Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Thank you. 

While this may seem an odd way to start an editor’s letter, I’m eager to show my appreciation for all of the ECF Vital Practices and Vestry Papers bloggers and contributors, Facebook and Twitter followers, readers and subscribers, and those of you who have filled out our reader surveys or contacted me with feedback.

Why? Because all of you played a part in creating the online resource that is ECF Vital Practices. And, because at the recent Episcopal Communicators and Associated Church Press conference, ECF Vital Practices was awarded the Award of Excellence, Best In Class/Online: Independent Website by the Associated Church Press. The mobile version of the site was recognized with an Award of Merit, Best In Class/Online: Digital Edition/Mobile Publication. So, let me say it again, thank you.

We couldn’t have done it without you. You share your stories, your ideas, your questions, and your comments. You remind us of your need for practical resources and you ask for guidance in building stronger leadership teams, managing change, and visioning and planning. And when we ask for your help, you also deliver.

For our May 2014 Vestry Papers, we’ve invited experts from dioceses and congregations to share the basics related to some very practical things: audits, how to select accounting software, and things the treasurer should know. And, shifting focus a bit, we invited our ECF financial resources consultants to respond to a question we received related to pledging.

Our articles for May include:

As a new treasurer, Tyler Schleicher quickly discovered that he needed to get up to speed quickly and, at the same time, find ways to make the role more manageable (translation: less time consuming). In “Lessons from a Rookie Treasurer” he shares some observations and suggestions that helped him during his tenure as treasurer.

Martha Goodwill’s “Audits: Practicing Internal Controls” reminds congregational leaders of the value of having – and practicing – good internal controls. She offers four specific actions every congregation should adopt.



Opinions vary as to whether or not ordained leaders of faith communities should be familiar with what parishioners are pledging. In “Pledging: Should Clergy Know?” Erin Weber-Johnson reached out to her church campaign colleagues and asked them to share their experiences, pro and con.

In this issue, we split our Try This at Church activity into a specific action step found at the end of each article. I’m eager to hear how these suggested activities work for your congregational leadership team.

Following the Try This recommendation is a list of related resources. Diocesan websites are a rich source of resources related to congregational finances and administration. I’ve included links to some – if your diocese or congregation has resources you’d like to share, please email me with the link or add it to the site using the Your Turn feature. If you’re a subscriber, click on the Make a Submission button. Not a subscriber? It’s easy – and free – just click here.

Looking for Spanish language content? Please visit our new, searchable index for our Spanish content here; then click on the “ECFVP en Español” button on the right side of the page.

And, please remember to share this issue of Vestry Papers with others in your congregation, along with an invitation to subscribe to ECF Vital Practices and Vestry Papers. Subscriptions are free; click on the Subscribe tab on the upper right hand corner of this page. New subscribers are asked to fill out a short registration form to have Vestry Papers and ECF Vital Practices content delivered twice a month to your email inbox.