Topic:

John 9:1-41– Is Seeing Believing?  Is Believing Seeing? ​

• Engaging the Text – Who is Blind?​
• Who Caused this Chaos? ​
• What do YOU see?​
• What do you SEE?

​

Topic:

• John 3:1-17 – Spiritual Depth as Leadership Development​
• Engaging the Text​
• The Wind Blows Where It Will​
• The Church Born of Water & Spirit​
• Not to Condemn But Be Saved

​

Topic:

• Ash Wednesday
  • Reflections on Our Mortality
  • Pray and Action

​

Topic:

• Unexpected Grace​
• Love as Leadership​
• Climbing trees with Zacchaeus​
• Relational, Non-Judgmental, Clarity

​

Topic:

• January Exegesis Exam Eruption​
• Ordination Exams and Trauma​
• Dealing with Difficult Texts​
• Dealing with Trauma in the Church

​

Topic:

• Lent Looms Large​
• Lent as a Faithful Journey​
• What Might We Do​
• Bold Themes

​

Topic:

Five Leadership Resolutions for Your Church in 2023​
by Sam Rainer

​

Topic:

• Statistics​
• Structure​
• Synod​
• Spiritual But not Religious
  • If God Is Love Don’t Be a Jerk​  by John Pavlovitz

​

Topic:

• Baptism of the Lord​ – Heavens opened​
• If God Is Love Don’t Be a Jerk​  by John Pavlovitz

​

Topic:

Think Again – Adam Grant​

• Collective Rethinking
  • Have More Nuanced Conversations​
  • Teach Kids to Think Again​
  • Create Learning Organizations​
  • Stay Open to Rethinking Your Future​

Topic:

Think Again – Adam Grant​

• Interpersonal Rethinking

Topic:

Think Again – Adam Grant​

• Individual Rethinking –focus today​
• Interpersonal Rethinking ​
• Collective Rethinking

Topic:

The Great Reset: 7 (Real) Reasons People STILL Aren’t Coming Back to Church​

By Carey Nieuwhof

Topic:

Come Sail Away

• Cargo Ship Church
• Cruise Ship Church​
• Sailboat Church​
• Kayak Church​
• Inflatable Raft Church ​​

Finance Items

• Employee Retention Credit​
• Housing Allowance 2023

Topic:

• From “We Don’t Do That” to “We Can Use That”​
• Reformation & Reformation Sunday​
• Halloween​
• All Saints’ Day​
• Day of the Dead

​

​

​

Topic:

From Stewardship to Generosity​

​

​

​

Topic:

Passionate Worship | Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations
– By Robert Schnase​

​

​

​

Topic:

Hurricane Ian​

• When the Great Windstorm Arose​
• Peace! Be Still!​
• Connecting with Scripture in a Time of Travail​

​

​

​

Topic:

Radical Hospitality

• Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations | by Robert Schnase

​

​

​

Topic:

• The Velveteen Principles (Kind of, but not really…)​
• To Be Real in a World of Objects​
• Principle 1: Real is Possible​
• Principle 2: Real is a Process​
• Principle 3: Real is Emotional​
• Principle 4: Real is Empathetic​
• Principle 5: Real is Courageous

​

​

​

Topic:

FLUX cont.​

• Our New-Now-Next-Never Normal​
• Know Your “Enough”​
• Create Your Portfolio Career​
• Be All the More Human (and Serve Other Humans)​
• Let Go of the Future

​

​

​

Topic:

• FLUX​

  • Our New-Now-Next-Never Normal​
  • Run Slower​
  • See What’s Invisible​
  • Get Lost​
  • Start With Trust

  ​

​

​

Topic:

• Hybrid Meeting​
• Review and/or Reflections on Assembly 8/20​
• Survey Says​
• Casting Forward​

​

​

Topic:

Ministry Support Team

• Commitment
• Respect
• Filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom
• Competency
• Chemistry

​

​

Topic:

Vital Worship​

• Review and/or Renew – Looking with Fresh Eyes​
• Reformed Worship​
• Gathering, Word, Eucharist, Sending

​

​

Topic:

• valerie izumi​
• Nominations Process​
• Hope for the Future​
• Reconciliation and Relationships

​

​

Topic:

6 Essential Elements of Fruitful Small Group​

​

Topic:

