Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

As promised, ECF Vital Practices continues to add to its January/February Vestry Papers themed content with two new articles:

Covenants in Congregational Life
In his role as the Episcopal Church’s Missioner for Church Planting, Ministry Redevelopment, and Fresh Expressions, Thomas Brackett has witnessed the power of covenants as a tool for building a healthy congregation. Learn how covenants might help your congregation achieve its goals.

Healthy Transitions: The Role of Leaders Part 2
In part one, Sandra Clark Kolb of Fresh Start shared ways congregational leaders can make the transition from a departing to a new rector a healthy one, by managing both the change (the event itself) and the transition (people’s internal responses). In part two, she focuses on steps congregational leaders can take to lay a welcoming foundation for a new rector.

I invite you to share your ‘Healthy Practices’ with other ECF Vital Practices readers by commenting on an article, blog, or tool or by sharing your own healthy practices in the Your Turn section.

VP Talk: Two New Transcripts

In January, ECF Vital Practices sponsored two VP Talks: Tom Ehrich’s “The End to ‘Business as Usual’” and Mary MacGregor’s “No More Parking Lot Conversations.” Transcripts of both are available on the site.

Building Community: Do You Have a Lenten Resource to Share?

Is your congregation ready for Lent? Have you developed or discovered Lenten resources that you would recommend to others? ECF Vital Practices invites congregations and faith groups to use the Your Turn section of the site to share their Lenten resources and practices with others. Registered users can log in and upload documents or audio, video, or image files directly. Not a registered user? Please visit the ECF Vital Practices homepage and click on “Register.’

March/April Preview

“Caring for God’s Creation” is the theme for the March/April issue of Vestry Papers. Posted online March 1, this issue will offer a variety of hands on resources for congregations interested in reducing their carbon footprint or going green.

Thank You

I want to thank our readers and contributors for helping all of us at ECF Vital Practices build a resource for congregational leaders. The number of unique visitors to our site continues to increase, due in large part to the work many of you are doing to help us spread the word. Please continue to do so.

As always, I welcome hearing from you either through the website or by email,editor@episcopalfoundation.org.

Faithfully,