In this issue September's theme: Labor and work - Illinois Great ...

Page 16 Illinois Great Rivers Conference — The Current September 2010
Briefs
COS Extension School
dates announced
Dates and
courses for
the 2010-
2011 Course
of Study Extension
School have been announced.
Online registration for the spring
classes will be posted soon on the
IGRC website. For more information,
visit the Course of Study website at:
www.igrcos.blogspot.com or contact
the Dean, Rev. Dr. E. Michael Jones at
mjones@igrc.org
Classes and dates for the fall and
spring are as follows:
COS 311 New Testament I –
taught by Rev. Dr. E. Michael Jones
and Rev. Keith Anderson. Aug. 27-28
and Sept. 24-25.
COS 212 Theological Heritage:
Early and Medieval – taught by Rev.
Dr. Dennis Powers
COS 413 Worship and Sacraments
– taught by Rev. Dr. Howard
White
Both courses are being held Oct.
15-16 and Nov. 12-13.
COS 312 Theological Heritage:
Reformation – taught Rev. Dr. Dennis
Powers
COS 512 Contemporary Theology
– instructor TBA.
Both courses are being taught Feb.
4-5 and March 4-5.
COS 511 New Testament II –
taught by Rev. Dr. E. Michael Jones
and Rev. Keith Anderson.
COS 513 Our Mission: Transforming
Agent – taught by Rev. Dr.
Thomas Logsdon.
Both courses are being held April
1-2 and April 29-30.
Aldersgate pastor’s
conference Sept. 16-17
A two-day conference designed to
assist churches with reaching out to
generations not in attendance will be
held at Marion Aldersgate UMC Sept.
16-17.
An event brochure is available for
download on the IGRC website at:
www.igrc.org/events/detail/422. The
link for the brochure is located at the
bottom of the page. Registration is
available online by visiting: www.marionaldersgate.org/pastorsconference
Fishing With a New Generation will
feature practical teaching on how to assist
congregations read the post-modern
culture.
Speakers for the event are Bishop
Gregory V. Palmer and Dr. F. Douglas
Powe, E. Stanley Jones Professor of
Evangelism at St. Paul School of Theology
in Kansas City, Mo.
Photo courtesy of Toni Ross
Forming Spiritual Leaders
Consider your growth in professional competence
By Tim Pate
Conference Board of
Ordained Ministry
Years ago, I
sloughed off my elementary
education as
not important. I loved
Tim Pate recess, P.E., and lunch
the most. It wasn’t until
late in high school and in college that I
thought to myself, “Hey, this is all for me.
I am the one who will get the benefit from
teachers.”
Since that time, I have realized the
importance of education and enjoy some
of the learning experiences in a way that
would equip me for service. Before that
time, though, I felt that all I really needed
to do was to perform for the teachers so I
could get a good grade; was I wrong. That
was a life lesson I still carry with me.
Continuing education is essential for
the leaders of the church. I have found that
in this technologically advanced culture, I
can easily become irrelevant, boring, and
untrue to the ears of most of the people I
want to reach. I have also discovered that I
feel drained and ineffective when I set my
spiritual growth and level of knowledge on
cruise control and not pursuing the challenges
I need. Continuing education for me
then becomes a way to expand my horizons
and find relief for my tired bones while following
God’s call in my life. What has your
quest for new ideas and instruction done for
you lately?
I serve as chair on the Continuing Formation
and Professional Certification committee
of the Conference Board of Ordained
Ministry, (BOM). Brent Anderson, chair of
the Policies and Procedures Team, and I
have agreed to promote the value of continuing
education, inform clergy and lay
people that there are scholarships available
for continuing education, and update min-
isters on the number of hours required for
continuing education. We also encourage
each charge Pastor/Staff Parish Relations
Committee to support and promote their
staff for continuing education.
It seems that just a few leaders of the
church, both lay and clergy even know that
there is funding available for those learning
opportunities that may help churches get
that edge they need to reach out to the communities
around them or assist the leaders
in teaching and preaching with the greatest
of potential available. We all need encouragement
and support in making disciples
for Jesus Christ for the transformation of
the world. I know I need the energy and
awareness to give 100% because 99 and ½
% will not do. Cruise control in my development
will not keep me on the course.
Another reason we are writing this article
is to call your attention to the required
continuing education units as mentioned in
the policy manual. For several years now,
pastors have seen on our Pastor’s Report
for Charge Conference a spot to describe
our Continuing Formation and Spiritual
Growth experience completed this year.
The policy for these units is set by the
BOM, (see Book of Discipline, Par. 334.2),
and is set for the benefit of the individual
as well as to help us be better pastors. We
noticed that our Pastor’s Report Form were
not consistent with our policy and want to
make a correction. The stated requirements
were lower than what our policy calls for.
The form now says one unit per year which
will add up to 4 units per quadrennium. The
policy actually states that 8 Units are required
per quadrennium, which translates
to two units per year. We will be
making changes on the Report forms which
will require two units per year. No catch up
is necessary; we are just now updating the
requirements to start afresh and keep moving
forward from here.
Now that all that is said, the BOM
A basic lay speaking course was held at Illinois City UMC in the Spoon River District
June 11-12. Participants and leaders include (from top) Annette Leopard, Lori Jarrett,
Pastor Toni Ross, Nikki Ross, Rachel Wright, Kathy Jenkins, Nathan Ross, Joe
Leopard, Josh Loveland, Samantha McGreer, James Bishop, and Nichole Mathias. Not
pictured are leaders Becky Butterfield and Bill Jarrett.
wants to encourage all pastors to be creative
in their selections of continuing education
units. The two columns on the Pastor’s Report
will continue, one with familiar classes
or trainings and their respective units and
the other column with events which will
not qualify for educational units, but are
required or are an excellent advantage for
each pastor. What we ask you to consider
are other training events and seminars
which will help you in continuing formation
and spiritual growth. Please know that
One Unit is equivalent to 10 hours of supervised
study. So if your seminar is five hours,
you will count that as ½ a unit. Please list
them on your Report of Pastor form and
keep current on your hours. For example, if
you attend Emotional Wellness Workshop,
Family Violence Prevention seminars, Lecture
Series, Human Relations Skills Training,
National Convocations on Music,
Evangelism, or Spiritual Formation, or Special
Bible Studies at Church Camp, figure
your units and list them on your form. Also
note that a personal evaluation of each
event including their value to the mission
of the church is necessary as a supplement
if additional space is needed. I may be too
simplistic about this, but I want to be clear
about the corrected units required and at
the same time ask you to be creative and
proactive in your task for continuing education.
Averaging two units per year does not
sound unreasonable. Growth in professional
competence and effectiveness through
continuing education and formation is not
something we want to avoid but I feel we
should embrace. Keep up the good work.
Applications for Continuing Education
for Ministers Funds and Applications for
the Mary Evelyn Pasvogel Scholarship for
persons seeking professional certification or
Certified Lay Minister status can be found
at the Board of Ministry website, www.igrbom.com.
Click on Forms, and then select
the Board of Ordained Ministry Forms.
Rev. Stephen Killion, pastor of Bridgeport-Petrolia
UMC’s, graduated from the
St. Paul School of Theology Course of
Study program July 29..
Photo courtesy of St. Paul School of Theology