5 Principles of Dramatic Improvisation Inform a Healthier Response to Conflict​

​

Topic:

• You asked for it!​
• GA 225 in retrospect. ​
• Practical implications.​
• What this means for folks in our pews.​

​

Topic:

Evaluations and Reviews​
– A possible pattern​
– GA Cycle and Review Committees​
– Adaptations to Integration and Excellence​
– Clarity of Identity

​

Topic:

SCOTUS​

• What do we do with this?​
• Advocacy in context of who we are/have been?​
• What is our voice in the larger voice of Christendom?​

Topic:

A Simple Approach to Creating a Culture of Accountability for Ministry Leaders

Topics:

• 225^th General Assembly

  • Resources & Tools Orientation
  • Hot issues

Topics:

• Seven Traits of the Successful Pastor of 2027

Topics:

• From Assembly to Gathering​
• Disciple Making​
• Building Relationships​
• Continuing the Conversation​​

Topics:

The Ideal Team Player​

• Humble​
• Hungry​
• Smart

​​

Topics:

• Conversations That Matter​
• Difficult Conversations​
• From Buffalo to a Presbyterian Church​
• Do We Dare Talk About It?​
• If More People Leave?​​

Topics:

• Legal Eagle​
• Top Clicks​
• Facts vs. Action
  • Could and Should
  • Letter vs. Spirit of the Law​
• No new Questions Under the Sun​​

Topics:

• Don’t You Forget About Me​
• Resurrection as a Call to Action​
• Easter as a Season of Movement
  • ​Disruption
  • Confusion
  • Perplexity
• Resurrection as Change Process​​

Topics:

• Easter Check In​
• Seven Ways Your Church Must Deal with Rapid Change​​

Topics:

• This could be the hardest period for pastors and church leaders​
• After two years “of no hugs and unchanging surroundings”​
• Issues on the way…​
• Leaving it there…​
• On the way … Together​​

Topics:

• Tax-Time Tidbits – Five for Finance​
• Time Marches On – Travel Log Shifts​
• The Trouble of Niceness​​

Topics:

• CT: Do Russian Christians Need More Bonhoeffers?​
• Faith Leadership – From Contemplation to Action​
• Intersection of Authenticity, Activism, and Faithfulness​​

Topics:

• Authenticity​
• Communicating Authentically​​

Topics:

• Statistical Reporting​
• A Shout Out​
• Metrics for the 20’s​
• Nine Plus Questions to Ask​
• Measuring Progress​

Topics:

• At-War​
  • Conversations Along the Way​
• The Sticky Note​
  • It’s Not About You​
  • Wait​
  • Be Inquisitive​
  • It’s Always Gray​

Topics:

• COVID-19​
  • All Done?​
  • What about masks?​
• The Lenten Journey​
  • As Congregations​
  • As the Presbytery​
• Prayer and the Lenten Journey​

Topics:

• Building Relationships​
• De-briefing the Assembly​
• Leadership Traits​
• Evidence, Steps, Prayer​

Topics:

Reflections on Worship

• Why Churches Should Drop Their Online Services (NYT 1-30-2022)​
• Online Church is Church. I will not abandon my people. (2-1-2022)​
• Book of Order-The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Part II​

Topics:

• Ministry Plan 2022 –Building Relationships​
• Leadership Development ​
• The Three Questions​
• Approachable​
• Psychological Safety​
• Integrity

Topics:

• The Big Picture of Digital Marketing
• Your Website Matters
• Key Website Considerations

Topics:

• 7 Spiritual Practices for the New Year

Topics:

• Welcome to 2022!!​
• Pandemic Ministry Experts​
• What does all this COVID Stuff Mean?​
• Church Finances​
• Missional Engagement​
• Rest and Vacation/Leave Time​
• Continuing Education​
• To Do List

Topics:

• COVID – 19
• The Uncle Fred Syndrome
• Omicron
• Consciousness of a New Normal
• Booster Bravery
• Love Note from Lisa Allgood

Topics:

• Investing in Your Leadership Development

Topics:

• Community Engagement
• Discover the Need
• Gather the Passionate
• Streamline the Strategy
• What to Let Go Of

Topics:

