{"id":11655,"date":"2025-09-11T16:33:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T20:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/?p=11655"},"modified":"2025-11-20T11:14:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T16:14:02","slug":"an-encouragement-for-september-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/2025\/09\/an-encouragement-for-september-6\/","title":{"rendered":"An Encouragement for September"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since 2019, the Center for Leadership Excellence, in partnership with COSROW, has been lifting up the voices of lay and clergywomen in ministry through Encouragements\u2014monthly emails designed to inspire, encourage, and offer practical ways for women in ministry to support one another. This month, we\u2019re honored to share words from Gayle Tabor, pastor of Crossroads Church of Fayetteville and SALT in Wilmington.<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em>

Anyone can sign up to receive Encouragements\u2014and the full archive of past emails is available for you to explore. Please\u00a0<\/em>share this link<\/em><\/a>\u00a0with lay and clergywomen in ministry who might be interested.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ministry can be a beautiful, sacred calling\u2014but it can also be exhausting. Between leading, caring, teaching, and tending to the needs of others, we often forget that we, too, are part of God\u2019s creation. The same God who painted the skies, sculpted the mountains, and set the seas in motion also carefully crafted you.

Sometimes, creation care begins with caring for yourself. Because when we are rooted, nourished, and restored, we are better equipped to nurture God\u2019s world and God\u2019s people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Mark 6:31 (NRSV):<\/strong>
Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, from Julian of Norwich, one of our mothers in the faith: God is the ground, the substance, the very essence of nature; God is the true father and mother of all creation.<\/em>

Reflect:\u00a0<\/strong>Jesus invited his disciples to rest\u2014not as a reward for finishing the work, but as a part of the work. Caring for creation includes tending to our own souls and bodies. We are, after all, God\u2019s handiwork.

Take a moment to consider:

How often do you pause to breathe deeply and simply be in God\u2019s presence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are the \u201cgreen pastures\u201d and \u201cquiet waters\u201d in your life right now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How might neglecting your own restoration limit your ability to nurture others and the earth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t about self-indulgence. It\u2019s about rhythm. Sabbath. Sustainability. Just as the earth needs rest in winter to bloom in spring, so do we.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Action:\u00a0<\/strong>This week, commit to one small, intentional practice that connects caring for creation with caring for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Step Outside & Breathe \u2014 Take 10 minutes today to be still outdoors. Notice the wind, the light, the sounds around you. Let God\u2019s creation hold you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Encourage Another in Ministry \u2014 Send a short message, prayer, or text to someone in ministry. Remind them they\u2019re beloved, seen, and not alone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. (Optional Bonus) Plant Something \u2014 In the Ground or in Your Spirit \u2014 Whether it\u2019s an actual seed or a practice like journaling, start something small that nurtures life and growth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Remember, creation care begins with connection. And that includes connecting with God, ourselves, and one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In partnership,
    Center for Leadership Excellence and the Commission on the Status and Role of Women<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Ministry can be a beautiful, sacred calling\u2014but it can also be exhausting. Between leading, caring, teaching, and tending to the needs of others, we often forget that we, too, are part of God\u2019s creation. The same God who painted the skies, sculpted the mountains, and set the seas in motion also carefully crafted you.<\/p>\n

    Sometimes, creation care begins with caring for yourself. Because when we are rooted, nourished, and restored, we are better equipped to nurture God\u2019s world and God\u2019s people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":199,"featured_media":7594,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[6,12,13,194,14],"class_list":["post-11655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-center-for-leadership-excellence","tag-commission-on-the-status-and-role-of-women","tag-encouragements","tag-leadership","tag-women"],"yoast_head":"\nAn Encouragement for September | Center for Leadership Excellence | North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/2025\/09\/an-encouragement-for-september-6\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Encouragement for September | Center for Leadership Excellence | North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ministry can be a beautiful, sacred calling\u2014but it can also be exhausting. 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