew stories of people who had wandered off and been frozen to death, having lost sight of home in a whiteout while still in their own backyards. —Parker J. Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness
Over the last two years I have listened to Sustaining Pastoral Excellence project leaders describe the clergy and congregational leaders they are attempting to serve. Mixed in with a deep respect and honor of the men and women who serve in congregations and communities, I have heard over and over again words like “isolated,” “lonely,” “overwhelmed,” and “overworked.” In many ways, it is as if our participants are lost in a blizzard of expectation and projection, and we find ourselves trying to provide a rope that will lead back to calling, covenant and a home in God.
Through your work you have named the practices that create a shelter in the stormy blast of ministry: a deep sense of identity and integrity, friendship with peers, safe places for conversation and confession, a disciplined mind, body and spirit, and a lifelong love affair with God. Frequently I hear that you are eager to learn what others are learning so that you can improve your own practice and your programs. Last year, Lilly Endowment made a grant to the Center for Courage and Renewal to offer its groundbreaking “circles of trust” model to clergy and congregational leaders. You now have the chance to participate in one of these circles through CCR's Courage to Lead , a program that will assist you (or the participants in your program) in continuing to discover ways to find shelter during the blizzards of life and ministry.
Based on the work of Parker Palmer and described in his latest book A Hidden Wholeness, Courage to Lead builds on ten years of success in working with educators across the country. A retreat-based, small group model of formation, Courage to Lead is committed to creating open, disciplined spaces where participants can discover again the deep connection between role and soul. Through a variety of experiences, participants are invited to listen for their own inner wisdom, to create a community of mutual respect and to reconnect professional identity and personal integrity.
Courage to Lead retreats will be offered in four locations across the country in the coming months. You could attend an introductory retreat or a seasonal series of five retreats. Retreats will be offered in California, Texas, Michigan and North Carolina. Russ Moxley, one of the SPE facilitators, and I have the privilege to work with Courage to Lead and have seen wonderful transformations in the lives of pastors through this work.
You can learn more about this project and about the retreats by visiting www.couragerenewal.org (follow the programs & courses link) or by calling the Center for Courage and Renewal at 206-855-9140. You can also, of course, be in touch with me. I would be delighted to talk with you about this good work and how it compares to what you are already doing.
There have been times in the last two years where I have seen project leaders sparkle with deep knowing that they have made a difference on this journey toward excellence. And, there have been moments where I have seen leaders fidget with the wonder of whether what we do is enough. There have been moments when it seemed that we too might get lost in the blizzard of program management, institutional expectations and the sheer storm of details that comes with doing something new. Courage to Lead is one place where I am certain you can find strength and peace in the midst of the storm!
Janice A. Virtue is Associate Dean for Continuing Education and Strategic Planning at Duke Divinity School and a member of the SPE Coordination Team
