Exploring ways to know and serve God and God’s people, together
Discerning lay leaders from the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh will meet regularly to:
- Grow together in Christian faith, practice, and leadership.
- Develop skills and vision for ministry to support clergy and members of their parish.
- Discern interest and sense of call to serve as licensed Lay Reader, Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, Preacher, or Evangelist (in any combination!).
- Connect with others to cultivate opportunities for creative ministry development.
LOVE+TEACH+HEAL Leadership Academy will:
- Spark vision, creativity, and connections for ministry among the laypeople of the diocese.
- Encourage laypeople to recognize their own authority and call for ministry in their congregation and community by virtue of their baptism.
- Meet the real, regular, practical ministry needs of our parishes now and in the future.
- Create a roster of lay leaders throughout the diocese who may be called on for ministry needs.
- Connect more substantially with both Episcopal and Lutheran leaders and laity in the region.
WHEN AND WHERE
We will meet for 90 minutes on Wednesdays from 7:30-9:00 p.m. via Zoom during the global pandemic. Should the circumstances of the pandemic change, we will find a place to safely meet in person.
Sessions will begin on Wednesday, October 6, 2021. Our time together will include topical conversation, regular Bible study, and group reflection regarding themes. Participants will receive a copy of Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson and A Lay Preacher’s Guide: How to Craft a Faithful Sermon by Karoline Lewis. Participants are expected to have a copy of the Book of Common Prayer and a Bible (NRSV preferred) which they can mark with notes. LTH Academy sessions go from October 2021 through May 2022 with holiday breaks.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Please register by September 22, 2021, submitting a brief registration form (available as a Word doc or PDF) to the Canon for Faith Formation and Evangelism, Natalie Hall. Contact your priest/pastor or Canon Hall for forms. Canon Hall can be reached at nhall@episcopalpgh.org or at (703) 963-2789.