Episcopal Press and News

Fresh Start program experiences a 'fresh start'

Episcopal News Service. April 9, 2007 [040907-01]

With a change in lead agencies and new coordinators, the Fresh Start program is undergoing a "fresh start."

Fresh Start -- a diocesan-led program that seeks to foster healthy relationships among clergy, their congregations and their dioceses during critical periods of transition in clergy leadership -- is sponsored, governed and partially funded by a collaboration of four organizations: the office for Ministry Development; the Church Deployment office; the Episcopal Church Foundation, and the CREDO Institute, Inc.

Following a re-evaluation and a national search, the three part-time coordinators were named: Sandra Kolb, Diocese of Washington, as coordinator of Curriculum, with responsibility for the ongoing review, design and development of the Fresh Start curriculum; Paula Franck, Diocese of Indianapolis, as coordinator of Diocesan Support, responsible for developing and maintaining ongoing relationships between the national program and participating dioceses; and Lynn Schmissrauter, Diocese of East Tennessee, as coordinator of Facilitators, with responsibility for training and developing diocesan facilitators. CREDO Institute has been designated as the lead agency and Fresh Start point person at CREDO is the Rev. Mike Ehmer, assistant director.

Fresh Start has two national events planned in 2007: a diocesan facilitator training session October 16-19 at the Barbara C. Harris Center in Greenfield, New Hampshire; and a national gathering of all diocesan Fresh Start facilitators December 4-6 at Camp Allen, Navasota, Texas. This year's gathering will see the rollout of Fresh Start 3.0, reflecting a complete overhaul of the existing curriculum.

Information on both of these events and more can be found on the Fresh Start website.