District Continuing Education Opportunities

This leadership track of the Academy provides continuing education events for districts within the Conference. Such events are intentionally designed in concert with the expressed needs of each recipient district. Each District Superintendent and the district ministry team provide the Academy with identified leadership development needs, and the Academy serves as the provider and delivery system for meeting these requests.

Upcoming Events:

The Academy for Leadership Excellence will lead two classes at the Durham District Leadership Training event to be held at Mount Sylvan UMC on Sunday, November 13, 2011, from 2:30 - 5:00 p.m.  In addition, Carol Goehring, of the NCCUMC staff and an Academy faculty member, will lead a session on coaching.

Following are the classes:

EMPOWERING MISSIONAL DISCIPLES

Facilitator:  The Reverend Dr. Brian Gentle, Executive Director of the Academy for Leadership Excellence

This session is designed for Clergy and the Lay Ministry Team (Nominations Committee)

By virtue of our baptism into Christ, we are all called into a shared servant ministry of effectiveness, fruitfulness, and clarity for the sake of Christ’s mission in the world.  In this session we will:

• Identify and engage obstacles for carrying out the mission of the church
• Enlarge the vision of the ministry beyond the internal governance and support committees
• Identify spiritual gifts and strengths for servant leadership; inspire Christ-centered ministry
• Work toward greater self-awareness which leads to a culture in which everyone thrives
• Match passion and gifts to the needs in the church, community, and world
• Reference Sue Nilson Kibbey’s book, Ultimately Responsible.

SOCIAL, HUH?

Facilitator:  Matt Vaughan, Owner/Principal, Final Piece Consulting

Learn more about how to reach out to others in new ways!  Strengthen your technology presence!

Part 1:  What is Social Media?  (approx. 45 minutes)

Why is social media important?  What are the most important Social Networks?  I have heard about blogging – what is it and why should I be interested?

Part 2: Basic Training   (approx. 45 minutes)

• The Social Networks of Facebook, Twitter, U-Tube, and LinkedIn
• Blogs – how to pick a blogging platform, how to set-up a blog, importance of content, blogs instead of websites, how to manage a blog

Part 3: Interactive Questions and Answers (approx. 30 minutes)

Important note:  This technology offering is a two-hour and 15 minute session and is limited to 25 attendees.  A participation fee of $25 will be charged.  To register, go to the "Events" tab on the website or contact the Academy for Leadership Excellence at 919-208-2169 or info@theafle.org.

Past Events:

The Academy partnered with the Duke Divinity School Thriving Rural Communities Initiatives program and the Greenville District for the May 17, 2011, district continuing education for rural churches.  Entitled, “The Rural Church as a Catalyst for Community Transformation,” the event was held at Holly Springs United Methodist Church and was attended by 60 clergy and laity.

The event was held from 4:00-8:00 p.m. with the intent to attract more laity, which happened.  The presenters were Dr. Alan Rice, pastor of Crossfire United Methodist Biker Church and Director Rural Faith; Dr. Laura Early, pastor All God’s Children UMC; and the Reverend Jeremy Troxler, Director, Thriving Rural Communities Initiatives, Duke Divinity School.  Their presentations were educational, inspirational, and included concrete suggestions as to how rural congregations might become catalysts for community transformation.  They also shared strategies for how rural churches might seek grants for rural church ministries.

A high point was the time for rural churches to share how they are seeking to become externally focused in identifying and responding to the needs of their communities.  Many shared how they had played a concrete role in assisting communities devastated by the recent tornadoes by providing food, clothing, and shelter.  One lay person shared how his congregation had partnered with some neighboring congregations to prepare 30,000 food packages to be distributed among fellow tornado-ravaged North Carolinians.  Others shared how their churches are involved in after-school care, mentoring, and sponsoring community food and clothes closets.

Comments from the event included:

Really appreciated the information about seeking grants.  What an inspirational event.  Excellent presentations by everyone.  The day gave me a new vision for how our church can make a difference within our community.  Hope we can do something like this again!  Thank you Holly Springs for hosting this, your warm hospitality and the great dinner!

The Academy has already partnered with the Duke Divinity School Thriving Rural Communities Initiatives with a similar event for the Fayetteville District and is exploring holding similar days for the Elizabeth City and Wilmington Districts.

The Reverend Dr. Maxie Dunnam, Director of Kingdom Catalysts, Emeritus President of Asbury UMC Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, and renowned author, pastor and spiritual leader, led a retreat on “The Spiritual Life of the Minister: Disciplines and Resources.”  The Raleigh and Rocky Mount Districts met on February 1, 2011, at Nashville UMC in Nashville, NC, and the New Bern and Durham Districts met February 2-3, 2011, at the Trinity Center in the Outer Banks.  Dr. Dunnam discussed what it means to be a spiritual leader, including the practical spiritual disciples required for being an effective, Christ-centered spiritual leader.

The District Spiritual Life Retreat was truly a breath of fresh air, perhaps a bit salty at the Trinity Center but definitely a great help to our spiritual growth. Dr. Maxie Dunnam brought a well-seasoned perspective that was helpful to our prayerful dialogue, and we especially appreciated the depth at which he spoke about being "in Christ."  We are grateful for this opportunity and all that the Academy is doing for the spiritual life of our Conference.

-- Reverends Ken and Martha McLean

Solid Rock UMC Church, Fayetteville, hosted a workshop on October 5, 2010, for the Fayetteville and Rockingham districts on “The Rural Church as a Catalyst for Community Transformation.”  Designed in partnership with The Thriving Rural Communities at Duke Divinity School and the two districts, the one-day workshop included Jeremy Troxler of Duke University; Dr. Alan Rice, Executive Director, Rural Faith Development; Robb Webb of the Duke Endowment; and Billy Ray Hall, President, N.C. Rural Economic Development Center.  It also featured a case study panel on, “How to Lead a Community Transformation: Solid Rock,” with Rick Wise and his staff.

Attendee, Rev. Jim Whittaker of the Bonlee charge, expressed his excitement about the workshop in an email:

“. . . the presentations . . . were exciting and inspiring.  We are rural and a growing church with about 110 in attendance.  We have started a Food Pantry because we don’t believe that the Siler City and Pittsboro Food Pantries are meeting all of the needs . . .  We have also partnered with Bonlee Elementary School to do a ‘fuel up’ program – food on the week-ends for school children.  I have asked 3 people this morning to write three different grant requests.  All of this is new to me, but I and the church do want to make a difference in our community.”

The Academy also recently partnered with the Burlington, Durham, and Raleigh Districts on “Being a Mission-Centered Ministry,” featuring Doug Anderson, Executive Director of the Reuben Job Center.

Watch for upcoming events in your district!