Clergy Communities of Practice (Pilot Project)
A new shared opportunity called “Clergy Communities of Practice” (CCOP) is being launched this fall for clergy who are serving in the United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). Representatives from both denominations have been meeting throughout the summer to plan this pilot project. The Western PA Conference of the UMC has used the CCOP program since 2017 and is excited about sharing the model with their colleagues in the Northwest PA and Southwest PA Synods of the ELCA.
What is a Clergy Community of Practice?
It is a type of covenant group to support the development of Christian leaders through peer encouragement, learning, fellowship, and spiritual practices. Through intentional peer engagement, the groups help to reverse trends of isolation among clergy. Meetings invite participants to share in prayer and fellowship, as well as a time of learning and application. The crucial emphasis in these groups is to bring learning into practice, not simply to build up knowledge. In the shared UMC/ELCA groups, there will be opportunity to learn about each other’s faith tradition and discover the commonalities which keep us in communion with each other.
Group participation requires 2-4 hours per month in addition to the assigned reading for the sessions. Both in-person and Zoom options are available. Each meeting will be led by a trained facilitator who is a clergy peer. The facilitator invites conversation and asks questions rather than acting as an expert. Learning is focused topically and participants can expect to read around 100 pages each month in preparation for gatherings. Groups usually meet for 9 months.
Cost of the 2022-2023 UMC/ELCA CCOP experience is $50 per participant. In addition, participants should expect to spend about $50 for required books. If a group is meeting in person, there may be an additional expense for a shared meal.
If you are interested in participating in this pilot CCOP project, you can register at: https://wpa-reg.brtapp.com/CCOP_Pilot
Registration deadline is October 13, 2022.