Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Do you have the tools you need?
In the May and June issues of Vestry Papers, our theme is Leadership In a Time of Crisis. We have seen that when a natural disaster strikes, scandal occurs, or community conflict erupts, vital and healthy congregations recover more quickly or better still become a source of strength.

There are many questions to think about: Do you know how to respond to the media? What does your insurance cover? Where are the important documents stored?

Consider using some of your time this summer to make plans and take necessary action to build your congregation’s toolkit. Using the articles, resources, and tools available, we hope your congregation will be better equipped so that when dark shadows appear, you’ll have confidence to face them boldly.

Does your congregation or diocese have a resource to share? Submit it to Your Turn on ECF Vital Practices. Also, think about those in your congregation who could use these resources and invite them to subscribe to ECF Vital Practices to receive midmonth digests and Vestry Papers.

Creating a Parish Press Kit
One of the best tools for a congregation is to have a press kit ready for any situation – a crisis, celebration, or getting the word out on your next big event. Carol Barnwell provides in “Creating a Parish Press Kit” essentials for every congregation to have for any situation that you may face. She also offers a way for congregations to start using it for great events you may already have going on at your church.


Avoiding Unhappy Surprises
Do you keep documentation of your church’s items off-site? We may think “It won’t happen to us” or just don’t ever want to think of something bad happening, but being prepared is part of being responsible stewards of our congregations. In this article, a member of ECF posed as a church warden in “Avoid Unhappy Situations” to find out from Church Insurance what congregations should be thinking about for protecting their assets.

Blog Posts Being Prepared: Minor inconveniences can show us where we need to plan better in case of a larger problem, plus resources from dioceses throughout the Church. Behaving Badly (and Publicly): How a congregation dealt with a parishioner who delivered negative and misleading information to the press and corrected the problem with grace and truth. Be Ready: Another great blog post reflecting on how we need to change our thinking about being prepared for a worst case scenario, with links to other articles and resources.

Tools and Resources New! Webinars on ECFVP: A selection of upcoming and past webinars are now on ECF Vital Practices. Watch videos of previous webinars and share them with your congregation. Press Release Template: Use this simple template to start creating press releases when you need to get your news published. Crisis Preparedness: Making a Plan: A helpful list of questions for congregations to think about when developing your emergency plans, along with links to other resources.

How Does It Work?
Sometimes there are just little things that can spiral out of control. There is a leak, but how do we shut off the water?!? In a disaster, this becomes even more essential. In “How Does It Work,” Leonard Freeman shows how congregations can put together a parish maintenance book to be a useful everyday tool and asset in an emergency.