TeamWorks Tools for Creating Vital Faith Communities: Spiritual Life of the Leaders

By Mary Nakamura
Lay Leader, Los Rios District
 
On November 17, 2018, in response to the need for disciple-making ministries in the local church, Rev. Dr. Craig Kennet Miller was invited to present “TeamWorks Tools for Creating Vital Faith Communities” to 45 laity and clergy from the three circuits comprising the Greater Sacramento Region of the Los Rios District of the California-Nevada Conference of The United Methodist Church. 
 
TeamWorks Tools for Creating Vital Faith Communities contains four guidebooks that are designed to help churches create a healthy leadership team that prays, learns, and dreams together. This initial workshop was focused on “Spiritual Life of the Leaders” and was hosted by the Sacramento Pentecost Circuit and Los Rios District. 
 
The first guidebook focuses on spiritual formation and contains scripture-based leadership principles, as well as a spiritual gifts assessment tool. TeamWorks is designed to be self-led by leaders of the local churches, so the Greater Sacramento Region will be hosting three additional workshops in 2019: 
 

• Connecting with your Community (January 19 at Faith UMC)
• Creating a Discipleship System (February 16 at Oak Park UMC)
• Futurecasting, with Rev. Dr. Craig Kennet Miller (March 30 at Sacramento Japanese UMC)

 
Los Rios District Superintendent Rev. Schuyler Rhodes provided encouragement and support to those in attendance. Rev. Motoe Yamada Foor, a senior pastor of Sacramento Japanese UMC and a circuit leader of Sacramento Pentecost Circuit, welcomed everyone. Rev. Gere Reist, Executive Director of Leadership Development for the California-Nevada Conference, also participated, as did members of the Conference Committee on Lay Leadership. I was privileged to be able to offer a prayer at the conclusion of the workshop.
 
Dr. Miller is the Director of Congregational Development for Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church. He is the author of numerous books, serves on the design team of the School of Congregational Development, and has a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.   
 
Click here for more information about TeamWorks.