“Strong, faithful and informed lay leadership is essential to the future of our changing church. The ChurchNext series of courses for Vestry leaders offers a robust, thorough introduction to the joys and challenges of Vestry leadership.” Roger Ferlo (Ret.) – Bexley Seabury Seminary
“This is a convenient, practical way to gain essential information for new and veteran vestry members.” – Bishop Kirk Smith (Ret.), Episcopal Diocese of Arizona
“I know of no better way to equip both new and veteran vestry leaders with the essential information and skills needed to serve their congregations than the four classes that result in the ChurchNext Certificate in Vestry Leadership.” – Scott Stoner, Living Compass
“These courses offer vestry member down-to-earth information that will support their ministries in daily, practical ways. They are easily accessible, convenient and helpful for new vestry members and veterans, individuals and groups.” – Bishop Suffragan Susan Goff, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
“I heartily recommend these courses, as they bring renewed focus to the significant ministry of Vestry members, based on the principle that spiritually vital congregations grow with spiritually engaged leaders (clergy and lay). Thanks be to God for this focus on the call of Vestry members to be spiritual leaders, helping Vestry members to experience service on the vestry as sustaining and nourishing.” – The Rev. Jay Sidebotham, Director of RenewalWorks
If the health of a congregation is related to the quality of its leadership, then educating our leaders on key areas of their work is critical.
Students and vestries can earn a certificate by completing all four, 45-minute courses, which will take an average learner a total of 3 hours. The courses are also available in a For Groups format, making them ideal for small group learning in vestry retreats or regular vestry meetings.
Earn a certificate by completing these four courses. Click on them for a course description including a video preview:
- The Vestry Journey with Van Sheets For Individuals
- The Vestry Journey with Van Sheets For Groups
- Vestry Vision and Leadership with Charles Robertson
- Vestry Vision and Leadership with Charles Robertson For Groups
- Vestry Team Building and Conflict with Bill Carroll For Individuals
- Vestry Team Building and Conflict with Bill Carroll For Groups
- Understanding Vestry Finances with Tom Post For Individuals
- Understanding Vestry Finances with Tom Post For Groups
Again, each course is available in two formats, For Individuals and For Groups. Successfully complete all of them and receive your custom Certificate in Vestry Leadership.
Certificate in Prayer Book Studies
The Book of Common Prayer is enormously important in the formation of Episcopalians. For years, we hear the words of the prayer book weekly; sometimes daily. We use its words during the most important ceremonies of our lives — baptism, marriage, over the graves of loved ones. Its words help frame how we think about God’s role in our lives.
For this reason, it behooves us to think about this book very seriously. Who wrote these words that have such an impact on how we think about faith? Why was the prayer book originally written? Who decides what to include in the prayer book? What is the history of the creeds, collects, and other prayers that it includes? How does the prayer book approach and incorporate scripture? How can we use it to deepen our faith?
All these questions and more are addressed in the following classes:
- The Spirituality of the Book of Common Prayer with Karl Ruttan
- Singing the Prayer Book with Milner Seifert
- Scripture and the Prayer Book with Roger Ferlo
- Praying the Collects with Ellen Wondra
- Crossing Thresholds with Roger Ferlo and Suzann Holding
- English Origins of the Book of Common Prayer with John Dally
- Creeds and Commitments of the Prayer Book with Jason Fout
- An American Prayer Book; A Global Prayer Book with Tom Ferguson
The prayer book certification classes are brought to us by our partners at Bexley Seabury Federation, an Episcopal center for learning and development.
These courses can form the basis of a small group study or a curriculum for individual study because each course is available in two formats, For Individuals and For Groups. Successfully complete all of them and receive your custom Certificate in Prayer Book Studies.
Certificate in Episcopal Basics
Looking for a concise, accessible explanation of Episcopal faith and beliefs? The Revs. Scott Gunn and Melody Shobe have given us an incredible resource in the book and video series called Walk in Love. You can find out more about this book and purchase it from Forward Movement here.
In these courses these veteran Episcopal clerics unpack the basic beliefs and practices of their tradition. Here they are:
These courses can form the basis of a small group study or a curriculum for individual study because each course is available in two formats, For Individuals and For Groups. Successfully complete all of them and receive your custom Certificate in Episcopal Basics.
Certificate in Racial Awareness
If you’re like many people across the United States right now, you want to do something in response to systemic racial injustice. One way is to educate ourselves. Change the way we think. Make building
racial justice part of how we live and what we do rather than a short-term focus.
One way you might consider starting is with the ChurchNext series on building racial justice. We made this series in partnership with Trinity Institute based on their amazing conference, Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice. Courses are built on lectures by some of our leading teachers on the subject of race in America.
Take all five and you’re eligible for an Affirmation of Awareness in Racial Justice.
Spirituality and Racial Justice with Michael Curry
Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church Michael Curry teaches this class. Bishop Curry has made racial reconciliation one of the priorities of his ministry as Presiding Bishop. In this class, he provides a sobering yet hopeful outlook on both the sin of racism and the reconciliation of working towards a more just
world.
Whiteness and Racial Justice with Kelly Brown Douglas
Learn the history of whiteness and how the dominance and privilege of whiteness impacts our desire to bring racial healing to society. The Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary, professor, and author, leads us through a historical and sociological journey to better understand and bring about reconciliation and justice.
Theology and Racial Justice with J. Kameron Carter
In this course, J. Kameron Carter, author and Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University, explains many of the theological underpinnings of racial injustice.
Racism and Racial Justice with Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
In this class, activist, author, and Duke University professor Eduardo Bonilla-Silva contends that after the Civil Rights Movement, a new kind of racism emerged: color-blind racism. Bonilla-Silva describes this new racism, how it got here, and what can be done about it.
Reparation and Racial Justice with Jennifer Harvey
In this class, Jennifer Harvey, author and Professor of Religion at Drake University, argues that the popular ‘reconciliation’ paradigm for building racial justice needs to be replaced with one based on reparation.
These courses can form the basis of a small group study or a curriculum for individual study because each course is available in two formats, For Individuals and For Groups. Successfully complete all of them and receive your custom Certificate in Episcopal Basics.
Certificate Courses Are Affordable
For Individuals:
$9/mo – Subscribe – Complete all your course work within a month and that’s all you pay.
$40 – À la carte – Purchase each For Individuals course for $10 each without having to subscribe. You’ve got 6 months to complete your course work.
For Groups:
$29/mo – Subscribe – Unlimited use for all of your students via our Congregational subscription.
$60 – À la carte – Purchase each For Groups course for $15 each without having to subscribe and use them for a group of any size.
We join with you and other leaders in our church who understand that healthy congregations begin with healthy leaders, and if we can help form and shape them via this learning tool, we will hope to see Christ more heartily at work in our midst.
If you have any questions we’re available anytime at 888-963-9328 OR hello@churchnext.tv
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