INTEREST FORM

Short Courses and Workshops

Available to alumnae, current participants, and those exploring executive education. A mix of paid and free opportunities, scholarships are available if needed. Please email ironsharpeningiron@ptsem.edu for details.

Women, Violence, and Power: Sacred Texts and Modern Conversations

  • March 3, 12, and 19, 2026
  • 12:00-1:30pm each session
  • Cost: $99
  • Register here

This series of 3 online sessions is designed to further enrich biblical interpretation skills — specifically the work of engaging difficult texts — and bring that learning into how women as leaders address equally challenging modern contexts.

In the synchronous online sessions, participants will come together to study a series of biblical passages that many refer to as “difficult” or “troubling” texts for their depiction of sexual violence or oppression. With the instructor, they will discuss why these passages trouble us now, how they have been read by various communities in the past, and what broader relevance these ancient texts might have to our own confrontations with the ongoing forms of violence and inequity we witness, face, and work to resist in the present. Together they will also consider the substantive challenges of engaging these texts in congregational or educational settings, and how to do so without reinscribing the traumas and harms they narrate.

To bring the conversations from the synchronous sessions into our modern context, participants are given access to pre-recorded conversations between our biblical expert and subject matter experts from fields outside of traditional theological education, where they explore how church leaders can address individual experiences of trauma or harassment, and how congregations can best support and respond.

Lay Leader Workshops (Ongoing)

Building leadership capacity among lay leaders is essential for the long-term health and sustainability of both the congregation and its pastoral staff. By intentionally building a bench of trusted leaders, churches create a deeper pool of support, insight, and energy to carry forward important initiatives. Developing common language and shared frameworks fosters clarity and unity, allowing lay leaders and clergy to collaborate more effectively. This shared leadership model not only distributes responsibility but also helps prevent burnout among pastors by ensuring the work of ministry is shared and sustained across the whole body. Ultimately, it cultivates a resilient, mission-driven community that can thrive together.  

Click here to learn more
Cost: Varies based on group size, modality, and time frame

 

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The Future of Church Property: Evolving with Integrity ($79.99)

Anchored by plenary addressed from Lindsay Baker, CEO of the International Future Living Institute, this set of recordings covers the following topics:

  • The Why Behind the Property Conversation: Theology, Ethics, and Imagination
  • For Churches Curious About Affordable Housing
  • A Strategic Approach to Buildings and Deferred Maintenance
  • The Role of Social Enterprise in Imagining Future Use
  • Financing the Clean Energy Transition

Creating Healthy Boundaries: Living in Liminal Spaces, Part I 

Navigating Transitions with Integrity: Living in Liminal Spaces, Part 2 

Panel discussions will feature Rev. Pam Driesell, Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell, and Rev. Melanie Marsh, addressing some of the deepest questions women bring to us each year.

Webinars

These offerings build on Iron Sharpening Iron’s core curriculum, creating content that speaks directly to the expressed needs of our current participants.

Developing Lay Leaders: Turning Participation Into Partnership

Strong lay leaders are the foundation of vibrant congregational life—but helping people move from “showing up” to truly owning the mission takes intentional leadership. In this webinar, we’ll explore practical strategies for cultivating trust, shaping a healthy group culture, and navigating common challenges like misalignment and difficult personalities. After a brief presentation, we’ll move into real-time problem-solving using questions submitted during registration. Come ready to learn, reflect, and gain tools you can use immediately with your team.

Supervision with Integrity: Navigating Favoritism, Feedback, and Firing

  • Tuesday, February 10, 2026
  • 4:00 to 5:30pm ET
  • Cost: $25
  • Register here

Supervising church staff is one of the most complex and consequential parts of ministry leadership. In this webinar, we’ll take a candid look at what healthy supervision really requires—balancing fairness and compassion while addressing tough issues like favoritism, performance feedback, and letting someone go. After a focused presentation, we’ll tackle real-world situations submitted in advance, helping you translate principles into practice for your unique context.

 
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Neurodivergence in Ministry Teams

Faith Saenz, founder of NeuroTalent Consulting, speaks with pastors about the leading as a neurodivergent person, supporting neurodivergent staff members, and building a team that can flourish.

Impact Measurement for Ministry: Distilling the Data that Matters

How does anyone accurately measure spiritual growth or the health of a community? Thais Carter, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Associate Director for Iron Sharpening Iron will offer a presentation to help answer that question and get at how we might measure what seems unmeasurable!

Managing Volunteers: Secrets to Supervising People Who Aren’t on the Payroll 

Led by Luisa Boyarksi, Associate Director of Georgetown University’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership, this webinar offers practical advice for motivating, organizing, and retaining volunteers.

Implementing the Bold Vision: Elected Officials on the Transition from Campaign to Governance 

For the first time in its history, the city of St. Paul is represented by all women and majority people of color. Join Councilmembers Rebecca Noecker and Cheniqua Johnson to discuss how we move from designing a leadership vision (campaigning) to implementation (governing), and managing the bureaucracies and stakeholders along the way.

Coaching Skills for Leaders: Tips for Empathic, Effective Supervision 

You may know a lot about pastoral care, but how does (or should) that differ from supervising staff? This webinar, led by Anita Kishore, is designed as an entry point into how the coaching model can lead to smarter, more successful supervision.

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