Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Pull out a stack of post-it notes. With a blue pen, jot down the reality of the Episcopal Church as you see it now. Use one post-it note per idea. With a red pen, write down some of your hopes and vision for the Episcopal Church in the future. Use as many post-it notes as you want. There are no “right” answers. Just create a view of the church from your own particular vantage point.

I gave these instructions to a group I was leading recently. It was a small group of lay and clergy who care deeply about our church and are working hard, each in their own way, to minister through the Episcopal Church to our brothers and sisters inside it and beyond.

We proceeded by contributing our individual pieces of the picture to the large open canvas in the center of the table. It was a sort of chaotic card game, with clusters of topics forming, realigning, or gaining momentum as each person began to play their hand. Then it turned into a kind of jazz tune – each note sounding a minor or major key, creating a composition of dissonance and harmonies. 

Here are some pieces of their picture. Today I'm sharing more of the sobering “blue notes.” Next week I'll post more of the hopeful “red notes.” I wonder what notes resonate with you? Which stir your emotions? How do you interpret this picture?