Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

In Advent we prepare, we wait, and we share the ancient stories. In this issue of Vestry Papers we invite you to think about the ways you are – or might find opportunities to – share the Good News of Jesus Christ by sharing the stories of how God is working with us and through us to keep the Good News alive in our communities and the world.

Our December issue includes:

“Going That Extra Mile" by Bob Landry shares a present day ‘man on the road to Jericho’ story. His experience reminds us that Christianity is a living thing, that our faith stories of today mirror the ancient stories in the Gospels, and that each of us has the opportunity to follow Christ through our actions.

In writing about sharing our stories, we’ve relied on the assumption that parishioners know the stories of what's happening now. But do they? In “Let Your Light Shine,” Sandra Swan asks us to test this assumption and to find ways to share our own church’s stories first with each other and then, with our wider circle of friends, family, and acquaintances.

“Putting Out Signals” by Anna Olson suggests that we think about – and pay attention to – the signals, intended and unintended, our churches are sending in our neighborhoods. What we think we are saying may not be what is being heard. How can we become more in tune with these signals and more intentional about creating signals/messages that resonate with our neighbors?

Welcoming the stranger is a central tenet of Christianity. In modern times, one of the first ways a stranger may encounter our church is through our website or another form of new media. In “First Impressions” Kevin Minch helps us to remember what it feels like to be a stranger and shares thoughts on how to create a welcoming virtual space that feels welcoming to the stranger.

Each Vestry Papers article includes a practical application related to the article that you might try at an upcoming vestry meeting. You’ll also find a list of the resources mentioned in the article as well as additional information related to the topic. If you have a resource you’d like to share, please email me with the link or add it to the site using the Your Turn feature. If you’re a subscriber, click on the Make a Submission button. Not a subscriber? It’s easy – and free – just click here.

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