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Leadership Development
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Overview
“
In the past the judicatory was the channel for resources between the local congregation and the world mission field.  In the early 1990’s local congregations began to realize that the mission field is now in their backyard and most were (and still are) not equipped to meet the challenge.  As judicatory staff our role has reversed; we are now called upon to be consultants, coaches, cheerleaders, and interventionists to help local congregations re-tool for the new century.  Of all the training I have done to meet this new challenge as a judicatory pastor, none has been as valuable as the Consultant Training Program.  The training helped me to learn how to read congregations and people, how to understand systems, how to move leadership teams forward through experiential learning, how to be a helper during times of conflict, and most importantly, how to be a non-anxious presence at the local church council table when everyone else is running around and screaming that the sky is falling.””
Alan Miller, Conference Minister
PA Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ Church Consultant Training Graduate

Building confidence and improving communication – CCH offers congregational leaders ongoing and proven education opportunities aimed at enhancing personal strengths and overcoming limitations.

Congregational leaders—both clergy and laity—are now facing unprecedented challenges in regard to Christian leadership. Traditionally, clergy and lay leaders were expected to have strong pastoral and relational skills; churches now expect them to be effective leaders, change agents, conflict managers, visionaries and strategic thinkers as well. Developing strong leadership skills such as these is a life-long challenge, and it is vital for effective ministry leadership.

The Center for Congregational Health offers in-depth educational opportunities to help clergy and lay leaders develop pastoral and leadership skills. The Center helps leaders learn and grow by utilizing an organic approach that assists them in capitalizing upon their strengths while developing areas where they have limitations.

The Center offers several intensive leadership development programs and processes, as well as individual workshops that assist leaders with specific aspects of leadership development. We believe quality leadership development involves assessment, challenge and support, and our resources address each of these elements.

Our leadership development strategies address:

  • How should a leader respond constructively to conflict? 
  • What does a leader do when a church lacks energy or feels “stuck?”  
  • How does a leader develop and guide a staff in functioning as a team?
  • How can a leader practice emotionally intelligent leadership?
  • What does it mean to think and act strategically?
  • When is the right time to engage a critical issue in a congregation?
  • How do you lead a congregation to engage a critical issue in a healthy, constructive way?

Our programs extend over time and are based on proven models. For example, our Young Leaders’ Program is a nine-month process designed for clergy that includes three retreats. Emerge, our lay leadership development process, is aimed at developing effective lay leaders and follows a similar design.