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Covenant Participation Guide for Use in Each District

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Covenant Participation Guide for Use in Each District fds Tennessee & Memphis Conferences Covenant Participation Guide for use in each District Table of Contents: Ω How to Use this ‘Covenant Participation Guide’ ~ See page 2 Ω Covenant Conversations Update ~ See page 3 Ω Feedback Form for Draft Clergy Covenant ~ See page 4 Ω Questions from Anne Burkholder’s October Presentations ~ See page 5 Ω Respectful Communications Guidelines ~ See page 6 Ω “Key Words” taken from Clergy answers to A. Burkholder’s “Session 5 Questions” ~ See page 6 Ω How to write a Covenant: Covenants for Orders by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry: ~ See pages 7-8 Ω Tennessee & Memphis Conferences Draft Clergy Covenant ~ See pages 9-10 Ω “Collected Ideas for Ways to promote ‘Covenant’ in our Districts” ~ See page 11 Compiled by the Clergy Leadership Team plus the Chairs of the Orders of Deacons and Elders and the Fellowship of Local Pastors and Associate Members 1 How to Use this ‘Covenant Participation Guide’ These documents are intended for use in District Clergy settings only. Please do not mail or email them out ahead of time. Clergy may keep any and all handouts after the gathering. A. This “Covenant Participation Guide” is to assist in the continuation of conversations around the creation of a “Clergy Covenant” for the Memphis & Tennessee Conferences. B. Additional “Collected Ideas of Ways to Promote ‘Covenant’ in our Districts” can be found on page 11. C. Requested feedback on enclosed form is due February 20, 2015, either electronically, daph- [email protected] or you may mail all the forms to: Northside UMC, Daphne Moses, 2571 North Highland Avenue, Jackson, TN 38305. D. If you would like a member of the “Clergy Leadership Team – Orders & Fellowships” to come lead this process for your District, please contact your Conference representative below and they will schedule a team member within close proximity of your District. á Memphis Conference – Gregory Waldrop – 270-443-1724 or [email protected] á Tennessee Conference – Tom Laney – 615-343-4073 or [email protected] E. Resources: We have provided a number of documents that you might choose to pass out at your District Clergy Meeting to help the clergy understand how the current draft document was crafted, as well as to have a deeper understanding of creating covenants. F. Suggested format (1 hour): 1. Have a copy of pages 3-10 (or 11) for everyone present. 2. Introduction (10 mins) ~ Introduce the time together referring to: a. The Bishop’s cover letter to this document b. Stating this is part of the ongoing process flowing out of our time together in October 2014 and moving us toward the retreat in March and culminating in ratification at the Executive sessions of Annual Conference. c. Refer to the recap of Burkholder’s presentation found in the “Covenant Conversation Update”. d. You might pick out a question or two from the those that Anne Burkholder gave us in Oc- tober (included on page 5) to get healthy conversation around “covenant” started. 3. Present the “Draft Clergy Covenant” (10 mins): a. Two documents were primary sources for the creation of this draft. i. “How to Write a Covenant: Covenants for Orders” found on pages 7-8 from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Ii. The list of “Key Words” (page 6). These are words that were used over and over throughout both Conferences from the feedback questions Anne Burkholder provided in our last session together in October. b. Go over the “Draft Clergy Covenant” draft together. Since this is their first time to see it, please either give them time to read it to themselves or have someone or many people read it out loud for the group. 4. Small group discussion (20-30 mins) a. Have the clergy divide into small groups of 4 to 6 persons b. Pass out one copy of the “Feedback Form of Draft Clergy Covenant” per group c. Have each group fill out the form together d. These will be passed back in to be mailed to the above address or scanned to the above email. 5. Total group discussion (10-20 mins): Ask for ... a. Over all impressions. b. Strengths of the document? c. Weaknesses of the document? 