Catawba Clergy Network

Engagement, reflection and other opportunities and resources for Catawba College alumni and area ministers.

The Catawba Clergy Network seeks to deliver comprehensive support, education, and companionship to our alumni clergy, and clergy within the Southeastern United States. We focus on creating opportunities for rest, reflection, resource sharing, and the forging of robust relationships — all aimed at diminishing burnout risks and enhancing the overall well-being of pastors and their congregations. We support clergy through three primary programs:

Clergy Days: A two-day fall conference that provides opportunities for conversation, continuing education, networking, and reflection through various workshops, community time, reflective practices, and a keynote address from a recognized speaker. Topics and themes are selected by an ecumenical planning committee, focusing on topics relevant to clergy life and ministry.

Communities of Practice: Small peer groups of five to nine ministers in similar contexts that meet monthly with a trained facilitator to offer mutual support, share insights, and engage in collective learning. We believe that by providing training, education, and retreat opportunities for these groups, their relationships of support will have the opportunity to develop and flourish.

Thriving Mini grants: Competitive grants awarded annually to individual clergy, providing funding for activities that foster personal and professional flourishing. Our mission is to invest in clergy so that they can thrive.

Catawba College has a rich history of supporting clergy and nurturing community leaders; in fact, the College’s deepest roots and initial purpose were tied to the church, when the German Reformed Church wanted to start a school to train ministers close to home. This aligns with our broader mission of empowering individuals to reach their highest potential and become responsible citizens with a zeal to enrich human life. The Clergy Network initiative is a tangible expression of Catawba College’s mission in action. By bolstering the abilities and well-being of clergy, we extend our educational and supportive ethos into the wider community, influencing congregations and communities throughout the southeastern United States.

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Catawba Clergy Days are opportunities for continuing education, fellowship, relationship building and worship. Clergy Network members and prospective member clergy, are encouraged to come to campus for an inspiring keynote speaker, educational and helpful workshops, hearty meals and opportunities to share wisdom and insights with other clergy out in the fields. The cost for this two-day event is $100, which includes the keynote address, workshops, activities, and all meals. In addition, lodging is provided for the first 50 members who travel over 50 miles.

Catawba College Clergy Days 2026: Peace Without Your Walls

Clergy Days Information

The Catawba Clergy Network is excited to offer Clergy the opportunity to join a Community of Practice (COP) and gain invaluable peer learning and support. Every COP is led by a trained and compensated facilitator who will help organize and encourage the group meetings. Members of COPs who are active and engaged are encouraged to apply for COP grants, up to $500 and receive information about "Thriving in Ministry" grants to provide financial resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth. These grants are funded by the Lilly Endowment.

Apply for a COP Grant

What is a COP?
Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly - a group of your peers who gather monthly for conversation, learning and support. Often, we have participated in communities of practice without realizing it. For example, whenever a group forms to work together on similar concerns, explore new ways of approaching their work and help each other navigate the many challenges they face, it is a community of practice.

A “clergy” community of practice (“clergy COP”) is a small group of ministers intentionally focused on how to do ministry better and thrive as pastors. Clergy COPs focus both on self-care and the support and wisdom we can gain from regular gatherings with experienced peers who offer new perspectives and resources. All clergy COPs are self-directed (focused on the needs and interests of participants) and convened by trained facilitators who help assure the groups run smoothly and effectively.

Clergy COPs can be life-giving and vital to your personal and professional development. Many pastors say that being in a learning and support group, such as a clergy COP, saved them in ministry. Without such networking and support, they would not have survived as ministers. Hundreds of UCC and other pastors across our country are enhancing their personal wellbeing and leadership skills by participating in COPs. We hope you will take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to grow together - personally and professionally. Investing in your self-care and leadership development will yield dividends for your churches.

Three necessary and interacting dimensions of clergy COPs:

THE FOCUS IS MINISTRY: A clergy COP is a group of active, licensed and authorized ministers dedicated to their ongoing self-care and professional development.
THE COMMUNITY IS ESSENTIAL: When clergy come together for discussion, they build supportive relationships, share successes and challenges, and learn relevant information to improve their ministries. They care for, encourage and strengthen one another. Over time, trust develops in this confidential setting, and members feel blessed to be able to share their expertise and deepest questions, as well as their uncertainties.
KNOWLEDGE IS PRACTICE-BASED: Knowledge within a COP is developed and tested through actual practice and refined into common wisdom. Skills develop within the group as members craft practices to address common issues and their growing edges in ministry.

The “Four Cs” That Undergird Our Communities of Practice:

Community: COPs are made up of 5-8 pastors who meet monthly, face-to-face or virtually for nine months to one year. Each group is self-directed, with participants coordinating with the facilitator to choose topics of their interest.
Competency: COPs are convened and supervised by trained facilitators who help assure that groups run smoothly and effectively.
Covenant: Each COP develops a covenant guiding participation in the group. And each group member covenants to be present and engaged at each meeting, unless facing unavoidable emergency. Each voice is needed and appreciated.
Confidentiality: In COPs, confidential information is to be held in confidence so that members feel safe and share freely. Trust is foundational to the success of the group.

