How are things with your soul and your total well-being? Please take care of yourself! A team, known as the Total Well-Being Team, has gathered some resources for you and invites you to take some time for yourself. Each Wednesday come and join your colleagues in a time away from your busy life for spirituality and wellness. Total Well Being Team members are Shawn Culey, Lin Van Hofwegen, Deb Kjerstad, Diane Owen, Susan Reese, Leana Stunes, Sarah Swantner.

Join Soul Fill-up every Wednesday, at 9 a.m. Central Time, 8 a.m. Mountain Time, log into UMConnect (BlueJeans) here. This will be a to stop, relax and be in a time of worship. It is a devotion created especially for you by the Higher Ground spiritual directors. We recognize how much you are giving and how hard you are working. We want you to take a moment to breathe, be still, and feel how much we care about you. Let us pour back into you and refill your tank or cup! There is mothing that you need to prepare, nothing you to do, and no homework! Just come, be present, and soak it in!

This is what one of your colleagues said after the participated this week: "I found the time of silence and permission to be in this space for rest and retreat filled my soul.  I will set aside time to join you again. Than you for offering this!" View the May 13, Soul Fill-up session here. 

Lunch Chat is at 12:30 p.m. Central Time, 11:30 a.m. Mountain Time, log into UMConnect here. Join us for a time of learning, chat and discussion. Each week, one of the Higher Ground consultants will facilitate a time of learning, discussion, and answering questions.  On Wednesday, May 20, Stephanie Moore and Leana Stunes will again facilitate the lunch chat, titled " Digging Deep: Self-Care and Self-Compassion." 
Why You Should Come:
We are told to serve others all the time, especially when being called for a life dedicated to ministry in the Christian culture.  However, we often disregard serving ourselves because we equate this to being "selfish".  When did serving ourselves and loving ourselves become evil... did this idea come from God or is this idea "assumed" and interpreted too often as a "selfish and evil" way?  Or is it our own self-talk, convincing ourselves that our needs do not matter, even though we are lonely and struggling to connect in our marriage, or are battling anxiety and depression, or struggling with self-doubt and passion.
Come to a lunch session where you will LOVE YOURSELF AND SERVE YOURSELF by using your voice to talk about topics that pastors and church leaders in the Dakotas Conference were inspired to explore because of the gift of connecting with one another at last week's session "Clergy and Self-Compassion".  This is about YOU and no topic is off limits. 

View the Lunch Chat from Wednesday, May 13,  "Clergy and Self-Compassion" on your mental and emotional well-being, hosted by Stephanie Moore. Or, listen to the Lunch Chat as a podcast on Spreaker: