United Fresh Start
We at LVUC are presently entering into what is called an Interim Ministry process that will contain Fresh Start Modules for the community of faith and the Board to participate in.. You may wonder what Fresh Start Modules are all about. From the United Fresh Start website the following information on Fresh Start Modules was taken.
For many years, the General Council Office has been paying attention to the well-being of ministry personnel and attempting to understand what causes ministers to feel isolated and demoralized. The Isolation in Ministry study conducted by the General Council indicated a strong correlation between 1) the relationship between the minister and the congregation and 2) the degree to which ministers experience burnout, depression, anxiety and stress. In other words, the stronger the pastoral relationship between ministers and the congregation as a whole, the healthier and more effective ministry personnel will be.
United Fresh Start is a curriculum with 24 modules that teach ministers and congregational leader's critical strategies for working effectively together. It contains proven methods based on the work of organizational leadership experts and is based on a program developed by the Episcopal Church over the past 25 years. The program covers key topics, such as entering new systems, conflict management, family systems theory, polarity management, church size theory, and adaptive leadership. Together, ministers and congregational leaders gain a mutual understanding of leadership expectations, role clarity, and the use of power and authority. The program will help create a fresh start for the pastoral relationship and prepare you for effective mission and ministry together. Although the program is ideally suited for new pastoral relationships, several of the modules can be used to equip congregations to be effective in the face of any adaptive challenge.
You can read a summary of the specific Fresh Start modules on this page.
A brochure on United Fresh Start is available in the Downloads below.
Updates and Details
The Fresh Start modules that will be used here in our process will be determined by the Transition Team after inputs from other Teams at LVUC. We will announce which modules and when they will be availabe at a future date.
As we move through the interim ministry process here at LVUC I will be posting updates on our progress. I will also be providing more details on specific parts of the process. Should you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me or any board member. Your input is critical to this process being successful.