Tools for Vision & Planning

  • Statistical Data on Episcopal Congregations Do you know your congregation's statistics? Information is available: use this data to enhance your knowledge about your diocese, congregation, and local community.
  • Planificación Estratégica para las feligresías La planificación estratégica tiene dos propósitos: la acción de buscar la Voluntad de Dios para el ministerio de la feligresía y la decisión de ejecutar lo que se ha discernido con fe.
  • Structuring Leadership Teams The most effective leaders have always created teams to work with and lead with them. Take Moses in the story of Exodus, or Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament, or Martin Luther King Jr. in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Our own ministries could be more rewarding if we intentionally structured better teams in all areas of church life.
  • L.E.A.D.E.R. - The Mission Driven Budget It’s no secret. Parish budgets usually aren’t dynamic or compelling. They’re a series of numbers trapped in straight lines. Context is everything. In the right context, those numbers are the legend to a map: Where did we come from? Where are we going? How far have we come?
  • Strategic Planning for Your Church A series of activities to help your leadership do a comprehensive review of all activities, ministries and programs of your church.
  • How to Select a Consultant A tool for congregational leaders who are considering hiring a consultant - or professional resource - to assist them in reaching their goals.
  • Top Ten Things You See in a Church Merger Is the possibility of a church merger being considered as part of your growth strategy? This resource may help...
  • Starting Planned Giving from Scratch Is there a sure-fire way to set up a planned giving effort from scratch in a congregation? While there's no magic bullet, Jim Murphy, ECF's managing program director for financial resources, recommends these basic steps.
  • Increasing Spiritual Vitality: RenewalWorks RenewalWorks grew out of the Diocese of Chicago's Episcopal Spiritual Life Renewal Program. Facilitator Clarence Langdon describes the process developed for congregations.
  • Strategic Solutions Strategic Solutions is a program offering facilitation and assistance for congregations, dioceses, and Episcopal schools to envision and fund future ministries.
  • Disaster Prep: Before, During, & After Every parish has the potential of a devastating disaster. Are you prepared? These resources may help.
  • A Suggested Order of Meeting (for Vestry Meetings) In this new era the vestry and all leader groups will seek to give the congregation the gift of missional leadership. The governance functions in this agenda are concentrated, allowing greater time for the development of an atmosphere of discipleship formation in the church so that the people will be equipped to serve the world in the Name of Christ.
  • Crisis Preparedness: Making a Plan Is your congregation prepared for a crisis? Do you have a written, easy to access guide for dealing with a crisis? Are your staff and congregational leaders familiar with/trained to deal with a crisis should it arise?
  • Web Conference: Out of Many, One Resources on ECF Fellow Rosa Lindahl Mallow's innovative work in Florida to merge three very different congregations into one: large suburban, Latino storefront, and small financially struggling.
  • Congregational Vitality Assessment The Congregational Vitality Assessment is designed to provide congregations with an assessment of its Vitality (how healthy it is) and its Sustainability (whether it has the people, financial, and contextual resources necessary to survive).