• Advent and Christmas through the lens of Christ-Centered Communities
• Google Drive Resources:  ADVENT  | CHRISTMAS
• Other Resources:  Practical Resources for Churches (prcli.org)  |  PTF Liturgy Materials

Topics:

• NOVEMBER
• “The Church can build what it first imagines.” –Jessica Tate
• “What do we need to unlearn?” –Tod Bolsinger

Topics:

• Octoberversation Four​
• Pulling It All Together​
• “Yes, And…”​
• Engage, Equip, Encourage​
• Ministry Workplan 2022-2025 A First Swing​
• PPP Round 1 and 2 Forgiveness

Topics:

• Octoberversation Three
• Engage, Equip, Encourage
  • Presbytery Focus and Work
  • Iteration
  • Still more
• “Yes, And…”

Topics:

• Octoberversation Two
• Engage, Equip, Encourage
  • Presbytery focus and Work
  • Iteration over revision
  • Still more
• Building, Deepening, Abiding
• This week iteration, and next week: “Yes, And…”

Topics:

• Octoberfest vs. Octoberversation One​
• Engage, Equip, Encourage​
• Clarity of Identity Part II​
• Presbytery focus and Work ​
• Building Faith, Deepening Hope, Abiding Love

Topics:

• Weekend Celebrations
• 12 Traits of Churches Doing Well During the Pandemic

Topics:

• COVID Check-in​
• 5 Ways to Preach about Money More Effectively​

Topics:

• Our structure emphasizes the role of pastor, the New Testament – not so much​
• The Pastoral Prime Mandate​
  • Equipping People​
  • Sharing the Leadership of the Church​
• Pastors Convocation this week

Topics:

• COVID Love Note
  • Good News
  • Bad News
  • For the Love of God…
• 20^th Anniversary of 9/11/2001
  • Worship Plans
  • Other Observations
• Shared Lament

Topics:

• COVID Check in​
• 7 Deadly Sins of Church Social Media

Topics:

• Planning for Keepers After the Pandemic
  12 things Churches Changed During COVID That They are Keeping After COVID
  • To Stream or Not
  • Zoom Prayer and Study
  • Small Group Ministry
  • Staffing Shifts

Topics:

• Oh Florida! “How can this get worse?”
• Worried About Worship?
• What a World!  Haiti and Afghanistan

Topics:

• Up to 12 Things Churches Changed During COVID That They are Keeping After COVID – Part One

Topics:

• NY Times: More Covid Mysteries
• Not in Control
• “Much, much milder”
• “Rip Through”
• No need for nihilism

Topics:

• COVID, the Resurgence
• Change Theory, a reminder
• Technical vs. Adaptive
  • The Big Church Leadership Mistake of 2021 (That You Can Still Avoid)

Topics:

• The Great Virtuality – Chip Hardwick​
• Post-Pandemic Church​
  • A Longer Perspective​
  • Alone Together – Sherry Turkle​
• Opportunities​
• Challenges​
• Questions this Prompts for the Church

Topics:

• Billionaire Priorities
• Congregational Priorities – Clarity of Identity
• COVID – Rheostat
• Church Tensions

Topics:

• Surfside Update
• COVID – “I’m Still Here.”
• 8 Habits Part 2
  • Justice
  • Teaching
  • Fellowship
  • Generosity

Topics:

• Trauma – Surfside Catastrophe

Topics:

• Optimizing Check-in
• Entrepreneurial Pastors/Leaders
  • Basic Agreements
  • Seven Ways Pastors (Leaders) Should Think Like an Entrepreneur

Topics:

• Leadership During and After the Pandemic
• Risk Management
• Risk Taking
• Characteristics of Risk-Taking Leadership
• Out of the Comfort Zone: 5 Pushes

Topics:

• Pandemic Matrix​
• Opening and Optimizing​
• Going Back vs Going Forward​
• Hurricane Kit​
  • Tax free until June 

Topics:

• Church as Organization
• Church as Movement
• Gen Z – Yep, Those Young People
  • You Might Be Ignoring Them Inadvertently 

Topics:

• Mask Confusion
  • CDC
  • Vaccination Requirements
• Bombing and Terror
• Towards a Definition
• On Pentecost

Topics:

• COVID, In-person Worship and Stalling Vaccine Numbers​
• Consumers at the Buffet

Topics:

