Is your congregation looking for a way to deepen its work and learning around a civic issue? Do you want to partner with other religious communities to address this issue?
If so, consider the Congregational Leaders Fellowship.
At a time of polarization and partisanship, we need to cross divides between communities—even our own religious communities. Now more than ever, we need religious leaders (both clergy and lay leaders) who are willing to engage and mobilize across religious, political, gender, racial, socioeconomic, and generational divides.
The Congregational Leaders Fellowship (CLF), led by Christine Krieger (Program Director for Congregations), is a 6-month cohort experience for leaders from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish congregations to build understanding and relationships across those divides. Fellows explore how each tradition strives to bring about a sense of belonging and flourishing for all people.
CLF can extend and enhance your congregations’ current work that focuses on this vision. This work may include creation care, providing food for individuals experiencing food insecurity, or welcoming individuals who have been displaced due to war, natural disasters, etc. We know this work cannot be sustained if done in isolation, but is strengthened through partnerships.
Participant Rosters
I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia. It was the ‘50s, when kids played outside much of the time and knew the day was over and it was time to head home when the local fire house five o’clock whistle blew. My family was a member of the budding Catholic community in our town.…
After surviving the most challenging phases of Covid-19, I was seeking a connection with my faith at a new level. I am a lay leader in a United Methodist church and prior to participating in the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship, I mostly practiced my Christian faith through my actions. The fellowship provided me an opportunity…
When we started the Congregational Leaders Fellowship, we were asked to bring our most sacred book to a meeting. This exercise caused me to think more deeply about my sacred books and what they mean to me. My rabbi recently did a d’var Torah (introduction to the weekly Torah portion) about the section called Terumah.…
As most fulltime pastors with a congregation of more than 1,200 active members, I am very busy. I can barely find time for myself to relax—to take on another responsibility beyond my pastoral responsibilities is almost unthinkable. Becoming a part of ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship was an act of faith. I was feeling rather uncertain…