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.
The 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.
When and Where:
We will meet on Wednesdays from 7:30-9 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 14, 2020. Our time together will include a devotional practice for further daily use at home, Bible study, and group conversation 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 Bible (NRSV preferred) which they can mark with notes. These are also available online, yet more difficult to annotate in a digital setting.
How to Participate:
Please register online here by September 30, 2020, submitting a brief registration form to the Canon for Faith Formation and Evangelism, Natalie Hall. Contact your priest/pastor or Canon Hall for printed forms. Canon Hall can be reached at nhall@episcopalpgh.org or 703-963-2789.