Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

We still have the dog days of summer ahead, but fall isn’t far beyond.

And with the start of school comes the start of the program year for churches. Hopefully yours already has been talking about how to kick off the year in grand fashion. I encourage you to do something fun, to gather the congregation and invite in the community as you celebrate this coming back together.

The type of event can vary: ice cream social, blessing of the backpacks, potluck picnic, pool party. Think about what works for your congregation. And then think about what might stretch them. If you normally bless the backpacks of the children already in the church, consider opening the event to the neighborhood, enticing families with free school supplies and hot fudge.

If you hold a ministry fair, considering adding flair. A congregation in Cincinnati held a ministry fair in March. They called a new rector recently, and they’re gearing up for some new and exciting programs. To encourage the congregation to engage and learn about the different facets of ministry, they called the event “March Gladness.” (Clever play on March Madness). They gave out passports of sorts, and each booth/table/ministry stamped the passport. If you received stamps from all of the ministries (25 of them!), you were entered into a contest for the grand prize: two tickets to the NCAA tournament. As you might expect, participation was high.

It wouldn’t be too hard to size this type of ministry fair for any congregation, big or small. The prize doesn’t have to be so glitzy. A dinner at a nice restaurant. Tickets to a baseball game. BBQ at the rector’s house. Adding the “passport” gives an element of fun and encourages people to make the rounds for their stamps. Even kids can get in on the action.

Few people know the breadth and scope of a congregation’s programs. From the Altar Guild to a feeding ministry, to visiting people who are shut-ins, or teaching Sunday School, from Bible study to “lay weeders,” there are opportunities for people to engage in ways that bring them joy—and bring them closer to their community and to Jesus.

As you’re planning for the fall, consider making your back-to-school/program year an event that not only increases fellowship but also an opportunity to deepen faith.

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