Dear CCD Pastor:
As your district pastor, it is important to me that you have opportunities
for personal and spiritual renewal. I want to encourage you to avail yourself of
these opportunities and other that may arise. Sharpen the Saw, Recharge the
Batteries, so that you will be able to enjoy life, enjoy ministry, and enjoy
God!
1. District Pastors and Spouses' Retreat
Every year we program into the district calendar a Pastors' and
Spouses' Retreat. It is laid back, not over-programmed, and is designed for you
to get rest and be renewed in company of your colleagues in ministry. Dates for
2003 are September 17-19. Rev. Jim Mellish will be our guest
speaker, and special music will be provided by Chad and Rachel Ozee.
Additional materials will be mailed to you as the date approaches.
2. Pastor's Retreat Network
Serving 99 denominations, PRN is currently making a generous offer to
our pastors. They are offering a renewal program for pastors that is absolutely
free! Pastors have the option of selecting a "spiritual formation" or "rest and
relaxation" track as a part of their retreat package. Pastors and spouses may
check in on a Sunday night and depart the following Friday morning after
breakfast. All meals will be provided except for Sunday evening. There are
three locations from which to choose:
Cedarly Pastors Retreat, Delefield, Wisconsin (30 miles west of
Milwaukee, in the heart of the Lake District). Phone: 262-646-7772.
Texas Stagecoach Inn, Vanderpool, TX (90 minutes from San Antonio at
Sabinal Canyon of the Texas Hill country). Phone: 830-966-6270.
A Valley View Inn, Bedord, OH (90 minutes south of Columbus, Amish
home surrounded by Amish farms, fields, and woodlands). Phone: 800-331-8439.
Pastors may also check out their website at
www.pastorsretreatnetwork.org
for additional information. To make a reservation, pastors will need to fill out
an online registration form provided by the Pastors Retreat Network website
listed above.
3. Refuge Ministries
A ministry of Nazarene elder Everett Baker and his wife Chloe.
Everett and Chloe have been ministering to pastors for years, providing them
with a time rest as well as opportunity to deal with hurt and frustrations in
ministry and in their personal lives. Several of our pastors have attended and
all have reported receiving a tremendous amount of help. For some, it has been
life-changing and ministry-saving. The district at times is able to provide some
scholarship funds to cover some of the retreat costs and/or transportation costs
for our district's pastors. Seminar/Retreat dates vary, so talk with me if you
are interested in attending an upcoming session.
4. Personal or Family Counseling
At times in the life of a pastor, issues become complex and we need a
little help on the journey. This is normal and asking for help from a neutral
third-party professional counselor is a good thing. The district has an
arrangement with a locally-based Nazarene minister who provides confidential
professional counseling for our pastors. The first 3 sessions are at the
district's expense. Additional sessions are the pastor's or local church's
expense. Please let me know if this would helpful to you.
You are loved and appreciated! If you know of any other resources for renewal
that would be helpful to our district pastors, please let the
district office secretary know so we can
add those to this page.
