Shaping the Parish will begin in 2011

In 2011 we will shift from the Church Development Institute to a new program -- Shaping the Parish.

The program is six weekends, over about 16 months. Participants complete readings and six projects between and after the weekends. Shaping the Parish equips lay and ordained leaders to develop and nurture healthier parishes.

Shaping the Parish assumes that vibrant, faithful churches will flourish as leaders and parishes improve their own:

• Spiritual practice
• Emotional and social intelligence
• Change theory and methods

There is a focus on immediate, tangible improvements while building long-term health. We think it's a significant improvement on what we've been doing in CDI (which from the evaluations we've received is seen as very useful by participants).

Here's an overview of the weekends (this is likely to be revised a bit before we begin in 2011) http://www.shapingtheparish.com/weekends-assignments/

For more information on Shaping the Parish: http://www.shapingtheparish.com/

Learning Agreement: All participants enter into an agreement as they begin the program. http://www.shapingtheparish.com/learning-agreement/

Required Readings: http://www.shapingtheparish.com/reading-list/ Please note three of the books will not be available until early in 2011 In Your Holy Spirit: Traditional Spiritual Practices in Today’s Christian Life, Michelle Heyne, Ascension Press, 2011; In Your Holy Spirit: Shaping the Parish Through Spiritual Practices, Robert A. Gallagher 2011, Accession Press; and Interventions: Methods and Processes for Building Healthier Parishes, Michelle Heyne & Robert Gallagher, Ascension Press, 2011

Location: Church of the Redeemer, Bethesda

Registration: Mail the completed registration along with tuition to the address on the from. Download the registration form. [pdf]

Costs (half due with registration, half by the second weekend, May 6)

• Team of four from your congregation:    $2000
• Team of three from your congregation:  $1800
• Team of two from your congregation:     $1500
• Individual fee:                                              $1000

 

Dates: Shaping the Parish 2011 - 12

The whole program is six weekends. The first and sixth weekends are longer than the others.

1 - Feb 18-21
2 - May 6-7
3 - Sept. 16-17
4 - December 2-3

For 2012
5 - March 2-3
6 - May 4-6 

Below are the times we are assuming for now.

Weekend #1
Friday 2:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sunday 2:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Monday 8:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Weekends #2 - 5
Friday 10:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Weekend #6
Friday 10: a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Training Staff

Robert Gallagher brings 40 years of experience in leadership training and parish development. Bob offers exceptional skills in facilitating shifts and changes in people and organizations. He provides practical methods and vision for a transformed parish. He's served on an industrial mission staff, as a parish priest and a diocesan staff person. He is the founder of the Church Development Institute. Bob lives in Seattle.
      

 

 

 

Michele Hagans is from the Diocese of Washington.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Michelle Heyne is the chief compliance officer for a Seattle based company. She brings empathy, humor, and a solid grounding in ecclesiology and effective organizational dynamics to her work as a trainer. She is committed to helping parish leaders bring about effective change by developing the skills they need to make the most of the gifts they already have. She has worked as a financial services executive for over 25 years and served as a parish lay leader for 15. Michelle lives in Seattle.
 

 

 

Anne-Marie Jeffery brings insightfulness and the ability to develop a clear vision to her work as a trainer. She is fascinated by congregational dynamics and is committed to helping parishes discover how they can be healthy. She has been ordained for six years and has served a variety of congregations both large and very small. Previously, she worked for the US Government as a physicist and brings this analytic ability to her work in the church. Anne-Marie is from the Diocese of Washington.  

 

 

 

Tom Purdy is the rector of St. Peter’s, Poolesville, Maryland. Tom brings an enjoyment of leading and facilitating change through a cooperative and responsive style. His experience in the professional world and the church have provided him with a breadth of experience that inform his ministry today. Tom enjoys the creative challenge of helping revitalize a faith community, especially fostering spiritual growth and personal ministry. He also enjoys laughter. Tom is from the Diocese of Washington