6. Closing ~ Share the “Next Steps” a. The “Clergy Leadership Team” will take all the District feedback and determine if additional revisions to this document need to be made before the March retreat. b. At the March retreat, the “Clergy Covenant” will be presented. c. Further discussion will take place. d. Possible edits will happen before final presentation at Executive Meeting of Annual Conf. 2 Covenant Conversations Update from October 2014 Dear Colleagues in Ministry: We greet you in the name of Jesus Christ at the start of this New Year and seek to continue the conversation begun over the past few months regarding our covenant life together as clergy in the Nashville Episcopal Ar- ea of the United Methodist Church. At our two events in October, one in the Memphis conference and one in the Tennessee conference, Dr. Anne Burkholder helped us establish a solid foundation for our ongoing explo- ration of what a meaningful covenant might look like for us as colleagues. During those two days of prayerful engagement, Dr. Burkholder reminded us that this work we have undertak- en is primarily about forming and strengthening relationships among ourselves that help us, together, address the pressing issues in the life of the Church. Our work around a mutual covenant, then, is not about any par- ticular issue (like schism, sexuality or even merger) but on how we discipline ourselves in our life together. Dr. Burkholder’s presentation had four primary parts: á Claiming our connections as siblings in Christ by virtue of our baptism; á Naming the conflicts that can get in the way of healthy covenantal relationships with one another; á Shaping the community—we are all stewards of this community by virtue of our call to ministry and á Committing to covenant—as spiritual friends through Christ’s love. Our Steering Team of the Orders of Deacons and Elders and the Fellowship of Local Pastors and Associate Members has been meeting over the past couple of months to outline our next steps in this process. We have drafted a covenant using the feedback questions Anne Burkholder provided in our last session together, as well as a document from the Board of Higher Education & Ministry entitled “How to Write a Covenant: Cov- enants for Orders” (see pages 7-8). We believe this draft covenant reflects the needs and issues of our cler- gy community and now seek feedback and input on our wording. The steps outlined in this Study Guide are intended to give each District a chance to continue conversations about our covenant and to be a means by which all of us have an opportunity to perfect the language we use in it. We invite and urge each of you to engage in the discussions in your district and then join us in March (9-11) for our Spiritual Life Retreat at which we will refine the covenant and explore how we can utilize it to strength- en our communal life and witness in our mission field. Blessings, The Clergy Leadership Team John Collett, Area Assistant to the Bishop Ken Edwards, Co-Chair Order of Elders, Tennessee Conference Jackson Henry, Co-Chair Order of Deacons, Tennessee Conference David Hollis, Member Phoebe Jowers, Co-Chair Fellowship of Local Pastors & Associate Members, Tennessee Conference Tom Laney, Member Kevin Marston, Co-Chair Fellowship of Local Pastors & Associate Members, Tennessee Conference Daphne Moses, Co-Chair Order of Deacons, Memphis Conference Cherie Parker, Co-Chair Order of Elders, Tennessee Conference Grace Phelps, Co-Chair Order of Deacons, Memphis Conference Deborah Suddarth, Co-Chair Order of Elders, Memphis Conference Latricia Trull, Chair Fellowship of Local Pastors & Associate Members, Memphis Conference Gregory Waldrop, Co-Chair Order of Elders, Memphis Conference Nan Zollar, Co-Chair Order of Deacons, Tennessee Conference 3 Feedback Form for Draft Clergy Covenant In groups of 4-6, please answer the following two questions and record your answers for use in revising our shared “Clergy Covenant.” 1. Looking at this document as a strength to our common life as clergy: What additions need to be made? What modifications need to be made? 2. Our small group would be able to embrace this covenant: _____ Whole Heartedly or _____ With Reservations Please share your reservations in as much detail as possible. Use back if needed. Clergy ~ Please return to your District Superintendent before leaving today. District Superintendents Please scan or mail to addresses below: Scan/email to: [email protected] Mail to: Northside UMC, Daphne Moses, 2571 North Highland Avenue, Jackson, TN 38305 4 Questions from Anne Burkholder’s October Presentations st 1 Session: No questions 2nd session: Quiet Reflection: á Who nurtured you into faith and into ministry? á What kind of relationship do you have with your geographically nearest clergy? á Who are fellow clergy with whom you have serious disagreement? Or who have harmed you? á Who are fellow clergy that you do not particularly like? Or that you have harmed? á Who are the fellow clergy who support you and care about you the most? á Who are the fellow clergy who you support and care about the most? Questions for Discussion: á What thoughts emerged for you regarding your relationships, as we reflected on the notion that our fellow UM clergy are our siblings? á What are the characteristics of those you find easy to think of as your brothers and sis- ters? á What stands in the way of your being able to think of others as brothers and sisters? 3rd session: What foibles of the disciples do you see in yourself? What conflicts among or with fellow clergy sabotage your ability to trust them and others? á Let’s name these conflicts.
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