Boundaries: Healthy Practices for Ministry, is a workshop designed to support leaders navigating today’s complex ministry landscape. Maintaining healthy boundaries is essential not only for personal well-being, but also for cultivating safe, respectful, and inclusive faith communities.

In this workshop, you’ll explore the theological foundations of boundaries, examine ethical and legal frameworks that shape ministry practice, and reflect on how identity, culture, and power influence relationships. Through biblical study, case-based learning, and guided reflection, you’ll develop practical strategies for navigating real-world ministry scenarios with wisdom and care.

Across each module, you’ll engage tools for self-awareness, trauma-informed leadership, and community accountability. The workshop culminates in the creation of a personalized Healthy Boundaries Action Plan you can bring back to your ministry context—equipping you to serve with clarity, resilience, and integrity.

In this course, you will learn how to establish and maintain healthy boundaries that support both your personal well-being and the well-being of your ministry community. You will explore the biblical, theological, ethical, cultural, and legal foundations of boundaries, gaining a deeper understanding of why they matter in faith-based leadership.

You’ll develop practical skills for navigating real-life ministry situations, including recognizing power dynamics, responding to diverse needs, and creating environments rooted in respect, safety, and accountability. Through reflection and applied learning, you will strengthen your capacity for trauma-informed leadership, clarify expectations in ministry relationships, and cultivate sustainable practices of self-care.

By the end of the course, you will create a personalized Healthy Boundaries Action Plan, equipping you with concrete tools to lead with integrity, foster belonging, and build resilient, compassionate communities.

Rev. Carla Christopher Wilson brings a unique and deeply experienced voice to the topic of
congregational vitality, community engagement and strategic planning through a lens of justice and belonging. Carla is a former case manager and therapeutic educator turned community organizer, and has also worked as a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging trainer for nonprofit and government entities, along with faith communities. Carla was ordained into the ELCA Ministry of Word and Sacrament as a certified Redeveloper in 2020.

As Assistant to the Bishop for Justice Ministries for Delaware-Maryland Synods, Co-Chair of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church, a Vital Congregations Training Coordinator and a member of the Evangelism Network Leadership Team, trainer/instructor with Kindling Faith at United Lutheran Seminary, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Parish Resource Center, Stevenson School for Ministry and others, Carla also supports numerous synods as a speaker/trainer and consultant.

In her spare time, a former Poet Laureate of York, Pennsylvania, Carla performs with the
poetry-funk fusion band, Groove Ink. You can find out more about or contact Carla through her website. 

M1 – Orientation & Grounding

Description:
This module focuses on building supportive and inclusive ministry environments. Through a biblical lens, you’ll explore how boundaries foster self-care, meaningful participation, and shared responsibility. You’ll also learn how community agreements, accessibility strategies, and transparent agendas contribute to trust and collaboration.

Learning Objectives:

• Examine biblical perspectives on community, care, and boundaries
• Develop strategies for creating inclusive learning and ministry spaces
• Practice crafting community agreements and clear agendas
• Identify ways to accommodate diverse needs and promote engagement

M2 – The Why of Boundaries

Description:
This module explores the theological, ethical, and legal foundations of boundaries in ministry. You’ll engage ELCA governance and ethical standards, congregational policies, legal frameworks, and church trauma data to understand why clear boundaries are essential for safety, accountability, and faithful leadership.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify biblical and theological foundations for boundaries
• Understand ELCA ethical standards and governance expectations
• Review legal considerations related to ministry practice
• Examine church trauma statistics and their implications for leadership

M3 – The What of Boundaries

Description:
Here you’ll explore how culture, context, identity, and power dynamics shape boundary formation. This module invites deeper reflection on social location, accountability structures, and relational expectations in ministry settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze how identity and culture influence boundaries
• Recognize power dynamics in ministry relationships
• Explore accountability practices that support healthy leadership
• Reflect on contextual factors shaping boundary expectations

M4 – The How of Boundaries

Description:
The final module equips you with practical tools for sustaining healthy boundaries over time. You’ll focus on self-care, goal-setting, trauma-informed leadership, and belonging strategies, culminating in a personalized Healthy Boundaries Action Plan for your ministry.

Learning Objectives:

• Practice self-care and goal-setting strategies for sustainable leadership
• Apply trauma-informed approaches to ministry contexts
• Develop a Healthy Boundaries Action Plan
• Evaluate belonging practices that support community well-being