Best Practices

Annual Conferencesort icon Title Introduction
Illinois Great Rivers Informal Gatherings

Informal cluster gatherings
Iowa Cell Groups

In Iowa, we are working on building young adult clergy cell groups. We have one in the central part of the state and we are building one in the eastern part of the conference as well. We try to meet monthly to talk about all the issues that we face as young clergy persons. Most of the time when we meet, we gather at 1 for lunch and end up staying for a few hours... definately through dessert and coffee. It is a great chance to just catch up and hear what others are doing, get advice and also be refreshed for the rest of our ministry.
Kansas East Monthly Dinners

We have done young clergy and spouses dinner on a monthly basis in the Kansas City area. We are an informal group as well.
Memphis Retreat

We had a lunch at Annual Conference in 2008 and a young and new clergy retreat for the first time in Feb of 2009. There seems to be plans for more in the future.
Nebraska Web Cam Lectionary Groups

We're similar to Iowa. We do lectionary groups on web cams across the state.
North Alabama Residence in Ministry

NORTH ALABAMA MISSIONAL PRIORITIES
1. New Congregations

2. Natural Church Development: Growing Healthy Churches
a. an honest look at where we are (An analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to the congregation.)
b. gives a plan to succeed in ministry in this congregation in the future.

3. Effective Leadership for the 21st Century--pastors and laity
a. younger pastors (recruiting and training and releasing for vital ministry)
b. more elders (our conference is experiencing a drop in number of elders)
Texas Retreats & Lunch with Bishop

1. Our conference does executive coaching, placing younger clergy in larger places of leadership (Justin Coleman's Conference -- see ScribbleLive conversation of event, page 21).

2. Annual "Young Clergy Family Retreat." The attendees are younger clergy families (some of whom are clergy couples), most if not all with children in the 3 or 4 years we've had it. A common focus has been navigating church & family/work & home balancing issues and what it means to be a clergy family identity-wise.
Western North Carolina The Branch

"The Branch: Young Clergy on the Vine" emerged drawing from John 15:5. Our goal is to stay connected to the "vine" through communal prayer (literal and virtual/online), worship, quarterly gatherings, networking within our districts (even mapping where we "physically" are so we could get together with other YC's in our areas), etc. I, and these are my words, want our group to be more about koinonia than competition (the latter I associate with older peers, fairly or unfairly). We want our group to be a safe place to be "off the pedestal" and be authentic without fear of reprisal.

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