Retreat & Reset

In a recent move, I had to change my cable provider as well. However, when I went to watch a show, there was a problem. No matter what I tried to do, at some point the image would freeze on the screen. It finally occurred to me that it needed a radical stop. Once I reset my box, the problem was resolved.

The Minister’s Retreat was a chance to reset. The accumulation of COVID stress has taken its toll on ministers and congregation leaders. COVID has meant shifting from in-person worship to online worship, learning the technology to make it work while also doing critical pastoral care and limited funerals with maximum grief (while masked, no less!), then shifting gears into a post-COVID world of unknown consequences on budgets, membership, and pastoral identity.

Sometimes we need to stop. Sometimes we need to reset. The retreat theme was to encourage the leaders to “Retreat, reflect, recenter, renew, relax, and rest.” The events and breakout sessions were led by PDA and sponsored by the Mental Health Committee.

In the midst of food and learning was a chance to meet the leaders of the presbytery face-to-face for the first time. To my surprise most are taller than the postage stamp image in Zoom I’ve been viewing them on!

By stopping we can go. By resetting we can help ministry to flow again. Thank you, Barbara Wilson and the staff that provided support. Thank you, the 50 plus leaders who attended. May the God of unlimited grace continue to remind us that the story’s not over yet as we live into this post-COVID season. Amen.

Rev. Craig M. Howard

Click here to see the retreat slideshow