GNJ is offering courses that will bless the mission and ministry of your congregation. Courses are open to laity and clergy. Congregations are encouraged to invite leaders to enroll in courses in their area of interest. Select each course to register.

• Each course is comprised of 90-minute online ZOOM sessions. Most courses are over several weeks, with each 90-minute session containing unique content.
• Registration for each course is necessary unless otherwise noted. Please register early for the course(s) you are interested in, as some courses have registration limits.
• Registration closes one week before courses begins.

Your Zoom log-in information will be provided to you before the course begins.

Foundations for Just, Inclusive, and Equitable Ministries in the Local Church
April 19, 26 and May 3| 7 pm – 8:30 pm
GNJ’s Journey of Hope Strategic Plan “strongly encourages all GNJ leaders and disciples each year to participate in a study and conversation that helps people continually turn outward and work toward a racially just, inclusive and equitable church.” With this workshop, both clergy and laity will begin to build the foundations for a Justice and Mercy ministry in their congregations. By the end of this three-session course, participants will be able to (1) think biblically and theologically about the work of justice and mercy in their communities, (2) practice justice and mercy as a spiritual discipline (3) identify areas in which their community can engage in justice and mercy ministries, and (4) explore asset-based organizing.

Finance: Alternative Income Streams for Ministry | April 20 & 27 | 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Many congregations are finding that the traditional or usual ways of funding ministry through member giving are becoming more difficult. Local congregations are rediscovering or leveraging their entrepreneurial Wesleyan spiritual DNA and finding new ways to generate income, build partnerships, and impact local communities. Diversified or multiple income sources help provide stability. This two-session course will explore emerging alternative funding models and provide tools for discernment and resources for taking important and increasingly urgent next steps.

Building Your Stewardship Team & Pre-work to Launching a Financial Stewardship Campaign
June 1 | 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Is your congregation struggling to grow stewardship and member giving? Do you want to move toward proportional giving and hold a dynamic, effective stewardship campaign in the fall? This single-session course focuses on building a stewardship & generosity team in your local church. This is an important preliminary session as you will get resources for building your team over the summer and be ready for training and implementing a stewardship campaign in the fall. Congregations that have participated in this training and have built teams have been able to lead very effective stewardship campaigns and grow the culture of generosity in their church.

Healing Communities: Understanding & Developing Criminal Justice Ministries
June 6, 8, 13, 15 | 7pm – 9pm | ZOOM
Healing Communities is a national model for leaders to offer restoration and healing for those affected by the criminal justice system and shares how a congregation can be a station of hope. This course is offered in four sessions over a two-week period, with unique learning shared in each session. The course will cover (1) essential information and perspectives on the criminal justice system, current issues, and the impact of crime on victims, survivors, offenders and families; (2) relevant questions for reflection and discussion within congregations; (3) ideas and resources for laity and pastors to engage congregants; (4) tools, information, and resources for congregation members; and (5) resources and dedicated time to develop a customized congregational action plan suited to the culture, demographics and core beliefs of each congregation.­­­­­ The course has a maximum size of 20 participants, so please register early. Registration deadline: May 26, 2023.

Breakthrough for Youth | August 8 | 7pm – 8:30 pm
Join Next Generation Ministries’ Program Specialist, Mecan Payne, to talk through how you can utilize the Breakthrough Worship series for your youth ministry! Learn how to apply Breakthrough content to current youth culture, how to facilitate youth small groups with age appropriate questions, and hear about some other resources and tools to impact your programming for students in grades 6 through 12. This program is for anyone, clergy or laity, who work with youth or who desire to start a youth program in the near future.

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