Fresh Perspectives As the crisp air of fall settles in and the leaves begin to turn, there’s a sense of new energy and possibility in the air—an ideal time to plan for the year ahead. I’m thrilled to share that our Gathering of Leaders calendar for 2025 is now officially posted! See below for all dates and…
End of summer dreams It may be hard to believe, but as most of our churches are just ramping up the program year, the GOL year is rapidly drawing to a close. With just two more Gatherings this year (see below to register) we’re already planning for 2025, taking your feedback seriously so that we…
When I signed up to attend my first Gathering of Leaders I had no clue that I was about to accept a new call, to leave the place where I had rector for the first time. At the time, I signed up to be inspired, to meet people across the church, to breathe in some…
I attended my first Gathering in Orlando in 2012. At the time, I was 49 years old and the rector of St. Francis Church in Holden, MA. I’m pretty sure there was a requirement that first-timers be under fifty, so I made it in just in the nick of time. At the time GOL was…
Starts & Stops As I write to you we are wrapping up our Clergy Gathering in Michigan. This is the first time we’ve held a gathering here and we’ve had lovely seasonal weather, new connections and friendships, peer learning and more. One of our traditional ways to end a gathering is to host a conversation…
Unlike the 1990s song by Marc Cohn, “Walking in Memphis,” I did not don my blue suede shoes before boarding my plane, nor did I touch down in the land of the delta blues in the middle of the pouring rain. Instead, I wore my favorite pair of professional-looking Rothy’s and my first experience of…
So much good news As we announced earlier this week, we are so thrilled to have exceeded our goals for our Network of Networks Major Gift Campaign. I join with Haley in thanking everyone for their generous giving and for the energy so many of you have infused into our networks this year. We were also over…
In true Gathering of Leaders’ style, we’re embracing peer-learning and hearing directly from some of our Participants themselves. As faithful and hope-filled leaders in the Church they’re creative ministries are bringing new life. See you at the ECF/GOL Booth Jun 22 @ 12 pm ET – Miriam McKinney – Social Justice Storytime Jun 22 @…
Hope & Grief… and Hope. I remember learning many years ago, as part of a class on Family Systems, that often change is hard because change means loss. It is hard to change, hard to let old ministries end, always hard to say goodbye to the way things have always been. A few weeks…
Gathering of Leaders offers a community–not just for validation–but for bold exploration. At the April retreat, we were invited to explore our leadership roles through examples of ministry, fellowship with other leaders, and selections of Scripture. One of my biggest takeaways from this retreat was the opportunity to step back and see the dynamically fluid…