“It’s good to be together,” is a sentiment shared across the annual conference as clergy and local church leaders come together for Regional Leadership Training days.
The Training Days offer the opportunity for clergy and laity to explore four key ministry areas together:
- Disciple-Making
- Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
- Leadership Development
- Fresh Starts and New Beginnings
Being together for learning and growth offers time to reset and reframe ministry.
Participants in the North West Ohio Regional Leadership Day (MWD/NWP), discovered new perspectives on what it means to be a disciple, and how we might better share ourselves as we share our faith stories with others. Rev. Dr. Timothy Bias helped participants consider our own practices of storytelling, both our own stories and how we connect them with the good news of God’s love. We reflected on our relationship with Christ and how Christ empowers us to share our faith with others outside our congregations.
Rev. Dernard Newell, West Ohio Conference Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, provided the keynote address at the South West Ohio Regional Leadership Day (MIV/ORV). We were encouraged to establish “cultures of belonging,” where we are connected to the people, place, and/or organizations for a special purpose. Workshops, then, explored various contexts and tools for encouraging belonging as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
During the Central Ohio Regional Leadership Day (CAN/CAS), Rev. Paul Perez invited leaders to recognize the differences between tactical and adaptive leadership challenges. Offering examples filled with grace and gumption, Perez encouraged leaders to see the importance of adaptive leadership in this season of ministry. Workshop presenters invited participants to explore their leadership through a variety of lenses.
Thank you to our presenters, participants, and host churches for coming together to grow as leaders and followers of Jesus.
Three of the four regional training days are complete. But, there’s still an opportunity for you to participate.
- Attend the final training day on March 18 in Athens or
- Sign-up to access recordings on the West Ohio Conference Learning Platform
The Learning Platform creates an opportunity for you to bring together a group of leaders from your church to explore, discuss, and apply the teachings in your local context.
The keynote presentations and select workshops from the first three training days are available now on the West Ohio Conference Learning Platform.
Written by Rev. Sara Thomas, Regional Missional Specialist