Years ago a deacon told me that the best way to provide continuing education for adults was to give them what they wanted to know when they wanted to know it. At the time I was helping to put together the curriculum for DSOMAT and her suggestion seemed impossible. Now, years later I’ve come to pretty much the same point of view.
Take licensed ministry training: we used to offer one or two trainings a year, advertised well in advance, and expected that interested people would arrange their schedules in order to take them. The new model is much more holistic. The rector or vicar is interested in one or more licensed ministry trainings. Certainly that congregation can do all the training in-house, and it is ultimately the congregation’s rector who signs the applications for licenses. I have some material for some of the trainings, accumulated over the years, which I will be glad to send on request. If a congregation would like me to come and participate in some of the training, I am available to do that as well. The usual pattern is that a priest puts the desired training in theological perspective and speaks to local practice. If I am present I am delighted to talk about the practical issues involved in serving as a Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor or Worship Leader.
There have been trainings for Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors at Saint John the Baptist, Seattle and St. David of Wales, Shelton this spring, and another is planned for Good Samaritan in Sammamish at the end of the month. People from other congregations are invited to attend.
Location: Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Sammamish
Date: July 26, 2014
Eucharistic Visitors will be trained from 9:00 – 12:00 (with other tasks required outside of that time) and Eucharistic Ministers training will be from 12:30 – 3:30.
Cost: Donation of $5.00 per session will cover costs for handouts and hospitality. Interested folks can register here and pay at the door.
Please contact me if you would like to schedule training in your congregation, or if you would like me to send you materials.
Sue Tait, Librarian
Email: resource@ecww.org
Phone: 206-325-4200, 1-800-488-4978
