Soul Care Workshop for church leaders and veterans led by Chaplain David E. Smith and Amanda Morningstar.

Col. Chaplain David Smith is presenting a session at the 2014 PA Veterans Forum entitled "Soul Care; A Journey Toward the Healing of the Wounded Soul" on Tuesday, November 18th.

As ministers and leaders, knowing how to engage conflict and difficult conversations well is both a skill to learn and an art to cultivate. No longer is it optional. To be a minister and/or leader moving toward excellence, working with conflict and walking with others through difficult conversations is part of the terrain. It will help participants formulate both a theoretical understanding and practical steps for working with individuals and congregations caught in anxiety and conflict and/or facing difficult conversations.

In this seminar, we will explore questions such as: What is at the heart of conflict? Why do so many conflict and change efforts fail? What is the best way to impact or influence conflict situations or change efforts so that communities are invited to grow and bring sustainable healthy change and peace? How do we engage in a way that increases the opportunity for response and minimizes resistance? What are some components we can put in place to help have difficult conversations?

The Susquehanna E-Tour brings resources to your District for the empowerment of your leadership. 2015 will bring the largest group of workshops to date in a variety of areas of mission and ministry. Chaplain David E. Smith from the JustPeace Soul Care Initiative will be delivering a workshop entitled “Caring for Our Returned and Returning Veterans and Their Loved Ones”.

This workshop will offer and explore different ways for leaders to see and understand leadership, human interactions and systems. Family systems and the theologian Martin Buber’s I-Thou work are key lenses as we look at the theology, theory and best practices for leaders.

The 2016 Iowa United Methodist School for Ministry vision is a school that helps pastors & laity utilize Family Systems Theory and the UM Connection to strengthen their ministry. Congregations can adopt new ways of dealing with stress and anxiety, as well as learn how spiritually and emotionally healthy leaders influence the emotional needs of the people.

Join Big Bend Hospice and the JustPeace Soul Care Initiative for the Clergy & Congregational Leaders Retreat on April 19, from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm at Good Samaritan United Methodist Church, 3720 Capital Circle SE, Tallahassee, FL 32311.

The theme is, Caring for Our Veterans and their Families. A free, light breakfast and lunch is included. Upon returning home from war, many veterans are wounded in mind and spirit. The faith community is uniquely positioned to help.