2009 Pastor/Spouse Retreat Alternative

Dear Pastor,

The Committee on Training and Nurture would like to offer you an alternative to the Pastor and Spouse Retreat for 2009.  Previously, pastors, spouses and families have gathered all at one time and in one place.  Should the alternative below find merit with Tres Rios pastors, it would be alternated with the other format. 

The purpose of the Retreat is to offer Pastors and their families an opportunity to take time out of the whirlwind of activity and/or stress of day-to-day ministry to rest, relax, renew and build collegial relationships with other pastors and families in the Presbytery.  The College of Pastoral Leaders (see www.austinseminary.edu)  refers to this as part of developing “Pastoral Excellence”.  Janet Maykus, Principal of the College writes, “What is pastoral excellence? There is a unique answer for everyone.  Embrace the idea of excellence and discover ways to invigorate your lives and ministries. Use your imagination. Go ahead and dream! …I encourage you to gather together with clergy friends and imagine what you need to rest, to be encouraged, to become invigorated, to find spiritual rejuvenation, to laugh, and to learn.”

The goal of the Training and Nurture Committee is to encourage you to grow in pastoral excellence.  The proposed alternative will grant each pastor $100.00 to use to relax, renew, and/or build collegial relationships.  A total of 30 grants will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.  There is a high degree of latitude in how these funds could be used.  To be approved for funding, please submit the attached application.  Applications may be submitted any time between now and September 8^th.

Here are some possibilities for using these funds:

v   Spend a day at a spiritual retreat center or create your own retreat setting.

v   Hire a caregiver so that you and your spouse can spend some quality time together

v   Treat yourself and your spouse/family to an outing that gives you unhurried time with each other

v   Get together with other pastors (who have young children, who serve in rural areas, who are new in ministry, who are long-timers in ministry, who find renewal in nature, who like to fish, who have urban ministries, who have specialized ministries, who enjoy similar music, who play musical instruments, who want to make pottery, who live in the same area, who want to focus on a particular spiritual discipline, etc) and bring in a speaker, a facilitator, a pastoral counselor, an artist, a poet, a writer, a spiritual guide or…

v   Form a group to do a book study via internet together and meet before or after a presbytery meeting for face to face conversation.

Hopefully, you are getting the idea that you can be creative and make the dollars stretch!  If you have any questions, please contact Katherine Norvell at manhattanpastor@sbcglobal.net.

Sincerely,
The Tres Rios Presbytery Committee on Training and Nurture

Application Form