• Of Mandates and Masks
  • CDC
  • Just to be different, Florida
  • Churches and Clarity of Communication
• Boundaries, Boundaries
• Mandated Training
• Asking Questions that Make for Dialogue

Topics:

• The BLAH You’re Feeling
• Numb to the Numbers​
• “Leaving On a Jet Plane”​
• Walk To It

Topics:

• Vaccine Requirements – Delta, Delta
• Health Crisis beyond COVID-19
• What to do with the Anger
• Business Lunch & Family Dinner

Topics:

• Turn It to the Positive Side
  • Signs of Church Revitalization
• Condition of the Core
• Church Resurrections
• “The Great Reshuffling”
• It’s All About the Neighborhood

Topics:

• The Word of God for the People of God​
  • In the locked room​
• For fear of our own people​
• Peace on this side of the Covid Curve​
• Sent into this World​
• The shape of a decade

Topics:

• This could be the hardest period for pastors and church leaders
  • On the way to Jerusalem
• After “a year of no hugs and unchanging surroundings”
• Issues on the way…
• Leaving it there…
• On the way … Together

Topics:

• Post-Pandemic Church Predictions
  • Competition​
  • Counting​
  • Cornerstones​
  • Conspiracy​
  • Carnal Incarnation​
  • Consciousness

Topics:

• Dr. Lisa Allgood Update
• Post Half-Time realities – The Rules of the Game Change
• Percolating hostility (in the church of all places!)
• Empathy as Emotional Intelligence and COVID Skill
• Social Skills as Emotional Intelligence and COVID Skill

Topics:

• COVID-19: Vaccination Employment Issues
• Playing the Game vs In the Game: Self-Awareness
• First Quarter: Self-Regulation
• Second Quarter: Motivation

Topics:

• A YEAR of COVID
• Electronic Meetings
• Reconciliation Conversations

Topics:

• Holy Week & Easter
• Here We Go Again – Great Ideas
  • Holy Week
  • Easter
• Replacements & Substitutions
• Now With Longer Perspective​

Topics:

• COVID-19
  • Variants
  • Double Masking
• The Lenten Journey
  • As Congregations
  • As the Presbytery
• Prayer and the Lenten Journey​

Topics:

• COVIDACTNOW.org
• Nieuwhof Disruptive Trends that will Rule 2021
  • Growing Churches Will Shift from Gathering to Connecting
  • Growing Churches Will See the Internet and Buildings Differently
  • Generational Differences – Clearer Than Ever
• Content vs Community/Connection
  • Balance
  • When to ramp up? When to pull back?​

Topics:

• It’s Groundhog Day​
• What is the status of Faith in the US​
  • Pew research​
  • Resonances​
• Superbowl of Church life in COVID​
  • Quarterbacking the Church​
  • Long-term experience vs. Young experimentation​

Topics:

• A Clarion Call for Unity
• Unity in the Church
• Congregational Unity
• Unity and Core Principles for Vibrancy

Topics:

• Oh, Covid-19 – A Firm Grasp
  • The virus
  • The vaccine
  • The vigilance
• PPP#2 – Applications
• Resilience in a time of assault
• Prayerful Repose

Topics:

• Oh, Covid-19 – “I’m still here.”
• PPP Update (Since Last Week)
• Wednesday, January 6, 2021
• Prayerful Response
• Public Discourse and Ecclesiastical Discussion
• What YOU say matters

Topics:

• PPP Round 2
• Ash Wednesday – Round 1
• New Year: Stepping Boldly into the Future

Topics:

• PPP Loan Forgiveness
• Session Records Review
• First Line of Defense in a Pandemic
• NIH Director on Doing the “Altruistic, Loving Thing”
• December Tuesday Together Schedule
• Joy 

Topics:

• To Thine Own Self Be True​
• Congregational Leader as Emergency Service Personnel​
  • Thriving​
  • Surviving​
  • Struggling​
  • In Crisis​
• Peace

Topics:

COME TO THE TABLE
A Gather Around the Table OPEN Discussion using a guiding question ​

• The Narthex Table​
• The Coffee Table​
• The Communion Table​
• The Kids Table​
• The Kitchen Table​
• The Conference Room Table​
• The Fellowship Hall Table​
• The Thanksgiving Table

