May 16, 2025
Dear church,
So many of you have asked me, “How was your time at Princeton?” so I thought I’d send a quick note this week, answering that question. In one short sentence, it was fantastic. So invigorating to be around women from across the country, all of us pastors, yet serving in wildly different contexts, roles, and denominations. We began each day with worship, led by two pastors-in-residence. As you might imagine, it’s a rare treat to get to sit in a pew and participate in worship without being the leader of it. And then the rest of the day was filled with presentations, coaching circles, and delicious meals. I slept very well each night!
The theme of this gathering was “Leadership Vision” and so we unpacked what it looks like not only to set a vision for ourselves and our leadership, but also to get people behind a vision. One session was titled “Being an incomplete leader,” recognizing that no leader can be all things to all people. The better a leader knows herself the better she can know what people, gifts, and competencies she needs around her to move an organization forward. Our coaching circles are led by pastors; mine is a Presbyterian pastor who is also a clinical psychologist and executive coach. My circle is comprised of all lead/head of staff pastors from around the country and we use our time together to wrestle with what we’re learning, to share resources and ideas, and to troubleshoot situations or struggles in our individual contexts. Very, very helpful!
At the end of each day, we enjoyed fellowship and fabulous food and drink. They broke us into four small-ish groups; each night, two groups would eat at a restaurant in downtown Princeton and the others enjoyed dinner in the homes of the directors of this program. Both nights, I went to the directors’ homes – such a beautiful gesture of hospitality and a wonderful way to get to know others in the program.
The program lives up to its name – Iron Sharpening Iron. We heard from experts in the field of leadership who sharpened us and our capacity for leadership. And each of us participants were there to mutually bless and encourage each other. What a gift to be part of! And what a gift to be part of a congregation that is so supportive of this kind of learning and leadership development! Thank you, Grace!
In Christ,
Pastor Sarah
Every Friday, we send an email to the congregation and any others who would like to learn more about the Grace community. The last four Friday emails are posted below.