This is a space for clergy in need of support to do the work they are called to do. A place of rest and renewal, honesty and transparency. Subscribe to hear from our Founder, Rev. Kinsie M. Tate who is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Ordained Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and clergy spouse.
The power of positive connection
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My older brother, sister, and their kids came to town for a visit last week and it was a wonderful time to connect with family and enjoy God's creation at the beach. It was a reminder of how blessed I am to live near such a beautiful place and to have family that loves me. It was also a reminder of how grounding, restorative, and healing connection is - connection with nature, loved ones, and God. Connection with others is easy to recognize and measure. Take this well known study of how holding the hand of others impacts the experience of pain. Connecting with God is not so easy to measure, but we read about it in the Bible and spend much of our time in ministry focused on that topic. I receive the daily emails from the Center for Action and Contemplation and this week is about the book of Job and focusing on Job's experience with suffering. What stands out to me in these emails is that Job's relationship with God is what helps him through the suffering he experiences. Have you experienced that in your life? Have there been times that you have felt deeply connected to God and that has sustained you during times of suffering? In the book How God Changes Your Brain by Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, they state that "Activities involving meditation and intensive prayer permanently strengthen neural functioning in specific parts of the brain that are involved with lowering anxiety and depression, enhancing social awareness and empathy, and improving cognitive and intellectual functioning. The neural circuits activated by meditation buffer you from the deleterious effects of aging and stress and give you better control over your emotions. At the very least such practices help you remain calm, serene, peaceful, and alert." Connection with God, others, and ourselves counteracts the impact of stress! The metric I have heard is 15 minutes a day of meditative prayer for 15 weeks is enough to make permanent changes for the better in your brain. That simple practice can make a profound and lasting impact on your wellbeing over time. Simple acts can make a profound difference, but consistency and how we go about them matters. If you are curious about how to incorporate more connection with God, loved ones, and yourself into the regular rhythm of your life, I encourage you to join us for Leading From Abundance starting 9-1-26 @ 10:30 am PT/ 1:30 ET. We will meet the 5 Tuesdays in September and dive into:
Creating Culturally Responsive Faith Communities co-facilitated by Rev. Carolina Fuentes, LCSW is happening NEXT WEEK on August 12 @ 9am PT What Happens When Leaders Grieve? co-facilitated by Rev. Dr. Rae Karim on November 5th @ 1pm PT. Sign up for one or all of them below!
Connection matters and it is easy to cultivate, but it does take effort. Let us help you. Take Care, Kinsie Rev. Kinsie M. Tate, LPCC Founder and Executive Director Restore Clergy |
Restore Clergy
This is a space for clergy in need of support to do the work they are called to do. A place of rest and renewal, honesty and transparency. Subscribe to hear from our Founder, Rev. Kinsie M. Tate who is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Ordained Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and clergy spouse.
I was having a conversation with a client about the idea of goodness. The word is so simple but it's a pretty complicated concept and highly subjective. Most of us have certain things that make us feel good and things that make us feel bad and we're often adept at making time for the latter and avoiding the former. The tricky part is that sometimes avoiding what makes you feel bad gives those things more power and reinforces the belief that deep down, you're not good and need to be fixed....
Creating Culturally Responsive Faith Communities A Continuing Education Session with Rev. Tate and Rev. Carolina Fuentes, LCSW What does it actually mean for a congregation to be trauma informed? It's more than a phrase we borrow from the clinical world and tape onto our ministry language. It's a posture — a way of noticing pain, honoring history, and building spaces where people don't have to leave parts of themselves at the door to belong. In our upcoming continuing education session, Rev....
RESTORE CLERGY: WHERE CLERGY COME TO BE RESTORED Welcoming the stranger is something we talk about a lot at church. It is deeply embedded in our traditions and theology, yet it is something that can be incredibly challenging. In my work as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), I often work with people who have experienced trauma. And trauma does a real number on the nervous system. Human beings are "wired" to connect, that's the way God made us, and makes a lot of sense from an...