The following was shared with future Living Waters Clergy on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026
Continuing Education for the Journey
Dear Colleagues,
One of the things I have come to appreciate more deeply in ministry is that we never stop being students. Even after years of pastoral leadership and now serving as a Regional Minister, I am continually reminded that there is more to learn, more to understand, and more ways in which God can shape us for the work of ministry.
Earlier this year, I had the blessing of sitting in the classroom not just as the Regional Minister, but simply as a student during a training in Michigan led by Rev. Dr. Beth Rupe and Rev. Katherine Ball. I found myself grateful for the opportunity to listen, participate, reflect, and learn alongside other clergy. That experience reminded me of something important: continuing education is not simply about meeting a requirement. It is about becoming better prepared to serve God’s people.
That is why I am especially excited about our upcoming day of Continuing Education for the Journey on Friday, October 2.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., clergy will have the opportunity to participate in three important Ethics and ministry workshops.
Two workshops… Choices for Abundant Living and Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism… will take place at Divine Word Ministries in Country Club Hills. We Hope to Do Good will meet at United Christian Church.
All three workshops are now open for registration.
Written for Disciples, by Disciples
There is something particularly meaningful about these courses because they were written for Disciples, by Disciples. Rev. Katherine Ball and Rev. Dr. Beth Rupe developed our curriculum, Practicing the Good Life for the Region. The first two modules, Choices for Abundant Living and We Hope to Do Good are the equivalent of Healthy Boundaries 101 and 201. These resources are grounded in the Design, our Ministerial Code of Ethics, and three principles that are foundational to our ministry: We do no harm. We are truthful in word and deed. We hold what is told us in confidence.
These principles speak to the sacred trust we carry as ministers. They remind us that our calling is not only about what we preach or teach, but also about how we live, how we lead, how we establish boundaries, and how we care for those entrusted to us.
At Regional Assembly, Choices for Abundant Living will be facilitated by Rev. Dr. Alex Ruth and Rev. Cassie Sexton Riggs. Rev. Dr. Beth Rupe will present We Hope to Do Good. Additionally, a Pro-Reconciliation/ Anti-Racism workshop will be facilitated by Rev. Eli Rolón Jeong. All three workshops are now open for registration. Participants should be prepared to complete prerequisites such as reading assignments and or online activities before the training.
A final opportunity for Clergy Ethics training will be held online Nov 7 from 10-4. Join Rev. Dr. Beth Rupe at Sacred Trust: Cultivating Healthy Boundaries in Ministry.
We Are Still Students
As we prepare to become the Living Waters Region, I want us to cultivate a culture in which our clergy are not afraid to say, “There is still something for me to learn.”
I know that spirit personally. I was blessed to be a student earlier this year, and I left that experience reminded that sometimes the person sitting in the classroom learns as much as the person standing at the front of it.
My hope is that October 2 will be another opportunity for us to gather as colleagues, learn from one another, strengthen our ministry, and continue becoming the leaders God is calling us to be. Ministry is a journey. We do not walk it alone, and we never stop learning along the way.
I hope you will join us on Friday, October 2, 2026 | 10-5 p.m. Continuing Education for the Journey. Registration is open.
Amen. Ase’.
Rev. Dr. William E Crowder, Jr.