On March 30, Archbishop Foley Beach appointed the American Anglican Council as a Provincial “communications hub…to collect, create and curate resources from around the Church to help all of our congregations through this time.” I am writing to follow up that announcement with what the AAC has done to meet the needs of your congregations and clergy.
Our COVID-19 Resource page
You can link to our COVID19 Resource Center here: https://americananglican.org/covid19/ . You will find here an encyclopedia of current resources for leaders at every level of the church that will help all to stay missionally focus and healthy during these anxious times. Here are the categories you can explore:
- For the local congregation: Mission and Outreach, Church health and Revitalization, tools for online worship & prayer initiatives
- For clergy: Pastoral care resources, Clergy health and wellness, and “tools and tech”
- For legal and financial questions: Legal commentary and recommended financial resources
- Recommended online sites: including other COVID19 news
We are constantly collecting, creating, curating and updating these resources from Anglican leaders, churches and ministries all across the Province. May I encourage you to invite your leaders to sign up for these weekly updates at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/W2rR2fl
Two Upcoming Webinars:
Giving & Your Congregation in the COVID-19 Season Tuesday April 21 4:00-5:00pm ET
As clergy and church leaders, you have a lot on your plate during this season—figuring out a short-term temporary normal, and wondering what a “new normal” might look like a few months down the road. Though you might not consider yourself a “Fundraiser,” this webinar will help you think through how to steward and engage with your members around tithes and offerings, and also how to communicate financial needs over the next few months. As you sign up, we would love to hear your questions and will try to address some during the webinar. Speakers: Brad Layland and Ame Eldredge, The Focus Group
To register for this opportunity, visit the webinar link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1581926059153324301
Clarity in Crisis: Getting a ‘God’s Eye View’ on Letting Go, Listening Well, and Leading Forward. Wed Apr 29 4:00-5:00pm ET
“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16 (ESV)
In this webinar we offer you a conversation with fellow pastors about this season of pandemic. In our hour together, we will remind you of the oft repeated three-fold biblical pattern of upheaval, wilderness and renewal. And we will consider what God seems to be saying to us in this moment about our lives, our people and his mission. Facilitators: Revs. Geoff Chapman, Ron McCrary, Mark Eldredge and Phil Ashey.
You can read a write up of this conference, with registration info here: https://americananglican.org/aac-toolbox/covid19/clarity-in-crisis/
You can register directly at this link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpcuuspjstGNJ5Vfqt5lbQSQ2q-H7VYnA7
LEADERSHIP RESOURCES: “The simplicity beyond the complexity”
On March 27 I sent a password protected video to you following up our conversations in Melbourne FL Jan 2020 about concerns for clergy health and wellness—especially in light of several high profile cases of leadership failure. During the video I mentioned a quote from Ruth Haley Barton’s Strengthening the Soul of your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry (IVP 2018). Moses’ simple pattern of leadership in the face of incredible challenges—seeking God out routinely and in crucible moments, and then carrying out what God revealed to him there—is the “simplicity beyond the complexity” of leadership.
Since 2011, this oft repeated Biblical pattern has been at the heart of our AAC Clergy Leadership Institutes. You can find a description of them here: https://americananglican.org/programs/clti/ They are offered by life and ministry stages:
- For ordinands and clergy in first five years of ministry: “Laying Foundations” for spiritual health, family and ministry
- For all clergy in 5+ years of ministry: “Cultivating your Leadership” with a focus on “heart,” character and relationships
- For all clergy facing endings and transitions: “Transitioning your Leadership”—finishing well & preparing for the next season
We offer all of these online as needed. **Transitioning your Leadership/Finishing Well** offered online May 5 9am-4pm CT and May 6 9am-12n CT. Led by Rev’s Geoff Chapman, Mark Eldredge and Phil Ashey. Cost: $150 per participant. Register at https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07eh1fpt1x3ff17008&oseq=&c=&ch=
Each CLTI provides an opportunity to join a Clergy Covenant Care group: A weekly online covenant care group of 3-6 clergy who receive fellowship, prayer, and encouragement from one another. We orient and launch each group, and train a facilitator as well.
Coaching: Canon Mark Eldredge is available to speak with you about how we can help provide coaching for clergy facing issues of leadership, church revitalization and conflict—and at a reasonable cost. Please feel free to contact him directly at meldredge@americananglican.org .
We are here to serve you! Thank you for taking the time to review these resources.
