A Community of Practice (COP) is a great way for clergy to connect and offer support to one another. It is dedicated to strengthening and sustaining excellent pastoral leaders for a lifetime of creative, effective service and has proven to be very effective in doing so. Being a minister in any setting is often a lonely job and the COPs encourage lifetime friendships, support and nurture as well as spiritual growth among the other 4 or 5 participants in each group.

We currently have three COPs in the SWC, accepting new members:

1) Active clergy - Facilitator Rev. Patty Ebner; COPs meet monthly and virtually for one hour each month. Format includes: devotion/reflection time and check ins; may include case studies, guest speakers, book study, etc. Each group is unique and determines their own context.

2) NTS (non-traditional settings: chaplains, academic, counseling, etc) Facilitator: Rev. Bonnie McNair; COPs meet monthly and virtually for one hour each month. Format includes: devotion/reflection time and check ins; may include case studies, guest speakers, book study, etc. Each group is unique and determines their own context

3) Anti-Racism - see more details from Facilitators Rev. Randi Walker and Donna Cavedon Specifically to this COP: People need to have had some anti-racism training and be actually working on their own racism, not just wanting to learn about it. We think we are good at facilitating the Community of Practice but this is not basic anti-racism training. See more about the history of this group.

I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity for self-care and enrichment. Groups meet once a month virtually and commit to one year. We take this commitment seriously as the group is just not complete without all of its members. Participation in the group is $250 (to pay the facilitator) a year and well worth it since you can’t put a price on your self-care. I am encouraging participants to appeal to their ministerial settings to help pay this fee as part of honoring your self-care and their covenant with you.

When asked to be in a COP, one pastor said, “I’m hesitant to add yet one more thing to this crazy schedule we are living. It is exactly for that reason I say ‘I’m in!’ Not doing a great job of self-care these days.” Think on that one. Please let me know if you are interested in being a part. I’d love to hear from you.

Leslie Etheredge (acm-cocam@uccswc.org)

If you would be interested in getting trained to facilitate a group, please feel free to contact me. The training is free of charge and conducted by UCC National staff.

Register for a COP! Here are the links to the registration forms for the communities of practice:

Specialized Ministries - https://swcucc.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=157&

Anti-Racism - https://swcucc.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=147&

Active Clergy 1 - https://swcucc.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=152&