Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

The phone call got off to an awkward start. A barely audible, frustrated sigh on the other end of the line suggested I hadn’t really answered her question. But hadn’t I? After a long pause, the priest who’d called to find out what I was doing at the Episcopal Church Foundation mercifully moved the conversation along.

Weeks later, I think I’ve finally hit upon why. As it turns out, there’s a big difference between “What does the Episcopal Church Foundation do?” and “What are you doing at the Episcopal Church Foundation?” The first calls for my elevator speech – a concise description of our programs and services and the role I play in carrying them out. The second question calls for story. My story, to be exact.

Why are you an Episcopalian? Why are you a leader in your parish? Why are you involved in environmental ministry? If you’re like me - i.e. a practiced deflector of personal questions – it’s tempting to reach for a factoid, a talking point, or (my personal favorite) someone else’s story in reply. Don’t. Not only does this lead to awkward phone calls, it’s a missed opportunity to invite people into a ministry that you are passionate about.

One of the most startling statements I’ve heard recently came from Devon Anderson of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation. Devon noted that our stories are the most powerful, untapped resources that lay congregational leaders have at their disposal for mobilizing their communities. How would our churches be different if we were to include our stories as part of how to energize communities around particular ministries? 

Like many, I struggle to put this knowledge into practice. Recently I’ve begun to reflect on my work with the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and the deeper “why” behind this. Until recently, had I been asked why, I’d have responded (perhaps curtly) that Jesus’ statement “Blessed are the peacemakers” seems reason enough. Yet a more genuine answer would include my father’s work as a homicide detective and my early sense of how near and frequent violence in the U.S. is. It will take some work on my part to frame this story, but it will be a component of how I invite other Episcopalians to work on peace & justice issues in their dioceses.

How can we encourage lay leadership to begin telling their stories? Would it be helpful to begin by writing them down and then practicing telling one another? How might we learn to employ these stories in one-on-one conversations, inviting others into the ministries they are passionate about? Do you agree that our stories are our untapped resource?