Training & Classes

Mindful Self-Compassion

On-site at Samaritan April 29, 2023 – May 6, 2023 – see class info and register here
On-site at your church/organization – contact us below

Basic mindfulness and compassion practices in a format compatible with spiritual growth. The 6-hour program is modular and can be customized for leaders or congregations. After completing the class, participants will be able to:

• Describe and understand the theory and research supporting mindful self-compassion.
• Motivate themselves with encouragement instead of self-criticism.
• Use mindful self-compassion to assess and accept difficult situations and uncomfortable emotions more easily in the moment.
• Respond to feelings of inadequacy or failure with kindness.
• Use self-validation to transform difficult relationships.
• Improve their daily lives by applying core mindfulness and self-compassion practices.
• Participate in the rich and active alumni community, which continues to deepen their embodiment of these practices.

The Congregational Life Cycle

On-site at your church/organization – contact us below

Explore the phases of a congregation’s life cycle with this four-session workshop, and learn how to approach each phase with wisdom in order to create a healthy faith community. You can register for the full workshop or one session. 

• Session One: There is a natural process every congregation goes through and in this introductory overview of the life cycles, you’ll learn about the different stages of church growth, maturation, and decline.
• Session Two: Explore the particular challenges facing each stage of the congregation, as well as an exploration of how to meet those needs with the care and empathy required for that stage.
• Session Three: Discover the reality of your congregation’s health to understand where you are, who you are, and what changes need to be made for the health of the community.
• Session Four: Dig into some of the attitudes and actions present in a church that can undo its mission and make new people feel unwelcome, as well as seeking biblical wisdom for treating these “cancers,” such as lack of accountability and oversight.

Youth Ministry for Today’s Teenagers

On-site at your church/organization – contact us below

Learn how to better understand and serve the youth in your faith communities, as well as what to prioritize and how to best support them in this season of their lives. You can register for the full workshop or one session.

• Session One: Nothing New Under the Sun: In this session, we will discuss the world in which adolescents are coming of age explore how our perception of the current context shapes our interactions with youths, as well as programming for them. We’ll also work on developing our empathy and remembering our own adolescence to enhance our ability to support the youths in our lives.
• Session Two: Explore the biological changes teenagers undergo and think through ways to respond to the unique challenges present in this developmental stage. This, in turn, can inform your ministry programming to better align with holistic development of children, youths, and young adults.
• Session Three: Dig into the factors that are most important in shaping faith and consider or reconsider what it may look like for youths to flourish. This conversation will also speak to how we can attend to all areas of congregational life in ways that contribute to faith development among children and youths.
• Session Four: Learn how to focus on the key components that can form the essential core of programming and models for faith formation, including what it means to have a youth ministry program that is integrated into the life of the congregation.

Pastoral Resilience: Avoiding Burnout