January 2009

Welcome to the Elders' Institute e-News

This Month's Tip for Ruling Elders
Here's a tip to help you deal with conflict within your session or congregation:

The single most important strategy for managing conflict is to define and describe the issue. The moderator has a key role in clarifying the issue and encouraging session members to focus on solving the problem.

For more tips on how to address conflict effectively, click here and read When a problem becomes a "Problem." The Elders' Institute (EI) is developing new tools, so be sure to check out the Elders' Tool Box on a regular basis. If you have a subject you'd like us to address, email your query or topic to elders@standrews.edu with "Tool Box" as the subject.

Join the Elders' Institute on Facebook
If you're on Facebook, search for the group "Elders' Institute, St. Andrew's Hall" and add it to your list of groups. Invite all other elders you know to join this Facebook group too. If you haven't joined Facebook yet and would like to, click here. We're hoping Facebook's EI group wall will provide an innovative opportunity for elders from across Canada to share both challenges and cutting edge ideas with each other. Of course, upcoming courses and events will also be announced on the EI Facebook group. It also provides an opportunity for elders to let the Elders' Institute know what topics they'd liked addressed in workshops, courses, e-Sources or tools.

Coming up ...
If you missed getting into the online course Serving as a Ruling Elder this winter, there will be two more opportunities. A special class for sessions is scheduled to run this spring. In the fall, it will be offered again for individuals interested in learning more about being an elder.

EI is also offering a brand new online course this spring: Living Faith: A Closer Look. This course is written and taught by Stephen Hayes, convenor of the committee that produced this Presbyterian statement of faith. For more information about this and other courses offered by the Elders' Institute, click here.

In our spring printed newsletter, watch for an article on 102-year-old elder Elsie Maddock, who recently received the Making a Difference Award from Jarlette Health Services for her pastoral care of co-residents at Temiskaming Lodge, in Haileybury, Ontario.

e-News is sent to all subscribers. You will also receive e-News if you have asked to be notified by email about Elders' Institute events, participated in online courses and/or workshops (including PAW), or shown interest in other ways in the work of the Elders' Institute. e-News is also sent to all church email addresses as listed in Acts & Proceedings 2008.

If you wish to unsubscribe, please reply to this email with the subject heading "unsubscribe." There is more information about our newsletter and e-News on our website www.eldersinstitute.ca.

The Elders' Institute keeps all personal contact information confidential and has never and will never trade, share, sell or otherwise exchange personal contact information.

Elders' Institute • St. Andrew's Hall • 6040 Iona Drive • Vancouver, BC • V6T 2E8
Tel. 604-822-0071 • Toll-free (Canada & USA) 1-866-794-8888 • Fax 604-822-9718