
This year our family did something new when it came to decorating for Christmas....
By: ECO Team
One of the things I love about our ordination process is that while it certainly is evaluative in nature, it is also very helpful for candidates to determine the type of call they may want to pursue. I know I have personally told several candidates that they are likely wired for, and should consider, a solo pastor position as their first call. This idea is often met with a little trepidation, but also confirmation, for what they may have been feeling inside but hadn’t articulated.
During the ordination process, we have had several assessors or Spiritual Formation Group leaders say, “We should do something like this for mid-career pastors to help them/us discern God’s calling for our next season of ministry”. In addition, when we hired an independent consulting group to study our ordination process, they made the same observation and suggestion.
Therefore, I am pleased to announce that we have received a matching grant from a highly interested funder that includes the development of a process for mid-career pastors we are calling Compass Retreats. You will hear a little more about the “matching” part of the grant later, but let me explain a bit of the process that we will be offering starting in the spring of 2024.
Compass Retreats will be offered for those who have been ordained for at least 5 years. They will certainly be different in that they aren’t an evaluative process like ordination, but some elements will remain similar.
Compass Retreats will be COMPLETELY FREE for pastors to attend. Pastors will simply need to pay for travel to the two day retreat that will be held at the Dallas office. Hotels, meals, instruments, and so on are included in the grant. Kaitlyn Wood, our new Director of Church Health, will be the one overseeing this process.
I am very excited for what is to come! It is wonderful that we have received confirmation from the consulting organization we work with and the donor who supports us that this is a process that is worth the investment of time and money for the future of our movement. Keep an eye out for more information and begin praying if this might be something you or a pastor you are connected with would like to participate in! We can’t wait to see how God continues to transform our leaders and churches for His glory and the furthering of his Kingdom.
In Christ,
Dana
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