Coppage-Gordon is the adult formation arm of the diocese, working to form leaders of all orders and all corners of the diocese, including those training for ordained ministry.
The Academy for Vocational Leadership is a local three-year program of preparation leading to the vocational diaconate or the priesthood. Individuals wishing an intensive theological education program who do not intend to seek ordination, are welcome to apply for the full three year Academy program. You will participate alongside those preparing for Holy Orders for all course work except field education. All students who successfully complete the program will graduate from the Academy and will receive a Certificate in Theological Studies from the Seminary of the Southwest.
The Academy is a collaboration with the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan and is based on the Iona Collaborative, a local formation curriculum developed by the Seminary of the Southwest in conjunction with the Iona School for Ministry of the Diocese of Texas.
The next class will begin in the fall of 2024. The program begins with a weekend retreat in August.
In order to begin this program, an applicant must receive the endorsement of the clergy and vestry of the applicant’s home parish. In addition, the applicant must have begun the ordination process with the Commission on Ministry and reached Postulant status prior to beginning the Academy.
Class weekends are held once a month, either online via Zoom or at the St. Francis Retreat Center in Dewitt.
The cost of the program is $4,300/year which covers tuition, overnight accommodations, and meals for each of the 10 sessions, as well as the August retreat. In addition, the cost of required textbooks will range from $100-175 per year. The Diocese of Eastern Michigan will provide a scholarship of 1/3 of the tuition for each student from this diocese. Financial support of 1/3 of the tuition from the student’s home parish is an expectation. Students are urged to approach their home parish for any needed financial support. Invoices to students and sponsoring congregations are sent out twice per year, with half owing in each installment.
Dates 2024-25
The application includes three parts:
Please send all of the forms to:
The Rev. Canon Tracie Little, D. Min
Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan
124 N. Fayette Street
Saginaw, MI 48602
WORSHIP LEADER TRAINING
According to the Canons of the Episcopal Church, a Worship Leader is a lay person who regularly leads public worship. In the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan worship leaders are often charged with more than leading Morning or Evening Prayer. They often plan services as well.
Cost is minimal, covering materials and lunches. Specific dates, time, and sites will be announced 4-6 weeks prior to the offering of the workshop. Some workshops are held online via Zoom and some are offered in person at a variety of host locations throughout the diocese.
At the conclusion of the workshop each participant will be given a copy of the worship leader examination to be completed and sent in. Each person to be licensed is also required by diocesan policy to take the Safeguarding God’s People training offered through the Diocese and undergo a criminal background check.
Occasionally, more advanced and specific worship leader trainings will be offered. These workshops qualify for continuing education and can be used for license renewal.
The basic introduction to leading worship in your congregation. This class is for new worship leaders. Following the class, participants will need to take an exam in order to complete their licensure.
UPCOMING TRAININGS:
Upcoming trainings beginning fall 2024 will be announced shortly.
$25/person. Click here to register.
This workshop will look at the details of funeral preparation using both the Book of Common Prayer and Enriching Our Worship (EOW). This class is for those already licensed as worship leaders. $25/person.
UPCOMING TRAININGS:
September 14, 2024 from 10 – 2pm via Zoom
This workshop will look at the details of the Lenten and holy week liturgies that can be led by a lay person. This class is for those already licensed as worship leaders. $25/person.
UPCOMING TRAININGS:
Upcoming trainings beginning fall 2024 will be announced shortly.
Training to become a licensed preacher in the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan consists of two components:
After successful completion of both the Holy Scripture and Homiletics classes, Safeguarding training and a background check are required. Following completion of all requirements, the diocesan office will issue a preaching license.
The 2024-25 school year will be a mixture of in-person at the St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt and online via Zoom. The cost to participate in both classes is $1,000 (or Bible only for $720, Homiletics only for $280 – successfully completing the Bible class is a prerequisite for taking the Homiletics class). During the weekend, participants interact with Academy students at meals, worship, and break times. Each Saturday follows the same pattern, with the Bible course taught from 9:30-4:00pm and Homiletics taught frrom 7-9pm. Participation in the Homiletics class requires you to be present for Morning Prayer beginning at 9:15 and Evening Prayer from 4:00-4:45pm.
Dates 2024-25
If you would like to talk about these classes, please contact the Rev. Canon Tracie Little at tlittle@eastmich.org or at the office, 877-752-6020.
Click here to download and complete the application to attend Preaching Classes.
ChurchNext is an online learning community offering hundreds of online courses for individuals and congregations in topics ranging from Spirituality to Church Management led by renowned mainline church leaders such as Rachel Held Evans and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
Congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan have access to a subsidized subscription in order to utilize ChurchNext for continuing education, bible studies, small groups, and more. Your cost is $100 per year (less than a third of the standard cost).
To sign up, just email hello@churchnext.tv and let them know you’re an Eastern Michigan congregation.
They will invoice you directly for your subsidized $100 fee and get you set up with your ongoing account.
This group of church leaders understand, practice, and proclaim God’s call to generosity. Through practicing gratitude and generosity, we will grow spiritually, deepening our relationship with God. Each year they create an annual pledge campaign with all of the resources needed to run this program.
For 2024, the program is called “Walk in Love”. On their website, TENS | The Episcopal Network for Stewardship TENS Walking in service 2024 – TENS.org, under the Annual Pledge Campaigns tab, you will see the following:
The Walk in Love / Anden en amor theme is based on Year B in the lectionary cycle.
Available now:
Available in May:
All resources are presented in MS Word and PDF for maximum customizing and are available in English and Spanish.
In order to access these materials, you will need to login. Because the Diocese is committed to providing good stewardship formation, we have invested in TENS. As a result of that investment, every single one of our congregations can access this information.
Please contact the Rev. Canon Tracie Little, tlittle@eastmich.org, to receive the login information.
TENS will also be running a webinar for our Diocese on August 24 beginning at 10am. More information and registration information will be available soon and will be posted here.
Please contact the Rev. Canon Tracie Little, tlittle@eastmich.org, to receive the login information.
The Rev. Canon Dr. Tracie Little
Canon to the Ordinary
tlittle@eastmich.org
Location: 124 N. Fayette Street Saginaw, MI 48602 | Phone: (877) 752-6020
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