Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training by Leaderwise

Wednesday and Thursday, February 23 and 24, 2022
Zoom Meeting
10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (each day)
Cost: $50
Presenters: Leaderwise & Bishop Dee Pederson

Registration Deadline: February 13

Click here to register

It’s our experience that pastors, church staff, and other leaders who transgress boundaries by-and-large are not predators. In fact, not even close. Most people in ministry who violate boundaries are individuals who know and follow the rules most of the time but whose judgment may be impaired due to an unusually stressful time in their lives. With that in mind, Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training is tailored to focus on strategies to foster mental health, emotional resiliency, and well-being. While we still cover the requirements—“Don’t sleep with a parishioner unless you’re married to them” and the like—we believe the best prevention is to encourage clergy to take steps to manage their stress in order to maintain balance and perspective when temptation arises. We further teach a 3-step strategy to help stop them in their tracks before they commit a boundary violation; and participants leave with their own personal prevention plan.

This training is lively and interactive, full of reflection and conversation—and even laughter. Attendees have given us feedback that our boundaries training was a great experience, AND caused them to re-evaluate some of their own practices.

Sexual misconduct by rostered and other religious leaders is one of the most serious challenges faced by the church today. Violation of the sacred trust between church members and their leaders brings deep pain to all who are affected: victims, offenders, family members, friends, and the congregation itself.

In response to this challenge, the Southwestern Minnesota Synod bylaws include the following provisions (S14.25.01. and S14.47.01.):

“Within twelve months of assuming office all rostered ministers of under call shall demonstrate completion of at least six contact hours of continuing education in the prevention of sexual boundary violations.” 

A few years ago our synod council created a continuing resolution encouraging all of our rostered leaders to have continued work on appropriate boundaries of all kinds, but especially sexual boundaries, every three years.

NOTE: You must be present at all 6 hours of the training to receive credit for completing the program.

If these dates don’t work for you, you may comply by attending another training event that includes at least six contact hours of instruction in the same content covered by the synod’s workshop and provide proof of attendance for your file.