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Saturday, May 14th, 2022

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9:00 am – 5:00 pm

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St David's Episcopal Church, 763 South Valley Forge Road, Wayne, PA 19087

Seal of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

(Participants will be required to show proof of vaccination at this event.)

Parishes that were unable to attend the adaptive leadership training offered by the Loving Presence Initiative in December will have the opportunity to bring teams to an in-person version of the training on May 14 from 9 am to 5 p.m. at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 763 South Valley Forge Road, in Wayne. The workshop, Adaptive Leadership Skills Workshop: Continuing the Loving Presence Journey, is also open to parishes that attended in December but wanted to return with a larger team in place. 

To augment the one-day training, an introductory video of workshop materials will be sent to all registrants to review prior to the May 14th workshop.

Ki ThoughtBridge, is the consulting firm selected to provide the adaptive leadership skills needed to engage in effective anti-racism work. Irma Tyler-Wood, The Reverend Jim Lemler, and Katherine Tyler Scott are the facilitators for the workshop. If you have any questions, please contact The Reverend Canon Jordan Casson at rector@stmichaelsyeadon.org

Why this approach?

In response to the Diocese of Pennsylvania’s call for a diocese-wide commitment to dismantling racism through the Loving Presence Initiative, many parishes asked for support in beginning the work of racial justice in their faith communities. The challenge of adapting to ever changing COVID response and managing conflict around political and racial issues had left many clergy stretched thin and wondering how to balance all of these crucial needs. Supporting them was a matter of clergy wellness.

Different from anti-racism training or conflict management, Adaptive Leadership training helps parishes create an environment in which they can plan and facilitate transformative conversations around race. For faith communities that struggle with conflict or resistance around this challenging work, it provides preliminary skills in managing the kind of change that racial justice requires. And at a time when parish leadership faces numerous transitions from the effects of COVID to the upheaval of political disagreement, Adaptive Leadership skills can be applied to all types of change.

Who should attend?

All parishes are invited to participate in these Adaptive Leadership trainings.

Parishes are asked to form Clergy Lay Leadership (CLL) Teams that include clergy and five to seven lay people who are committed to the work of dismantling racism, and who are able to facilitate parish conversations around race. The number of team members should be adequate to shepherd and complete the parish’s anti-racism work.

Teams will also receive ongoing support in creating a plan of action appropriate to their parish.

What is the format of the Adaptive Leadership workshop?

The workshop will feature three sessions over the course of a day, which will give time for large group learning and small group engagement. All the sessions will begin and end in prayer. Team members are asked to attend all sessions.

Session I (9:00 am to 12:00 pm) 5/14/2022 - Introduction to the Adaptive Leadership: A Call to Action

An overview of the Loving Presence initiative, and the purpose, goals, and group norms for creating a trusted community of learning will be shared with participants. Ki ThoughtBridge’s philosophy and the Integrated Model of Leadership© will be introduced and the essential skills identified that will enable the Clergy and Lay Leadership Teams (CLL) to undertake the responsibility of engaging their congregations in anti-racism work.

Session II (1:00 pm - 3:00pm) 5/14/2022 - The Leadership Difference: Establishing a Shared Story

The CLL Teams will connect through the sharing of history and will learn a process which they can use with their congregations in understanding the enlightening and healing power of their parish’s stories. Participants will be helped to begin the development of their parish history timeline.

Session III (3:00 pm - 5:00 pm) 5/14/2022 - Adaptive Leadership Skills: Learning to Lead and Manage Change

The CLL Teams will be introduced to a Leading Change Model and its potential applicability to the anti-racism work. The model equips participants with ways to resolve conflict and manage the ambiguity and anxiety in groups when change occurs. The Teams will be provided a process for developing the first draft action plan for inviting and engaging their congregations in the conversation and call to action in the LP Report.

About the Loving Presence Initiative

The Diocese of Pennsylvania’s Loving Presence Initiative calls for a diocese-wide commitment to dismantling racism. Parishes have a special role in this work as they empower their members to live out their baptismal vows to “strive for justice and peace among all people.” Learn more about the Loving Presence Initiative and read the full report here.