I returned last week from the Company of New Pastors gathering in St. Louis, MO, where I got to romp in bright-colored fall leaves, meet lots of new Presbyterian pastors, connect with old friends, and pray and sing. Although I will remind myself never to schedule TWO weeks of study leave, one right after another, I am still grateful for both of the conferences I attended in October.
The Company of New Pastors (CNP) was recommended to me by the San Francisco Presbytery as soon as I was ordained. It is a program that aims to strategically address the problem of new pastor burnout. Have you heard about the burnout rate for new pastors? It is staggering – about a third of those who graduate seminary (including pastors, chaplains, youth ministry workers and more) have left the field within 5 years. This statistic may seem incredible, and compared to other graduate-level professions it is quite notable, but it does seem true given my circle of seminary friends and their experiences in the first years of ministry.
The Presbyterian national office is doing what it can to keep our collective talents, education, and vocation from being needlessly burned out. And studies show that an effective way to do that is to have a cohort of peers and mentors meet regularly. It actually doesn’t even matter if you like or dislike your cohort, or if they seem supportive or dysfunctional – simply having a cohort adds an extra measure of probability for you to stay in ministry. So I went to St. Louis last week, and I met my cohort. There are nine new pastors, and two experienced mentors. The program is simple – we covenant together to try to pray daily, and to hold one another accountable for that. We are doing monthly online hangouts, reading and discussing books together, and will have in-person meetings every 8 months, during our first five years in ministry. It is simple, but I trust that it will be effective.
I think everybody needs a cohort, from time to time. Especially when we go through new experiences or drastic changes, it helps so much to know that we are not alone. That is an important part of what I do in Youth Group ministry. Our retreats are bonding experiences for them to become closer to one another and learn to trust, support, and rely on one another as they go through life. In this case, they are doing this with fellow teenagers, but whether your cohort is by age or by experience, it can be an important source of spiritual strength. You may have an idea for a new cohort at the church, and if you do, I will definitely support you in that! For now, I’ll invite you to take a peek at the Youth Group cohort on the retreat (our Flickr page is here: Youth Retreat photos) and also to think about two other cohorts at the church.
- We have a Grief and Spirituality Group, which meets monthly (2nd Monday of the month, 3-4:30pm, Thornhill Room). Mourning can be an isolating and difficult path, so having fellow travelers on that road is helpful. If you are grieving the loss of a partner, parent, child, or friend – no matter how large or small, recent or distant – you are most welcome to come and share in this community of support.
- This may be the first you hear of another brand new group, called “In Sickness and Health.” (EDIT: 1st meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov 18th from 2-3:30pm in the Family Room.) This is in response to some of the needs that we are seeing in our congregation. It will be a group that gathers together both those who are dealing with serious illnesses, and their family members or spouses. People who are ill often can attend (in a medical setting) a support group for people with the same diagnosis. And your partner or spouse might simultaneously go to a support group for caregivers. Those separate support groups are appropriate in a medical context, but in a spiritual context like our church, we want to bring both sides of the story together, knowing that we all share in one another’s suffering. It will be a simple program, centered around your experiences. Please let me know if you are interested in participating! I am hoping that 2pm on the 3rd Wednesday of the month will work for most people. The only qualification is that you are dealing with an illness – yours or a loved one’s. You can come together or alone.
Thanks for walking this road together. I pray we may do so for a long time.
Every Blessing,
Talitha