|
History of the Development
of a Faith-
Based Ecumenical Resource Network
Representatives from
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church are
currently engaged in conversation to develop an ecumenical resource network.
A planning group of approximately fifteen people, comprised of coaches,
consultants, and two staff members-one each from the ELCA and The Episcopal
Church, has been formed. This conversation is based on a network model
that is not hierarchical. Instead the denominations are represented as
equal nodes with other stakeholders in the emergence of this resource
network.
Pre-existing conversations
within both the ELCA and The Episcopal Church bring rich resources to
this work.
In 2006, a survey
on the use of coaches and consultants was conducted by the Vocation and
Education unit of the ELCA with 42 out of 65 synods responding.
Goals of this project
included:
- Development of
a network of Lutheran consultants/coaches
- Establishment
of a process of synodical recognition of competent and trustworthy
consultants and coaches whose names would be accessible through a
national database
- Development of
a clearinghouse for continuing education and resources for consultants
and coaches
Data from this survey
indicated the following needs:
- Need for accessible
database offering trustworthy and competent resources
- Need for regional
network connecting consultants/coaches and synod staff
- Need for explicit
guidance on use of coaches/mentors in the First Call Theological Education
process
- Need for training
of and resources for synod staff on how to make better decisions on
utilizing consultants/coaches
- Need for a network
that avoids canned approaches to consulting/coaching
- Need for continued
communications between all parties as this work develops
In 2006, The Episcopal
Church organized a group called CoachTalk to promote the use of coaches
to encourage excellence in pastoral ministry.
This group met to
begin to explore:
- Criteria for
a proposed registry of coaches
- Development of
a definition of coaching and its value to a variety of constituencies
- Necessary competencies
- Coaching practices
in other denominations
Research, done by
individuals representing both the ELCA and The Episcopal Church, has identified
additional data on the following:
- Basic competencies
- Endorsement models
- Training sources
- Sample codes of
ethics
Initial discussion
has also occurred on the following topics:
- Trusting the end-users
(congregational leaders--lay and clergy, judicatories, seminaries, and
denominations to identify the types of resources they need
- Exploration of
whether coaching might be covered under Board of Pensions plans or EAP
- Developing a higher
purpose or goal statement for the creation of an ecumenical resource
network
We are currently involved
in identifying coaches, consultants, and other resource people who might
be interested in the emerging network in order to access their needs and
what they would like to see occur. The hope is to connect all stakeholders
in a creative consultation that might occur in 2009 or 2010.
Strong threads in
this conversation have been the deep desire to create a network that would:
- Make resources
visible that are currently invisible to end-users
- Identify competent
and trustworthy resource people with a clear love for Christ's church
- Help promote excellence
in church leadership throughout all expressions of the church
If you are interested
in engaging in this conversation, please contact:
Pastor Sue Lang
RevWriter Resources, LLC
P.O. Box 81
Perkasie, PA 18944
215-453-8128
sue@revwriter.com
Other pages in
this section:
ELCA
Vocation and Education Survey Report, August 21, 2007
Appendix
to the 2007 ELCA Survey Report
Faith-Based
Ecumenical Resource Network Steering Committee Roster
|
