UPCOMING EVENTS
Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training
It’s our experience that pastors, church staff, and other leaders who transgress boundaries by-and-large are not predators. In fact, not even close. Most people in ministry who violate boundaries are individuals who know and follow the rules most of the time but whose judgment may be impaired due to an unusually stressful time in their lives.
With that in mind, Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training, offered by Synod of the Sun, is tailored to focus on strategies to foster mental health, emotional resiliency, and well-being. While this training still covers the requirements—“Don’t sleep with a parishioner unless you’re married to them” and the like —the best prevention is to encourage clergy to take steps to manage their stress in order to maintain balance and perspective when temptation arises. The program teaches a 3-step strategy to help stop the participant in their tracks before they commit a boundary violation; and participants leave with their own personal prevention plan.
This training is lively and interactive, full of reflection and conversation—and even laughter. Attendees have given us feedback that our boundaries training was a great experience, AND caused them to re-evaluate some of their own practices.
Participants MUST take part in ALL five hours of training in order to receive the certificate of completion.
The next offering of this training will occur in November, 2022 and February, 2023. Click the links below to register.
Leaderwise Boundary Training
November 8/9, 2022
5:00-7:30pm CDT
Leaderwise Boundary Training
February 6/7, 2023
9:30am-Noon CDT
More Boundaries Training Opportunities:
The Synod of the Sun PCUSA is committed to ensuring that we provide safe places of worship and fellowship to everyone we serve. As part of that commitment, we are providing information on Safe Gatherings as a resource for you in this important area.
Clergy Ethics
Safe Gatherings provides a 2-hour online course called “Clergy Ethics and Congregational Boundaries.” In partnership with many presbyteries, the synod is sponsoring this course as a means of meeting requirements for boundaries training. Contact your presbytery office for more information and instructions. To learn more about the course here.