Mission
By Catherine Caimano
What does a Church being born again in the digital age look like? In The Future Begins Today, Catherine Caimano shares three ways she sees our church shifting, changing and growing in innovative and sustainable ways.
By Ken Howard
Interested in exploring missional opportunities in your church neighborhood? In Neighborhood Missional Intelligence Report, Ken Howard lists two data-rich resources that allow you to glean insights into the communities around…
By Susan Kleinwechter
Some churches lean on their visioning statements to drive them toward community partnerships. In “Pasture to Partnerships” Susan Kleinwechter shares how a community partnership not only helped with maintenance of St. Martin-i…
By Janice Ford
For Janice Ford and Peter Kosciusko, their commitment to the full recovery and rehabilitation of men incarcerated in the local county jail was the catalyst for the transformation of the rectory at their Episcopal Church into …
By Rebecca Wellborn
Rebecca Wellborn writes about the significance of gathering rural church leaders and the difference it is making in communities across the Diocese of Dallas.
By John Maher
How does discipleship intersect with mission? In Transitioning to a Network of Missional Communities, John Maher shares his personal journey as a vicar, and his work with three missional communities to deepen the discipleship…
By Francisco Garcia
In The Art of Organizing, Francisco Garcia explains the importance of community organizing in the Jesus Movement, some roadblocks we may encounter along the way, and what we can do to begin organizing a movement that reaches …
By Jennifer Miramontes
Faith-based credit unions exist to serve disadvantaged individuals in a community; their members believe that investing within their communities is important. In Credit Unions and Economic Justice, Jennifer Miramontes share…
By Edgar Giraldo
What does church look like when the communications ministry is viewed as an investment and not an expense? In The Heart of Church is Mission, Edgar Giraldo shares ways the Diocese of Puerto Rico uses communications as a way t…
By Pickett Wall
In times of fear and uncertainty, the church is our unchanging foundation. In What Happens When Soccer Practice Comes Back? Pickett Wall ponders how we will continue to be community and share our stories when this season of c…
By Reagan Humber
This past year has been a lot about grief and loss. In Pitching Our Tent With God In the Pandemic, Reagan Humber shares his experience of being a pastor at House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado, and reveals the…
By Uriel Lopez
In a changing world, the Missionary Church needs leadership and trust. The Rev. Uriel Lopez describes in A Two-in-One Ministry Grows in Houston how forming San Romeo at St. Christopher’s showed him that the leadership of the …
By ECFVP Team
An Asset-based Approach to Engaging Church and Community is a process for engaging church and community centered around the belief that individuals, groups, and communities have the gifts to address the needs they see around …
By ECFVP Team
The Congregational Vitality Assessment (CVA) tool is designed to provide congregations with an assessment of their Vitality (how healthy they are) and their Sustainability (whether they have the people, financial, and context…
By Audra Abt
The Rev. Audra Abt, vicar of Church of the Holy Spirit in Greensboro, North Carolina, views caring for God’s creation as a ministry, not a program or activity. In Creation Care and Community Engagement, she shares ways her pa…
By Lee Curtis
In Critical Missions: Stabilizing and Supporting Small Congregations, Lee Curtis tells the story of the Diocese of Rio Grande and their work with ECF and the Lilly Endowment “Bridges to the Future” grant, which enabled them t…
By Alissa Newton
Can ASA give us an accurate indication of a parish’s health? In How the Pandemic Cured my ASA Obsession, Alissa Newton talks about her fixation with attendance and numbers, and how the pandemic forced her to reframe ‘metrics’…
By Charis Bhagianathan
Editor's letter for Vestry Papers issue May 2022 Beyond the Pews.
By Charis Bhagianathan
In parking lots and picnic grounds. By rivers and along the mountainside. On TikTok and the Metaverse. Church is happening all around us, and we are discovering new spaces in which to praise, to pray and to build Christ’s com…
By ECFVP editorial team
In Lucinda Mosher and Building Bridges, the ECFVP editorial team describes ECF Fellow Lucinda Mosher’s (ThD, General Theological Seminary) journey that begins during her dissertation work which addressed fostering dialogue be…