Risky Business: Preaching in a Polarized Space, with Rev. Bridget Jones, from ELCA coaching

The Weekly Online Gathering for ELCA Leaders continues every Wednesday, 1 pm Central, 11am MST. Links to the meeting at elcacoaching.org as well as archives.

Preaching is a risky business, and now more than ever. How do you preach the Word of God that you have been called to without worrying that the goodwill of your congregation, and perhaps even your job, could be at stake? How do you announce God’s Kingdom in ways that people can hear without watering it down to nothing? How do you proclaim both Law and Gospel so that the Church can be transformed? Rev. Bridget Jones cannot promise that she will answer all of these questions, and she will definitely try! As a former actuary turned preacher, she will help us navigate how to accurately assess some of the risks of preaching along with strategies to manage and mitigate them so that we can live out our calling in authentic, transformative ways.

Rev. Bridget Jones is currently the pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in Superior, Wisconsin, where she has served for the past two years. After attending and serving congregations in suburban, rural, and urban contexts in the South, Northwest, and Midwest, Rev. Jones draws on her experiences serving in varied places with a variety of people.

Rev. Jones has a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. While she was called to ministry right after graduation, she uses what she has learned about managing and mitigating risk to guide her preaching and pastoral care in divided congregations throughout a divided country. She received her Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 2018 after being drawn to the Public Church curriculum. There she learned how to take the church out into the world to work for justice and peace.

Two of her favorite things are preaching and talking to other people, so she is absolutely delighted to be with ELCA Coaching next week!

You are invited to join this weekly online gathering designed to provide encouragement and support for ELCA leaders across the church. Participants will hear topical presentations related to how we are called to be Church, as well as have an opportunity to be in small group discussions with an ELCA group coach facilitating the conversation. This is where the magic happens. All of this is designed to help us process our emotions and thus create a space where we can each name our next most faithful step forward in our unique context. You are welcome to share this invitation with any other ELCA leader, rostered or lay. #ELCAChurchTogether

We understand a number of folks are unable to make this day and time each week. We record the main session and debrief time. We share each recording with supporting documents here, typically by the following day: https://www.elcacoaching.org/podcasts/media.

You can also find a list of upcoming topics and presenters on the home page of our website: https://www.elcacoaching.org/.

ELCA Coaching is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: BEING CHURCH - Weekly Gathering for ELCA Leaders
Time: Wednesdays 1:00 PM Central Time

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/180439412?pwd=WlVwUUxyUE5mY2IxMktHQXFJdGNMdz09
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
Password: 648160