Congregational Development Team
Chairperson: Lloyd Speer & Suzette James

Report submitted by: Lloyd Speer
Email: lfspeer3@comcast.net
Phone: (717) 418-3739
Date submitted: 07/19/2021

Recent Events & Activities

Book Club Zoom Sessions

Last year, CDT began to offer a quarterly conference wide book club.  When the pandemic hit, and over avenues of ministry were shut down, the book club meetings took on new life.  The feedback also indicated that there was a desire for this type of ministry offering to not only continue after the pandemic ended, but to increase in frequency.  Since last fall, we have therefore run the following book studies:

“The Post Quarantine Church” (Rainer)

“Quietly Courageous” (Rendle)

“Caste (Wilkerson)” – presented jointly with CORR

“From Franchise to Local Dive” (Moore & Picardo)

“The Bible With and Without Jesus” (Levine)

Other Online Events

“Multi Site/Satellite” based on “The Passionate Church” (Mike Slaughter)

“Both/And: Maximizing Hybrid Worship” (Jason Moore)

Small Church Initiative

We began an online meeting of small church pastors/leaders to meet the unique needs of our smaller congregations by offering fellowship, teaching, and exposure to new ideas and best practices.  It is being led by Rev. Dennis Emrick

2020 Faith Sharing Event

Zoom event with Lisa Greenwood

Grants

Virtual Campus Grants

In the last year, we have given 3 grants toward the salary/leadership costs of starting a new “virtual campus” ministry: Quarryville, Lima, and Berry-Long

New People, New Places Grants

Just recently, we gave a grant to expand ministry to Casa del Rey

Denman Awards

We took nomination applications for numerous people and selected 2 clergy, 1 lay person, and 1 youth this year.

Upcoming Events & Activities

Book Club Zoom Sessions

Our nest book club starts August 11: “Mission Rift” (David Woolverton)

On October 6, we will be “Plantation Jesus” (Welch & Wilson)

Additional Information

We have just approved a contract to begin using “MissionInsite” again as a tool to help congregations reach out into their community with ministries that are targeted at specific persons/needs unique to the area around them.

Collaborations

“Caste (Wilkerson)” – presented jointly with CORR

Upcoming Book Study for the Laity, presented jointly with the Board of Laity