If we want to bear healthy fruit in our congregations and our communities, we need to be healthy ourselves.  Setting and maintaining healthy boundaries is essential to living into that reality.  Facilitators from the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center will be inviting reflection and conversation around the challenges for clergy in setting boundaries during our upcoming quadrennial mandatory Boundary and Ethics Training.  The training will explore how both intrapersonal and systemic factors can impact boundaries and relationship dynamics within congregations.  Throughout the day, clergy and lay participants will consider the complexities of boundary-setting in a variety of ministry contexts.  They will also be invited to identify steps to support health and wholeness for clergy and congregations alike so that, together, we might make hope real through faithful leaders, fruitful communities and fire-filled people.
 
Recognizing that laity are important partners in establishing healthy boundaries, we are asking that each charge bring their chair of Staff Parish Relations Committee or a lay leader to the training.  There will be two trainings held in our district and you will be required to attend one.   The trainings will be held on Thursday, March 8 at Sioux City, Wesley UMC (3700 Indian Hills Dr, Sioux City) and  on Saturday, March 10 at Spencer, Grace UMC (311 2nd Ave West, Spencer).   Both workshops will be from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and you must be in attendance the entire day.  You must attend one of the trainings in order to be appointed to serve a church.  Registration will be $75 per clergy. Lunch will be provided.
 
Please click on the registration button on the Letters from the Lakeshore or on the District Calendar page.  Registration will be available on January 1, 2018