Dear friends,
For some years now we as a denomination have offered, on an annual basis for new pastors and staff, a 3-4 day experience of orienting people to the work of the CBWC (and its partners). This particular event (New Pastors Orientation or NPO) was intended to encourage, to build up a sense of community, to offer people the opportunity to be able to make new friendships, and to form personal affinity clusters with churches with similar issues. A list of topics that have generally been part of this event include, but are not limited to, the following:
Module 1: An Overview of Baptist Church Life
- Culture Statement
- Marriage: A Statement Affirming a Christian View
- History of Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM)
- An Act to Incorporate the Baptist Union of Western Canada (BUWC)
- Outline of Baptist History
- General By-law of CBWC
- Background Info on French Baptist Union
- Organization of CBWC
- CBWC Organizational Charts
- Board
- Staff
- Staff roles and responsibilities
Module 2: Partnerships and Possibilities
- Partnerships and Possibilities Guide
Module 3: Resourcing Local Congregations
- Urban Camping
- Bible College and Partnerships and Bursaries
- Refugees and Uprooted Peoples
- Children and Families
- CBWC Youth
- Women in Focus
- Clergy Care
- Centre for Healthy Aging Transitions (CHAT)
- Justice and Mercy Network
- Pensions and Benefits
Module 4: Educational Opportunities and Accreditation
- Education Policy
- Carey Theological College, Institute, and Centre
- Graduate Internship Programme (GIP)
- Continuing Education Units
Module 5: Church Health Resources
- Settlement
- Risk Management
- Conflict Resolution
- Church Planting
Module 6: Connecting Opportunities
- CBWC A-Z Guide
Finances and Resources
- CBWC
- CBWC Foundation
Module 8: Pastoral Ethics and Wellbeing
This has been a regularly evolving body of work. The challenge, however, has been that NPO does not reflect our polity, which is the priesthood of all believers and a training, engagement and fostering of leadership amongst those who are not paid staff. We are going to begin in September by launching a series of many courses, some live streaming, some YouTube, some internet and some with our partners at the Carey Institute around training of leaders in our churches and ministries, whether they be new leaders or ones that have for years needed the encouragement and training that new staff have been receiving for years. Here are some of the topics that we have looked at up to this point:
- Bylaws
- Settlement
- Church planting
- Church renewal
- Reading a balance sheet
- Evangelism
- Introduction to Treasurer’s Corner
- Presenting financial information
- Social media
- Your church’s website
- The electronic church
- Those difficult conversations around conflict
We would add many of the modules from NPO to this as well.
But, far more importantly, we would like to hear from any of you who have ideas about what should be on this list. Topics like information storage, security, helping your church become carers of God’s creation by environmentally responsible, all those things and much more…. but here I go again, I am adding to the list, when I have asked you to.
I will be back and forth over the summer. I will be gone for 3 weeks holiday in July, off to Baptist World Alliance (BWA) meetings in South Africa at the end of July, and in the office in early August (with some study leave later that month). Talk to Shelby with your notions.
Many thanks,
Looking forward to that creative process.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy