Questions for Individual Reflection/Group Discussion:

Rev. Dr. Streets begins, “Being healers in a wounded world is not easy. Clergy self-care and pastoral actions stemming from a broader sense of wellness are critical now more than ever.” 

• What are the areas which present the biggest challenges in your own self-care journey? 
• In your experience, what makes this moment particularly critical? 

Rev. Dr. Streets emphasizes that self-care is “individually situated.” As you begin this program, name the areas of self-care which you are attending to in your life right now. 

• What areas have you been avoiding?

Questions for Individual Reflection/Group Discussion:

Faith practices have been shown to have positive impacts on self-care. 

• As you reflect on your own faith practices, which of them enriches your sense of calling to ministry? 
• Your sense of agency in your work? 
• Which increase your imagination and ability to do the work you feel called to do? 

Questions for Individual Reflection/Group Discussion:

• As you reflect on the list of themes emerging from their findings, are there any which surprise you? 

• Is anything missing from this list that are important to you?

Make notes about which ones resonate with you and why; and which ones you are curious to learn more about. 

Questions for Individual Reflection/Group Discussion:

Rev. Dr. Streets emphasizes that the need to engage in self-care “must move beyond rhetorical exhortations to a concrete system of congregational policies, strategies, and practices.” 

• What shape would that take in your ministry context? 
• What policies pertain and what practices could be enhanced or instituted? 
• How would these habits need to be developed in your setting? 
• Can you think of partners who could help you to institute them and that you could be accountable to? 

As you think about the mirroring relationship between clergy and congregation in your setting, what are key areas that both clergy and congregants would benefit from?

Questions for Individual Reflection/Group Discussion:

With the decline of denominational personnel deployed in support of clergy, and the changing expectations of clergy e.g. to find a sense of vocation in the production of online worship in addition to in-person worship, spend some time reflecting and creating your own inventory of self-care resources:

• Either in conversation with a colleague or in your journal (or both), make a list of self-care resources to explore further which are available to you. Make sure to include such things as: denominational, parachurch, and independent resources, spiritual directors, clergy support groups, available to you online and in-person, as well as offerings from your seminary or a seminary near you. Take into account what has served you well in the past, and what you are needing more of or less of as you look to the future. 
• After creating your list, think about the amount of time you have available – the pace of work in your current setting, your current self-care practices, and whether you have continuing education and/or sabbatical time available to you for further exploration. 

Questions for Individual Reflection/Group Discussion:

Rev. Dr. Streets outlines a self-care protocol which includes Definition, Covenant, Priorities, and Evaluation. He says the protocol needs to pay attention “not so much to what we are doing in ministry but how we are being,” and the work of ministry then flows out of who we are rather than what we can be expected to produce. 

Begin to pencil in your ideas for each of the areas for a self-care protocol. (Definition, Covenant, Priorities, Evaluation) Be mindful that it needs to be tailored for your setting, fit your own particular preferences, and makes you accountable appropriately to people that you trust:

Consider whether you would also like to include a piece that pertains to your family, and/or any other outside partners such as a denominational leader, therapist, or spiritual director, et al. 

Questions for Individual Reflection/Group Discussion:

Rev. Dr. Streets talks about the interior work each of us must do to be able to show up authentically as we perform our work. 

• What are the biggest barriers for you to being able to bring your authentic self to your work? 
• How are you showing up in your congregation, how does your current experience line up with how you would like to be showing up?

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