How do we continue to connect and reflect on our relationships with God and with each other in a time when we desperately need to see God’s light? This webinar focuses on theopoetics, our expressions about God, and how they relate to new forms of worship during COVID-19. We will first look at what theopoetics is, where it comes from in theology and scripture, and how people are using this term in churches today. Then we will talk about the mechanics of hybrid worship--blending in-person with online--including technical resources and some best practices. Finally, we’ll dive into using theopoetics to make our current worship reality work for us by creating connections and helping worshippers with needed reflection and creative expression in our present moment. Presenter: Dr. Jeremy Fackenthal, Managing Director for Institute for Ecological Civilization. Recorded September 2020.

Learn more about why and how to do effective staff evaluations in your church. Dr. Laura Miraz, PhD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, serves as associate executive director for American Baptist Home Mission Societies and is principal for HRMatters, a human resources management consulting service for American Baptist national and regional partners. Recording of webinar May 2020.

In this webinar, ABCRGR Executive Minister Dr. Sandra Hasenauer explains the benefits of having a pastoral relations committee for both the pastor and the congregation, as well as some best practices. Recording of webinar November 15, 2023.

And how do we know? What are the signs and symptoms of grief in corporate form? How can we recognize when our congregation is facing communal grief over loved ones lost, about employment and financial changes, about our congregational life looking very different now than it did before? Or are we standing at the empty tomb, seeing hope in the resurrection? Presenter: Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, (Now Retired) Senior Pastor, Judson Memorial Church, Greenwich Village, NY, and Faculty Associate in Religious Leadership at Hartford Seminary, Hartford, CT. Recorded September 2020

Due to high rates of unemployment, increased medical costs, and other symptoms of the pandemic, many of our congregations are experiencing increased financial anxieties. Through meditations and resources regarding personal, congregational, and communal financial practices reflecting the counter-cultural, Gospel-supported notion that “There is enough—enough and some to share,” (song by Kerri Meyer), this webinar will be a heart-shaped time, and you are invited to prepare by reflecting on something you know you have enough of—these reflections will be invited into the chat during our time together. Presenter: Jennifer Sanborn, American Baptist Home Mission Societies Director of Learning Initiatives. Webinar recorded in September 2020.