The following list of workshops, classes, and guided conversations are offered through the Charlie Curb Center for Faith-Leadership and have been designed to take on the road. The Curb Center would welcome the opportunity to share insights, materials, and ideas with the leaders of churches, non-profits, or other faith-based organizations. Any or all of these teaching events/materials can be taught in a local church context, a retreat format, or in a ministerial group setting. The Curb Center will gladly work with your organization to bring these materials to your leadership group, congregation, or staff. Please contact the Center for additional information. (Other classes and workshops will continue to be added. Check back from time to time for an updated list.)
Classes & Workshops (Typically 3-4 hours in length)
Creative Fund Raising - This class will explore the problems and challenges of sustainability for faith-based organizations. It will provide the student with the skills to discover and identify new sources of revenue. Students will also discover effective business modeling and evaluation. Students will learn the process of effective grant writing along with practical guidelines and techniques for fund raising.
Compassion Fatigue & Moral Injury- This course introduces participants to two phenomena which pose a risk to those in helping professions. Compassion fatigue, a combination of burnout and secondary traumatic stress, results in the gradual lessening of compassion over time. Moral injury refers to a violation of moral agreement with one’s own moral identity; invisible (spiritual/soul) wounds that occur from having done something, or failed to stop something, that violates one’s moral code. Veterans and 1st responders can be especially susceptible to moral injury. This course offers practical tools to identify, prevent, and manage these conditions in yourself and colleagues.
Reclaiming Your Life- How much of your life should you give away and how much can you keep for yourself? We all face this question in ministry. It is almost impossible to set boundaries in ministry today with mobile phones and email following us wherever we find ourselves on the planet. How do you rest and restore and recreate yourself? How do you recharge your creative impulses? How do you reinvent yourself if you feel like you have given all there is to give in ministry? This class will focus on reclaiming your life and your future and finding the horizon God has drawn ahead of you.
Understanding the Times & Ministering Effectively - There are two groups within our cultural context whose needs, ambitions, and priorities must be addressed by the local church. They are: the growing de-churched population and the millennial generation. This class will explore the dynamics and trends in culture, attendance, and mentality that currently affect ministry organizations. Students will discover effective ways to adjusting to new paradigms for effectively meeting these groups.
Harnessing the Power of the Pulpit- This course will help the students in the basics of exegeting both text and congregation so as to best present the truths of the Word in a way that enables the hearer to understand and apply what is being communicated.
How to Brand, Market, and Build Buzz Around Your Ministry Initiative - This class will provide an understanding of how participants can launch, build, grow, and maintain excitement and momentum for their ministry brands.
The Art of Storytelling- Let’s be honest… very few people will remember your message moments after it has been proclaimed. Sure. They might glom onto a single idea or a well-turned phrase. But it’s the stories they will remember long after the PowerPoint dims and the sanctuary empties. Stories connect to the mind, stir the heart, and inspire the spirit. So how do we infuse better stories into our presentations? Where do we discover meaningful tales? And how can we become better at the art of using them to reinforce our topics? This class will explore how to find and record great stories and offer practical ways to practice the art of story-telling more effectively.
Podcasting Made Easy– This course offers instruction on how to begin a podcast ministry including instruction on how to record, edit, and upload content to a website. Instruction on recording tools, microphones, web tools, and podcasting apps will be taught.
Guided Conversations (Typically 1.5 hours in length)
The Problem of Pornography- The problem of pornography is bigger than you think… even among clergy. According to recent data, 37% of pastors say it is a current struggle with 51% admitting that it is a possible temptation. 33% admitted to having visited a sexually explicit Web site. In terms of the American public, 40 million people regularly visit porn sites. 25% of all search engine queries are related to pornography, or about 68 million search queries a day. 2.5 billion emails sent or received every day contain porn. And finally, 47% of families in the United States reported that pornography is a problem in their home. How can faith-leaders confront this issue? What resources are available in terms of recovery? What can each church do locally to deal with the issue in order to create a better culture towards human sexuality? Let’s talk about it.
LGBTQ– This conversation takes a look at some of the leading voices, thoughts, and opinions that are guiding the larger conversations on this topic and how it is affecting the local church. We will examine Biblical passages and relevant notes from popular theologians/authors in order to help the local congregation establish a sense of where it stands and how it reacts to those dealing with same-sex attraction.
Gun Violence – This conversation will explore the issues arising from the large number of guns owned by individuals here in the U.S. We will explore the reasons for gun ownership and the dangers that having guns in the home can pose. Should guns be allowed in church? How does the local congregation speak into this important issue?
How to Protect the Flock – Churches need to think critically about safe-guarding those who gather in worship each week. Can violence be thwarted? Are there ways to provide safety and security? Are there some simple policies to put into place to provide additional levels of security. The conversation will explore the topic and provide some practical quidelines.
The Opioid Crisis– How big is the problem? Who is responsible? What can churches do to join in the conversation and help those who are struggling? This conversation will include resources on where to find help.
Racism– Our nation is caught in a web of violence, hatred, and anger. A lot of prejudicial rhetoric has risen to the surface. Hate groups are multiplying. Violence is on the rise. What can the church do? How can people of faith lead with civility, respect, and understanding? This conversation will offer perspective and insight into this difficult topic.
Restorative Justice– What is restorative justice? Is it practical? Can it offer a better way to bring healing and restoration to both victims and perpetrators? Our conversation will explore the topic and offer some practical guidelines for ways that local churches can be involved.