Bishop's Leadership Conference:
What's Now? What's Next? Church in Pandemic & Beyond.
May 11-13, 2022
Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA
Our communal life as the Body of Christ has been forever changed by the ongoing pandemic, altering the ways we think about worship, formation, stewardship, and the very nature of community. In this time of unprecedented upheaval, how do we meaningfully do the work of congregational development in the midst of our current reality, all while preparing to move soberly and joyfully into the future God has called us to?
The Office of the Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia is pleased to bring back “The Bishop’s Leadership Conference” – an event that will help you explore what it means to be faithful, healthy, and effective in your church’s local context, at this current moment, while looking ahead to the future.
Leadership groups from churches will gather Wednesday, May 11 through Friday, May 13, either in-person at Fort Worden or virtually through our online event platform and meet in congregational cohorts of similar size to explore such topics as hybrid community, stewardship in and after the pandemic, youth ministry, children and family ministry, the state of the clergy in our diocese, and the trauma our communities have experienced over these last two years.
To ensure COVID safety precautions can be maintained, all churches will be allowed three team members to be present in-person (including the church’s clergyperson), the rest of the team will be able to participate virtually. If there is room, more team members from a congregation will be allowed to attend in-person.
If your church would like to send more than three team members to attend on-site, you may fill out the BLC waitlist form here: https://dioceseofolympia1551.formstack.com/forms/blc_waitlist. We will make every effort to notify your congregation of any openings as early as we can.
**You do not need to call to reserve a room - the Office of the Bishop is making arrangements based on your registration.**
Draft Program Schedule:
Wednesday, May 11: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Thursday, May 12: 9:00am - 12:00pm, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Friday, May 13: 9:00am - 12:30pm
Location:
Fort Worden State Park. Fort Worden, originally designed as a military base to protect Puget Sound, features more than 70 historic buildings on a 434-acre property and includes two miles of saltwater shoreline. The fort offers meeting space, accommodations and dining options, all within a campus-like setting. It is located within a couple of miles from historic downtown Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula.
Housing:
Conference attendees will be assigned housing, on a first registered, first assigned basis, on Officers Row, in historic NCO (non-commissioned officers) houses, or “bachelor” dorms. Most houses include a fully-functioning shared kitchen. Each house varies in size with from two to six bedrooms. Congregation teams will be assigned together to the extent possible.
Meals:
On-site conference registration includes lunch on Wednesday, and breakfast and lunch on Thursday and Friday. Dinner is not provided. In addition to kitchens in the houses where groups can cook their own dinner, there are a couple on-site restaurants, as well as many restaurants a short drive away in Port Townsend.
Registration fees per person:
- $35/person (overnight, commuter, or virtual)
Registration deadline: Friday, April 22.
- Late registrations will be accepted based on capacity at prevailing rates; any increase in lodging cost due to late registration will be the responsibility of the individual.
Registration Questions: contact Matt Koski at mkoski@ecww.org.
Program Questions: contact The Rev. Canon Alissa Newton at anewton@ecww.org.
Venue & Lodging Info: visit https://fortworden.org/.
