The Large Church: Praxis, Problems & Promise

The following is an announcement from Meadville Lombard Theological School on a new large church ministry training.

Meadville Lombard is excited to offer a course focusing on large church ministry leadership in a one week intensive format July 9-13, 2007 in Dallas, Texas.

Learn to create and lead institutions capable of sustaining the complex ministries and operations of large churches. Ordained ministers, lay leaders, seminarians, and church staff will all find applicable, dynamic approaches to 3 key elements of church life:

* Worship * Education * Public Witness

Students will discover the critical alignments and distinct roles of members, ministers and staff found in healthy institutions. This course will offer instruction in theology and theory while drawing on experiences of several large congregations, including one of the most dynamic institutions in the Unitarian Universalist movement today, the First Unitarian Church of Dallas.

We intend to provide people with:

• A theology of religious leadership
• Skills for building effective leadership teams
• Applications for ‘best practices’ in worship, education and public witness
• A community of students, ministers and lay leaders

Costs for Participation:

• Credit – Tuition for those seeking Meadville Lombard credit: $1,450 plus $50 registration fee
• Audit – Tuition for those auditing the course: $725 plus $50 registration fee

Team Rate – If a single congregation would like to bring a team of five or more to audit the course, a special group tuition fee of $2,100 would be offered with a $50 registration fee per participant.

Visit the Meadville Lombard Theological School web site at www.meadville.edu for more complete course information, travel and lodging information and to register.