Examples of Contexts for Clergy Communities of Practice:

Clergy in their First Call or New to the UCC
Senior Clergy Navigating Particular Issues or Challenges
Bi-Vocational Clergy
Pastors in Same Geographic Locale (can be inter-denominational)
Specialized Ministers (including chaplains and CPE supervisors, pastoral counselors, spiritual directors, intentional interim ministers and more)
Catawba Alumni Clergy
More… You can choose the focus

Pay COP Fee

*The Pastoral Excellence Network adopted the term “communities of practice” from Etienne Wenger, an educational theorist and practitioner.

Clergy Thriving Grants are competitive grants offered once a year and are available to members of the Catawba Clergy Network for efforts that help pastors and congregations thrive. For example, grants might support new initiatives, attendance at conferences, retreats or other gatherings, or supply preachers so you can get away.

Apply for Clergy Thriving Grant

2026

May 5	Application period opens for Clergy Thriving Grants
June 2	Application period closes for Clergy Thriving Grants
July 9	Application period opens for Community of Practice Grants
August 6	Application period closes for Community of Practice Grants
TBA	Leadership Training for Facilitators
September 17-18	Catawba Clergy Days

Clergy Thriving Grants FAQs:

What grants are available through the Catawba Clergy Network (CCN)?

Clergy Thriving Grants: Clergy Thriving Grants are competitive grants offered once a year and open to any member of the Catawba Clergy Network who applies by the application deadline. These grants are up to $2,500.
COP Grants: Communities of Practice grants (COP grants) are available to Clergy who have successfully completed a COP year. These are $500 grants to support Clergy Thriving.

When is the deadline to apply for a Clergy Thriving Grant?

All applications must be received by the date posted on the application.

Do I need to be a member of the Catawba Clergy Network to apply for a Clergy Thriving Grant?
Yes. Become a member by submitting the Clergy Network membership form.

Do I have to be a UCC Minister, Catawba Alumnus, or both to apply?
No. Ministers who have joined the Catawba Clergy Network but don’t fall into these categories (such as Salisbury area ministers or members of an interdenominational COP) are invited to apply. However, priority for Clergy Thriving grants is given to clergy participating in COPs, as well as to Catawba alumni in ministry anywhere in the United States. 

How much money can I ask for?
The maximum Clergy Thriving grant is $2500.  Please only apply for resources that you need and can justify.

What is the grant period?
Each grant is a one-year grant and must be used within one year of receipt of funding.  Projects under each grant offered by CCN must be administered in accordance with your individual grant application. For grant period extensions, please contact clergynetwork@catawba.edu.

What report do I need to complete after the grant period?
View the grant instructions and report questions. Please keep notes and receipts related to your grant project. And, throughout the year, take pictures of your activities. Then, at the end of the year, you will be prepared to report on your budget expenditures and provide written reflection on grant activities and results.

How often can I apply for a Clergy Thriving Grant?
Annually.  If you have already received a CCN grant, priority will be given to applicants who have not received funding. You may apply for both a COP Grant and a Clergy Thriving Grant within the same year.

How long does it take to receive funding once I apply?
After grant decisions are made, the goal is to disperse funding within thirty days of decisions.

What are some sample projects/thriving initiatives that you would consider funding?
Supply church leadership in your absence, intern support, educational programming, conference attendance, retreats, innovative worship and ministry initiatives, and more! Visit our Newsletter Archive for stories of previous projects that have been funded.

Communities of Practice FAQs

What grants are available through the Catawba Clergy Network (CCN)?
Communities of Practice grants (COP grants) are available to Clergy who have successfully completed a COP year. These are $500 grants to support Clergy Thriving.

When is the deadline to apply for a COP Grant?
The deadline to apply will be posted on the COP application.

What is the grant period?
Each grant is a one-year grant and must be completed/used within one year of your receipt of funding.  Projects under each grant offered by CCN must be administered in accordance with your individual grant application. For extensions on your grant period, please contact clergynetwork@catawba.edu.

What report do I need to complete after the COP grant period?
View the COP Report Grant. Please keep notes and receipts related to your grant project. And, when you can throughout the year, take pictures of your activities. Then, at the end of the year, you will be prepared to report on your budget expenditures and provide written reflection on grant activities and results.

How often can I apply for a COP Grant?
Annually, given continued successful involvement in a COP. If your COP group applies for a joint COP Grant (such as for a group retreat or joint thriving initiative), you are not eligible to apply for an individual COP Grant.

How long does it take to receive funding once I apply?
After grant decisions are made, the goal is to disperse funding within 30 days of the grant decision.

General FAQs

Who do I contact if I have questions?
Please contact the Clergy Network at clergynetwork@catawba.edu with any questions. We are happy to help!

View past issues of the Catawba Clergy Network newsletter, The Vine, below:

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