New Church Leadership Academy
The New Church Leadership Academy (NCLA), through the Office of New Church Development, is a twelve month process designed to help pastors better discern their ministry call, and to assess whether planting a new United Methodist congregation might be in God’s call for their ministry future.
The NCLA is broken down into eleven modules over the course, year-long, one Monday per month (No class in June and July). The group meets in different new church locations each month with the morning sessions (9:30-12:00) designated to a teaching component facilitated by our executive director, Tommy Willingham. The teaching modules focus on the dynamics associated with planting and developing a new church [And also any new ministry], and look at matters such as "Vision", "Core Values", Building a Team", "Hiring a Staff", and other topics related to new church planting. The next NCLA will begin January 2011.
Lunch is provided, and the afternoon session (1:00 – 3:00) is designed to allow the group to hear from the pastor of the host church relating to the ministry and mission of that congregation. Time for question & answer is available in this session so the group can "pick the brain" of the planting pastor.
There is a graduation banquet in December for all participants, and their spouses or guest, where we hear from our bishop, Michael Watson, and have opportunity for question and answer time with him.
In January following the year’s experience, each participant is offered the opportunity for a formal assessment led by a trained, three person assessment team to help better discern and claim that particular pastor’s gifts, graces, calling, and the best setting for that person’s ministry to be lived-out. These assessments are made available to the Director of New Church Development, District Superintendents, and Bishop to better serve in the appointive process of each person completing the course of study and discernment.
To date, we have had over 250 North Georgia pastors participate in the NCLA, and would love to invite others to be a part. If you would like to enroll, or, if you have any questions, please contact the Office of New Church Development at 678-533-1386 or jshurtz@ngumc.org.
The NCLA is also open to laypersons who may feel a calling to be a part of a new church plant, or, who may currently be a part of one of our new congregations.
We appreciate the connection within our North Georgia Conference, and covet your prayers as we continue making a way to create new, vibrant United Methodist congregations throughout our conference to the end of Making Disciples for the Transformation of the World. For information contact jshurtz@ngumc.org.