Sighs too deep for words

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now, and not only the creation, but we ourselves…” 

“…that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”  

Romans 8:22,26 

Dear One,

You’ve been too busy, or not busy enough with the things that most matter.  

You’ve been learning under pressure, but not the things you imagined you wanted to learn if given a break from the ordinary. 

You’re riding on a moment of deep possibility wondering if you’re surfing, upheld or about to crash. 

You see around you the naked yearning of people in your home, neighbourhood, community of faith, and world for real contact that helps comfort, and make sense and bring hope. 

How are you? Really? 

In a variety of settings we are hearing about the challenge to our identity as ministers, leaders, and members of the gathered Body of Christ. The usual habits and activities we have relied on to confirm our identity in the faith are not available to us.  

In the coming weeks and into the fall, LeaderShift will be designing ways for these deep and true questions to be engaged. We are looking to extend opportunity for mutual learning, for shared theological conversation, for exploring the shifting nature of God’s call to us, and or equipping us for the life of service in leadership we desire.  

Here is a link that names many of these areas of concern – and some of you may see yourself in this article. As we plan for the coming months of program what might support you in this time? Message us (we’ll keep it private) on what you think might help your spiritual health and wellness for such a time as this. 

With thanks for the Spirit’s presence in all our ministries, 

Allison Rennie
LeaderShift Director

Be attentive to the moment

Be attentive to the moment.

I admit it, even typing that sentence makes me bristle a bit. When we are stuck in such a bizarre moment: a moment moves from dull and difficult, to sabbath-worthy and grace-filled and then back to panic-scrolling the latest news in a matter of seconds, well, being attentive might be the least desirable thing on offer.  

 Yet as a people of the way, we know that Jesus invites us to be so attentive to the world that we let our hearts fill and break them too. In many ways, being attentive to this time demands no more and no less than what our faith always asks of us: to draw from our tradition, to respond everyone with God's generous love, to speak prophetically to injustice and to work together to bring about the Kin-dom here on earth.  

 LeaderShift is playing its small part in supporting your work. We’re currently offering time to gather with Rev Janet Gear and Rev Brian Thorpe to explore the spiritual questions that arise during a crisis, the theologies that are guiding us, and how we respond to the needs of our communities right now. Also available are pastoral learning circles so wisdom and learning can be shared among colleagues. Following the feedback from all those who took the mental health first aid training, we have engaged Tipping Point to offer training on how to do pastoral care in a trauma-centred time.  

As we continue to respond to this time, we want to hear from you. What are you learning? What is alive about your faith these days? And what might you need to support your work as a faith leader in your community? Continue to reach out to us as we move, preach, teach and learn in this time. 

  With every blessing,  

  Rev Rhian Walker  

Who Are We Now?

The intensity of the first weeks of COVID-19 life and work is giving way to a time of settling. Not settling in a comfortable way, not settling in a familiar pattern, but settling into accepting that for now, we will pray and sing and eat and gather together at a distance. The physical distance is obvious, but the emotional impact of that, and the spiritual questions this way of being stimulates is also very real.  

In the first weeks of the pandemic we cancelled many good in-person learning events and pivoted to offer online training in skills related to shifting some of our ministry online. Over the past 5 weeks we have hosted over 400 people in learning, many workshops in partnership with the PMR First Third Ministry Network. Thank you to all the workshop facilitators who patiently and promptly showed up to offer their gifts in equipping others!   

Now LeaderShift is shifting our online engagement to deep theological reflection and to re-tooling pastoral care skills for trauma-oriented response. What is being unveiled for us at this time? About the Holy, about being the church, and our own resilience and spiritual capacity?  We hope you’ll lean into these offerings this May and June.

Faithfully,

Allison Rennie, Director

Faith Leadership for Such a Time as This with Rev Janet Gear and Rev Brian Thorpe

Transforming Pastoral Care Amidst COVID-19: deepening skills for trauma-oriented ministry practice

Dr Julie Clayton and Michael Collins of Tipping Point Counselling

Registration is open

Transforming Pastoral Care Amidst COVID-19: deepening skills for trauma-oriented ministry practice

Faith Leadership for Such a Time as This with Rev Janet Gear and Rev Brian Thorpe