Join us for a morning designed to equip elders and pastors for the real work of leadership in today’s church.
Pre-Registration NOW OPEN: Church Leadership Training Coming This Fall
Church Leadership Training 2026
Saturday, October 3 | 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Columbine United Church (in person)
What does it mean to lead a congregation faithfully in a changing church?
This fall, the Presbytery's Visionary Leadership Council is offering a new church leadership training event designed to help congregational leaders better understand their roles, deepen their spiritual practice of leadership, and navigate the challenges facing churches today.
The training will take place Saturday, October 3, and will be shaped by what elders and ministers across our Presbytery told us they most want and need from leadership training.
In a survey of 58 elders and ministers serving congregations, the strongest requests included understanding the primary responsibilities of Session, clarifying the role of a ruling elder, exploring Session's role in the spiritual vitality of a congregation, learning to lead faithfully amid division and polarization, and understanding how and why Presbyterian polity works the way it does.
So we're building the day around those questions—and creating space for some of the questions behind them.
What can you expect?
The morning will include two rounds of workshops, with participants choosing the session that best fits their interests and experience.
SESSION TOPICS & AREAS OF FOCUS
What Is the Work of a Session? will explore the responsibilities, purpose, and rhythms of Session leadership, including the role of ruling elders and the Session's responsibility for the spiritual vitality and stewardship of the congregation.
The Purpose Behind Our Polity will look at why Presbyterians organize ourselves the way we do, beginning with the work of Session and widening the lens to include Presbytery, Synods/Mid-Councils, and the General Assembly.
The Spiritual Practice of Church Leadership will consider what it means for Session leadership to be a spiritual practice—and how prayer, listening, discernment, and shared leadership can shape the life of a Session.
Leading Faithfully in a Changing Church will explore how congregational leaders can navigate conflict, uncertainty, polarization, and change while remaining rooted in the church's identity and calling.
After the workshops, we'll gather for brunch and then close with a panel discussion and Q&A focused on the realities and possibilities of leading churches in a changing landscape.
This event is being designed with newly elected ruling elders especially in mind, but you don't have to be a ruling elder—or even an elder—to participate. Anyone involved in congregational leadership who wants to grow in their understanding and practice of faithful church leadership will be welcome.
Come ready to learn, ask questions, share what you're discovering in your own congregation as we imagine together what faithful leadership can look like for the church we're becoming.
HOW TO REGISTER & RESERVE YOUR SPOT
To complete your registration, please complete both steps below:
Step 1: Fill Out the Questionnaire Click Step 1: Complete Registration Form below to fill out your details via Google Forms.
Step 2: Pay the $25 Registration Fee Click Step 2: Pay $25 Registration Fee to submit your payment and lock in your spot.
Note: Registration is not complete until both the form and payment are submitted.