August 5, 2015
August 2015 Editor’s Letter: Vision and Planning
Why is it important for congregations to have a clear – and shared - vision of what God is calling them to do? Many times congregations discover the root of their conflict is a different understanding of the vision. Making – and taking - the time to prayerfully discern your shared mission and vision is holy work.
Our August offerings include:
Who sets the vision for the congregation? In “Who Sets the Vision?,” Nancy Davidge shares the responses from congregational leaders – lay and ordained – from across our church.
In “Growing Our Church,” Estela Lopez shares the story of the rebirth of a struggling church in Texas. A shared vision and inviting all members to become leaders are central to the success of this ministry. (Also available in Spanish.)
“From Vision to Action” introduces vestries to the concept of strategic thinking; an effective way to help congregations incorporate their vision into action. In this excerpt from the new Vestry Resource Guide, Nancy Davidge and Susan Elliott offer strategies for shifting a strategic planning process to the more nimble and dynamic strategic thinking model.
En “Liderazgo multilingüe y feligresías multiculturales/Multilingual Leadership and Multicultural Churches” por Sandra Montes, Silvestre Romero comparte sus pensamientos y experiencia de trabajo con feligresías multiculturales, así como sobre la identidad episcopal y los retos que se enfrentan. Además, comparte una fórmula para ayudar a las congregaciones a desempeñarse exitosamente en feligresías bilingües. (Also available in English.)
It’s my hope that these Vestry Papers stories and ideas might spark a conversation at a vestry or other leadership meeting and perhaps provide a catalyst for looking at your own situation in a different way.
Each Vestry Papers article includes a practical application that you might try at an upcoming vestry meeting. You’ll also find a list of resources 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 are interested in Spanish language content, please visit our searchable index for our Spanish content here.
Please share this issue of Vestry Papers with your colleagues and invite them to subscribe to ECF Vital Practices. Subscriptions are free. New subscribers are asked to fill out a short registration form to have Vestry Papers and the Vital Practices Digest delivered each month to your email inbox.
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