Henderson Leadership Conference Sept. 24-26, 2023

Looking Forward: Church, Hope, and the Future of Congregations

What is the future of small congregations (the fastest growing segment of North American Christianity)?

Join us for lectures, workshops, worship, and conversations that will inspire your leadership; and receive practical, usable wisdom for giving your congregation a future.

This year's keynoter Will Willimon has been listening to pastors and congregations in hundreds of American churches and has a hopeful, Christ-centered word for small churches and their leaders.

Dr. Willimon will present the Henderson Lecture on Church and Ministry Monday evening, Sept. 25, 2023, at 7:00 in person and online.

Visit www.pts.edu/henderson-2324 for event updates and to register.

As I write this, we are coming to the end of Eastertide; the Ascension and Pentecost are nearly here. A colleague of mine collects Ascension kitsch—or as she calls it, "BRB Jesus." I proudly added to her collection with the photo of a medallion on the nave ceiling of Yorkminster Cathedral. It looks like a rosette, until you look closer. Six astonished faces surround the soles of feet—quite literally, Jesus ascending into heaven, leaving his friends wondering, "Where’d he go?" Was the medieval artist a humorist or a literalist? Decide for yourself—but I prefer the former. Humor is one of the responses we can have when realizing the differential between the way things are and the way we thought they should be. It doesn’t necessarily make light of what might be a serious situation; rather, it is a realization that is marked with recognition of what actually is, with a posture that allows grace to enter and the possibility of a creative response. It requires us to admit that we might not be fully in control. And it makes us laugh.

Laughter is one of the responses the holy ones in Scripture make to the inbreaking of God’s surprising presence. In Genesis 21, the unexpected child is named Isaac because, as Sarah says, "God has brought me laughter." In Acts 2, the giddy apostles are thought to be drunk on wine, not the Holy Spirit! British psychologist D. W. Winnicott said that he knew his patients were on the road to healing when they renewed their ability to play and laugh; it is a sign of resilience. Clearly there is a through line between the unexpected, our wellbeing, and opening ourselves to God’s creative, regenerating Spirit.

May is Mental Health Awareness month—a good time for faith leaders and their communities to ask serious and open-ended questions about their congregations’ hospitality and responsiveness to those in their midst suffering from mental health issues. It’s no surprise that we are living in unprecedented times, with approximately a quarter of those among us having formal diagnoses (and more experiencing episodic stress and anxiety). We can help with that, whether it is through our on-demand Hope and Healing program (ask us about it!) or the events we host at the intersection of spirituality and pastoral care.

And our Henderson Leadership Conference, featuring the one and only Will Willimon, will be a good reminder of the crucial importance of joy as we move into an unscripted future with a challenging past behind us. So, celebrate the Ascension (BRB Jesus!) with a good laugh—and watch the Holy Spirit move in with Pentecost!

Helen Blier
Director, Continuing Education

Hope and Healing Program

Are you finding that members of your congregation and neighborhood are struggling with mental health issues? Are you trying to discern a faithful and empathetic way of responding? Contact us for information on our Hope and Healing mental health training program; offered free to your community, we can help you discern best practices and shape a more hospitable community for those suffering with mental illness.