Today I fly out for my third session of the Lewis Fellows program. I am really loving this program. I so appreciate the opportunities to be networked with many other younger clergy leadership from across the nation. I appreciate the ministry sites we are able to visit and learn from. I enjoy the texts that we have read and the assessments we have participated in. I very much cherish the leadership from Dr. Lovett Weems and Ann Michel.
If other younger clergy would like to learn more about this program and inquire about future classes, I am very open to receiving emails and sharing my reflections!
The Atlanta session will have a personal focus of “Physical Health.” This focus is very practical and applicable for my life and ministry. My most recent health exam highlighted that I need to eat better and exercise more regularly, so as to lower my cholesterol and keep my heart in better health. The assessment I took in preparation for the Atlanta session of the Lewis Fellows, called Fit to Lead, highlighted the same needs. I am beginning a program through the United Methodist Church called HealthMiles, which focuses on tracking and rewarding the walking we do every day. I hope it, will be a good start to my strengthened health.
The Atlanta session will also feature a leadership focus of “Leading Change.” This is always a vital aspect of the leadership of clergy, as we help congregations live into God’s vision for their next steps. In preparation for this session we were invited to read two texts: Leadership on the Lineby Heifetz and Linsky, and Rocking the Boatby Meyerson. Both of these resources name ways in which leaders help affect change in their organizations, not for the sake of change, but for the purpose of helping the organization address their values, goals, and visions for life (and ministry!). From a church prospective, it is about helping congregations live out their espoused identities and visions, doing so by making adaptive changes in their behaviors, habits, values, and worldviews. Below are graphics for these two texts and links to purchase them via Amazon.com.
