November 2018
Hospitality and Outreach

Editor's Letter November 2018

Dear Friends,

What does practicing Christ-like hospitality look like? How can we work on improving our ability to provide a genuine welcome and invitation to all? Welcome that not only allows people to feel comfortable and cared for, but also allows them to see that this place or community could be their home, a place where they could thrive, love and truly belong. In this issue, we share ideas on radical hospitality, welcome and outreach.

What does it mean to seek and serve Christ in all persons? In Welcoming Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Sarah Barton talks about the experience of adults with intellectual and development disabilities in the church context and provides practical steps for cultivating belonging and encouraging participation.

Is your parish a place where children are welcome? In Let the Children Come to Me, Jamie Martin Currie explains why it is important to provide intentional hospitality to children, and describes how paying attention to the needs of both parents and children can make the church the vibrant and welcoming place it should be.

We’ve often been told that actions speak louder than words, but sometimes saying the words is necessary. In The Vital Outreach and Evangelism Connection, Frank Logue shares personal experiences that illuminate why it’s important to be explicit in our invitation and welcome to others, and in sharing the ‘why’ of our belief.

When the members of St John’s, West Hartford, planted a vegetable garden last year they thought they were simply growing vegetables. In Sharing the Bounty of God’s Garden, Bill Eakins tells the story of how their humble garden has grown into so much more – a place for the community to meet, share and support each other.

ECF is pleased to announce that the application for the 2019 Fellowship is now open. Visit the ECF website to learn more about the Fellowship Partners Program and begin the application process. Since 1964 ECF has awarded 223 Fellowships to individuals pursuing advanced academic studies and special ministries with the aim of educating and equipping future clergy and lay leaders.

To learn more about ECF and our programs, please visit our website.

Faithfully,

Charis Bhagianathan
Editor, ECF Vital Practices

This article is part of the November 2018 Vestry Papers issue on Hospitality and Outreach