Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

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If you find ECF Vital Practices and Vestry Papers valuable to your ministry, please sign up for a free subscription. Use this link, or click on the Subscribe button in the upper right hand corner anywhere on the ECF Vital Practices website.

As a subscriber, in addition to receiving Vestry Papers each month you will also receive our monthly digest - a collection of articles related to your ministry as congregational leaders. This blog post, "Building Great Vestries," is an example of this resource. Subscribers may also post comments or resources directly on the ECF Vital Practices website. 

Build Bonds of Joy in a Spirited Vestry Retreat
Before the vestry gets down to business, take some time for a spirited retreat. Donald Peeler shares some successful ideas for holding a spiritually-focused retreat and why it is a crucial part of building a well-functioning and engaged vestry in “Build Bonds of Joy in a Spirited Retreat.”  If you're looking for more on vestry retreats, click here for a digest on the topic.

You're a New Warden: Now What?
As a new warden or member of the vestry, you may wonder what the wardens on your vestry are supposed to do. In “You’re a New Warden: Now What?,” Donald Romanik shares the background on the role of wardens, what this looks like currently in congregations, and guidance from his experience having been a warden in both family and pastoral sized congregations. 

Blog Posts Hog, Bog, and Frog: Giving these energy-sucking habits a clever name is one way to draw attention to the problem without finger pointing. Strategy and Relationships: Equally important to building relationships is the less spoken-of role of strategy and the power of using them together. Creating Safe Spaces: Building healthy communication practices and group norms helps keep side conversations, bullies in meetings, and miscommunications in-check.

Tools and Resources Vestry Resource Guide: Get your copy of the award-winning guide to being on the vestry. Leading a Holy and Effective Meeting: Watch this recording of a webinar offering practical guidance for running spiritually grounded and effective meetings. ECF's 2014 Winter Webinars: Topics include Vision & Planning, Basics of Parish Finances, and Vestry Orientation. Register for upcoming webinars or watch archived recordings, all for free.

Discerning Individual Gifts on the Vestry