Clergy, Staff and Volunteers should sign up NOW!
What will happen?
Participants of Survival School will spend a high energy week at skills development, simulation exercises, personal inventories and role-playing. The week provides an inspiring vision of church ministry in healthy, whole, Gospel-driven values. Proven principles of leadership, management, supervision and community development form the basis for the instruction. A wide variety of instructional methods make the learning experience interesting, dynamic, inspirational and FUN.
Some of the topics include:
Exercising leadership of different styles in different situations
Understanding and using power appropriately
Building an effective team environment
Understanding the minister's role as manager; managing stress,
Handling conflicts wisely and avoiding burnout
Developing a "theology of volunteers"
Writing volunteer job descriptions
Interviewing, placing and evaluating volunteers
Conflict resolution
The training has evolved throughout its 25 years, remaining abreast of current trends in leadership and yet always rooted in a Christian theology of care. Formulated originally in 1979 as training for Christian Education volunteer leaders in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, Survival School participants from a wide variety of Christian denominations have consistently found the training relevant to a variety of church leadership issues.
In July 2003 the Arizona Ecumenical Council took the program under its wing, thereby allowing it to expand its reach to a greater number of Christian congregations.
Cost
Sunday June 8
3:00 P.M. Registration & welcome
4:00 P.M. Workshop: Orientation
5:00 P.M. Workshop: The Minister as Manager
6:30 P.M. Closing Prayer
Monday June 9
8:45 A.M. Morning Prayer
9:00 A.M. Workshop: Developing Volunteers
12:15 P.M. Lunch (on your own)
1:30 - 4:45 Workshop: Developing Volunteers
4:45 - 5:00 Closing Prayer
Tuesday June 10
8:45 A.M. Morning Prayer
9:00 A.M. Workshop: Situational Leadership
12:15 P.M. Lunch (on your own)
1:30 - 4:45 Workshop: Team Building
4:45 - 5:00 Closing Prayer
Wednesday June 11
8:45 A.M. Morning Prayer
9:00 A.M. Workshop: Power and Influence
12:15 P.M. Lunch (on your own)
1:30 - 4:45 Workshop: Managerial Dynamics
4:45 - 5:00 Closing Prayer
Thursday June 12
8:45 A.M. Morning Prayer
9:00 A.M. Workshop: Conflict Management
12:15 P.M. Lunch (brown bag)
1:00 - 4:15 Workshop: Personal Growth
4:15 - 5:45 P.M. Evaluations / Closing Ceremonies
More information
Brochures,registration forms and more testimonials are available by contacting Lita Johnson at the Arizona Ecumenical Council, (602) 468-3818 or aec@aecunity.net or Pat Bennier at pbbnoj@cox.net or 480-266-9723.
Please forward this information along to colleagues in ministry (clergy, staff and volunteers) and those involved in lay ministry development in other agencies or congregations, both within Arizona and throughout the country.
Participant Testimonies:
Participants consistently acclaim Survival School as an outstanding experience of leadership development. Read what a few had to say from earlier this year.
"I wish I had this course senior year in high school, certainly in seminary. You fulfilled a dream of mine, to receive a distillation of the best of theology, psychology and business management in one course. Volunteers, Team Building, Management Styles, Conflict Resolution? I needed this stuff!!"
--John Paul Hopping, Associate Pastor
"One of the best, most practical, encouraging workshops I've attended. I wish I had learned these things in seminary. I've had to pick them up, mostly, on my own, borrowing and adapting from business models and other organizations. It's nice to hear them well-crafted for the church."
--Doug Bland, Pastor, Community Christian Church, Tempe, Arizona
"You have more than met every expectation. I am enlightened. I had a number of concerns initially: Will this be lame? Have I made a serious mistake and ended up at a Catholic lay leader event? I'm not sure I "want" to be in community with "these." I fully repent and praise God for his goodness and faithfulness, and I praise him for my cathartic experience and that these are my brothers and sisters."
--David Schuring, Pastor, Mission View Community Church
"I enjoyed the 'unpacking' part of each workshop and hearing insights from other participants. I enjoyed prayer times and experiencing the many ways we were brought into God's presence. I appreciated the ecumenical nature of the event."
--Devra Betts, Ministry Coordinator, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church (ELCA), Las Vegas, Nevada
"It is very holistic and powerful! Inspiring! Gives me a sense of hope that the kingdom of God is possible and is really happening on earth."
--Nodelyn Abayan, Candidate, Sisters of Social Service
"You allowed us to "strip ourselves" without danger for one purpose and one only - to see ourselves as we are --. I am thankful, grateful and indebted to you for that. My thanks are my prayer for each of you and those you represent! You do important work!"
--Kathy Lewis, Director of Family Life
"The most professional workshop I have ever attended. The whole team was open and informative."
Laurie McCaleb, Minister for Faith in Daily Life
"Fantastic! I am thinking about the Survival School logo. My ministry will not become a crown of thorns. Rather, the kind that comes from a place of peace and tranquility."
--John Naples, Director of Music
"This is good material and presented with excellence. I'm familiar with most and it was great review and re-enforcement. Thank you for notebooks and not reading it to me. This is the only notebook from an educational event I think I will actually use."
--Loranell Breyley, Pastor, Prince of Peace Lutheran, Portage, Michigan
"I believe everyone in church ministry should attend - It would completely transform the Church! It's just what we need in the 21st century."
--Maria Fisher, Bereavement Ministry/Asst. DRE
" After an indefinite number of retreats I have never experienced the feeling of not wanting to go home. But today I did. I miss my family, but I love this feeling of enlightenment. All I can say is that thanks to God and all of you, I will survive?!"
--Marissa Esparza, Asst Dir for Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministries,
Diocese of San Diego California
"I have attended 4 leadership workshops in the past 10 years. This is the Rolls Royce of them all. Well done, it was evident that the staff not only cared, they had passion, which made such a difference."
--Dave Smith, DRE, St Julie Billiart Parish
"This workshop brought out a lot in how to manage people in ministry. We are all in this together and if we all work as a team for Christ we will achieve our goal. The team of instructors showed us how to work as a team."
--Richard Sanbrulle, Diaconate Candidate