Parish Leadership Conference - February 20

If you have ever considered running for vestry, volunteering to head up a project, serving as a delegate to diocesan convention or serving in any other leadership capacity, you will want to attend the Parish Leadership Conference February 20 at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 5001 Crestline Road, Fort Worth.

Keynoter Doug Travis, dean and president of The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, will speak on "Hanamel's Field: Heart and Hope for Leaders in a Difficult Time." Hanamel's Field is a reference to Jeremiah 32, in which we're told that even when things are at their bleakest, God has a plan for our future ‒ a future in which we can hope.

Workshops will be on "Values, Mission and Vision;" "The Good Shepherd Tomball story (a tale of rebuilding a church after crisis);" "Newcomer Ministry;" and "Meeting Smarter." Some workshops will focus on what new vestry members need to know while others will be helpful for those who have been in leadership positions a little longer and would like to improve operational efficacy.

Registration fee for the conference is $20 per person, or $15 if you register by Feb. 1. This covers a continental breakfast, a boxed lunch and conference materials.

You can download a copy of the registration form here. Cash or a check made out to All Saints' can be mailed to All Saints' at 5001 Crestline Road, Fort Worth, TX 76107 or brought to the church. There will be space available for walk-ups as well.

Check in and breakfast will begin at 8:00 a.m. Opening remarks begin at 9:00 a.m. The day will end after a commissioning service by Bishop C. Wallis Ohl at 3:20 p.m.

Keynote Speaker
Sixth-generation Texan and a fourth-generation clergyman, the Very Rev. Douglas Travis serves as the new dean and president of The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. Travis holds five academic degrees yet bridges the gap between academia and congregational leadership, having served as rector of four parishes in Texas. He has a particular focus on Christian formation, spirituality and leadership. He describes himself as a moderate who is deeply committed to the unity of the Anglican Communion.

Freshman track classes:

Roles & Responsibilities
Bob Schorr

The specific role you play as a member of the vestry or bishop’s committee will depend on the size, organization and culture of your parish. But there are key concepts and understandings that apply in most congregations. This workshop highlights guidelines, concepts, opportunities and pitfalls of service in elected lay leadership.

Bob Schorr is president of Twenty-First Insight Strategic Consultants. Founded in 2001, the firm specializes in visioning, strategic planning, team building, leadership development, organizational design and development, and facilitation. Twenty-First Insight serves clients in the corporate, non-profit, and small business sectors, with a particular focus with churches and other religious institutions. Beginning March 1, the majority of Bob’s practice will be a retained consultancy as the coordinator for congregational development for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Prior to founding Twenty-First Insight Bob was a vice president with Enron Corp. In his 22½ years with the firm, he served in a variety of management positions including media and investor relations, strategic planning, project development, marketing, sales, customer relationship management, communications, advertising, corporate identity, merger integration, joint venture management, organizational development, and executive coaching. Bob majored in political science at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Leadership
Mary MacGregor

Serving on a church vestry/bishop's committee is a unique challenge. It requires being grounded as a Christian leader, fostering healthy relationships with clergy, and understanding sound leadership practices. This workshop will promote understanding of this ministry's uniqueness and the leadership skills and practices that will advance quality work in a congregational setting.

Mary M. MacGregor is director of leadership development for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. In this position she oversees the Iona Center which has the mission of “training the baptized for leadership”. This center without walls creatively develops clergy, lay and congregational leaders. In addition, Mary is the director of the Iona School for Ministry which provides the formal training for deacons and bi-vocational priest candidates in the Diocese of Texas. She oversees the continuing education for clergy program, the first year post seminary graduation program for clergy, and the professionally facilitated clericus groups in the Diocese of Texas. In addition, she is responsible for the recruiting, training and deployment of coaches to assist congregations with developmental challenges. Numerous conferences and seminars for lay training fall under her oversight. The development of Crosspointes has been an initiative of her office. Prior to taking responsibility in leadership development, Mary served as sr. mission funding coordinator for the Diocese of Texas directing the complete overhaul of the missionary giving program and initiating a new method for the raising of over 3 million dollars annually for diocesan missionary endeavors. Mary is a graduate of LSU and has a M.Ed. in education.

Financial Responsibility
Dave Bollinger

The role of the vestry in financial oversight is often misunderstood, and individual vestry members are often intimidated by financial reports. This workshop introduces basic terminology and highlights the proper roles, responsibilities, and liabilities of the vestry in the financial affairs of the congregation.

Additional Classes:

FQAs - Frequent Questions (that should be) Asked
Bruce Coggin & Demi Prentiss

Bruce Coggin, longtime priest in the Fort Worth Diocese, and Demi Prentiss, ministry developer and administrative officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, will address information you should know but never have had the chance to ask about vestry work and congregational relationships with the diocese. In addition, they will answer your burning questions on-the-spot. This will be a light-hearted, enjoyable and informative session!

Demi Prentiss is the ministry developer and administrative officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. A church employee for more than 25 years, she most recently served on the Presiding Bishop's staff as program officer for lay leadership.

Bruce Coggin is a senior priest in the Diocese of Fort Worth, having served as rector of several congregations. Now retired, he teaches American literature at the University of Texas at Arlington and regularly serves two displaced congregations of the diocese, All Saints, Wichita Falls, and St. Simon’s, Fort Worth.

Restoring Order from the Chaos, a documentary of Good Shepherd Tomball’s Experience
Dave Bollinger, presenter

This presentation and discussion will chronicle the congregational split that occurred at Good Shepherd Tomball in April 2008, what transpired as a result and how the leadership dealt with the situation. How continuity was provided, an operating philosophy was put into place, and what was considered the most important factors in moving the congregation from the emotional trauma following the split to a period of relative order 18 months later. There will be time for discussion regarding details and answering of questions from the audience.

The presentation will be made by Dave Bollinger, currently Good Shepherd’s Business Manager, who served as Senior Warden during this time period.

Core Values, Mission and Vision
Mary MacGregor, Director of Leadership Development, Diocese of Texas, Presenter

The importance of identifying a congregation’s distinctive by articulating its values and mission and discerning God’s vision for its future can not be understated! It is central for not only focusing on what is important to the congregation, but also telling the outside world about the church. Simple processes built on years of experience will be shared with participants to help them move toward getting this critical work done to lay a great foundation for its future mission and ministry.

Systemic Newcomer Ministry
Mary MacGregor, Director of Leadership Development, Diocese of Texas, Presenter

There is no growth of congregations without authentic, intentional welcome and incorporation of new persons into the life of the church. What are the essentials to this ministry? What principles cross over to any size congregation? This workshop will be a combination of presentation and time for Q&A and time for sharing practices that have been helpful for building systemic welcome ministries.

Christopher Jambor is rector of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Ft. Worth, president of the Standing Committee, dean of the Fort Worth West Deanery, and deputy to General Convention.