FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2008

MEETING DATES


As we approach Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season, I am sure your schedules are pretty busy. I would like to take advantage of the offering provided by the Clergy Association (See the Information below) and make it our February gathering.

We also have a Deanery 8 Council Meeting scheduled for February 17, 2008 at 3 PM. We will meet at Christ Church, 408 South Broadway, Redondo Beach, California.

The South Bay part of the clericus will eat at the Bluewater Grill at noon on March 12th (Wednesday) and the Long Beach to South Gate portion of the clericus will meet on March 13th (Thursday).

'Worth Your Time' conference for clergy in 'financially
stressed congregations" set for February 20, 2008

Keynote speakers for the L.A. clergy association-sponsored February 20 workshop, "Worth Your Time: Real Strategies for Clergy in Financially Stress Congregations" are Bishop Chilton Knudsen of Maine, and the Rev. Gregory Jacobs, urban missioner from the Diocese of Massachusetts.

The workshop is set for 10am to 6pm on Wednesday, February 20, at Church of the Epiphany, 2808 Altura Street in East Los Angeles.
A series of workshops will deal with specific issues confronting clergy in financially stressed congregations, including:

Ian Handley and Emilie Bush, "Desert Collaborative Journeys, or how to get lost in the desert and find your way out when you didn't know you were lost."

Peter Rood, using modern communications technology.

Jaime Edwards-Acton, creating relationships with your local community and using congregational facilities to generate income.

Liz Munoz will facilitate a conversation on clergy compensation.

Gary Commins will facilitate a dialogue on multi-cultural stewardship.

Julie Morris, children-youth-intergenerational ministry in a small congregation.

Will Wauters and Anna Olson will discuss strategies for sharing nuts and bolts expenses with neighboring congregations.


The day will include an opportunity to discuss how to maintain one's spiritual and emotional well being in a financially stressed congregation.It is designed to help clergy overcome isolation, deal in a healthy way with stress, "think outside the box," share resources and creative ideas, avoid "miracle grow" solutions and the "myth of success," foster partnerships, create working groups for on-going strategizing and mutual support, and nurture realistic hope.

Church of the Epiphany is centrally located within a mile of Interstate 5, near Interstate 10. Cost for the day is $10 (for lunch). The rest of the cost is being underwritten by several clergy in the diocese. The event is sponsored by the L. A. Clergy Association. To RSVP, please contact the Rev. Julie Bryant, President of the Clergy Association, at jdbryant@stmatthews.com or 310.454.1358.