Source: Orthodox Church in America
SYOSSET, NY [OCA] On Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. EST, the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania of the Orthodox Church in America will offer the third in a series of free webinars devoted to the ministry of the parish council.
Titled “Good Practices for Effective and Efficient Parish Council Meetings,” the webinar will be facilitated by Joseph Kormos, the Archdiocese’s Parish Development Ministry leader. Members of all dioceses and jurisdictions are invited to participate. There is no charge to participate in the webinar, but participants must register in advance on-line.
“Clergy and laity leadership collaboration is critical in preparing parishes to build a brighter future and to present Orthodox Christianity to Americans and America,” says Mr. Kormos. “This webinar series explores and rethinks how to establish the parish council as a respected shared leadership body that cooperates with the priest to discover possibilities, discern priorities, drive change and enliven vital parish ministries.”
The first two sessions in this series attracted large on-line audiences to review the fundamentals of parish governance based on Orthodox ecclesiology and to explore expectations of parish councils and council members.
“The third session will specifically focus on energizing council meetings to generate fruitful discussions and confront important parish issues,” Mr. Kormos explained. “Specific topics will include good meeting practices and etiquette, understanding ‘consensus,’ preparing for a healthy meeting, facilitation and chairing skills, and wise use of agenda time.”
The series is useful for clergy looking to strengthen their parish councils, parish council veterans desiring to make their service more meaningful, and persons new to parish council service who seek to learn how to contribute quickly.
Further information may be obtained by contacting joekormos1@gmail.com.