BY ROBERT H. LUNDY, EDITOR

The American Anglican Council (AAC) recently surveyed 164 Anglican clergy around North America, gaining invaluable insight into their needs and the needs of their congregations. Responding to those needs, the AAC will launch two new initiatives in January and February of 2011.

"We here at the AAC want to see an Anglican Church in North America that shares the love of Christ," said The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey, AAC Chief Operating and Development Officer. "For that to happen we need spiritually healthy clergy and churches. Our prayer is that these programs, the Clergy Leadership Training Institute (CLTI) and Sure Foundation, will strengthen priest and parish alike."

The Clergy Leadership Training Institute is a program addressing issues such as the priest's personal walk with the Lord, the health and direction of their ministry and the need for leadership coaching to help them lead growing congregations. Participants will meet once annually for three years to rest, learn, and have fellowship. They will also be formed into regional cohorts that will provide peer support and accountability between yearly sessions.

The first CLTI is limited to 20 and will be Feb. 22-25, 2011 in the mountains of North Carolina at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. Sessions will

* Feb. 22-25, 2011, The Cove, Asheville, N.C. * $338-$458 Includes meals & lodging * Sign up now! Enrollment closes Nov. 26

* Launch dates and locations: Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 7-8, 2011 Winchester, Tenn., Jan. 21-22, 2011 * Sign up online today!

be led by Dr. Leighton Ford, president of Leighton Ford Ministries. Contact clti@americananglican.org or go to www.americananglican.org/clti to find out how you can take advantage of this unique AAC ministry.

While the CLTI is focused on clergy, the Sure Foundation program is directed at entire congregations.

Partnering with Acts 29 Ministries, the AAC is offering this 18 month program as a way to help churches grow in spirit and number. Canon Ashey says this ministry is especially applicable to small or "plateaued" congregations. "Many in the new Anglican Church in North America are focused on church planting and that is necessary and wonderful. However, based on our survey results, it's clear that many ACNA churches aren't in the position to plant other churches and need to focus on other important issues." According to Canon Ashey, those issues can include vision, discipleship, evangelism, leadership and more. Ashey, along with The Rev. Alan Hansen, president of Acts 29 Ministries, will work with parish leadership teams to develop a strategic growth plan and vision for their parish and identify challenges that may be ahead.

Sure Foundation is set to launch Jan. 7-8, 2011 in Atlanta, Ga., for clergy and lay leaders in the Anglican Diocese of the South. Shortly after that, a second Sure Foundation program will begin Jan. 21-22 in Winchester, Tenn. After the initial training session, Canon Ashey and Rev. Hansen will meet with the parish leadership teams eight more times over the next 18 months for further consultation and training. The AAC is also planning to launch a Sure Foundation program for churches in the midwest sometime in mid to late 2011.

For more information about Sure Foundation, contact surefoundation@americananglican.org or go to www.americananglican.org/surefoundation. †