Overview

Recent studies confirm that pastors and leaders are confronting a crisis: people’s lives are not being profoundly transformed in our churches. Moreover, many in leadership are running on empty, neglecting their own inner life with God.

This practical seminar takes the steps of implementing a discipleship paradigm laid out in Pete Scazzero’s best-selling books, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and The Emotionally Healthy Church, into the life of the leader, their family and the leadership of the local church. It explores how to build a church culture, beginning with pastors, where spiritual maturity and emotional health are considered inseparable and where our work for Jesus flows out of a life with Jesus.

The goal is for the pastor/leader to seriously engage Christ during this time and to be equipped to take the material back to his/her leadership and, eventually, to the entire church..

Conference Workbook and Notes 

Session 1: The Enormous Challenge and Opportunity Before Us

Pete will share his story over 24 years of pastoring (i.e. hard lessons learned) and the large challenges facing leadership today. He will then introduce a biblical theology that integrates: 1. Emotional health; 2. Contemplative spirituality and; 3. A vision for mission that flows out of the integrity and depth of our leadership.

Session 2: Going Back to Go Forward

We will then construct a 3-4 generational genogram to look at our family of origin and consider its impact on our present relationships, our building of mature disciples, and our relationship with God. Then we will make applications of how to go back in such a way that it leads to freedom and profound transformation in Christ for us and our people. We will conclude by learning one or two emotionally healthy skills to equip our people to live in the new family of Jesus.

Session 3: Contemplative Spirituality - Slowing Down to Be with God

This session will also address the indispensable place of contemplative spirituality (e.g. silence, solitude) so that we develop a rhythm of life that enables us to joyfully serve Christ. In particular, we will look at the Daily Office, Sabbath-keeping and a “Rule of Life” as key spiritual formation disciplines. This session will also provide time for conference participants to ponder the “blizzard” of their lives and the kind of changes they need to make in order to nurture a growing spirituality in our own lives out of which they can lead their churches well. This session will include guided time alone with God

Session 4: Leadership Challenges and Next Steps

Leading out of our marriage vows, the complexity of dual relationships, the challenges of living what we preach, and the place of grieving and embracing our limits both in our leadership and churches. We will conclude with looking at next steps to taking this transformational discipleship model to our leadership and our churches.

Conference Workbook and Notes