Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Holy and Effective Retreats

In the October Vital Practices Digest, we’re sharing five resources to help you plan a holy and effective retreat for your vestry or other leadership team. Our fifth resource is to help congregations strengthen their practice of year-round stewardship.

Please share this digest with other leaders in your congregation and extend an invitation to subscribe to ECF Vital Practices to receive Vestry Papers and the Vital Practices Digest.

1. Create a Holy Time Away for Your Vestry

Randy Ferebee and Alan Akridge offer practical tips in "Create a Holy Time Away for Your Vestry" that make for both an enjoyable and effective time together. Use this as a checklist for planning your next vestry retreat – or to help your vestry understand why retreats are important for your shared ministry.

2. A Vision for Your Vestry Retreat

Articulating a vision is a vital exercise for vestries. In “A Vision for Your Vestry Retreat,” Linda Buskirk shares an activity that vestries can use while on retreat to discern or explore their mission and vision.

3. A Snapshot of our Urban Neighborhood Vestry Retreat

Not only for urban churches, “A Snapshot of our Urban Neighborhood Vestry Retreat” is a fun project for a vestry or other church group. A tip sheet includes helpful suggestions for using this exercise in your local context.

4. Bootstrap Your Vestry Retreat

How can a retreat be a time when work is done well and a spiritually positive experience? In “Bootstrap Your Vestry Retreat,” Loren Mead shares an exercise that vestries can use for reflection, providing feedback, and nurturing growth.

THIS MONTH IN YEAR-ROUND STEWARDSHIP

5. Framework for Vestry Success

In “Framework for Vestry Success,” Sandy Kolb shares the five stages every group experiences, helping vestries to recognize the importance of addressing the issues common to each stage and fostering stewardship of their time and relationships.

Church Leadership Conference

This conference, presented by the Episcopal Church Foundation and Kanuga, offers a retreat format designed to help vestries come together and discern what God is calling them to do in their mission and ministry. It’s a time and space for vestries to ask the big questions facing their congregations, featuring outstanding speakers and workshop leaders presenting ideas and resources, not only to inspire, but also for practical tools in ministry.

Click here to learn more and register.
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