Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies

Clergy can benefit from personal and professional coaching. This is especially helpful for clergy because of the isolation of their assignments. Coaching can be valuable when clergy are looking at changing positions or dealing with stress or conflict within their present setting. Coaching can assist clergy to make conscious choices regarding their use of time, how they relate to their present family, their family of origin, families in the church, or the family of the church.

Clergy Coaching Groups

Clergy Coaching Groups are available to any clergy who have attended The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness. Clergy Coaching Groups begin in September and meet monthy through May. Clergy Coaching Group meetings allow one hour for each person in the group. Example, if there are five clergy enrolled, then the group meets for five hours as well as one-half hour for lunch. Each clergy receives about 50 minutes of personal coaching regarding the concern of their choice at each session. The coaching is grounded in Family Systems theory.

Clergy Coaching Via Phone

Clergy can receive personal/professional coaching via the phone. Coaching sessions are usually 1/2 hour in length and can be as often as the clergy so chooses.

For further information regarding Clergy Coaching, email integrity4u@comcast.net.

The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies

The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies is designed to maintain ministers in ministry. Our ultimate goal is for each participant to become a more well-differentiated leader, a person who is clear about his or her own goals, and therefore less likely to get lost in the anxious emotional processes that naturally occur in ministry.

(The self-differentiated leader) ..." is someone who can manage his or her own reactivity to the automatic reactivity of others and take stands at the risk of displeasing. It is someone who understands that no act of self-differentiation ever goes unpunished. It is not as though some leaders can do this and some cannot. No one does this easily, and I have learned, most leaders can improve their capacity." - Edwin Friedman

At the core of The Center is Edwin Friedman's classic text, Generation To Generation, which adapts Systems Thinking to congregational settings. "Systems Thinking" or recognizing Family Process is the lens we use to sharpen and deepen our understanding of life in any congregation. And this is what makes The Center for Pastoral Effectiveness different from so many other programs. Systems is not just another jargon. It offers a way of perceiving people and happenings in the life of a congregation and in the life of a church leader. This process pushes us to the deepest levels within ourselves, and it offers the greatest opportunities to enhance anyone's level of leadership. This is a journey, not a quick fix. I know you will value this trip.

The Center of the Rockies is modeled after a Pastoral Center created in 1990 by Rev. John Winn in the Louisiana Annual Conference. Close to 85% of the Louisiana Conference clergy have attended.

As one engages with the conceptual frameworks, each clergy has the opportunity to integrate it into the life and work experiences from his or her own setting. Clergy also discover that these principles and processes are crucial to healing and enhancing one's relationships with their own families. In fact, one's family of origin, families within their churches, and the family of the church all operate according to the same dynamics.

The Center is not just another continuing education program, although education definitely takes place. Nor is it simply a support group, though participants feel greatly supported. This is not professional coaching, although this relatively new process is utilized. It is not designed around spiritual formation, although that happens, as well. It is not a therapy group, but some will find it to be therapeutic.

"It is not a program, it is a process."

You, as a pastor or religious leader, should consider The Center if ...

... you struggle to balance the needs of self, your family, families of the church, and the family of the church.
... you would like to develop a systems perspective.
... you have recently moved to a different pastoral assignment, especially if it is a different size or type.
... you have remained in the same sized congregation through a number of moves - or - have moved more often than you would like.
... you are in or around your tenth, twentieth, or thirtieth year of ministry.
... you feel excited about attending such a Center.
... you feel apprehensive about attending such a Center.
... you doubt you could ever find the time.
... you have not had a recent long-term intensive continuing education or a renewal experience.
... you have recently experienced a major life change, such as a death of a spouse or family member, separation or divorce, or a succession of crises within your family and/or within your congregation.
... you have ever thought "They arenīt paying me enough to deal with that kind of stuff!"

All 3-Day Retreats begin at 1:00 PM Day One and end at 12:30 Day Three making travel and retreat available in three days total.

Note: Although the Center was begun as a resource for United Methodist Clergy, it is open to all denominations. In addition to UMC clergy, leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and American Baptist Churches have been participants.

Centers can be provided in any location in the US as long as enough clergy can be registered and it is located near an airport. Centers have met in camp settings, churches, retreat centers, and private homes. To bring The Center to your area, email Bill Selby, at integrity4u@comcast.net.

With over 800 Clergy alumni, we are off and running with our Center - TRACK II for those who completed Track I.  

Content will include a quick review of systems, theological issues that are systems problems, in depth leadership processes, sermon and worship design, integration of new systems materials from Friedman, Steinke, Gilbert, Marcuson, Richardson, and others, along with deeper work on Genograms and verbatims.  Along with all of the newer materials, Track II has been greatly influenced by the issues addressed in clergy coaching groups, individual coaching sessions, as well as church consultations.  The Revs John Winn and Craig Gilliam are utilzed as guest leaders in this series.  Both have great skills in systems understanding and family work.

Center -Track II will help solidify your understands regarding systems and integrate the material more assuredly in the church and family settings.

Center-Track III  completing four The last question asked by participants of Track ll is "Is there a Track lll?"The next Track lll will begin in Colorado Springs, August.  Focusing again on Family Systems, more intense Genorgram work, family of origin work, as well as our personal leadership skills are all included.  The Rev. Ronald Richardson, author of many great books on family systems, will be one of the guest leaders of this series.



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