WORTH YOUR TIME

Worth Your Time: Real Strategies for Clergy in Financially Stressed Congregations
An All-Day Conference

On Wednesday, Feb. 20, there will be a one-day conference for clergy called “Worth Your Time: Real Strategies for Clergy in Financially Stressed Congregations.” The conference will be held at the Church of the Epiphany, 2808 Altura St., in East Los Angeles. The conference will run from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The church is centrally located within a mile of I-5 near I-10.

The purpose of the conference is to provide productive support for clergy who experience stress because of their congregation’s financial stress. What is a “financially-stressed congregation?” Is your congregation’s budget under $300,000? Is your congregation dependent on external sources of income? Does your congregation have a hard time paying its utilities, upkeep on the buildings, and staff? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, this conference is probably designed for you.

The keynote speakers are the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, Bishop of Maine, and the Rev. Gregory Jacobs, Urban Missioner of the Diocese of Massachusetts. Both have worked with congregations with very limited financial resources. They will share their experiences, perspectives, and strategies.

The day will also include workshops led by diocesan clergy on the following topics:
• inter-congregational collaborations
• using modern communications technology
• using your facilities to generate income
• clergy compensation
• multi-cultural stewardship
• children-youth-intergenerational ministry in small congregations
• maintaining your spiritual and emotional well-being
• strategies for sharing nuts and bolts expenses with neighboring congregations.

The day is designed to help clergy overcome isolation, deal in a healthy way with stress, “think outside the box,” share resources and ideas creatively, avoid “miracle grow” solutions and the “myth of success,” foster partnerships, create working groups for on-going strategizing and mutual support, and to nurture realistic hope.

The cost of the day is $10 (for lunch). 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 at (310) 454-1358.