Institute for Clergy & Congregational Renewal

The Institute's original 18-month TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP PROJECT (TLP) is drawing to a close, with individual retreats and workshops being held for each participating congregation.

Some of "the best" of the TLP experiences are now being offered for small groups, staffs, congregations, and individuals.


1) Prayer Retreats and Classes - Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Praying with the Labyrinth, Gospel Meditation, the Examen.
Facilitated by Maria L. Thompson, M.A.T.S., Spiritual Director

2) Healthy Systems in Ministry. An introduction to Family Systems Theory as it applies to ministry practices and the organizational life of the church and its leaders. Learn to "think systems" and lead more effectively.
Facilitated by Julie M. Josund, DMin. Thesis: Sustaining Pastoral Excellence; Improving Human Functioning in Ministry via Bowen Family Systems Theory.

3) Adaptive Leadership: Leadership and Spiritual Formation. Adaptive leadership is a practice of leading that stresses open processes, seeing and listening, vulnerability and courage, and the individual and communal practicing of radical truth. In Jesus the Christ, it is a form of leadership that can be seen, and it is a form of leadership that many Christians long to practice today. This retreat is designed to help participants' view their individual and communal faith lives through an adaptive leadership lens and to cultivate daily spiritual practices that support living and leading adaptively.
Facilitated by Vic Okerlund, M.A.I.R. and Maria Thompson, M.A.T.S.

4) Church Leadership for a Just Global Society. Leading any institution in a time of American opulence is a moral challenge and leading a church today in America has deeper challenges still. This full day session will ground participants in the social gospel and will point the way towards responsible global discipleship in a time of American privilege and power.
Facilitated by Dr. Bill Grace

The Healthy Congregations program is also available through the Insitute.

The Healthy Congregations program is composed of six, six-hour workshops. Each is designed to help church leaders become effective stewards of their congregations. The goal of the workshops is to encourage and challenge key leaders in any congregation so that they become the experts on maintaining and improving congregational health.

The series uses vignettes, case studies, workbooks, conversation, current research and experience in congregational life as a basis for learning that is interactive and thoughtful.

The Workshops

Workshop 1: Creating Healthy Congregations

Workshop 2: Healthy Congregations Respond to Anxiety and Change

Workshop 3: Leadership in Healthy Congregations

Workshop 4: Relationships in Healthy Congregations

Workshop 5: Healthy Congregations Develop Generous People

Workshop 6: The Spiritual Life of Healthy Congregations

Workshops are taught by qualified and professionally trained Healthy Congregations facilitators. They are designed to be flexible, with a variety of time segments that can be combined and changed to meet the needs of diverse congregations and participants.

Fees: $500.00 for six-hour workshop. Mileage and lodging as necessary.

Facilitator Training is also available.