Topics:

• Here we go again—Positivity Rate Soars​
• Recommendations of the Presbytery​
• Recommendations of the Hive​
• How time is “mushy right now”​
• The Stories of Covid

Topics:

• Tropical Storm – How did you fair?
• Honest talk about what just happened here
• Oh the Numbers – worst week yet with COVID cases

Topics:

• Presbytery Assembly November 14
• Boy Scouts Bankruptcy—what to do if a troop ever met in the church
• In the face of tension and division – In the Church and beyond
• Gayle King: “It’s no wonder a lot of people are on edge.”
• Where we find ourselves – rising tensions
• How we respond?
  • Foundational Understandings
  • Following the Lectionary – Joshua and Matthew

Topics:

• Holy Days, Seasons, Festivals, and Holidays Idea Summit
  • October 27 at Tuesday Together
  • Exchange of Materials
• What is the main thing/s to keep in mind & hold in heart
  • All Saints’ Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Advent
  • Nativity/Christmas

Topics:

• Holy Days, Seasons, Festivals, and Holidays Idea Summit
  • October 27 at Tuesday Together
  • Exchange of Materials
• Reformation Sunday – On Change as the Way Forward
  • Reality check on return to Jerusalem
  • Enduring shifts posts COVID
• Vibrant Together: Vital Worship – Workshop One Part 2
  • What are the Vital Signs
  • Taking the Pulse of our Worship

Topics:

• PPP Forgiveness application needs to be completed
  • Almost all churches qualify to do the EZ form
• Vibrant Together: Vital Worship – Workshop One
  • What are the Vital Signs
  • Taking the Pulse of our Worship

Topics:

• Applying Liminality to Tropical Florida and this “season”
• Threats
  • Anxiety, Disorientation, Denial, Shifting Power Dynamics, The Emergence of Tricksters
• What Great Listeners Actually Do
• PTF churches: Rates for Re-Starting In-Person

Topics:

• DeSantis and the News Headlines
• Implications for Churches and Resuming In-Person gatherings
• What of grenades like “hoax” and “socialism”
• When the fence is down…
• Applying Liminality to Tropical Florida and this “season”

Topics:

• Applying Liminality to Tropical Florida and this “season”​
• Opportunities​
  • Communitas, Innovation, Rediscovery of Core, Cultivating Collective Wisdom​
• The Discernment of Ezra

Topics:

• Purposeful Action during COVID-19
  • Fostering Experiments
  • Embracing Failure
  • Replacing Repetition with Iteration
  • Naming What is Arising
  • Waiting for Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity

Topics:

• Remote Community Building 
  • Strengths, Assets, Resilience
• Leadership Twists
  • The Absence of Feedback
  • Remote Availability Weariness
  • Lugging Along Everyone’s Baggage
• Skills Building – Discovering a Sermon with Craig Dykstra

Topics:

• Remote Community Building 
  • Strengths, Assets, Resilience
• Leadership Twists
  • The Absence of Feedback
  • Remote Availability Weariness
  • Lugging Along Everyone’s Baggage
• Skills Building – Discovering a Sermon with Craig Dykstra

Topics:

• Vibrant Together Grants
  • Request for Proposals (see below)
  • Focus on Disciple Making and Vital Worship
• Looking at the world (COVID and the CHURCH) from 4 views
  • Structural Frame – Rational
  • Human Resource Frame – People
  • Political Frame – Conflict
  • Symbolic Frame – Meaning

Topics:

• PCUSA- Black Lives Matter Week of Action​
• COVID-19…INTERVIEW WITH LISA ALLGOOD – WOWZERS!
  • Long-term Effects on the Body
  • Reality of Wide Use of a Vaccine
  • Turn the AC Off Before People Get in the Room
  • No Singing

Topics:

• PCUSA- Black Lives Matter Week of Action​
• COVID-19…INTERVIEW WITH LISA ALLGOOD – WOWZERS!
  • Long-term Effects on the Body
  • Reality of Wide Use of a Vaccine
  • Turn the AC Off Before People Get in the Room
  • No Singing

Topics:

• PCUSA- Black Lives Matter Week of Action​
• What’s Brewing Out in the Atlantic​
• Cleaning House​
• The Nature of the Prayer of Confession​
• Saturday’s Assembly

Topics:

• Blurred Lines between the Personal and Pulpit​
• Social Media – It’s the Prince/It’s the Pits​
• Social Media – My Page/The Church Page​
• Social Media – Your Brand First; Your Content Second​
• Political Tensions Amplified​
• Personal Relationships Online: ​ Digital Distancing & Immediate Intimacy

Topics:

• One down…how many to go?  Isaias
• Its AUGUST – A longer view of 2020
• What about budgets, forecasting, and stewardship
• Program modifications
• Pastor’s Convocation Registration
• August Assembly 

Topics:

• How to shape a Christian Education program for the fall
• Taking your CE program online
• Sunday School
• Bible Study for Adults – what is being done currently
  • Learning from each other
• Book Study Groups
• When Small Group ministry goes online
  • Study
  • Fellowship
  • New groups

Topics:

• Numbers are out of this world​
• Close it down or open it up​
• How to make people feel safer in such a volatile environment:​
  • Helps from the wider culture​
  • Prompts from the church​
  • Spiritual practices​
    • What are the apt spiritual practices in this moment?​
    • What menu items are being offered by your church?

Topics:

• An introduction to the next markers on the Ministry Map​
• Congregational meetings & Electing officers​
• Examining & Training officers​
• Ordaining and Installing officers​
• Receiving members and public recognition​
• Baptisms
• PLUS – What to do when someone at church/school is exposed to COVID-19

Topics:

• Reading the tea leaves
• Reflections on where you and your church are
• Re-imagining (no, we are not talking about that conference)
• Re-thinking the time-table
• Re-contextualization—a reworking of the Sitz-im-Leben as the exiles return

Topics:

• General Assembly – From Lament to Hope
• Financial Items – The Latest and Greatest
• Hurricane Prep Planning
• Fall Planning – Including August Assembly
• Pastors Convocation

Topics:

• 224 General Assembly Update
• Next Frontier – 10 Guidelines for Pastoral Care During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Topics:

• PPP Flexibility Act (8 Changes)
• Office Life – Reopening Offices to Administrative Staff
• How Do We Support Our Staff
• And…the Numbers (Are Going Up)
• Session: Action & Voting Alignment
• Property Use

Topics:

• Leave Time
• For Such a Time as This – Matthew 25 (Racial Justice Resource)
• “Do Me a Favor, Open the Door and Let ’em In”
• What’s the 411 About the New Sunday Morning

Topics:

• Level 4 Matrix – Opening and Optimizing
• This is a Disruption and Not an Interruption
  • Church
  • Systemic Racism
  • Vocational Identity

Topics:

• Payment Protection Plan (PPP) – Updates on Loan Forgiveness
• COVID-19 Through the Lens of Community Trauma and the Change it is Fostering
• Resources for Processing Trauma

Topics:

• The Confliction of Perceptions and Voices Around COVID-19
  • In My Neighborhood
  • In My Church
  • In My Theological Reflection

Topics:

• Re-Opening and Resuming Discussion Tools
• Financial Resources
• Vibrant Christ-Centered Communities…Have Spiritual Depth
• The Focused Picture of Mapping the Way forward
  • Spiritual Depth

Topics:

• Re-Opening and Resuming Plans
• The Focused Picture of Mapping the Way Forward
  • Reconciliation
  • Clarity of Identity

Topics:

• It is May!…Re-Open?  How About Now?
• Vital Worship – The Focus Picture of Mapping the Way Forward

Topics:

• The Front-Line Picture on the Re-Opening Phase

Topics:

• Time for Some Structure Around the Chaotic?
• Adaptive vs. Technical Work – Ron Heifetz
• Holy Week During the Pandemic
• Technology – Yikes! I Need Help

Topics:

• Checking in with Each Other
• Open Questions on Finance and Stewardship
• Holy Week During the Pandemic

Topics:

• Session Mindfulness (And Leader Mindfulness)
• Where is Your Anxiety or What is this Time Like for You?
• Stewardship, Finances, Loans
• Sacraments and Holy Week

Topics:

• Worship Innovations
• Ministry Matters – Connections, Connections, Connections

Pandemic Preparation Matrix

• Monitoring and Modifying
• Determining and Distancing
• Closing and Cancelling
• Opening and Optimizing